High Protein Granola Bars
2 cups oat bran
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup egg whites
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups honey
2 cups whey (Vanilla)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix it all together in a big bowl, then spread it out on a large nonstick cooking tray. Spray the tray with Pam, or wipe a little olive oil on it with a paper towel. Bake for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees, or until the top gets light brown and the sides start separating from the pan.

Servings: 10
Yield: 10 bars
Total Calories: 471    Fat: 5 g     Carbs: 78 g      Fiber: 7 g      Protein: 27 g

Shoulders and arms are done in weeks 1, 2, 3, 9, and 11 and all that is needed are your preferred weights or bands, a wall and chair.  Now that your ready to go you will be doing 15 exercises straight through but remember to not over do yourself as you have another round after.

I am not going to explain every exercise in this P90X program because this post would be forever long but I will list them in order from beginning to end. 

The exercises are as follows:

1. Alternating shoulder press- (you do a lot of these in the RevAbs program)                         

2. In & Out Bicep curls 3. Two-arm Tricep kickbacks 4. Deep swimmers press 5. Full supination Curls

6. Chair Dips 7. Upright rows 8. Static arm curls 9. Flip-grip twist kickbacks 10. Seated 2 angle shoulder flyes

11. Crouching cohen curls 12. Lying down tricep extension 13. In & out straight arm shoulder flyes

14. Congdon curls 15. Side tri raises

Now this workout is no joke and for those of you getting ready to do it be prepared to feel some soreness the next day.  The only thing that will help alleviate the soreness is Advil or the recovery drink.  If your trying to build muscle then you should up your weights and do between 8-10 reps.  If your trying to tone up then use lighter weights and do between 12-15 reps.  Now remember that every other day you have to include Ab Ripper Xafter your workout so get ready to work those Abs for 15 minutes.  If you want more info or have any questions the Beachbody account that is FREE will help with any other unanswered questions.

Round 1

Crunches

Bencao Kick- Its a crunch but on the way up you kick your leg straight out and twist to the side. (OUCH)

Round 2

More Crunches

Another round of Bencao Kicks

Knee tucks-Its like a Crunchy Frog in P90x but instead of your hands in the air they are on the ground like  your T shaped and dragging your arms across the floor.  The crunch is what kills you and when you hit 15 your ready to break.

Round 3    (Spice Round)

Crunches -With weights

Bencao Kicks- With Weights

V-ups-  Similar to P90x but your using a 10 pound weight or whatever you can manage. 

It seems pretty easy but Brett Hoebel wants you to work slower with a bigger focus on tightening the Abs on every rep.  Im a little annoyed with the repetitiveness of the workout but each round gets more intensified.  Mercy Abs is used in combination with two other workouts in the program which makes the total days workout to be 1 hour.  My final thoughts are that I don’t think this will ever replace P90x but it’s nice to change it up with a different program.  After doing P90x twice I got a little bored with some of the workouts so I’m happy that I made the purchase.  If your interested in trying it out then click here.  It’s $40 cheaper than P90x and the workouts are only 45 minutes or less.

If your already a fan of beachbody products then get a free account or check out the coach program for a great income opportunity.  Remember that you can’t get results without a good meal plan so make sure you eat right!

9-21

Chest, shoulders and Triceps

This workout is probably my second favorite because it gives you the best upper body workout.  I wont be able to explain every exercise in detail so click above for that but all I can say is lots of push ups.  Make sure you have a recovery drink after and a protein shake for lunch. Don’t forget Ab Ripper X.

9-22

Plyometrics

I used to dislike this one cause there was lots of jumping but now I use it as a way to entertain my daughter.  In this workout you do an exercise called jump knee tuck.  Its the hardest thing I have ever done.  Try jumping in place but the object is to hit your hands with the top of your knees.  Its super difficult but you sweat like hell.

9-23

Back & Biceps

If you are not good at pull ups then look no further.  You will get good at doing pull ups and curls in this workout.  I used to be able to only do like 1 pull up and now the second time through P90X I can now do almost 13 in a row.  My resultshave been awesome since and my upper body strength is fantastic.  Don’t forget to do your Ab Ripper X as well. 

9-24

YogaX

All I can say here is that Yoga X has made me incredibly flexible and actually helps with any soreness your having.  I actually showed my father in law and few of these moves because he has had a sore back all his life.  He was truly impressed with my knowledge as well as the fact that the pain started going away.  He pretty much got bored with his exercises and his body got used to the movements that it wasn’t doing anything for him.  Another great reason to look at the coaching opportunity.  If you practice and help other why not benefit from it.  

9-25

Legs & Back

I will have to admit that I have skipped this workout a few times and finally did it this week.  I will never do that again because I was sore for 3 days after.   Wall squats for 90 seconds and then wall squats with one leg in the air.  Pretty intense if you ask me.  Recovery drink is a for sure after this workout.  Oh and don’t forget Ab Ripper X.  I can now do the last workout with my legs in the air and get through 40 leg raises. 

9-26

Kenpo X

I will be writing more in depth about this workout because its so enjoyable.  Lots of action with punches and kicks.  The best part is the end or the sports bonus.  3 different moves and 3 different sports.  Basketball, football, baseball.  I also was throwing my brother a Bach party today.  It consisted of limo bus, casino and the bars.  We got home at 6 am.  OUCH!   

9-27

REST DAY.  Thank God for this rest day as I didn’t move from the couch.  Bach party was fun but man I am paying for it.  Yes my wife hated me but expected me to be worthless today.  I want to encourage anyone reading that they should look into the free account that beach body gives you.  It has a similar look to face book but not as intense.  If you intend on buying anything now or in the future then consider becoming a coach.  Why?  Well make money and a sweet discount for you.

If you have ever wanted a great beach body then this workout will give it to you.  It is not stop push ups and pull ups with a few weights as well.  I enjoy this workout so much because you walk away so exhausted after 50 minutes.  The majority of the time you are switching back from a push up and then to a pull up so the video starts out with a standard push up.

Everyone can do these but how many can you do in 30 seconds.  Don’t forget that every workout is done twice before you end the Chest and Back DVD.  Wide front pull ups are next and are my least favorite.  Have you ever had those wings under your arm pits when you flex.  Well after doing P90x for a second time through I now can say I have those muscles and it’s because of this exercise.  Military push ups are difficult as well and all you have to do is keep your arms close to you and your elbows tucked in every time you come in and out of one.  I can now do about 18-20 of them in a row but at first  I couldn’t do 5.

The next three set of workouts are Reverse chin ups, Wide Fly push ups and Close grip pull ups.  Reverse chin ups are my favorite just because I can do these the best and can do 10 of them in a row.  I was pretty impressed with my results because I couldn’t even do 1 of these at day 1.  For some reason wide fly push ups are easier for me than standard push ups and I think it’s because when I worked out on the bench press I always had a wider grip on the bar.  Close grip is next and I think the hardest part of this pull up is lifting up your legs in a constant motion.  They always seem to flap in the air after every pull up I do. Either way I love these workouts next to each other cause there easiest for me. 

Decline push ups, Heavy pants and Diamond push up are next and you need to keep a good balance with these.  Decline is a standard push up but with your feet on a chair.  They are fun and when you get some confidence you can raise a leg in the air as well while doing a push up.  Try it when you get used of doing the regular ones first of course.  Heavy pants is the same thing as putting a pair of pants on except using weights of course.  I usually use 25lbs on each arm and get through about 12 reps.  I always have a hard time with this one because I focus on my arms rather than my back.  One of the most challenging workout on the chest and back exercise is diamond push ups.  The name says it all.  Make a diamond out of your hands and then do push ups!  Yes easier said then done Tony Horton.  The trick here is doing them while your legs are separated like a V.  After almost 180 days I now can do two sets of 12.  The other positive about getting through P90x almost twice is the benefits of becoming a Coach.  Its great to see your progress when you chart everything on paper and when I look back at the first time I did this workout I did 1.

You finish with 3 more workouts and they are lawnmowers, Dive bomber, and Back flys.  I use a 25lb weight for lawnmowers and I can do about 12.  Don’t forget that your arms are on fire from the previous exercises and plus to gain mass you want to keep it to 8-12 reps.   These are pretty much like starting a lawnmower but bent over.  Hence the word Lawnmower.  Dive bomber push ups are not my favorite and that’s because there hard as hell!  Picture a 2 foot high fence and going under it without your chest touching the ground.  Better yet!  It’s like the limbo but its your back that can’t touch the bottom of the fence.  Well back flys are simple and self explanatory so no detail on that but the best thing about this workout is that you have one more time through.  Yes once you finish these you go back and do them all over again.  Remember most of these exercises are 30 seconds to a minute so you have plenty of time to go at it one more time.  Usually my second time through my reps go down do to the fact that I’m extremely exhausted.

My chest and back are strong because of things like Yoga X and Ab ripper and several other workouts like shoulder and triceps.  Overall I think if you put your mind to it and focus on each and every workout the results will come with this system.   If you truly want to start and believe that P90X is a little too much for you then try RevAbs. 

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at Gianni@phattyfit.com.  You can also get a FREE beach body account and check out the tools they give you to succeed.

9-7

Yoga X-Once again Yoga X is pure flexibility and its tests your inner strength.  I don’t reallystruggle with this exercise anymore which is a huge accomplishment.  When I first started doing Yoga it was the most uncomfortable situations ever!  Now its so relaxing but also a fun workout.

9-8

Core Synergistics-This is a total body workout which incorporates cardio, stretching & resistance to strengthen your core muscles.  This workout prepares you to take on all the other workout routines.  I love it because you do weird workouts like prison cell push ups, banana rolls & towel hopping.

9-9

Kenpo X- My favorite workouts and most likely it will be yours as well.  You do so many punches and kicks that your shirt looks like you ran through a sprinkler.  If you have a bad day at work or are mad at someone then do Kenpo because your feel like Rocky after your done.

9-10

X Stretch-I usually do this workout at night before I choose to go to bed because it includes the stretching of your body.  Legs, back, arms etc.  Its about an hour and its not really a workout so if your not interested then its a good day to skip.  Its sometimes difficult to stay motivated so just remember that getting here is a huge accomplishment.

9-11

Core Synergistics- Once again another day of this workout to give you a full body sweat.  I will briefly explain Prison cell push ups(do a push up, come up, pull one knee towards your head, then the other, go down for another and then stand up)  this equals one.  Sound confusing but going as fast as you can makes it intense.

9-12

Yoga X-Like I said this week is a recovery week and you will enjoy the break you get from the other hardcore workouts.  You sweat just as much with Yoga but it wont feel like your working out.  My favorite is Yoga Belly because its moves you learn in Ab Ripper X but keep longer holds in yoga.

9-13

Rest Day-Today is opening day for the NFL and yes I will be indulging in a few beverages and watching my COLTS win.  I deserve it and plus I now weigh around 167lbs.  My brother in-law Joe and I are having a chili cook off.  Its just an excuse to make sure the wonderful women in our lives know that its a Man’s day in front of the TV.  He is doing P90x as well and will soon post his results but to keep you motivated don’t forget that this is truly a week off of working out.  I always felt lazy during this recovery week but that’s ok because I got great results.  Of course no baby yet.  My poor wife Lisa has to wait until Friday the 18th to be induced.  Its our second best gift that the man above has given us.  GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

It’s so true because it still hurts my stomach every time I do this P90X workout but after I’m done with it I feel great!  The program is approximately 16 minutes long with a minute of cool down at the end.  Ab Ripper is supposed to be done after every workout besides the cardio workouts which are Kenpo X, Plyometrics, Yoga X and Cardio X.  You get such a great ab workout that you don’t need to do this everyday so they leave it out.  Plus most of the cardio workouts have some sort of Ab routine in them anyway. 

The video consists of 12 different routines of 25 reps per exercise.  The challenging part here is that you just finished an hour long workout and then Tony gets back on and says that its time to do 15 minutes of Ab workouts.  I personally loved doing Ab ripper because I have always wanted to lose my beer gut from college and never got motivated to do it.  Well after following a strict diet and consistently doing Ab Ripper X I can say that My results are outstanding.  I went from a size 36 waist to a size 32 waist in a matter of 90 days.  No it wasn’t easy and yes I stayed away from anything that included lots of sugar and lots of carbs.  No six pack for me but I’m closer than I was before.

Workouts included are “In & Outs”, “Seated Bicycle”, “Seated Crunchy Frog”, “Crossed Leg Wide Leg Sit Up”, “Fifer Scissor”, “Hip Rock & Raise”, “Pulse Ups”, “V-Up Combo”, “Oblique V-Ups”, “Leg Climb” and the “Mason Twist.” 

If you total them all up you will be doing a total of 300 sit ups in 15 minutes with about 2 second breaks so hang on tight.  At first I couldn’t even get through the first 2 without breaking but now I can do the whole workout.  I didn’t say that it was easy but that I can get through it.  I suggest after your main workout to take a 10 minute breather as it will help get through Ab Ripper especially after the legs and Back DVD.

 

In and outs are just sitting down with hands behind you while moving your legs back and forth in the air in front of you.

Seated Bicycle is a move where you sit down and pedal in the air while sitting down on your butt.

Crunchy Frog is where I always find myself pausing the DVD because your opening and closing your hands while doing In and Outs.

Crossed leg sit ups has two versions depending on how good you are but you lay on your back with legs in a V shape and you lift up to the opposite leg and touch that toe first then the other.

Fifer Scissor is a move that you keep one leg 1 inch to the ground and the other straight up.  Get it “Scissors”

Hip Rock  is where you lay on you back and make your legs into the shape of a diamond.  Then lift up high in the air while picking up your butt for a one count and yes 24 more to go.

Pulse Ups  are the same as hip rock but you have your legs straight in the air and are lifting your butt up as well.

V-Ups are laying on your back with hands in the air and then a reach to touch your toes but as you come down and touch your shoulders you have to lift legs and push your arms to your toes mid air.  Just picture a V.

Oblique Ups are just laying on your side and pretty much crunching your love handles.  25 times on each side

Leg Climb is pretty much sticking one leg at a time in the air and trying to grab your toe.  Your supposed to do 12 per side and I think this is the easiest of the workouts.

Mason Twist is my favorite one because you make a fist, put your legs in the air and touch each side of the floor for a one count.  Here you do 5o twists.  Lets just say after doing P90X a second time through I can now keep my legs in the air for 40 of them but cant finish in the air. 

If you want to lose inches fast and get back into those high school jeans then do this consistent and stay away from Carbs and Sugars!  If Abs is all that you want then check out the new Beach Body series called RevAbs.  Remember your doing over 300 abs in 15 minutes and did I mention that your sweating like hell. 

One more motivating thing for you is to sign up for a free account and check out who else is doing Ab Ripper.  If your already doing P90x or feel like your going to start the program then look into the coaching opportunity as well.  There are several benefits of becoming a coach right away.  Feel free to contact me at anytime at Gianni@phattyfit.com