Below is a embedded Google Document of my results so far, up until yesterday, January 24, 2010.

*** You can open the Google Spreadsheet by right clicking and opening up a new tab to see on a full screen.  To navigate, you can click on the tabs “Chest & Back”, “Plyometrics” etc to see the results for each workout.

As promised, here is my progress so far. I will be posting my results
on a daily basis after each workout.

A more detailed post on my nutrition plan, mindset and strategies
taken will be up in about a week’s time. I’ve decided
to ease up on the noise I’m creating on the Twitter and Facebook
channels. However, I’ll continue posting videos after each workout on
YouTube. I’ll post a video for Phase 1 once I get my new MacBook Pro
so I can integrate cool shit into my videos like pictures and music
etc.

For brevity’s sake, I already wrote notes under each areas of focus.
Keep in mind that Phase 1 comprised of only: Chest & Back,
Plyometrics, Shoulders & Arms, Yoga, Legs & Back and Kenpo. The other
pages are for Phase 2 & 3. As of writing this post, I’m hovering
around 149 – 150 pounds – down from 158 pounds.

I’m enjoying the process so far, and I’m definitely glad that I’m
heading into my recovery week. I damn well earned it! Phase 2.. here
I come BRING IT!

You can check out my YouTube Channel for the videos I’ve posted to this very day.

Just some thoughts after taking a little over a month off of P90X. Besides screaming like a little girl, my thoughts on it is that getting back into the swing of things to match the fitness level you’re at before is tough.. but all it takes is focus, discipline and well.. you’ve done it before already so it ain’t all that bad!

If you’ve followed through on at least Phase 1, and fallen off of the program remember that you at least built up the habit to take on the workouts consistently, so getting back into it should be challenging – not impossible. Just focus on one workout at a time rather than beating yourself up over not being able to follow through on all 3 phases of the program. It’s a huge commitment, but it’s worth it to stick it through till the end.

Since this is my third stab at the program without being able to do the entire 90 days, my key areas of focus are to stick to a diet using ingredients that are closely aligned with “Michi’s Nutrition Ladder” Guide that comes with P90X. In addition to that, I’ll watch my portions and eat until I’m not hungry, and not full as well as not eating 3 hours before I head to bed.

I noticed that having a nice flavoured rooibos tea while reading before I go to bed helps distract me from my hunger.

I also picked up my own copy of The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, where I’ve tried out some of the recipes found in the cookbook with some deliciously healthy results.

Besides that, I’ve been carefully scrutinizing everything I eat and I even cut back on my favourite food right now… tasty tasty burritos..

I’ll try and put some real work and mash together video of my progress so far (with effects and music) with Adobe Premiere Elements when I install it.

What are you doing to stay active nowadays?  Let me know!  Any recommendations on what I can take on after I finish P90X?

It’s been a while since my last fitness update. So long story short:

• I signed up for a running clinic with The Running Room over by the beaches in Toronto.
• I’ve been training for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon where I was originally supposed to run for the Mississauga Marathon back in May this year.
• Change of diet has played a huge role in shedding weight and gaining energy and endurance to make it through a day without a nap
• My shin splints haven’t been as chronic as before due to my proper training with my clinic
• I’ve lost at least 5 pounds since training for two months now (I haven’t properly weighed myself yet
• I ran 12 kilometres and 14 kilometres respectively a few weeks ago, breaking a mental barrier of 10K right around when I last got injured.  It was my previous high back in my Fitness update #4 

I’ve never felt healthier in my life. I’m able to run for over an hour and a half straight and swim for at least 30 mins (just hopped out of the pool straight.

Finally, I recently decided try out the famed P90X home workout program again after dabbling in it a few months ago.  There have been a lot of inspiring videos floating around on YouTube with people tracking their progress as they follow the program with some amazing results. I’ll be doing the same after I’m done my classes for the summer in order to begin a challenge that I’m calling “Project Core Values”, which I’ll dedicate an entire post to later on when I have the time. In any case, as per Fitness Update tradition.. a route of my most recent long run!

Since my last update, I’ve been swamped with studying for midterms after fully making use of Reading Week (March break for us Canadians) by reading The level of focus, clarity with what needs to be covered in my Consolidations and Corporate Tax courses has taken precedence of what would normally be training regularly for my half-marathon. But for anyone else during these times that require intense focus, you shouldn’t drop everything that isn’t related to my studies.

Originally uploaded by eduardo.peiro

While I don’t have my new running shoes that I ordered from eBay in my possession yet, I’ve supplemented some of my long and tempo runs by cross training with swimming. So far I’m up to 22 lengths consecutively, where I add an extra lap for each week.

Squeezing in a workout during midterms is challenging but not impossible. It doesn’t need to be a full fledged workout. It can be a brisk 30 minute jog, a few laps around the pool to get the heart pumping or some core body work for the abs. You just need to keep in mind your priorities and stick to your schedule.

I’ve been experimenting with Parkinson’s Law and Pareto’s Principle (80/20 rule) just not just studying for midterms in order to increase my productivity but all areas of my life as well. So far, it’s working great, but I need to be conscious of these principles as well as visual reminders of those principles. The results have been positive so far, and I’ll explore these concepts further in a future post.

Why I insist on training during studies is that it keeps my mind sharp and my energy level up in order to what I need to get accomplished despite having a full day’s worth of studying, and more… which reminds me – I have to go to the pool now.

I’ve got some awesome articles on cultivating charisma, leadership and improv coming down the pipeline. Stay tuned!

- Will

For every runner, the lowest common denominator and most important piece of equipment is a decent pair of technical running shoes. They take brunt and abuse of our running endeavours, so it would only make sense to check out whether your shoes have seen its days. I figure I had about two more months in them for running, but boy was I ever wrong. I had to get shin splints in order to numb the pain and decided to retire my Mizuno Wave Inspires. They’ve served me well, but I digress…

For all runners out there, dropping by a stores that focuses solely on running such as The Running Room is a great way to check out your options of what shoe is perfect for you. You can get a proper fitting of a decent pair of technical runners, to see what type of shoes were best for your foot type.

I eventually picked up a pair of Asics GT-2130′s, which are supposedly the most popular running shoe in North America, but their cost was a bit of a turn off and since I’m on a budget, I’ll be returning them to get an older model of an equally better if not superior running shoe. I found the Mizuno Wave Nirvana 2, their 2005 model on eBay for $55 USD, which is substantially cheaper, the only setback is the wait time, so I’ll be doing some cross training to maintain my fitness level.

Keeping in check your running shoes or whatever fitness equipment that is crucial to your success should be taken into account as we often take them for granted and don’t consider the consequences should they fail on us.

For now, it’s back to the gym for me, while I’m patiently waiting for my shoes to arrive…

- Will

Here’s the route I was supposed to take. I made it half way and had to take a streetcar for the trip back home. Next week, I’ll be back at it, but until then.. cross training