© Tim Pannell Photography

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

Today, Kim, Melanie and I did P90X Plyometrics today 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 Review – How Plyometrics Kicked My Butt is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

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!

P90X Reviews – Try the Best 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

01/20/10 – Here’s my candid P90X review explaining where I’m at right now.

I’m now 49 years old.  I currently weigh 267 lbs.  At my worst I was 310 lbs.

I had gotten down to about 260 a couple of months ago.  I gained back 12 pounds over the holidays while we had our house up for sale and moved to Utah just after Christmas.

I attribute that to not exercising (other than riding my bike) eating poorly.  We ate out a lot more often because we were showing the house up to 30 times a week.

I also think my stress levels were elevated and caused me to add weight.

Since starting P90X about 8 months ago I’ve gotten into better shape, but that’s still relative.

If you’re new to this blog you wouldn’t know that I’ve gone from weighing 185 lbs with 6% body fat to weighing over 310 lbs. with 46% body fat at my worst.

I’m a victim of my own making.  As a kid I got used to eating anything I wanted and never gaining an ounce of fat.

I developed really bad habits and my relationship with food was pretty unhealthy.

I used to work out regularly when I was in college.  I would lift weights for 1 1/2 hours and play racquetball for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week.

I never did it to stay in shape.  I did it because it was fun.

I started my own commercial photography business in 1985.  I became much more sedentary and at that point started gaining weight.

I got up to 240 pounds and was hating life.

Before my 19 year old daughter was born I started playing pick up basketball gains in the park at lunchtime 5 days a week and I got back down to 185 lbs.

My body fat percentage was probably around 12% at that point.

Since then I’ve ballooned up again and have been struggling to get a handle on my predicament.

Ideally, I want to weigh around 210 pounds and have a body fat percentage of about 10%…….that’s my goal.

I’m doing this for me, my wife and my kids.

I want to be healthy, I want to enjoy my years as an older guy.

P90X is a great workout program.  I love it.  The only problem with it is actually a problem with me.

I haven’t been consistent.  I’ll do well for a couple of weeks and then I’ll get out of the habit.

I’ll eat well for a couple of weeks and then I’ll gradually add more junk into my diet and before you know it I’m drinking soda instead of water and eating cookies and ice cream.

I know myself well enough to know I could never go cold turkey on that stuff, but I need to learn how to eat it sparingly instead of daily.

I’m understanding my body better than I did a year ago.

I know that I respond well to eating 5 – 6 smaller meals each day instead of 2 or 3 bigger meals.

I know that if I can exercise regularly for 2 weeks it’s easier for me to keep at it.

I know that if I skip more than 1 day of exercise I have a good chance of bailing out on my workouts for as much as several weeks.

Today is day 7 of P90X workouts for the year 2010.  We moved from Arizona to Utah and we’ve been in this house for 10 days.

I’ve established a routine of working out at 8 am with my wife and sister in law and it’s going well.

I’ve had bronchitis for 3 weeks and that’s been holding me back.  The higher altitude up here is also making it more difficult for me to breath so I’m still not riding my bike.

Eventually I’ll be healthy again and I can go back to riding the bike 45 minutes a day along with my P90X workouts.

The workouts are great…….IF YOU DO THEM CONSISTENTLY.

The consistency problem comes from me, not P90X.

I’m now accountable to my wife and sister in law and I believe that will help me stay on track.

In any case, it’s 8 am and it’s time to pop in the P90X Shoulders and Arms DVD.

I fully expect to reach my fitness goals within this next year.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

P90X Review – Where Am I Now? 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

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well today was the third day in a row that I worked out with my wife and my sister in law Melanie.

We popped in the P90X Core Synergistics workout and I think all 3 of us are now sorer than crap.

In spite of any soreness, it feels great to be getting back into the habit of working out.

Core synergistics is a great workout, it covers from your chest to your backside and everything in between.

I can really feel it in my abs as well as my hips.  It’s nice to feel things tightening up as new muscle groups get worked out.

The great thing about the P90X routines is that they switch the training exercises up on each DVD.

Your body doesn’t get too used to one or two specific exercises and then stop responding to them.

I did struggle with my breathing today.  Still feeling the effects of bronchitis as well as the higher altitude up here in Utah.

This worked out a different group of muscles for me as well so those muscles sucked up extra oxygen and left me experiencing some heavy breathing………perv…..lol.

There are several of the exercises that I can barely keep up with and I know that my form isn’t perfect, but I’ve done enough of these P90X workouts to know that over time, I’ll get better and better at them.

Eventually, I’ll master the form and I can increase the intensity as I keep at it.

The trick is not to get discouraged when I feel or look like an idiot trying to pull off some of the more exotic moves  some of the exercises require.

The best thing is this……I feel good working out.  I know that I’m going to be healthier in the long run for doing it.

I know that eventually I’ll get rid of my excess weight and add some extra years to my life.

My overall attitude is better as well when I consistently work out.  It’s much easier to be positive minded.

It’s also nice doing the workout series with someone else.  Having my wife doing it with me is awesome.

I really appreciate her encouragement and help as well as my sister in law’s.

She’s pretty fit already, she and her husband workout a lot.  Tons and tons of running, hiking and racquetball.  She teaches P.E. at the elementary school.

Assembling a support group around has made working out much easier.

Instead of being tempted to stay in bed and blow off working out, I get up because someone else is going to be here and I don’t want to flake on them.

I need all the help I can get at this stage.  I really do want to get over the hump so to speak and change my lifestyle for the rest of my life.

It’s only been 3 days, but I’m off to a great start.

P90X Core Synergistics – My Abs Are Screaming is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

P90X Kenpo X Workout © Tim Pannell Photography

Okay!   I just finished the Kenpo X P90X Workout with my wife and sister in law and feel pretty good.

I’m still struggling with my breathing, my lungs are scratchy and itchy and operating well shy of 100%, but I’m at least able to keep up with the P90X DVD for the entire hour.

The stretching is always the hardest part of the workout for me.  I’m amazed at how flexible everybody is even though they’re extremely muscular.

It gives me something to shoot for at the very least.

I can say this…….I’m more flexible today than I was the first time I did the Kenpo X workout.

I’m also not nearly as wiped out as I was the first time I did the exercises.

It’s nice to be able to see progress being made over time.

I haven’t done much of anything the last couple of months because of selling our house and moving.  A P90X workout here, a P90X workout there, a 1/2 hour or 45 minute bike ride, but nothing even close to consistent.  Things were way too busy and hectic.

I know, I know……….I should have made time to work out more whether or not life was hectic.

Well, that’s in the past.  I’ll work on that in the future if my life is ever that crazy again.

For now, I’m working on settling into a routine of getting up early and getting my workout done first thing in the morning.

I’ve got some good workout buddies, my wife Kim and her sister Melanie.

It makes it so much easier to get up and get started when I know that someone else will be working out along side me.

It’s nice to know that I have their support.  It’ll help me reach my 210 pound target goal I’m sure.

In the last 9 months I’ve had ups and downs with P90X.  I have learned from my mistakes as well as my successes during that time period.

2010 will be about consistency.  Slow, deliberate, methodical steps that I will take to once and for all get into great shape.

I’m looking forward to feeling more healthy.  Life is too short.  I have to take advantage of the time I have left.

P90X Kenpo X Style is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell

Well……I only planned on writing one post today.  I have been really sick of late and was going to just go and lift some weights….”sissy style” today.

So I went into our new weight room and started working on my triceps and biceps.

In the meantime, my sister in law came over from 2 homes down and she and my wife decided to pop in the P90X Shoulders and Arms Workout.

They got just shy of halfway when I couldn’t keep myself out of the room any longer and I jumped in along with them.

I don’t know if Tony Horton practices hypnotism (look into my eyes, look into my eyes…..) or what, but just hearing his voice makes we want to work out.

Earlier today I was worried that I would get too winded and not be able to keep up, but I’m thrilled to say it was all unfounded.

I’m still not going near my bike for a few more days till I know this bronchitis thing is gone, but I will be able to do P90X from this point forward.

It felt great to get back in the saddle again.  I love the intensity as  well as the progression he goes through.

Maybe this sounds too good to be true, but I truly feel better right now than I have in weeks………..just from doing 40 minutes of P90X Shoulders & Arms.

It was great having my wife and sister in law working out along side me too.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that P90X workouts are only good for men.

The workouts are great for women as well.  The exercises are all the same, but the intensity you choose to do them at is entirely up to you.

The women on the DVD’s are pretty strong without looking like men, so for any women out there that are worried about becoming too muscly…..that will only happen if you want it to happen.

Good muscle tone won’t make a woman more masculine, if anything it will give her more shape.

In any case, It’s nice having their support.  It makes it that much easier for me to do.

It looks like the goal from today forward is to workout together a minimum of 5 days a week going through the P90X Workout Series.

Thanks ladies!

Bring it!!!

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

© Tim Pannell

I’m now living in Utah instead of Arizona.  We have been in our new house less than a week and I’m already struggling with my P90X workouts and my bike riding.

I have had bronchitis for a little over 2 weeks……..I’m also trying to adjust to the much higher altitude here.

The bottom line……..not the start to 2010 that I wanted.  At the end of my previous post I said I’d be riding the bike for a half hour and doing some P90X.

Well…..not even close.  I got about 2 minutes into the bike ride and couldn’t even breath.  You know that feeling when no matter how hard you try you just can’t fill up your lungs?

That was me, gasping for air and feeling like a complete moron.  In Arizona I could ride that bike without any breathing problems whatsoever.

I know that the bronchitis is probably the main culprit in robbing me from my post workout high for the day, but I also know that the higher altitude has an affect as well.

I tried riding the bike yesterday as well and had the same result……..just plain hammered.  Loser!!!!!

Today, I’m not even going to look in the direction of my bike.  I also think that a P90X DVD will still be too much, but if I just take my time, I should be able to lift some weights.

I’ll do modified version of P90X Shoulders and Arms.

I always struggle whenever I get sick.  I never stay down long enough to actually get better.  I try to kick it back in gear too soon.

Resting for a day sounds wonderful, resting for a week sounds like agony.

I know I’m getting better because for 2 nights in a row I haven’t woken up with coughing fits and my left ear opened back up and I can hear again.  It’s the little things in life that bring pleasure, right?

In any case, I’m not going to let this little hiccup get me down.

This is just a little road block.  In the meantime we’ll continue unpacking and organizing the new house and eventually my lungs will get back to  normal and I’ll be able to get back on my bike as well as crank out some P90X workouts.

I guess today’s lesson is patience.

Current P90X Struggles is a post from: Losing weight with P90X