Today, I froze my gym membership for 6 months (gasp!)
But but but…it’s not because I’m not working out anymore, it’s quite the opposite. I actually plan to work out more. Ever since January 1st, the 24 Hour Fitness I go to has been an absolute cluster. When I do attempt to go after work, I end up driving around the parking garage for 20 minutes circling around and around as me, and 20 other people look for parking spaces. Eventually I get frustrated and I leave.
Since I started doing Pilates at the studio I go to and seeing my personal trainer, I have found myself not missing the gym at all. I don’t pay a ton for my monthly membership, but I thought it would be more productive to invest my fitness dollars into workouts I enjoy doing and that don’t leave me circling a parking garage for 20 minutes only to not get a workout in anyways (because, trust me, driving in circles is not a workout no matter how many times you circle ’round.)
My husband started a new job, so he’s also been finding it hard to get a workout in during the week. He ordered P90X and we are going to do it together at home. The DVD’s arrived today and we did one of the UML workouts (and by “did” I mean “attempted to do 40% of it.)
We watched the P90X introduction DVD and I did some of my Pilates moves while I watched it, trying to be as productive as possible. Then we popped in the UML workout and like I said, tried to do about 40% of it. P90X has a lot of reps. Like 30. It was difficult.
To make the first workout even more difficult, the host (Tony Horton) is completely annoying. He has these stream of consciousness-type thoughts and expressions he spews out during the workouts. I don’t know what the other videos are like, but the poor guy is kind of annoying, and I just want him to stop making random comments. He also likes to take jabs at people like “...and if you get fat, then you’ll feel depressed, and then you’ll eat bad foods and then you’ll get fatter and die sooner.” Thanks Tony.
Here’s the other thing about P90X- it’s definitely NOT for beginners. You definitely have to already be in somewhat decent shape (IMO) to start these videos. They are very challenging and fast-paced. It is an intense workout (I work out pretty regularly and I couldn’t do the entire workout.) I guess you could try to do them as a beginner, but you’d probably feel like you were hit by a bus for several days after doing just the first workout.
Having said that, I think these workouts are great to have for that same reason- they are intense and you can do them at home. It’s like learning all these great moves from a trainer but on your TV. I will give updates on how I’m doing with the P90X.
Keep in mind that I probably won’t follow the workouts daily. I still want to do Pilates at least twice a week, so I might sub that in on the days I don’t do P90X workouts.
I also wanted to provide a Clarisonic update for anyone who has been interested in my progress. I really enjoy the Clarisonic. Now that I’ve been using it for nearly a month, I am finding my skin if softer, smoother, makeup stays on better/longer, and pores look smaller. I also just find my face feels cleaner, like it’s more deeply cleansed. The only thing it has not cured (but has improved) is occasional redness/blotchiness. I still get that sometimes in certain areas. I am happy I got this brush and love using it at night before bed. Is it a must-have? I’m not sure because it’s so pricey. I think after having used it, I can’t imagine cleansing without it…but if you don’t use it, then I guess you don’t really know what you’re missing, right?
It is part of my routine now and I can’t imagine cleansing without it (kind of like when you start to use an electric toothbrush- you can’t ever go back to a manual, it’s an inferior teeth-cleaning experience.)
Have you tried P90X? Do you find Tony Horton as annoying as I do? Let me know in the comments below (by the way, I don’t mean he is annoying in a disrespectful way, I think he is talented and puts together great workouts. I could just go without his random comments…oh and one of the girls in the video is named “Veronica” so he’s always saying my name too…ugh!)
xoxo,
Veronika.
P.S. – On Sunday at church, the sermon was so incredible that I had to share it with you all. Sometimes I really feel like God is listening to me and he knows exactly what I need to hear. Basically the sermon was about avoiding letting negative people into your life, and remaining positive no matter how negative someone is, day in, and day out. It also talked about blossoming (like a flower) even if you are amongst weeds. So keep positive, happy and be kind even if someone is not this way towards you. The pastor also said “some people just don’t want to be happy” and I finally realized that was true.
wow how awesome! I am not motivated enough to do things home, sadly I will just open up my laptop or turn on the tv. But I do love my clarisonic and the message behind that sermon! =)
Hi There,
I started reading your blog recently and have been enjoying it so much.
I totally agree about Tony Horton. My hubby and I have been doing the DVD's for awhile and we've gotten to the point where we put the tv on mute and play some music. His workouts are amazing but the running commentary can get to be a bit much (especially when you are on week 3 or 4 and you are hearing the same comments over and over again). Keep us posted on your progress – I'm sure it will be a wonderful complement to your pilates and personal training.
~Jacqui
P90X is TOUGH and I may have gained weight the past few months, but I find I can make it through most of the workouts. Note I didn't say I don't STRUGGLE. LOL. They are fantastic strength and muscle building workouts FOR sure! And Plyo kicks major butt, for me anyway. Better cardio than treadmill or elliptical for me.
Tony? Annoying? Noooo. LOL YES. HE IS! Gawd. Today during the Chest, Tris, Shoulders- I kept making these "are you serious" faces because some of the crap he said was so….DUMB. haha
I am going to have to agree with your pastor on this one… there are some people who enjoy (or whatever the equivalent would be for negative people)actually prefer complaining and creating drama and being unhappy, and you have to wonder what went wrong in their life that made them that miserable all the time… I mean I think you can find at least one thing to smile about everyday…
p.s. do you go to church now on the regular? it sounds like your church is much more involved than what we are used to here… remember holy redeemer?
xo
the electric toothbrush comment made me laugh out loud. my batteries went out in mine and now i feel like i have to brush twice as long with my normal brush just to get the same clean feeling!
excited to hear about your P90X experience, i've been anxious to hear an honest opinion before buying it.
also, i've been reading your blog for awhile but never commented. just wanted to say i love it!
Jamie- catholic mass was not my cup of tea…not inspirational or motivational enough. I go to lakewood- the pastor is Joel Osteen. It is one of the biggest mega churches…in the world I believe…they bought out a basketball stadium to hold their massive congregation.
I used to think mega churches were crazy…but what I like about Joel is that he is about motivating people to become better people through their faith and inspiring people. The sermon is never boring or doesn't apply to my life. His words and stories are impactful and make a difference in how I live my life, and that is what I'm looking for in my spiritual life. I don't go every week though.
It's not for everyone, but I enjoy it.
thanks mrs. darling 🙂 you need new batteries ASAP! I had to use a manual tooth brush on vacation and my teeth never quite felt clean enough.
Hi,
I have been reading your blog for a few months now and really enjoy it. I never comment but had to today.
My husband and I just started P90X on Friday and the UML was the first one we did. The soreness finally subsided today so I finally got off my butt and did the cardio workout today. What a great workout! I do have to agree with you about Tony, the constant comments are a bit much. Thanks for the great blog!
Jessica
Jessica- I hope not to be too sore tomorrow so I can do the arms video! I have no upper body strength so those are always hard for me.
Thanks for the motivational entry. I struggle with not letting a super negative selfish person have an impact on my life, but it's hard when it's my mil and she lives a 5 min walk away – yikes! Thank you for those inspiring words! Like I said, I struggle with it daily.
On a happy note, can't wait to read your review of the Paris Hilton bow shoes.
A- they should be arriving soon! I can't wait.
I too struggle with negative people in my life, and it really does get to me. I am learning that sometimes people are negative because they want attention or simply because they want to be. It can just be all consuming and it's not fair. Joel said not to let negative people suck the energy out of you, so i've decided to "blossom" even when i am among weeds. You just have to focus on keeping as positive of a spirit as possible, even when others try to drag you down. It is difficult, especially for me, but practice makes perfect 🙂
Oh my gosh. P90X (if you follow it exactly) is the hardest thing in life. I was doing it for a while but then stopped because I could not commit to that amount of time(and soreness, lol). Good luck to your and your hubby tho!! It will be much easier to stay motivated with a partner.
Joel Osteen's sermon's are very inspirational. Although I attend a different church, we do watch him on t.v. from time to time. I totally get what you mean when you state that his sermon's often always pertain to you personally. It is so great to have that connection with a spiritual leader. I personally find myself to be comforted by that. And UGH to the dreaded P90X guy. His voice is so distracting! After almost 2 months I still can't get used to it!
I love how positive you are. Even when something bothers you or you dislike it seems like you are always so polite and find a way to spin it into a positive light. I really try to be a positive person so I appreciate your insight on the topic.
Thanks Laura 🙂 It definitely isn't easy and I have my bad days too, trust me. Ignoring negativity is probably one of the most difficult behaviors to learn. Like I said, I still struggle with it daily. It's also one of the most important behaviors to learn because it saves your sanity!
Awesome that you are doing P90X with your husband. My husband has been doing it for a while and boy is it tough! I have only done the KenpoX which I think you might enjoy very much. They have some pretty good recipe's in the p90x book. Hope you and your husband have great success with it. You will be so ripped!
BTW you can set up your video so you don't hear Tony's voice you just hear it for the instructional part. That's what my husband does because Tony can be too much sometimes.
Liz- thanks for the tip. Maybe even he realizes he can be a bit annoying! I feel bad saying that but the comments are just to much sometimes. I just want a workout and motivating comments, not weird random ones.
My husband and I have been really interested in P90X. I've got a couple of coworkers who own it and don't use it, so I'm hoping to borrow it from one of them to see if it's something we're interesting in investing in. We love running, but we're not gym goers by any means. We much prefer working out at home. I'm excited to hear about your progres.
I love Joel Osteen! He's a great pastor and really has the ability to relate on the level of the average person. You're so lucky you live so close to where you can attend in person, I've only gotten to see him on TV. Thanks for sharing.
My husband and I have been thinking of trying P90X, so I'll look forward to reading what you think of it long term.
Do you go to a pilates studio? I am looking for a good one to join, outside of my gym.
And I agree with what you said about negativity. It is such a turn off to me in people.
Anyways, hope you're not too sore tomorrow!
omg, I have tonys 10 minute trainer videos and hes sooo annoying..i just mute it and put other music in the background.
I really love your motivation monday posts they really do motivate me to get going. I used to work out 6 days a week but after my daughter was born (almost two years ago might I add) I have fallen out of my work out routines. It feels great to start exercising again but I do sometimes find it difficult to actually get in gear and get it done.
Thanks for having such a great blog!!
Love that sermon message 🙂 I have seen the 'building' in Houston that they use for their services–it's massive. Pretty cool you are so close that you can actually go in person.
Glad you're liking the Clarisonic so much! Good luck with the P90X, it looks brutal.
Yey, P90X, I have a love/hate relationship with that program because it's painful going through parts of it due to all the reps like you mentioned, but then afterwards, I am so proud that I went through it and survived! I tried it with my fiance as well and definitely agree it's good to have a buddy to do it with, or at least see that you're not alone in breathing heavily and feeling sore!
Great idea on keeping up with pilates while doing this: I think it's a good balance for your muscles as well.
Jenna- I go to your body center for pilates (yourbodycenter.com) it's really good. Just make sure you take Ernesto's classes, his are the most intense/results-drive IMO. It's right in the washigngton area too.
I have heard great things about the program, but have never tried it.
I really have a hard time working out at home, there is so many other things I feel like I should be doing, at home.
Although I share your frustrations about the gym, I have to get there, in order to get my workouts done.
angie- I definitely understand there is a lot to do at home, but the inconvenience of going to the gym is just too much (especially when you go to a cray busy gym like mine.) I actually find I get a better workout when I work out to videos because I hate using machines at the gym (aside from cardio ones)
Oh my gosh I cannot believe you got to Joel Osteen's church! I have the same awe inspired feelings about my pastor and how all of the sermons make sense and touch me on a personal level. Our sermon was on trust this Sunday and I left church feeling 100 times lighter. I love that feeling!
I have heard great things about the P90X, but I just can't deal with working out to a video. I find it hard enough to be trapped inside of a gym. I like to be outdoors as much as possible to workout, which has been tough with the unpredictable weather.
I've never been to Lakewood because I'm not a church-goer and organized religion skeeves me out, but there is something about Joel Osteen that just seems off to me. I don't know what it is. I always giggle a little bit when I drive by the building, too. It's where the Rockets used to play, and it was Houston's big concert venue as well. I think about all of the shows I went to there in high school (and the other "things" I did while at concerts) and now it's a mega church, lol. I guess it will always be "The Summit" to me.
-T
housewife- I definitely feel super priviledged to have the Osteens 15 mins away from home. It is such an amazing experience every time we go.
I love that feeling too. Hearing an great sermon always makes me feel motivated and ready to make my life better.
anon- I am not a big organised relation person either, even after having grown up catholic. I find the Osteens' sermons to be different than any others I've ever heard, and that's why I go. I think when it comes to religion and spirituality, you have to go where the message means something to you. For some people, it's not going to church at all and just praying at home, and that's great too.
I mean to say religion*
Veronika,
Thanks for sharing your pastor's message…it's just what I needed to hear this morning. I have a situation weighing heavily on my heart and I've spent the morning praying over it and asking God to show me how to handle it. Your sweet reminder very much spoke to my heart! Thanks!
Elizabeth- I am so glad to see your comment this morning! The message touched my heart so much that I just had to share it.Glad it could impact someone else too 🙂
Thank you for your beautiful words. Have a great day!
I'll be interested in hearing about your P90X results, the program looks so challenging! Not sure if I could commit to it everyday. But driving around for a parking spot for 20 min sounds extremely annoying so this will probably be easier to stick to for you.
I'm glad you've found value in Joel Olsteen's message. You seem like such a sweet, positive person so I think you're doing ok. I had to laugh a bit at the message though because when I first read it I thought you were quoting Alexis from the RHWOC because on last week's episode her pastor delivered the exact same message! Whatever works I guess. Good luck!
anon-LOL I love RHOOC! I do remember she was talking about that in the last episode. Strange coincidence!
Thanks for the great review on the P90X. My husband and I have been thinking about getting this, but I don't know if we're the type of people who can committ to an at-home work out! We'll see though…I'm sure it's great for those times where you just don't feel like leaving the house to work out.
we have p90x. Kills. me. dead.
I kinda like the cheesey guy because he gives me breaks, haha.
april- it is definitely such a touch workout…but that means results! we are going to do before and after pics too 🙂
I'm on Phase 2 of P90x….Tony kills us….we've gotten to the point where we find ourselves repeating his dumb little comments. Overall, it's the best at-home workout I've found. Before we let our trainer go, we were working with a professional body builder….P90x is nearly identical in speed and format to what she had us doing.
Can't wait to hear your progress!
Look at those comments! You have quite the following!
My friend turned me onto your blog and it's fantastic! I now check it on a daily basis and really enjoy your posts. Keep up the great work!
http://www.amandalconquer.blogspot.com
A
I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't go back to the gym. It's nice being able to workout at home. Oh yeah, use the ques only mode on P90X, that way you won't have to listen to the comments the whole time. We do the same thing here. We turn up the music and press play.
One more thing. If you have ever thought about turning your passion for fitness into a small business by promoting the Beachbody products like P90X, Insanity, Turbo Jam etc look me up. Would love to talk to you about it.
my husband and I just finished the first video and it was so hard! (the chest, arms and back) Definitely a challenging workout! we also did the ab ripper video after that! I love working out at home and it's fun to work out together.
I love that church man he is so positive! I tried the regular p90 and that was hard so I am sure you'll get a good kick in therear!
hey veronika, i just started reading your blog a couple days ago, and i always feel the need to comment– just never do. so, today i decided i'm going to chime in : )
i have heard a lot about p90, and i heard it's super challenging! good luck, and i hope you stick with it–not sure i know of anyone that actually did the whole thing.
also, love the comment about church–sounds like an awesome message was given. sunday church was good for me too, the music was awesome and uplifting. thanks for taking time to blog. i really enjoy reading it.
– rebecca
Rebecca- thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a comment 🙂 I love to blog and have little conversations with people through these comments! I don't think i will 100% follow the P90X program because I love my other workouts (mainly Pilates) but I plan to try and stick to it as much as I can.
Just wanted to pop in and say that the guy from p90x is definitely a little over the top for me. so is the workout, haha! My fiance and I just started doing these DVDs this week, I've only done one session (chest & back) and I could feel the burn today. I hope you and I both can stick to it!! Good luck 🙂
I am so interested in getting the clarisonic as I am not happy with my pores lately. Do you find it exfoliates your face more so than regular washing with soap?
Kas- absolutely. My skin feels much more deeply cleansed, smoother and exfoliated which improves the appearance of my pores.
Girl, Tony Horton is brutal!! Ha! You are right, he drove me and my hubby crazy when we did P90X. I only made it through the first month…mostly because of the time committment each day. It seems like something came up for acouple of days and threw me off my routine and then I just quit. It is tough to gear myself up to start again. I can't wait to hear how you like it! It's definitely a great and hard workout!
i heard this is sooooooooo intense! can't wait to hear updates!
by the way, i'm having a giveaway & Q&A for my bloggerversary! feel free to stop by :-)!
xoxo,
tam
https://tampham.blogspot.com
Veronika,
You will be just fine with the gym. If you commit yourself, the P90X will get you into the best shape of your lfe.
Once you begin the P90X and start to experience some positive changes you should look into being a Beachbody Coach. There is a coaching option that Beachbody offers. Watch the video at the link below and get back with me on what you think. Good luck with th rest of your workouts and life after P90X!
https://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/mccabe21?bctid=41582716001
Nathan McCabe
Independent Beachbody Coach
RippedBody.org