Day 9 - Back & Biceps

WOH! Whut a workout! I've used the Back & Biceps video before - almost 8 months back & I loved it back then. But in the past 8 months I'd forgotten all about it since I didn't touch it once over the past few months. Its a great video if you wish to work on the "glamour muscles" (as Horton calls it) or the biceps.

I'm glad I switched Plyometrics with Back & Biceps for Day 9 and made this challenge sort of my own. I wanted to skip the Plyo routine every other week for Back & Biceps but after today I've decided that I'm gonna make Back & Biceps PERMANENT and skip Plyo for good!

Plyo used to cause me pain in the knees and right now I really can't afford an injury - atleast for the next 80 days! But don't get me wrong.... I'm not saying that Plyo is something to avoid. Plyo is actually a GREAT workout! Its meant to make one faster & more responsive especially athletes. I really do need Plyo for my recovery but I need biceps more. I don't know...I might even add it to my regular routine after Stretch X on every 7th day. I know that I shouldn't be messing around too much with the schedule but if they have a "Double" on the menu then I don't see why I cant pull a double only on the 7th day.

I also seem to be fine with 25 lbs when I'm working on my triceps. But when I'm working the biceps I need my 15s.

On the last set, Strip-Set Curls, I tried the 25s but I couldn't get much output out of those. So I had to modify it a bit. I began with my 15s and then used the Resistance Band as shown in the video.

Here are my stats for Day 9 Back & Biceps -

R - Reps . W - Weights . MOD - Modified .


01. Wide Front Pull-Ups (MOD) - R 20
02. Lawnmowers - R 20 ea . W 25
03. Twenty-Ones - R 15 . W 15
04. One-Arm Cross-Body Curls - R 10 ea . W 15
05. Switch Grip Pull-Ups (MOD) - R 16
06. Elbows-Out Lawnmowers - R 20 ea . W 25
07. Standing Bicep Curls - R 10 . W 15
08. One-Arm Concentration Curls - R 10 ea . W 15
09. Corn Cob Pull-Ups (MOD) - R 10
10. Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows - R 10 . W 25
11. Open Arm Curls - R 10 . W 15
12. Static Arm Curls - R 6 . W 15
13. Towel Pull-Ups (MOD) - R 21
14. Congdon Locomotives - R 40 - W 25
15. Crouching Cohen Curls - R 15 . W 15
16. One-Arm Corkscrew Curls - R 10 . W 15
17. Chin-Ups (MOD) - R 15
18. Seated Bent-Over Back Flys - R 15 . W 15
19. Curl-Up/Hammer Downs - R 10 . W 15
20. Hammer Curls - R 10 . W 15
21. Max Rep Pull-Ups (MOD) - R 20 Wide Front Pull Ups
22. Superman - R 4
23. In-Out Hammer Curls - R 5 . W 15
24. Strip-Set Curls (MOD) - R 10 . W 15 & Resistance Band

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I've been wanting to share what tools I use for the P90X regiment. So since I have some time in hand today I think I will.

A great place to start finding info on P90X is Google and YouTube. BeachBody.com also has awesome resources but I still don't know how to navigate it. So, for now I'll stick with Google. I happened on this site with Google and this is where I got my worksheets. (Click this link to download a copy.)

Here's a snapshot of the Back & Biceps Worksheet. Its quite nifty this sheet cuz it really does help you keep track of your workout which is really helpful when you look back to your weeks later.

I do also read other people's blogs which i find helpful. Some of those that I found helpful were :

1. Tony Horton And His P90X Want Me Dead
2. Top 20 P90x Questions Answered Here!

Sample photo of padded workout gloves:

This is a sample photo of the Iron Gym Pull Up Bar that I use at home:

The P90X Classic Schedule that I've been following is provided below. I found it here:

P90X Schedule – Classic

Week 1 – Week 3

Day 1 – Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 4 (Recovery Week 1)

Day 1 – Yoga X
Day 2 – Core Synergistics
Day 3 – Kenpo X
Day 4 – X Stretch
Day 5 – Core Synergistics
Day 6 – Yoga X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 5 – Week 7

Day 1 – Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 8 (Recovery Week 2)

Day 1 – Yoga X
Day 2 – Core Synergistics
Day 3 – Kenpo X
Day 4 – X Stretch
Day 5 – Core Synergistics
Day 6 – Yoga X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 9

Day 1 – Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 10

Day 1 – Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 11

Day 1 – Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Kenpo X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 12 (Recovery Week 3)

Day 1 – Yoga X
Day 2 – Core Synergistics
Day 3 – Kenpo X
Day 4 – X Stretch
Day 5 – Core Synergistics
Day 6 – Yoga X
Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

This is a sample photo of the dumbbells that I use at home:

 

It'd be awesome to have an entire set (weight rack) like this:

Day 8 - Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X

Did I just have a stamina increment in 7 days? Last Monday when I did the Chest & Back routine I thought I was DYING! & once I was done I cussed Tony out like there's no tomorrow! But today's session felt a hell lot easier than Day 1 and I stuck to my 25 LB weights cuz I felt that I could! I used my 15 lb weights only during 1 exercise cuz I knew I wouldn't be able to do that with the 25s.

I'm taking over this routine beginning tomorrow cuz I realized that since I'm targeting my upper body I ought to focus on my biceps. So I'm skipping Plyometrics tomorrow and changing up the tempo a bit with Back & Biceps. My arms hurt. But it 'hurts in a good way' as Tony says. So why not?

I also followed up the Chest & Back routine with the usual Ab Ripper X as mentioned on the chart. I've also gotten hold of the P90X Nutrition Plan (Eating for Power Performance) book which I have to start reading cuz it'd be a fascinating read I'm sure. Also the contents seem really to the point and exactly what I needed to know about P90X!

Here are my stats for Day 8 - Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X:

Chest & Back:

01. SPU - Standard Push-Ups -  20 | 15 

02. WFrPU - Wide Front Pull-Ups - 16 | 15 

03. MPU - Military Push-Ups - 15 | 15

04. RGCU - Reverse Grip Chin Ups - 16 | 16 

05. WFPU - Wide Fly Push-Ups - 16 | 11

06. CGOHPU - Closed Grip Overhand Pull-Ups - 16 | 16

07. DPU -  Decline Push-Ups - 15 | 10

08. HP - Heavy Pants - 15 | 10 

09. DiPU - Diamond Push-Ups - R 10 . W 25 | R 10 . W 25

10. LM - Lawnmowers - R 15 ea W 25 | R 15 ea W 25

11. DBPU - Dive-Bomber Push-Ups - 8 | 10

12. BF - Back Flys - R 15 . W 15 | R 15 . W 15

Ab Ripper X

01. In and Outs - 15
02. Bicycles - 15 Front | 6 Back
03. Crunchy Frog - 10
04. Cross Leg/ Wide Leg Sit-Ups - 10 
05. Fifer Scissors - 10
06. Hip Rock And Raise - 15 
07. Pulse Ups (Heels to the Heavens) - 11
08. V-Up/Roll Up - 6
09. Oblique V-Ups - 10 ea side
10. Leg Climbs - 5 ea leg

11. Mason Twist (with legs flat on ground) - 60 

Day 7 - Stretch X

On my P90X calendar, Day 7 is denoted as Rest or Stretch X. I want FAST results so I said sionara to "Rest". I'm glad I did, cuz Stretch X turned out better than doing nothing all day. Even my wife joined in today! Which was great. Working out with another person really does drive your performance! I found myself staying with the group on TV as opposed to dropping out when I couldn't take it anymore.

I also realized that I really did need the Stretch session after 6 grueling days of other P90X shenanigans! Stretch X is great for the body after a 6-day routine. In fact I felt so good, I thought to myself that it is good enough to do everyday! Well specially on the days you do pull-ups & weight-training. I didn't sweat as much as I did during Yoga X but it felt good allover! But be careful cuz the infamous Shoulder Stand did make a re-appearance in the video! So AGAIN, don't follow Tony word-for-word cuz you could end up breaking your necks! "Just do your best & forget the rest" as Tony says...

Day 6 - Kenpo X

Kenpo, no matter how funny or weird it sounds, is a great aerobic workout in my view. Its like a combination of karate, kick-boxing, & taekwondo all into one big workout regiment. Great for working on your reflexes. Although I might have punched my invisible aggressor too hard in the nuts or something for I seemed to have injured my back. Also my right knee is killing me right now - perhaps due to one jumping jack too many. My back flares up with pain every now and then and it might have been due to me following every one of Tony's moves. I stayed with the group today throughout the workout routine and it made me feel good until my back began to ache after the end of the video.

1/1/11 was a great day! My bro in law took us out to a nice sushi restaurant and then we went to sucré for desert.

Day 5 - Legs & Back + Ab Ripper X

Legs & back was a good workout as well.  My legs burned during the wall exercises which is good. Something that came out during the video and something I can relate to is that Tony shattered his left knee when he was a kid so he has to be careful during leg exercises. Just like him, I injured my knee when I was in college while playing cricket so I can't get too crazy with leg exercises. It was good to know that cuz I was thinking about modifying some of the leg exercises. Now I don't have to anymore.

Something I should probably mention here is the fact that I do use a chair for pull ups [as shown in the video]. I use the back of the chair with the middle of my feet slightly resting against it. I use my arms to pull up the rest of the body and sometimes I do raise the other leg into the air just so I can make it harder for myself [also shown in video]. But I do PULL the entire body. You will know you're not abusing the use of the chair when your arms burn especially your biceps & triceps. I use a home-use pull-up bar that you can just lock on to your door. Its easily available at any good sports store like Sports Authority or Academy Sports. For my peeps in The Good Land of Complete Peace & Prosperity, I'm sure you'll be able to find one of these  pull-up bars at the sports stores. If you don't, you might have to pay an iron-smith to build you one and install it in your balcony. I think the balcony is a great place to install one.

I also use padded workout gloves to reduce the amount of blisters on my palms. I think you should too. Also, if dumbbells are hard to find, you can do the same and pay an iron-smith to build you one. But I hung out at some of the popular sports stores in Dhaka last summer and they seemed to be very well-equipped! So I'm sure you'll find everything you need there but it will be expensive. Be warned! But if you are investing in your body, its probably the best investment you will ever make so its totally worth it.

The Ab Ripper X workout seemed more doable today. It still killed my stomach but it was a good burn & I felt it!

Oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR by the way!

Here are my stats for the Legs & Back session for Day 5 (the LAST DAY of the year) - Dec 31, 2010:

R = Reps . W = Weight

01. Balance Lunges - R 16 ea . W 0
02. Calf Raise Squats - R 20 . W 15
03. Reverse Grip Chin-Up [Mod] - R 15
04. Super Skater - R 22 ea
05. Wall Squat
06. Wide Front Pull-Up [Mod] - R 15
07. Step Back Lunge - R 15 . W 15
08. Alternating Side Lunge - R 15 . W 0
09. Closed Grip Overhead Pull-Up - R 10
10. Single Leg Wall Squat - 4 @ 10 sec
11  Dead Lift Squat - 15 ea

12  Switch Grip Pull-Ups [Mod] - R 16 | R 16 

13. Three-Way Lunges - R 15

14  Sneaky Lunges - R 15

15  Reverse Grip Chin-Ups [Mod] - R 15

16. Toe-Roll Iso Lunge - R 11 . W 0

17. Wide Front Pull-Ups [Mod] - R 10

18. Groucho Walk - 

19. Calf Raises R 40 . W 15

20. 80-20 Siebers Speed Squats - R 10

Day 4 - Yoga X

Okay if some of you have always believed that Yoga's for sissies - you are DEAD wrong. It aint Yoga when Tony Horton does it. Its Yoga X! And believe you me Yoga X is tough!

I thought today would be a walk in the park since it was yoga day. Boy was I wrong! The other blogger was right about Tony, he's not human - and I agree.  Tony Horton is an evil cyborg from HELL who knows his yoga! If he can make yoga seem so damn difficult... he can't be human! By the way the 'Plough to Shoulder Stand' position is for folks who wish to break their necks! And don't be so naive as to follow whatever Tony says because he aint human!

Jokes apart some of the major pluses of Yoga X was that it made me sweat profusely which I hadn't considered. Some of the easier positions targeted the abs area which were great cuz I felt a strong burn in my abs which I would not normally feel even after 40 sit-ups! So I have to admit I like Yoga X. On the negative side I felt that Tony moved way too fast for a beginner like me. I know that you got the remote and you can hit pause whenever you feel like it. But its not the same when you have half your body facing away from the rest of your body and a leg above your head with both of your hands clasping your groin from OPPOSITE sides and you realize that Tony ran off on different moves which would mean for you to break away from your current position, hit the pause button, rewind and play from the point where he just described how to grab you groin from opposite sides. He doesn't move as fast in the other videos!

I got me a pair of 15 lb dumbbells and a resistance band today (for exercises that require me to put up a dumbbell over my head). So I'm really excited. I tried doing some of Tony's dumbbell exercises at Sports Authority today with 20 lb weights and I seemed not to be able to complete the desired reps. So I got me 15 lb instead cuz they seemed challenging enough for me AND I could complete the reps with them.

Day 3 - Shoulders & Arms + Ab Ripper x

Great workout. Period. Funny how today's session ACTUALLY felt GOOD. I wasn't as tired as I was after Plyometrics or Day 1! I don't know if this is because of my mindset about my upper body. Perhaps I am so very focused on building my upper body that the usual punishment from P90X does not feel like enough. This video is definitely good for your arms, especially your triceps.

I made a huge mistake though. I began the session with my brother-in-law's 25 lb monster dumbbells. And that was why my reps suffered MAJORLY. I was only able to put out 2-3 reps where I could've done atleast 10-12 with my usual 20 lb weights. This sucks.

Here are my stats for Day 3, Dec 29 2010:

R : REPS . W : WEIGHT . MOD : MODIFIED . B : BAND .

01. Alternating Shoulder Presses -  R 0 , W 25 | R 14 , W B
02. In & Out Bicep Curls -  R 3 , W 25 | R 3 , W 25
03. Two-Arm Tricep Kickbacks - R 12 , W 25 | R13 , W 25
04. Deep Swimmer’s Presses - R 3 , W 25 | R 3 , W 25
05. Full Supination Concentration Curl - R 4 , W 25 | R 4 , W 25
06. Chair Dip -  R 15 | R 15
07. Upright Rows - R 10 . W 25 | R 6 . W 25
08. Static Arm Curls - R 2 . W 25 | R2 . W 25
09. Flip-Grip Twist Tricep Kickback - R 4 . W 25 | R 5 . W B
10. Two-Angle Shoulder Flys - R 4 . W 25 | R 5. W 25
11. Crouching Cohen Curls - R 8 . W 25 | R 10 . W 25
12. Lying-Down Tricep Extensions (MOD) - R 12 . W 25 | R 8 . W 25

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BONUS ROUND

01. In & Out Straight-Arm Shoulder Flys - R 10 . W 25 | R 10 . W 25
02. Congdon Curls - R 2 . W 25 | R 2 . W 25
03. Side Tri-Rises -  R 15 ea side

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The exercises that required me to raise the monster 25 lb dumbbell over my head with my left hand were pretty scary. So I modified them with a band.  Since my balance issues have not been rooted out completely as yet, I have no intention of conking myself on the head with a 25 lb monster dumbbell. Let's admit it - THAT would be DUMB. & the ONLY weights available in the house were the 25 lb weights. I had NO OTHER CHOICE! I'm going to get me my 20 lbs soon so I can atleast do some honorable 10-12 reps!

I'm just posting this photograph because I feel like it. It has nothing whatsoever to do with P90X but I took it! I took it in Dhaka, Bangladesh during the scorching summer of 2010.