Saez

What a blast! I can’t say anymore this week compared to last week. Interestingly, this is the last week for some of the routines that I’ve come to hate and love. This is my last time doing Chest and Back. I’ll miss you! I’ve started to pick up the pace on my beach volleyball training. My coach makes me feel like I’m a teenager who can’t control his body due to adolescence growth. I’m clumsy and not approaching and contacting the ball with the precision that I once did. Despite all the Yoga X and Stretch X, I’m a bit stiff. I have to work harder to take advantage of my strength gains and correct my volleyball form and consistency. So I’m doing what I must, drills, drills and more drills. My jump is noticeable more consistent and higher. I’ve probably gained a few inches, but more importantly, I can work through one hour of pounding training with more intensity and consistency on my vertical. I’m also swinging the ball harder.

Next week is the wrap up of strength training. I’m excited to share my results with everyone and plan to put some photos and charts up here next week.

To work through this whole thing you’ll need all the support that you can get. Thank you for all your support. It’s been a great ride and after summer, I’ll be ready to it all over again.

written by osaez \\ tags: aerobic, P90X, training, volleyball, workout

10 weeks down, 3 more to go. Noticing progress in anything you do is just the best fuel to keep you motivated. My approach this week was to focus on TRAINING instead of just working out. This thought, combined with progress in my mid section and increased rep count kicked the intensity level up.

I still feel my golfer’s elbow, but not as bad since I started doing some specific forearm exercises. Best advise of the day: setup a goal and work towards it. It’s simple concept and we all hear it all the time, but it works.

No intense volleyball action this last weed, although I’m going with a group of guys to St. Pete’s in two weeks for a 4-day dawn ’til sunset beach volleyball marathon. I’m looking forward to this trip and lots of sun.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve kept working on staying motivated and I do have to say, is getting easier. Here are some thoughts that have helped me stay the course…

If you are not near panic, you are not training.

If you are not sweating heavy, you are not training.

If the thought of tomorrow’s session does not make you nervous, you are not training.

If you have not felt like puking during your session, you have not trained.

If you are not near muscle exhaustion, you are not training.

If you spend more than 1 hour at the gym, you are not training.

If you don’t constantly remind yourself to “stay strong”, you are not training.

If you don’t fear making the last rep, you are not training.

If you don’t have a purpose to finish, you are not committed to train.

If you do not outperform your last session’s set, you are not training.

Only when you train, you achieve.

Only when you train, you win!

Write it out or commit your reason and purpose to memory. Get your mind involved. Believe me, it will be a great ride.

written by osaez \\ tags: P90X, training, workout

Another strong week. This is the first week of my third month where you get back into strength building and muscle isolation. This is the same workout week as you start on week 1. It seems like they make you repeat this week for motivation since you see dramatic increase on your reps and endurance compared to the shock during your first week.

My greatest accomplishment was to jot down 17 on paper for pull ups in one set. I paused for a minute. Wow! This, compared to my 8 count during the first day fit test felt better than reaching the green from a nice knock down 7-iron swing 160 yds away. It’s a golf thing, you would not understand.

Talking about golf, over the last two weeks, I have felt sharp discomfort on my left forearm near the elbow joint, probably medial epicondylitis or golfer’s elbow. The pain is more pronounced when my left forearm is pronated (left arm with my thumb in a clockwise twist). I attribute this to stress from pull ups, but I’m not sure. I welcome any comments on cause or treatment. Since the pain is fairly localized, I can work through it and forget about it easily. Surprisingly, it does not surface while I’m doing pull ups but just when my arm is heavily pronated. Hmmm?

I continue to reflect on my observations as I complete this journey. I believe that this is just one of many milestones to come as I continue to stay active. You hear all these success million dollar stories turning into coaches. It is easy to relate to this feeling, especially when it’s in your nature to mentor others.

Volleyball action this week? Just a few hours and somewhat leisure. I gotta step it up next week. Push play, workout harder and imagine summer its just around the corner. This is kinda hard when you have over a foot of snow in the ground here in Chicago!

written by osaez \\ tags: P90X, sports training, workout

My climb continues. I can feel the anticipation to reach the end. By now, your body is now used to taking more reps, more weights, squat deeper all the while your mind is absorbing and silencing the earlier months’ desire to give up. Now, you know all about feeling a runners’ high and understand better your true limit. It’s a great feeling.

As the program progresses and this becomes a routine, the weeks also appear to go by quicker. The highlight for the week was how smooth and intense I approached my two Core Synergistic days - all with the exception of the last 20 seconds of bow-to-boat. I can’t say enough about how complete the Yoga and Core Synergistic pair can be. Sprinkle these two with some Ab Ripper X and you have a great toning set. In the not-so-positive category, I find the discipline of eating on a hectic work schedule can be very difficult. Having lunch with your group at work, customers and all the healthy food choices at airports while traveling, yuck :-( In order to stay with some protein bias in my diet, I’ve added one whey shake per workout as a recovery drink. I’ve found that ON 100% WHEY Double Rich Chocolate is absolutely delicious. No chalky taste even with just water and great formulation as I read its reviews. As for the results? I don’t know that the shake has contributed much to muscle gain compared to the workout itself. At least, I feel like I’m nurturing my body with cleaner food.

Lesson learned: Take your health seriously and you will be rewarded. You will regain your body and a lifestyle like you never had.

written by osaez \\ tags: P90X, training, workout