Hello everyone and welcome to Block 2 of P90X3. After finishing up transition week last week, I’m excited to start getting into block 2. But P90X3 Eccentric Upper review is no walk int eh park. Block 2 comes forward with full intensity.
P90X3 Eccentric Upper Review | What does “Eccentric” Mean?
This workout has similar “moves” to things like P90X, and is a close rival to P90X3 the Challenge. As the title strongly implies, this is the “UPPER” part of the body. So we are talking push-ups, pull-ups, and plenty of curls, triceps, presses, rows, and more.
The difference in this workout is you do them in an eccentric fashion. According to Wikipedia, an eccentric contraction is a force on a muscle that basically lengthens the muscle fibers as they contract.
What does this mean??
We are stronger during the eccentric, or lowering, portion of a move. By doing these types of exercises, we strengthen our muscles.
But it isn’t easy!!
You start with 3 seconds of eccentric movement (slow) and then 1 second of concentric movement (fast).
P90X3 Eccentric Upper – Coach Bob’s Review
While I say that this workout definitely rivals “The Challenge” workout, it did not give me as much soreness as the challenge did. A few things that I know I’ll have to fix for next week:
- My Weight – Whether you are using the resistance bands or dumbbells, you might want to get used to the pause button. The goal is to feel burned out after each of these moves of 10 reps. On some moves I felt I was doing too much, and on others I was doing too little. This is why the P90X3 worksheets are so important. I wrote down what worked so I can be more efficient next week.
- My Eccentric Moves – I think we get caught in the trap of traditional weight training. Pick things up; put them down [Insert Arnold accent here]. But I found myself going a little too fast for the 3 second counts on eccentric moves. I assume it’s because I was feeling it, and subconsciously pushing past the pain (has this happened to you?).
As I mentioned above, this workout features 10 reps for each move. You focus on an eccentric move of 3 seconds, and a concentric (explosive) move of 1 second. For example, the deep swimmers press move would consist of one explosive move to the top (concentric), and then three brutal seconds down from the top (eccentric).
A few of the moves encountered today in my P90X3 Eccentric Upper review include:
- Push-Ups – Why not? This time we go down slow and pop back up. I actually found that because I was going slowly, it was hard for me to pop back up fast.
- Pull-Ups – The V-Pull Ups really got me here. I’m so used to doing pull ups straight up and down. Pulling myself up to the left or right (V) was rough. I used the Chin-Up max for sure, which has come in handy in helping me build those “pull-up” muscles with this program.
- Deep Swimmers Press/Shoulder Presses – I was able to use 20 pound weights for these moves, even though it worked me to death. It is funny because back in the original P90X days, I never thought I’d be able to do the Deep Swimmer’s Press. For those who may feel like this with P90X3, don’t worry! The key is consistency over time. Keep it up and you’ll end up surprising yourself when you look back in time.
Nutrition and eating with P90X3 Eccentric Upper
The last bit on my P90X3 Eccentric Upper review journey is nutrition. I’m continuing to focus on eating clean and hitting my macros.
I found a lapse in eating around 4-6pm where I start getting hungry before dinner. I’m going to focus on adding a snack in during that time (considering I sometimes fall slightly below my 2700 calorie goal).
For lunch I’m also continuing my P90X Shakeology power shake which is serving me well so far. Plus, I’m not getting tired of my egg whites and oatmeal in the morning. I guess you could say I’m a boring eater??
I hope you enjoyed reading my fitness journey update on P90X3 Eccentric Upper review. Be sure to comment below and let me know how your journey is going!
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Yours in Success,
Coach Bob