P90X: "Does This Really Work?" Day 8 of 90

Week One Redux.  Back to Core Synergistics.  This will be my second time through this routine.  This goes on for about three weeks so this is going to be a common occurrence.  I need to know something and I need to know it now, "Does this really work?"  I reread last weeks blog on this, which is great because I can also pick up on my state of mind as I finished the workout the first time around.  I have noted the following:

(a) Notice I am typing in capital letters.  That should signify one thing.  When I finished, I could still lift my arms.  I was exerted, but not damaged.  It also made it a lot easier to put together my shakeology recovery lunch drink.

(b) When I did the "Skater side-to-side leg raise thingy" (as I referred to it last week), this time, I did the whole exercise and could bring my legs off the floor on every rep!  That one shocked me.  Last week, I couldn't do two.  I spent 95% of the time last week with my toe glued to the floor, unable to lift the leg.

(c) The pushups where you roll to the side and raise your arm to the ceiling...could do those too!

(d) I did the entire thing and added in two of the three bonus exercises.  I felt so guilty about not doing the last bonus exercise that I went up and speed walked on the treadmill for twenty minutes and ripped off another 200 calories.

This week, I saw a major improvement and am really psyched to do every workout to see what gains I have made.  Also, (little vanity check here) I am continuing to see physical changes in the mirror.  More refinement.  More definition.  Some visual muscle in place where they were covered with a little "goo" (as Tony Horton refers to it).

So, YES.  It really works.  YES, it is hard.  But YES, it is worth it.  I feel like I am doing a lot for my physical condition.

Seeing improvement right now is the barometer I am using for my success...and I am pretty jazzed up for the rest of the week.

More tomorrow!

P90X: "Fear of the Unknown" Day 7 of 90

I now know what to expect.  The fear is gone.  For the next two weeks, my workouts will be the same as last week.  Same Tony Horton.  Same fitness buddies.  Same routines.  Different results.  That’s what I have to look forward to.  Now that I have a baseline, I have something to proceed from.  I don’t have to worry while I am watching the DVD that it gets more intense.  I also don’t have to worry about how to do most of the exercises.  Some actually were repeated several times this week.  I know which exercises I am good at.  I also know which ones I am pathetic at.  I want to be more intense and to improve.

I do look a little different when I look in the mirror.  There are actually changes taking place.  I am also recovering a little faster…I think.  Even if that is delusional, it is at least delusional in a positive direction!

It was hard.  No doubt there.  Nothing like anything I have done before.  This was harder than all the exercises I had to do in Army Basic Training in 1982.  It was tougher than all the double-sessions I did in High School Football.  It makes you feel durable.  This type of thing will do that.  That…and also watching Rocky VI or Bruce Springsteen live.

As Neil Young would say, “It’s better to burn out, than it is to rust.”

Today is the “rest” day of the week.  It is also my birthday.  I didn’t plan it that way, it just worked out.  I may just do four or five miles walking and keep the machine in motion.   

I am actually looking forward to all the workouts this week.  This is where I see if there was an improvement.  There will be.  I also begin this week accurately tracking the weight and reps.  My week one goal was survival, now I can build on that.

I started re-reading a book called "Ultrametabolism" by Mark Hyman, MD.  It's a great read on how your body works, what to feed it (and what not to) and how to put it in a position to burn fat more efficiently.  I highly recommend it.  Nothing makes you feel better about doing something hard or difficult than knowing the reasons you need to do it.  From the mouth of every child..."But whyyyy?"

P90X: "Five Reasons to Quit This" Day 6 of 90

I’ve done five days so far.  It’s been a hard week.  The toughest part of this program is figuring out where your baseline is and then improving from there.  The only way to do that, though, is to get to NEXT week.  Kempo X is tonight, then my one day off to repair…on which I will get on my treadmill and just pleasantly walk some miles.

At this point, you are probably feeling the regimen.  Every day brings the thought that you will be doing this “one more time tonight”.  It has been a tough week and you have only seen marginal gains, if any.  Can you really do thirteen weeks of this?  This is where all the doubt creeps in.

I had a pretty good online debate going yesterday with a mortgage broker who was touting the benefits of a new loan program for low income folks with no money down.  Without going into a lot of ‘off-track’ detail, I kind of had an inside front-row seat to the mortgage and finance debacle of the last five years.  He was trying to convince people of how great these products were, in spite of all the lessons of the last twenty years.  It occurred to me that if you want something bad enough, you can rationalize just about anything.  So, do you REALLY want to quit?

There are a lot of reasons to want to quit and to justify it.  I know, I have been doing this a long time.

(1) “I feel sore every day.  I just want to wake up and feel good when I go to work.”  Feeling good is relative.  You don’t like how you feel now, so you think that if you feel marginally better tomorrow, that will work for the rest of your life.  Wrong.  You need to keep physically active.  All of you.  This program is telling you that there are parts of you that are just not being used anymore.  Also, there are parts that are getting older very quickly.  If you are going to make it to the end and feel good about it, there is a price to pay and there is no time like today.

(2)   “Every day I look in the mirror.  I won’t ever look like those people on the DVD.”  You are right.  You most likely won’t.  They are gorgeous.  THAT is not your goal.  The people you are looking at have never been really fat or really out of shape.  I can tell the difference.  They look that way because they have been active their whole life and because being fit is their means of income.  Their goal is to sell fitness products.  Fat people exercising is disgusting.  I know, I have seen it.  In a mirror.  They wouldn’t sell ten programs if they were out of shape.  And you wouldn’t have bought the program either!  So stop this excuse.  Your goal is to improve and be a better, more fit, YOU.

(3)      “I just want to eat like everybody else.”  Of course you do.  Because eating for pleasure, all the sugar, all the fat, causes the secretion of serotonin and endorphins in your blood stream and makes you feel temporarily happy.  But then your insulin response kicks up, you crave more sugar, you start storing the fat, your cholesterol goes up.  And your muscles atrophy because you are sitting around a table and turning meals into a form of entertainment.  You want to see where that is going?  Go to a mall and play a game I play now with my daughter.  As you walk through the mall (and do about four trips around, cause it’s good exercise) simply start at zero and add one for every fat person and deduct one for every thin or average person.  You will realize that the number is somewhere north of zero.  It may seem like a low number, until you figure out that ANY number at zero or greater means that HALF of the people you saw are considered fat.  That is where our societal eating habits are going.  Go ahead.  Quit.  Join them.  Great club right?

(4)      “It’s not working for me.”  Seriously?  It took quite a bit of time to get into the fabulous shape you are in.  I am taking a leap of faith here but many of you are doing this to improve your physical well being.  We are a world that more and more thinks that we should have instant gratification.  I want to be happy NOW.  I want to be smarter NOW.  I want to be beautiful NOW.  Well, the world is doing it’s damnedest to satisfy all those requests.  IM and chat, liposuction and lapband surgery, botox and chin replacements…you know what this really is?  Shortcuts.  We are hell bent on getting our way, even if we can take a shortcut to get there.  And if we can rationalize that no one is getting hurt, all the better.  Time to come back from Oz, Dorothy.  Every shortcut has its price from a lack of social skills to some of the worst botched surgical procedures you may ever see.  Just Google it.  There is no shortcut to health.  It takes work.  Before it works for YOU, you have to work for IT.

(5)      “What harm will quitting do?”  None.  None to anyone but you.  And that is okay with me.  But is it okay with you?  Staying in shape is a habit.  So is quitting.  You quit one thing, then another.  After a while, it’s not hard to quit just about anything.  You will tell yourself, “At least I tried.”  I hate that statement.  I hate it because I hear it all the time from people who quit something.  Occasionally, it is a justified statement but 98% of the time it is justifying quitting.  I will never say that.  My goal, in anything I do, is to complete what I started.  My goal is to give it my all and to do my best to complete the journey.  You never get to Paris by patting yourself on the back for taking a taxi to the airport every day.

You can rationalize just about anything if you want to.  I have spent a lifetime achieving many goals because I decided that I needed to at least complete the journey.  Even if you fail in the big prize, the discipline of completing the journey is a prize worth taking home.

You feel like crap right now.  So you can just trust me on this.  Now go do another workout!

[later that night]

Kempo X.  Awesome!  This is the first routine that I did ALL the exercises, ALL the reps, and felt like I could hang with the people on the DVD.  I am so psyched.  I should have guessed that I could do this because it was a lot of legs and kicks with punches and twisting.  The form was really great too.  I kept careful eye on it.  I felt so good that I did a twenty minute speed walk to cool down.  Lovin this.  See you in the AM!!

P90X: "Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall..." Day 5 of 90

Hard.  The first four days of P90X have been hard.  Tough exercises.  Muscles that I didn’t know I had were burnt to a crisp.  Waking up sore.  A stinking head cold.  I kind of expected this.  I hoped it would be easy, but I was realistically expecting this.  I had been hoping for "easy" the same way you hoped as a kid for that special Christmas present that you know is completely sold out and nowhere to be found.  My body is reminding me of one thing though, I am NOT a kid anymore.

But!  Yes, BUT!  There is a “BUT” here.  You know what else is hard?  Ah hah, on only day five I looked in the mirror this AM and I am noticing that there are areas in my shoulders and upper chest that are looking oddly different.  Not like the Incredible Hulk or anything, just a bit more sculpted than I have seen in quite some time.  A couple of veins have surfaced.  Could it be that there is blood pumping through them for the first time in years?

I take the train every morning into Boston and there is a steep set of stairs I have to go up to get to the train platform.  I typically go up two steps at a time with a skip in my step…but today the sensation felt different.  There was an ease to it that I haven’t felt before.  Maybe it was an increased stability because muscles are being honed in some new places.  Maybe I just feel better because I am not sore in the legs and butt this morning… but I don’t think so.  I am pretty in tune with my body and how it feels/reacts.  Today is different.   Today is one of those days that will give you a vision into where you are going on this journey and why you are doing it.  I feel stronger.  It’s working.

I read a comment online the other day from a woman who was describing a past relationship with a boyfriend she had who was very into working out.  She wrote about how it bothered her tremendously that he obsessed over his body.  He talked all the time about what he ate and he would always be looking in the mirror to see how he looked.  She wrote with such bitter tones.  It was as though she wished he wanted her more than he wanted his own self-improvement.  On some level, I understood her point.  I also was bothered by it.

I have said, over and over, that getting yourself into shape and keeping it there, especially if you are large and trying to diet, is the most selfishly unselfish thing you will do for yourself.  I so wanted to ask this person how old she was and what kind of physical shape she was in.  How much do you weigh?  Are you fat?  Obese maybe?  I couldn’t though, it would have felt like an attack.  But it would be self-defense really, because I also felt as though she was trying to make me feel bad about wanting to stay as fit as I could.

When I was 17, I spent an entire summer losing 60 lbs.  I created a whole new me.  A me I really liked.  A "me" I liked for maybe the first time.  The one thing that stuck with me was comments from my own mother about, “It's awful, you're always looking in the mirror.”  Yes.  I was.  It was my yardstick.  I looked into that mirror for honest feedback on my progress.  I looked into the mirror for the same reason that I use metrics in business to gauge my progress.  I want to know, every day, how I am doing.  I want to be reinforced that I am doing the right things.  I use it to propel myself to the next level.  The mirror.  The scale.  Your pants or dress size.  All of it is a feedback mechanism that tells you that you are making progress.  Use them all.

I don’t look in the mirror because I am a narcissist.  I look because it tells me something.  I know why I am looking.  There are many who, as you begin to shape the new you, will believe you look because you are admiring what you see.  There is a difference between looking for the results and narcissism.  There are many, who will never attempt the work effort involved, who will think it is the latter.  Don’t buy into their crap.  They are not there when you are sweating.  They won’t hold up your leg.  They are not the ones who consciously think, “Apple or cookie?”  You KNOW why you are doing this.

Don’t be embarrassed or affected about how others feel about your drive, ambition or goals on this endeavor.  They are not the ones working this hard.  They are not the ones fighting the battle.  You are.  Know this much.  When you begin to see results for yourself as you look in your mirror, they can see it too.  You may stop looking in the mirror when you leave the bathroom but they can see you all day long.  You are a reminder to them that they could change if they had the drive.  They, at this point in their journey, do not like that.  They can think whatever they want.  Just do NOT let it stop or slow you down.  Whatever it takes to put yourself into a condition where you are fit, healthy, and most importantly, feeling real good about the person looking back in the mirror…do it.  Do it for you.

In case you haven’t figured it out…I am very passionate about this point.

Tough workout later today…have a great day…you have been earning it.

[later that night]

I did Ab Ripper X first tonight.  I did considerably better than the other night, when I did it last.  I also did the Legs and Back workout.  I found out two things.  First, my legs are in as good, if not better, condition than all the P90X people.  The lunges were done with 25lb weights and I did them without nearly the strain that they did.  And with very good form.  The second thing I found out was that I have the relative upper body strength of a very weak old woman...maybe a strong child.  A lot of my weight is apparently in my legs from all my running and I do not have the same relative mass of upper body muscle.  When I do the pull ups, it is like I am lifting dead weight, and the progress is going to be long and slow.  Que sera sera...I will keep going.  All I can do is look to improve...right?  Goodnight!

P90X: "A Body In Motion" Day 4 of 90

I am pleasantly surprised today.  I am not as sore as yesterday.  I am sore, I can feel the result of last night's workout.  I just don't feel it as badly as yesterday.

It could be many things.  I did the 'Arms and Shoulders' and then the 'Ab Ripper X' last night.  When you move around normally, you don't really notice the strain you put on that area as much as you do your legs and butt...which incidentally feel much better than yesterday.  So maybe it's just the simple fact that I worked an area that doesn't have to support such basic movement as, well, walking.

It could also be the Nyquil I took last night and this morning.  I am fighting a nasty head cold and took the medicine so I could sleep better.  "Nyquil.  The night-time sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so-you-can-forget-how-P90X-burnt-your-abs medicine."  I kind of think modern medicine might have taken care of some of the achiness.

That said, I didn't let the cold stop me.  It's a stupid head cold.  To be completely honest, the exercise cleared my sinuses last night for the time I was working out.  It actually felt damn good.  Go ahead, don't believe me.  It's true though.

The Ab-Ripper X last night was really disappointing.  I had been doing so well last year with them.  Then I stopped.  I lost all the progress I had made.  So I just did as much as I could until my muscles wouldn't respond anymore.  I will have to rebuild.  I should have expected that...I just forgot because I refuse to believe I am getting older.  The thing you have to remember, particularly if you are in your late 30's and 40's, is that when you stop using the physical machine, you lose your progress.  It goes away faster than ever at this age.  Our lifestyles have become so sedate that we are either exercising or sitting down.  There is no in between state anymore.  And we have labeled exercise as 'hard'...so the La-Zee-Boy company is having a field day with that.

I remember my great-aunt, who had grown up on a farm in Canada, used to walk every day.  When she was 85, she had to go into the hospital to have an operation.  Her greatest concern was getting out of the hospital to get back on her feet and walk again.  It was her life and her life-style.  There was a time when this country could do physical work and be tired and that felt like you had done a great job that day.  Now it is so foreign to us that we confuse it with, "I'm exhausted."  We need to keep moving.  That is the nature of our bodies.  Anything else is an invitation for sickness, illness, lethargy, and obesity.  Not to mention, it just feels like you have just quit on life because it kicked your butt.

Sir Isaac Newton once said, "A body in motion, stays in motion, until acted on by another force."  Don't let that force be your attitude.  Make it be something real.  Don't just throw in the towel.  I don't believe that we are human beings having a spiritual existence on this planet.  I believe we are spiritual beings having a human existence.  I believe that our bodies are no more than the machines wrapped around our souls, meant for us to use to enjoy this physical plane of existence as much as we can.  It's an exquisite machine when you think about it. No other machine in the world gets stronger and more efficient with use.  Think about that for a minute.  The best things we have ever produced all break down with use.  But when you use your body, it becomes stronger than if it sits idle.  Even if you did compare our bodies to a car...you wouldn't just leave a Porshe in the garage.  Keep it in great shape and take it out and enjoy it.

Stay in motion.  Colds don't count as obstacles to staying in shape.  In fact, you should be able to fight them even better when you are in great shape.  No excuses.

Yoga X tonight.  I used to make fun of Yoga...not anymore.  Tony is going to try to pretzel me.

[later that night]

Yoga X...90 minutes.  Yep 90.  I left 20 minutes at the end on the table.  I had to...it is ab work and I apparently am not fully recovered from last night.  I couldn't do even 2 reps...I was toast.  No form.  I did speed walk 3.5 miles this AM at 4.2mph...so I don't feel too bad.  I gave it my all today.  That's all you can do.  And then come back for more.  Always come back.  Goodnight!

P90X: Can Mortals Do This? Day 3 of 90

Sore.  I’m sore.  Everywhere.  I can honestly say that P90X, in only 2 days, must have used every muscle in my body.  At least I hope so.  So, no kidding…complete honesty…I feel it.  This is how I felt last year when, after not having skied for a year, I did about 7 hours on the slopes.  This is how I feel on a Sunday in the fall after I spend Saturday in the yard raking leaves.  My butt is aching from what I think was the Kempo Karate kicks.  My abs are a little stiff from the Superman/Banana thing (you have to be doing the P90X to understand that).  My shoulders are tender from the yoga pushups.

Now, I have to also say something else at this point.  This is where most programs like this come to an end for people.

“I can’t do this."

“My butt aches with every step.” 

“Why does my hair hurt?”

Okay, I threw that last one in to see if you were paying attention.  My hair feels fabulous.  Here’s the deal though…I’m sore.  I’m not dying.  ‘Sore’ is my body saying something to me…and it is NOT saying to quit.  Sore is letting me know that I am waking up muscles that should be getting used on a daily basis but, for whatever reason, are not.  When you exercise, particularly to get in shape or lose weight, there are moments where you have to deal with what your body, your physical machine, is trying to tell you.  Sore means that you are doing something new and unfamiliar.  Sore means ‘IT’S WORKING.’  Read that again.  IT’S WORKING.  This is not killing you.  It’s healing you.  You can do this, you really can.  I know I can do this, and I am aching in some very new places.  But in two weeks, I won’t be waking up THIS sore.  Because I will have woke up every muscle in the machine.

Here in New England, we are all a little sad this morning as our Patriots lost another Super Bowl to the New York Giants.  Everyone on that team will look at the other men that played with them and wonder if everyone worked as hard as they could or should have.  In team sports, victory is highly dependent on groups of people performing at their peak, together.  It is glorious and rare when that happens.  That is why it is so great.  This program, like any other exercise or weight loss program, is a different beast.  Don’t think New England Patriots, think Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimmer.  The only team that will be accountable for quitting now can be found in the mirror every morning.  It’s you and that person…get it?  But here’s the upside.  When you are done…when you come out of the other end of the tunnel…you own the victory.  You don’t share it with someone else.  It’s yours and yours alone.  When you look in that mirror, the sense of pride you will feel will be overwhelming.  It feels fantastic and you should know that right now.

You’re sore.  Start to translate that, in your head, into something good and positive.  It won’t last.  Here is the one last thing that sore does for you.  When you decide you want to eat something, or do something that will negatively impact the work you are doing, it gives you something tangible to balance that urge.  When your body feels just dandy, it’s real easy to toss a whole sleeve of Oreo cookies into your mouth, wash it down with 12 ounces of cold milk, and pop yourself into the warm cozy bed where those calories can comfortably attach themselves to your ass.  When you are sore from the work you are doing, and you look at those Oreos, there is a sound from your body that you will hear in the back of your brain that says, “Screw this, where’s the apples?”  Have one of those instead.  Hell, have two if you are that hungry.

I’m sore.  So what?  Say it again...it won't kill you.  Sore is telling me that I am alive and getting stronger.  I will be sore again.  I will get through my work day.  I will eat well.  I will be doing my P90X tonight.  Count on it.

Tonight is Arms and Shoulders, and Abs.

[later that evening]

okay, I haven't used weights on my arms in a while...and certainly not the way Tony Horton did.  I tried purposely to not pick up weights that would be too heavy, knowing that I had to get to at least 11-12 reps per set.  It didn't help...I burnt my arms out.  I need to find a comfortable middle ground but have the feeling it may take weeks.  I wish there were an easier way, or wish they could give you advice...it was tough trying to figure out what would work.  I found myself keying off of the optimally worked out lady/girl and then going a bit lower.

the ab ripper X...well, I did this for months last year and did a lot better than I did tonight.  was I really this bad at it when I started?  I guess I was.  I will get there...I know I did my best because my muscles are burnt and I could not do one more rep.  I will heal...and I will return.  now, protein, vitamins, ni-quil (a cold started this AM) and bed.

P90X: Can Mortals Do This? Day 2 of 90

Day Two.  Wow.  Guess what?  I apparently have muscles in my ass that I was not aware of.  I am, however, aware of them now.  I woke up and had to kind of stretch myself a little before I got out of bed.  I did not just hop out.  I am really pretty sore in some odd places as well as some familiar ones.

Okay, I took and posted the pictures.  A couple of observations here.  There are many people who tell me, when I am in clothes, "You are thin enough! You don't need to lose any more weight!"  These pictures are screaming a different opinion.  That is a beautiful little ring of fat I am sporting around the middle.  There are a lot of area's on this awesome specimen of a man that need some serious work.  The good news is that, 90 days from now, that set of photos will HAVE to look better.  I can also tell why my chiropractor keeps wanting to do work on me...check out the height of my shoulders...the left is pulled high while the right is sagging.  This must be just fantastic for my spine and back muscles!  All right, I need to go and do my workout.  Day Two, "Cardio X".

Before I leave this to work out, I should say something about my motivation here.  When I was a kid, my parents would let me do anything I wanted to do, so long as I gave it a good shot and didn't quit.  There has been very very little in my life that I have committed to do and then just quit.  I think I can count them on one hand.  I am really proud of that.  I know I can do this.  Most people who are just trying to diet, or do something challenging in their life, will wonder all the time whether they can do it.  I will tell you this from personal experience...nothing is going to improve your life, or your perspective on it, like having a small success that came from work and persistence.  The small successes will give you enough confidence that you will take on a bigger challenge, until one day you tell yourself that there is NOTHING you cannot do.

Think about all the things you have done in your life that came from work and persistence.  So often we discount those things in our lives and forget them.  Remember them.  Relish them.  They are your fuel.

Let's see what this program takes.  I'll be your guinea pig.  If you want to do it...just do it.  I'm going to...unless it kills me first...but I think I will win this one.

One other observation on those pictures...I have heinous legs.  Where did those even come from?  They look like my father's...so I will give him some credit.  Off to workout...

[Two Hours Later]

yep...same feeling as yesterday.  couldn't do 100% of all the reps in every exercise.  weird though...I thought I would be too sore to do the second day very well.  they must have the program set up so that you use variations of muscles so certain ones can repair.  i am still sore...but it isn't debilitating, you just kind of know you did something rigorous and demanding.  Cardio X has yoga in it..something I have never done and frequently laugh at because it looks stupid.  it is hard, not stupid.  i am stupid.  there is Kempo Karate, which is fun and tiring.  the first four reps are fun, the twenty to twenty fifth reps are not.  lots of leg work.

okay.  it's Super Bowl Sunday and our own New England Patriots are looking for their fourth win in eleven years...protein, vitamins, water and a shower are calling.  See you tomorrow!!  Soon I will begin posting what I eat each day...I am going to log it so I might as well show it.

P90X: Can Mortals Do This? Day 1 of 90

Am I crazy?  Some of you know me...feel free to weigh in here.  I have been watching these infomercials forever.  You can't miss them if you are channel surfing because they pop up on cable every 5 channels...especially at night and in the early mornings.  They mostly show up when you are really relaxing and make you feel like a massive lazy schlep.  So I ordered them.  I read the book/manual.  I looked at some of the DVD's...looked, not 'worked out to.'  It looked okay...not too killer.  At least that's what I thought sitting on the couch.  So I made the decision.  90 days.  I can do this.  But I don't just want to DO it...I want to share it.  I am sure everyone who has seen this has wondered, "What's it like?"  This is where you will find out.

I took my Day One photos.  I will post them for the Day Two blog along with my measurements, which the program advises.  I am a firm believer in living by the numbers, so whether or not this program works will be a matter of simple math and your own eyes. 

I have come a long way since the 285 lb guy looked in the mirror in 2008.  I am in pretty good shape.  I am also 50 as of next Friday...so 'pretty good shape' from my perspective could very well mean that I win the shopping cart races at the grocery store.  But I do believe I am in decent shape for a 30 year old and great shape for a 50 year old.  That said, I am ready to do my P90X Day One workout.  Today is called Core Synergistics.  I am doing the P90X program which they call LEAN.  All right...off to work out.

[Two Hours Later]

i am too tired to use caps.  i did like, half to three quarters of the workouts until I was burnt.  i don't want to accidentally break or rip something and have to stop.  on one exercise, I could barely do it at all...the ice skating side to side leg raise thingy.  i'm dead, never tried anything like this in my life.  now i am getting some water, vitamins and a protein bar.  ughhhhh.  i WILL get there.

incidentally, I now know why people lose weight on this workout...it's difficult to eat if you can't raise your arms.  good thing they ended with a yoga downward dog stretch...I may have to eat from my dog's bowl for a while.

okay...will let you know how things are tomorrow.  somehow it feels like i may be sore...really?  wow.  genius.