Plyometrics - Weighted plyo, love it! Again, I only wear the vest for the first 20 exercises and I am not sure if I will ever change that…I like the contrast. The first half my leg muscles are on fire and the second half my cardiovascular endurance is being challenged  as I am jumping higher and doing double-time more often.

Weighted Plyo is such a great workout that I will definitely be incorporating it into my P90X Triathlon workout schedule.

Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps – Second time of the week hitting these muscle groups so I went light. Even though I am all out working out, I somewhat see this day as a rest day. Not only is my intensity level low, I use a light weight with a rep count between 12-16. I do not wear the weighted vest on this day so I am able do push-ups up until the time clock runs down to zero. I still feel a burn on most exercises so I do consider it a great workout.

ARX – Just because I have recently been able to complete this routine doesn’t mean I enjoy doing it now….still dread it a bit. I did have time this morning but I decided not do it, just wasn’t feeling it. Unfortunately, I will have to make it up on my rest day now.

First, I can now confirm that the 300 workout pretty much works the whole body. My legs, shoulders, triceps, and back were all sore this morning. My body is not used to those exercises so that is another reason to incorporate the 300 workout  into my normal routine…muscle confusion!

Legs & Back– Just showing up for this workout makes it a great one. I am getting better at it but I still feel like toast afterwards. Got airborne again for all 60 reps of the “80-20 Siebers Speed Squats” with the vest on. Between the 300 workout and this morning’s routine, my legs feel like junk right now.

A friend of mine (also P90Xer) sent me this video clip about the 300 Workout. Supposedly, the actors from the movie 300 performed this workout prior to filming. I am not so sure I believe they actually did this exact routine but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did something similar as they are all ripped in that movie. Regardless if it’s true or not, the 300 workout is pretty intense!

The Routine
■25 Pullups
■50 Deadlifts with 135lbs
■50 Pushups
■50 24-inch box jumps
■50 Floor wipers
■50 1-arm clean and press with 36lbs kettlebell
■25 Pullups

After viewing it myself, I decided to dedicate one day a week to this workout during my P90X Triathlon training program which starts May 3rd, 2010. The goal to this workout is to not only complete all 300 reps but it’s also to improve your time each time you perform it. I read somewhere that one of the 300 actors completed it in 18 minutes so I will assume if you are in decent shape, you should be able to complete this workout under 30 or so minutes on the first try. I wanted to see what I was in for so I gave it a shot today. I did not 100% complete the floor wipers and did not do the box jumps (had nothing to jump on) but everything else I pretty much finished. I did not time myself so I know my breaks were a bit longer than they would have been if I was timing myself. Also, I did not use a 36lb kettlebell but I did use a 40lb dumbbell and it worked out great…other than being wasted at the end.

Ultimately, my goal is to complete this workout without any breaks…

Shoulders & Arms – No complaints in regards to the workout this morning. It wasn’t my best nor my worse workout. This might not make sense to some but as much as I hate getting my butt kick on some of the P90X workouts, I think I am becoming addicted to them…

The only workouts that I get crushed on these days are the ones I incorporate the 40lb weighted vest with. Don’t get me wrong, I have solid workouts on the others and I actually appreciate the ones without the vest. I am not totally up to speed on the science behind exercise and the role it plays on your mindset. What I do know is that I feel great after a  P90X workout (intense exercising). To my knowledge, “endorphins” are hormones that get released when you exercise. And the harder you workout, the greater amount of endorphins you release. The release of endorphins affect you emotionally by enhancing your mood…this is why we feel good after working out.

So, it makes sense that I am releasing more endorphins when I workout with the vest on. The problem is I am starting to feel like I am slacking a bit when I workout with the vest off but in reality I am not.

I guess I am just addicted to the release of endorphins…it could be worse!