A Fireman's P90X Review

Hi,

My name is Derek Bryson and I work as a firefighter near Dallas, Texas. I recently discovered P90X, the most "eXtreme" workout program on the planet. It is designed to "Get You Absolutely Ripped In 90 Days". Does it work? The fact that you've found this blog tells me that you want to know the answer to that question.

The answer is an absolute 'YES!'. I've seen such incredible changes in my body that I decided to become a fitness coach with Team Beachbody, the support system for P90X. If at any time you're reading through my blog, you find yourself so excited about P90X that you want to order it right away, you can click on any Team Beachbody link throughout this blog. When ordering your P90X through Team Beachbody, your shipping fees will be less than what you'd pay at Beachbody.com or P90X.com. TeamBeachbody.com, P90X.com, and Beachbody.com are all owned by the same parent company, Product Partners, LLC.

As stated, I work in a Fire Department around the Dallas area and was already in decent shape prior to finding P90X. I pass the physical agility test every year with relative ease, but I like other fireman I have seen since coming on the department, am starting to battle the bulge to some point. I found that my bulge was beginning to creep up around my midsection and the abs, that I had at one point, were starting to dwindle away.

At the station, we are required to workout a mandatory 1 hour a day, but I find that not only I, but other firefighters I work with never seem to do this on a daily basis. This, in addition to eating high fat or greasy foods, is eventually going to catch up to you. I see many overweight firemen every day and that just reminds me of why the #1 killer among fireman is heart disease. Heart disease kills more firemen in America than fires or auto accidents, or anything else related to fire for that matter. As a fireman, I am expected to go from 0-60 in several seconds, where as the average resting heart rate is around 60-80 while sitting or lying down. When a tone goes off and you know that you have to react, a shot of adrenaline is sent through your system and that 60-80 shoots through the roof. When you are in action, that adrenaline is making your heart beat harder and faster than it normally would with any other daily activity. But we as fireman don't really do anything to prepare our hearts for this kind of activity.

I used to run track and cross country through high school and considered myself to be in very good running shape. I then joined the Marine Corps out of high school and found that I ran faster and was put to the test at a much higher level. I was forced to use my body on an all around level. You do more push ups , sit ups and pull ups than ever before. I got out of the Marines in very good shape and had also discovered weights at the same time. Through college and thereafter I lifted weights a lot and began to bulk up quite a bit. I continued to run, but not nearly at the pace I had years earlier. I began to slow my running down as years went by and then after I was hired at the fire department and got engaged I found that I got comfortable and slowed down even more. I stopped lifting weights and began to do some cardio every couple of shifts (BTW our shift are 24 on/48 off). I seemed to be going nowhere and found that I ate out more than ever before. I was slowly putting on weight and not comfortable or happy with what was going on with my body. I was slowly getting closer to 30 and figured that nature was taking it's course with me. To make matters worse I found that on a visit to my Dr. that my blood pressure was elevated. Here I am in my early 30's and talking to people about their blood pressure and what kind of role model could I be or how could I preach to other people about their condition when I can't even regulate my own.

I decided at that instance to make a difference to vow to lose weight. I went on the South Beach Diet and I did drop from 235 lbs. to 215 lbs. where I plateaued and was not able to lose any more weight. This was all in preparation for my marriage which took place in Kauai along with our honeymoon. My wife and I had lost 15 lbs. a piece. We both felt better, but I still felt out of shape. I was happy that some of my clothes were starting to fit again, but nothing was being done about my fitness. I was still able to pass the physical agility test at the fire department with ease, but this did not make me happy. I still wanted more and knew that I had more in me.

My parents began to work out together and bought the ABS Diet videos and books. They seemed to be enjoying them, but the videos were too easy for me and were not a challenge. The information in the books was impressive as far as diets go. This is where my eyes began to open up and realize that if I was to put diet in a category and then fitness in another then I could challenge myself on each level. I know that diet is always said to be 75-80% of the plan and the other 20-25% the fitness. A quick note on the "the Abs Diet". This is a book written by David Zinczenko, the editor of Men's Health. It should really be called the "nutrition bible". You won't be disappointed if you order it(Amazon.com)...I promise you. The Abs diet taught me the concept of more food=more muscle=less fat. It helped me to find foods that would build muscle, promote weight loss, strengthen bone, lower blood pressure, fight cancer, improve immune function, and fight heart disease. These foods make up my diet now. I was able to lower my weight to a more manageable 205 lbs. and felt like I was getting around even better, but once again the fitness aspect seemed to be the only thing that was missing. I had worked out with some of the guys at the station and we have always used "Crossfit" but there wasn't any structure to it. I needed something with some sort of structure that would hold me to a schedule and have something mapped out to help me obtain short and long term goals for my workouts.

I had been working at a surgery center in the Dallas area for about a year and had befriended another guy there who told me about the workout he was doing. He told me he was doing a program called P90X that he worked out at the house and followed along with. Even better is he told me about the nutrition portion and it sounded almost exactly like what I was doing previously. So, I sat down with him and went to the website where he showed me P90X. It seemed like a cool program where I would be able to incorporate all body parts into my workout. I liked the sound of this and told him to proceed with telling me more. He told me about this crazy guy, Tony Horton, who even though he is in phenomenal shape would be doing the moves with you and breathing just as hard while the workout was playing. I started to read and website for beachbody, which I knew was already known for other workout DVD's such as P90, Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Jam and Slim in 6. I had known people who had bought these other beachbody products and had good success with them.

Another thing that really caught my eye about the program was now they had a forum that was used for support on every video and one most importantly for me was the one dedicated for P90X. I went into the beachbody forums and saw people from all walks of life doing the programs. I went on into the P90X forum to find that there were sections with picture galleries where people could post their pictures before and after and show their results and people could comment and help coach them along in their journey to success! I was really starting to have a good feel for this place and it seemed as though the right approach was being brought up here.

I decided to go home to tell my wife about it to see what she would say...I knew secretly that she would laugh at me and tell me that whatever I wanted to do that she didn't care. Well, almost exactly, she told me that she thought it would be a waste of money and I had to show her that I could commit and make this change for myself. For us guys, only half the battle is convincing the wife...LOL! I then knew I was in the clear and I could move ahead. So, I got a hold of a guy that was a coach for million dollar body and asked him to be my sponsor while I go through the program. This is someone that is setup to be your coach that can hold you accountable and help answer your questions while going through any of the million dollar body programs.

I just needed him for P90X, since that was what I was going to conquer this 90 days! I did my homework and found that there were certain things that I would need to do before I started this program. First and foremost was the fitness test. It will replace your normal workout, because it takes about 40 minutes. It's not a marketing gimmick, it's a necessary thing you should do. Because, if you can't hit everything you need to on the fitness test, you not only aren't ready for P90X, but you might cause yourself injury if you try it. This workout is no joke, but it's not that bad, you should have a higher level of core fitness in order to start this program. If you don't have that, there are a lot of places to start. If you don't do exceptionally well on the fitness test or you know that you have a pre-existing medical condition then I would recommend a doctor's clearance and then walking and body weight moves (like push-ups, sit-ups, etc), or you could even start off with P90 which was the precursor to P90X.


If you decide that P90X is the way to go for you then you will need some things before you get started:

1) A Place To Do Pull Ups

Beachbody has a pull up/chin up bar designed especially for the P90X program. It mounts to any standard size interior doorway. I believe it's approximately $45 plus shipping. It's really nice and a good deal for the money. You can check it out in the Million Dollar Body Store Here.

Some people have trouble doing traditional pull ups. Million Dollar Body sells a door attachment to do pullups with the resistance bands. Check that out when you're shopping the MDB store.


2) A Good Yoga Mat

I can't stress enough how important a good yoga mat is. You'll be using this for yoga, "Ab Ripper X", and some of the other workouts. A poor mat can leave your tailbone exposed to a hard floor.

Check out the Manduka Mat that Million Dollar Body carries. You can see it in the MDB store by clicking here. It will be listed under "accessories".

3) Dumbells and/or Resistance Bands

People ask me all of the time, which is better, dumbbells or resistance bands. I tell them both. Each has advantages.

I use the Bowflex Select-Tech 552's. They are NICE. Expensive, but nice.

Here is a link that will take you to the bowflex website where you can get them as low as $6 a month:





Women won't need the 50 pound set (well, most women). Wal-Mart has a pretty good (and very inexpensive) set of selectables that go up to 20 or 25 pounds. Check them out. Individual dumbbells are also an option for both men and women. They can be purchased at Wal-Mart, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc. Don't forget 'Play It Again Sports' and any other second hand sports shops. They usually have some deals on used dumbbells. For all of the P90X workouts, 50 pounds is generally enough weight for me. On a couple exercises, such as "Lawnmowers", I could probably do 60-80 pounds. It's not worth trying to get dumbbells this big for one or two exercises Simply use less weight and do more reps. for those exercises.

Resistance bands can be used throughout P90X in place of the dumbbells. In fact, one of Tony's "kids" (as he calls them...his workout buddies in the P90X workouts) will be demonstrating the exercise using a band. Million Dollar Body carries "B Lines" resistance bands. I use them and like them a lot. I'll work in and out of exercises using both dumbbells and bands. The Bicep workout is a good example. Most of the exercises are 'repeats'. This means you'll do 3 or 4 sets and then come back and repeat the sequence again. I'll do the first set with dumbbells and then use the bands on the second round. In bicep curls, one thing I like about the dumbbells is that you can really turn the wrists inwards and SQUEEZE the muscle. It's hard to turn the wrists using bands. Don't forget...as I mentioned above...Bands are great to use for pull ups.

You can check out the B-Lines resistance bands in the MDB store by clicking here. They will be listed under "accessories".

5) Heart Rate Monitor

Beachbody recommends that you use a heart rate monitor to gauge your intensity and progress during workouts. I have one that I used to use when training for Triathalons during my time in the Marine Corps. It is a polar heart rate monitor and I have not gotten a new one because this one is still working. This is a nice tool to teach you how to train within the proper workloads of your heart. Everyone's heart is different, so it is important that you work on the level taht your heart functions at. They have a nice monitor made by Reebok in the MDB store.

6) Yoga Blocks

These are also recommended by Beachbody to use during Yoga. The blocks offer added support to assist with balance while holding certain poses. The MDB store carries them.

7) Body Fat Tester

This will give you an accurate reading on your body fat throughout the program. These are available in the MDB store.

8)Push Up Stands

I love push up stands. I do have some tendonitis in one of my wrists, so using a push up stand takes all of the pressure off of my wrists. Check out Tony Horton's "Powerstands" and the regular push up stands available in the MDB store.


Here are some supplements that I recommend during the program as well:

1) Beachbody Peak Recovery Formula: Very Important! Don't Miss!

I'm yet to find another product on the market comparable to the Beachbody Peak Recovery Formula. We know from extensive scientific research that there is an approximate 60 minute window of opportunity following exercise when muscle cells are primed to repair, rebuild, and adapt from a hard workout. The P90X Recovery Formula was designed to provide the precise nutrients you'll need to achieve maximum results from your P90X workout. Proper post workout nutrition is a KEY FACTOR in your success with P90X! Folks, these workouts are WAY too hard to be skipping here!

The P90X Recovery Formula is better suited to provide maximum glycogen replenishment and muscle re-synthesis. And this stuff tastes unbelievably good!

Ingredients include protein, creatine, L-Glutamine, and L-Argenine. Ladies, don't worry about the creatine making you "bulky' either. It's only about 500 mg...about 10% of a normal serving of creatine. It's there to enhance performance without adding bulk. Since you only need the recovery formula after HARD workouts (I don't take it after Yoga or StretchX) it lasts longer than a month. You will find the P90X Peak Recovery Formula in the MDB store by clicking here. Click on the "Nutrition tab".

2) P90X Peak Health Formula Vitamins: Very Important!

These vitamins are pretty incredible. You take 6 "easy to swallow" pills each day. It's a high potency multivitamin plus so much more. It has immune support, energy support, cardiovascular support, memory and nerve support, anti-aging support, anti-stress support, & support for skin, hair, and nails.
I've taken these performance vitamins since day 1 of P90X. They have made a world of difference in my days.

You will find the P90X Peak Recovery Formula in the MDB store by clicking here. Click on the "Nutrition tab".

3) Whey Protein Powder: Very Important!

P90X demands A LOT from your body. You have to fuel it with enough protein. Protein is a key component in your first 30 days of P90X. Protein is harder for the body to break down. As it is working harder to break the protein down, it has to burn more calories. There's a novel idea...Have the body burn calories while you're doing nothing! Brilliant!

One of the cleanest and best sources of protein is Whey Protein Powder. Million Dollar Body sells a great tasting chocolate and vanilla flavor. I recommend Vanilla. It goes with my coach's Summer Strawberry Smoothie!


Click here for Dennis Hardy's Strawberry Smoothie recipe


You will find the Beachbody Whey Protein Powder in the MDB store by clicking here. Click on the "Nutrition tab".

4)P90X Peak Performance Protein Bars

The P90X Nutrition Guide calls for performance bars during your first 60 of the 90 days. They are phased out in the last 30 days. The main thing with an energy protein bar is to find something you like. I love the "Mocha" bars that Beachbody has. When I first started P90X, my bars hadn't come in yet. I went to the grocery store and picked up a few to hold me over. These things tasted like chewing shoe heel. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the mocha bars. They tasted great and I actually looked forward to them each day.

You will find the Peak Performance Protein Bars in the MDB store by clicking here. Click on the "Nutrition tab".

Other Supplements

Above, I've listed all of the supplements used with P90X. Other highly praised supplements include their Activit Fat Burning/Toning Formulas, Meal Replacement Shakes, and Slimming Formula. I know others that use and love all of these. Shop the store and see if these may be for you. You will find all of these in the MDB store.


What to Expect from P90X


With all of the needs list out of the way I can now tell you about the P90X "Extreme Home Workout Program" and what to expect from it. P90X is not one of your run of the mill workouts. This workout regime is going to take you to the limits. You are only going to get out what you put into these workouts. If you work out half speed then you will only get half the results from the workouts. If you choose to eat bad all the time instead of following along with the eating guide, then your results will not be maximized. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that you should never cheat when eating, but I am just saying to stick to eating a clean and healthy diet and you will be ok. The guide that P90X provides is put together by a nutritionist with P90X in mind. She set it up the way so that she would keep every person that would buy P90X in mind and they could easily follow along with it. This will give you a clear understanding of what to feed your body to optimize your workouts.

DAY 1 - 30 (PHASE 1 - APPROXIMATELY)

1.) This is the adjustment period. Your body is getting into the schedule and tempo of your workouts. It is adjusting to your new nutrition habits. Expect some differences, perhaps not the drastic visual differences you crave, but your clothes will become baggier.

2.) Stay the course during this period. I have had allot of people say to me "Something is not right, I'm not getting as lean as I should be." This is normal; during Phase 1 you are priming the body and stoking your metabolic fire. Remember, your body will not 'spot reduce fat'. Your body will take body fat off in "sheets". What I mean is that it will reduce your overall body fat evenly. Where we hold the largest amount of body fat largely depends on genetics and gender. Women tend to hold their body fat in their butt, leg, & hip region. Men generally hold their body fat in their waistlines. This is what to watch for in this Phase: loosening of your clothes. Stay off of the scale and above all, remain patient and continue to work hard.

3.) This 4 week period consists of:


***Reminder that when using weights or bands during the strength exercises that 8-10 repetitions will build size, whereas 12-15 reps will create a slimmer/toned look. Use this philosophy when executing strength exercises.***


Weeks 1-3:


Monday: Chest and Back...get ready for a lot of pull ups and a lot of pushups. You will be doing these from every angle. If you cannot do very many pullups or any at all for that matter then they show you examples of how to do them with assistance using a chair and they expect you to use the chair. If you cannot do them even with assistane then you should use the bands to do the pullups and they will show you how to do this correctly in the video. You are told to set a number in your head early on and that would be a wise decision to do so, as you will burn out whether you want to or not! You will alternate chest and back throughout and then move onto the next set of the same routines, but this time they just alternate in a different order. You just have to dig deep here and push yourself to the extreme here...or they wouldn't call it P90X...the X is for extreme! You will fail and you probably won't reach your numbers here, but that is what it is designed to do. You then think that you are done and move onto 16 minutes of AB exercises...well you will think you are being put through hell the first time around as you struggle to keep form and your abs burn worse than you ever remember them burning from an ab workout. This ABRX or Ab Ripper X DVD or section can be done separately sometime that day or follow your workout. These are done usually on Monday, Wednesday and Friday following your big muscle workouts, but I figure as long as you work them 3 times a week it would be ok. I just chose to do them on the alloted days.

Tuesday: Plyometrics...This day is referred to as the "Mother of all workouts" at least that is what Tony Horton refers to this as...he is the lead instructor that will take you through the next 13 weeks to turn you into one ripped up human!...LOL! Plyometrics is called jump training. There is a lot of squatting with jumps involved. If you have a hard time jumping or coming down on your toes after you jump then I would suggest that you adjust and improvise the way you do your jumps throughout the workout. Tony Horton is great at making sure that everyone during the workout is doing something different or using bands on days that need bands so that you can see every possible way to make this workout work out for you. Pay attention and make sure that you don't get ahead of yourself. If you feel yourself getting very tired and coming down flat then slow down and make sure you do it right or improvise the workout to make sure that you do not come down pounding your knees. If you have bad knees or ankles then make sure you take the necesary precautions before getting involved. My wife has horrible knees and she has herself had 7 (yes I said 7) knee surgeries, so she makes sure and wears a brace during the exercises in which you make lateral movements. She knows her limitations as well as you should. Thank god when this is over that you are not doing abs!....LOL! You will be thankful, but you will come to love this workout.

Wednesday: Shoulders and Arms...On this day you will definitely feel the pump in your shoulders and arms. You will find that you will alternate shoulders, biceps and then finally triceps. You need to pay special attention to the tips that Tony Horton gives you throughout these workouts to make sure you are keeping the correct form. The correct form is the best way to prevent injury and if you want to finish P90X then you need to make sure that you don't get injured. You will be just as pumped on this workout as you were at the end of the chest and back workout on Monday. You will use weights throughout this workout, so be ready to grab the next weight for the exercise or even push the pause button to allow you the chance to grab the correct weights for the exercise. If you grab the wrong weight, don't sacrifice your body. Get up and grab the next weight down or one that you know you will need to get the alloted reps needed to finish the exercise with good form. Enjoy the pump from this exercise. Be ready because after this workout you favorite Ab Ripper X will start and allow you to experience the burn of those abs all over again. Once again, ENJOY!

Thursday: Yoga...On Yoga day you need to put on some clothes that aren't too loose so that you can look at your form. Grab a mat and take off your shoes and do the exercise barefoot. Find a time that you can make your place of exercise quite for at least 90 minutes and you will get a lot out of this workout. I have to tell you upfront that my wife cussed the entire time through her first round of Yoga and she is very flexible and balanced. She just didn't take the time to breathe correctly and focus her attention on breathing and not the exercise itself or with holding a certain pose. If you cannot hold a pose then come out and take a deep breath and then get back into the pose. Just make breathing the #1 thing on your list. If you are not very flexible then grab some yoga blocks...they will help you hold poses longer and allow you to open up more. This will in turn better your flexibility. I have grown to love Yoga over the last month while doing P90X. I have a whole new respect for Yoga and will always continue to do it on a weekly basis. You may do the same thing my wife did and cuss your whole way through the first time or maybe even the first couple of times, but hang in there and as your flexibility and balance start to improve then you will get better. Be ready to sweat, so have a towel nearby. Like I said before, DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE and DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH! Close to the end of the workout you will get another treat to the Yoga Belly 7...these are some more exciting ab routines. Your belly may not like them, but I promise you will feel very tightened and toned after this workout. DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE!

Friday: Legs and Back...On this day you will be giving your legs one hell of a workout. Your back gets a good workout as well, but you really feel it in your legs. You will be doing a lot of lunges, so make sure when in the lunge that you are keeping proper form. You will have different form of squats along with the good ole's wall squat...you wondered when that was going to make it's way into the workouts after thinking it must have been since gym class in high school since you last did them before taking the fit test. Make sure you don't forget your chair, so that when you tire out during pull ups that you can use the chair to knock out some more pull ups. Keep a number in your head and stick with that number, whether you are using the bands or just pulling up on the bar. Remember to keep good form and feel the burn. You will be amazed at burn you will get from this workout. It feels good and if that didn't make things more exciting, just remember that Ab Ripper X is back for another visit for the last time that week.

Saturday or Sunday: Kenpo X...Depending on which day you choose to have as your off day you can do the workout the other day. Kenpo is exactly as it sounds, a lot of karate, which involves a lot of kicking and punch throwing. You might feel a little uncoordinated the first time around through this workout trying to keep up with Tony Horton and the "kids" (that is what he refers to his workout partners in the videos as). If you have any kind of coordination then you will be alright with the moves. Just hang in there and you will do just fine. Make sure and stretch those legs good, because you will be throwing a lot of kicks. This is great for the weekend and if you have little kids they will probably want to join in with you and since it is the weekend, then you might as well make it fun for the whole family! Which ever day you do not workout it is suggested that you stretch or do Stretch X the other day. I do not do the stretch because I feel that I am pretty flexible and I get enough stretching during the week already, especially with Yoga. This may not be the case for you though, so if you feel that you need it then by all means, do the stretching.

Week 4: Recovery Week

This does not mean that you just sit around for a week...there is a routine schedule for recovery week as well. You will do these as follows and I will explain Core Synergistics since this is new for this week:

Monday: Yoga X

Tuesday: Core Synergistics

Wednesday: Kenpo X

Thursday: X Stretch

Friday: Core Synergistics

Saturday: Yoga X

Sunday: Rest or X Stretch

Core Synergistics: During Core Syn your midsection will be tested and you will feel very depleted after this workout. I absolutely love this workout and this is why I will alternate it throughout the second phase with Kenpo X on the weekend. You will see what I mean once you take the challenge on Monday during recovery week. This recovery week really gives your big muscle groups a break and allows them to recover for a week before you start to blast them for another 3 weeks. Core Syn will incorporate all kind of moves, but every move you do will have multiple moves with it. This is another instance where coordination comes into play. If you are not the most coordinated person in the world, then just take your time and it will come to you. Make sure and keep good form and just complete the exercises and you will have one hell of a workout that you will be drenched with sweat from! You will use some weights during this workout, so be ready to swap out weights quickly or push pause to allow you to grab the right weights for you. Remember when performing these exercises to really tighten the core during the exercises and hold proper form and you will really feel the burn in your core...REMEMBER FOLKS THE CORE IS NOT JUST THE ABS IT IS THE LOWER BACK TOO! So if you think that a certain exercise is working your back too, then it probably is. You can't have strong abs without a strong back. Just hang in there and this workout will get better as time goes on. Like I said before, I absolutely love this wrokout and will continue to make this a staple in my workouts from here on out!

DAYS 31-60 (PHASE 2 - APPROXIMATELY)


1.) This phase is where your body kicks into high gear. You are getting stronger and leaner. Expect dramatic results during this Phase as long as you remain disciplined and suffer daily.

2.) You will start to see that your outer extremities, (Forearms, calves, upper back, shoulders) generally where people hold the least amount of fat, will start to get leaner.

3.) Where you hold the most fat will improve but not to your impatient satisfaction. Why? Because as your body removes the fat in "sheets" naturally the leaner sections of your body will show definition the quickest.

4.) REMAIN PATIENT AND STAY THE COURSE!

5.) This 4 week period consists of:


Weeks 5-7:


Monday: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps: This workout starts out hard and is hard all the way through. You will push yourself very hard during this workout and I promise that you will have tremendous results from it. You alternate slow count pushups and you can really feel the burn throughout this entire workout. You will find that you will do some similar exercises for triceps that were in the previous weeks shoulders and arms workout, but there is nothing about them that makes them any easier this time around! Your shoulders will be tested to the max and it becomes very hard to hold good form on some of these exercises the more fatigued your muscles become. Since this is the case, you really need to make sure and pick the right weight for yourself here and make sure that if you feel your form slipping don't be too proud to get a lighter weight so that you can give it your all throughout the entire workout. Like I have said before, you are only going to get out of this what you put into it. If you don't bring it to the table then you will never get the results you are looking for. So when the going gets tough in the middle of this workout, really reach down and dig in and find your inner strength to finish this workout with all your might! Pushups just seem to be getting easier and easier as the weeks go on when you get into the third week of this workout. Be positive and stay in the game and finish up strong with Ab Ripper X and then reward yourself with a nice recovery drink!

Tuesday: Plyometrics: Plyometrics is the same as in weeks 1-3 for this day, so look up at weeks 1-3 and see what I have to say about plyometrics. Only this time, if you find that some moves are getting easier then test your ability to see if you can jump higher or farther. Know your limitations though, so that you don't find yourself getting injured when you get fatigued and find yourself landing on your heels instead of the balls of your feet! This is important to keep from jarring those precious knee joints and to avoid injury. Keep your head in the game and work hard and your legs will feel it once again.

Wednesday: Back and Biceps: Finally the back workout gets here and with the back workout again in the mix we have more pull ups. This time you get to focus that back workout with a killer bicep workout as well. You will pump those guns to the max in this workout. You just need to set a goal early and often on how many pull ups you want to obtain with each exercise and then push to get those numbers. When you max out and cannot do any more then just know that you are not done. Do the extra work and push out some more pull ups with a little extra help. You have it in you and don't be afraid to put your foot on a chair to help you get those extra 5-6 more pull ups. It is what you can dig down and find in you now that will increase those pull up numbers! Find weights that will allow you to do the 8-10 rep or 12-15 rep range so that you focus on bulky or leaner muscles like I stated before. Write these weights down and tell yourself wether it was hard or easier, so you know what to do the next time you complete this workout. I am more than sure that you will pump your biceps during this workout until they feel as though they will burst. Just watch your form and use the biceps and not the back to lean into your curl...if you are doing this then the weight is too heavy! So get a lighter weight and get to pumping those biceps. Work out hard during this workout and bring your all and reward yourself and do not forget about our finisher. Ab Ripper X is back again my friends to blast your abs one more time. I have found that I complete the 25 reps here with my abs burning, but I find myself wanting something more. I picked up a 25 lb plate to hold during the exercises performed while sitting up and then I focused hard on form throughout and when you get to the mason twists I used a 10 lb plate to turn side to side with. What a difference this makes...you will be punishing yourself here, but you will really pushing yourself to a whole new height!

Thursday: Yoga: This is the same as weeks 1-4. Like I stated before, you just need to focus on your breathing here and make sure that you make this a quiet and peaceful time for yourself and you will be rewarded. Try this couple of weeks to get further down in that lunge and then stretch further than you have the previous weeks to really help your body gain that flexibility that will help those muscles grow to new heights. Do your best as you still might be trying to hold poses and stay in your lunge. It is OK to take breaks here if you need them, but just remember to breathe and you will do just fine.

Friday: Legs and Back: Here you are doing the same workouts as weeks 1-3 again. This time you might find that you are able to hold those wall squats just a little longer and that those lunges and squats are getting a little deeper. Push yourself to get the numbers that you set for yourself. This workout does not get any easier than the times you comleted it in weeks 1-3. Don't forget that your back gets another great workout again before the weekend, so time to knock those pull ups out again. Push yourself to the limit and really focus on setting those goals for yourself. Your numbers will go up when you make that extra effort. Make it your goal to get those extra couple of pull ups, lunges or squats in and you will be so happy with yourself. Even though you will not believe it while you are feeling pumped to the max or just plain burned out. You will complete this workout and then move to Ab Ripper X to blast those abs one more time before the weekend.

Saturday or Sunday: Core Synergistics or Kenpo X: During the second phase I held true to my word and swapped out workouts on opposing weekends. So I started out with Core Syn for week 5 and then did Kenpo X for week 6 and then back to Core Syn for week 7. I was very happy with this choice as I stated before, Core Syn is absolutely my favorite workout of all the DVD's. I look forward to it on the weekend and just work hard to push through it. It makes me sweat more than any other workout in the series...even YOGA! I sweat a lot in yoga...probably because I raise the temperature in the house and make sure there are no fans running. That makes me push that much harder. I have been doing Kenpo at this point with a 3 lb weight in each hand as well. I can really feel this much better in the back and it makes me concentrate so much more when swinging to ensure that I have proper form. If you find youself tiring a lot with weights in your hands then be on the safe side and put them down and start throwing punches, so that you do not injure yourself. That is just my way of pushing myself a little over the top. I know when my body can't handle it any more, so I know when to throw the weights down. Do not be stubborn and don't risk the injury...it is not worth it. Push yourself hard and then reward yourself with a day off or a day of stretching.

Week 8: Recovery Week: Complete recovery week the same as I have recovery week listed above in the first phase in week 4. Make sure you eat good and clean and complete those workouts. I told you before this is not a time to let yourself get relaxed. Recovery week is not a week off, it is a time to give your muscles a break from all of those heavier weights you have been lifting. So push hard and bring it on through to start the last 30 day phase!



DAYS 61 - 90 (PHASE 3 - APPROXIMATELY)

1.) This is the Phase to let it all hang out. It's an all out assault on body fat. Your metabolism is in high gear, you have noticed a drastic improvement in definition throughout your entire body and your most stubborn pockets of fat are carving away.

2.) This is the time to do some extra workout sessions. Walk after dinner, take an extra bike ride. Skip rope, box, and do something extra to burn more calories and more fat.

3.) At the end of this Phase you want to be standing tall on Day 90, proudly take your after pictures and be able to say, "I worked as hard as I possibly could have during the past 90 days, I BROUGHT IT!"

Weeks 9 and 11: Complete the workouts setup for weeks 1-3 here during these two alternating weeks. Work hard...you will know what to do at this point, so just make sure you bring it on every single workout and every single day! Don't let yourself get relaxed coming into the home stretch. This is where you reach down and bring it across the finish line for finish that you are looking for.

Weeks 10 and 12: Complete the workouts setup for weeks 5-7 here during these two alternting weeks. Remember to finish up strong here. This is where it counts and this is where you see what you are made of, so dig deep and find another gear and BRING IT!

I will update my diet soon!

The Secret Exercise To Explode Your P90X Results..

I have recently added the "secret exercise to explode p90X results" (You will hear about this all the time on the million dollar body forums). This secret is called High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT. HIIT was first introduced to me by Dennis Hardy, my own MDB coach

Click here to check out my coach Dennis Hardy's blog post on HIIT

Dennis does HIIT- 3 days a week, Monday-Wed-Fridays- first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. He feels this maximizes his own results. I do it twice a week. I do this every 3rd day when I go into the fire station early in the morning. I use a treadmill, stationary bike or elliptical and trade of each time, but I know that Dennis uses a stationary bike that he purchased at Wal-Mart

Here it is...a great deal for $88!

There are many different ways to do HIIT. You can do it on a stationary bike, running, swimming, etc. Both Dennis & I do the "5 minute interval-step pattern" version of HIIT.

Using the stationary bike here's the sequence...I start out peddling slowly for the first minute. Then, will start increasing intensity over the next couple minutes. Once I get to minute 5, I'm peddling nearly as fast as I can for a minute. Then, I slow back down and repeat the sequence. I keep repeating these sequences until I've been peddling for 20 minutes(4- 5 minute sequences). Then, I do a 2 minute cool down at slow speed.

You can also go a little longer if you feel like it. You can vary your "speed bursts" for 30 to 90 seconds. You can run 3 minute patterns, 5 minute, 4 minute, etc. The important thing is to have periods where you exert a lot of energy, go back to a slower state, and then repeat. Like I stated in my blog post, HIIT will help your body to burn calories day and night. It will truly elevate your metabolism.

Dennis related to me this one tidbit, "One thing about the Wal-Mart bike, I don't like to use the handles. Instead, I just pump my arms as if I'm running. Holding onto the handles just slows me down. You have to be careful when peddling hard. I once peddled so hard that I cam shooting off the back of the bike and onto my rear end!"

I know MANY people who are currently working the HIIT into their P90X workout schedules. They LOVE the routine. It's extremely effective and doesn't take much time. You will feel the effect of HIIT training almost immediately and the effect that it has on your metabolism will continue to burn calories throughout the entire day.

DISCLAIMER:

Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about HIIT, or P90X. These can both be intense workouts. If you experience any pain or difficulty with these exercises, stop and consult your healthcare provider.