P90X Day 31 Completed: Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X
P90X Back and Biceps
Hooollly CRAP! P90X Back & Biceps was insane (in a good way)! I just finished Back & Biceps, and Ab Ripper X, and I’m exhausted!!! As I was doing Ab Ripper X (after Back & Biceps) my arms were shaking when I had to hold my arms up or put them behind my head to do the exercises (hopefully I didn’t over do it). The Back & Biceps P90X workout consists of 24 different moves (different variations of pull ups and bicep curls). It is similar to the Chest, Shoulders & Triceps workout on P90X day 29 in that you are only doing each exercise for 1 set, and then moving on to a different exercise. For this workout you’ll need your dumbbells or resistance bands, pull up bar, chair, towel, and water.
With Back & Biceps, I started out with my usual 25 pound dumbbells, but I very quickly had to go down to 20 pounds, and then down to 15 pounds. All of the different variations of bicep curls beat the crap out of my arms! I tried to stick within the 8-10 rep range, and for the most part I was able to do that except towards the end of the workout. The very last bicep exercise was crazy!!! During the Strip-Set Curl exercise I just used the 15 pound dumbbells for each set (I kind of missed the point of this exercise, but I’ll do it right next time). I started out with 10 reps, than did 5 reps, did 5 more reps, and then 2 reps for the last set.
The different variations of Lawnmowers weren’t all that bad. For those exercises I actually did more than 10 reps depending where I was in the workout. I should have increased the weight during the Lawnmowers, but I was lazy and kept whatever weight was on the dumbbells (with my dumbbells you have to unscrew a big nut on each side to change the plates and I get tired of pausing the P90X DVD to do that). Lastly, I think I did pretty good with the pull ups. I started out strong and was able to pump out 15 Wide Front Pull-ups, and then my reps decreased during each variation. The Corn Cob Pull-ups were pretty extreme! I was only able to do 3 of those.
I really should have taken an extended break before doing Ab Ripper X, but I just wanted to knock it out so I did it immediately after Back and Biceps. I took my usual 2 breaks during Ab Ripper X, but I did the harder version of all of the exercises this time. I also focused on flexing my abs during the moves instead of just pumping them out. I found by doing that, I was able to feel the burn very quickly.
Today was a great P90X workout, and I know I’m going to feel it tomorrow! The stretching during Yoga will should feel good!
Nutrition for today-
Breakfast: Bowl of Fiber One cereal, and a protein shake.
Mid-Morning: Protein shake.
Lunch: Turkey sandwich with lettuce, provolone cheese, and extra virgin olive oil dressing. Also had a protein shake.
Mid-Afternoon: Protein shake & P90X Recovery drink after Back & Biceps, and Ab Ripper X.
Dinner: Left over Chili Con Turkey (with turkey instead of beef, black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, & whole grain rice).
After-Dinner: Protein shake.
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I think these workouts are by far tougher than weeks 1-3. I have struggled with several moves. Today included the corn cob(wtf was that girl thinking when she did them during the max reps towards the end), the isolated lower curls(cant remember exact name, when you bent in lawnmower position doing curls), and the 21′s were pretty extreme.
I do have a question. I was perplexed by the difference in lawnmowers and wide armed lawnmowers. I watched it twice and saw barely a difference in the two moves. What was I supposed to be picking up there?
I was thinking the same thing yesterday after my P90X workouts. Yea, my arms were wore out with the 21′s and that was only the third exercises! That girl was really crazy for doing the Corn Cob Pull-ups at the end. She actually annoyed me somewhat for some reason.
Honestly, while I was doing the different Lawnmowers, they felt pretty much the same to me. I guess the big difference with the Elbows-Out Lawnmowers was that your palms were supposed to be facing back and you’re supposed to “flare” your elbows out. It still felt like the same move despite that change.
Ok, so it wasn’t just me that didn’t feel like I was working something different by moving my elbows out. I just felt like I had to be missing something.
I’m incredibly sore today…that might be amplified by my fat tuesday celebration last night. Sore body, sore head, nauseous stomach…happy hump day!
No it definitely just wasn’t you that didn’t feel much of a change.
I’m really sore today too. My biceps and back are aching. I’m pretty lame! I didn’t do anything last night for Fat Tuesday!!
Wow…I will get to this day soon enough I guess. Will probably do plyo today instead of chest/shoulders/triceps…because of my neck or I will just do it not sure.
One thing, after talking with some people, is I will either continue donig pullups BUT ONLY assisted with a chair since I keep messing my neck up…or I will nix them altogether and do dumbbell shrugs. My trap and lavator scapulae muscles seem to be weak and all I keep doing is straining them..versus making them stronger.
That sounds like the smart thing to do. You definitely don’t want to injury yourself!!
I think I may have been in a similar boat as you during the first few weeks. I kept straining something in my upper back everyday I had to do pullups. Best thing you can do is avoid that area until it heals, otherwise it will just keep reaggrivating. Took me 3 exercises to do that.
Pull ups are going great after I healed up though. I’ve added 1-2 reps depending on the stance.
I just started back up (week 1) after completing P90X Classic on Jan 18th. This morning was day 4, Yoga X. It amazes me how it feels like I’ve never done this stuff before. The balance postures were messing with me, and the 30 minutes + of upward/downward dog’s kicked my butt. But, I love it and manage to block everything out and complete Yoga X every time I do it. P90X rocks!
Congrats on getting through P90X!! I already planning to do another round once I get through this round.
What kind of changes did you see with round 1 of P90X?
You completed a full 90 day program and 1 month later you started up and it felt new again? WOW. Your body must have lost quite a bit during that 30 day period.