It’s been a year since I started Tony Horton’s P90X and I only just discovered recently that:
- I know some of the routines well enough to do them without the DVDs, and
- I can damn well make up my own routines based on what I’ve learned from Tony Horton
It’s odd how we can become dependent on something — as I had become dependent on Tony Horton DVDs — and not even think about breaking away from it.
It’s a great boredome reliever to be able to watch a tv show or movie while working out, so not needing to use the DVDs is a bonus for me.
But best of all is the idea that I can make up my own routines. Like yesterday I did Legs & Shoulders. There’s no Legs & Shoulders in Tony Horton’s P90X. I made it up!
Day before that I melded some moves and made a new Chest & Back routine.
Besides allowing for other entertainment on the tv during workouts, this new development also provides for yet more muscle confusion. I mean, really, sometimes I get to a point where my muscles are not even sore the next day, and I feel as if I am not working as hard as I can. Varying the routines ensures that I will be working new muscles all the time, and that helps with overall fitness.
I guess the weirdest thing about this new “discovery” is that, obviously, back in the day, I used to make up my own routines all the time. I had no DVDs to work from, just a book or two of moves that I would combine in a way that seemed to make sense.
Everything old is new again. And I feel so much better for it.
I’m not saying, btw, that I’m totally abandoning Tony Horton. Far from it. I still need to learn new things and I need a kick in the pants every so often to keep myself on track. But it’s good to be able to know I can work out without him when I need to.