Corrie Davidson
Corrieography Blog
Corrieography Blog
P90X and Bikram Yoga
Just like my last entry said, I have been terrible about keeping up with this blog. Mainly because I find the GoDaddy blog system unwieldy and annoying. I prefer the WordPress arrangement (and do blog about Social Media related topics regularly on the Captico Blog). But this is what I have for now.
Hmm, my last entry was.... October of last year - almost 6 months ago. Lets recap. I continued to do P90X pretty regularly until December or so when the Holidays sidetracked me. But I've picked it back up since. I'm not following it exactly and tend to pick my own workouts from the DVDs to do based on what I feel needs to be worked out that day to best compliment the Bikram (or hot) Yoga I am doing now as well.
I am practicing yoga at Bikram Yoga in Severna Park, MD which is pretty much next door to my office, but an hour to an hour and a half away from home. The distance means I can really only take a class if I got to work and don't have obligations that evening, so I don't see myself continuing there much longer.
Bikram is hot yoga, meaning they heat the studio to 105 degrees and pump it full of 40% humidity so that you feel like you are going to die throughout the 90 minute class.
When I took my first class, they told me the goal was to just not leave the room. That if I felt faint or like throwing up to just sit down and try to breathe. My first two classes I did well enough but definitely had to take breaks. Its just so hot!! My third and fourth classes I managed to do really well - performing every move and not taking any pauses or breaks. My fifth class was a disaster.
You know how when its really hot or you are really sweating and exercising, your nose will run? It happens to a lot of people. On this day, my nose was running and stuffed full of grossness far more than usual, so I was forced to try and gasp for air through my mouth. You never breathe through your mouth in hot yoga. The air is so hot and mouth breathing triggers your body into a sort of panic mode. You feel like you are drowning. It was horrific. I had what the teachers call "a bad class". And everyone - even teachers - have bad classes from time to time.
So I went back a day later and my next class was great - I rocked it. S, hot yoga is interesting, but very demanding. It does amazing things for your flexibility though and you will sweat your brains out!
In May I will be adding a once a week belly dancing class - can you tell I like to mix it up?
P90X Challenge - Catch Up
I have been terrible about keeping up this blog and documenting the P90X Challenge - but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing P90X! I actually had to get an additional set of bands. Due to work travel, weekend activities, and just life happening, I definitely haven't been keeping on the every day track, but I'm still pushing play and still working it!
On thursdays I've even added a Kickball league to the mix!
Day 10 - P90X Challenge - Yoga X
So I took a couple days off to heal up my lower back and groin and jumped back into the routine with Yoga X...
Breakfast: 2 FRS supplement chews
Snack: -
Snack: -
Dinner: Baked tilapia and steamed broccoli (post-work out)
*Water with FRS supplement.
Exercise:
P90X Yoga X - A hatha yoga based session of breathing and intense stretching.
How Did I Do?
So last time I did Yoga it kicked my ass. (I think its also what caused some of my injuries.) But this time, VENGEANCE WAS MINE! I wish I had pushed through the DVD another couple of minutes last time as I now know I would have been able to finish it. Today I was very conscious of my lower back and wrists. I made sure to keep my pelvis tilted forward/under and angled my wrists out/used a hammer fist to minimize the pressure. My wrists are still sore but I was able to do everything but Crane. I left this workout wanting to do the second half again more often - in addition to other sessions.
Day 9 - P90X Challenge - Shoulders & Arms / Ab Ripper X
Well, that muscle that was bothering me yesterday, still feels just as tweaked. I'm trying to stretch it, but I think I just pulled it... As I only feel it in very specific positions, and today is not a lunge or squat day, I should be able to move through my workouts with no problems. My right hip is still slightly wonky at times and my lower back is STILL bothering me- worse this evening actually... My body overall is aching less today though in regard to muscles I've been working out- both the plyometrics and kenpo workouts tend to shake everything loose.
Food:
Snack: Pico de Guaco and tortilla chips
Lunch: salad
Snack: 2 Dark Chocolate Hershey's Kisses
Dinner: Chicken with peppers - (post-work out)
Exercise:
P90X Shoulders & Arms
How Did I Do?
I did way better on the Side Tri-Rises that kicked my butt last time! 10 reps on each side, left me finally feeling good about my workout again. I also used much heavier weight through all of my reps giving me a more intense workout than before... I'm trying to really work on my stance as I think I pop my butt out too far behind me during weight work resulting into my lower back pain that keeps haunting me...
Day 8 - P90X Challenge - Plyometrics
My right hip was a little wonky this morning - felt like I'd tweaked it - and had me taking it slow. It was fine by this afternoon though, allowing me to focus on stretching my back throughout the day - yesterday's workout really.. worked it. Hah.
Breakfast: 2 FRS chews
Snack: yogurt
Lunch: Red Robin Chicken wrap w/ fries & melon slices & a margarita
Snack: -
Dinner: Spinach fettucini w/ chicken tossed with olive oil; yogurt (post-work out)
*Water all day with FRS supplement added in.
Exercise:
P90X Plyometrics - "drills designed to connect strength with speed to produce power"; basically jump training; lots of lunges and jumps, really working the thighs.
How Did I Do?
Sweat sweat sweat. I feel like I pulled my inner left groin as it hurt during one of the lung-jump exercises and during some of my stretching... still kinda bothering me... I'll have to keep an eye on it...
Day 7 - P90X Challenge - Chest & Back / Ab Ripper X
The bands of muscles around my upper thighs are making me walk a little stilted today as they complain about being used so much the last two days, but my butt is feeling a lot better so I call that progress! Since I missed my workout over the weekend (life gets in the way sometimes), I will be moving right into the next session instead of taking my "Rest" day today. (With P90X you do 6 days straight and then have a day off.) So today will be Round 2 of the workout series I did for Week 1...
Snack: FRS chew
Lunch: Peanut butter crackers & yogurt & water
Snack: Pico de Guaco and tortilla chips
Dinner: Ravioli with diced tomatoes (post-work out)
Exercise:
P90X Chest & Back - warmed up with a light cardio workout and then basically alternated various forms of pushups with pull ups (or because the doorways in my apt don't support pull up bars- I used resistance bands attached high to a door and pulled down from a sitting or lunge position).
P90X Ab Ripper X - crazy hard crunches.
How Did I Do?
As I did this a week ago, I knew what to expect. I think mechanically I did better - focusing on correct execution, set numbers of reps, and heavier weight. This is a super push-up intensive session and as I struggle with pushups, I changed my approach. Last time I did 15 reps each session of traditional pushups- but they were pretty ugly. This time I set my goal at 10 "girl style" each round with good alignment - getting good and low. Definitely a better work out for me. I used a heavier resistance band on my pull downs, doing reps of 30 and emphasizing isometric holds to really max out my sessions.
Ugh- Ab RIpper- my least favorite thing... some of these just kill my lower back.... and the Mason Twists are impossible for me... I'll get better though!
Day 6 - P90X Challenge - Kenpo X
Yesterday I did P90X Legs & Back - which was very lunge-happy. Let me tell you- I am feeling it in my glutes today!! Crazy sore! After a very long weekend and very little sleep (hit up the Virginia Tech vs Boise State football game at FedEx Field last night -- Go Hokies!) I was not looking forward to today's workout...
Snack: -
Lunch: Potbelly Skinny PB&J on Whole Wheat
Snack: -
Dinner: Chicken/cheese/peppers/rice home-made wrap (post-work out)
*Water all day with FRS supplement added in.
Exercise:
P90X Kenpo X - Cardio/Martial Arts based workout consisting of kicks and punches
How Did I Do?
I loved this work out. Really brought me back to my point fighting days when I trained in Tae Kwon Do. A lot of similar exercises, so my muscle memory kicked in and my pivots came pretty naturally. I sweated a LOT and it felt great. The warm up stretches were hard- particularly with my aching thighs and hammies! This workout went by the fastest of all of them so far (just like Tony said it would) and I look forward to doing it again!
My one big complaint with the P90X program is all of the selling. They are constantly pitching their website, the drinks/supplements, etc. And after your program is over, a straight-up product infomercial comes on. Lame. But aside from that, Tony is a great host- just love him as a workout leader!
Day 4 - P90X Challenge - Yoga X
Wow- I am FEELING it today! My body is stiff and sore and I was exhausted this morning... Today I feel it more than all the days-after, but it may be because I've worked out almost all of the muscle groups in my body now. Its normal for me to really feel a work out 2 days later, rather than the next day, so I think its all beginning to catch up with me...
I am really looking forward to tonight's yoga session- though I'm sure it'll be intense like everything else!
(P.S. I am doing the Classic version of P90X - there is a Doubles version (which adds extra cardio for a twice a day workout) and a Lean version (which is more cardio and less intense than the Classic).
Breakfast: yogurt
Snack: -
Lunch: Soup
Snack: 2 FRS supplement chews
Dinner: Steamed rice and chicken; goat cheese/crackers; pear; glass of wine (post-work out)
Exercise:
P90X Yoga X - A hatha yoga based session of breathing and intense stretching.
How Did I Do?
Well.... for the first time since starting P90X, I feel demoralized. The yoga kicked my ass... My wrists still hurt... I hate to admit it, but I didn't finish the yoga DVD... I was so sleepy and my wrists were killing me and I just... gave up at about the halfway mark. Tomorrow I plan on kicking my own ass...
Day 3 - P90X Challenge - Shoulders & Arms / Ab Ripper X
Today I can still feel the workout from two days ago- my shoulders and chest/upper back! But its all still manageable! 
Still going strong!
Still going strong!Snack: Orange
Lunch: Small salad
Snack: Happy Hour - a couple of small bites of apps and a beer - Stella Artois
Dinner: Steamed rice and grilled chicken with steamed squash (post-work out)
*Water all day with FRS supplement added in.
Exercise:
P90X Shoulders & Arms
P90X Ab Ripper X
How Did I Do?
The Side Tri-Rises at the end of Shoulders & Arms kicked my butt!
As to my second round of Ab Ripper, man, I could really feel my abs during this round- especially with the residual from two days ago! For the first two V like crunches, I tucked a throw pillow into my lower back for support and to keep me going and focused on my abs (due to the strain I continued to feel from last time). Hopefully I can build up strength there quickly.
“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”
-Lance Armstrong
Day 2 - P90X Challenge - Plyometrics
Today I was aware that I had had a good workout last night. I could feel the muscles in my chest and upper back/shoulders, but it was not incapacitating in any way. I woke up really tired this morning and could have used a nap after work but thats not all that odd (I get up at 5:30am and have a long commute).
Breakfast: Orange
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Salad
Snack: Very small piece of banana nut bread
Dinner: Steamed rice and veggies (post-work out)
*Water all day with FRS supplement added in.
Exercise:
P90X Plyometrics - "drills designed to connect strength with speed to produce power"; basically jump training; lots of lunges and jumps, really working the thighs.
How Did I Do?
For my second day, I think I did great. I hung in there with almost all of the drills- modifying of course when my body hit fail stage- and keeping hydrated.
I definitely needed my knee brace (I broke my right knee a few years ago) and may have even benefited from having both knees supported. There is a lot of impact in this session- I actually had to double up on my sports bra to keep the girls from getting injured!
I sweated a good amount and could really feel how good the workout was.
I really like how Tony keeps you moving, is encouraging, mixes it up, and lets you see him sweat. The workouts aren't easy- and he knows that. He keeps you motivated.
