Phase 2 of P90X

Days 28 to day 31

Shanna and I have entered the second stage of the P90X, I apologize for posting the week before that we were into the second phase.  Actually we had just finished the first phase and were doing the recovery stage.  So now that we have that straighten out we can carry on.  I really like the new batch of exercises , they seem much more dynamic and I’m quit amazed by the fact I can do plyo push up’s , I was a little scared at first when attempting to do them.  You have to visualize a 210lb body as myself (In case your wondering after 30 days I’ve lost 10lbs..sweet) tends to have a lower centre of gravity so trying to spring off the ground in the first place is a difficult chore (At least from the position).  I didn’t want to fall flat on my face, oh well no big deal it’s not the first time I’ve scraped my check bones lol . well ladies and gentlemen I can do 6 plyo push ups .

Back to my weight loss for a second; so in 3o days I’ve been able to loose 10lbs.  My overall goal is to be lean at 200lbs .  I can start to see my inercostals and the outline on the outside of the abdominal region seems to be taking shape.  The love handles are slowly vanishing, although these seem to be the hardest to loose.  I gather some people probably lost more weight in the 30days compared to what I did.  Now I’m not trying to be the downer here, however I believe the amount of weight I’ve lost so far is strictly fat weight .  If your loosing anything more than 3lbs per week, aside from your first week or so, good chances are you are also loosing muscle.  I’m taking this from the perspective of my body type, and not someone that is obese.  Someone with more weight to loose will probably loose a lot more muscle , just because they are in such a catabolic environment. Good chances are they have more muscle mass than the average Joe, and can afford to be in such a catabolic phase.  Some one like Shanna for example, who’s lean and strong won’t probably loose a whole lot of weight, in fact it looks like Shanna is putting on muscle and getting leaner (something I would die for), so as a result she’ll stay the same weight if not gain a few pounds.  At the end she will look more toned and ripped than she did 90 days ago. Which of course isn’t fair lol.

To conclude, my goal is to loose another 5lbs of fat in the next 30days , because I know those next 5lbs of “fat” loss will really start to show. Than i can work on a tan, because I’m so pasty it’s scary.

Ciao everyone

Nearing the end of Phase 1

Days 24 to 27

This week has been pretty much the same throughout, ending the first phase proved to be successful, as my scale dictates I’ve lost 10lbs in total .  I’ve also decided to cut back on my carbs a bit seeing how the activity isn’t as intense as the last few weeks.  This was really a God sent because I was and am still feeling a bit under the weather.  I’ve missed a day yet and I am very proud of Shanna and I.  Shanna had me in stitches the other day when she was trying to do a front abdominal pose in front of the mirror.  As I explained to her, that there is a lot of muscle control when trying to pose, it really isn’t the easiest thing to do , you get better with practice although it takes years to be good at it.  So when were cut and lean practice a selective number of poses; Front double bicep, side chest, abdominal and rear double bicep.  So when taking the after shots tense those muscle out, get the muscle to pop.   Use some tensor bands to force blood into the muscle, concentrating on doing slower repetitions really feeling the muscle become vascular.  Keep the abs relaxed as they seem to contract better when they are.  I guess watching all those Arnold tapes lend to my general knowledge of posing. lol

On a last note Shanna and I also found the x stretch to be boring and all over the place, this is not to say you shouldn’t do it , because flexibility is just as important to any exercise routine.  That means keep with the stretching .  Never the less we did the x stretch.  I report back to everyone soon and can’t wait for Sunday’s workout beginning of Phase 2

Cheers

Michael

P90X nearing the end of phase 1

Day 18 to 23

Day 23 Core Synergistics

Well a Happy Family day to everyone from Canada, a new statutory holiday legislated by our government.  Now I haven’t been frequenting on the blog as often as I should and I believe this has been the longest stretch between days.  Truth be told I didn’t want to report anything that I haven’t told everyone before, so most of the workout’s have been pretty much as intense as prior workouts.  I have dropped a couple more pounds, and the last time I weighed myself I was at 211, down 9lbs in total.  I am starting to notice my mid section is leaning out, not as fast as I would like however I know I will start to to notice this as the days progress so sue me for being a little impatient lol.  My flexibility is improving, and was able to do the warrior poses with more ease.  Shanna can touch the floor now, when she enters a reverse swan “Bring it ” Shanna.  I noticed that Shanna’s back muscles are more defined even when she’s relaxed, as well her posture is greatly improved.  I would like to interrupt this blog with a little post recovery drink recommendation.  For most of you that are used to drinking the p90x version and want to try something new check this product out.  It’s called “Dark Matter” it’s a 4:1 post recovery shake, comes in assorted flavors, first off it’s a little lower in sugar , and has the same number of carbohydrates per serving.  I think it taste awesome , the fruit punch flavor kind of reminds me of jello , I usually mix 2 scoops with water and ice cubes, blend on the magic bullet.  It becomes pretty thick, and you might find yourself using  a spoon to scoop out the rest.  The benefit is that it has a wider amino acid spectrum and uses a more absorbent form of protein.  Now when I read the ingredients, the protein is reffed to as Pro synthesis protein.  From my knowledge this refers to  when the protein (muscle tissue) has been damaged (resistance training) and needs to demand the creation of new protein via DNA and RNA or a outside source of immediate ingestion of a proper amino acids (whey isolate for example) .  Faster uptake or absorption is greatly influenced my adding a sugar, that’s why it’s important to have the ratio of carbs to protein 4:1 that is in most post recovery formulas.  Now I hope that is the right explanation I apologize if it’s a C+ answer as opposed to an A+ answer.  This leads me to believe that the protein they are using in Dark Matter may be a more usable form of Whey, even more usable than isolate.  now I don’t know of any type of whey protein that is more usable than whey isolate, if anyone knows please fill me in on the details and all the knowledge is welcomed.  Remember were all trying to work at this together.  Another aspect concludes me to believe because there is less simple carbs per serving, this also lead me to believe that the protein source is a very usable form of whey , thus needing less sugar to increase absorption.  Aside from the technical jumbo, it also has creatine and my favorite ALA (alpha Lapoic Acid) .

I would like to conclude by saying that today’s Core Synergistics is hell bound and I don’t like it one bit, well expect fort a few exercises, still I felt as if I was warming up to Tony “Bring It” Horton.  Now the guy pulls this and I find myself calling him every name in the book.  Aside from banana rolling into Shanna a dozen times I’d say the workout was exhausting and challenging.  I can’t wait for this week to be over already lol.  All joking aside I can see how the people doing this program are getting awesome results, I have a feeling that post 90 days I will be able to do things I was never able to do.  Well people keep rocking in the free world!!!

Cheers!!

P90 X Day 16 and 17

Day 16 Plyo X and Day 17 Shoulders, arms and Ab ripper X

The last two days have been hard, however I pulled through and with a higher intensity than what I normally bring to the table.  I’m feeling so good and I’m psyched, and I hope everyone that is doing P90X , feels the same.  I’ve been reading the post’s and comments, and I really can’t say which is my favourite workout; I love to hate them all.  I think that’s why I push myself to do these workout’s it’s always a challenge for me and I don’t like it one bit, yet for some reason I do good at the things I hate the most, sort of an oxymoron .  I was curious to see how many calories I consume a day, something I don’t normally do .  From the looks of it I’m pretty much on target.  So the moral is watch your portions and don’t eat more than you are supposed to.  Wow or MOM as Tony would put it, is my closing remark for the day, because I feel good!!!!

P90X Day 14 and 15

Day’s 14 Kenpo X , and 15 – Chest, Back and Ab Ripper X

 

I’m back once again and have accumulated a couple of workout’s for this blog oh mine!  I try hard to report on a daily basis, however I believe it’s important to know that Shanna and I haven’t missed a beat.  The Kenpo X workout was much better than last time, and found myself kicking higher and I had a much better rhythm going with the punches and blocks.  Shanna is amazed how much I sweat.  I believe I sweat more than than average person. I have to chase her to give her a hug, when I’m done sweating; Now if that’s not love than I don’t know what is LOL.  Anyways The weekend has been good; great workouts, the weights coming off , Did some snowmobiling north of the city.  One thing I did notice was, I was able to ride the snowmobile with a lot more ease, I was more agile on the turns, and was able to get my weight on my turning leg, and make the sharper turns. I did take a spill though, locked up the brakes too fast , sent me flying. Okay I know this is a fitness blog, not a snowmobile blog!! What I’m trying to say people, is that by getting into shape, making a real effort and sticking to the game plan, all aspects of your life; Physical, spiritual and psychological will all see a drastic improvement.  If your all with me,  let me hear you say “BRING IT”

Oh, and by the way in case any of you were concerned if I was hurt…..Naw got back on the machine and did 5 more laps!!!!

P90X Day’s 12 and 13

Day’s 12 Legs and Back 13 Rest

My apologize first off for not blogging an entry yesterday.  It was a hectic day and Shanna was feeling under the weather, so we opted to take the Friday off instead of today which is Kenpo X today, which I will updated you on the progress tomorrow morning.  So this Blog entry is Day 12 (Legs and Back) and Day 13 (Rest).  As i reported in my blog’s before I was doing Chin ups later in the day separate from the workout because in reality we were just doing different variations with a pull down bar, with heavy weights. Now before anyone says it’s not the same as doing a pull-up , keep in mind anatomically it’s the same prime muscle groups.  Well we found a smart way to do pull up’s now, so now I can just concentrate on doing pull up’s instead doing both pull downs and pull ups.  Although it wouldn’t hurt to throw in a few extra sets here and there.  Overall I feel I’m getting stronger and something happens to Shanna’s muscle definition when she work’s out, it just looks good and I can see she’s coming along nicely.  Since I first started this I’m down 6 pounds.  I gather about 3 lbs is water weight, and based on the calculation of body fat I’ve lost a little over 1.5%.  I’m estimating by the 3oth day I hope to loose another 3 lbs of fat.  I’m trying to be as realistic with my goals as possible.  First off I have an average if not below average metabolism.  It does seems to be getting much better though, and the more I keep up with the program, the more progress I make and the easier it is to be motivated.  I’m focused and I know the rest of you reading this blog are too, otherwise you wouldn’t be sending the encouraging comments.  As far as the legs go they burn and feel good, and I must say i like the shape of my calves.  I know I should put my money where I mouth is, and I promise I will get those pic’s up.  Just bare with me and I will post the after results soon.

P90X Day 11

Day 11- Yoga X

Boy did I have a long day, quite busy I might add, so I will try to type what I can without falling asleep, it’s about 12:50pm my time and ready to hit the sack.  Yoga X was much better this time around and I managed to hold the crane for a whole 4.5 seconds (sweet) and than I feel flat on my arse!  Overall I feel my flexibility improving, and my core strength being challenged in ways I didn’t think were possible.  Shanna and I though it would be a great idea to bring a heater in the room and well heat things up a bit! (No pun intended) All that did was make things a little sweaty.  After the recovery drink I felt replenished and ready for the day.  Since I been pretty much on the go, it’s been Shakes and Protein Bars, with a Chicken Salad (The only hour to myself) through out the day .  One aspect of food choices when your super busy is very limited , unless you eat fast food.  However I’m not putting that crap in my body and neither should you!  The most important aspect is to keep up your protein intake, usually a couple cans of tuna, protein bar and a meal replacement shake come in handy.  Bring along an Apple or two just to keep your blood sugar levels Stable, and make sure to drink plenty of water, you’d be surprised how dehydrated you can get when you loose track of time.   Well I bid everyone a good night and sweet dreams

P90X Day 9 and 10

Day 9&10 Plyo X /shoulder and Arms and ab ripper x

Well I’m back again and it would seem that day’s are going by quicker and the workouts are becoming easier to do.  I’m still finding it challenging to do the Ab ripper X, I feel as if I still lack the flexibility in my hamstrings to do a number of the exercises, so the yoga should help tomorrow.  Overall I’m proud of Shanna and I, for doing these workouts together and keeping on track.  I’m enjoy every day of the P90X, I’m tired as heck though, I had some late clients, and the only thing that kept me going was seeing the agony in my advanced clients faces when I had them do the one legged wall squats , that puts a smile on my face seeing them suffer “Feel the Burn”

Overall my food options and consistency have beem awesome and I look forward to every meal that Shanna and I create, and the ground chicken chili we made for the superbowl is definitely a repeat, so if any wants the recipe let me know or face book me.  Search for Michael Favaretto.  Finally I should mention I have added 5 to 10 grams of creatine , I ‘ve had success with it in the past and really benefit from the small amount, anything more is really unnecessary and just leaves you bloated.  Please don’t buy into the hype you have to load with creatine first, that’s just a marketing gimp so you buy more. Any questions you have about supplements feel free to ask. 

Thanks everyone fort the support and props goes out o Shanna, Frankie, Colleen and Chris B

P90 x Day 7 and 8

Day 7 &8 – Rest /Chest and Back and Ab ripper X

I decided to include day 7 along with day 8 in the post here , simply because day 7 was a rest day, so not to spend too much time describing the details.  Day 8 is the beginning of the 2nd week of the 1st phase and that meant doing the chest and back routine again.  Last time I wasn’t feeling too well after the workout, so I didn’t want that to happen again.  This time around the routine was difficult, however I really don’t remember stopping to take a break except for some water, last time Shanna and I didn’t do the ab ripper x, however seeing how we’ve done it 3 times during week one, I would say were pretty consistent.  However we pushed a little harder and as a result pumped out a few more reps on a number of the exercises.  I plan on doing some chin ups in the morning before work as well.   so far we haven’t missed a workout , and I can tell you I have lost weight.  I don’t wan to say how much because I want to give an honest assessment in about 3 weeks.

P90X – My Success for the next 90 Days- “BRING IT”

Hi everyone, For those of you that don’t know me My name is Michael Favaretto , along with my trusted business partner and future wife Shanna Brander we are the creator’s of our sister website www.activebodyconditioning.com. We have been active in the fitness industry for a combined experience of over 15 years. Now being the fitness experts that we are, we are always asked what is the best way to loose weight? Well there really is no real answer, all we can say is that you have to work hard and be  consistent.  Without them you won’t achieve what you have set out to achieve. Our biggest Challenge is convincing people of the positive changes that they can make when exercising regularly.  That’s when Shanna and I decided to Complete the P90X , the infamous workout program that has caught the fitness industry by storm.  I wanted to prove even at a decent fitness level we were going to make some drastic changes, and prove that you don’t have to rely on being healthy, rather push to next level and be in the best shape of your life.  I also wanted to do the P90X because it was the training principles I already agreed with and apply these same techniques to the majority of clients , it’s called muscle confusion, and from a structural standpoint the program offers a per-iodize program.  The science is there and it’s proof that it works.  Along with proper nutrition Shanna and I will prove, that this program works and what it takes to get there.  For all those who have achieved success with the P90X , we congratulate you , now wish us luck , because there is no turning back

“BRING IT”

Pre test day (1/24/09)

Completed the majority of the fitness test I was pretty satisfied with my wall squat , held it for over 2 minutes, although Shanna out performed me, she also said she could probably go a little longer, so my goal at the end of 90days is to do at least 31/2 minutes, who knows maybe I’ll do more .  Man does Shanna have a fighting spirit, maybe that’s way I’m marrying the crazy girl.  Since I’m in fairly decent shape to begin with, my heart rate recovered quickly after doing the 2 minute jumping jack test , so no worries there.  I’m a pretty big guy to start off with and I have a decent muscle build, however I would feel more comfortable if I was a bit leaner so shocking my body with this program is going to be a step in the right direction for achieving my goals. Shanna would like to add a Little more muscles mass to her frame, however I have to say for weighing in at a buck 20 she can single arm row 3olbs with prefect form for about 12 reps, relatively that’s pretty strong for a women her size.  Shanna and I, will adopt the “Bring it” Attitude quite comfortably.

Starting Weight -220lbs

*Updated evey 2 weeks *

Day 1  (1/25/09)

Chest and Back

Overall I pushed it to the limit, Shanna and I took at most 3 pause breaks, were probably at 50% of the fitness level of those guys on the video, man is it hard. We pulled through and did, it felt good. We did workout on an empty stomach Sunday Morning , as a result I discovered I have a weaker stomach than Shanna , puked shortly after taking a shower…yummy!!! Felt exhausted during marriage classes, had to tell Shanna not to eat that last cookie. I’d say overall we ate good . Funny though after marriage class I had renewed energy . I also did 25 chin up in my basement on a support beam in my corridor to my cold cellar.

Day 2 – (1/26/09)

Plyo x

Felt great this morning , obtained 7 hours of sleep, started off with a healthy breakfast , whey protein, fruit yogurt and a slice of toast with peanut butter, also took my antioxidants . For meal two I ate the left over veal I grilled the night before with some grilled mushrooms. Plyo day was much harder than the first day. My heart rate was slightly higher , however it felt good as if I could keep going, we didn’t take our first pause until 20 minutes in, took a few more after that , however we kept moving. Shanna really motivates me. Once again ate really healthy spinach salad’s with chicken, low fat veggie tuna wrap pressed on the grill, really whole some foods real healthy. In all most days I will eat anywhere from 5 to 6 smaller meals a day. See how I’m feeling in the morning.

Day 3 – (1/27/09)

Shoulders and Arms and Ab ripper X

The morning as been good so far , shake in the morning, I was reading an interesting article regarding high carb versus high protein diets. It only reassured what I already knew, however I won’t bore you with the details Lunch was healthy tuna wraps again, grilled on the foreman (man I love them) , eating again at 4:30pm , drinking plenty of water.  Had to switch our workout lateral in the day, in the evening in fact, Shanna had a late client so we started at 8pm.  Now by that time were pretty tired from the day, and we could have easily skipped today’s workout, however one thing Shanna and I are not quitters.  So we came,  we did and we conquered and shortly after having our post recovery shake, Shanna slept like a log on the couch.  I guess those were the endorphins, because I felt relaxed my self.  Just a few pointers about the workout, follow it thoroughly especially the warm up, it will really help prevent any tightness in the shoulders you might have.  The abs ..the abs well lets just say we did it and we didn’t like the feeling (Which is a good thing) Finished the evening with some salad and chicken, I also include a lean pork sausage just to change things up a bit. I looking forward to tomorrow when it’s Yoga day.  LOL I’m going to love to see Shanna’s flexibility there .  well good night y’all .

Day 4 (1/28/09)

Yoga X

Woke this morning , had the usually breakfast protein shake, only this time had two thin slices of Pumpkin bread I helped my mom bake the night before, toasted with some butter.  Had to cancel my in-home client due to the snowy weather conditions outside, so the initial part of the day meant shovelling the driveway.  Now Having D.O.M.S , well for those of you that don’t know what that is , the acronym stands for “Delay onset Muscle Soreness” which basically means after a strenuous bout of exercise extending muscle groups IE My quads will feel a slight discomfort and mild pain factor.  Well let me tell you, I felt it when I was heave hoeing the snow.  In the end I kept at it, because I knew I was burning calories, and that gave me incentive to keep going, and all thanks to Plyo X “Thanks Tony”.  Lunch wasn’t anything special , you know what it works; Tuna,  peas and mushrooms in a light olive oil dressing.  Than came Yoga X, you see I never done Yoga before, I come from the school of thought that If you stretch frequently you would have maintained decent flexibility.  Remember when I said I wanted to do this program to prove to everyone you can be in the best shape of your life, well the proof is in the pudding and Yoga x will make a man outta of me yet.  To put things in layman’s perspective my flexibility as of now officially SUCKS! Yes it’s true I was exhausted and couldn’t wait for the session to end, The only relaxing part of the Yoga X was when it was done.  One thing I do have on Shanna though is flexibility, however something tells me she will be surpassing me very shortly.  For the mean time I will gloat in knowing I can touch my hands on the floor for some of the stretches.  Following the workout had the recovery drink, and for dinner I had a Julian salad, three extra lean meat balls, and a snack later with 3 oz cheese and a muffin with peanut butter.  That concludes today and so far feel great.  Lets see what tomorrow brings.  I should be posting some before photo’s soon, or I might do a before and after about 4 weeks in or so.

Day 5 (1/29/09)

Legs and Back and Ab ripper X

Had the usually breakfast this morning, always need the protein good for repairing muscle tissue.  I must stress that breakfast is the most important meal of the day bar none!  Without it your going to fall flat on your face trying to do these workouts .  So listen to my advice .  Lunch I ate some Tuna and Fennel , and to supplement my protein I had a protein bar and a muscle milk.  The workout today was tough on the legs, and I guess since my quads were a little sore I could really feel the burn especially doing the one legged wall squats.  However Shanna and I kept at it .  Shanna is doing really well, I was amazed by the definition in her upper back, I’m excited to see what she will look like in 90 days.  The ab ripper proved to be a little harder this time, although I found that I was able to more reps on a few of the exercise, a minor improvement, an improvement never the less.  Remember progress is key, and it’s the small changes that count, so pace yourself.  I’m going to eat now, last meal of the day, and I’m going to call it quits , sweet dreams everyone.

Day 6 (1/30/09)

Kenpo X

Shanna and I found ourselves very busy today, so we weren’t able to do the workout, until later in the evening, actually we did the workout pretty late 10pm to be exact.  We were running low on energy so we weren’t really motivated to do a whole lot.  Kenpo X is heavily cardio based , however not to difficult to follow, I just had a few problems coordinating the move’s, however I suspect that will improve over time.  By the last 10 minutes I was feeling more mental fatigue , Shanna just wanted to get to be, actually she’s sleeping as I enter this Blog, she waits sleepily and patiently for my arrival.  So I will get some much needed rest, it’s a fun filled day of snowmobiling tomorrow.

Good Night