CHALEAN EXTREME Day 5: Burn Circuit 3

(Originally posted April 24, 2009)

Well, yesterday marked Day 5 of the Chalean Extreme program, and that means it was time for Burn Circuit 3. Like the day before, I sorta wished I had Katie with me as my workout buddy...I wasn't feeling particularly motivated last night!

Anyway, the workout was fairly challenging, but I don't think it whooped me near as badly as Burn Circuit 2. I think part of the reason for that was that I intentionally lifted a little lighter on some exercises than I might have otherwise. That's not to say that it was easy! I still ended up failing by 10 or 11 reps on several of the exercises (reaching 12 reps is the goal in this month 1 phase).

For all of the Burn Circuit resistance workouts I've noticed that each one incorporates fairly identical lower body movements into the compound exercises that you're doing. The only real factor that changes all that much from workout to workout is how you incorporate the upper body. For instance the first exercise in each of the Burn Circuit workouts has you doing a Sumo Squat: for Burn Circuit 1 you're doing a Sumo Squat with a Hip Lift to crunch the oblique muscles; Burn Circuit 2 had a Sumo Squat with Bicep Curl; and Burn Circuit 3 had a Sumo Squat with Shoulder Press.

The problem with this is that it lessens the distinctiveness of each of the different Burn Circuit workouts. Whereas in P90x, Chest & Back day was like a totally unique experience from Shoulders & Arms day, here most all the workouts closely resemble each other. For me, this can make them a bit more boring than I'd prefer. But the main issue is that I really don't like working my legs anyway...and so to have to work them every single resistance workout by using the same moves kinda drives me a little crazy.

The other issue I'm having with Chalean Extreme is that I don't particularly enjoy lifting slow & heavy. Or at least I don't like lifting slow & heavy when I'm doing the type of compound/synergistic exercises used in the program. They can be a little bit awkward, and like I said earlier it can become a little bit tedious to do such similar types of leg squats, lunges, etc. all the time.

That said, even though I don't necessarily enjoy the workouts as much as P90x, it's hard to complain too much when the workouts are 15-30 min shorter! Plus, despite that I don't love the slow/heavy theme, I can definitely tell that it's all kinds of effective!! I've been sore all week in a way that I haven't been since the first half of P90x. And I really do think this program might help me add a wee bit more size to my frame in a way I've never truly had before.


Ok, anyway, here's the breakdown for the exercises in Burn Circuit 3 (GO HEAVY OR GO HOME...10-12 slow reps):

1) Sumo Squat with Overhead Shoulder Press

2) Lunge with Calf Raise (there were a number of moves in this workout that try to work the calves, but I didn't dig 'em too much. it's awkard for me and therefore less effective to try to do calf raises when I'm also trying to balance myself in a lunge or squat position with such heavy weights!)

3) Squat with Lateral Shoulder Raise

4) Lunge with Frontal Press

5) Squat with Calf Raise

6) Sumo Squat with Delt Raises

7) Squat with Double Overhead Press

8) Lunge with Lateral Raise

9) Sumo Squat with Calf Raise


*Tonight's workout is supposed to be "Burn Intervals", so it should be interesting. If it's anything like P90x Intervals Plus+, I could be in big trouble (that one is SOOOO hard!)

P90X Day 5: Legs & Back

(Originally posted Jan 11, 2009)

Well, another day...another workout. And sadly, today was the first time I truly wondered whether I would be able to keep up with this program for the whole 90 days. I'm just worn out in general. But as of this point, I still refuse to give up so easily!

So today was Legs & Back day. The "back" portion really was pretty much a bunch of different pull-up variations...similar to the Chest & Back stuff from Day 1, which, as you may recall, was NOT exactly a walk in the park! After two days of definitely doable workouts, today I threw up again in the middle of the session. Also, I've never been a fan of leg workouts, if for no other reason than the fact that I've never been able to cope well with having that "jelly-leg" feeling you get. I like being able to stand, ya know? Whereas I consider it pretty easy to go 100% effort-wise on stuff like arms and shoulders, I have a difficult time maintaining morale/good form/discipline while doing a 100 different lunge and squat variations. Ugh. There were some one-legged squats as well some wall-squats which just about did me in altogether! However, for whatever reason, I do enjoy a good calf workout, and so that portion of the session was difficult AND kinda fun...thankfully :)

Other than that, not a whole lot to report. From what I recall, it sometimes take a little while longer to truly feel the results of leg or back workouts because those muscles are fairly large. We'll see whether or not tomorrow I'll be able to walk still :) 

Till then! (and my tomorrow night's booked, so it's going to have to be another fun 5:45am workout.... yee freakin' haw)

P90X2 (Day 5): X2 Yoga

So, we're moving right along with our P90X-2 workouts at this point!  Almost done with the first week, which is really a pretty critical milestone (along with the first month) when it comes to whether or not a person will actually stick with a program.  We're still enjoying the ride so far, so no slowing down now :)

Anyway, this morning we did X2 Yoga, the new and improved (and shorter) version of the original P90X's Yoga X routine.  And just like the first time I did Yoga, this was hard!  Katie even agreed, and she used to be quite the yoga buff. 

Overview

• Length
• Around 67 minutes long, which is close to a half hour shorter than the original Yoga X.  The length was one of people's main complaints about the original, so I'm happy to see things have been condensed.  
• Structure
• Some basic yoga warmup moves are followed by a 40 minute Power Yoga section (similar to Yoga X).  This part is tough!  Then the remaining 20 minutes are comprised of some modest ab/core work and some stretching.  
• Comments on the actual workout
• In some ways it's very similar to Yoga X, but it seems like the chief difference is that Tony essentially cut out the balance moves section.  This is fine in my opinion because the power yoga stuff already incorporates a great deal of focus on balance.  Also, Tony seems to have a lot more knowledge about what's he's actually talking about this time in regards to Yoga.  And one of the background exercisers (who's a yoga stud) apparently helped him put the workout together.  Perhaps most importantly though, the power yoga section has a pretty quick flow to it, which is much more similar to other non P90X yoga routines I've done.  Very challenging but definitely effective!

Summary

This was no picnic.  There were more than a few moves where both Katie and I had to come out of a pose because a leg was about to give out, etc.  That said, I appreciate the shorter time frame in comparison to Yoga X, the better flow and instruction throughout, and (as with most any yoga routine) that feeling you get at the end where your body is so relaxed that all seems right in the world :)

Tough, but a great workout!

Insanity Day 5: Pure Cardio (aka "Shaun, what is your freakin' problem!?")

What the heck was that!??


Katie and I just finished today's Insanity workout (had to postpone from this morning due to the week's school schedule)...and it was hard.  VERY hard.


The warm-up for Pure Cardio--about 11 minutes--was the exact same as for Plyometric Cardio Circuit, which as you recall was a killer: jog (aka sprint), jumping jacks, heisman, 123 heismans, butt kicks, and mummy kicks...repeat 3x, getting faster with each cycle.

The warm-up, as pretty much always, was followed by an 7-8 minute stretch sequence.  So, it was during the latter half of this portion of the video that I knew I was in trouble.  Right before the workout begins Shaun comments about he's "nervous" about starting Pure Cardio.  What!?  This is definitely the first time I've ever heard him say anything that showed weakness.  It's like he's deliberately taunting us.  What are we in for!?


Workout (15 min)
Brutal. Brutal. Brutal.  


Unlike previous workouts that involve cycles of different exercises for 30 second stints (with periodic breaks), Pure Cardio was 15 minutes of 100% intensity and NO BREAKS!!  Not a single one.  Background exercisers are dropping like flies in the background, while Katie and I are holding back the urge to vomit (not an exaggeration, and this is the first time we've felt this bad from one of these workouts).  


As a basic summary of the moves, there were a large handful of different jack variations (all of which consisted of some sort of low squat), frog jumps, ski jumps, suicide jumps and runs, as well as some brutal synergistic pushup moves.  Most of them we had seen before, but it did us no good in terms of keeping up.  As a matter of fact, this was probably the worst I've done in the actual workout  as far as taking extra breaks.  Brutal.


Thought for Today
Ok, this workout was a challenge, and I feel pretty accomplished having finished it.  However, when you're talking about what amounts to pretty much a 15 minute "sprint" workout, it's kind of defeating during the workout itself.  You almost want to walk away, and seeing all the folks in the background essentially passing out at varying intervals doesn't instill confidence.  I won't be looking forward to doing this one again!


As a side note, this was by far the best I've done on the actual warm-up so far.  No extra breaks!


Oh, and just FYI, there's one particular girl who's been in a few of the workouts so far who we actually seem to better than.  She looks like she's in great shape, but she is CONSTANTLY taking breaks.  Go us :)