I am kicking off the second week here in my P90X challenge which meant I was doing the chest and back routine. I had to kind of modify this routine last week since my pull up bar had yet to arrive so this is my first full run through with it. I thought going in that since it was a lot of push ups and pulls ups I was going to be able to hang with this routine better then I have any other one so far. Well surprise-surprise I was struggling. The numerous different push ups and pull ups and the few lifts that needed dumbbells wore me out big time. During the workout my chest was feeling pumped up but I was really struggling to get to the finish line. All of these workouts are so intense. You definitely aren’t dogging it and you are giving all you got and that had me feeling a little sick to my stomach and exhausted. Even though it was tough for me to finish I was happy I was feeling the way I was. It meant I was pushing myself in a very new and challenging way.

The exercise I felt the most for my chest was the decline push ups where you put your legs on a chair and then do push ups. I also enjoyed that one the most because I like it when I can really feel the exercise that means it is doing what it is supposed to do, challenge the muscle. For my back the wide grip pull ups seemed to give me the most trouble, I was still able to hit my goal but it was difficult.

On top of all of that I had to do Ab Ripper X at the end. I was completely out of energy at the end of the chest and back routine, but I wasn’t going to quit. I did however take about a 5-7 minute break. Then I pushed through the Ab Ripper X routine and man was I happy I did when I was done. My abs were feeling it big time, but it didn’t matter I was done for the day.

On the video Tony Horton says don’t try to be a hero and do as many push ups and pull ups as he does right away and he is right. I have a very strong chest and I thought I could easily hang with Tony on this one, I was wrong. I am Learning that these routines aren’t all about strength or cardio health, they are about both at the same time. Technically the chest and back routine probably wouldn’t be classified as a normal cardio workout but it is. The fast pace of this routine and all the others has you moving from one exercise to the other with only a couple breaks and that in it of itself is a cardio workout on top of weight training and that is what I feel is one of the main reasons P90X has been able to help so many people transform there bodies in just 90 days. You aren’t just doing weight training or cardio workouts you are doing both, and sometimes at the same time. This workout program is intense, but if you are someone who is thinking about trying it out would you want it any other way? You want results and it is looking like the P90X will get you there.