Day 150 - X2 Shoulders and Arms

Well, I'm now 5 months in and the progress continues.

I ordered some pre-workout Energy and Endurance formula from BeachBody and it came in the mail today.  I tried it before my workout and I hate it.  It has a ton of Caffeine and it made me feel really bad when I took it.  I threw it in the trash tonight even though I just got it.  I usually do Ab Ripper after doing Shoulders and Arms, but that E&E stuff made me so worried that I decided to stop and go out and but a good blood pressure cuff to make sure the higher level of caffeine didn't cause my blood pressure to spike too much.  For me it's just healthy eating and protein mix from here on out.

Day 149 - X2 Ab Ripper

I decided to do X2 Ab Ripper and some chin-ups and Pull-ups instead of having a rest day.  No recent change in weight or noticeable definition, but it seem that the clothing continues to be more and more loose, so it's still working, but not quite showing up yet.  I did really well on calories today.  I'm at 1500 right now after dinner and my post-workout protein bar.  I just need to avoid eating much more for the rest of the day.

Day 148 - X2 Plyocide

Another round of Plyocide is in the books. I took a few extra breaks during the workout, but pushed pretty hard during the routine, so I feel pretty good about the workout I got.  I also threw in some chin-ups and pull-ups after the workout to help the arms.  I ate pretty healthy today, but ended up eating a lot of calories during the day at work, so I kept the dinner tonight pretty simple.  Chicken and rice soup, salad, some carrots and some pretzel sticks.

Day 147 (Start of week 22) - X2 Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper

I was off for Memorial Day today, so I was able to do the workout a bit earlier than normal (which was nice).  My arms feel really tight after this workout.  I was able to get more reps on a couple of the workout items today, so I feel pretty good about that.  Ab Ripper is such a beneficial workout.  Feeling tight.

Day 146 - Rest Day

It's a hot day today, so I'm enjoying just "chilling out" a bit at home in the A/C.  I took my Dad to church and took him out for lunch after.  I had some eggs and pancakes and ham.  Not bad, but it's been a lot of calories so far today, so I need to take it easy tonight.  Tomorrow it's back to another week of phase 2. Love it.

Day 145 - X2 Base + Back & X2 Ab Ripper

I had to take quite a few breaks tonight (mostly after the cardio portions), but reps were still good.  The extra breaks allowed me to get enough of a quick rest that I was able to do a couple more pull-ups in spots throughout the routine.  There is no denying the benefits of Ab Ripper and mixing that in after a challenging workout like this one.  Thankfully we have the A/C going today, so the humidity in the house was lower and I didn't sweat quite as much.  I did okay on eating today.  I went to a friend's birthday party and had a small piece of cake, but everything else today has been within normal eating.  Funny story today.  I took Stephen to his golf lesson like I've done for the past couple of months and Matt (Stephen's swing coach) asked me if I was losing weight.  So, it only took me losing 40 lbs for you to notice something was different?  That's what happens when the weight loss is gradual I guess.  Looking in the mirror after my workout tonight I see the signs of a 6-pack starting to show.  Just a matter of time and dedication and I'm going to have a full on 6-pack.  Can't wait.

Day 144 - X2 Yoga

It was another humid night tonight, so I was sweating a lot by the time I was done with yoga.  For being over an hour long I am amazed as how quickly it goes.  As always, I found the workout very relaxing.  I had a pretty big lunch today at Chinar Indian restaurant with co-workers, so I took it easy tonight when we went out to dinner.  I had a salad at SaladWorks in the mall food court.  Tasty and low in calories.  I had a protein bar for dessert since I didn't mix up my normal protein tonight after my workout.

Day 143 - X2 Shoulders + Arms & X2 Ab Ripper

I sure do appreciate these phase 2 workouts.  I felt some of the old elbow issues again tonight, so I need to be a bit careful that I don't aggravate the elbow too much again.  I was able to keep ground on my previous reps, so I felt good about that.  I really appreciated the Ab Ripper workout tonight.  I got a good sweat going from that.  My size 32 shorts are now fitting very comfortably and the 33 waist slacks I got when Ashley got home in April are now pretty loose on me.  I still have a bit of belly fat, so it's slowing being reduced.  I suspect it will take me getting down about another 5-10 pounds to really have the abs show well.  One day at a time.

Day 142 - X2 Plyocide

Wow, that was a good workout.  I didn't get near that good of a cardio workout in phase 3, so I was glad to be back to doing Plyocide.  I did the cool down and was sweating so much that it was hard to keep my legs from slipping off of each other while stretching. 

Day 141 - Rest Day

I went out golfing this afternoon and didn't get home until 8, so I decided to switch my rest night to tonight instead of tomorrow. So, after tonight I'm working out the rest of the week.  No problem because I had a great time golfing.

Day 140 (Start of week 21) - Chest + Back + Balance & X2 Ab Ripper

I was happy to be back to some of these muscle building workouts.  I could tell I lost a step in some areas like pushups and ab work while doing phase 3, so I'm going to have to work extra hard to get back to where I was.  I weighed in and found that I've lost another pound, so I'm now down to 149 (down 39 over all) in spite of the fact that I've been slowly increase my calorie intake over the last couple of months.  Right now I'm in the range of 1800-2000 calories per day and that seems to be working pretty well.  I'm trying to get at least 140 grams of protein per day, but that is not an easy task.  I have a protein bar with breakfast, lots of chicken and turkey and then a protein shake after my workout just to get above 100 grams.  I'm still very excited about the results I'm seeing, so onward I go.

Day 139 - Rest Day

Today is my only rest day this week.  I'm grateful for it because it's been a pretty busy week.  I'm very happy that I'm no longer feeling soreness from the phase 3 workouts.  Thank goodness for that.  Next time I hit phase 3 I will need to get some 20 lb. dumbbells because I'm using 15 lbs. for some and it's a bit light, but 25 is too much.  It's kind of nice that I'm able to slowly accumulate the equipment needed over time.  It's not like some workouts where you have to invest hundreds of dollars up front before you start.

Day 138 - P.A.P. Upper

I had a really busy day today.  It started with some yard work and cleaning the garage.  I then took my son to his golf lesson and we then went to the movies to see the Avengers.  After that I did my workout and then I took Stephen out to play 5 holes of golf at the local golf course.  I did okay on eating except for the popcorn at the movies.  I really felt the workout tonight.  The superman with weight is so hard for me.  I was able to do everything else fine, but come up short on holding the bar up in Superman for 45 seconds.  I get about 3o seconds before giving out.  It's really good for the back muscles.  Starting Monday I'm back to Phase 2.  Can't wait to get a change up in routines.

Day 137 - P.A.P. Lower

This is my last time doing P.A.P. Lower for a while.  My legs sure feel the difference from this workout twice a week for the last four weeks.  I'm looking forward to getting back to phase two, but there is no denying that phase three has done more for my legs than anything prior to this point. I got a nice comment from a lady at work the other day that she was impressed with how good I look and she wanted to know what I was doing to workout.  Thank you P90X2.

Day 136 - X2 Base and Back

Today is supposed to be mobility and recovery, but I decided to work out since I missed a workout day last week because of too much going on.  This is my last week of phase 3 and I plan to go back to phase 2 for a couple of weeks starting Monday, so I decided to do Base and Back and Ab Ripper to get a refresher on a phase 2 workout.  Wow, I was quickly reminded of how good of a workout that is.  Doing phase 3 for the last four weeks has helped me to get more reps this time through Base and Back, but I still think that Base and Back is probably one of the more challenging workouts for me. I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks of phase 2 and then shifting into a mode of going through each of the three phases in order (one week each) for a couple of months to provide a good variety to my workouts.

Day 135 - X2 Yoga

I was very glad to have this workout tonight because I was really feeling a lot of tightness in my back and ham strings.  Having just finished the workout I feel better now.  It's a bit warm tonight so I sweated even more than normal.  I weighed in again this morning and am now at 150 (down a total of 38 lbs.).  My new goal is now 145 since I still have a bit of pudge around the middle and still need to lose some on the thighs.  Diet was pretty good today, so no issues there.

Day 134 - P.A.P. Lower

I went golfing this afternoon and had a great time of it and then came home and had some dinner before working out.  I only had to take one unscheduled break this time around, so I'm pretty close to being able to keep up with the video.  Side arm leg lift is still really hard and step up convicts are pretty tough.  My form tonight was better than previous event.  I made sure to try to really isolate more in the moves tonight.  After my workout I had my protein drink and added a spoonful of the powdered peanut butter and it was really good.  It's a nice change from plain or strawberry.

Day 133 (Start of week 20) - P.A.P. Upper

Plank on Med Ball

This is a killer because I have to hold this position for 60 seconds.  I end up doing this four times during the workout and by the fourth time it gets to be pretty painful.

This is my fourth week of phase 3.  Next week I plan to go back to phase 2 for a couple of weeks and then start to cycle through the three phases one at a time for a week each.  I'm looking forward to getting the variety of different routines and keeping it going for a couple of months to see how things go.

Day 132 - Rest Day

I spent the day helping the kids pamper their mom for Mother's Day.  I also took my Dad out for lunch after church and had a terrible meal at Pennsburg Diner.  I ordered the broiled Tilapia and it came out swimming in butter.  I sent it back, so mu lunch was basically salad, soup and green beans.  For dinner Kristi wanted cheese burgers.  I threw a piece of chicken on the grill for me instead of a burger.  Had a chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato and some salad.  Delicious.  I'm looking forward to getting back to working out.  Two days off is a new thing for me and one that I don't want to make a habit of.

Day 131 - No workout

Well, I had grand ambitions to workout after golf, but we didn't get done with golf until 7:30 and then we had ice cream cake for Stephen's birthday, so at this point it's a bit too late to try to squeeze a workout in.  Not happy about it, but I plan to make up for it next week by working out on Thursday instead of taking a rest day.  I was able to find a power band and I found the powdered fat-free peanut butter, so I'm looking forward to trying out both next week.

Day 130 - P.A.P. Lower

I Got started on the workout a bit late tonight because of dinner with the family for my son's birthday and then cut the back yard and relaxed for a bit before starting the workout.  Despite the late start I brought it hard and had a good workout.  I took a lot less breaks this time and got a really good sweat going.  I measured my body fat % today and came out at 20.5%.  Not bad for my age, but I'm looking to get down to more like 17-18%, so I keep on plugging away at the dieting part of this program.  I had a good dinner at Cracker Barrel.  Broiled flounder, green beans, salad and brown rice with mushrooms.  Delicious and fairly healthy for eating out.  Tomorrow I plan to go out and get a power band and I've heard about a powdered form of peanut butter that is low in fat and is supposed to be really good in protein shakes, so hoping to find some of it tomorrow.

Day 129 - X2 Yoga

It seems that the phase 3 workouts are helping me to strengthen my arms and legs because yoga seemed easier than normal tonight.  I weighed in this morning and am now down to 151 lbs (down 37 overall).  I'm now wearing size 32 jeans, so even with my calories being a bit higher, it seems the plan continues to work just fine.  I find it interesting that I really don't miss the things that I used to easy.  At the moment I'm very content with my diet of healthier foods and no sweets.  I threw in some chin-ups before and after yoga tonight.  13 before and 12 after.

Day 128 - Rest Day

I had to shift my rest day because I needed to attend a meeting tonight.  Not a big deal.  I did a few chin-ups, pushups and bicep curls tonight and I'll do Yoga tomorrow night and then be back on schedule.  I'm doing okay with eating today and I resisted the urge to have cake tonight at the activity I was at.  I have to stay focused on my goal to lose the remaining fat and see if I can get the ripped look I'm going for.  Slow but sure I'm making progress.

Day 127 - P.A.P Upper

The power is out tonight so I had to do my workout ina dark basement by lantern playing the DVD on my laptop. It worked out except after the workout I had no water for a shower because we have a well. Bummer. In spite of the odd conditions it was a good workout. Now I just want a nice hot shower.

Day 126 (Start of week 19) - P.A.P. Lower

I decided to do some chin-ups before and after doing the lower body workout and I was happy to see that I'm able to do 12 chin-ups before and and 12 after.  As always, the workout tonight was a good challenge.  The side bridge leg lift is brutal, but i was able to hold it (with really bad form) for the entire time.  I need to be careful with calories lately.  Yesterday I was out with Rich for some racing and we had pizza and fried calamari afterward for dinner.  Today I went out to lunch at Baja fresh, so once again getting above 1800 on calories.  In spite of that it seems I am still losing some inches.

Day 125 - Rest Day

Nice day off from the workouts today to allow me to recover a bit, but I'll be back to hitting it hard tomorrow.

Day 124 - P.A.P. Upper

I had a good workout tonight after a pretty busy day of gardening, cutting grass and changing the oil in my car.  I really felt the plank on the medicine ball tonight.  I was able to hold the Superman with weight a bit longer this time around.  It seems the phase 3 workouts are starting to pay off as far as definition in the muscles goes.  I've now finished the second week of phase 3.

Tonight I tried a recipe that I've heard other try.  Kale chips.  Interesting and not too bad tasting, but there was an all out revolt in the home because of the smell.  Guess I'll stick with the pretzel sticks.

Day 123 - P.A.P. Lower

I was at a meeting all day down in the city and I was sitting all day, so by the time I got home I was feeling pretty lethargic.  It made it really hard to get motivated to workout, but I found a way to hit play.  I still think that the side balance leg lift is brutal.  I still struggle with it, so I know I need to keep pushing.  It would have been real easy for me to blow my diet out of the water today while I was at the conference, but I did okay,  I totally avoided the desserts and I limited the carbs.

Day 122 - X2 Yoga

I had a great yoga session.  I pushed harder than ever and was sweating a lot.  I love yoga because it works almost every inch of my body in one workout.  It seemed to go really quickly tonight. I also did some chin-ups and was able to do 12 chin-ups with no kipping.  Woohoo.  I keep seeing advances every week I keep up with this program.  At some point I am looking forward to getting back to some phase 2 workouts because I think it builds more muscle, but not sure about the timing yet.  I want to get at least four weeks of phase 3 in before making any changes.

Day 121 - Rest Day

Today I was down in Philly for a client forum meeting and then when I got home I needed to run out to Lebanon to pick up my car after having the clutch replaced.  So, I've decided to use tonight as my rest day instead of having it tomorrow.  I did a few pushups tonight and I'm up to 45 pushups, so won't be long until I can do 50 again without much trouble.  Eating today was a bit brutal because of the client forum, but I kept it in check for the most part.  Tomorrow it's back to normal eating again and then yoga in the evening.

Day 120 - P.A.P. Upper

Well, I'm at day 120, so I took another picture to keep track of progress.  I don't see a huge change compared to Day 90, but I know I can tell the difference in how clothing is fitting, so the progress is still happening.

I also got to go out golfing with my brother this afternoon and had a great time, but between the workout and the swinging of the golf club I'm pooped.

I did pretty well on the food today except for the hotdog while golfing.  Still staying within daily calories though.