Pre90X: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper

Yesterday I decided to give the Legs and Back video a go. And that is where my positive attitude toward P90X ended. Oh. My. God. This video is quite simply impossible for me. I admit that I wasn’t working to capacity, but there were some exercises that I really couldn’t do AT ALL, especially anything that involves squatting on just one leg. I also had a very difficult time with balancing, which I’m sure indicates weakness in my core. Whatever. And that’s just the LEGS! Unfortunately I don’t have a pullup bar yet, so I used a half-assed system with an exercise band hooked over a door hinge just to get an idea. The band didn’t provide enough resistance, but I know the bar is going to be ridiculously difficult, even with my feet planted firmly on a chair for assistance. Despite the fact that I only did around 30% of the exercises at maybe 80% of my capacity, I was sweating, swearing and sore by the end. This morning, my hips are screaming (although surprisingly my quads and hamstrings aren’t). The worst, however, is yet to come.

Ab Ripper X follows the Leg workout immediately and I decided to try it, since I was already sweaty as hell. Ab work is not my favorite but I have done some pilates, so I figured I was semi-prepared. Um, WRONG, much? This is the most ridiculous ab workout I’ve ever encountered. It would be insane for any normal person, but I have a special disadvantage – I have a tail. Mark of the beast. My tailbone extends quite a bit lower than most people’s and it makes it very painful to do any type of V-sit ab exercises – I have actually rubbed the tip of it raw and bloody before. Of course, about half of this video has you sitting right on the tip of your tailbone, squirming around to target your obliques and other muscles that no one should ever have to work. After the first two exercises my tail was in agony. I put a pillow under my ass for the remaining exercises but the damage was done. NOT COOL. I will continue to do this routine, but I will have to skip the exercises that involve my tailbone – perhaps I can just sub one of the others. In any case, it will be a VERY long time before I am able to do this at Tony’s pace without breaks. And when I say a long time, I mean years. Literally.