Get in the best shape of your life.

It’s a great feeling to know that I’m back on track with the P90X regimen after spending so much time sidelined with an injury.

I’m back, though! I’m not quite fully back into the swing of things, but that will come in time. The easiest parts of the week were, of course, anything having to do with the upper body. I could fully train my upper body while I was limited with leg exercises, so this was to be expected. Yoga has once again resumed kicking my butt (who didn’t see that one coming?), however the flexibility in my upper body has begun to astound me.

Years of not stretching has led to a severe decrease in my range of motion and flexibility and I am just now starting to see the signs of it all returning. This leads me to believe that two things are happening simultaneously: My muscles are gaining flexibility and my muscles are actually losing mass. Neither of these are unexpected or viewed as negative from where I stand. I’ve always been a big weight lifter and always had a lot of upper body mass. I’ve also realized that, for me, my passion is no longer to see how big I can get, but to live a healthy, active, and fit lifestyle, which, I decided 8 months ago, would mean a loss in muscle mass. The P90X program is simply keeping my muscles strong and creating a toner, slimmer, and (dare I say it?) sexier me. So, I realize I may be the only one, but I’m glad to see smaller muscles.

Now, my biceps have increased in size and my shoulders and triceps have reduced their size but maintained their strength. My chest has gotten a little smaller but I still maintain a high bench press max (315lbs) so, I’ll sacrifice that little strength dip for overall fitness, flexibility, and agility.

My legs for this week are a completely different story. My ankle stayed strong and seems to be well on it’s way to being back to it’s old ways, however, my legs have taken some time off since their last full training session. Plyometrics didn’t kill me aerobically as I thought it would, but my legs felt like they were going to give out at any moment. I’m actually quite thankful this coming week is a Recovery Week. It will give me time to get my legs back in training shape. Also, I have lost quite a bit of flexibility in my hamstrings from a lack of full on stretching due to my ankle injury.

Aside from those updates is seems that everything is in full swing to wrap this bad boy up, provided there are no more freak injuries. I do find my mental state about my ankle more daunting than the physical state of my ankle. I’m very afraid of pushing my ankle although I know my ankle can handle more. It’s just a mental block that I’ll update you more on in the next post. Bring on the Recovery Week!

If you are like me, you find warming up to be a pointless and useless practice. Who needs to warm up before working out? Working out IS a warm up. Warming up is nothing but a time waster for those who can’t just jump right into their workout, right?

None of this is true. Warming up and, consequently, cooling down could be the most important part of your workouts. Raising the body temperature so that your muscles are warm and the blood is circulating, dynamic/ballistic stretching to reduce muscle soreness, static stretching to help prevent injury, and specific preparation drills are all key components to a healthy workout session.

For years this concept of warming up alluded me. Although I did warm ups for both track and football, I only did it because I was required to. The purpose of warming up never quite stuck in my brain housing group. I’ve been told numerous times that stretching prevents injury. I’ve never been injured for a lack of warming up. “You’ll make bigger weight gains,” they said. I bench press 315 pounds and squat close to 450. I’m big enough. What could warming up possibly do for me? Then as my training progressed into all around and holistic fitness, instead of just hitting the weight room, I noticed my musculature change. With the bigger muscles came more restricted movement and eventually limited range of motion. Things that I could do in my sleep soon became the most difficult things I’ve ever attempted in my fitness career. If only I had warmed up and stretched…

Now, for me this is the most important reason to warm up. Regaining my flexibility, range of motion, and elongating my muscles. The true importance behind warming up is exactly what everyone tells you. You do 5-10 of cardio to elevate your temperature and get the blood flowing in order to maximize your stretching capacity. You do both ballistic and static stretches in order to prevent injury, elongate you muscles, maintain flexibility (you never realize how important flexibility is until you don’t have it anymore), and to insure an efficient workout session. You do you specific preparation drills in order to fully warm up your incorporated muscles.

Take it from a guy who, for years, would walk into a weight room and just start lifting cold. Don’t. You may be able to bench press more than a minivan, but you won’t be able to lift your arms up to put on your shirt (never had that problem, but who knows how bad it could have gotten). So, get out there, warm up, stretch, and have a safe and productive workout!

[Photo : FitnessNYC]

I am firmly confident when I say that this was the last week I will be stalling for time before continuing on in the battle that is P90X. I feel as if I have fallen so far from my regular routine that it may be difficult to start back into it again, however I will forge ahead. Week 7 will be starting today!

The Week 6.4 update is about as bland as it can get. Rather than doing the typical workouts I’ve adapted so that my ankle can heal, I took the entire week off. I figured rather than lifting weights and continuing to put stress on my ankle I would simply give it a week of just being stress free (aside from walking around, etc). I spent the week stretching and continuing my abdominal development while focusing on my meditation technique and refining it. This has allowed me to recharge my battery and to refocus my energies for the upcoming week that, I think, may be quite difficult.

Now, taking the week off was probably the most heart-wrenching and painful thing I’ve done recently. I’ve only missed 1 of each different type of workout, but it feels like an eternity since I’ve worked out. If you ever have the opportunity to take a week off from all forms of fitness, don’t. Simply reduce your weekly workout to a bare minimum, but don’t stop all things for an entire week. If you are in a body cast with one arm free, do some curls. I kid, of course, but I feel that the sentiment is all the same. Regardless of what you are doing, you are at least doing something! And that is more than nothing at all.

So, if you are relaxing this week, go out for a brisk walk. Go enjoy some time goofing off in the pool. Do some push-ups. This is a lifestyle, not a passing fad. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!

One of the biggest problems I’ve discovered when helping people reach their fitness goals is that those goals are either superficial, too broad, or unknown. One of the first things I tell anyone who is looking to change their lifestyle to a more fit one is to sit down and write out their fitness goals. I realize this may seem very rudimentary, but you would be surprised how many people don’t fully understand what it is they are trying to achieve. This simple step can keep you motivated through your workout regimen and can be the difference in burning out after 6 weeks or maintaining good health for a lifetime.

First and foremost, I don’t want to promote maintaining your goals and then slacking off or stopping once they are achieved. I wish to promote a lifestyle change while knowing what it is you wish to achieve. Like most things in life, if you have an end goal in mind you are more likely to achieve it. Also, like life, once you reach your “Point B” in fitness, it’s time to make another goal. The first thing you have to decide is what level of fitness you wish to achieve  (also note that you should take genetics into account. I wish to be 6′4″, but that’s not going to happen in this lifetime). Do you wish to add size to your frame? Do you desire tone? Do you want to be more explosive athletically? Do you simply want to be able to brush your teeth without your belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly? These are all legitimate starting goals. Go on. Write yours down. I’ll be waiting right here.

Now, the second thing you must do is clearly define the steps to these goals. When I was in sports I wished to put on size and be more explosive athletically. I clearly defined month by month and week by week how I would go about achieving these goals. I wrote down what I needed to consume on a monthly basis in order to put on size (rule of thumb is that you can’t put on what you don’t put in), the workouts I needed to maintain in order to put on size and be explosive (there is a simple technique that can allow you achieve both during the same workout that I will discuss another time), and how much I needed to stretch to avoid injury. These “mini goals” should be written down on a week by week, if not a day by day, basis.

Finally, you should make sure that your fitness goals are quantifiable in some way. You can’t simply say, “I wish to be more explosive athletically.” What does that mean? How do you know you’ve achieved that? The answer is to make sure you have quantifiable data to help support your goals. If your vertical leap increased by 7 inches, it’s safe to say you are moving in the right direction.  If you wanted to put on size then give yourself weight room goals and measurement goals (measuring parts of your body, of course). Once you have quantifiable data to help support your achievements, motivation is simply an after thought.

Now, remember, write down your goals, clearly define the steps to achieve those goals, and make sure you can assess your development in a quantifiable manner. Once you achieve your goals, it’s time to start a new list. And this is how you develop a healthy and fit lifestyle!

Note: Keep these list somewhere that you can see them daily. It will help remind you what you wish to achieve!

[ Photo : Artslink ]

After hitting day 1 of my Week 7 rotation I felt strong enough to continue. Then day 2 rolled around and destroyed what little hope I had of actually continuing early on a bad ankle. I’ve decided that it is best for both my ankle and my well being to give it another couple of weeks to heal before I start jumping around on it. So, rather than Week 7 this was Week 6.3.

In addition to the present workout I’ve devised to maintain my physicality as well as my overall fitness, I’ve added a few new things in order to make sure I don’t have a fitness lull. I’ve added in swimming and biking every other day in order to keep my cardio up while keeping it low impact on my ankle. Aside from those small additions, the workouts have generally remained the same.

It’s been requested that I delight the findmefit readers with some stats of my previous fitness level and current fitness level. So, for all of those who love numbers, here they are:

Bench Press/Squat: My max bench press has dipped down from 350 to 315. It’s now easier to rack the weights, however, it’s a little sad to see my pride and joy fall slightly. This was expected due to what type of fitness the P90X workout gears you towards (overall fitness and toning). My squat max has increased from 300 to 375 though!

Waistline : Down from those pesky 38s to the 34s and 32s. I still have too much butt though.

3 Mile time: Before the P90X workouts my 3 mile time was 21:37 and, without training for the run, my current 3 mile time sits at 18:42.

Vertical Leap: I stand at a whopping 5′10″. Before P90X I could touch the bottom of a net on a 10′ basketball hoop. Now, I can dunk a ball (could before the ankle injury). Provided no one is actually contesting my shot, of course.

Overall Size: My overall size has decreased. My biceps have gotten larger, but I have specifically been focusing on them as I would during any weak point training. While my size has decreased my muscles have become more tone and well rounded.

I realize these aren’t just numbers, but it’s extremely hard to quantify fitness within a standard measurement. I can tell you that I’ve become more agile, stronger, faster, and much more self-aware of my body. Next week will be another “Kyle hurt himself so he has to baby his ankle” week. I realize that’s not that exciting, but once the recovery process has begun entering the final stages, I’ll be able to continue.

It’s a fresh start to a fresh new year and it’s that time again for us to start pondering life’s great mysteries. What’s the meaning of life? What are men really thinking about? What do they put in mystery meat? I’m here to answer the greatest of all the mysteries: Should I use free weights or resistance bands?

As a self-professed lover of the weight room I will go to my grave swearing by the awesome power of free weights. But it’s my job as a person of society to broaden my horizons, try new things, and give resistance bands a try. For the past 9 weeks I’ve been using resistance bands instead of the traditional free weights while continuing through the P90X Experience. There are many truly useful advantages to the resistance bands that cannot be offered by the free weights.

Resistance Bands

The obvious advantages of the resistance bands can be seen from afar. The bands are more portable, cheaper, and much easier to store then their counterparts. Resistance bands can be found in just about any fitness store you can imagine and are almost certainly in stock. First, there are two types of resistance bands that are typically used: Flat bands and tubes. The tubes come with handles and make the transition from free weights to the bands much smoother due to it’s ability to simulate the grip of a dumbbell. The inherent value of a band is based solely on how it is used. The bands provide a constant pull against the contraction of a muscle where free weights work solely with gravity. The use of the bands very much mimics the use of free weights, but is safer overall due to it’s semi-restricted movements and it’s ability to keep you from creating momentum. The overall workout feels different than that of the free weights in that you don’t truly know, in a quantifiable manner, how strenuous your workout was, you lack overall freedom of movement, and you don’t work the stabilizer muscles as well. This type of workout will give you an overall toning effect without packing on the bulk.

Free Weights

The free weights consist of the barbells and dumbbells found in the typical gym. The free weights are the chosen tools to use of the true weight lifters because they provide freedom of movement, quantifiable strenuous activity, and a true workout for the stabilizer muscle groups. Basically, everything the resistance bands lack. The downside to the free weights lies in the form of whomever happens to be using them. Along with the freedom of movement comes a myriad of ways you could possibly hurt yourself through a lack of good form and built up momentum. This can be negated, of course, by practicing good form and being safe. If you have a gym membership there truly is no downside to the free weights, however, if you like to work out at home, then dumbbells may not be your best option. The true Achilles heal of these handy muscle sculpting devices is that they hit your pocketbook pretty hard and aren’t the easiest things to store.

Verdict

Whether working out at home or in the gym, if money and space is not an issue then the free weights are the way to go. However, if you were hit hard by the downturn of the economy and don’t have a gym membership then I would highly recommend the resistance bands as an alternative. Hard to beat a cheap yet effective workout!

[photo : Tab Massage]

Another week has gone by and frustration has set in. I am not one who likes to count the days until he can workout again. Rather, I’m the kind of person that likes to go out and be active, to run, and to lift weights. Unfortunately the ankle is still keeping the tiger locked in his cage. On a brighter note, my ankle is recovering nicely although there is still some residual pain and I don’t have full range of motion back in it. The recovery period may be slightly longer, although I’m going to be heading right back into the P90X cycle starting tomorrow!

The workout schedule remained the same as last week: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps on Monday and Thursday and Back/Biceps on Tuesday and Friday. I have slowly been adding in standing and wall squats with no weight to see if my ankle can handle the range of motion along with the stress. I don’t foresee myself being ready to attack the plyometrics at full capacity until my ankle is fully healed. There are just too many jumps and lateral movements for my ankle to handle. I will be able to do the Legs/Back workout at full capacity and I’m certainly going to try my best at Yoga.

Now, for everyone else who happens to roll their ankle, don’t do what I’m doing. I’m trained to avoid re-injuring myself (actually, I rolled my ankle for a second time while in the kitchen cooking something when my foot stuck to the floor and my momentum kept carrying me forward. But that doesn’t count, right?) and I actually have seen a physician that has given me the green light to continue this course of action as long as I’m safe and very aware of what my body is feeling. In all honesty, I should be avoiding full impact workouts, however, I’m going to be taking it extremely light on my plyometrics workout and be at about half my normal weight/intensity for any and all leg workouts. I’m certain there will be copious amounts of frustration from not being able to push myself, however, doing some form of a workout is better than not doing any at all, right?

Wish me luck!

Following my Week 6 debacle of rolling my ankle while going for a run, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not going to quit this workout regimen, simply adapt to my new predicament and maintain fitness while my ankle heals. Most sprains take about 6 weeks to fully heal, however I have torn ligaments so it may take slightly longer. But, this is Kyle we are talking about. I will do this program on one leg if I must!

I have been stealing some workouts from the P90X second cycle with some outings to the gym to feed my hunger for a good workout. I have taken the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout and utilized that on Monday and Thursday while using the Back and Bicep work for Tuesday and Friday. The rest of the days I spend stretching so as not to lose flexibility as well as going to the gym and utilizing the arm bike for an hour each trip. I’ve also taken this time to do handstand push-ups as well as perfect walking around on my hands (this is a really cool party trick until you fall). I’m actually disconcerted with my inability to really do any active yoga, however I have replaced my typical yoga days with the same amount of time allotted for yoga with simple meditation and focusing on the healing process and fitness success.

One of the biggest obstacles for anyone to overcome throughout their lives within fitness is to remain focused on the success they wish to accomplish. It helps to step back every so often and remember why we are doing this. Are you seeking fitness out to look better? Are you doing it to avoid health complications later in life? Are you doing it because it’s a part of who you are? It always helps to understand your goals and where you are headed. I am taking my current “lifestyle complication” and making the most of it by reevaluating my reasons for doing what I am doing. I urge you to do the same, if for only a day.

Aside from the aforementioned workout I feel as if my ankle is coming along nicely with some physical therapy and a lot of not listening to my Doctor (not recommended) by walking around on it. Another week or two of being off of this ankle and I should be ready to hit the ground running.