Recovery Week...perhaps not...

The nice thing about recovery week is that it is a break from the monotony of the three previous weeks.  The recovery week is designed to get your body all set for the next series of exercises.  This does not mean that it is an easy week...in fact, quite the contrary.  I've outlined it before, but here's the breakdown:

Day 1 - Yoga X
Day 2 - Core Synergistics
Day 3 - Kenpo X
Day 4 - X Stretch
Day 5 - Yoga X
Day 6 - Core Synergistics
Day 7 - Rest or X Stretch

Aside from the days where you stretch or rest, each day is a real "calorie burner".  Yoga X is 92 minutes of joy.  When I do it, I am completely soaked from head to toe.  It's a major workout for me and, I suspect, for many others as well.  I can tell a major difference in my performance from Yoga X during week 1 to now, though.  I feel like I am able to control my breathing better, relax through the moves/poses easier, and am stronger and more flexible.  While Yoga X tore me up the first time I did it, it is not that much of a shock to my system anymore. 

Kenpo X is a lot of fun, and you are so busy punching, kicking, and blocking, that the time goes by pretty quickly...again, a calorie burner. 

X Stretch is not too complicated to understand...you stretch out everything possible on your body from head to toe...and...in that order.  By the time you are done with the workout, according to Tony, you "feel like a million bucks!". Well...not sure what a million bucks feels like, but I will say that if I am in pain before it, I feel much better afterward.  Also, I am noticeably more flexible than I was before.

Lastly....I want to talk about Core Syngergistics.  In a previous post, I prematurely gave my opinion of this gem in the P90X workout DVD library.  I had a very difficult time with it during my first recovery week.  This time, I hesitate to say it, but I actually enjoyed a lot of it.  Tony claims that it is designed to help you protect yourself from getting hurt in the real world.  The workout focuses on your core muscles (a term I wasn't familiar with until P90X).  These are basically, your "mid-section muscles" which involves you abs, butt, upper legs, etc.  These are the muscles that you use when lifting, pulling, etc.  By exercising these muscles and creating habits of using those muscles, you lower your risk of back strain and, ultimately,
injury.  So...long story short....it'll get you sweating too!

Now...with the brief description of each day above, clearly, recovery week is no walk at the beach.  It's hard work, but a break from the rigors of muscle development.  Truthfully...I much prefer the workouts to the recovery week.  Maybe that will change when I do P90X the 2nd and 3rd time...not sure.

Overall, the week has been good...I've been staying on track.  Weight loss is slow, but differences are noticeable.  Monday starts Phase III. Each week of Phase III changes and it is a week longer than the previous phases.  After 4 weeks of workout, I'll go through my final recovery week and then do the post test, measure, and take more pictures.  So....there's the plan...hope you hang around for it!

Have a great weekend!!