Bring It: P90X Day 16

This is my personal journey on the P90X workout system. Let me tell you, it is a tough workout and it is not for the weak. P90X has been teaching me how to be strong - both physically and mentally.

From day one, I have been recording my daily workouts, and I have been giving you a peak at my gains and my fails. My mission is to show you if this program works or if it is just another advertising gimmick.

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 leave comments below. Your support has kept me going this far and I am pushing for the 90 day mark. Feel free to share your stories with us.

It is Day 16! When I first started, I honestly didn't think I would make it this far, but 16 is a pretty big number. Granted, it isn't anywhere close to 90, but I am more than half way through the first month. And let me tell you a little secret, once this week ends, I am on my recovery phase.

That is right, after all this muscle pounding, back breaking exercises, P90X decided that I get a one week break. But I peaked ahead at what the workout has in store, and I am not really sure it can be considered a break at all. In fact, it almost looks harder. But I know it is needed because it is time to shake things up. I am starting to get used to the workout and the backbone of the P90X program is muscle confusion.

However, today I kicked butt. Today was my 3rd week on Plyometrics. For those who have been with me for awhile, plyometrics is jump training. It is the X in P90X and if you decide to Bring It, this is the workout that will pound you into the ground.

My smart idea today was since next week is recovery and I get a break from this dreaded workout, that I was going to give it my all. And that is what I did. I jumped and squat jumped, and jump jacked, and lunge jumped (wow there is a lot of jumping!) until I couldn't physically get me feet off the ground by pure force of muscle.

I had worked myself into muscle failure. That is a good thing. I gave it my best and I beat myself up. No pain, no gain - right? Right! Well today I felt the pain and I know that it will gain me many benefits both physically and mentally.

The only bad thing is I pushed my self so hard, I actually made myself naseous. I tell you what - that doesn't make for a very productive person today.

So what's my secret to pushing myself? I am about to tell you!

Throughout the entire P90X program, plyometrics is the toughest and the one I struggle with the most. That probably would hold true for most people, because as we age, jumping is not something we actually like to do, unless of course we are an athlete and getting paid the big bucks for jumping. No one is paying me big bucks, so, I still don't like jumping.

But I still do it, and I do it because I know it is good for me. It will increase my cardio endurance and it will make me stronger. But when it comes to plyometrics, it is my mental muscles that I really use.

With each exercise, I stay focused. I only need to continue for 30 seconds. That being said, you can do anything for 30 seconds. Seriously, 30 seconds isn't that long, is it. If you breath through it, the 30 seconds will be done before you even know it.

Throughout the entire program, I keep telling myself that. And before I know it, I have completed the four exercise set and I am going on to the next one. It is all because majority of the exercises (except the fourth one in the set - which is a full minute), are only 30 seconds. And 30 seconds is quick.

If you keep that mindset, you will power through the entire workout! The only thing you can't do in 30 seconds is quite!

Another thing I realized today when I was working out, was there are a few exercises that I am afraid of. Not that they scare me, but I just don't like them. They are ones that I struggle with and my confidence is usually a little bit busted because I just can't do them.

One of these exercises is the Rockstar Hops. If you can imagine jumping up, kicking yourself in the butt with your heals while playing air guitar, you can imagine what this move looks like. I can not do this exercise. I have never been able to comfortably jump like that without fear of falling over. I just don't get enough height. And let me tell you, I suck at air guitar. I just look retarded. And it is one of the exercises I absolutely dread.

But, like I said before, you only have to do 30 seconds of it and it is over. So why be scared of those exercises that you struggle at. We are all going to have our strenghts and weaknesses! That just means you modify, do your best and forget the rest.

Who knows, maybe one day I will actually be strong enough to do that move!

So, get out their and do your 30 seconds worth. I did and I am feeling great!

If you are curious about Day 17, click here.