Round 3 / Day 97: 2K5 Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X+ Abs/Core Plus

I think I need heavier weights. I have a set of Bowflex Selecttech 552s, and while they've been handy and space-saving, they max out at 52.5 pounds each. With Turbulence Training, I'm supposed to use weights that force me to max out at 6-8 reps per set, but without something heavier to heave, I'm not getting as much out of my presses and rows as I should.

So now, I'm considering whether to buy a set of Selecttech 1090s, which go up to 90 pounds each -- but they're more expensive than I'd like, and heavier than I'll probably ever need. Maybe I should just duct-tape some weight plates or small children to my current set of 552s. Luckily, I happen to have both lying around.

Round 3 / Day 71: P90X+ Upper Body Plus + Abs / Core Plus (+ ChaLEAN Extreme - I've Got Abs!)

I struggled a little bit during my morning session of Upper Plus. Every time I cycle off of a Recovery Week, I come back feeling a little...off. This was most evident in my pull-up sets -- I petered out much sooner than I expected. After finishing the workout, I decided to take a raincheck on Abs / Core Plus.

But feeling guilty, I decided to knock off Abs / Core Plus tonight, after the kids had gone to bed. I felt much better this evening; not only did I find Abs / Core Plus to be less than challenging (I much prefer Killer Abs from Tony Horton's One-on-One series), I joined M as she did the "I Got Abs!" workout from Chalene Johnson's ChaLEAN Extreme program. You wouldn't know it from Chalene's exercise garb (she's clearly a Bedazzler fan) or from the cheesy name of this video, but it delivered a pretty damn decent core workout.

Round 3 / Day 57: P90X+ Total Body Plus + Abs / Core Plus

It's good to be back on my Monster Mash-Up schedule, though it's a little frustrating to have to keep pausing and replaying sections of the P90X+ Total Body Plus video. The names of the exercise variations aren't super-descriptive (e.g., "Chuck-Up Xs," "Mister Moons," "Bella Twists," etc.), and it's a mental challenge -- for me, anyway -- to keep up with all the bells and whistles in this workout.

Nonetheless, Total Body Plus and Abs / Core Plus, done together, deliver a fantastic full-body workout. Thumbs up.

Round 3 / Day 48: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout Workout B + RKC Get Ups + P90X+ Abs / Core Plus (+ 50 Pull-Ups)

Before piling everything in the car and making a beeline for Southern California, M and I dutifully got up at 5:30 this morning to exercise.

Today's Turbulence Training routine wasn't too tough -- the stability ball moves and planks are fairly easy, and the rest of the exercises were fairly basic -- so I upped my weights and added brief sets of pull-ups at the end of each superset. By the end of my final set of Step-Ups, I knew I'd picked the right weights; I was just the right amount of exhausted.

Get-Ups are still kicking my ass, particularly when I'm doing them from my left (weaker) side. I may need to start wearing a helmet.

As for Abs / Core Plus, is it just me, or did Tony get a little too carried away with his attempts to add variety to the moves in P90X+? The exercises on the pull-up bar are great, but Cherry Bombs? Banana Masons? Raised-Toe-Iso-Leaning-Standing-Crunches? Are these moves really any better than those in Ab Ripper X?

Round 3 / Day 27: 2K5 Turbulence Training Workout A + RKC Get-Ups + P90X+ Abs / Core Plus

2K5 Workout A starts with two rounds of three warm-up moves: Prisoner Squats, Elevated Push-Ups, and Stability Ball Leg Curls. And for the main event, we have (as usual) three supersets, each repeated three times:

Superset One:

• Squats (8 reps): You can choose to do 1-Leg Squats (a.k.a. Pistol Squats) instead, but I'm still not yet able to do 'em using my left leg, so I opted for regular old Squats instead.

• Dumbbell Chest Presses (6 reps): I've totally run out of things to say about chest presses.

Superset Two:

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts (8 reps): While doing this exercise, I sometimes fear that my lower back is going to just snap, and my upper body's going to separate from my pelvis and topple to the floor.

• Spiderman Push-Ups (5 reps per side): After having done a billion Oblique Push-Ups, these are a (welcome) piece of cake.

Superset Three:

• Dumbbell Step-Ups (10 reps per side): I'm not a super-heavy guy, and I only carry a 30-pound dumbbell in each hand when I do my Step-Ups, but I'm worried that one of these days, my weight bench is going to collapse while I'm doing this move. For some reason, this entire workout is suffused with dread. I need to stop watching "Lost" on my TiVo while doing Turbulence Training.

• Dumbbell Rear-Deltoid Raises (12 reps): Fun! Round 3 doesn't contain much in the way of isolation moves for my shoulders, so I really dig this exercise.

And then I proceeded to suck at Get-Ups for 5 minutes.

Lastly: Abs / Core Plus. This is a perfectly fine core workout, and as I've mentioned before, the hanging leg raises are awesome. The rest? Ehhh. The other moves are decent, but pale in comparison to Ab Ripper X or Killer Abs from the One-on-One series.

Off to bed now, where I can try to crack open one of the four or five books I've started (but will probably never finish) reading.

Round 3 / Day 22: P90X+ Total Body Plus + Abs / Core Plus

It was great to wake up in my own bed, and I was excited to try out a new workout this morning: P90X+ Total Body Plus.

After the jump: 21 new exercises...

Round 3 / Day 13: 2K3 Turbulence Training Workout B + RKC Get-Ups + P90X+ Abs / Core Plus

Sorry about the lack of posts today -- swamped at work. (I know it's hard to believe, but I actually have a job. One that pays money, no less!) Still, I managed to squeeze in my morning workout before being buried in meetings and conference calls and emails.

First up was Workout B from Craig Ballantyne's 2K3 version of Turbulence Training, which starts with the same warm-up sequence as Workout A: two circuits of Reverse Lunges, Close-Grip Push-Ups, and Stick-Ups. But unlike Monday's Workout A, which emphasized upper body resistance moves, Workout B targeted the legs and core with the following moves:

Superset One:

• Dumbbell Forward Lunges (8 reps per side): I hadn't done these since I used to hit the gym on a daily basis. In other words, it's been a loooooong time. Thankfully, my body still remembers how to pull off this exercise without toppling over.

• Side Planks (30 seconds per side): Not to be an asshole or anything, but this was way too easy. If you're a veteran of Ab Ripper X, you'll need to modify this by going for 90 seconds per side or doing a leg raise or something.

Rest for a minute, and then repeat twice more for a total of three supersets.

Superset Two:

• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts (8 reps): Much easier than the first time around.

• Stability Ball Jackknifes (15 reps): Start in a low plank position, but with your forearms resting on a weight bench and your shins on a stability ball. Contracting your abs and maintaining a straight back, use your feet to slowly roll the ball towards the bench while tucking your knees in to your chest. Pause, and then reverse the motion. That's one rep.

Rest for a minute, and then repeat twice more for a total of three supersets.

Superset Three:

• Dumbbell Step-Ups (8 reps per side): Stand facing a bench with a pair of dumbbells in your hands. Place one foot on the bench and the other on the floor. Push up with your raised leg and lift yourself so that you're standing on the bench. Slowly reverse the motion. Do this eight times, and then switch legs.

• Stability Ball Leg Curls (15 reps): Lie on your back. Put the soles of your feet on top of a stability ball, keeping your body and legs in a straight line. Contract your glutes, push down on the ball with your feet and bring your knees and hips up. Pause, and then slowly reverse the motion. That's one rep.

Rest for a minute, and then repeat twice more for a total of three supersets.

Next up: Kettlebell Get-Ups. I only managed to crank out six awkward-looking get-ups in five minutes. As soon as I can free up some time, I need to schedule a consultation with Mark or Tracy Reifkind or Jordan Vezina. I really have no excuse not to get some personal kettlebell training, seeing as I'm lucky enough to live almost within spitting distance of the studio where these world-class instructors train.

To finish things off, I popped in the P90X+ Abs / Core Plus DVD. I had fun with the hanging core moves, but in my opinion, many of the exercises in this video aren't as challenging as they first appear.  In the end, I think Ab Ripper X offers a better core workout, though I do enjoy the variety of moves in Abs / Core Plus. (You'll see what I mean when I get around to describing them, but I'm too damn tired tonight to go into details.)

All in all, a decent workout.

Round 3 / Day 1: P90X+ Upper Body Plus + Abs / Core Plus

And away we go.

For the inaugural workout of Round 3, I decided to start with Upper Body Plus and Abs / Core Plus from P90X+. This was my first gander at P90X+, which is marketed to P90X grads who want to "break through plateaus with intense new cardio, muscle chiseling, and ab/core-ripping moves to ramp up your results." In all-caps, Beachbody screams: "TAKE YOUR WORKOUT TO THE NEXT LEVEL!"

And if that doesn't convince you to try P90X+, "Jason Scheff, lead singer of the band Chicago, scored all-new music exclusively for P90X Plus while completing his first round of P90X!" (Jason who? I haven't listened to Chicago since the 8-track era, but what happened to Peter Cetera?)

More -- including a full review of Upper Plus -- after the jump.