Round 3 / Day 28: One-on-One with Tony Horton - Recovery 4 Results

No X Stretch for me today -- I opted for the (shorter) Recovery 4 Results, which I skipped last week when I was stymied by the lack of a DVD player in my hotel room.

Oddly, though, I'm not sure I needed a recovery day today. The workouts I did this week didn't strike me as being as challenging as usual -- possibly because for the first time in months, I didn't have any Insanity sessions this week. It's also possible that I've just gotten accustomed to a more rigorous exercise regimen, and I shouldn't expect my system to be shocked like it was when I was new to P90X.

Which begs the question: Do I need a full week of recovery? I'm scheduled for super-low-key sessions for the coming week, but something tells me I'm going to deviate from the plan and squeeze in a couple of "real" workouts.

Round 2 / Day 29: P90X Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X

I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoy this workout. After spending so much time on cardio and leg exercises, it feels great to devote an entire hour-plus workout to upper-body resistance moves and core work. And having not performed this particular workout in three weeks (or any pull-ups for an entire week), Chest & Back was a nice shock to the system.

I'm continuing to try to get through all the P90X videos without taking breaks between moves, so I struggled a bit with my pull-ups; in fact, I reached exhaustion well before I reached my usual rep counts. Still, it was fun to challenge myself anaerobically. My takeaway from today's workout: You can continue to find ways to push yourself with P90X -- even after you think you've got it all figured out.

Round 2 / Day 28: Insanity Pure Cardio + Cardio Abs (Repeat)

To get back into the swing of things after a week-long break from P90X and Insanity, I decided to repeat Day 28.

"Jump down into a deep squat, and do a suicide." So says Shaun T when describing Stance Jacks, but his statement is applicable to the entirety of this workout. Although I managed to complete all of Pure Cardio without any extra breaks (for the first time ever), I felt like I committing seppuku.

Round 2 / Day 28: Insanity Pure Cardio + Cardio Abs

What's up with the Pulse Tucks from high and low plank positions? I'm confused: Am I just supposed to be clenching and releasing my sphincter? Am I seducing and humping the floor? What the hell is going on here?

P90X Day 28: X Stretch

Having completed X Stretch this morning, Phase 1 is officially over. And not a moment too soon -- I miss carbs.