Friday, May 25, 2012

Pedometers vs. Heart Monitor

So I went for a jog in Central park.  According to my pedometer I went 3 miles.  I took my sweet ass time though, as I stopped to walk a couple times due to shin splints.

Here are the stats

Ipod Nano Pedometer:

2.99 miles
304 calories burned

Heart Monitor:

144 bpm avg
177 bpm peak
575 calories burned


So either the pedometer is way too conservative, the heart rate monitor is way too aggressive, or my heart was beating way too quickly and I was minutes away from exploding.


Thursday, January 19, 2012

P90x2 - X2 Ab Ripper Workout Results

I have to admit that I was surprised at the calories burned and heart rate that I got from my HRM.  I think that sicne this workout is still relatively new to me, I may be working harder at it...that or I simply underestimated the strain of it.

Time:  16:24
Avg HR= 114 bpm
Peak HR = 137 bpm
K Burned = 150

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

P90x2 - X2 Ab Ripper Review

I just started the new P90x2 x2 Ab Ripper.  I have done 3 workouts so far.  In another week, once I can finish the entire workout properly, I will strap on a heart rate monitor.  I can finish the workout, although my form could be slightly better.  That is a huge difference.  In took me 6 weeks to master the first ab ripper, and another month or so to do it with all the advanced movements. 


I think once you have mastered the first ab ripper, x2 ab ripper's learning curve isn't as bad, mostly because you already have great ab and core strength.  The advantage, is now it is a new workout entirely.  The crazy 25 reps 25 reps 25 reps theme is gone.  Now we have 30, 20 or even just 10 depending on the exercise.  It is also about 45 seconds or so shorter.  However, my abs look shredded right after a workout.  X2 Ab Ripper is an entirely different beast.

X2 Ab Ripper is really a core ripper.  Whereas the original was very into the abs, and core was emphasized on advanced moves, almost everything here in X2 emphasizes the core and abs.  There are tons of isolation maneuvers.  Think of this as the yoga belly blast from the original P90x Yoga X combined with Core Synergistics in a 15 minute workout.

This means some old favorites (or in my case, nemeses) return, but in X fashion, with a twist.  We have the Superman/Banana Roll but while making an x with the arms and legs.  We also have boat maneuver a couple times.  Once while moving your arms out and in in a rowing fashion ("Row Your Boat"), and then once where you tuck your knees in and roll back, and on the roll out, extend your legs and and arms out and hold the boat position ("Roll V Hold").

The routine opens with a "Scissor Twist."  This is fifer scissors, but when the legs are set up with say the left down and right up, your left hand touches the right foot while your right arm extends completely out to the side.  You alternate from one side to the other in scissor fashion.  You'll see side oblique crunches again, but you do the left and right in the same routine.  Much like superman banana, you roll from one to the other, left, right, left, right, etc.  You do not close with the super intense mason twist, but rather with a "Balanced Bike Crunch."  You sit up and do the bike crunch maneuver (right elbow-left knee, left elbow-right knee alternating), but, as you can tell with the theme, you hold before moving to the other side.

Most of the routines involve slow steady movements and plenty of holds.  You are isolating those ab and core muscles.  Who knew staying still could cause you to shake and sweat so much.  One final example, which I find the main bear of this workout, is the "Phelon Twist."  You cross your arms across your chest while sitting, legs straight out on the ground.  Then you lean back as far as you can go with your legs still on the ground and twist left as far as you can go without the elbow hitting the ground and just hold until Tony lets you go to the right.  He takes his sweet-ass time, while your upper abs are on fire.

I look forward to reporting on what the heart rate monitor shows.  I have a feeling the hear rates and calories burned on it will be lower due to the many holds, but my muscles will be more on fire than they were.  Heart rate is not the be-all-end-all.  If you want to strengthen those core muscles in a short period of time to prevent back injuries, and get rock solid abs, this is a great workout. 

After I get full acclimated to this workout (3x a week for a month or so), I will cycle in the old ab ripper so as to keep the muscle confusion technique working.  At the very least it will prevent me from getting bored.

Cheers.