Ok…I feel pain…stupid morning after…
For everyone who can’t handle stairs, I’ve got two words for you: foam roller. You can buy them at any sporting good store or even Target. F’n miracle workers, those things.
I need to slough off some more weight before toning up (too much impact on knees otherwise) and am doing it via hardcore cardio right now (8 pounds in 3 weeks, go me!). I’m planning to do Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred throughout July and maybe buy P90X in August if I commit to a full month of Jillian.
Have to say that I’m still not entirely convinced-there are enough people on the P90X Amazon reviews that said they got the same effect from Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred + Plyometrics video.
I finished the 2nd workout on that starter disc. I think those aren’t the ones I should be doing. Looking at the calendar, it should be the Chest & Back workout, plus the Ab Ripper. Damn.
The cardio one that I did yesterday had me panting on the floor near the end. A third of the way through and I’m doing only the easy modified versions of all the exercises. Lucky for me there’s a 10 min stretching break at the end. I’m in pain today, but it’s a good pain I guess. Still haven’t lost any weight, I really should check out that nutrition book before it’s too late.
I skipped two days between the first and second day kind of accidentally because, you know, I’m on vacation, and every time I thought, hey, I need to do that, I’d already had a beer or two. 
So I did the first plyometrics today.
I only made it halfway through before I became physically incapable of further jumping. 
On the other hand, if I can get where I can do that, I’ll definitely have achieved my goal of strengthening all the parts of me that keep getting me hurt when I run.
I’m on the first rest week, but I bought a new Cannondale today. No rest week for me!
I’ve been skipping the plyometrics because I’m a runner. I tend to suffer from knee injuries so I figured jumping up and down for a straight hour wouldn’t be the most genius of ideas. Let me know if it helps your knees.
Yesterday was my first official day of the program, Chest & Back plus the Ab Ripper X. 2 workouts at once? Craaap…
As expected, after about the 4th or 5th set of push-ups (FUCK diamond push-ups!), I was ready to quit. I still tried to do 5 of every kind though, just to sort of keep up, but it was kicking my ass
THEN the Ab Ripper. Damn, I thought I had some decent muscles underneath all this fat. In school, I used to be able to do 60+ sit-ups a minute when we got tested. Apparently all that disappeared. 16 mins of that felt like 16 hours, and by the end of it I was dead tired. Happy that I got through it though
Today I’ll be busy so I’ll put off the Plyometrics for tomorrow. I’d rather jump around than try to do any more push-ups or sit-ups
Ok, I started this thread, and you haven’t seen me for DAYS. I’m ashamed. The first day kicked my ass, and then “stuff came up” and I found convenient excuses not to do the tapes.
I’m starting over right now, but I think I’ll do the lean series. Wish me luck!
No problems with my knees - I’ve got ankle trouble. Evidently all the wrong muscles are weak on me.
Start out with the How to Bring It disc, it has 2 workouts on there that’s easier than Day 1’s Chest & Back plus the Ab Ripper X. It’ll give you a good groove going into the real thing
Plyometrics is easily the most difficult work-out in the entire program. It’s terrible. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.
Seriously - all through Chest and Back when I was dying, the guy on screen with whom I have a love hate relationship is talking, yammering, acting like it’s a walk in the park. Ten minutes into the plyometrics and he’s sweating and panting.
By the way, if it helps, during the Plyometrics one of the background people is modeling modified moves that are easier on your knees (mostly she just doesn’t jump but a little tiny bit.) This would be less intimidating if Pam, the lady in question, didn’t look like she ate Grace Jones for breakfast to consume her warrior spirit. I don’t think Pam’s knees would dare complain about anything.
There’s also a guy, Eric, with a prosthetic leg. To my boyfriend’s vast amusement when the routine proved way too much for me. “The one legged man is making you look like the world’s biggest wuss!”
I keep ending up taking a day or two between days not-on-purpose - yesterday we drove back from Florida and I was so stiff I couldn’t face it. What I need to do, I know, is start waking up with the little birdies so I’ll have time to do it, because I know I’ll never do it in the evening. But to do that I’d really have to go to bed earlier, and the boyfriend works so late so often that we’d miss our time together. That’s a constant sort of give and take.
Yeah, Plyometrics put me on IR for a few days as well. I seriously couldn’t stand up afterward, and for the next three days I was walking like a freshly-showered prisoner (much to the amusement of my girlfriend). I’d like to say I’m going to start waking up early as well, but I know damn well that won’t happen. I have to hype myself up in the morning just to crawl out of bed and throw on a pair of shorts. The thought of an hour-long torture session when I’m still trying to cope with consciousness would turn me right back into a comatose fetal ball for the remainder of the morning.
Yeah, it’s tough for me to get out of bed for the Giving Away a Million Dollars Bacon Breakfast, let alone “Look at Dominic jump! Bring it!”
I confess, however, that I don’t hate Tony like I thought I would. He’s actually okay. Way too perky and I’m pretty sure he’s what you get when Captain Jack Harkness and Mike Rowe have a very optimistic love child, but I have a secret and growing affection for him. He is not the adversary.
Zsofia, just did the Plyo yesterday and I can sympathize. 20 mins into the routine and I was already cutting corners. I try to keep up normally and when I can’t, I usually don’t jump as high, or go as long, and maybe shave the last 5 seconds off the exercise. My legs were screaming at me, begging me to stop, but that one legged guy kind of gave me a push. I mean if he could do it and he can’t push off using his toes or calves, I must be really weak to want to give up
This being my 4th workout (technically), I’ve learned that I should stick to the easy modified version if I want to have any hope of making it through the whole hour. I was really proud that I didn’t give in to the temptation to turn off the DVD with 10 mins left! 
Shit, dude, I turned it off with 30 on the clock. Eric and his fake leg can kiss my ass. Next week I’ll try to do better.
Did arms and shoulders last night - I am really sick of using the bands. They’re just kind of a pain and not as convenient as dumbbells, but then the most convenient dumbbells would be a whole graduated set like they have in the video. I stole my boyfriend’s which are the kind with the bar and then weights you add, but I couldn’t find his second bar and you need to be able to switch them up pretty fast. Anybody have any experience with the “quick change” sort of arrangements where you have one bar and there’s a sort of “nest” for it and you do buttons or something that gives you the weight you need?
Also, I couldn’t lift my arms when I was done last night but am not as sore this morning as I expected - I think that means I need to go up in weight. I could actually handle the workout, though, which was pleasant. (No, I did not go the bonus round. Are they not aware that “optional” means “fuck you no”?)
I’m in the recovery week and skipping the Yoga and other junk like that. For some reason, I thought last night was Plyo, so I did it. I later checked and it was Core something or other. I may do that tonight instead. I did buy a new road bike this week though, so I’ll get all the cardio I can stand the next few days.
I have seen this being sold on Craigslist for $70.
Is that a good deal?