This is a review of the X Stretch workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.
The X Stretch, unsurprisingly, involves a lot of stretching. In fact, it’s the only non-workout in P90X. Designed to be done on your resting day each week (and also during the recovery weeks), it is a great way to give your muscles the care they need to recover from the prior week and get ready for the upcoming one
No hard work here
Other than the fact that I, personally, do not really enjoy stretching that much, this workout is a really nice change of pace in the program. Since I specifically don’t enjoy hamstring stretches, it is nice that most of the stretches work on other areas of the body.
What this means is that there are stretches here that target every major (and maybe every minor) muscle you have, from your neck to your toes. The entire time is really pretty relaxing and you finish up feeling refreshed and better for it.
How long does it take?
Well, probably longer than you’ve ever spent stretching at one time. This routine is just under an hour and well worth the time investment. If you’re considering doing P90X and see that, one day per week, you have the option of doing X Stretch or nothing, realize that stretching and flexibility really are key to your athleticism. If you are flexible, you are less likely to get injured and have more range of motion available to you during physical activity.
It really could be argued that this is the most important part of P90X. Just make sure you actually do treat the day you do X Stretch as a rest day. Don’t go out and do another workout. Your body needs rest and recovery time to repair muscles. If you don’t have it, your results will be severely diminished.
Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.
Photo by twenty_questions.
Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard
If you’re a regular reader, I like to make it clear to you that I enjoy reading and learning. The advantage to this blog is that I also have the opportunity to share with you what I learn while engaged in my reading. A few days ago, I finished a book entitled “Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the SEARCH for the AMERICAN DREAM” by Adam Shepard. This is a truly intriguing book that, I feel, is definitely worth a read if you want to be inspired by one man’s determination to succeed no matter what the circumstances.
This book is an autobiography of a time in Adam Shepard’s life. After graduating from college, Adam was feeling disillusioned with the state of American poverty. He had been told for years that the poor would only get poorer while the rich only got richer. He was told that the American dream was dead and that those in poverty didn’t have a way out.
This idea really didn’t sit well in Adam’s mind, so he looked for a way to test it. His solution? Take a train ride to a random city carrying only a sleeping bag, the clothes on his back, and $25 cash and see if he could make something of himself. His only real rules were that he was not allowed to use either his previous contacts or his college education to help him out in this process.
His goal was, after a year, to have a furnished living space, an operating vehicle, and $2500 saved up.
While I won’t spoil the whole story for you, let me just tell you that it is engaging. Adam has experiences that most will never have and walks away from the experience not only meeting his goals, but exceeding them by a significant amount.
Adam Shepard on tour for his book
The most inspiring portion of this story, for me, is the drive, ambition, and optimism Adam approached nearly every situation with. By working really, really hard, he truly showed that it is possible to, with a lot of hard work, make your way out of the grind of survival into a better situation.
If you’re looking for a good read, I would recommend Scratch Beginnings. Do, however, note that the book uses a plethora of swear words (all in contextual, direct quotes from those Adam met along his way). If this offends you too much, you will likely not enjoy the book. Otherwise, you should be able to catch the encouraging meaning laced throughout this candid portrayal of one year of Adam’s life.
Photo by Chrontourage.
This is a review of the Cardio X workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.
In the world of P90X workouts, Cardio X is quite unique. In fact, many people working through the program will never even do this workout; it is not a part of the regular program. Why then, is it even included? Well, there are two main purposes for this workout in the P90X plan.
The replacement workout
This guy has the right attitude
For a lot of people, the Plyo X workout in this program is just a bit too difficult. In fact, for me, it is pretty much the hardest workout I have ever done. So, Tony Horton has offered a sort of mini version of that workout here. In other words, if you just aren’t quite up to completing Plyo X, you have the option of replacing it with this workout.
The supplemental workout
Rather than using Cardio X to replace another workout, you also have the option of simply adding Cardio X to your workout routine. Yep, that means doing more than just the basic routine. Specifically, this is called the Doubles option for the program. If you choose to do the doubles plan instead of the standard plan, you will typically do this workout on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, and either do Chest and Back, Shoulders and Arms, Legs and Back, Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, or Back and Biceps in the evening. By choosing this option, you will burn more calories and achieve greater results throughout the program. Note that, with the doubles option, you will do this workout 3 times per week beginning in Phase II (the second month) and 4 times per week during Phase III (the last 5 weeks).
A blend of all things P90X
Like I already mentioned, this workout is unique. Unlike every other workout in the program, it doesn’t just target a few specific muscle groups and doesn’t really introduce any new moves. Instead, it combines elements of Yoga, Plyometrics, Kenpo, and Core Synergistics together into a comprehensive, shorter workout. By shorter, I mean that it is only 45 minutes.
Be that as it may, if you push yourself during this workout, you will definitely do a significant amount of work, keep up a decent heart rate, and improve your balance and flexibility all at the same time.
In summary
This workout, while probably the easiest part of P90X, is still a P90X workout. You’ll still get a lot of benefit from waking up early in the morning to get this one done. Whether you choose to use it as a replacement for Plyo X or as a supplemental workout in the doubles option, it’s a good time and won’t leave you disappointed.
Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.
Photo by lululemon athletica.
For those of you who are interested, I wrote an article that is featured today as a guest post at ChristianPF and I’m pretty stoked about it. Feel free to go check it out and let me know what you think.
If you read the article there and are visiting this site for the first time, welcome! I invite you to take a look around, see what you can see, and give me any feedback you would like about my blog here at FaithFitnessFinance.
Marty, a regular reader of this blog and a blogger in his own right at Coffee With Marty, recently asked,
So, in the past, I have tried to come up with a budget and always failed. Is there some kind of guidelines out there for a 20 year old college student?
Well, my first thought when I ponder this question is: it depends. Creating a budget that works for you can be a pretty intimidating proposition. Like Marty, many people try to come up with a budget that just doesn’t work for them. My personal budget is pretty meticulous. I have very specific amounts that I set up for a lot of different categories. This works for me because most of my expenditures are automated and I check my accounts on a daily basis.
What I’m trying to say here is that, if Marty were to follow my plan, he would probably fail again.
There are some things, however, that everyone will need to do to create a successful budget.
1. Figure out how much money you make. It seems obvious, but you would be surprised how many people only look at the amount of money left in their checking account and ignore how much money goes in. Let’s face it: without income, budgeting is impossible. If you don’t know how much money you make on an annual (or at least per paycheck) basis, start here.
2. Take a look at your expenses. The next step is to understand where your money is going. The good news is that, assuming you use a debit or credit card for most of your purchases, this is very easy to do. All it takes is a piece of financial software like mint.com, which will automatically track and organize your expenditures. In fact, once you connect your account information with mint, there is very little you will need to do. It will categorize every transaction and provide you with up-to-date graphics and tables to help you analyze your spending patterns. Once you know how you’re spending your money, you’ll be ready for the next step.
3. Determine whether or not your income exceeds your expenses. If you consistently spend more money than you earn, you will quickly pile on a lot of debt. Once again, this seems obvious, but most people who wind up in financial trouble skip this step in their money planning (or, more accurately, the lack thereof).
4. Notice what you could do without. When analyzing your spending, did you notice that you spent $400 on dining out at restaurants last month? What about that candy bar habit that you justify because it is “only” a buck? No matter what you find yourself spending money on, it is likely that there are some things you could cut back on to save money.
5. Find a plan. The plan you use for your budget should be easy to implement and manage. The more your are able to automate your budget, the better. This means that your paycheck should be on a direct deposit (assuming your employer offers it). You should sign up for the free bill pay your bank offers but you never figured out how to use. If you need some more help here, take a look at the following simple budget plans.
The balanced money formula
With the balanced money formula, your goal is to use no more than 50% of your income on items you need. This includes your mortgage or rent, car insurance, groceries, utilities, and other things you are required to pay for whether you like it or not. The next 20% of your income should be used for saving and investing.
If you passed 5th grade math, you’ll recognize that you have 30% left over. This amount is to be used for discretionary items and wants. This could include your cable, restaurant budget, and video game fund.
Note that the balanced money formula is intentionally very basic. It will not help every person to achieve their financial goals and it may need to be adapted to your specific needs. It is, however, a good place to start as it guarantees that you are at least living below your means and contributing to savings.
The envelope system
This budget plan is a little bit more complicated than the balanced money formula, although the two could actually be used in conjunction. You will need to do a little more planning to get it set up, but it is very easy to use once it is in place.
To get started, you will need to determine how much you would like to spend in whatever areas you feel are the most important. Note that the envelope system is not typically used for larger, necessary items that are typically the same amount no matter what you do, but rather should be used for categories where overspending can be problematic. Categories might include: groceries, dining out, Starbucks, play money, or clothing.
Each month (or paycheck), you head to the bank and take out enough CASH (as in, if you don’t have cash, you don’t spend money) to cover all of your budgeted expenses. You then divide that cash up into the amounts for each category in your budget and place it into a physical envelope. When you go to the grocery store, you only pay with money out of your grocery envelope. Once you run out of money in your envelope, you are done spending in that category until the next budget period.
I like this system because it forces you to only spend money you have. I don’t like it because I prefer to let software track my expenses for me. Although I have never used it, there is another piece of software called Mvelopes that allows you to create virtual envelopes that track your digital dollars. It is the same concept, but avoids the trip to the bank and the difficulty of carrying around a bunch of envelopes.
Get started
I hope that gives you a few ideas of where to start with your budget. Remember, keep it as simple as possible. Otherwise, you are destined to fail. Whatever system you choose to manage your budget, get started as soon as you can. The sooner you start, the sooner you are to being on your way to achieving financial freedom.
Do you have any other advice for Marty? What strategies do you use in your own budgeting?
Photo by _ES.
My name is Branden. I am a high school teacher, a track coach, and a fitness and finance junkie who happens to think that life is pretty rough without viewing it through a spiritual lens. On this site, I hope to help you explore how to get into peak physical and financial shape while serving others, growing spiritually, and giving both time and money.
