Day 0: P90X - Assessment & Before Pics (262 lbs)

Tomorrow is the big day! We start P90X. To prepare, my oldest son, Ryan, and I took our Before Pics, body measurements and went to the gym to do the P90X physical assessment. I don't look too bad in my before pics for a 47 year old man but definitely see lots room for improvement.

Basically, I want to accomplish the following goals:

• Upper Body: I want to increase muscle definition but don't want any more size. I'm 6'5" and 260 lbs. That big enough. I just need to scrape some of the frosting off the cake so you can see the existing muscles underneath. I carry most of my body fat in my upper body
  
• Lower Body: My legs have lots of definition but I need some bulk so I am more uniformly proportioned. This probably means adding a traditional heavy weight workout to my P90X routine each week. If you want to grow them legs, you need to pump some heavy iron on the squat machine and leg press.
  
• Flexibility: I have none and need it desperately. There are countless benefits to flexibility including improved range of motion, less likelihood of injure, improved muscle growth, etc. I'm tired of being a stiffy and am finally going to devote my efforts to area.
• Improve Athletic Performance: I want to be better, faster and stronger. No only do I want to look good, but I want to be able to run up and down a basketball court, hike for hours through the mountains, challenge my sons to a race, or beat up a drunk in a bar fight.
• General Health: I want to continue to improve my general health and keep my blood pressure and cholesterol under control without the use of medications.

The physical assessment went better than expected. I hit almost all of the base requirements to to the P90X. Here are the tests and results:

• Pull ups: 6 (assisted)
• Vertical Leap: 14"
• Push ups: 16 (I did 32 in April '09 before my triple bypass)
• Toe Touch: 14" above the toes
• Wall Squat: 1:16
• Bicep Curls: 15 reps @ 35 lbs
• Abs In & Outs: 25 reps
  

The following are my starting body measurements:

• Weight 262 lbs
• Body Fat: 13%
  
• Hip 40"
• Waist 36"
• Shoulders 50"
• Chest 46"
• Thigh - Left: 26.5"
• Thigh - Right 26"
  
• Calves - Left 15.25"
• Calves - Right 15.75
• Biceps - Left 16.25"
  
• Biceps - Right 17"