Do your best and forget the rest. That is Tony Horton’s favorite saying from his P90x videos. He repeats it often and I think it’s just a great saying, and a very good mantra for life.

I mixed the designated order of the DVDs slightly and swapped Kenpo for Yoga. I want to do the Yoga DVD on the weekend since it is 90 minutes long. I overslept yesterday, so I ended up doing abs in the AM and Kenpo after work. Kenpo is really just like Taebo, lots of punching and kicking. It made me feel kind of stupid as I am incapable of mimicking feet and hand movements at the same time. I tried to focus on the punching and pulling the punches from my abs, then just kind of jumped around on the bottom. I’m sure I looked super boxer scary. Harper joined in for most of it, showing off her downward dog skills and quick feet movements. One thing I really love about these P90x DVDs is the great warm up and cool down. I am horrible about stretching and this makes me do it. I am sore as hell, but actually feel loser and better than I have in forever.

From the Beachbody website – “Kenpo X was created to give P90X users a high-intensity cardiovascular workout packed with lots of punching and kicking combinations to improve balance, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. During this workout you'll learn some of the most effective ways to defend yourself, while at the same time getting your body in peak condition.”
This morning I got back on the early morning train and did the Legs & Back DVD. Hoo boy this was touch. Lunges on your toes, jumping squats, come on Tony, it’s 5am! Wah. I did it though. I subbed a band over the doorframe for a pull-up bar and I really think that it will work out just as well for me. If I ever go through multiple P90x cycles I may upgrade to the pull-up bar, but for now this is good. I didn’t use any weights for this workout today, but next week I will pick up my 10 pounders for sure. Here are the exercises.

1. Balance Lunges. Imagine a lunge, with your back foot supported up on a chair. This exercise is 25 reps for each leg.
2. Calf Raise Squats. A squat that is followed by a calf raise. 25 total reps.
3. Reverse Grip Pull Ups. Giving the legs a break, you jump on the pull up bar, remember to modify as needed. I wrote quite a bit about how to modify pull ups in the P90X Review for Back and Biceps.
4. Super Skaters. Interesting and challenging balance move. 25 reps each leg.
5. Wall Squats. Wow, is about all I can say on wall squats. You’ll be here for 90 seconds total. You’ll spend 15 seconds in each position. One position is with your back against the wall, in a sitting position, with your quads and knees parallel to the ground. The second position is a little easier, you raise up slightly to about a 120 degree position.
6. Wide Grip Pull Ups. Back on the pull up bar.
7. Step Back Lunges. Just as it sounds, stepping backwards to a lunge, with 15 reps per side.
8. Alternating Side Lunges. The same thing as step back lunges, except you step to the side this time, 12 reps each side.
9. Close Grip Pull Ups. You’re hands are very close together on the chin up bar.
10. Single Leg Wall Squat. Even more challenging then the wall squat. This time, you get in a deep wall squat and lift a leg, alternating between each side every 10 seconds, for a total of 60 seconds.
11. Dead Lift Squats. Just like a squat, except you lower into the squat with only one leg, the other is off the ground behind you. 20 reps each side.
12. Switch Grip Pull Ups. The switch grip pull up is challenging. You’ll do 2 reverse grip pull ups, then switch and perform 2 regular chin ups. Switching until you can’t do any more. 3 Way Lunges. On this move, you will lunge straight forward, step back with a kicking move, then lunge to a 45 degree angle, step back with a kicking move, then lunge to the side, and another kicking move. You will repeat these three moves for 5 total sets on each leg.
13. Sneaky Lunges. Walking lunges, but you will stay on your toes the entire time, 20 total reps.
14. Reverse Grip Pull Ups. Just do your best.
15. Chair Salutations. This move is like sitting in an invisible chair. You’ll do two of these, for about 30 seconds each.
16. Toe Roll Iso Lunges. I’ll let this one be a surprise. 20 reps each side.
17. Wide Front Pull Ups. Pull ups again, you know you love them.
18. Groucho Walk. Another surprise for you.
19. Calf Raises. This move is a total of 75 calf raises, in 3 different positions.
20. Close Grip Pull Ups.
21. 80-20 Speed Squats. This move has you doing 30 speed squats on each leg. Imagine about 80% of your weight on one leg, and 20% for balance on the other leg. Then you squat at a quick pace. Add some small jump moves at the end for added intensity.
22. Switch Grip Pull Ups.