Bring It: P90X Day 12

This is my very own journey with the P90X DVD training system, created by Tony Horton. This workout program is hardcore, it is intense, and it supposedly holds the key to pushing you into the best shape of your life. That is what I have been told. My journey will show you if that is the truth.

If you would like to start from the beginning of this series, please click here. If you want to read about my previous day with P90X, click here.

Feel free to comment and share your stories on health and fitness. And if you have stuck with me this far, I thank you for your continued support!

Today is a great day. Motivation has been visiting all day, and boy am I liking the results. Of course, a good night's sleep also probably helped a bit too!

I started the day early and was up before the sun. While normally thoughts would have strayed toward going back to bed after I made my husband's lunch, today was different. I remember last week when I went to bed, never actually feel asleep, and just wasn't happy with my productivity levels. I was feeling sluggish. But not today. Today, I had my first cup of coffee, everybody's lunches packed and my workout done before 7:30 a.m. Yep, it started off as a great day.

The workout was the second time of Legs and Back. I am not a fan of squats and lunges (and we can't forget about those pull ups that they sneak in and call it a break), but I will say strong legs run in the family. So, while I don't particularly enjoy them, I know that I have the capability of pulling them off. Ugg - but they still get very sore by the end.

To increase the intensity of the workout, I also added weights. I can tell I am getting stronger because I am doing better than I was last week. (Yes - I have been keeping track of weight and reps!) This workout kicked up my motivation. After I was done, I not only cleaned the entire house, but I also went for 2 walks. I am sure I will be feeling it tomorrow.

So, what else can I say but "Happy Squatting!" ..... Realhousewife - that is for you!

While working out your legs and back doesn't automatically make me think about setting goals, the P90X program, more accurately, Tony Horton, encourages you to set goals. These are goals that you should be setting for longterm, but also goals that you should be setting immediately.

One of the keys to P90X is to track your results. Since you usually only do the workout once a week, this allows you to remember what weight and how many reps you did the week before. You can also note whether the weight was too heavy or too light. This allows you to adjust your workout so you can get the best results week after week.

That being said, with each and every exercise, you are setting mini goals. If you did 10 pushups last week, set a goal to try and do at least one more. After all, we might realize we can actually do five more.

As people, we underestimate our ability. The goal is to do as many reps as we can with good form. Too many times do we stop to early. This will hurt our results. So, set that goal for a couple reps higher. You should see and feel the difference!

Note: Quality over quantity is always the best way to go. Remember, if you can't do the exercise with correct form, modify it for your abilities. When your form gets sloppy, that is when you increase your risk for injury!

One of the main reason I brought up goals today was not because legs and back make me think of goals, but because today my motivation has gotten the best of me. It caused me to set a goal! A very big goal. A goal that I will really need to work hard to achieve.

Today, I made a commitment to run a half-marathon by next spring!

I am still a little in shock, as in running is definately not something I particularly enjoy. Sure, I know it is great for you and it is a great way to lose weight and get in shape. It is just after about 5 minutes, I usually find myself getting bored!

However, today I made a commitment and I vow that by next spring, I will run a half marathon. Who knows... maybe next I will be setting a goal to run a full marathon. Before you know it, I will be vowing to visit the moon. See what motivation does to you?

So.... I guess I better get to my training!

If you want to read about Day 13, click here. Not only will you see how I am doing, but it is packed full of ideas on how to get fit while having fun.