Now that I'm in phase 3 of P90X2, I realize there are four weeks until I'm done! What to do next? I have lots of options. I have decided on Les Mills Pump! I think it will help me to build endurance for my first Spartan Sprint race. It will also help to build that long, lean physique I want without the bulk. The core of the program is 3-4 days per week. The other days you do cardio. You can do PUMP cardio by upgrading to the Deluxe kit with the step and corresponding DVDs or you can do your own thing. I will be doing Insanity/Asylum so I don't lose what I've gained with those programs. If you'd like to join a Les Mills PUMP challenge with me, leave a message in the comments!

More love for the foam roller. Previously when I rolled my calves, I had no pain which means there aren't any knots in the tissue in that area. However, after doing a lot of leg work with Asylum Speed and Agility, both calves had lots of knots! After rolling, my flexibility is so much greater due to working out those knots! This will make me less prone to injury. Thank you Tony Horton for introducing me to the foam roller!

I have fallen in love with the foam roller. It came in my kit with P90X2. I can get a massage any time I want now. One night I had a terrible kink, muscle spasm, pain just under my right shoulder blade. I spent about 15min rolling on the foam roller and the pain was gone!

Here is an article I found which gives the history of foam rolling for your reading enjoyment.

Foam rollers come in different lengths, diameters, smoothness, and hardness. Here is a link to the  Foam Roller at Team Beachbody and which comes with the P90X2 kit.   The advanced kit comes with the Rumble Roller 2000 as Tony puts it. It has knobs on it to simulate a masseuse digging into your flesh with their elbow!

If you've had a stressful day, put on your favorite TV show, pull out your foam roller and roll the stress away!

I remember when I first started P90X nearly a year ago. Yoga X was so difficult. I dreaded it. I went to bed at night thinking about having to survive YogaX the next morning. But it gradually grew on me as I got stronger. X2 YogaX is 30min shorter than P90X Yoga X. I am still amazed at how much balance has improved. I still need to work on my tight shoulders!

I feel like a kid counting down to Christmas. What am I waiting for? Beachbody's latest creation - Tai Cheng. I think it will help iron out wrinkles in my body and help to prevent me from injuring myself with my more advanced programs such as Insanity and Asylum. For years I watched people doing Tai Chi in the park and it looked so meditative. I've always wanted to try it but never had the time or energy to go somewhere to do it. I'm hoping this will be the answer....Tai Chi at home. If you want more info, follow this link.

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/tai-cheng-workout.do

Workoutroom

I am a 44 year old mother of three. I realized that when routine tasks left me breathless, that it was time to make a change. I will be nearly 60yrs old when my youngest leaves the house for college and I intend be alive and kicking at that time!

I used to be very fit when I was in my early 30s, weight training and running every day. I needed to get back to that level of fitness for my physical health and my mental health. I started with P90X. Within a few weeks, insomnia, which I battled for years, was a distant memory. I felt great. I lowered my blood pressure and my resting heart rate went from upper 70s to upper 60s. I also finally began to shed the last of those pounds from my pregnancies. I did a second round of P90X doubles.

After P90X, my muscle tone was great but I knew I needed more cardiovascular conditioning. I also needed extreme measures to shed the belly fat. My Beachbody coach convinced me to try Insanity. I fell in love. I did a round of Insanity, which lowered my resting heart rate into the low 50s.

Next, I was intrigued by the agility, coordination benefits promised by Asylum. It delivered! Asylum really showed me that my body was uneven in coordination and strength. Mastering the agility ladder and jump rope at my age was exhilarating! I found that when I went back to P90X YogaX, my balance and coordination was much better! I could do YogaX moves that I couldn't do before.

The icing on the cake was a 30day Insanity/Asylum hybrid followed by a 30day Asylum/P90X hybrid. If you're willing to put in the work, these programs can take you where you want to go!!!!

Here is my before after photo for P90X!