P90X vs Bikram Yoga

Dear Friends,

What happened? When I got back from Thailand a few years ago, I weighed 165lbs. Here’s a picture of me after 3 months of being overseas and walking 10 miles a day.

Now I weigh in at a clean 209lbs–I jumped several weight classes. I’m fighting Cruiserweight when I need to be back to Super Middleweight status for the championship.

I stayed trim for a while after Thailand. The turning point was a couple years later after a bad experience in Mexico which I thought was my demise.  I returned home to North Carolina too happy to be alive. I remember eating 5 steak dinners my first month back, enjoying each one like it was my first steak.

This, I guess, led to a gluttonous lifestyle.

Shortly after Mexico I started building a website called Project Wireless, a cell phone review website that catered specifically to Verizon Wireless customers. At the time, Verizon offered an affiliate program that paid handsomely on new contracts, phone upgrades, and accessory sales.

My life was this: I woke up every morning around 8am, walked into my office at the end of the hallway, sat down and started working on my computer. At the end of the day, I’d play a couple hours of Halo 3, work on my computer a while longer, then go to bed and do it all again the next day.

I worked on a computer upwards of 10 hours a day and was very inactive the rest of the time.

Now I look like this.

I’m so out of shape that I can barely hold the camera up to take the picture. For this joke, I guess I live alone, because I left the bathroom door open and I don’t look concerned. Notice on the door how small that pink towel is and be glad you didn’t stop by for a surprise visit during all this.

What are you going to do to get back in shape?

Nothing. I’m going to gain another 150lbs to see who my real friends are.

What are you really going to do, Adventure Paul?

Don’t ask me like that. Why do you have to say my name at the end of a question? It always sounds antagonizing and belittling.

The P90X Workout

In the past couple weeks I’ve tried half of the P90X workouts. There are 12 different workouts in total that you’re supposed to do in a rotation for 90 days.

On Friday I did two days worth of workouts because Scott and I are competitive.

The first DVD I watched was Back and Biceps. This exercise set used a pull-up bar and free weights–it’s concentration is on pulling weight towards the body. It lasted about 55 minutes including warm up (which is a bit exhausting too).

When Scott got home, we discussed the P90x–he swears by it, but so far I hate it. I told him I didn’t want to do it anymore. P90X is a very extreme workout to start getting back in shape with. Currently I can barely finish a lot of the exercises.

I told Scott that I will continue to give P90X a chance and see if I can notice results after a few weeks. Since we were on the subject, we did another workout called Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps.

To top off the successful day of not one, but two P90X workouts, we did the 8-minute ab workout. It’s not as high-intense as the P90X Ab Ripper Extreme, but it’s easy to do every day.

I spent the next two days wobbling around looking like I had dropped the soap in prison. My butt hurt, my back was stiff, and my arms couldn’t move.

F*?$ P90X.

Bikram Yoga

I needed to stretch out. This morning I visited Bikram Yoga Encino and took a class with Christie William who runs the school. It’s been 11 months since my last attempt at yoga and I forgot how difficult some of the moves are.

Bikram Yoga is comprised of 26 positions–the first half of them are standing and the second half are sitting or lying down.

Each position stretches your body in a way that prepares it for the next position leading up to the Ustrasana (camel pose), Sasangasana (rabbit pose), Janushirasana with Paschimottanasan (head to knee pose), and Ardha Matsyendrasana (spine twisting pose) which are the most difficult.

I felt great immediately after class which gave me a burst of energy to start today with.

I love yoga.

P90X vs Bikram Yoga

So which is it? If the answer seems obvious after “F*?$ P90X” and “I love yoga” then you’re wrong. I don’t shy away from things I initially hate–otherwise I wouldn’t have any of my best friends.

P90X

—Pros: 1. It’s free. 2. Scott’s had good results. 3. It’s quick –I don’t have to drive anywhere.

–Cons: 1. It sucks. 2. My body aches after a work out. 3. It’s boring and kind of lonely–I spend enough time in front of a screen.

Bikram

–Pros: 1. I feel great after. 2. I meet new friends in class including a lot of 3. Hot women.

–Cons: 1. Expensive–$150/month or $15 per class. 2. Have to drive there. 3. Time intensive–takes 2 hours out of my day.

The real answer to getting in shape is a combination of both yoga, P90X, and the following:

Eat right - This means eating “food that God made” as a general rule of thumb. No sugary drinks, fast food, boxes of cookies, or late night snacking either. If I eat out, I’ll watch the portion size and take half home if necessary.. just as long as I don’t eat the rest of it a few hours later before I go to bed.

Walking - I love going on walks–big or small. Why have a conversation sitting down when you can do it walking? I was skinny in Thailand because Peter and I walked everywhere, sometimes more than 2 miles just to get to lunch. I plan on walking a lot in the evenings to clear my head and perhaps catch up on phone calls to loved ones. I better charge up my Bluetooth headset.

Elliptical – This is my favorite gym exercise. The nearest elliptical is a second 60 walk from me so I can do it with little effort if I have a free hour.

Throw up after meals – This is the best way to avoid needless calories after an indulgent meal out. If you’re with friends, just excuse yourself to the restroom after dinner. They’ll think you’re pooping.

Okay, I made up the last one. What a horrible joke too? Television has taught me that bulimia is a real disease and I shouldn’t joke about things that are real.

Now I just have to do it.

Unfortunately for me “getting in shape” isn’t something I can do for a week and then live off the efforts. I think the key to success will be everything I mentioned above in moderation. A couple days each week of yoga, a couple days of weight lifting or a P90X workout, and a combination of walking, elliptical, and eating properly will shave the pounds off AP. I’ll let you know how it goes for better or worse.

I learned from Dr. Acton that there is no perfect solution to health because no two people have the same body chemistry–we’re unique like snowflakes. Every person is going to have a different answer to the question “How do I stay healthy?”

So what do you do? Share your thoughts with me on staying healthy below. I’d love to hear from you.

Sincerely Yours,

Adventure Paul

PS: If you’re wondering what happened to Project-Wireless, the answer is that VZW eventually stopped their affiliate program which led to the end of the website’s major revenue stream. Project-Wireless is still online and generates a small amount of income through affiliate links from companies like eBay, Amazon, and CellPhoneShop.net –but without $110 commissions from Verizon Wireless, there was little incentive to continue and I stopped updating it with new phones. See ya.

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