P90X Chest and Back
Chest and Back is my second favorite workout from the upper body portion of the DVD set. There are a few great things about this workout that you should know about so I want to discuss them with anyone that is reading this and thinking about doing P90X. Fore men this workout will get you more bulk in the upper area and you will definitely get more toned up. The women will feel tighter as well but you get the benefit of walking with a much better posture as well.
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.
