Choosing to take an ACTIVE role in my fitness. The tendency was to do nothing and start falling apart. You know 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Time is now, and it is time to BRING IT!
Tammy and I are just in our second week of P90X2, which is the Foundation Phase (3 to 4 week Phases). The Phase 2 is Strength and Phase 3 is Performance. For now we are not using a Pre-workout Drink, but come Phase 2 and especially Phase 3 we will be trying the new Energy and Endurance. I like that it does not have Arginine alpha-ketoglutarate or ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate.
Energy and Endurance contains: No artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives. And No high-risk or untested ingredients.
If you want often perform intense exercise like long runs or Cross-country skiing (when the snow finally flies) you may want to give it a try. Once we are Bringing it hard to Phase 2 & 3 of P90X2 I will trying it and reporting my thoughts. Like all the products it is a 30-day money back guarantee.
Click the picture below for a link to the nutritional label
P.S. - information on Anhydrous caffeine :
Anhydrous Caffeine
Anhydrous caffeine is simply dehydrated caffeine -- anhydrous means "without water." It is available in pill or tablet form, or as a soluble powder. Anhydrous caffeine is found in a number of non-prescription medications such as Vivarin and No-Doze. According to Drugs.com, these medications contain 200 mg of anhydrous caffeine per tablet. A cup of coffee may contain 40 mg to 180 mg, depending on how it is brewed. Tea varies from 20 mg to 90 mg per 8 oz. cup. Cola and other soft drinks contain 36 mg to 90 mg in 12 oz., and bittersweet chocolate has 25 mg of caffeine per ounce.
It's The Same Thing
Although anhydrous caffeine may be more convenient than coffee or other forms of caffeinated beverages since it can be carried in a purse, suitcase or pocket, there is no difference chemically between anhydrous and regular caffeine. Anhydrous caffeine does provide a standard dose; brewed drinks can vary according to the amount of water used, brewing time or method.
Considerations and Warnings
Caffeine is generally recognized as safe when consumed in moderate amounts; in large doses it can cause sleeplessness. Drugs.com recommends women who are pregnant should limit caffeine intake to 300 mg or three cups of coffee a day due to the risk of miscarriage and because it may limit growth of the fetus. Women who are breastfeeding should also limit caffeine intake to one or two cups a day and should avoid taking over-the-counter caffeine medications due to the possible effect on the baby.
While Tammy and I are doing P90X2 for the next 3 months. P90X is really still the Standard that changed "home" workouts. Here is a Clip from a recent LIVE! with Kelly show
ALong with Tony Horton and Shaun Thompson, Chalene Johnson is one of our favorite Beachbody trainers. She is such a motivator and a genuinely nice person. Monday Jan. 2nd she was on LIVE! with Kelly! Her workouts are always fun and in the end you realize you set some great things for your fitness and life into motion.
****************************************************************** The joy of Christmas is upon our home and treats and feasting abound. I wish I could say that my little fit self is no worse for the wear this Holiday season but I cannot. Each time I wake up and done my workout clothes my shorts let me know that the season of eating has settled in, literally. It was my hope that INSANITY/ASYLUM was going to stave off the seasonal weight gain but I was wrong, but oh what a mess I would be in if I wasn't training myself each morning to just show up and do my best. I read this article this morning and I think it really could speak to so many during this season and each day.
We really ought not to allow the scale to dictate our health, our self-esteem or our happiness. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and we should make it a nice place for Him to dwell, both physically and spiritually. We should have good health not twiggy little bodies or unreasonable goals. We should worship the Lord with our inner thoughts and feelings in regard to ourselves because yes, He is listening and out of the heart the mouth speaks. We are God's workmanship, His very creation and he created us to glorify him and to do good works. So, don't put yourself down because of what the scale says but rather glorify the Lord and prepare yourself to be God's best through taking care of yourself, spiritually and physically. Now, yes, I know our spiritual life is number one in the whole realm and scheme of things but our physical life can impact how we carry that out, so we need to take care of our bodies. So, please don't think I am preaching body and fitness is number one, because I am not. I know from first hand experience, that when we are right in our heads and hearts about our bodies then we are more effective ministers of the truth to those around us. When we feel good about ourselves we are more able to let the Lord's love shine through and do the good works He has purposed for us to do.
So how do I do it? Well it is simple, I didn't say easy, just simple---Decide, Commit, Succeed. That is the motto of Team Beachbody. Deciding dosen't do it, but committing does. If you commit you will succeed. I get up at 5:30 every morning and workout. I mean really workout, not just glisten. I sweat, I grunt and I work hard for however long the day's workout is going to be. I might take an non-prescribed break but I don't stop and I don't give up and I have succeeded at becoming healthier and stronger. Notice I said "healthier and stronger," not thinner. The number on the scale is not where I want it to be, in fact the number is currently nowhere near pre-baby four's number and I struggle. However, I decided and committed and I am stronger. I wish I fit into pre-baby four pants but I don't. I am stronger and challenged to do things that I never would have thought of or attempted. I am so thankful for the challenges BeachBody provides and here is a little look at what I or should I say Jay and I have done this year and what we hope to accomplish in the next:
So as we look to 2012 remember you are not your number and you are only one decision and one commitment away from success. If you are up for the challenge, let's talk because together we can Reverse the Trend and be healthier, fitter and stronger!
What's the difference between P90X® and P90X2™? This is the question of the year, and it can't be answered in one simple sentence, or even one article. So I've written this series to help you decide whether or not P90X2 is the program for you. I wish I could tell all of you that P90X2 is right for you, but I'm too responsible for that. I'm sure one program in Beachbody's huge collection will work for each of you, but if you want to know specifically whether that right one is P90X2, read on.
Is P90X2 better than P90X? How can you beat the most popular workout program in the country? You can't. P90X2 is an extension of P90X. It's not necessarily better, but it's definitely evolved. For a more in-depth look at its development, read the first article in this series. Is it more Muscle Confusion™? You betcha! If you thought your muscles were confused last time around, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
Is it harder? Remember the first time you did P90X? Could anything feel harder than that? Probably not. So while P90X2 isn't technically harder, it's probably going to feel harder until you get used to it. And since it's Muscle Confusion, it's going to take you some time to adapt. During this adaptation period, it's going to feel very difficult, but you're used to that, right? And when you take your X2 body back to another round of P90X, that program's going to feel harder too, because you'll be prepared to push yourself farther than ever before. Is it still 6 days per week? No, it's only 5, though we suggest active recovery on your rest days. The more intensely you work out, the less time you need to spend doing it. With more breakdown, you also need more rest. P90X2 has evolved to the point where less is more. Will there be options like Lean and Doubles? Instead of giving you different program options, P90X2 gives you the option of increasing each phase long enough to get the most out of it. If you're having trouble with your balance, you may decide to spend more time in Phase One. For bigger muscles, spend more time in Phase Two. Want to get faster, jump higher, or become more agile? Spend more time mastering Phase Three. You'll definitely want to read the guidebook, because it provides ideas for how to tailor your training personally for you (and much more). In P90X, we made the most versatile home fitness program ever created. P90X2 will open up even more options.
Is it true that there's no cardio? Here's a little secret: There was no true cardio in P90X, either. At least not in the kind of training generally associated with that word. P90X used anaerobic interval training to improve your cardiovascular system; although it's technically cardio, it isn't the public perception of cardio. "Cardio" is a training colloquialism for training your heart. So while you won't see any cardio in the title names, doing Plyocide or P.A.P. Lower will train your cardiovascular system as well as any cardio routine you've ever done.
Will I need any new equipment? There's a lot of new equipment for P90X2, and you'll eventually want to own all of it. But the cool thing is that we've created an option that can be done with nothing but a few exercise bands and furniture found in any hotel room. This "hotel room" option virtually eliminates excuses for not working out.
So what is this equipment? Here's a list of the equipment needed, which we'll go into in detail in a later article. Did I say "needed"? It's not, really. Besides the hotel room option, we also do most movements in a variety of ways to make it easy to add equipment as you can afford it. Here's a prioritized list:
Bands and/or weights: You need some form of resistance.
Pull-up bar: Just like P90X.
Yoga mat: You must have one of these by now, right?
Stability ball: We highly recommend this, because the benefits outweigh the cost many times over . . . and over.
Foam roller: You may not have heard of this before, but don't be surprised if it changes your life.
Push-up stands: You know 'em. You love 'em. How come you don't already have them?
Medicine balls: Mainly used for balance, so easily replaced with substitutes (basketballs, etc.) if need be, though once you've used the real thing you'll wonder why you ever waited to buy them.
Pull-up assist: While highly optional (we got away with chairs all these years), the pull-up assist will not only improve your ability to finish all your reps, it'll greatly improve both your form and exercise efficiency.
Yoga blocks: If you need these, you probably have them already.
Foam rolling? What is that? Foam rolling is a myofascial release technique. Hmm . . . not much help? Okay, how about this? It's a form of self-massage that forces your muscles to lengthen and align properly. Used regularly, it'll increase your mobility and range of motion and actually help you get stronger, because it frees your muscles to work the way they're supposed to. This one simple practice is often enough to change your alignment and allow you to move freer and easier.
How has the diet plan changed? For P90X2, the diet has evolved along with the exercise plan. Not that there was anything wrong with the old one, but we've been listening to your suggestions, and we've revamped the diet guide to give you more options on what to eat, how to increase effectiveness, and how to simplify the entire eating process. This subject is more than we can cover here, so the X2 nutrition plan is the topic of next week's P90X2 article.
