April 2016

So it’s April 9th. I just finished week 13 of p90x3. This is my blog about all the fun and pain.
I started Dec 28th to get almost a five day head start on the new year resolution. That worked well.

It took me 15 weeks to do the 13 week program. I did week 5 twice due to missing 4 days that week and I did week 9 over due to missing most of that week. Both of those were due to business travel and Army weekends. It just made it logistically too hard to hit all seven days. Overall I am very proud of myself for completing the program. I could have done some parts better, but as they say, “Do your best, and forget the rest.”

Pros:
Only thirty minute tapes every day.
15 tapes provided plenty of variety. You never do the same pattern of tapes for more than 3 weeks in a row.
Many of the tapes focused on full body exercises and core regardless of it is was leg day, cardio day, arms, etc.
Emphasis on stretching and flexibility.
Modifiers for every move showed how you could adapt if needed.

Cons:
Some of the yoga moves were to advanced for beginners.
When I was following the diet strictly it was difficult to hit all my macro nutrients every day.
A lot of the stretching and exercises hurt my very weak lower back. I ate a ton of tylenol throughout the program. (I probably should have went to the chiropractor, I just never got around to it.)
I was tremendously sore the first 3 weeks. Painfully sore, but I pushed through it even though I probably should have rested some.

Diet:
The program calculator told me I should be eating 2100 calories a day and 160 of that should be protein. The diet made alot of sense, but requires alot of planning if you want to be successful with it. MyfitnessPal is a great tool for tracking your exercise calories, food eaten, and macro nutrients. I did good with this for probably the first 5 weeks and then off and on the rest of the time.

Results:
Starting weight: 176
Ending weight: 174

Day 1:

  

Day 60:

  

day 90:

  

While I didn’t get insanely ripped like the info-mercials, most of those people are after 2 or 3 rounds of 90 days. I did tone up quite a lot and I can tell some noticeable differences to include:
My biceps improved the most and are much more visibly toned even though not that much larger by measurement. (lighting in my photos don’t do them justice. 🙂 )
My triceps look about the same but are stronger.
My lats are every so barely starting to show.
My chest has firmed up and now actually looks like pecs and not flabby man boobs like they did before starting.
My stomach is flatter and more tone. I still have a small pooch, but have a flat stomach when I engage my core. You can even see the top 2 abs occasionally. Had I followed the diet more strictly I’m sure my results would have been better as I can tell that my core and abs are a lot, lot stronger.
I can actually do some pullups now without using a chair. Not a ton, but some.
I am much stronger in my chest and shoulders and can work harder with pushups and planks.
My legs are definitely stronger. Quads are tone and I am not getting shin splints as often when running.
I am extremely more flexible due to the yoga. I still have a long way to go, but the stretching and flexibility and core focus has helped me tremendously.
My energy levels are great.
I have developed a healthy habit of wanting to work out at least 5 times a week. I miss it when I miss a day due to busy life. I enjoy that I feel healthier and have a lot more energy. I also feel lest guilty when pigging out on junk food occasionally.
I have actively exercised more days than not exercising in 2016 and I’m proud of that.

Motivation: My motivation was best in month 1 and then month 2 during weeks 6-9. I missed the most days in month 3. I started rationalizing that as long as I was getting in 5 days or more I was doing pretty good. I also went running 7 times for an average of 2.67 miles each time. That was about once every 7-15 days. Sometimes this was in addition to a workout, and other times it was to replace a workout I didn’t want to do.
The last few months have been an extremely stressful and difficult year due to life circumstances and job(s) uncertainty. The stress level has been intense. I’m sure I would have had a much harder time if I wasn’t working out 5-7 days a week. I am grateful I got into this program when I did as life has hit hard lately. I haven’t hit all my fitness goals, but many of those will take longer than 3 months. This has been a great starting point and I’m going to keep going.

I would highly recommend this program to someone who doesn’t have a lot of time but wants to be active and work on fitness. It is a very well rounded program. I am thinking I will probably do p90x2 next as I think my goals align pretty well with that program. I know the hour workouts will be harder to fit into the schedule, but I think I will still enjoy it and continue to make progress in my fitness journey.

Good luck with your fitness goals and may you find a way to be healthy.

Later,
Derek