© Tim Pannell Photography

My favorite P90X workout after over a year is still, hands down the  Shoulders  and Arms Workout. I’ve added over an inch of muscle to both of my arms and am much stronger because of it.

I’ve had a problem a couple of times over the last year when my elbow joints gave me problems with soreness.  I used to think that the soreness in my right elbow was from racquetball, but once I started experiencing the same pain in my left elbow I assumed that it was from using too much weight in several of the P90X exercises.

I think the main culprit for my problem was using too much weight while doing the “in and out bicep curl” exercise.   After the last several months of holding off on my workouts until I was fully healed I decided to take it easier on my arms, especially when it concerned the “in and out” exercise.

I think it was the wise thing to do.  Since getting back on track with my P90X workout schedule over the last month, my elbows are just fine.  I prefer to have my muscles sore and not my joints.  I’ll be fine as long as I keep things under control.

I figured out my limits the last go around, this time I’m gonna be sure to not overdo it.  I still have to push myself so I get the benefits from the P90X workouts, just not over the line.

Although I have to be careful with the bicep exercises it seems that I can just pile on the weight when it comes to my triceps.  The “Flip Grip Twist” exercise is my favorite and now that I’m up to 25 lb. dumbbells with that workout I’m really pleased with the results.

If you’re looking to build up your arms, you can’t go wrong with “Shoulders and Arms.”  You should see some results within the first couple of weeks.

Of all the P90X workouts the only one that I still hate to this day is the Yoga X….I just don’t think it flows very well, but for me….the P90X Workout – Shoulders and Arms more than makes up for it.

P90X Workout – Shoulders And Arms is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Another Saturday has come and gone and another P90X Shoulders & Arms workout is in the books for me and my wife Kim.  I love working out with her….it makes all the difference in the world.

She helps motivate me like no one else can.  I’m still having trouble with my left kneecap and my right shoulder so I have to take it easy on a couple of the exercises at the end of the Shoulders & Arms DVD, but I can do all the rest just fine.  The lying down triceps extension and the side tri rise exercises really put a lot of strain on my shoulder area so I’m only using half the weight and doing half the reps I used to do.

I’ve dogged it for almost 2 weeks now, hoping that my knee will get better and my shoulder will heal.  The good news is….my knee is finally turning the corner and in the middle of the healing process.  There were some days last week that I had difficulty even walking.  It felt like there was a little rock in between the joint….no fun at all.

Both injuries came from playing racquetball…..I’m sure of it.  I swung too hard at a “ceiling ball” and jumped too high in the air on the same shot and landed on the heal of my foot instead of the ball and jarred my knee joint.  This always seems to happen to me once I start feeling really good.  I forget to hold back just a little bit to protect against injury and blam…..I go and hurt myself.  Bummer.

I’m going to push myself a little bit harder this week….I don’t want to re-aggravate anything, but I’m tired of dogging it almost completely.  I’ll probably do Yoga X, Stretching X and Shoulders & Arms this week.  I might wait one more week to play racquetball as well.

My partner and brother in law Jon hurt his knee as well and can’t play for a while either……another bummer.

I’m just going to keep plugging along.  I know that even if I’m not losing all the weight I want to that I’m much healthier doing the workouts than I am if I don’t.

My wife Kim and I will have to get up earlier than normal for at least 2 more days this week…..I really want to make sure we do the workouts together…..I like having my workout buddy.

She responds really well to the P90X exercises and has pretty good results from it.  Her arms especially have toned up big time.  It’s fun to see.

Bring on the new week!

P90x Me and My Wife is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Ok….my P90X review of this last week is……..it was a good week even though I didn’t lose the kind of weight I wanted to.  I did 5 straight days of P90x and played racquetball 4 times for over 2 hours each time.  Here it is the 2nd day of my 2nd week and I’m feeling pretty good right now.

On Monday this week, I did P90X Chest& Back. I was pretty sore, I’ve still got a pulled muscle in my right shoulder as well as my right tricep.  I got through everything but the military push ups.  I could only do a few of those without really hurting those pulled muscles.

My wife insisted I go to a Chiropractor that day to get worked on for the rib issue I’ve been having.  It’s felt as though my lower ribs have been out of place for several weeks now…mostly it just keeps me from taking a full breath.

The Chiropractor was great…I can breath again.  The last time I played racquetball last week….Saturday…..I really had a hard time breathing and bending over because of the pain in my ribs.  The doc said I was ridiculously tight in my thoracic region.  He cracked and popped away and I could feel the tightness subside….at least mostly.

I played racquetball Monday night and was looking forward to being pain free…..instead my left knee decided to be a problem.  It was pinched all night long , making it really difficult to step into any of my shots or run hard and stop quick to swing.  I really struggled and by the time I went home…..I was as hammered as I’ve ever been.

I could barely walk into the house….pathetic.  I didn’t think I’d be moving at all for a day or two, but to my surprise I woke up yesterday and didn’t feel too bad.  I had a submission deadline for a bunch of images I’d created over the last couple of weeks so I didn’t end up doing P90X Plyometrics with my wife. I skipped it…..missed it, but played racquetball last night so at least I didn’t go an entire day without some form of exercise.

To my surprise, I felt great last night when I played.  I was breathing well and moving pretty close to pain free.  The knee was a little tight, but none of the pain was there from the previous evening.  I played for a couple hours….played really well until the last 15 or 20 minutes when I could tell I was running out of gas.  I was up 5 games to 2 at that point, but lost the last 2 games.  LOSER!!!!

Today I’m gonna pop in the P90X Shoulders & Arms DVD and see how my tricep and shoulder respond.  They don’t feel too bad just sitting here typing away.  I think I’ve turned the pain corner with this round of P90X.

I’ve been pretty sore most of last week, but am moving around much better today.  I go to the chiropractor again today at 10.  That should take care of the last couple of issues in my back and neck.  Now I just have to really concentrate on my eating habits and get this weight off once and for all.

P90X Reviews Week Two is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well……..once again it’s been far too long between posts.  My work schedule has become…let’s say…..not very routine lately.  Yesterday my wife, my twelve year old son and I popped in the P90X Chest and Back DVD and worked out together for an hour.  My wife has been working at a full time job the last couple of months that required her to be at work by 6 am everyday.

To say it put a crimp into our daily P90X workouts is an understatement.  I struggled to stick to the workouts once she was no longer able to do them with me.  It was truly so much easier getting up in the morning  and starting out with P90X when she was doing them with me.

Her sister was also doing them with us everyday.  She ended up having her gall bladder removed about a month ago and came down with pneumonia last week…..not a good month for her.  Eventually she will join us again.  It was always fun working out with the ladies.

My wife starts a new job this week with more reasonable hours so we will be getting back to our daily P90X rituals.  The twist yesterday was adding our son into the mix.  Most of our kids have been ultra skinny, just like I was when I was a kid.  Our 12 year old is the exception.  From the day he was born he was always in the 100 percentile for both height and weight.

He is a man child to say the least.  He looks like he was born to play football.  Even though he looks like he could be 14 or 15 he’s just 12 and consequently behaves like a 12 year old.  He actually started doing P90X on his own last week.  He popped in the P90X Back and Bicep DVD and was off to the races.

He did pretty well with it.  Yesterday was a different story.  He struggled with the push ups and was getting pretty down on himself.  It made me remember back to the first time I did the P90X Chest and Back Workout and how hard……near impossible it was for me to do a single diamond pushup……..or divebomber.  I can now do over 20 diamonds and yesterday I did 15 divebombers.

I too was extremely frustrated the first time I struggled through the entire workout.  All I could see was this huge mountain I had to climb and I struggled to believe that I’d get the results I was looking for.  Fortunately for me I found great improvement in my overall abilities rather quickly once I stuck with the workouts for a couple weeks.

I’m hoping my son will see improvement quickly as well as he fights the temptation to give up and quit when things get difficult.  My wife did really well for having had basically a 2 month layoff.  She was able to do 1 or 2 P90X workouts every week or so.  She was really excited to get back to the routine though.

So…..here I am again…hopeful that we are going to be sticking to this morning ritual 6 days a week.  It should be a lot of fun for everybody.  It’ll be especially nice to be able to get the 12 year old developing good workout habits at an early age.  I’ll keep you posted on his progress.

Have a great day!

P90x With My Wife and Twelve Year Old is a post from: Losing weight with P90X



© Tim Pannell Photography

Today my wife and I did the P90X Chest & Back workout together.  We both love it!

It has been a rare occurrence for us to be able to do P90X together . Her work schedule has been really difficult this last month.

She has to be at work by 6 am so she hasn’t been able to do any of the P90X workouts for over a month.  I haven’t been able to consistently workout for over a month either.

My big problems have been health related for the most part.  I did have 2 weeks when I was shooting photo assignments and was away from home and did a poor job of staying on top of my workouts.

I did push ups and crunches , but that was about all.

Once I got home i tried getting back inot the flow, but struggled this last week.  I finally went and played racquetball on Tuesday night just to try to jump start myself back into doing something physical.

It was fun to play again, although I pushed myself too hard and pulled a muscle on my right side.

It felt better this morning so I decided to put in the P90X Chest & Back DVD and do it with my wife.

Her sister can’t workout for a while since she just had her gall bladder removed.

It was nice to be working out with my wife again….it just makes the whole thing more fun to do.  We both noticed a drop in our ability to do the exercises.

My numbers dropped off by about 25% on half of the exercises and stayed the same on the rest, but I was a lot more out of breath than I was a month ago when I was doing P90X on a more consistent basis.

I know I will be sore tomorrow, but it’s a good sore.  I love feeling the muscles in my body and these workouts really do bring that about.

Kim might be changing jobs in the next week and we’re looking forward to being able to do P90X together every morning.

It helps us both with our overall attitude and well being.  We both have better outlooks when we’re working out and the benefits show up in just about every aspect of our lives.

Stress is reduced, we get some valuable time to spend together and everything else seems to fall into place.

I’m looking forward to next week……I really do love the P90X workouts!

P90X – Chest & Back – I Love This Workout is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

The P90X workout schedule is pretty ambitious.

I’ve had quite a few people ask me over the last several weeks what the actual P90X schedule is.

For any of you wondering about that….this post should explain it……….here goes:

There are a total of 12 DVDs that make up the P90X Exercise series.

The basic P90X schedule is broken up into 11 dvd routines plus an additional 12th dvd that focuses on your abs, called Ab Ripper-X.

DVD #1 –   Chest & Back
DVD #2 -    Plyometrics
DVD #3 –   Shoulders & Arms
DVD #4 –   Yoga X
DVD #5 –   Legs & Back
DVD #6 –   Kenpo X
DVD #7 –   X Stretch
DVD #8 –   Core Synergistics
DVD #9 –   Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
DVD #10 – Back & Biceps
DVD #11 – Cardio X
DVD #12 – Ab Ripper X

There is also a “How to Bring It” Instructional DVD included with your P90X Workout Schedule which gives you an overview of the entire set of P90X exercises.

Here’s what the classic P90x workout schedule looks like:

P90X Workout Schedule for Weeks #1, #2, and #3:

Day 1 – Chest and Back, plus Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Weeks #4, #8 and #13 of the P90X workout schedule  are designed as recovery weeks.

P90x Workout Schedule for Week #4:

Day 1 – Yoga X
Day 2 – Core Synergistics
Day 3 – Kenpo X
Day 4 – X Stretch
Day 5 – Core Synergistics
Day 6 – Yoga X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

P90X Workout Plan for Weeks #5, #6 and #7:

Day 1 – Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

P90x Workout Schedule for Week #8 (Recovery Phase):

Day 1 – Yoga X
Day 2 – Core Synergistics
Day 3 – Kenpo X
Day 4 – X Stretch
Day 5 – Core Synergistics
Day 6 – Yoga X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

P90X Workout Schedule for  Week #9 and Week #11:

Day 1 – Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 Rest or X Stretch

P90X Workout for Week#10 and Week #12:

Day 1 –  Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 2-   Plyometrics
Day 3 – Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

P90X Workout Schedule for Week #13 (Final Week):

Day 1 – Yoga X
Day 2 – Core Synergistics
Day 3 – Kenpo X
Day 4 – X Stretch
Day 5 – Core Synergistics
Day 6 – Yoga X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

The basic P90X Workout Schedule has you working out 6 days a week for 13 weeks from 1 to 1  1/2 hours each session.

It is a great set of workouts and I highly recommend sticking to the schedule if at all possible.

Good luck!

BRING IT!

P90X Workout Schedule is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well, I’m still plugging along with my P90X workouts.

My wife and I just got back from a 5 day photo shoot in Arizona last week.

We didn’t work out at all the last 5 days, with the exception of the running around we were doing for the shoot.

We started back up today with P90X Chest and Back.

It always feels great to get back into the P90X routine.

The 5 days off was actually kind of nice.

My left elbow has been extremely sore lately – it feels like “tennis elbow”.

This 5 days gave it a little time to heal up.

Today the elbow wasn’t nearly as painful as last week.

I’m not exactly sure what the pain was caused by.

No obvious injury or “aha” moment.  It’s just been sore for a couple of weeks.

It’s not the muscle, but the joint.

In any case, progress is being made.

All 3 of us are seeing improvement in our ability to perform all the exercises, especially the ones that give us the most trouble.

Diamond push ups and divebomber push ups in particular.

When I first started doing P90X last year I couldn’t do a single diamond push up.  Not one.

I was just a useless fat blob.

Today I did 2 sets of 25 diamond push ups.  Not a bad improvement.

Now I’m a usefull, fat blob.

My wife, sister in law and I have been doing P90X for almost 2 months now, so it has become what I would call a routine.

We’ve had 2 periods during that time where we missed 5 days.

We’ve gotten right back into the swing of things after those down times.

Having the workout partners has helped make it much easier for me to start back up after periods where I just can’t do the workouts because of work or travel.

If you’re struggling with consistancy try and find someone to do the P90X exercises with.

Trust me…….it’ll work.

P90X – Still Plugging Along is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Here’s my latest review of the P90X workout program.

P90X is a tough set of workouts.  No sissies allowed.

Our family recently moved from Arizona to Utah and during the 4 month process I wasn’t able to work out consistently.

I had several good weeks, but also some really bad ones as we had to leave the house as many as 30 times a week as prospective buyers would tour our home.

It was a pretty stressful time in our lives and frustrating at times to say the least.

Now that we’re in Utah and settling down I tried to create a situation that would help keep me on track with my workouts.

I believed that if I could get a partner or 2 to workout with me I’d be less likely to talk myself out of working out occasionally.

My main goal this time around is to be consistent.

My wife, my sister in law and I started our P90X workouts 2 weeks ago today.

In the last 2 weeks I’ve only missed a total of 3 days.

I am noticeably stronger even though I still have a long way to go.

2 days ago we did the P90X Shoulders and Arms workout.

I think the next time I do this workout I will need to add 5 pounds to my dumbbells as each exercise  was much easier than the previous time I did the Shoulders and Arms workout.

Yesterday we did the P90X Chest and Back workout.

We finally figured out how to hook up the bands here at the new house.

There’s a loft above the family room where we work out and we just loop the workout bands through the hand rails.

It took us a while to figure that out, but fortunately we did.  This enables us to fully participate in all of the P90X workouts.

Today we did the P90X Core Synergistics workout and enjoyed it a lot.

There are a couple of exercises on the core synergistics disc that are a real struggle for me.

Sphinx push ups and the plank to Chatarunga exercises just kill me.  I know if I stick with it I’ll get better at them both.

Tony Horton is really good at insisting that the proper form is more important than the overall number you do.

I made some progress with my flexibility which was also nice to see.

I’m able to do more and more push ups with each successive workout.

I’m finally getting over this cold/flu I’ve had for the last month.  Breathing has been a struggle for most of that time, but it’s getting better.

I still struggle with the more aerobic exercises because of that coupled with the higher elevation here, but I’m at least making progress.

I’m pleased with how much easier it is to workout everyday now that I have 2 partners keeping me going.

I think this will lead to even better results in the coming months than I’ve experienced in the past.

P90X Review – 2 Weeks and Counting is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

P90X © Tim Pannell Photography

I’ve had a couple people ask me recently what the real gist of P90x is, so here goes.

P90X is essentially a series of 12 DVDs produced by a company called Beachbody.

Tony Horton, a professional trainer, provides the motivation to work your way through each fitness DVD.

Each P90X DVD focuses on a different body part or set of muscles.  These range from the chest and back to biceps, triceps, legs and abs.

The P90X DVDs not only focus on gaining muscle but also work on flexibility with several videos that feature yoga and stretching.

The one thing you’ll notice quickly the very first DVD you watch is that these aren’t just muscle bound goons.  They’re extremely flexible muscle bound goons.

OK, they aren’t goons, they aren’t really muscle bound and they’re not just men.  There are different people in many of these videos and they are physically fit.

They all look pretty good.  They aren’t anorexic and wafer thin.  They are fit, they are healthy, they workout and they eat.  No gimmicks, just hard work and common sense.

Each P90X Workout is at least one hour long and no easy thing for somebody just beginning to try to get into shape.

It does get easier and easier to keep up with Tony Horton in these workouts if you stick with it long enough and keep trying.

There are still moves I can’t do without a little cheating.  There are still exercises that absolutely kick my butt.

I’ve made progress.  If you could see how I looked the first time I worked out with P90X and compared it to today, you’d see the progress I’ve made even though I’m still overweight.

There are no prepackaged meals to purchase as there are with so many of today’s “weight loss” programs.

There are supplements as well as nutrition bars and protein shakes available, but they are not mandatory.

There is however, a P90X nutrition plan that comes with  the workouts.  It recommends high protein and low fat foods and the more frequent consumption of smaller meals throughout the day.

P90X promotes the idea that most healthy foods can be easily obtained from a local grocery store.

Rather than having to buy certain meal plans for an extended period of time in order to lose weight, P90X is more about making a lifestyle change.

It emphasizes eating healthy meals “for life.”  It’s a plan that can be followed by anyone at any age whether they are already fit or are just wanting to end old habits and become fit.

It is important to stick with the program long enough to get the full benefits that it offers.

You’ll build muscle, gain flexibility, burn fat more effectively and establish better eating habits.

One of the main reasons P90X is such an effective set of workouts is Carl Diekler’s idea of “muscle confusion.”

The workouts are pretty intense and there is so much variety from one disc to the next that it keeps your body from getting complacent and bored.

By the end of the first month you get introduced to another set of exercises to keep your body from plateauing.  Most exercise programs fail for this very reason.

While you are going through the P90X workouts you can enjoy the support, meal planning, progress calendar, other P90X reviews and success stories available to you online.

This workout at home program is endorsed by medical professionals, body builders, personal trainers and regular Joes and Janes.

It saves you the hassle and cost of going to a gym in your neighborhood.  You don’t have to invest in any super expensive equipment…….a couple of fitness bands, a yoga mat and maybe a couple of yoga blocks andyou’re off to the races.

Ultimately the your success or failure with the P90X program will depend on you own personal motivation and self-discipline.

If you do the workouts but dont’ follow the nutrition guide or if you follow the nutrition guide, but don’t stick with the workouts, you won’t get the most out of the program.

If your goal is to increase your overall fitness level by building up muscle, burning fat, improving your cardiovascular activity and are willing to devote some of your time and energy to get there, this will be a wonderful workout program for you.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to have cosmetic surgery to look better.  You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight.  You don’t have to guzzle diet pills either.

It’s a fairly simple plan.  Just get a P90X Extreme Training System and do it.  You’ll see the results and I’m sure you’ll be pleased with them.

P90X Review is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well, we finished day 4 yesterday by doing the P90X Chest, Shoulders & Arms Workout.

It feels so good to be doing P90X consistently.  It’s only been 5 days since I started working out with my wife and sister in law, but I can tell that this is becoming a repeatable routine.

We started working out on Thursday with P90X Shoulders and Arms.  Friday was Kenpo X, Saturday we did Core Synergistics.

We took a break on Sunday and started back up on Monday with Chest, Shoulders & Triceps.

I’m not sure what workout we’ll do this morning, but I know we’ll be doing one of them.

My body is sore in a few places, but not too bad when you consider the intensity of the workouts.

Some of the different types of push ups done in the “chest, shoulders & arms” workout really tax me.

I’m feeling tightness right where my chest attaches to my shoulders.

It’s a good feeling.  That’s one of my favorite parts of working out…….feeling my muscles and being just a little bit sore.

The beauty of the P90X routines is that they work different areas with different exercises from disc to disc.

The soreness I feel in my body moves from day to day to different muscle groups………..I love it.

That feedback from my muscles lets me know the workouts are doing what they’re supposed to do.

The bottom line for me is this – I am at a stage in my life where I can’t wait any longer to get committed to changing my lifestyle.

I started P90X last year and have made a lot of improvements in my life.

I’m eating better than I was.  I’m working out more often than I was.

This year I need to get more consistency.  I know it’s unrealistic for me to cut out sugar completely, it’s just not gonna happen.

Though I can and will do a better job of limiting the amount of sugar I take in.

I have a better system in place this year to keep me on track with my workouts.

I’m basically just piggy backing off of my sister in law since she’s been working out on a daily basis for years.

My wife and I are accountable to her and since she’s coming over to the house in the mornings for P90X with us, we have no excuses.

We have to show up.

In fact, she just walked in so I’ll have to finish this post after today’s P90X butt kicking.

I’m back after an hour of P90X  “X Stretch”.  It felt pretty good.

I definitely need to work on my flexibility.  This workout helped me easily identify the areas of my body I need to work on.

I know that by keeping with it my flexibility will improve.

I’m so glad I’m in a position to be working out every morning.  It just improves my entire outlook for the day as well as gets my body in shape.

If you’ve struggled with your weight year after year or decade after decade you have to make a choice.

I’ve decided that I can’t continue to live my life with an extra 100 pounds.  I’ve lost over 45 pounds and have about 55 more to go.

I know that as I apply what I’ve learned by cycling through the P90X workouts, ride my bike consistently and eat more responsibly I’ll eventually reach my goal.

Maybe I do it in a couple of months, maybe it takes me a couple years.  I am embracing the process and focusing on that as oposed to just focusing on results.

I will be healthier from doing these things, whether or not it immediately shows up on the scale.

My mindset is changing as I do more and more of these workouts.

I’m no longer just hopeful.  I actually expect to succeed at reaching my fitness goals.

I can now see myself at my target weight.  I can picture it in my mind’s eye.

I can feel it, I can taste it.  I will reach it

P90X Workout – Chest, Shoulders & Triceps is a post from: Losing weight with P90X