Hit My Plyocide Limit

I started the warm up for Plyocide yesterday, and just could not make myself get past the foam rolling.  I was angry yesterday for a variety of personal reasons, and in hindsight, Plyocide might have made me feel better, but thinking about it just made me more angry.  Since I didn't have plans to work out today, that makes 2 days that I won't work out. 

Luckily, I have big plans to do Insanity while in Maui next week.

Round 2 Begins

Yesterday I started P90X2 again!  This time around, besides continuing to work on my pull-ups, I want to work on my balance and continue to strengthen my core.  Plus, I wanted to generally improve in all the exercises in this round  As I've already said, I'm not going to be as strict on the nutrition restrictions -- we all know how well that turned out.  But, as my friend Julie says, 80% good nutrition is still good.

Yesterday I did X2 Core (you can read about my initial experiences here and here).  Last week I took some time to set goals based on how many I was able to do in the last week I did this workout.  Below is the run down of where I started in January to Week 4 of Round 1 to yesterday


Sphinx Plank Crunch: 13 reps --> 20 reps --> 20 reps
Warrior 3 Cross Crunch: 10 reps --> 10 reps --> 10 right/8 left (my hip was bothering me yesterday)
Single Leg Walk Out to Sphinx: 5 Right/4 left (3 touch) --> 5 Right/Left (1 touch) --> 5 Right/Left (2 touch)
Half Angel: 4 Right/Left --> 8 Right/9 Left --> 10 Right/9 Left
Roller Boat: 10 --> 12 --> 12
3 Speed Med Ball Pushups (30 secs): 0 on MedBall/8 on ground --> 0 on Med Ball (I couldn't get to this)/12 on ground --> I tried to this on the MedBall and realized I really need to watch the example more closely
One Leg Lateral Leap Squat: 12 (3-4 touches) --> 12 (3-4 touches) --> 14
Core Circles (40 seconds): 40 seconds on ground --> 40 seconds on stability ball --> 40 seconds on stability ball
Holmsen Screamer Lunge: 13 Right/14 Left --> 15 Right/Left --> 15 Right/Left
Med Ball Dreya Roll: 0 --> 14 with 8 lb Med Ball --> 13 with 8lb Med Ball (my goal was 15)
Plank Burpee: 8 --> 14 --> 3 on ball with each leg up
Banana Ball Switch Crunch: 10 --> 17 --> 12 (goal is 20)
3 Point Squat Press with Med Ball: 12 --> 15 with 8 lb Med Ball --> 15 with 8 lb Med Ball
Slo Mo Balance Climber: 10 on ground --> 20 on stability ball --> 20 on stability ball
X2 Diver: 5 --> 5 --> 5
Ryan Sphinx Twist Crunch: 4 Right/3 Left --> 9 Right/8 Left --> 8 Right/Left
One Leg Burpees: 8 --> 10 --> 6 (I started this exercise on the Med Ball, but again, need more instruction)

So, I improved on most of the exercises, and still have room on others.

Calories Burned = 560
Time in Zone = 37:35 (67%)
Average Heart Rate = 131
Peak Heart Rate = 179

Oh yeah, today I did Plyocide, and I still want to die.  Taking 5 weeks off that workout made it hard to get back to.

Calories Burned = 632
Time in Zone = 40:02 (72%)
Average Heart Rate = 141
Peak Heart Rate = 179

Not Missing Plyocide

As I sit on the couch on my rest day, watching John do Plyocide, I keep thinking how much I DO NOT miss Plyocide.  Although there's not as much variety in the workouts in Phase 3, since it doesn't have Plyocide, I don't feel like dying as much.

The Phase 3 workouts don't have a workout sheet, but I think I'm going to make one for myself so I CAN keep track of my reps and improvement.

The Weekend Caught Up

Remember yesterday how I said I felt so great doing Chest + Back + Balance & Ab Ripper despite the Saturday night of cheating?

I spoke too soon.

I was supposed to get up at 6 AM to do Plyocide.  I got up at 7 AM.  I thought the workout would be hard like it always is, but I didn't anticipate being so fatigued.  I guess the weekend caught up, after all.

On the plus side, in this phase of Plyocide, when doing balance moves, if my foot touches the ground, I'm doing the 2 push-ups like the folks in the video are doing.

Calories Burned = 668
Average Heart Rate = 139
Peak Heart Rate = 176

X2 Back + Base

When I thought about what might included in the Back + Base exercise, I figured it was back exercise and leg exercises.  Yeah, no kidding.  What I didn't consider is how the leg exercises would work.

Can you say Plyocide + Pull-ups?

This workout is 10 exercises repeating for 2 rounds.  It alternates pull-ups, which I modify using resistance bands equaling 40-50 pounds, and then a plyometric exercise.  omg.  On the plus side, I think I can increase my resistance band weight next week so that I can get that much closer to the reality of a pull-up.

And after you're done, you do Ab Ripper.  I'm still terrible at Superman Banana X -- I think in part because I don't have enough room in my living room to do it.  I'm still working it out.  My hips were also bothering me more today, so some of the ab exercises (like Roll V Hold and Row Your Boat) were killing me, and I had to rest/readjust several times.

Most of the time I was working out today, I was thinking, "I can't wait for tomorrow when I can do Recovery & Mobility!"  I need that foam rolling!

Calories Burned = 761
Average Heart Rate = 133
Peak Heart Rate =  172

X2 Plyocide Week 4

I still want to die when I do Plyocide.  This is a workout in which you don't track how many reps you do of each exercise.  I can't say for certain that I have improved, but I was able to do the Set Sprint Plank Plyo Jump  exercise (the last one of the workout) for the entire 60 seconds, and when I did the same exercise at the beginning, I was lucky to get through 30 seconds before stopping.

Calories Burned = 621 (compared to 714 in Week 1)
Average Heart Rate = 140 (compared to 146 in Week 1)
Peak Heart Rate = 183 (did not record for Week 1)

Fat Shredder?

So much for that.  I GAINED 1.8 pounds this week, 1.3 of that being body fat! How is that possible?

Let's think back.  I ate some bread on Sunday morning after the race, which I have basically cut out otherwise. I've been closer to 1800 calories per day this week than previously -- so perhaps the previous results were because I had fewer calories than I actually needed?  Add that to the fact that I'm burning less calories in the workouts??  For the rest of this week, I'm working out harder.

UGH.  I've been exhausted by 8:30 PM as well, which kind of puts a damper on date nights with John, which we usually start at 8:00.  Maybe this is a sign that I need to move on from Fat Shredder sooner?  I guess I need to read up on that.

Today is a rest day, but yesterday I did Plyocide -- and I think I got better at the exercises in general:
Calories Burned =  589
Average Heart Rate = 137
Peak Heart Rate = 179

Plyocide: Death by Jumping

When I do P90X2 Plyocide, I feel like I might die.

5 sets, 4 exercises each, 1st exercise is NOT a plyometric exercise (but don't read that it's easy).  I am pretty sure my heart rate peaks in every set.

Calories Burned = 655
Average Heart Rate = 144
Peak Heart Rate = 181