Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Reboot


I get asked questions all the time about how to get back on a program when you've missed some days. The answer is always different but the one thing it generally has in common is not to overdo it trying to get back in a hurry. Of course, I don't always listen to my own advice. I've missed the last 5 days of training because I've been moving, cleaning, getting my old house ready to rent, keeping up on work, trying to keep the dogs' legs stetched, etc. It doesn't feel like I haven't been training because I'm more tired than I was before it started. Still, fitness feels like it's slipping 'causing me to tell Reed that I'm thinking of doing double days to catch up. "Didn't I read that if you miss a few days you should not try and catch up but just pick up the program as if you hadn't missed any workouts," he said knowing that I'd written it in the guide. Right, I should take my own advice sometime.

So in deciding that I'll listen to myself I'm jumping right back in. What I will change is that I'll consider this week a bit of a recovery week (though I don't feel very recovered at all) and go for three hard weeks before my next transition week. The transition (or recovery as they're called) weeks in P90X can always be altered a bit because the adaptive and growth phase of each block might take anywhere between 3 and about 6 or 7 weeks depending on one's fitness state and the intensity of each workout. Since 90X was meant to be extreme we kept the blocks short. People not in peak fitness could extend them until they begin to plateau. I have no risk of plateau-ing any time soon. Right now it's all about adaptation.

pic: marriage eiger art: our newly-framed kleine sheidegg retro print looking for a home

14 comments:

Reedster said...

While you haven't been doing your workouts, I have. My legs feel like lead. I've done some sort of workout involving legs for the last 5 days and I have 1 more day before I can think about my legs recovering. Yoga tomorrow will be very difficult for me, but I will do what I can.

I am sort of glad that your original schedule for next week is a repeat of week 1 of the program because I feel like I cheated a bit and I feel like I've gotten a bit too much legs.

Tomorrow I will "keep pressing play."

~R

Anonymous said...

steve

saw pics of the house on the wedding web site and it looks beautiful! and quite a deal; enjoy. we skipped yoga today as 1) suzanne's flu relapsed and 2) riding on my rest day wasn't conducive to resting; i felt the flattest today that i have in a while. one thing i'm discovering is that not only am i out of shape, but my recovery rate is pathetic. while you've taken some days off, i'd have to say you're still pretty fit and returning to the workouts will be a welcome relief from cleaning and moving. in others words, i think the damage is negligible. btw, how heavy are you guys going on weights when they're called for. i'm one of those folks that gets size before strength and i'm concerned that i'm going too light but don't want to go too heavy. anyway, good luck to all and we'll be back on track with back and legs tomorrow.

marc

ps steve, 6 canyons on the fixie isn't looking like an imminent challenge for me right now; maybe by august (right now, just getting to the lab is a challenge).

Anonymous said...

Haven't checked out the blogs in a while. What the hell is wrong with you guys? I don't see any course of drinking strategy. Damnit. Am I the only one who gives a shit about the rules? What the hell is an in and out? It's martinis for lunch. Then bike riding.

~Jackass

Anonymous said...

jackass-

i thought it was a given: recovery drink=cocktail.

marc

Reedster said...

I'm almost finished with the 2nd week and I don't feel as bad as last week. But then again I didn't quite do the whole shebang either. Next week I'll be on the full 3rd week program and I might try to focus on my diet more.

My workouts went a little better this week, so hoepfully that trend will continue. I might get out on the bike tomorrow, but I have to go perform a wedding in the early afternoon, so I'd have to be pretty good about getting up and working out and then riding.

Good luck folks,

~Reed

Anonymous said...

I'm felling quite good as I'm getting use to all these new workouts. Even the body is starting to morph; above the waste is starting to evolve from its Gumby like state.

Nice work everyone!

Anonymous said...

we're still pretty wiped out after 2 weeks but i admit, the workouts are getting better. thank god for a rest day. i'm going to ride on the dirt today and it will hurt. have a good weekend everyone, only about 10 or so more weeks to go. maybe we shouldn't have let ourselves get out of shape?

marc

Reedster said...

Week 2 is over. Kenpo X was pretty hard at times, but went really well. Some of the movements were hard to get dialed, but I should be better next time.

Tomorrow I will go for a longer road ride and see how the legs feel.

~R

Reedster said...

Um, did I say I was going to ride my bike today? No, I meant that I would look at my road bike today from a comfortable position on the couch.

I just wasn't motivated today and by the time I had an inkling of doing something I had to go to a family dinner.

That's alright. What's important is that I get my workout in tomorrow.

Cheers,

~R

Anonymous said...

i rode yesterday; windy, climby, hurty but fun. today was our week 3, day 1. suzanne climbed and she's downstairs doing the vid now, i did chest and back this morning; ouch. switched to pull-ups last week and added 10 lbs to dumbbells this week. it was hard, i hurt and i'm looking forward to next week. i have gotten stronger in 2 weeks although i think it's just that i'm just acclimating to working out again. in any case, if the weather cooperates, i'll try to do a couple of road/mtn rides next week on top of everything.

good luck all.

marc

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Steve Edwards said...

Still haven't been on my bike. The only outdoor activity I've done, aside from moving boxes and furniture, was a failed attempt on Grandeur under the full moon. We found our running shoes insufficient equipment for the conditions and postholed our way up 'til Romney sank to her waste. I think the west ridge has cleared more, so we'll try that this week.

My shoulder has been bothering me (since the Hans 10,000 challenge, really). The push-ups bother it the most but shoulders and arms last week really seemed to help. Looking forward to a good upper-body week.

When are we getting that beer?

Oh, recommended watching, the new release of Walker has a lot of extra footage that was just released this year. Alex Cox is sportin' a friggin massive moustache. Not to be missed.

Anonymous said...

beer! we have busy-ish week as suzanne gets ready for hawaii; perhaps when she gets back saturday after next? on a bike note, i'm building up a different fixed commuter so the il pompino gets put back onto fixed cyclocross duty; i'm excited! good luck with the rest of the move and i'll get in touch with you and scott later. i should probaby drop by too when i take the pups to tanner park, but i'm not good at the drive-by social scene.

marc

Steve Edwards said...

I've hardly ridden at all but once I finish work today the bike arsenal gets spruced up and ready to go. I think I'll take Rae Dawn out for some errands today. I need to get back to the motorless lifestyle.