supaPUMP P90x day 15 review.

So I'm on day 15 and felt like now would be a good time to do a quick review of the workouts as I've gone through each a few times! I'll say this is my ENTRY LEVEL review because with time my approach and opinion of these workouts will most definitely change!

Chest and Back

This workout is the first workout you will complete with the p90x program. It involves a wide variety of push ups and pull ups with some weights thrown in there as well. Every time I do this workout I really feel it and I really feel that I've gained some muscle when I'm finished. At first, I was using the bands because Dan and I were sharing a pull up bar (and I couldn't do a pull up anyway). But once I started doing the program alone I began using the pull up bar with a chair and have gotten a lot more out of it (not a fan of the bands). I have tracked my progress with the workout sheets provided and have already started to see improvements! Its really motivating to 'compete' against yourself from the last time you did the workout. If I did 12 wide pull ups last time -- I WILL do 13+ this time! I would like to note that if you have wrist problems it might be wise to invest in the push up bars. I've had wrist surgery and sometimes I just feel things grinding inside while doing push ups and its just not too comfy. Also, as a female with small hands, push up bars provide a wider range of motion (it really does make a big difference!) In short, I really like chest and back days. AND my arms are definitely showing the most muscle gain.

Plyometrics

THIS workout is insane. Honestly, if you can get through this workout in its entirety without stopping you MUST be in decent shape. I don't mean to hype it up like its an olympic level workout but it just BURNS! This hour is packed with squats, jumping, leaping, all sorts of stuff that will make you HURT. But its a good hurt and doing this workout with someone else is definitely a plus. Push each other! Because you will need to be strong willed to not slack off alone! I hate plyometrics but I feel SO GOOD once I'm done. Oh, and you will need to fill your water bottle up multiple times (and have icy hot readily available).

Shoulder and Arms

My best advice for this workout - to get the most out of it - is remember to go slow. Stick with the pace because it is really tempting to make things easier on yourself by rushing through the reps. You'll also need several different weights as some muscles will be stronger than others and some exercises will be harder than others! Quality (form) over quantity is definitely the key to this routine and Tony does a really great job explaining things for someone who is new to free weights like myself. At day 15, I'm ready to graduate to higher weights now that I've got a good understanding of form and control! This is a STRENGTH workout so don't expect the heart racing high impact of plyo but do expect to sweat and supaPUMP IT!

Yoga

I'll start by explaining that this workout is very long. It's not easy. It's not easy for someone who isn't flexible, regardless of all the modifications available, and you will still find yourself falling over from lack of balance. Over time you will definitely improve but it has been very hard for me to get into yoga day. It is very.....repetitive. Really there isn't much more I can say about this routine because I find myself distracted whenever I try to do it. It will hurt your muscles, you will sweat, and you might become frustrated. We'll see if my opinion changes down the road..

Legs and Back

Legs and back is a great workout! You may feel like you're on a arm day with some of the pull up moves so make sure you concentrate on your back and squeeze the right areas. I still use a chair with the pull up exercises and do feel progress by allowing myself to use less and less leg support! Your legs will burn during this workout, specifically with the wall squats. I honestly feel more in my legs from plyo but there hasn't been a day I wasn't sore after legs and back either.

Kenpo

Probably the most fun workout. You won't realize that you are working out because you will be too busy concentrating on your hand and eye coordination! Your body will definitely heat up with this cardio routine and you may even feel some soreness in your arms the next day if you pushed it. I find that the more force I put into my kicks and punches the more I get out of this workout. You simply can't just go through the motions on this one or you're waisting your time. In the future, I may add wrist weights and ankle weights to further challenge myself!

Ab Ripper

This is 15 minutes of straight ABS. Doesn't sound long? It's not! Each move is about 30 seconds to a minute long and you will find yourself improving very quickly. Ab ripper is tacked on at the end of every other day and is a great QUICK core workout. It's not so challenging but there are some ways you will want to modify things when you first begin -- and there are ways to make it more difficult as you continue.

P90x is 100% what you put into it. Just DOING it will make you feel better about yourself, PUSHING it to the max will make you see results and STICKING WITH IT is probably the most important. You're working out in your living room. You've got to quickly get in the right mindset and make this program work for you! I've been going 15 days now and already feel SO MUCH BETTER about myself, mind and body. I've followed the diet with a cheat day once a week (holidays as the exception) and have begun taking vitamins and supplements that really give me a healthy energy.

I'd like to also add that I don't think P90x is a revolutionary workout program that will do things that other similar workouts couldn't. It is a structured program. If anyone did any form of workout 6x a week for 3 months it would be hard not to see results. I think P90x's most successful accomplishment has been it's ability to get me hooked. And so far, so good!