Wounded Knee © Tim Pannell Photography

Well after 1 1/2 years of doing P90X and trying to strengthen my knees, it looks like I failed.  I go under the knife in 6 weeks.  My left knee is now almost completely bone on bone and I have a torn ACL.

X rays showed 3″ and 4 ” long bone spurs which are causing significant pain around my knee.  The surgeon says it looks like I’ve been this way for over a year.

I had over 1/2 the cartilage in my left knee removed when I was 18 when I broke my leg skiing.  I aggravated the knee while playing racquetball. I shouldn’t be too surprised that 30 years later something has to be done again because of injuries form playing racquetball.  On paper, you wouldn’t think it’s a sport with a lot of injuries…..maybe it just is for me.

I guess the “old school” way of handling pain by rubbing dirt on the injury doesn’t really work after all.

It’ll be nice being pain free once it’s done and I’ve rehabbed it sufficiently.

For now I’m just doing weight lifting, pull ups, push ups and sit ups…..it’ll have to do for a couple of months at least.

It’s a shame because now that its getting light out earlier it’s much easier to get up before 6 and work out.  The weather here has been weird at best.  We still have days in the 40′s followed by days in the 70′s or 80′s.  Hopefully it’ll be better than last year and we won’t have snow the end of May…….crazy!

It’ll be interesting to see how quickly I can recoup from the surgery.  I can’t stand the idea of not being able to do much for a couple months, but I guess that’s part of the process.

P90X and Reconstructive Knee Surgery is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell

I’m a wuss!  Ive stalled the last couple of months.  I really messed up my knee playing racquetball over a month ago.  I went and played again a week later and have a stress fracture in my right foot.

It’s been pretty frustrating.  I miss working out with my wife too.  We have to find a way to get back on track.  I haven’t been able to get anything taken care of because of work assignments getting in the way.  I can’t afford to be gimped up when I’ve got several big jobs on the line.

I just got back from LA where I shot some lifestyle work as well as some running shots with a great female athlete that we hired.

I have a bit of a lull the next couple of weeks so I’ll see if I can get in and see a knee specialist as well as a foot specialist.

I just want to be able to walk around pain free again…….wouldn’t that be nice?

P90X Help I’ve Stalled is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

I just got back from a Photography assignment in Los Angeles.  Want a great tip for traveling?  Be sure to bring a set of workout bands.

I’m really glad I brought mine.  I didn’t do complete P90X workouts, but I was able to crank out a bunch of the exercises in about 15 minutes and that was a lot better than just blowing off my workouts completely.

The bands work great.  You don’t need but one.  If you need more resistance you can just make the loop you stand on a little bigger.

One of the biggest problems with most weight lifting programs is that you can’t travel with them…..the resistance bands solve that dilemma.

They don’t take a lot of room in your suitcase, so there aren’t any excuses.

P90X Reviews – Tips From the Road is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© 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

It’s Wednesday again…..so that means P90X Shoulders & Arms with my wife. Sadly, she had to work so I was solo today.

P90x © Tim Pannell Photography

The workout went well, lots of energy and ready to up my weights for the next round. I feel really good today. I’ve been working on my attitude and it is helping.

I’m in the hospital writing this. My 17 year old son just got his pinky finger operated on and we’re waiting for him to not seem quite so stoned before I take him home.

It’s been good getting back into the flow with P90X. The trick for me, as usual is to not let myself get discouraged and derail my routine.

Well, time to take my son home. If you’re struggling at all with consistency, try turning around your attitude and self talk and I think you’ll be pleased with the difference it makes.

P90X Reviews Attitude Matters is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Looking for P90X reviews for women?  Obviously, I’m not a woman, but I just finished working out with my wife and I’m feeling really good at the moment.  I started out the day with a really crappy attitude, down in the dumps, generally an all around horrible mind set.

If it weren’t for my wife, I would have most likely talked myself out of working out this morning.  Instead, she pushed me and we ended up doing an hour of P90X Shoulders and Arms.  My mindset is already improved and I’m back where I need to be.

I love it when I’m able to workout with my wife, it’s just a lot more fun and enjoyable than when I workout alone.  She’s doing great with the P90X workouts….definitely adding muscle and shape to her body.  She’s also a lot stronger than when she first started out.

My greatest stumbling block with P90X is still the diet aspect of the program.  I just really struggle when it comes to consistently putting the right foods into my mouth.  I have a sweet tooth and it’s always been my Achilles heal.  If you want a P90X tip….here ya go……make sure that whenever you do P90X that you are also eating sensible meals and not chowing down on a lot of junk food.

All in all, P90X is just a great all around workout.  There are lots and lots of P90X success stories out there and all of them are very inspiring.  My wife and I haven’t hit our goals yet, but eventually we’ll both get there.

I’m just always really happy on Wednesdays and Saturdays when I get to work out with her…..a lot more fun!

P90X Reviews – Women is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well……I’m back. After a self imposed hiatus I have determined it is time for me to get back on this P90X horse and share my fitness goals for 2011 with my readers. First and foremost – a big thank you to all of you who have spurred me on over the last year and a half.

It has been an interesting journey to say the least. My family has experienced quite a few curve balls since I started this blog 1 1/2 years ago. There have been a lot of successes sprinkled with setbacks as well as some failures.

Now, before you “positive minded,” “positive attitude” people start foaming at the mouth, let me say this……I believe in a positive outlook as well, but I believe it is always healthy to review the past to learn what went right as well as what went wrong so that I can repeat what went right and correct what went wrong.

I want to take and am taking personal responsibility for my failure so that I can learn from them and get better and ultimately overcome those weaknesses that more often than not rear their ugly heads at the worst possible times in my life.

I injured myself in plethora (I love that word) of places sometime towards the end of September. I was feeling pretty good….I was seeing improvement in my workouts and I had more energy when I was playing racquetball. So much so that I forgot to keep myself in check and I ended up re injuring my right rotator cuff as well as tearing my right tricep and tearing up both of my knees.

I’m older than I used to be. Truth be told…I just turned 50 yesterday. I still feel like a 20 something in my head, but sadly my body doesn’t heal as quickly as it did when I was younger. It took almost 4 months to be able to get back to P90X without re-aggravating those injuries.

This time around I will be more careful. I have had a complete physical…a colonoscopy (its like living a dream) and have chosen some new dietary guidelines and workout schedules to have more success in 2011. Aside from being overweight, I am healthy. My cholesterol is good, my blood pressure is flirting with being too high, but I’m not in the danger zone and I will not allow myself to hit the danger zone.

It’s nice to know that I can workout hard and not be at risk of blowing something up. The colonoscopy….no problems, no polyps, no issues. Time to get to work.

What did I learn in 2010? I learned that it is much easier and more enjoyable to workout with a partner or multiple partners, but that its not always practical. My wife and I are working out together on the days it makes sense with our schedules and I a working out alone otherwise. My sister in law is in the process of returning to fitness while battling lung cancer. She is responding well to her medication and the tumors in her body are shrinking or disappearing altogether. Miracles happen….plain and simple…..thank God.

She may be able to start back up with some P90X in the not so distant future.

Where did I fail or struggle in 2010?  I’ve come to realize that my biggest mistake of 2010 was my self talk.  Frankly, it was completely counterproductive to what I was trying to achieve.  While I was doing my body lots of good by doing the P90X workouts, I was sabotaging myself with negative self images and self talk…..to the point where I believe it counteracted all the good I was doing with my workouts.

I didn’t lose any weight….whether or not I was working out I stayed at basically the same weight as when I started.  I would lose some and then put some back on.  I was terribly inconsistent and I now believe that it was because I keep calling myself “fat ass,”  “lard ass,” “puss bucket,” “fat bald puke” etc., etc.  In my mind I believed I was a fat slob and my body obliged me by continuing on it’s chubby hubby way.

I have done a lot of reading and studying over the last 4 months to try and get my head on straight…so to speak.  It hasn’t been easy and I can’t tell you that I’m 100% certain that I won’t slip back into my old habits from time to time, but I have worked on my weakness of poor self talk and I am at a point where i”m comfortable enough to share where I’m at with it at the moment.

I am healthy

I am fit

I am strong

I am young

I am energetic

I am a workout beast

These are some of my “I am” statements for the rest of my life.  This is who I am on the inside.  I’m already there.  This is the true me.  The artificial me is what has developed over the years on the outside.  2011 is all about matching up my inside to my outside.

I would workout out hard for months at a time only to look in the mirror and get all pissed off that I was still a fat slob.  Then I would  berate myself and get “small” and weak, not in actual size but in spirit.  I would depress myslef into not accepting myself and then I would fall back into my fat boy cycle.  Now as I’m writing this I realize I may have to change the name of my blog at some point….I guess I’ll worry about that later.

I now know who I am and as a person that is fit, healthy, active, strong, lean etc. I do the things that someone that is all those things does.  I workout, I eat healthy, I keep moving, I expect success,  I am manifesting on the outside who I am on the inside.  I still really do believe I’m the healthy guy I was in my late teens and early 20′s.

I’m turning this thing around.  I’m doing better than I did last year at this time.  I will continue to do better throughout  all of 2011 at getting my outside to mirror who I am on the inside already.

Here’s to success!  Here’s to the journey!  Here’s to self discovery!  Here’s to improving!

My you have an amazing 2011……I know that I will!

P90X 2011 Fitness Goals is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well…here it is another Wednesday.  I love Wednesdays…it’s my wife’s day off and we have no excuses for not doing P90X together.  Today we just finished the P90X Shoulders & Arms Workout and we both feel great.

Neither of us slept very well last night.  We have 12 different smoke detectors throughout the house and for about 3 1/2 hours they were all going off every 15 minutes or so.  We changed all the batteries out, we dusted and vacuumed each individual alarm just like the manufacturer suggested……..what happened next?  They all went off non stop for close to an hour.  We ended up taking them all down and popping out the batteries on each one and draining their capacitors in order to be able to sleep.

These are the same alarms that didn’t even go off when the dining room table was set on fire by one of the little kids in the neighborhood on the 4th of July.  The entire house was filled with smoke as 6′ flames went up from the table…not a single alarm went off, no beeps, no sirens, no nothing.  I feel so safe and secure knowing these pieces of crap are “protecting” my home from fire.

Do not buy any alarms from FIRST ALERT…they are crap……..just FYI.

Anyway….in spite of us both being tired and wanting to bail out 2/3 of the way through the workout…we both sucked it up and finished and are glad we did.

I love working out with my wife….at this point it’s one of my favorite times of the entire week.  Life is good.  P90X is good.  Being married for 28 + years is great.

We had a really big thunderstorm this morning during our workout.  1/2″ sized hail came down…..super loud….really cool.  The sun popped out during it and the sky lit up just like a sparkly snow globe…I’ve never seen anything like it.  It was absolutely amazing.

What a great start for today.

P90X Shoulders & Arms With My Wife is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

A lot of people wonder if P90X is good for women or not.  My question for them is always…why wouldn’t it be?  I’m still amazed at the number of people that think that as soon as a woman starts lifting weights she’s on the “fast track” to looking like one of the chicks that play rugby for New Zealand……those women are huge.

My wife hasn’t done the program religiously, but she’s done enough to notice a great deal of difference in her overall fitness level when she’s on the program compared to when she’s off it.

We did P90X Legs & Back yesterday and both of us are struggling to walk today.  Both our butts are as sore as can be.  Even something as simple as sitting down has become a great adventure.  It’s funny….I’ve done P90X Plyometrics for a while now and you’d think that it wouldn’t be much different than the legs & back workout, but you’d be mistaken.

Different exercises…..different results.  Kim was saying just the other day that she needed to do something to feel her glutes again…..well this sure did it!

The simplest answer for you if you’re a woman and wondering if P90X is right for you, is yes.  Assuming you want to build some muscle and firm up your body in places that you’ve possibly let go over the years.  Kim feels so much better about herself after doing these P90X workouts.  It’s worth it just for the mental benefits let alone all the physical benefits she gets from it.

We’re both really sore today, but the great thing about that is this……when I feel all my muscles aching it’s just a constant reminder that I’m actually doing something to get into better shape.  I feel a lot better about myself when I’m in this position.

Kim and I worked out together 3 times this week and love doing P90X together.  It’s great motivation for me when she is working out with me…..I’m so glad she’s into it.

P90X Reviews – Should Women Do It? is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell

We’ve had company for 8 of the last 9 weeks and it finally happened.  I caught my 2 year old nephew’s cold.  I was really sick most of last week.

I did P90X Kenpo X on Monday and that was it for the week.  The rest of the time I was just one big coughing, sneezing, runny nosed slob.

My wife Kim and I got back into P90X yesterday.  My brother in law Jon came over as well.  We ended up doing P90X Chest & Back.

It felt like I took more like a month off.  I was really drained of strength and energy yesterday.  I wound up pulling something near my right shoulder blade……probably over compensating for the muscle pull I’ve had in my right shoulder and tricep for over the last month.

I did a bunch of soccer and lacrosse images with my 2 sons last week so I wasn’t completely exercise free.  Even though I roll around a lot on the ground and move heavy equipment and lights all over the place……its still not P90X.

I’m going to be doing P90X plyometrics this morning by myself.  My wife had to head off to work early today.  It’s so much easier and more fun to work out with her……at least that will be something I can look forward to doing tomorrow.

I’ve been reading a lot about nutrition lately and am aiming at having a better defined diet over the coming weeks.  I’ll share what I come up with once I come up with it.

P90X Reviews – Spent Last Week Sick is a post from: Losing weight with P90X