This is a review of the Core Synergistics workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.
Core synergistics, as the name implies, is a pretty intense core workout designed for the recovery week component of the P90X program. It goes beyond what Ab Ripper X can do in length and includes some of the leg workout challenges of Legs and Back. As Tony Horton says, this workout is about working multiple muscle groups at the same time! You’ll be working your abs, glutes, back, legs, and chest in almost every exercise, enabling to to gain great amounts of strength and endurance in these key parts of your body. Tony will tell you all about how doing workouts such as this will make you better at everything you do, and he is right.
So, just what will you be doing?
Some of the exercises in this workout are a little more synergistic than others, meaning that some moves target many muscle groups while others are more targeted on just one area. To simplify it a little bit, though, you will be doing a good number of push-ups, ab work, squats, lunges, and other workouts targeting your overall core area.
None of these workouts are what would be considered “standard.” This means that, while you will be doing some push-ups, they are unique. For instance, there are such items as “Sphinx push-ups” and the infamous “Plank to Chatarunga run.” The latter of these is particularly dedicated in its desire to whip you into the best shape possible. Basically, you will be starting out in a plank position (starting push-up position) and begin alternating your feet in the direction of your armpits in a “run.” After 10 seconds, you have the opportunity of continuing this motion, but moving down into the chatarunga position (the bottom of the push-up). It is rough, and it does quite the job of increasing your heart rate.
Ab exercises
The ab exercises in this workout are also one of a kind. They include such items as the steam engine (think, standing, lifting alternating knees up to meet the opposite elbow), the side hip raise (on your side, only feet and elbow touching the ground, and raise and lower your hip repeatedly), and the banana roll (you start on your back with your arms and feet up and, keeping your extremities up, roll onto your side, then onto your stomach, onto your other side, and return to your back). If you didn’t catch all of that, suffice it to say that it works and works well.
There are a lot of other moves in this workout, all of which do a great job of giving your a nice “break” from the regular routine of the program. Believe me when I say, however, that you will be sweating and tired when the clock finally winds down to zero.
Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.
Photo by jasoncscs.
The longer I do this blog, the more I learn that what looks great at first doesn’t always really look as good as I once thought. So, I’ve spent my valuable time tonight involved in another site re-design. Unforeseen circumstances aside, this should be the last major change for a while. I will probably still be making some minor tweaks, so, if you show up and everything looks out of whack, I am probably in the process of changing something. If you notice something that really just doesn’t look right or you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments or through the contact form!
Thanks for your patience and readership!
To start of with, let me say that I really don’t like spending money I don’t have to. Call it an effect of my frugal, saving mindset, but even the smallest unnecessary expenditure has a way of eating away at me until I can find a way to rid myself of it. I have recently experienced this feeling every time it came to pay my cell phone bill.
Many people pay way to much for their cellular phone use
When it comes to my cell phone usage, I am really a minimalist. I have no need of large text messaging plans because I prefer to talk to people (I know, I’m weird) and I am usually working all day, which keeps me from talking for very long. If I just manage to have a plan that includes night and weekend minutes, I’m pretty good to go.
Since we got married, however, my wife and I have been on a plan with T-Mobile (no matter how you feel about the, they are the least expensive for every comparable plan). It was a MyFaves plan that included unlimited calling to any 5 numbers no matter which network they were on. In addition to this, we also had 800 minutes to use anytime as well as unlimited nights and weekends. The end result? Out of our 800 “anytime” minutes, we typically used about 110.
So, then began the process of determining whether or not we would come close to that limit if the calls to our “MyFaves” numbers were included in the regular minute usage. At the forefront of my mind what the idea that it didn’t do us any good to drop a service we were paying for if we only exchanged it for extra charges in overage minutes. So, I took 2 months to analyze our cell phone bills and do some math.
It turns out that, even when including all of the “MyFaves” minutes, we were still only using about 500 of our 800 allotted minutes for the month (you can thank my wife for most of those…).
Needless to say, we are now on a different plan and paying less every month than we were before. How much less? $10. I know, it’s not very much per month, but I can think of a lot of things I would rather spend $120 per year on than service we aren’t using with our cell phone provider. In all, I probably spend about an hour doing the math and the research, so that equates to about $120/hour in extra money in our bank account.
We’re still getting all the service out of our plan that we want and need and I can sleep easier at night knowing I’m not wasting any more money here. Now, we just have to figure out where, exactly, to allocate that money. We could put it into one of our ING Direct sub-accounts, use it to pay off debt, or maybe even have a little bit of fun… The possibilities are endless!
Do you have any suggestions for saving money on cell phone service? Does anyone have personal experience with prepaid plans?
Photo by daryl_mitchell.
This is a review of the Back and Biceps workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.
Back and Biceps is the second new workout introduced in Phase II of P90X. It, like many other workouts in the program, has a way of looking simple from the outset, but kicking your butt when all is said and done.
The formula
In Back and Biceps, you will be doing 6 sets comprised of 4 different exercises. Essentially, you will do two back exercises followed by 2 bicep exercises. You will begin each set with a max rep pull-up, move into a row or similar exercise, and then do two variations on a bicep curl.
The pull-ups
Each of the 6 times you do pull-ups in this routine, you will do them differently. Outside of the pretty standard wide grip, chin-up, and close grip varieties, you will also be introduced to towel and corn cob pull-ups. Of all the pull-ups I did in P90X, the corn cob proved to be the most challenging. For this particular pull-up, you begin with the standard motion of getting your chin above the bar and then proceed to move your body left, right, out, and back (all while holding yourself up) before releasing back to the ground. Even at my best, I only finished with 7 of these in the allotted time (compared, say, to 24 or more on other varieties). To get a visual on how this looks, check out the following video:
As you can see, this is not your average pull-up. To make it even better, it takes place about half-way through the workout. That means you have to do pull-ups before it and pull-ups after it. I know, I’m nothing if I can’t do a good job of stating the obvious.
Bicep curls
Suffice it to say here that you will do enough varieties of bicep curls in this workout to make it a little difficult to lift your spoon to your mouth when eating cereal the next morning. That being said, you should get enough of a pump from the set to gain an inch or two of size in your biceps. Please note: this is that inch or two that quickly disappears as it is just extra blood in your muscles to support the work you are doing. Makes for some great photos though!
Closing thoughts
One advantage to this workout is that it is a little shorter than most in the program: about 52 minutes. It’s always nice to know that you’re not going to have to make it quite as long from time to time. Give this one a shot and I’m sure you will love it!
Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.
Photo by .B.P.M.
“The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
I recently picked up a copy of “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko from my local library. Ok, so I actually got the audio book so I could listen to it while driving. Have I mentioned that I love the library? There is nothing like finding a great book, whether educational or otherwise, and getting it for free! This
Back to the book. Let me start off by offering a warning. If you aren’t at all interested in statistics, this book might be a little overwhelming for you. It uses a lot of percentages and numbers to present its information. While I think they are fascinating, you might feel otherwise if numbers are not your strong suit.
The Millionaire Next Door is the result of years of research done by the authors. Basically, they wanted to know what rich people do to be rich. Do they have high incomes? Did they win the lottery? Did they inherit all of their money? Or is there something else that has enable them to attain great levels of wealth.
The answer? Well, it’s varied, but there are some definite patterns, the most interesting of which being from those who go from rags to riches in one lifetime. What might be surprising to many is that those who attain wealth without outside assistance account for the majority of the millionaires in the United States. This is really interesting for those of us who are trying to develop a long term plan for financial success and financial independence. As Dave Ramsey says, you shouldn’t take financial advise from broke people. Instead, if you want to be rich, you should look at what rich people do and copy it. There are a few key characteristics of the typical millionaire that I have noticed in the book.
Most millionaires have a net worth much higher than that of their neighbors
Most millionaires are frugal. They live below their means. Most of their neighbors have a much lower net worth than they. If they live in a really nice house, it is because they bought the house after they became rich rather than in anticipation of one day becoming rich.
Most millionaires live on a budget. They know where every penny goes and set up spending limits for just about everything. They can tell you exactly how much their household spent last year on items such as clothing, groceries, automobile maintenance, and travel.
Most millionaires pay themselves first. Before spending a dime, these people take out a significant percentage of their income and use it for investments. They understand that it takes money to make money, so they choose to use the money they have to acquire wealth, rather than possessions.
Most millionaires are givers. Whether to a church, charity, family member, or otherwise, they tend to give away significant amounts of money on a regular basis. While this may seem counter-productive to acquiring wealth, it is not. Even outside the benefits many people experience from tithing, or giving a percentage of their income back to God, many millionaires recognize that generous people have more opportunities than do those who are selfish.
Most millionaires are goal-oriented. They know where they want to go and are in it for the long haul. They have researched what they are doing and are confident that they can achieve results. The don’t give in to societal pressures to spend money where they should not because they are too focused on what they should be and are doing. They use their ambition to find new ways of generating income and don’t let up until the goal is reached.
Most millionaires take risks. If you want to start a company, there is a chance that it will fail. If you invest in a company, there is a chance that you will lose every dollar of your investment. But millionaires recognize that it is impossible to attain substantial levels of wealth without substantive levels of risk. The drive to succeed is essential here.
So, from a practical standpoint, what can we learn from these millionaires? I think there are at least 5 points worth noting.
Acquiring wealth takes time
1. If you’re not a millionaire today, you probably won’t be one tomorrow. Millionaires typically accumulate wealth over a long period of time through budgeting and diligence. If you want to be wealthy, it will take time.
2. Financial independence is essential. Most of these millionaires own their own business or are engaged in some other venture that is dependent upon their performance. What is important here is that these individuals recognize that they either succeed or go broke. Because of this, they work even harder to succeed.
3. Know what happens to your money. As I’ve already mentioned, you have to budget if you want to be wealthy. If you made $70,000 last year and can only account for $20,000 of that, you have a problem. Take the time to track and manage your spending with resources such as mint.
4. Get educated. Either through the use of deferred investments such as a 401k or the use of tax deductions, most of these millionaires really understand the tax system and how to make money that is not taxed at 50%. This also means that they recognize that a $20,000 boat really costs them $38,000 due to the taxes on their income. We all have to pay taxes, so make sure you understand the law well.
5. If you want to be a millionaire, don’t act like one. The surest way to not acquiring wealth is to live as if you were already wealthy. This typically means that you should be driving used cars, living in a reasonable house in a reasonable neighborhood, and saving and investing like crazy.
As you continue to organize your financial life, I hope you are able to draw upon the insights and experiences of people that are already doing it and doing it well. The road to financial independence may be long, but is worth every step.
Photos by Ronaldo F Cabuhat and Gnerk.
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.
