P90X-2 (DAY 0): Fit Test

So, the Mrs. and I have decided to finally begin our journey into the latest fitness concoction from Tony Horton: P90X-2.  As you may recall, I'm a huge Tony and P90x supporter as P90x helped get me into the very best shape of my life a mere 3 years ago.  Unfortunately however, although my diet tends to stay fairly healthy, my fitness level moves around quite a bit (and I unfortunately don't do a good job of decreasing my portion sizes to accomodate for the fitness slowdown).  As you may or may not know, it takes very little time to get out of shape, and right now I think we can officially say that I have squandered any remaining benefits from my dabbling with Shaun T's Insanity program in the fall.

As a refresher, Katie and I both did Insanity about 5 months or so ago, and although it probably got both of us down to the slimmest we've either been, I don't think the program's results were near as attractive to me as those I got from P90X.  For one thing, it really was never my goal to slim down.  Plus, Insanity simply brutalized our bodies with constant jumping at sprint-level intensity that can very easily leave you injured.  I will probably go back to some of those workouts in the future, but the program's non-stop physical onslaught is probably a mistake in the long term.  After finishing Insanity, Katie and I had tried to stay in shape with Jillian Michaels dvds like 30-Day Shred, which I have to say, are darn good workouts.  I don't particularly like Jillian, but if you're looking to get in pretty solid shape without doing a full-blown program like P90X, give them a shot.  

Anyway, on to P90X-2!

Overview

To keep things VERY brief, P90X-2, like P90X, is a 90-day extreme fitness program.  Each workout is about 1 hr, but unlike the original P90X, the new program only requires you to exercise 5 days a week due to the even more extreme nature of it.  Furthermore, P90X-2 also lacks any dedicated cardio workouts so it will be interesting to see how that works.  

As Katie and I will be doing some traveling, etc., beginning in late May, we unfortunately won't have enough time to complete the full 90 days.  Instead, we plan to get just around halfway, which means our before & after results pics that we plan to post will need to be viewed through that lens :)  I'll probably go back and do the full thing completely in the fall. 

P90X-2 Fit Test

Since Katie likely wouldn't appreciate me divulging the results of her fit test without her permission, I'll just stick with mine.

Similarly to other BeachBody workout programs, P90X-2 requires/recommends that you complete a fitness test to ensure you can withstand the extreme nature of the workouts.  This also helps to serve as something of a benchmark and gut check for improvement going forward.  However, it also serves as a big 'ol slap in the face about how out of shape I've managed to get in a few short months.  Below are the different steps in the fit test, and my "performance."

1. Take Weight & Measurements
• Weight: 155.2 lbs (I was a paltry 146 lbs, the lowest I've ever been--not a good thing--, after Insanity)
• Chest: 36"
• Arms: 12"
• Waist: 32.5"
• Hips: 39"
• Thighs: 20.5"
• Total Inches: 172.5"
2. Resting Heart Rate
• 72 bpm
3. Wide-grip Pull-ups to failure 
• 15
4. Vertical Leap (was hard to gauge)
• 17"
5. Pushups to failure (must touch chest to towel on floor to ensure full movement)
• 51
6. Toe Touch
• -.5" (i.e. 0.5" short of touching toes)
7. Wall Squat till failure
• 2:02 minutes
8. Bicep Curls till failure (not happy about this one)
• 14 @ 30lbs
9. In & Outs till failure (essentially a crunch move where you sit on your butt, hands at your side, and bring your knees in and out from your chest)
• 41
10. Active Heart Rate after "sprinting"
• 144 bpm
• 1 minutes after stopping: 136bpm
• 2 minutes after stopping: 120bpm
• 3 minutes after stopping: 116bpm
• 4 minutes after stopping: 100bpm

Summary

Not much to sum up at this point, but I assure you I am both excited and terrified to get this show on the road.  Having previewed already some of the workouts we'll be doing, a lot of this program is going to be crazy tough.  That said, it'll be much more my speed than Insanity!

Tomorrow begins the madness: X2 Core!