This is the first time since P90X-2 started that my body was simply too destroyed afterward to write a review, so that's why this post took a big longer to get up! In any case, yesterday's workout was Chest + Back + Balance, and it was a doozy!!
Basically take the original program's Chest & Back workout (which I actually vomited during the first time I ever did it) and add in hardcore balance elements throughout. Plus, Chest & Back at least gave a you break when it came to pullups, substituting in moves like lawnmowers and heavy pants. With Chest + Back + Balance, that is no longer the case! The workout is 20 moves, alternating between pushups and pullups EVERY time. Raise that white flag of surrender if you want, but there is nowhere to hide!
The addition of balance
So, what does it mean to add balance to a pushup? Try doing pushups with each foot and hand balanced precariously on medicine balls. What does it mean to add balance to a pullup? Try doing pullups with your legs sticking straight out, perpendicular from your upper body, in an L shape. These are no picnic.
The potential problem is that some of these moves are SO hard that you won't be able to do many if any. By the 7th set of pullups, my upper body had given out almost completely to where I had to use a chair for the remaining pullup movements. And for some of the crazier pushup moves, I made sure to try some of these a few times the day before so that I wasn't just wasting my time trying to get my body into position the day of the actual workout. The "Impossible/Possible" pushup is a perfect example of this.
Basically, the "Impossible/Possible" pushup requires you to put your feet positioned behind you on a stability ball and your hands down in front of you, balanced on a single medicine ball. THIS IS HARD!! I made several attempts at this the day earlier before I could even do a single rep. And for the actual workout, I only ended up being able to 5.
The good thing is that I am definitely, definitely sore after yesterday's Chest + Back + Balance. However, my rep counts are so low on some of these moves that I can't even imagine what my body will feel like after I get a bit better at maintaining my form. And it's for this reason that Phase 1 of P90X-2 is so critical. You need those foundational workouts to strengthen your core enough to actually be able to do this stuff!
Overview
- 59 minutes long
- 13 min warmup (with foam rolling sequence) and 7 min cooldown
- 2 rounds of 10 moves each, water break in between the rounds. NO repeat moves!
- CRAZIEST MOVES
- Lever Pullups
- There is no real way to describe these. You start off in a normal pullup position at the top of what that movement looks like so that you're shoulders are up near the bar and your hands are near your shoulders. From there, keeping your entire body as tight/flat as a board as possible, you kind of pivot your legs up and your torso down so that your body is parallel to the ground with your back facing downward. In order to do this, your shoulders will drop away from the pullup bar, but your elbows remain tight at your side.
- Impossible/Possible pushups
- Already described these above, but these are insane. Balance your feet out behind you on a stability ball, and balance your hands in front on a medicine ball. You could spend the entire workout just trying to get body situated.
- Chattarocker pushups
- Also a tough one to describe. From plank position, drop down in to chattaranga with your chest still slightly above the ground, your hands just to the sides of your chest, and your elbows pinched in at your side. From there, quickly walk your feet backwards, bringing your elbows down to the meet the ground as your do. Sort of a Sphinx plank move. Then, walk your feet back in, popping off your elbows back into chattaranga before finishing the move by raising back up into plank.
- Towel Pullups
- Couldn't do a single one of these without a chair. Basically throw two hand towels over the top of your pullup bar, clasping each hand around a towel instead of onto the bar. Then, start cranking out pullups. There's more freedom of movement here than in a typical pullup, but it feels awfully weird for some reason!
Summary
Things have gotten hard. But I still like the program! Core continues to be a focus, but we really obliterated our upper body today. I'm a little spooked at this point for what else lies ahead.
Also, just to note, the diet is still going pretty well, but I may need to up my calorie count. The metabolism has definitely been spiked, because I now am hungry a lot!
The next NEW workout will be on Day 17 with X2 Shoulders & Arms AND X2 Ab Ripper. Oi!
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