Days 4 & 5 P90X3: The Challenge and CVX

To say that the Challenge was a, well, challenge is an understatement. I learned something about myself and about this particular routine.  I completed it yesterday, according to my workout calendar, and today I can barely lift my arms.

What is The Challenge? It is a workout of different kinds of pull ups (yes, there are different kinds which I did not know) and pushups (I did indeed know that there were different kinds of pushups).  At the beginning of the workout, Tony Horton asks everyone to "pick their numbers," which means "how many pushups and pull ups will you do during this workout?"  He warns everyone to "pick carefully," so I did.  My numbers were 10 & 10.

1) I am A LOT stronger than I thought.  I need a pull up bar.  I know where to buy one. I just have to find the time to 'er done.  Using the resistance bands like the modifier does does not work for during this workout.

2) Said pull up bar is on sale, so I need to get ordering like right now.

3) Tony Horton has a few really motivational lines to keep people going.
--"X3 (and X and X2) is not about doing this perfectly."
--"There is no need to be pretty."

I'm neither perfect nor pretty when I workout, so I appreciate what he had to say.  It made me feel a lot better about the workout itself. It also allowed me to let go of the annoyance I was feeling about myself for not having the pull up bar and having fallen off the wagon.  In that moment, when he said the first line, I let it all go, and I had a good time.

What I accomplished during The Challenge:

1) See #1 above.

2) I did MORE pushups during every cycle of the workout than I had thought I could.  I averaged 15 on my toes for the first 3/4 of the workout.  With about 7 minutes remaining, I had to shift to my knees to finish.  However, I got to 15 every time.

3) I was intimidated by this workout at first, but I soon realized that, by being realistic, I could do and COMPLETE the workout with gusto and with a great attitude.

4) It's not my favorite workout, but it will be a great gauge for my progress.  Those are really *basic* exercises, and I will be able to count my progress.

5) I finished with a GREAT attitude and went on to have a FABULOUS day.

Day 5: CVX (cardiovascular X)

I LOVE THIS WORKOUT.  I've never been a workout junkie, but at my fittest I did LOTS of cardio. I LOVE cardio, but I have learned that weight training is just as important, if not more.  This workout combines both cardio and light weights.  I used 5 pounds, and that choice proved to be perfect for me.

There are 3 exercises in each round and 5 rounds (I think; I didn't count).  Every exercise combines cardio and weights.  If you can't do weights, you can do nothing OR you can choose a ball of some sort.  As I progressed in the workout, my arms got REALLY tired, so I switched to my son's 4 square ball!  It worked REALLY well.  I did what I could and, because I didn't want to sacrifice form, I simply dropped the weight and used the ball.  I finished strong and sweaty, and I LOVE THIS WORKOUT.