P90X Prep: Fit Test

Prior to Day 1, Tony asked me to take his fit test. This is critical to be sure I'm ready for the rigors of the P90X program. And with a year of Power 90 under my belt, I was pretty sure I'd nail the test. And, sure enough, I did... but reading between the lines I can see that taking the last two weeks or so off because of the holidays took its toll. Can't let that happen again -- I need *daily* activity of at least 30 to 45 minutes of strenuous activity to keep my fitness level high.

Here's the details of my Fit Test...

Weight: 200 lbs. (21.8 pounds over ideal)
Body Fat: 24.1% (YIKES calculate yours here)

Chest: 43"
Waist: 40" (At my roundest portion/navel)
Hips: 42"

Right Thigh: 22"
Left Thigh: 21.5"

Right Arm: 14"
Left Arm: 14"

Resting Heart Rate: 63
Warm Up: (P90 Cardio 3-4 through yoga)
Heart Rate after Warm Up: 107

Pull-Ups: 3 (came up for a 4th but didn't clear it, ouch!)

Vertical Leap: 87" (standing) 96" (leap up) > 9" leap total (min. is 5")

Push Ups: 31 (min. is 15 NICE)

Toe touch: -2.75" from middle finger to toes (min. is -6" SWEET)

Wall squat: 1:23 @ 200 lbs (min is 1:00)

Bicep Curls: 46 w/red band (min is 10 KICKED IT)

Ins and outs: 41 (min is 25 AGAIN NICE)

Fit test, check. Well above the minimum reps across the board, pull-ups on target but a bit weak. Clearly my spare tire isn't helping matters! YIKES on the body fat, but it adds up, doesn't it?

Set to buy the necessary food items and ingredients this weekend to get the diet on course, and will start P90X on Monday.

Wish me luck!

P90X Begins: Tim starts 2008 with a BANG!

It's hard to believe, but 2007 has passed us by -- and beyond all the usual stuff that fills a year, I'm overjoyed to report that a full 12 months of hard work on my flabby body have paid big dividends.

Back in January '07, I dusted off my old Power 90 DVDs and weight bands, and decided to make a go of it. My motivation? Two things -- the fat man in my holiday photos, and the knowledge that my little brother Drew was engaged and set to be married in November.

I had six months to lose weight so I could stand to see myself in a mirror come summertime, and then a few months more to really push hard and look awesome on Drew's special day.

When I started last year, I weighed 224 pounds and my doctor tested my cholesterol after taking a holiday from my statin (Zocor) -- 230. Both not great numbers at all for a 36 year old who's 5'11" tall.

In early January of 2007, I popped in Power 90 and started with the phase 1-2 DVD routines for a solid 60 days, then moved cautiously to 3-4 in March. (Read: I should have moved after 30 days, the 3-4 routine is more reps but not crazy hard!)

I also changed my eating habits, cutting out as much bread and pasta and desserts as I could, and adding in more leafy greens and whole grains. (Read: I made up my own diet, and it helped, but not much.)

Just before Drew's wedding I bought a new suit -- and was shocked at its size. Just a 42R! In all, I'd shed 23 pounds and a full 80 points of cholesterol (without expensive drugs) in 11 months with Power 90. I looked even better than I thought I would, and was loving how I looked in the mirror. (Despite my midsection still needing some serious work.)

But as Drew's great wedding came and went -- and some great photos were taken of my new bod, see above with my son Will and my wife Debbie -- I realized something I'd known for some time.

I'd plateau'd with Power 90 months ago, and I was having a rough time losing that tough belly fat up front. It was time for the next level, and I'm happy to have P90X in my hands to help me with this next huge phase.

I've read the diet guide, and am thrilled to have such detailed meal planning, scheduled times to eat, and plenty of places to track my diet over time. I know that following a strict diet over the next 90 days will do the trick -- that and Tony's new set of 12 kick butt workouts.


You can view my starter photo sets here. Lots to work with in terms of starting weight, no?

I'll be posting here on my blog as often as I can to keep myself and anyone who cares to check in updated on my progress.

The fit test is set for tomorrow morning (I normally work out from 5:40 a.m. to 6:40 a.m. daily, and my son gets up for Kindergarten at 7) and I'm going to start the diet and workouts on Monday, 1.7.

Join me and feel free to drop me a line anytime at timothymclain at yahoo.com or via AIM at Netpower555.

Keep in mind that this will be an off-the-cuff blog, typed in real time as I go from day to day, so please ignore any mis-types or other editing gaffs.

RadioHead Movie: Scotch Mist



Worth a listen -- this is the album these British rockers released online and let people pay whatever they wanted. It's darn good stuff all around.