Day 1

Woohoo! First OFFICIAL day of the p90x program! I've had the opportunity to think a lot about how I'm going to approach the next 90 days. Here's what I've come up with to help myself stay on track and get the best results possible. I will:

1. Blog every day I work out. It doesn't take a ton of time, and it keeps me on track with what I've done (or haven't done).
2. Try to follow my body's cues when it comes to eating. I've spent some time talking to people who have done the program before, or who are currently doing the program, and they've all told me they get the best results when they eat the amount of calories that the program tells them to. Well, there's no way I can eat 3,000 calories in one day. I just can't physically do it at this point. Instead, this is my plan: I'm going to stick to the food choices and portions laid out in the plan, but I'll eat when my body tells me I'm hungry and stop when it tells me I'm full. I'm hoping that as it adapts to my new workout schedule, it'll automatically send me cues for more nutrients.
3. To help gain the most amount of strength, I'll lift until muscle failure, take a small break, and try to do 1 or 2 more (all the while keeping a keen eye on my body's signals to avoid injury).

I'm hoping that these three self-imposed guidelines will help me get the most out of my time in p90x. So far today, I've completed the workout portion of day 1 of the p90x program--back, chest, and abs. The chest exercises were brutal: at least 5 different types of pushups. The back exercises consisted mostly of pullups/chinups, but some freeweights were involved as well. I worked out my chest and back at the gym with Matt and came home to do Ab Ripper X.

Each workout I've done with p90x has been the most intense workout I think I've ever done. I always come away exhausted. And I feel fantastic. I can't begin to tell you all how much better I've felt over the past 5 days. I really missed working out Saturday. Yesterday was the first day I wasn't sore since Wednesday, and I kinda missed the feeling. I also keep running into more people who either are doing this program or have done it in the past. Today at the gym, Matt and I glanced over and saw another guy doing the exact same workout. Turns out he's doing the program as well. Why did it take me so long to find out about this thing?

I'll be back tomorrow with plyometrics (jump training) and a really sore chest/back.

Update: Forgot to include my starting measurements. They aren't pretty....
-Starting Weight (as of last Weds): 240.5 lbs
-Waist: 45.5 inches
-Chest: 45.25 inches
-biceps: 15.25 inches
-legs (thighs): 24.5 inches
I'm looking forward to seeing how all of these change over the next 90 days.