One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

It seems like every time I get to a certain point these days, something knocks me down.

I got to my recovery week and BAM! I get some awful virus that has kicked my butt for 5 days now.

I am not exactly sure what I am going to be able to do this week, but I thought I would post the schedule any way. So far, I am not going to work out on Sunday, Monday and I am guessing Tuesday. Hopefully I will be ok by mid-week.

Workout schedule:

Sun - Back & Bi's w/Abs

Mon - Plyo X

Tues - Core & Stretching

Wed - Yoga X

Thur - Chest, Shoulders & Tri's w/Abs

Fri - Swim/Bike 40 minutes total

Sat - 3.5 mile run

In Good Health,
Joe
joe@eeathlete.com
www.eeathlete.com

Week One Complete

First week went well. The P90X workouts were pretty light, but overall I felt good. The ankle felt strong, the knee is on the mend after a mishap playing with the kids and the shoulders are feeling strong. The biggest thing I was worried about was my plyometrics workout. After not doing it for sometime, I was worried about how I would hold up. It was tough, but I know it will get better each time out.

I had to skip my swim last week due to the pool being closed. I had to stick with just the bike.

Workout schedule:

Sun - Chest & Back w/Abs

Mon - Plyo X

Tues - Core & Stretching

Wed - Yoga X

Thur - Shoulders & Arms w/Abs

Fri - Swim/Bike 30 minutes total

Sat - 2.5 mile run

In Good Health,
Joe
joe@eeathlete.com
www.eeathlete.com

The Comeback

Well, it has been a long time since I have blogged. The new addition to the family is taking up a lot of time. There doesn't seem to be enough time in the day. That being said, starting 1/1/2011, I am going to try my best to post weekly.

What have I been up to?

I completed another round of P90X, dealt with a couple of small nagging injuries and crossed over into the Newton running.

What is on deck?

The past two weeks I have really focused on stretching, yoga and core. Next week, I will get back to some light training. Starting January 1st, I will begin preparing myself for another 70.3 Ironman. Hopefully I can leave out the 2 months of physical therapy that plagued me last season. Unfortunatly, I signed up for the 3-on-3 basketball tournament again.

Next weeks schedule:

Sun - Chest & Back w/Abs

Mon - Plyo X

Tues - Core & Stretching

Wed - Swim/Bike 30 minutes total

Thur - Shoulders & Arms w/Abs

Fri - Yoga X

Sat - 2 mile run

In Good Health,
Joe
joe@eeathlete.com
www.eeathlete.com

Going Insane!

I ended my P90X phase 1 on a good note. I feel my strength coming back. Using the Bosu on alot of the shoulder and arm exercises really makes a difference. Not only are you building strength in the arms and shoulders, but you are really engaging the core. The other big change I made was on pull-ups. I started using a band that wraps around the bar and assists you by putting your knee in it. It cuts some of your body weight out of the exercise while still making them challenging. My reason for doing this? I wanted to really focus on good form. I was able to do a lot of pull-ups, but I was sacrificing form. Now, I could careless about the numbers and want to focus on slow and smooth movement. I actually used that philosophy for my push-ups as well. I wanted slow and smooth movement. Not so slow that you only get a few in before time is up.

I have now transitioned into my Insanity phase and after only a few days, I am impressed. The workouts are short, but the are also very tough. I have yet to get through one without having to take a break. I will give a full review once I complete week 1.

In Good Health,
Joe
joe@eeathlete.com
www.eeathlete.com

Back To The X

I am finally back into full swing of P90X workouts. Things have been progressing slowly and I am concentrating more on form than weight and numbers. I am also replacing some of the exercises with my own. Not a lot of them, just one or two here and there. As much as I like doing push ups, I miss pressing weight. So, I am adding some incline, decline and flat bench presses.

I am also using the Bosu when possible. I stand on it for 75% of the exercises during shoulders ad arms. I also have switched out a couple of the exercises and added preacher curls and shrugs.

Finally, I have also changed a few of the ab exercises. I added a couple of exercise ball moves, as well as decline ab work.

I have taken a solid 6 weeks off from anything triathlon related. I am allowing my ankle and shin splints to completely heal. When I come back, it is going to be slow. I will be starting this weekend with a 1.5 mile run.

I have another two weeks of P90X and then I will be swtiching over to Insanity for a few weeks. I am looking forward to seeing what that is about.

In good health,
Joe
joe@eeathlete.com
www.eeathlete.com

End Of A Season

My triathlon season has ended. I battled through a bad injury, shinsplints and a new baby. I took the season for what it was worth.

I am in the middle of two solid weeks off to rest some injuries. After that, it will be a light week of upper body strength training. This will be followed by a light week of total body strength training.

I am doing this to give my ankle and shin splints some solid time to heal.

Once this period is over, I am starting a mix of P90X and Insanity. I will be replacing some of the moves with new ones I learned during my 2 month stay at physical therapy. These exercises will incorporate more core and balance while still giving my muscle a quality workout.

I will post the schedule soon and point out what moves I have changed.

In Good Health,
Joe
joe@eeathlete.com
www.eeathlete.com

To Tri To X

Things have been crazy over the past few weeks. Lots of outdoor house work, the new baby, etc.
I had my first of two triathlons a couple of weeks ago and given the conditions, it went well. It was rainy, hot and the trail run was a hilly mudpit. Even with all that, it was fun. I love triathlons in Lake Geneva.

Now all I have left is my 1/2 Ironman at the end of the month. I feel like I am not as prepared as I should be, but with the new baby and the ankle injury I am taking it for what it is. I'll do my best and forget the rest...

This leads me to my next topic. I am missing my P90X workouts and cannot wait to get back. With all this triathlon training, I haven't had a chance to really do any strength training. One more month to another hybrid p90x routine.

In good health,
Joe
joe@eeathlete.com
http://www.eeathlete.com/