P90X: Planning, Preparation, Acheivement

Another P90X victim attested to his lack of perspicacity in not purchasing a full set of dumbbells, and instead purchasing an interchangeable dumbbell block. While this method should not be undervalued, the blog author lamented the purchase due to the need to rapidly change between dumbbells during certain workouts. Chief among these is the P90X Shoulders & Arms workout.

If you've been considering a dumbbell block, arguably one of the best is the Powerblock. From viewing and handling different combined blocks, this one stands out clearly in my mind as the most ergonomic and practical. A stand can be bought separately to increase the utility of your dumbbells. There is only one problem: they are quite hideous. Not that my dumbbells are a thing of beauty, but there are a few winning features: Being Urethane coated, the Cap Barbell Urethane-coated Hex Dumbells are safer for both humans, furniture, and floors. One day, God willing, I will have that East facing hardwood yoga/art/workout studio and they don't roll, and aren't injurious to surfaces. Just holding the 10 lbs weight assists in recognizing the benefit. Other nice Cap Barbell options are available, but those dumbbell are either rounded at the ends, are the standard iron weights (surface marring), or are entirely made of chrome. Shiny? Yes. Practical? No.

Working out today was a joy as it being my third P90X week I am actually now able to crank out exercises with a modicum of efficacy. However, certain moves (In-and-Out Bicep Curls, Two-Arm Tricep Kickbacks, Full Supination Curls, and Tricep Extensions) were either too high or low in weight -as I do not yet have a set of 20s. I do have the 5s, 10s, 15s, 25s, & 30s,... but no 20s. I would not have expected this need to arise so soon... but sooprise, sooprise sooprise.

I now value having the complete set, and not missing incremental weights. My small rack space is rapidly diminishing, and will only hold a set of 35s and 40s to be full, although I'm going to fit a set of 12s across the first and second shelf of my Ironman Rack to balance out the mix (with the Tricep Kickbacks exercise, I sometimes could use them). Let us be honest, part of the value of P90X is getting a gym-oriented cross-training workout in your own home, and the problem rests with building the gym. The four tiered rack does have a measurable benefit through: vertical space use. Wider racks may be more stable, but you get a resulting bare wall above them (although you could always put a mirror up).

I've begun to update my blog format but don't have a method for making the title legible at the moment. I apologize, and please bear with me. Ciao!

I am beginning to focus my attention on different and arguably more important activities my blog posts are going to need to become shorter. Today was a pivotal day. Allow me to bring you up to speed.

Yesterday, I had felt sluggish, tired, and lazy, so while I did execute the P90X Chest & Back workout, I shirked the abdominal routine. My pull-ups/chin-ups continue to be weak, and I've also noticed a disparity between how different fitness gurus define them. For Tony Horton a closed grip overhand pull-up is markedly similar to a chin-up. Is his difference one of clearance over the bar, it's all Greek to me. Comparatively, Nick Nilsson differentiates pull-ups as being closer to shoulder width. Incidentally, Wikipedia has an incredible web page devoted to the pull-up.

Also, I've just noticed the Ab Ripper X workout is laced behind the chest and back workout... is this the same on the other strength training workouts? I will have to pay better attention, as I've been switching discs.

The real news was that today I completed both the Ab Ripper X and Plyometrics routines in their entirety. Further, I only paused for a brief period amidst the Ab Ripper routine (while pausing) to guarantee I would have the gas for a full completion. I've also begun to notice that Tony's minions don't really hit the ground during the Mason Twist. Amy McCauley better demonstrates an accurate Mason Twist so as to target the external obliques. The P90X program has a macho feel, and it may more fruitful to approach this exercise in a slower, controlled fashion. The demonstration team on the P90X video are all in fantastic shape, but there isn't a singular style of approach between them. It is fun to go fast though.


Mason Twist Exercise

For some time now I've been promising to drop a few lines concerning the immaculate guide contained within the P90X Nutrition Plan. As I earlier mentioned, we decided to prepare one given egg dish multiple times for each week, then change to another. For our first week we prepared the mushroom omelet recipe.

Now first off, I have made a lot of omelets in my day, and they weren't half-bad. However, working with egg whites was a new experience, and I've got to tell you... I miss the yellow stuff. Now you needn't yolks to make a fluffy omelet, but they do help to hold an omelet together. Here's the real scoop though: eggs yolks have some of the highest/best nutrition you can get. In fact, almost all of the nutritional value of an egg (aside from the protein) is in that blasted yolk! Of course, the problem with the egg yolk is that when you want all of that extra protein (i.e. six ounces), eating that many yolks is clearly ill-advised. You know what though... eggs keep. Buy yourself a dozen, and mix one whole egg into your omelet per fixing.

If you've looked at the nutritional guide, you see that for a "level-I" egg dish you should have six egg whites. This can mean different things, depending on the size of your eggs, so let us be more specific: 1 egg in P90X is equivalent to 1 oz. We need to be honest about the nature of the P90X exercise program. This is not about becoming Gaston (you know, the muscled/boorish stud from Beauty and the Beast), but the lean and ripped Brad Pitt from Fight Club (ideally). With this in mind, one must imbibe the idea that P90X is about working with less calories to produce a lean frame. I propose a compromise: take one egg from that dozen you've purchased each day, and mix it with enough egg white to match your level of caloric consumption (6, 8, or 10 ounces). For me, I purchase the Papetti egg product from Trader Joe's. At $2.19 for eight ounces, it is nearly 1/3 more expensive than a dozen eggs, but it makes the preparation of an omelet a lot easier.

Yet, there perhaps is an even more-important concept to be discussed: maintaining the aesthetic nature of your omelet. Two things need be mentioned: a good skillet, and, dare we say it, butter. I am not suggesting you go crazy with the butter, but consider that some homeopaths have made mention of butter and it's nutritional qualities. From a chemical perspective, butter browns. This allows for both a nice exterior to your omelet and keeps it from sticking to your plan. True, you can use a non-stick cooking spray, but this is a SYNTHETICALLY HYDROGENATED PRODUCT! Get yourself some old fashioned, organic unsalted butter and use it with love, sparingly.

Ah yes, one also should consider their cooking surface. I have needed to purchase a new cast iron skillet for ages. Truth be told, this would be best. Using Teflon coated products is becoming increasingly worrisome, and I've decided that I'm discarding my pans in favor of safer means. Consider this new FDA warning.

Recipe Tips: When making your omelet, slightly melt and warm your butter (no more than a quarter teaspoon) then add your beaten eggs. Ideally, you've been able to warn your eggs for at least a half-hour. If not though, the whisking should help. Now you've added your eggs, THEN add in your other ingredients and tuck them into your cooking eggs (not as the guide suggests). This allows the egg to maintain it's loose contact with the pan...allowing you to fold it when the time presents. To assist cooking the upper surface of the egg, cover with a pan cover or pie tin, the surrounding heat will finish the job quickly. Happy cooking, but don't forget to hit that play button!

I constantly am amazed at just how much I apparently suck at abdominal exercises. For the crossed-leg/wide-leg routine, I at least am now able now able to complete a fair stint by placing my wide-leg feet against a couch. Cheating (?) ~ perhaps, but now I can do more than 2 for the 1.5 minute routine.

Then there are the pull-ups. Again with the pull-ups. I seriously am considering some creatine malate for the periods before/after workouts so that I can actually do more, and better, pull-ups via greater ATP production. Also under consideration is L-glutamine to aid in muscle regeneration. The rest of the synthetic amino acids I'm planning to get through healthy diet. This stuff starts to get really gym-geeky though and there is a wealth of false marketing regarding the supplements. If anyone has good tips they are welcome to drop them here. One good recovery drink is insufficient to do the job alone.

So I've been quite bad about updating my P90X blog, my apologies. Today I will be doing the Shoulders & Arms training, but there are some important points I have noticed since beginning P90X Classic Training:

1. Since beginning the program just over a week ago, it is clear that my endurance and strength have improved measurably in several areas. This has allowed me to get through nearly all the Plyometrics DVD without extended breaks, and I have noticed increased strength in both my abdominal, shoulders, and back... to a degree.

2. Although I can tell certain modifications are helping to increase my strength, I know I have a large hurdle to clear insofar as pull-up repetitions. While I have done many push-ups in the past, and even purchased the "Perfect Pushup" this really only helps to increase my chest strength/size, and does little to build my back.

In fact, the Latissimus Dorsi muscles have among the quickest recovery time in the whole body, and really require lots of training to be able to not only strengthen, but grow. More about my multi-stage effort to build the future regions into come...

However, the question remains: how much effort on a weak muscle group is too much? Further, if the muscles require more time than 12 weeks to truly stretch and grow, then how should a longer-range plan be developed. I know these are not questions normally asked by the typical P90X practitioner, but they bear relevance. What do you think?

I'm a big believer in the snowballing effect of achievement. Last week, I struggled; this Monday past, I took a 4-mile run, then did Chest & Back. Some fitness gurus offer advice toward understanding the biomechanics and attainment of a chin-up. I've miles of effort to go, but hopefully with continued effort and education, I will get there. I'd love to hear your input.

Why nearly half of the recipes in the P90X nutritional guide call for shallots is beyond me. This obtuse little onion (a cross breed between garlic and onion) swims in turbid sea of confusion. Does it make a real difference? It can, but often only to the more-scrutinizing of pallets.

A clear substitution is to take 2/3 a tablespoon of minced onion to 1/3 a tablespoon of minced garlic. Which onions? Spanish onions (yellow/brown) tend to work best.

From a culinary perspective, P90x robs you of two of the best and tastiest seasonings known to man: salt and butter. As a trade-off for this injustice, they've created a rather fancy menu plan with novel ingredients aimed at wetting your taste-buds. It's an excellent effort, and I laud them for it. However, unless you're using a rarer and fresh shallot, such as the purple bulbs, you may not be able to discern the difference. One author has given a wonderful overview of the shallot, which I encourage you to read. For most, I recommend you try the substitution, as it will save you coin and nobody (including yourself) will be the wiser.

Shallots: 2:1 ratio of parts onion to garlic.

It's been nearly two weeks since I last posted, and this is soon to change. I needed to get something up right away, lest any readings doubt my ability to post. Yoga X was hardly easy, but a welcome addition. For some time now I've attended Free Yoga, a class given by instructors who donate their time in Long Beach, CA. Among the poses, they do "crane" which I still cannot do. However, how are you ever going to do something if you don't practice it! Thankfully Mr. Horton and his ragtag crew are going to do it, and you can work at it too.

After four days, a few observations have surfaced: if you bonk, and aren't sweating with steady breathing during a workout routine, you aren't getting the most out of your workout. However unless you work at it you won't be able to complete the routine! Clearly then, looking at comparisons of folks who have come before, I believe I'm more of a P150X guy, as the results and core strength I'm looking for won't really start to come until after the 90th day. I'm planning to build-in some cardio and outside activities but for now I just have to keep showing up.

The "Keep Pushing Play" and "Do your best and forget the rest" mantras are stellar, but I would add one more: "Challenge yourself to improve your performance". This program is hard, and I'll keep bonking until... I don't. Until that day however, I want to make sure I'm getting better and better. Yes, keep pushing play... but work at getting stronger toward completion. I'm stoked.

A great blessing today: I now feel mostly caught up with my cooking, and can begin to have some other life elements in balance. This has been a challenge, and I'll estimate that combined with regular daily cooking efforts, I've spent 20 hours in the kitchen since Saturday, and that is probably an under-estimate. I've got some great pointers to come, so keep reading!

I do eat healthfully. The problem is that I have not made regular exercise a priority, and I've eaten a little too-well from time to time. Thus, I didn't have to throw much out in the way of bad foods, but it also means an excess of complex carbohydrates in my pantry.

My last post was over 10 days ago, and a lot has happened. First, my wife and I had to seriously pow-wow over how we would arrange the food budget and menu plan. Second, and this was key, I was going to need to shop strategically. After discussing the effort needed (setting the issue of money aside) I was floored. We agreed that creating the full menu of recipes for a week was implausible, at least for me. I am an excellent cook, but as I am a graduate student, have many other responsibilities.

Menu Planning.

We decided to cook roughly half to a third of the recipes and keep our sanity, doubling portions prepared and reusing leftovers. Now, in order to plan I needed copies of the pages within the nutrition guide. Suffice is to say, although I did purchase the program, I found another copy of the nutrition guide online (minor changes) and printed it. Using several copies I cut out recipes and pasted them as alternate dishes for the given weeks. You can view my alternate Week One menu plan here in larger scale.

Viewing the list, you'll notice I crossed out and rewrote the protein boost days to match that of the original nutrition plan. One thing I left off the plan: breakfast days that have turkey bacon written in do not also contain the cottage cheese.

I have a major leg-up in that I've been cooking for years and have a modicum of spices and supplies. Items such as Arrowroot? - Yeah, I've got that. Not only that, but I understand that arrowroot is a thickening agent even before I get started whereas most chefs nouveau probably do not. However, it was clear that trying to prepare the recipes from a singular book, by flipping back and forth, didn't make sense. This spurned me to create a binder of the recipes that laid flat and was readily accessible.

Update: if you use items such as cornstarch in baking, etc., when not amidst P90X, consider replacing them entirely with arrowroot. A 20 oz. bag made by Bob's Red Hill can be as low as $5.50.

I actually began preparing for P90X two weeks before, thinking I would be able to start a whole week earlier. This left me with some items in my refrigerator I could work with even though I was starting a new week. Also, if you haven't figured it out yet, I am cooking for two. My wife isn't yet ready to start (she is contemplating starting the 'lean program' on Monday next) but it is remains infeasible to have to separate menus running concurrently. There also isn't enough space, or storage containers.

The Art of Shopping.

My groceries for week one were around $225, not accounting for the spices I already had on hand, extra storage containers I needed to buy (soups/coleslaw), and the a few odds and ends I've ended up needing to go back for. That is a lot, but I am expecting to spend less than $60 for the next two proceeding weeks.

All told, it was a staggering undertaking, but for my efforts I created a grocery .xls sheet for a comparison of prices. Pounds (lbs) usually refers to water weight (in which there are 16 ounces) compared to a volumetric measurement of sixteen ounces (2 cups). This gets tricky as some grocery stores sell read-packs of specific/set ounce amounts. Sometimes there is a fair accounting, and sometimes not. Are you always getting 8 oz? With P90X, it helps to save any penny you can. If you live in the LA Basin, maybe this Excel Sheet can help. Note that I've used a calculation to break down the price per ounce regarding produce. That can be confusing, as the "Buy Low" market has 5 lbs for $2 specials which I then have converted to ounces to obtain the right per-ounce price for comparison. Each grocery has their strengths and weaknesses, but it's hard to beat Stater Bros for protein. Good luck!

Okay, so I've still yet to even start the program. Yesterday's entirety was devoted to teaching myself to layer-mask in Adobe Photoshop (quite cool, actually) establish a family Flickr account, and finally upload Christmas holiday and Thanksgiving Holiday images from 2009. That being said, even configuring Flickr2Facebook (a free application that negates the re-upload from the home computer to Facebook) took more time than I would have liked. I've got to follow-up with a few thank-you notes and then.... create my nutritional shopping list (from the P90X diet guide).

Creation of the diet/shopping guide and my apprehension to actually starting the program is typical for me; I am really fastidious about doing things accurately. If I simply start working out-- improved health will be attained, but I know with different things coming up (a trans-Sierra crossing in the winter, marathon training) that if this is not figured out before I start P90X, I will never finish it.

I opened the P90X box somewhere around January 4th, and began reading the documents. Due to the fact I already knew we were consuming far too many complex carbohydrates I began reading the nutrition guide and associated recipes. I reached a decision: let us make these recipes, to the letter, and see where that takes us....

A week later I now realize just what a difficult endeavor this truly is. You see, almost all of the suggested recipes require cooking and preparation. So, in order to meet your protein targets you actually need to often cook two meals each night, as well as breakfast. You can't grab a bagel, as eating 1/2 will cause you to reach the maximum of your daily complex carbohydrate allowance, and a whole bagel... well you're just not supposed to do that, not during the fat shredder phase. No friggin' bagels, waddya mean?! Not only that, but there is a one-serving limit on fruit at the lower starting limit of the plan. Torture, pure torture.

Then there is the true cost of the food. Wow, our grocery bill doubled if not tripled. I'm now in the process of clipping coupons and deciding how this is to be done. This is huge change, as we used to be able to shop once a week outside special occasions.

Now as you're planning your diet, there are some incredible sources out there. One nutrition plan gives a great Excel Sheet for portioning and shopping for food.

However, I've noticed I'm immediately needing another Excel Sheet of a different nature, one that controls for and saves time in buying the actual food. You see, each recipe in the nutritional guide may have multiple ingredients of varying quantities. Across recipes, some ingredients overlap, yet you end up with a squirrely recipe list of indeterminate length.

In lieu of possible issues with copyright, I won't be able to list my own sheet, but suffice is to say, the sheet(s) will contain volumetric conversions for each recipe, and have tracking columns for grocery store areas. This sounds anally retentive, but just try and cook the recipes for three straight days and you'll immediately see the problem. I'll plan to make a combined excel sheet for each week's groceries, that will amalgamate quantities of individual items needed.

I've also just realized I'm missing a few key devices that I will need before we begin our plan (measuring tape, a heart monitor). As such, it will be at least one more day before beginning the actual workout. It has been forever already, but I can feel our P90X start date getting closer than ever. I'll keep you posted!

A Costly Endeavor

Perhaps by now you've yet to measure all the costs of the P90X program. Here is the rough monetary breakdown:

•P90X program, with nutritional guides ($140)
•Dumbells (multi-capacity weights or standalone, $150-$450) depending on deals
•Chin-Up Bar ($40-$75, the P90X bar is $75)
•Optional hand braces (stands) $40-$55 and resistance bands ($10-40)
•A Fat Caliper ($7-25)

While not all items are of equal quality, Beachbody charges a premium for shipping, and my high costs reflect those rates. That being said, Beachbody does seem to have the better-made equipment, although substitutions can be found. The following are my own choices:

I'm not quite sure why Beachbody hasn't leaped into their own dumbbell production, but I chose to purchase a very good set made by CAP Barbell (shown in the beginning of this post), and an accompanying 4-tier galvanized-steel "Ironman" dumbbell rack. I tried in earnest during August throughout late October, 2009 to purchase a used set unsuccessfully, before opting to purchase a new one. I chose these dumbbells as I did not want to bother with multiple plates and I knew my wife might be doing the plan with me intermittently. However, one should note that if they take the time to carefully shop yard sales there is equipment for the taking.

Update: If you buy dumbbells it is a good idea to get all the weight amounts, as they ultimately are needed. Originally, I only bought 5s, 8s, 15s, 25s, and 30s. However, I've since gone back and added 10s, 12s, and 20s. I'll add the higher weightings later.

Thus the true cost of the P90X was just under $700, a little-advertised fact most don't realize. I began saving for a proper dumbbell set/rack long before I received the actual program this Christmas past. Even as I write this blog, I have yet to start the actual program, as I am trying to align the even-larger program cost, that of food.

While everyone concerned with fitness should be eating in a healthy manner, few realize just what that means insofar as dietary adjustment, fat burning, etc. P90X provides a wonderful plan, with incredible recipes. However, for us (my wife and I) it has required an increase in protein/produce purchasing, and an associated cost of quality increase (organic and low fat). However, the planning for the P90X diet is more complicated even than this, which requires it's own post.

Bring It home on your own level.

The tribulations of would-be P90Xers are often quite bland, so I'll try to give you a bit more, adding color and repartee along with my planning notes. Clearly, P90X is not a plan for everyone, owing to miscellaneous and sundry reasons. With all the busyness of what I intend to accomplish over the next year in my personal life-plan, incorporating P90X will definitely be a challenge. I invite anyone interested in making a serious plan that works and hold concurrent interests to read my blog regularly.


Drive and Interest Among Men

For some time now, P90X has been a fitness plan of deep interest. Who wouldn't want to be in the best shape of their lives, in soundness of mind and body. For men, who foremost seem to be driven by visual rationale, the models who flaunt their chiseled abdomen muscles and glistening biceps project a singular theme: Dudes, get this fit and you will be a wanted man! For women, such ideation is undoubtedly bawdy (men don't really think this way, do they?). Girls, I have news for you, yes we do, even the more-refined of us.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of strength training and physical fitness among men is the erroneous suggestion that men concerned with the form of their abdominal, biceps, and even gluteus muscles harbor unresolved sexual tensions and are latently homosexual. While I know this theory works only too-well for a zeitgeist among gay men, I must attest that nothing could be father from the truth. Additionally, as the male ego is actually quite fragile, the temerity and constitution needed to incorporate fitness into a life-plan is rarely strong enough to endure ridicule, restricting us to the fitness annals of fantasy football and the greater World of Warcraft (/s).

A State of Affairs: What I've got to Work With

In the last three years of moving to the Los Angeles Basin, I've encountered weight-gain and lethargy. Being a graduate researcher has meant many long hours at a desk, with little residual motivation to exercise appropriately at day's-end. As of this moment, 2010/01/12 (12:04:30), I weight 175 lbs and am 5'9"+ (I've shrunk from 5'10" via caffeine~not good). Oddly, it is the little things that really begin to make the difference in motivating one toward a hierarchical goal. 175 lbs isn't that bad, but considering that triathletes sometimes take as long as 10 years to modify their body fat content from 15-10 %, it is these nuances that are often the hardest to attain.

I've noticed that over the past year my pants have become increasingly tighter, and I've only kept "good" camera images, hiding my abdomen when I'm relaxed or off-guard. My personal fitness level has not dropped such that I can't go for a 4-mile run or enjoy the greater outdoors, but while I remain active, telemark skiing, hiking, and whatnot, it is during these moments when I've been caught (via photo) unawares. I can do better.

While I may look okay when cutting a telemark turn on one occasion... a quick dip in the chilly Stanislaus river is less heroic when buttressed with a supportive layer of padding on my mid-section. So, while I have been blessed with many stellar adventures, I have grown tired of carefully monitoring/editing the photographic record to project a less-than-accurate image.