Trying Out P90X

 Everyone dreams about having a total beach body, but do you think that you could accomplish that in three months? Well, fellow collegiates, I’m here with a bit of a secret to share with you all. It consists of two letters and two numbers. Dumbfounded? It’s P90X, the ninety day total beach body work out. My mod-mates and I do it nightly in the common area of our dorm. All you need is free weights, the P90X system, and a computer. I’m only on week two, but I’m here to share my experience.
 
Day 1: Chest, Back, and Ab Ripper X
 
My mod- mates and I set out on the P90X journey thinking it was just going to be another workout. WRONG. The chest and back workout consisted of push ups, pull ups, and chin ups. You might be thinking, ‘what’s so difficult about that?’ Well, let me tell you these aren’t your ordinary push ups. Standard push ups, wide arm push ups, dive push ups, and military push ups are included, to name a few. After almost not completing day 1 of P90X, we still had Ab Ripper X to do. Ab Ripper consisted of 30 minutes of pure sit ups, crunches, obliques, and mason twists. By the end, you’ve completed 349 ab crunching moves. To say the least, we we’re exhausted.
 
Day 2: Plyometrics
 
I know what you’re thinking, plyo-what? It’s plyometrics, meaning legs and a full body workout. This workout consisted of jumps, running, leaping, and squats to work your entire body. Now, as if the first day wasn’t hard enough, doing plyometrics with a sore body was taking it to the limit. “I would much rather be at Zumba shaking what my mama gave me to burn calories,” says Michelle Fehr, my roommate and workout partner. We pushed through day 2 only to dread the day ahead of stair climbing because our dorm elevator was broken.
 
Day 3: Shoulders, Arms, and Ab Ripper X
 
In all honesty, this is the easiest of all the workouts. Basically, it’s an hour filled with bicep curls, extending your triceps, and strengthening those shoulder muscles that are often forgotten. The time passes rather quickly and the workout is well paced. I suggest you begin with a light set of hand weights and work your way up. It’s not about the weight you’re using, but about the number of repetitions you do. Once again, Ab Ripper kicked our…abs. But more importantly, I’m noticing more strength in my muscles.
 

Day 4: Yoga
 
Okay, let’s be real here. I participated in the yoga workout for about 15 minutes before I called it quits. It wasn’t hard whatsoever, yoga just isn’t my thing. I can’t seem to get my body to relax and focus at the task at hand. I skipped a day, but at least I got my homework done, right?
 
Day 5: Legs, Back, and Ab Ripper X
 
The elevator was finally fixed which meant we could all go full out on the leg workout. Bad idea. The next day it was hard to even walk to the elevator. We’d only been doing P90X for 5 days and we were exhausted. But, on the other hand, I noticed slight changes in my body. My legs were more toned, my stomach seemed flatter and my arms looked slimmer. I was determined to keep up with this intense workout to keep the results coming. Ab Ripper was becoming less of a chore and more of a treat; who doesn’t want perfect abs for bikini season?
 
Day 6: Kenpo
 
Are we speaking a foreign language here? Basically. Kenpo is just fancy for an all over, cardio, kickboxing workout. You wouldn’t think that you would break a sweat doing repeated jab crosses and right hooks, but you do. Kenpo involves legs, arms, and core. I was glad when we were done. I was no longer sore from previous workouts, and knowing that I just did a total body work out made me feel proud.
 
Day 7: Day of Rest
 
HALLELUJAH! Finally, no P90X. We worked hard all week, and in our eyes, deserved a day off. Week One, complete! It’s on to the next one.
 
I could bore you to death by repeating our 7 day process, but I’ll just inform you on the major parts. Because  it is week nine of the quarter, everyone’s schedule is hectic. We kept up with this process for a few days, until we hit Kenpo again. Shawn, another mod-mate of mine, did his workout before Michelle and I, so it was up to the girls to do it on their own. We began warming up, which led to lying on the floor the whole time. Shawn left for his outing and Michelle had the fabulous idea to skip P90X for tonight. What a great idea! Instead of working out, Michelle and I ate ice cream and watched TV together.
 
We know we’ll have to get back on track, but it’s okay to skip a day of P90X every once and awhile. I definitely look forward to the self appreciation once I finish the 90-day program (right in time for summer break) and I’m excited to compare the pictures that myself and my mod-mates took. We snapped a photo on day 90, we’re going to again on day 60, day 30, and then the final product. I encourage you to try this workout. Iit feels like you’re dying some days but is totally worth it!