Grrrrrrr. Bring it.
Saturday, May 29th, 2010
.
I’ve never been much of a gym person, but I do believe in the Sexy. I’ve realized that it’s a lot more difficult to exhibit the Sexy by just waking up and existing, like I did back in the day. Way more difficult. I played sports in highschool, so even if back then I didn’t consider it a work out, my body was well conditioned.
After life stepped in and I wasn’t engaged in sports full time anymore, I decided to take my first step in the gym, i.e. paid gym membership with a personal trainer and what not. I was maybe about 27, but who’s counting, especially as I’m now 25.
That lasted a few months, but then after switching countries and careers, gym membership definitely presented itself as a luxury that I could have no longer afforded. Making the best use of the resources around me seemed like a more productive plan, and so I placed a call to my self-discipline life line, as I knew then I’d really have to dig deep to make this rickety rack work. It wasn’t exactly starting from scratch; I figured that after 9 or so months of having a personal trainer, surely I could have done something on my own.
After shelling out all of that moolah, I must have learned SOMETHING. I only now had to figure out what that something was.
Lets see, I had a good idea of a variety of different workouts that target specific muscle groups, I had been trained on pushing myself until exhaustion, and understood that intervals work and that muscle confusion is the most efficient route to see results. I had learned that the same muscle group shouldn’t be targeted everyday, and that there is a different heart beat per minute range, depending on whether your goal is cardio or fat loss. I had learned about keeping the proper form, and that your ego will injure you if you take on more weight than you are capable of working, at the expense of this said form. I learned a lot and knew then to myself that I could have made it work.
The plan was to run along the beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico (surely there are worse things in life) on mornings before class at least thrice a week, and engage in some strength training activity utilizing:
1. my body weight
2. a stability ball
3. various dumbells and
4. a resistance band
My diet/ nutrition was always pretty solid, so that wasn’t too much of a stretch for me to not undo all the work that I put in daily. I worked and I saw results; I was a happy camper.
But as always, life happens… more. I moved again, had some other lemons tossed in the mix, so the workouts suffered a bit (read a lot), but my diet/ nutrition always remained solid enough for me to not have to completely change my wardrobe, until I eventually got back into my groove.
So now that I got back into the groove, I felt like I wanted more. More of what I wasn’t not sure, but there was that looming plateau feeling. Gym membership is still not a viable option, not so much the money this time, but more the time. Where am I really going to find 1 hour every day, possibly more considering transit time, to dedicate to the gym as a gainfully employed, full time single parent, living in a foreign country i.e. no tanty and nenen to help care for mini-me free of charge. More like $10.50/ hour, thank you very much.
Even if that was possible, I probably couldn’t manage the terms and conditions anyways.
So, as if my life wasn’t challenging enough, I decided this week to take my fass self and start the p90x programme. Yes, there’s been much ado about it over the past year or so , and so far I have at least a half trailer load of friends who sing it’s praises, about a handful of whom I’ve seen some serious results that have made me really wonder what it is about the program that is so effective.
Obviously I’ve had my reservations about it – exercise DVDs are out there a dime a dozen. As far as I’m concerned, as long as you get moving and swallow less energy than you expend, you are going to see some sort of result or the other over time, so I was never really moved by crazy exercise and fad diets. Still, I decided why not? You want results then you gotta try something different. That’s my loose adaptation of something some enlightened person said regarding success, or achievement, or… something similar.
Anywhos, 3 days into the programme, if it was not for the positive difference that I already feel in my body and my energy levels, I would have surely tossed the DVDs one side as it has thoroughly wiped the floor with my tail. Twice.
I’d like to think that I have at least a decent level of fitness, but this thing right here is no joke. It’s not impossible, but to say that it’s difficult would be a gross understatement. Sure it looks easy when Tony does it, but trying to figure out how to get your body to control itself like that takes you a moment or two. Talk about getting schooled. p90x is definitely not for the beginner. It is recommended that you have achieved some level of fitness before starting the programme, and for good reason. It is ballistic. It requires core strength, endurance, flexibility and most of all, bad mind.
This is no Sunday stroll, it ain’t no walk in the park, feed the dolphins deal; there is an ‘x’ in the brand name for a reason. Xtreme, i.e. forget whatever you thought you knew before, it’s not going to help you in this round. I haven’t reached the legs workout yet and already moving from standing to sitting is a fantastically painful transition.
Still, I’m excited.
I feel blood pumping through my body in places I never knew had a function. My energy is at an all time high, and I’ve been less prone to those mini-depression slumps that I tend to fall into every now and then, and I’m looking forward to finishing Phase 1 with some sort of result to put on display, as I celebrate myself come June.
I had no intention of announcing this to the world, but a good friend or mine, and fellow p90x-er (the individual who facilitated me trying it) reminded me that this was one of the reasons why I started GlamityCalamity in the first place – the ins and outs, highs and lows of finding and maintaining the Sexy that works for you.
Plus, he had to slip in there that if I put myself on blast that I’d be less inclined to fall off the band wagon, cause I do neither shame nor failure gracefully. So fine, it’s out. I hope you’re at least slightly amused SP!… NO PRESSURE! None at all. Thanks for the support and here’s to me stunting at home come Christmas time when I see you guys again.
To all my p90x ‘veterans’, this is a subtle reminder that it’s p90x, not p900x. The programme only takes ninety days y’all, what’s the deal? It’s been more than that since I’ve last seen you guys and from all your FB pics you don’t look any different. STEP IT UP and get back on the truck before I put you to shame. Consider that your warning. To all my peeps who will be soon joining me on this trek, I salute you. Can’t wait to swap the b!tchslap agony stories that are sure to soon follow.
b FreakinFabulous
POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS
Maintaining the flab
12 Minute Abs
Health Tip: Walk off worry
2010 Resolution Temperature Check
What in the E.F. is going on here (Emotional Fitness)
.