what's in you wednesday

Now before I dive in to how things are going with the P90X that we just recently started, I should probably give a very abbreviated overview of the program.

There are 12 DVDs, each is an hour long. In addition, there is a very detailed nutritional plan (with recipes and food suggestions) that they recommend you follow for maximum results. The objective is to watch one DVD per day, taking the seventh day off as a day of rest, for a total of 90 days.

I had assumed you watched the DVDs in succession, but Charlie just informed me that they vary from day to day and depending upon what kind of results you want to achieve (i.e. lean versus classic body sculpting). Anyway, the good news is that because we'll be watching each DVD more than once, we'll have an opportunity to hone the skills that they demonstrate, because we currently look like a bunch of awkward and uncoordinated goofballs.

We had intended to start the program on Sunday, but there was some leftover pizza in the refrigerator that we had to polish off and also, we had a Netflix movie to watch and return and so we decided that in an effort to keep the number of days straight, we'd just start the program on March 1. Which was yesterday.

Yesterday's workout, which we started at 10 PM last night, consisted of an intense work out for our back and shoulders. We would do repetitions of push-ups, followed by repetitions of chin-ups, followed by staggering around the room and walking in to walls, before starting the next repetition. Again and again and again for SIXTY MINUTES.

All told, there were about 200 repetitions of each. Or, at least the people on the DVD did 200 repetitions of each. I think I squeaked out 100, although my form was probably good on only 25% of those. In order to complete this component of the program, we purchased a chin-up bar.

(Doesn't that sound like such a teen boy thing to do?)

As of last night, I am able to complete ZERO chin-ups without the support of a chair. My husband is a total show-off and can do three, unassisted, without vomiting. Charlie was encouraging me by saying, "Jen, just pretend the ground is on fire and you need to escape from the flames! PULL UP!!!" and yet, I still dangled there, unable to even get my elbows bent.

It was a sad, sad sight. If there had been an actual fire, I would have toasted up like a marshmallow. Charlie, on the other hand, who did a great job keeping up with everyone on the DVD, was hardly able to move, today.

Ultimately, what I've learned from this program is that I shouldn't say, "I can't do" something ... but rather, "I currently struggle with..." So that is my mantra because as it appears, in addition to pull-ups, I also struggle with diamond push-ups, military push-ups, dive-bomber push-ups and decline push-ups. It seems, however, I do not struggle with the kind of Push-Up that comes in the form of a tasty rainbow dessert made by Nestle.



Mmmm. Nestle.

Tonight, we watched the DVD on Plyometrics.

Do you know what Plyometrics means?

It means JUMPING AROUND CONSTANTLY. For one solid hour, we jumped around our basement and the both of us nearly died. Now, I think it's important to mention that me, being the awkward and uncoordinated goofball that I am, didn't feel it was critical that I attempt to keep up with every single thing that work-out experts on the DVD did. So once again, I probably completed approximately 50% of what they completed. Or, approximately 25% with any decent form.

But I'm OK with that. Because what makes me happy ... as I sit here sipping on a vanilla flavored whey protein drink that will definitely require some getting used to ... both last night and tonight, I did something. And the fact that I did something is better than doing nothing at all.

That, my friends, albeit baby steps is progress.

Now it's your turn.

What are you doing to keep the machine that is your body, strong?