P90X - Weeks 1-3 Download

So, I'm on week 4 now and I'm feeling pretty good.  I haven't lost any weight that I'm aware of, but I do feel like my gut is less bloated and my arms are a little stronger.  Pretty good for 3 weeks, if I must say so!  The unfortunate thing, which I believe I mentioned in my last P90X post, is that literally the very next day after starting the program I burned myself pretty badly in the kitchen, and for about 2 weeks wasn't able to do the workouts with full strength.   My burn has healed, the blisters are gone, etc. and for workout purposes I am officially healed (scarring still there but let's hope Mederma is worth the $$!).  Now, starting with week 4 I fully intend to go all out there and kick some butt!  

Favorite/Least Favorite Workouts:

So far my favorite workouts are Kenpo (kickboxing essentially) and legs & back.  Aside from my mid-section (aka, the gut), I feel like I could do a lot of work on my back.  I like the arms workout as well, but I love the focus on the back that this one gives.  I have pretty decent legs so I'm not as concerned about toning my legs, though, a little residual toning won't be unwanted!

One thing I will say is that I'm not a huge fan of the Yoga workout.  The only reason is that it's a freakin hour-and-a-half.  I don't have time for that during the week, so on the weeks that I'm scheduled to do it during the workweek I'll plan on switching the Yoga for whatever I am scheduled to do on Saturday.  On those weeks, such as this week, where I have two days of Yoga, I'll probably do Kenpo one of those days just because I really like it, or I'll do the 15-minute Ab workout and some intervals on the treadmill.  

Next week I start Phase Two, which adds in a Chest, Shoulders and Triceps workout... excited to work on my triceps, that's for sure!

Equipment:

For the lean program, which is what I'm doing, I highly recommend buying a good set of resistance bands.  I believe these are the ones my husband and I have.  Some of the workouts you want to use very little weight and some you need more to feel a burn, and it's either have a butt-load of free weights, a super-expensive set of the adjustable weights, or these resistance bands, where you select the amount of resistance desired.  Get a set that you can double up on bands if you need to and a set where there is an attachment that you can attach the bands to a doorway.  That attachment is needed in order to do chip-ups/pull-ups with the bands rather than a bar.  The attachment with this set is just a sleeve type thing that slides on the band, and there is a big marble at one end - you put the marble on one side of the door then close it tight and you've got yourself a way to workout your back!  

I also recommend a good yoga mat.  You will need these for more than just the yoga workout and you don't want a cheapy one like I do - especially if you workout on hardwood floors, like yours truly.  It's painful, but I still haven't bought a new one.  This is the one my husband bought recently, and while it's a nice mat, it's actually too thick for the P90X yoga and ab exercises because you do some rolling around - just something to keep in mind if you're in the market for a new mat.  It's probably about 1/2" thick...

Questions?

If you have any questions about the program, please don't hesitate to ask me.  I am by no means an expert, but sometimes I feel we're not looking for expert advice, but rather real opinions