Losing weight with P90X

Archive for the ‘p90x reviews’ Category

P90X Diet Tips

By Tim Pannell On April 9, 2010 No Comments

I’ve done pretty well with the workouts for the last several months.

I’ve added quite a bit of muscle to my frame, but I haven’t lost any real weight….maybe 5 pounds.

I’ve said in earlier posts that I wasn’t going to let myself get too down if I wasn’t successful at dropping the weight.

I’m pleased with my efforts as far as the p90x workouts are considered, but I want to do better in the weight loss category.

I have to admit that my diet throughout my previous p90x cycle has been the ultimate problem.

We got into the habit of eating ice cream almost everyday and I know that I can’t keep doing that and expect to drop the weight.

I’ve cut out soda from my diet almost completely – maybe 12 oz. every week or 2.

On a typical day I’ll get up at 6 am, do a little work on my blogs and my commercial photography website.

At around 8 am I’ll pop in a P90X DVD and do an hour workout.

About 1/2 hour after my workout I’ll mix up a Shakeology Shake.

I’ll usually make an egg sandwich for lunch…nothing too crazy.

I haven’t done a good job snacking on healthy options in the middle of the day.

By the time dinner rolls around I’ve been starving and I’ll overeat.

Chicken, salmon, lean beef, pasta, salads, veggies.

They’re nutritious and healthy dinners, just too much of them……portion control will be the answer.

I’m trying to keep things simple and balanced.  No crazy diets…nothing overly complicated…..in other words just common sense.

I’ve got grapes and carrots lined up for gnoshing today.

My kiss of death over the last 3 months has been after 9 pm when I’m still winding down.

I’ve eaten junk to be honest – ice cream and chips and crap.

This time around with this P90X sequence I’ll do better with my diet.

The rule this time around is – no junk food during the week.

I’ll let myself eat ice cream or whatever on the weekend, but that’s it.

I should drop 5 pounds a week if I stick to these principles.

If I don’t drop a bunch of weight in the next couple of weeks I’ll have to go back to the drawing board as far as the diet is concerned.

P90X – Next Round – Day One

By Tim Pannell On April 5, 2010 No Comments

Here it is April 5th and I’m starting a new round of P90X.

Today is day #1.

Last week was a take it easy week for me.

I did P90X Chest and Back on Monday and I did P90X Plyometrics on Wednesday.

I also played racquetball for a few hours during the week.

I will be following the standard P0X Workout Schedule.

The previous round of P90X was pretty successful for me on a number of levels, but I failed on the “weight loss” front.

I am much stronger.  My arms are at least one inch bigger than 3 months ago.

I was more consistent with the previous set of P90X than ever before.

It really helped doing the workouts with my wife and sister in law.

It was much easier staying committed to the entire workout schedule and program than ever before.

My wife is now working from 6 am til 2 pm so the P90X trio has  been broken up for the moment.

My wife and I just finished P90X Chest and Back this morning since she has today off.

It was nice to have a workout buddy again.

I was surprisingly toasty toast today.

I fully expected to be full of energy since I took it so easy last week.

It wasn’t the case….I was breathing much heavier than I normally do.

Maybe its from all the crap I ate yesterday…..that’s my guess anyway.

In any case…..here I am, making another commitment to another 90 days of P90X.

This time around I have just one goal……LOSE WEIGHT!!!!!

I’m gunning for at least 30 pounds.  I know that my biggest problem is my eating habits.

Back in AZ I would start my mornings with a “Shakeology” shake and that really helped me get my eating habits in control.

When we moved up here to Utah, I just couldn’t bring myself to drink a cold shake since it was so cold up here.

I think in hindsight that really hurt me.  I have been much hungrier up here than back in AZ and I believe that the lack of Shakeology is the culprit.

After I’m done with this post I’m gonna make a shake and get my day started off on the right foot.

I slept well last night, I got in a great workout and I’ll start off today eating wisely.

It sounds like a good plan to me.

Have a great day! I know I will.

P90X Workout Schedule

By Tim Pannell On April 1, 2010 1 Comment

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 – Racquetball, Again? Are you Nuts?

By Tim Pannell On March 23, 2010 No Comments

Well…….here I am sitting in my family room all dressed up to play a little racquetball.

I haven’t played since last August when I hyper extended my knee and had difficulty walking for longer than I’d care to remember.

I swore I’d never play the game again, it took too long to recover last time.

My brother in law plays 2 – 3 times a week and honestly……the game calls to me.

I started playing in high school and college.

I got away from the game for a long time and then got back into it about 6 years ago.

Getting hurt last November was not in the cards.  I hated getting hurt and I hated leaving the game even more.

I miss it.  I love it.

It is hands down the best outlet for any frustrations I’m going through.

I am going to take it easy and see what happens.

If the knee feels the least bit weak…I’m gonna bail out.

I’ve done just shy of 3 months worth of P90X and feel a lot stronger than I’ve been in a while.

My knee feels strong and I’ve built up a lot more muscle to support my joints.

I should be ok…I’ll keep you all posted.

Well……..I survived.  We played for 2 hours, nothing popped, nothing pulled, nothing strained, nothing broke…..life is good.

I didn’t play worth crap, but I didn’t have to be carried off the court. What a winner I am!

My shots were off.  I can’t even count how many unforced errors I had….pathetic.

I have to retrain my reflexes to not immediately react to the ball.

It’s always like that after having not played for a while.

You want to react to where the ball will end up, not where it’s heading.

I don’t know if that makes any sense if you don’t play racquetball.

The ball bounces a lot in racquetball and unless it’s hit to a perfect spot, it will most likely bounce to an area where you can reach it without running everywhere chasing after it like an idiot.

It’s not like tennis where once the ball goes by you the point is over.

A well placed shot won’t give you an opportunity to hit it once it gets by you.  With experience you learn which ones to go for and which ones to let by you and pick up on the rebound.

You might be wondering what any of this has to do with P90X workouts so here ya go:

I’m not really sore today.  If I played 2 + hours without doing p90x for the last 3 months, I’d be crawling out of bed.

I would hardly be able to walk.  My knees would be killing me, my ankles would be swollen and my feet would be completely shot.

My quads aren’t sore, my calves aren’t on fire…..I feel good.

Today I’ll pop in the P90X Chest and Back DVD.

The weight isn’t coming off in spite of my consistently working out each week.

Toady I’m gonna work on a better eating plan.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  If any of you that are reading have had any success with an easy to follow menu please comment.

Just a warning….if it involves weighing, ridiculous amounts of calorie counting I will be doomed to failure!

Have an amazing day!

P90X Reviews – Plyometrics Still The Mother of All P90X Workouts

By Tim Pannell On March 10, 2010 1 Comment

Yesterday I wrote a post and then went off to do P90X Plyometrics for my weekly butt kicking.

This P90X workout is the mother of all workouts.

It’s just brutal!

I am happy to report though, that I’m making progress and it was readily apparent yesterday.

The pain in my left knee is beginning to get better after several months of sharp pain.

There is a P90X Plyometrics exercise called “Hot Foot”.

You stand on one foot and jump up and down at a fairly brisk pace forwards, backwards and side to side.

The first time that I tried this exercise on my left foot….I couldn’t do it.

It felt like a knife was being plunged into my kneecap.

I ended up doing the exercise with both feet at the same time.

Yesterday I was able to do the whole exercise one footed.

Today I am not paying a price for doing that at all.  No limp, no pain, no struggle.

I’m grateful for the added strength in my legs that is taking some of the pressure off my joints…..especially my knees.

I still have weight issues, but there is no doubt that I’m getting stronger and stronger by the week.

Today my wife and I took it a bit easier and instead of doing P90X Shoulders and Arms we did the P90X Stretch X workout.

This is a great workout when you find yourself running out of gas or if you’re sore from the p90X workouts that focus more and more on weight lifting.

Here’s what I noticed most today……….

I was able to grab my left ankle for the first time in years while doing the standing quad stretch.

I had prolotherapy treatments several years ago on both of my knees and the very last treatment that I had done on my left knee pumped so much liquid into the joint area that it swelled up and stayed that way to this day.

Its never really dissipated.  Consequently I haven’t been able to reach behind me and grab that foot or ankle…..it’s just been too swollen.

I would have to grab the back heel of my shoe in order to do the stretch.

Today to my surprise I was able to reach back and actually grab my ankle.

I was then able to reach back with both hands and grab both ankles while lying on my stomach in order to do the “bow” exercise.

I’ve never been close to doing that exercise prior to this week.

It’s so nice to see progress being made on a daily basis.  No matter which workout I’m doing I’m noticing areas that I’m getting better at.

If you have struggled with your weight or your fitness level and haven’t found anything that works for you I would strongly recommend P90X.

I’m so glad that I decided to try P90x.  It’s not an easy workout.

My old racquetball partner just started doing the P90X workouts.

He may be in his 30′s but I would consider him to be in really good shape.

He still has a 40 + inch vertical leap….I know it’s ridiculous.

Try playing racquetball with the guy, he’s fast as a rabbit and can chase down just about any shot I can hit.

In any case, he called the other day to let me know how badly P90X Plyometrics kicked his butt.

He laughed……it’s only jumping and squats…nothing earth shattering.

He couldn’t believe it worked him as hard as it did.

So…any of you guys and girls out there making fun of the P90X hype……try it before you poke fun at it.

If you do it right and keep up with the pace on the DVD’s….it should kick your butt too.

P90X Reviews – Weight Loss?

By Tim Pannell On March 9, 2010 2 Comments

My wife, sister in law and I have been doing the P90X workouts for 2 months now.

Here’s my review of that 2 months.

In the beginning, I really struggled.  I had done P90X back in Chandler, AZ off and on the second half of last year.

I had made progress…..at my worst I weighed 310…still can’t believe it.

At my best I weighed 261 lbs.  Right now my weight has been fluctuating wildly and not staying consistent.

Since moving to Utah my weight has been bouncing around between 263 and 270 lbs.

My guess for the yo-yo effect is the stress of moving and getting things set up.

It really has been a hectic 2 months moving in and making changes to my photography business.

I have eaten more crap than I should.  The culprits – ice cream, brownies, cookies.

I have gone cold turkey on those kinds of things in the past only to end up pigging out on them later.

I decided a while ago to just eat smaller amounts of them.

It worked for a while, but gradually the portions and/or frequency has grown.

My wife and I decided to just do desserts on weekends a couple of weeks ago.

We also forgot about that decision a couple of weeks ago……….crap!

I didn’t remember that decision until just now writing this post.

I will try this again starting today……..no junk until Friday night.

I guess we’ll see what happens.  Will it make a difference with my weight?

Honestly, I don’t know.  I assume it will help.

In 2 months my weight has bounced around, but my strength and stamina has increased continuously.

We did the P90X Chest and Back on Monday, Plyometrics on Tuesday, P90X Shoulders and Arms on Wednesday, Yoga X on Thursday, P90X Legs and Back on Friday and on Saturdays we would do either Kenpo X or Shoulders and Arms.

I have gone from being able to do 5-10 push ups to 30+.  I can actually do the “diamond” push ups now.  I think the first time I tried those suckers I could do 1 or 2…..now I can do 20+.

I still struggle with the “divebomber” push ups, but can do 6 of them without collapsing.

I’m amazed at the progress I’ve made and that I’ve been able to see progress as quickly as I did.

Each week brought better results and statistics.

P90X Shoulders and Arms is still my favorite of the P90X workouts.

I’ve added 5-10 pounds to each of those exercises.

I have had something going on in my left elbow for the last 2 weeks so I backed off on the amount of weight I’m using for the last week as well as this one.

It feels exactly like tennis elbow except I’m not left handed and I don’t play tennis.

I used to play a lot of racquetball and would experience “tennis elbow” from time to time in my right elbow from that.

Plyometrics still kicks my butt.  I find it extremely difficult to keep up with.  I honestly dread this workout, but even with it I can see progress being made.

P90X Yoga X is also still difficult for me at this point.

I find it extremely difficult to breath because of all of my excess weight, but I do the best I can.

Kenpo X is a lot of fun and a bit more aerobic than the other P90X workouts.

I was sick with bronchitis for all of January so that made working out that much harder.

The other obstacle for me was the higher elevation here in Utah.

It took me a while to adjust to that, but at this point I have made the transition.

Have I reached all of my goals yet?……..NO!

Have I reached some of them?…… YES!

I love working out now -(with the exception of Plyometrics).  Today is Plyo day and I’m dreading it.

My arms are bigger, my core is tighter, my legs are stronger and even though I haven’t lost any real weight over the last 2 months, I’m in better shape than I was.

Everybody responds differently to exercise.  I feel at times like a chemist….tinkering away with my little experiments to see what will work best for me.

All in all, the latest of my P90X reviews is this:  I still love these workouts!

They have changed me for the better and I will continue doing them long after I’ve hit my desired weight.

I will be exercising for the rest of my life.

There is no going back to my previous sedentary lifestyle.  In that respect, P90X has been a wild success.

If you want to give P90X a try……you can order it here.

Good luck!

P90X Review – Legs & Back

By Tim Pannell On February 18, 2010 3 Comments

Any of you that have followed my blog for any length of time know that I have knee issues.

I broke my leg skiing when I was 17 years old.  The problem was that I didn’t know it was broken for 3 weeks.

I finally went in to see the doctor about the pain and since it had been 3 weeks he was convinced I had a badly bruised shin bone.

Two days later when I was getting ready to take an architectural school project into Philly to be judged, my bone popped out it’s socket.

We went in for xrays and that’s when they discovered my leg had been broken.

I’ve had problems with that kneecap ever since.

On my 18th birthday I had to have 2/3 of the meniscus removed.

I’ve played a lot of racquetball the last 6 years and it has taken a toll on both my knees.

2 years ago I started doing prolotherapy on both knees.

The procedure was extremely successful on my right knee, but less so on my left.

When I started doing P90X workouts 8 or 9 months ago for the first time, both of my knees got stronger and I could notice a huge difference.

I was practically pain free for the first time in years.

Several months ago, while playing racquetball, I wrenched my left knee and have had quite a lot of pain off and on ever since.

I haven’t played racquetball since that incident.  I miss it terribly.  It is hands down my favorite sport to play.  So much fun!!!!!

Since finishing my latest snow covered photo shoot here in Utah I got back into the daily P90X routine once again.

2 days ago we did P90X Yoga X and it kicked my butt again.

Yesterday was P90X Shoulders and Arms and I felt great after that one.

Today we popped P90X Legs and Back or maybe it’s P90X Back and Legs, I always mix it around.

In any case…….my legs were burning big time this morning.

It was a great workout, but I deliberately took it a little easy because I just don’t want to wreck my knees anymore than they are already.

I paced myself and didn’t put too much pressure on either of my knees.  I did all the exercises without using any dumbbells just to be safe.

Anytime I felt any twinge in my knees I backed off a little bit.

The exercises for the back are similar to the exercises in the P90X Back and Biceps workout.

I got my heart rate up and was sweating a lot more than I expected to.

I know that this P90X Legs and Back DVD will help strengthen my leg muscles which will in turn give my knees a lot more support.

All in all I feel pretty good.  My legs are already a little tight, not sure if I’ll be getting up the stairs easily tonight or not…..I guess I’ll see.

P90X – 5 Days Off

By Tim Pannell On February 9, 2010 No Comments

Today I’m 1 day short of 4 continuous weeks of P90X.

If taken 5 days off.  I had a stock photo shoot most of last week and was up early and out late each day creating photographs in the snow with families and teens.

It was a lot of fun, but it did disrupt our P90X routine.

My wife also hurt herself…..bruising her rib as she dove after a runaway sled with a 5 year old on it before it shot across the road.

She will be out for at least another week or two because of that rib.

Melanie, my sister in law and I got back on the horse today and did the P90X Chest and Back DVD.

We were both struggling more today than we had the last time we did the Chest and Back Workout.

I’m pretty active during my photoshoots.   I roll around a lot on the ground and twist and lean while I shoot.

My abs actually do get a pretty good workout.

In spite of the ab workout, taking 5 days off of P90X was noticeable today.

Over the previous 3 weeks I was consistently doing more reps with more weight week after week.

Today, that streak ended.

I did use push up bars today to get a little more range of motion, but I ran out of gas much sooner than last week.

It’s nice to get going again and I’m grateful to have someone to work out with because it is much easier to keep going when I have to answer to someone other than just myself.

I can tell that this last month has made a difference.

I’m stronger.  I have bigger lung capacity.  I’m also in a better frame of mind.

I’m in this for the long haul.  This is a lifestyle change for me………not just a temporary change of short term habits.

Even when I get down to my target weight, I will continue working out, whether its with P90X or another workout series of DVDs.

If you’ve struggled like me over the years to get your level of fitness back on track, give P90X a try.

I’ve tried a bunch of different programs over the years and nothing has ever worked for me until P90X.

There is enough variety to the exercises that I have not become bored.

There is a great balance of strength training and cardio to help me feel more balanced than ever.

I’m so glad I started on this program……I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

P90X Review – How Plyometrics Kicked My Butt

By Tim Pannell On February 2, 2010 4 Comments

Here I am, 1 day shy of 3 weeks into the P90X workout routine.

Today, Kim, Melanie and I did P90X Plyometrics and it absolutely kicked my butt.

My legs burned bigtime during this workout.

I have to be honest.  Most of the P90X workouts have numerous exercises that I enjoy and look forward to.

This one does not until the very end when it mimics baseball pitching, basketball shooting and football drills.

I have spent a lot of time over the last year riding a recumbent bike, but that did not prepare me for this workout.

This was the first time I did Plyometrics because of my left knee missing close to 80% of its cartilage.

I managed to do all of the exercises, when I got overly exhausted I would slow down the pace.  THe only exercise that I could not do was “hot foot.”

Instead of jumping on just one foot at a time I had to use both feet to stabilize my left knee.

This workout has a lot of aerobic emphasis on it and left me out of breath more than almost all the other P90X workouts.

So far, Plyometrics is my least favorite of the P90X series.  It’s the one disc where my lack of fitness is extremely self evident.

There are a number of exercises on the Plyometrics dvd that leave me feeling a little spastic and uncoordinated.

That’s not a bad thing, it just shows my weaknesses in a major way.

From this point on I will be doing this workout routinely in order to work on those weaknesses that it exposed today.

If you try this one, make sure you were well rested and hydrated.

There are good examples on the dvd showing how to do these workouts ranging from high to low intensity.

One of the trainers on the dvd has a prosthetic leg which ensured that I wouldn’t belly ache about my knee.

It was impressive to see this guy working out hard and keeping up.

Inspirational to say the least.

Here’s my review of the P90X Plyometrics disc – I am more spent and tires after doing this workout than any of the other 11 except maybe ab ripper X.

It’s a great workout that will leave you exhausted if you watch your form and do the exercises right.

P90X Reviews – Try the Best

By Tim Pannell On February 1, 2010 No Comments

OK, so you typed “P90X Reviews” into google because you’re curious about what other people’s experiences with P90X might be.

If you’ve tried a bunch of other workouts and are ready to try the best…….read on.

Here’s my review as of today – the P90X workout is the best workout you can buy for the money.

I became a Beachbody coach back in May of last year.  I’ve had good months and bad months since that time.

Truth be told, I had a lot of distractions last year that I used as excuses to keep me from exercising consistently.

I’ve nevertheless seen some decent results.

At my worst, I weighed in at 310 lbs. – HOLY CRAP!!!!!!

Right now I’m bouncing between 264 and 270.

My goal last year was to get down to 210lbs. with about 10% body fat.

Obviously, I didn’t reach my goal.

I am not going to get all upset about that though.

There has been more than enough good results to build upon.

We sold our house in Arizona early in December and moved out on the 29th of December.

We were homeless for a couple of weeks there because we couldn’t move into our new place until after the 9th of January.

I did a lot of soul searching during that time to try and figure out what worked for me and what didn’t.

One of my biggest mistakes was not making myself accountable to somebody on a daily basis.

There are workout buddies available on the WOWY supergym on the Beachbody site.

These are other people who are using P90X and you can share ideas and success stories with them online.

This time around I decided I wanted to find some workout partners and use that as an incentive to “bring it” everyday.

My wife and my sister in law agreed to help me out and we started working out together over 2 1/2 weeks ago.

We’ve taken 3 days off since we started.

It’s been so much easier to stay consistent with the P90X program since I’ve been working out with them.

In the last 2 1/2 weeks my weight has fluctuated between 264 and 270.

I’ve been eating pretty well.  I still need to cut down on some of the snacking I’ve done on crap that is less than healthy.

I’ve added 5 pounds to each and every one of my dumbbell exercises.

I’m doing twice as many pushups as I used to.  I can now do 20 without being completely spent.

My arms are definitely more solid and my core is tighter than it was when we started back in January.

I’m stronger, fitter and in a better frame of mind.

My P90X review is as follows:  P90X is the best series of workout DVD’s I’ve ever done.

Don’t just take my word for it.  There are tens of thousands of people that are doing P90X and experiencing great resutls.

The only thing keeping me from reaching my fitness goals has been my lack of consistency……..and it looks like I found a solution for that.

If you’re thinking about trying P90X………….just go ahead and jump right in.  You can BUY P90X here if you’d like.

I wish you all the best and will be happy to answer any questions any of you reading this blog might have.

Have an amazing day!