First 30 Days: My P90X Journey
I started my 3rd attempt of P90X on March 29th, 2012 (read here about my last attempts).
30 days into it, I already know that I am in the best shape of my life. So many things have gone into making this attempt a success. Here are the highlights:
Pre-work: setting myself up for success
- I did not just jump into P90X. I took a hard look at my last attempts and defined actions on what I could do to prepare myself better.
- Focus #1: Pull-ups. As of January 2012, I could not do ONE pull-up unassisted. I bought a pull-up bar and talked to my future brother-in-law (a fitness guru that also happens to be a doctor) for advice. What worked for me: while watching TV, do one pull-up, set a timer for 2 min, do another pull-up. Keep going until you do 30 total pull-ups. Over time, you add more and suddenly find yourself doing 10 with no problem.
- Focus #2: Cardio fitness.
As of January 2012, I could not run more that 5 minutes straight without stopping. I mentally never thought I could run more than a mile. My entire life I had said “I can’t! I am not a runner!” A co-worker told me about the Coach 2 5k program. This program will literally transform you from a Coach Potato to a 5k runner in 9 weeks. It is all about starting small (jog 60 seconds, rest 90 seconds, etc) and incrementally adding more jogging to your intervals. I don’t care how old you are, the program flat out works. Jo and I have already signed up for two 5k’s this summer!
Progress tracking with 90daybuddy.com
This website is incredible. I go to 90daybuddy.com and log my workouts every day. I love that, during my workout, I have the site up and can see what I did before so I know what to do! This is a must have for anyone starting the program.
Diet tracking with MyFitnessPal
I have made it a daily habit to log all of my meals onto the MyFitnessPal app (see Jo’s post about it here). Despite what you would think, your success depends 70% on diet and 30% exercise. I have ignored the 70% almost my entire life. I now understand what I am putting into my body, what my basal metabolic rate is, how much I burn in workouts, and how many calories I need to sustain myself.
Strong support system
I have the amazing support of my fiance Joanna. She always encourages me to do my best and motivates me to keep pushing play. Understanding that you are not alone is a critical component of success.
I have never been more mentally focused than I am today to achieve this goal. Even if bumps come up along the way, I am determined to finish the last 2/3 of the program strong! Stay tuned, I will post another update in 30 days.
