Oh man, today has been hard. I was pretty sore this morning from yesterdays workout to start off with so that was not the best way to start the day, but I am determined not to let that stop me from doing this program. Today the P90X program alls for the participant to go through Kenpo X. Kenpo X is a high intensity cardio routine that incorporates kicks, punches and blocks. On top of P90X also went for a run today (separate post later on), for now, lets take a look at Kenpo X.

To me Kenpo X was one of the workouts that I really knew nothing about. I have heard others talking about how hard it was so I admit, I was a little bit intimidated by it before I started, but there was no need to be. In all honesty Kenpo X is the best workout in the collection, it is also the most fun. I was having so much fun that the whole 60 minutes blew right past me and it was over before I knew it.

If you like a good cardio workout, you will LOVE Kenpo. The description of this workout states “You will be throwing a whole bunch of kicks, elbows, knees and forearms around. You’ll learn a highly effective way to defend yourself, and  at the same time you’ll be getting one heck of a total body cardio workout”. The description is accurate! Your arms and legs will be flying all over the place and your heart rate will soar!

So, what do you need for this workout? As with all P90X workouts, make sure you keep your water and a towel close by. You will be needing them a lot during this workout. The only other tool that is recommended is a heart rate monitor. I have one and it is a invaluable tool. It is important to know what your target heart rate is so that you can make sure you stay in the fat burning zone as much as possible. The fat burning zone (target heart rate) is 60% to 80% of your max heart rate. You can calculate your target zone by using this simple calculator.

Kenpo X really pushed me to my limits today. The workout is intense, but as I said before, it is super fun. You will shadow Tony as you have in previous videos. Make sure you follow his instructions so that you can maximize each exercise. Remember, the quality of the move is far more important than the quantity. You will have a blast as your throw hooks, jabs and uppercuts, and the sequences where Tony wants you to pretend that you are in a fight are great. With a mixture of punches, kicks and blocks you will feel like you are ready to take on the world.

One thing I noticed during this workout is that the “break” period is a lot longer than in previous videos. Not only is is longer, it is not really a break at all. You do not get to stop moving. Tony and the gang want you to keep on moving so that your heart rate does not drop too low. So, during the break you can expect to do running on the spot, jump ropes, star jumps, and x jumps. You can of course take time to towel off and drink some water, but you are still expected to move while doing so.

Overall Kenpo is hands down my favorite workout in the P90X collection. It is fast, and it is FUN, and that makes a huge difference. If yuo can have fun while you are working out, you will enjoy it even more. This is definitely a workout to looks forward to, and I cannot wait until I do it again. Until them I am looking forward to my rest day tomorrow. I am going to need it.

I hope all of your are having a great week! Thanks so much for all of your encouragement and support!

Regards,

Brett