Today I did the P90X2 Chest Shoulders Triceps workout with Tony Horton and company. Apparently this is considered a P90X2 bonus workout because it does not come standard with most orders. If you want to get this DVD, you either need to man up and order the deluxe edition of X2 or buy it separately. I hate getting left out on any bonus routines so I made sure I copped the deluxe. I am extremely pleased with the type of workout that this bonus routine provided. It was pretty hardcore from start to finish and did a nice job of working exactly what was suggested: the chest, the shoulders, and the triceps.
X2 Chest Shoulders Tris: Embrace The Challenge
It is only my third day of doing P90X2 workouts and as a whole I am very impressed with the series of exercises that they came up with. What I most like about the workouts is that they help build strength, balance, and focus instead of just strength. They also move at a rapid-fire pace so you need to be ready to go or you’re going to get left in the dust. If you haven’t already done the original P90X, I personally wouldn’t recommend moving onto X2 until you have finished 90 days because these are fast paced workouts that require focus. If you don’t focus, you’re probably going to get hurt.
P90X2 Chest Shoulders Triceps Review
The X2 Chest Shoulders and Triceps workout is a routine that was designed to be an alternative option to the X2 Shoulders and Arms in the second phase of P90X2. Although you may not necessarily need this workout, I like having a wide variety of options to choose from so that my workouts stay fresh and so that I don’t get bored. The great thing about this particular workout is that it involves some old school moves like push ups, presses, triceps extensions, dips, and circle flys, but combines them with some new school equipment like medicine balls and the stability ball to help you improve your balance.
P90X2 Chest Shoulders Tris (Video Preview)
Tony even mentions the fact that he loves this routine because it is “old school meets new school.” If you don’t have the deluxe edition of P90X2, this routine may seem easier or kind of dumb compared to what you expected. If you have a few medicine balls, the stability ball, and some weights, you are going to get a kick ass workout. This is a fast paced routine with only one water break after the first 11 exercises – so if you get easily winded, you might need to pause the tape a few times or something. I recommend watching the first half of this workout once before doing it and getting everything set up so that you aren’t messing around throwing pauses in the action.
P90X2 Cast
The X2 Chest Shoulders Tris cast is one of my favorites. We got the infamous Bobby Stephenson on deck – he’s definitely one of the coolest crew members of all time. He is an O.G. from the Power 90 series and always made some cool comments during the regular P90X. Tony mentions the fact that he likes to call him “Fred” every third day and calls him a “world famous actor” which Bobby disagrees with, but his company had 11 commercials make the Super Bowl last year.
Tony also asks why he wasn’t in any of the commercials and says that he would have liked to have been in all 11…LOL. I think Beachbody should do a Super Bowl commercial with Tony Horton and Bobby’s company should help…haha. Oh and if you didn’t already know, Bobby is also Tony’s twin…haha. The other crew members include Alfonso – a railroad conductor with 2 girls, and the super BAMF lookin Christina – a mother of 5 with twins who is a Beachbody coach. Oh and she also has ran in 4 marathons which is pretty damn impressive.
Structure
The X2 Chest Shoulders and Triceps routine is structured much like the P90X2 Total Body workout in the fact that there are a series of exercises that are done once in the first half, and are repeated in the same order for the second half. In this routine though, there are a total of 11 exercises that are done with maximum reps and weight. After the initial 11 moves, there is a water break for a minute, and then you repeat the same 11 moves for a grand total of 22 sets by the time you are done.
Equipment Needed
If you don’t have at least 2 medicine balls (preferably at 8 lbs. each), this workout is going to suck major medicine balls, so go out and get them ASAP. I actually would have liked to have had 3 med balls, but the deluxe edition that I ordered only came with 2 so I used a basketball for the exercises that required three. Using the basketball as a substitute was way harder than having a medicine ball to balance on because it was tough to get a good grip on the leather.
Additionally, a basketball is a lot lighter and will roll more than the med balls (they are pretty much anchored to the ground). You are also going to want a chair (or plyo box) for the standing presses and a stability ball for exercises like the Iron Man Kickback. Oh and you’ll also want a complete set of dumbbells ranging from about 5 lbs. to 50 lbs. if you want to get the most out of this workout. Many of the moves involve picking weights that are challenging – I used 40 lbs. at one point for some of the presses, and dropped all the way down to 5 lbs. during my second round of the circle flys.
P90X2 Chest Shoulders Triceps Workout
Tip of the day: “Embrace the challenge.”
The tip of the day “embrace the challenge” has to do with the fact that there are exercises that you will be familiar with, but throwing in some new school stuff will make it harder to maintain balance and focus. Tony wants you to dig down deep even if you are struggling and push yourself until you are all the way through the workout.
Shrapnel errywhere... damn
Warm Up
- Twist – You grab the stability ball (or a towel) with fully extended arms and twist your body from side to side, while maintaining locked out arms. You are to grip the ball with one hand on each side and rotate your hips and feet as the move for 10 total reps. Engage your core here and feel your arms warming up.
- Squat – After the Twist, you do 10 Squats with the stability ball. Stand with parallel feet, keep a grip on each side of the stability ball, and as you squat down, you lift the ball up over your head with straight arms. When you rise up from your squat, the ball comes back to chest height and you repeat.
- Side Stretch – Holding the stability ball over your head, you simply lean to the side with fully extended arms so that you feel a stretch. Then you come back to center holding the ball straight above your head with locked arms. My problem here is that my ceiling is pretty low so the ball usually hits the ceiling during my transitions between right and left, so what I do is hold it at an angle straight out in front. This way I am able to maintain the muscle engagement in my arms when I come back to center. As usual, you do a total of 10 side stretches before moving on to the next move.
- Alt Back Lunge – Here you do 10 step back lunges with the stability ball; alternating feet with each step. Watch Tony’s legs on this one because instead of keeping your back leg straight like traditional lunges, he wants you to do them with bent knees. When you step back for the lunge, the ball comes up overhead and your arms should be locked straight out. Bring the ball back down each time that you step back in from your lunge.
- Atlas – Separate your legs pretty wide just like you are doing loading dock. You basically do a side lunge turn. Hold the stability ball down near your ankle and bend your back leg just like you did for the previous exercise. Then twist your body and lift the ball diagonally up above your head as you turn your body. You will do a total of 6 reps per side.
- Foam Rolling – I really love foam rolling, but I need to do some additional stretches besides the “rolling” here. Today I rolled out my Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps just like Tony recommended with my “rumble roller.” It felt really relaxing to roll out my chest, but I stopped early and did some of the old school chest stretches from the original P90X before moving on. You foam roll for 90 seconds per side here.
- Roller Angel – Lie down on your rumble roller so that your spine is vertically lined up with your roller and pull your shoulders wide. In other words, reach up above your head, and pull your elbows wide while you are lying down so that you feel a chest stretch. If you don’t have a roller, just go to a wall and do the wide shoulder pulls with your back against the wall.
- Roller Sphinx – Put your elbows and forearms on your roller and flex the pelvis, raise the lower back, raise your knees up, and keep your body as straight as possible. Basically you are in sphinx position, but you need to keep your core engaged so that you look picture perfect. Almost like you are posing for the cover of Roller Sphinx Magazine or something…haha.
- World’s Greatest Stretch –To do this World’s Greatest Stretch, you get down into runner’s stretch, then lift your outside arm to the sky, then your inside arm to the sky, then come to Frog Squat, and switch legs. You repeat the alternating arm raises and switching the position of your legs until you are loosened up.
- Inch Worm – Stand with straight legs, then bend your waist and drop your hands to the floor in front of your feet. After your hands are on the floor, you walk your feet into your hands like an “inch worm.” Then walk your hands out so that your body is in plank position (keeping your core tight) and walk your feet back in for another “inch worm.”
- Scorpion – To do the Scorpion, you lie down on your stomach with your arms out to the sides like a crucifix. After you are in that position, you bend one of your legs at the knee, lift it straight up, and twist your body to the side. Then you stay lifted, bring it back to center, drop it down, and repeat the same sequence with the other leg. I absolutely love Scorpion because it always does a great job at loosening up my lower back – I got dat nice breakfast cereal snap crackle pop action going on during this move.
- Groiners – This is a move designed to loosen up your groins and it works pretty well. To do “groiners” get yourself into lunge position and put both hands on the floor near the instep of your front leg. While maintaining hands on the floor, you hop your back foot forward and your front foot to the back for a total of 20 reps. If you are doing the “groiners” properly, you will feel a stretch in your groins.
- Table – Just like the move from Yoga X you put your feet on the floor, hands on the floor aligned with your shoulders, and you lift your chest up so that you look like a table. If you have people over, you can put out some appetizers and entrees or something if you can hold this pose like a boss. There are a couple of different hand position options that you can choose from if your wrists feel uncomfortable. Tony cracks a hilarious joke while doing the Captain Morgan pose on Bobby Stevenson’s table and says, “Captain Horton: I think I’ll have a results and recovery formula”…LMAO!
Round #1: X2 Chest Shoulders Triceps
Chattarocker Push Ups
This is basically a Chaturanga Push Up with a heavy dose of foot action that makes the positioning of your arms “rock” back from the bottom of your push up to “Sphinx position” and then back to starting position. The name is appropriate because you are basically doing a Chaturanga and a Rocker so if you do the math, Chaturanga plus Rocker equals “Chattarocker.” To do the Chattarocker Push Ups, you start out in plank like you would for a normal push up. You then drop down to do a push up with your elbows pointing straight back like they would for a military push up. While you are at the bottom of your push up, you hold low plank, and walk your feet backwards (with your toes) so that your forearms are now touching the ground; this is Sphinx position.
From Sphinx position, you walk your feet back forward so that you are in low plank (at the bottom of your push up) and then “push up” so that you are back to standard plank position. The entire sequence that I just explained counts as one rep of the Chattarocker Push Ups. These are not going to be easy if you are using good form and are keeping your core engaged. In the first round, I managed to do a total of 16 reps and they were really tough (as I noted on my worksheet). My arms were ready to collapse by the time I was done with these, but I had to shake them out and get ready for the next move.
Strip Press
The Strip Press is an awesome move and I’m glad that Tony decided to include it in this routine. Although it is a move that I enjoy, doing the three sets of these is a serious battle if you choose heavy weights. Realize that if you go all out on Chattarocker Push Ups like I did, your arms will be fairly keished at this point, but you have got to be a boss and put up a fight cuz you ain’t seen nothing yet. To do the Strip Press, you grab some dumbbells, stand up straight, and put one of your feet (right or left) on top of a chair or plyo box.
Dats dat Strip Press
While your foot is on the chair or box, you bring the dumbbells up above your shoulders and “press” so that your arms fully extend straight up above your head. When you are about halfway up through your press, you should twist your wrists so that the weights turn and are parallel at the top of your press. Then when you are bringing your arms down after the top of the press, twist your wrists so that the weights are positioned exactly how they were when you started. In other words, they should be lined up and the ends of your dumbbell should be pointing out to the sides.
The Strip Press is an exercise that involves doing three sets of presses at 8 reps per set. The reason it is called a “strip” press has to do with the fact that after each set, you need to strip off weight and go with something lighter. There is a similar exercise to close out the P90X Back and Biceps workout called “Strip Set Curls” which involves the same concept. I should also mention the fact that you are supposed to alternate the foot that you decide to put on top of your chair (or plyo box) after each set. In other words, if you put your right foot atop the chair for the SP1, then you switch and put your right foot atop for SP2, and so on.
Strip Press 1
Since it was my first time doing this Chest Shoulders Tris workout, I wasn’t really sure how much weight my arms could handle during the Strip Press after the wicked set of push ups that I just finished. Instead of fucking around with testing weights though, I ad-libbed it and estimated that I could rock with 40 lbs. per side. I ended up getting lucky with the fact that I was able to handle 40 lbs. per side and finish my 8 reps in the first strip press. If I’m being honest, the last three reps were really fucking hard and I don’t know if I will use 80 pounds next time (I might drop down).
Strip Press 2
For my second Strip Press, I decided to drop down 5 lbs. per side so that I was pressing 35 lbs. per side. It ended up being a pretty good weight for me here, but was still a little bit tough. Before you start your strip presses, think of all three as one giant set of 24 because there really isn’t much time for a “break” in between each set. You should also keep in mind the fact that you do have the option of dropping down less or more weight per side if it helps.
For example, you could drop down from 40 lbs. per side to 37.5 lbs. per side and then to 35 lbs. for your final set. Similarly, you could drop down more than 5 lbs. and drop from 40 lbs. to 30 lbs. to 20 lbs. if it helps. Additionally, you could even create your own drop down hierarchy and say 40 lbs. to 37.5 lbs. to 27.5 lbs. or something – you aren’t required to play follow the leader. Do what works best for you with these Strip Presses.
Strip Press 3
For the third Strip Press I dropped down 5 lbs. per side and rocked with 30 lbs. in each hand for my final set of 8 reps in the first round. Although the Strip Press 1 was super tough for me, and Strip Press 2 was of moderate difficulty, the Strip Press 3 was easier than the first and second presses in this series. I think the reason that it was easier had to do with the fact that I was using 10 lbs. less in each hand than my first set.
I am glad that I didn’t use any more weight than 30 lbs. per side for this final set though because I probably would have really struggled. It seemed as though I was using the ideal amount of weight on each side given my current strength. Trust me, if you pushed hard during your push ups and first two presses, you aren’t going to want anything super heavy here or you might get hurt – so be smart.
Triceps Extension (on Stability Ball)
Following the wicked series of three Strip Presses, you are expected to do the Tricep Extension on a Stability Ball. To do this move, you should grab a couple of dumbbells (I recommend the same dumbbells that were used on your final set of the Strip Press). Then go over to your stability ball, sit on it, and keep your weights on your quads. Then walk your feet forward and allow the ball to roll back so that you are now lying down with the ball positioned near your upper back, shoulders, and neck.
After you are in this position and have obtained firm balance on both feet, press the dumbbells straight up with fully extended arms. The dumbbells should be parallel the entire time you are doing this exercise (so the ends are facing front to back). Once you have the dumbbells raised straight up with your arms extended, you simply bend your elbows like a hinge and drop the weights down by the sides of your ears. Then extend your arms straight back up and you have completed one “triceps extension.”
Repeat this process for as many reps as possible with good form. Your body should basically look like you are in “bridge” position from yoga except your arms will obviously be doing extensions. A rule of thumb I always use is that if I can do 12 reps, my weights are probably too light. With the 30 lbs. per side, I was able to do 10 reps in this first set – this was the perfect amount of weight. If your goal is to simply maintain muscle or keep yourself tone without making gains, you can settle for 12 reps or more.
Oh and just like the tip from the original P90X when you do these on the floor, remember: “Don’t smash your face!” I always laugh when I hear it, but seriously if you get too cocky and continue when your arms have already checked out, you might smash your face, so please don’t let that happen – for the sake of your face…haha.
3 Ball Extravaganza
Damn this move murdered my arms, my core, and was a serious challenge. If you aren’t in good shape and/or suck at balancing, I would make some hardcore modifications. If you are a P90X graduate and veteran, this move is still going to be a challenge. In order to do it, you need three medicine balls (preferably of equal weight). Since Beachbody only shipped 2 with my deluxe order, I was a little bit pissed off that I didn’t have a third for this exercise, but I was prepared with some extra basketballs in my workout area.
Memo to Wiz Khalifa: My ballin is 'actually'...haha
To do the 3 Ball Extravaganza, you put your right hand on one medicine ball, your left hand on another medicine ball, and both feet on your third medicine ball (or in my case, a basketball). Then you find your balance, do a full push up (all the way down), then when you have done a push up and are balancing like a crazy mofo on your three balls, you bring your right knee in so that it makes contact with your right elbow. Then you bring your foot back to the medicine ball so that both feet are on it again, do another full push up, and bring your left knee so that it makes contact with your left elbow.
My first round of these I only managed to do 12 reps before my arms gave out and I couldn’t do anymore. I was actually pretty impressed with the fact that I reached 12 before I was completely fucked. The balancing act here is some serious shit and if you don’t engage your core and really focus, you might roll a wrist or get injured. I don’t want to scare people off from trying this move, but I would exercise some serious caution if you have had balancing problems in the past with basic medicine ball push ups (or push up side arm balance).
Using a basketball for my third medicine ball substitute really sucked because my feet were slipping all over the leather and my core was maxed out in terms of tightness just to keep my balance. I think that I probably could have managed a few more reps had I gotten a third 8 lb. medicine ball in the mix. A basketball will work for a med ball substitute here, and I would recommend one because it will give you a feel for the overall toughness of this move.
Although this is a tough move, it turned out to be one of my favorites in this routine because I felt my arms (and entire body) working a lot harder than they do during standard push ups. Sure you may be able to do 50 standard push ups with no break, but can you do 50 of these with proper form? Not a fucking chance. Just know that this is the hardest move in the entire X2 Chest Shoulders and Triceps workout.
Callahan Press
The Callahan Press is an exercise that I really enjoyed too because it is another type of “press” that really works the arms hardcore. Your arms should be pretty dead by now after that last set of push ups, so don’t pick something too heavy here. You want to “embrace the challenge” but be smart and pick something that you can do for 8 to 10 reps with good form. I ended up dropping my weights from the final strip press so that I was rocking with 25 lbs. per side for these Callahan Presses.
In order to do the Callahan Press, grab dumbbells that you think will be a challenge and put your left let up on a chair or plyo box (keeping the knee bent). Your right leg should be straight and each hand should be toting a dumbbell above your shoulders. Start out so that your dumbbells are directly in line (so that the heads are facing side to side). Then bring your arms out to their respective sides so that your forearm and biceps are forming a 90 degree angle.
After you have the proper starting position, you start the move by bringing the weights in front of your chest and basically pressing your forearms together. Think of it as doing a giant clap in the center of your body with your hands and forearms – your elbows should still be locked in position so that your arms are forming a 90 degree angle. Then take your arms back out to their starting position and do a “press” so that your arms are fully extended above your shoulders. Then bring the weights back down to starting position and you have completed one rep of this exercise.
In the allotted time for this exercise, I was able to do a total of 8 reps at 25 lbs. per side. The toughest part of the exercise isn’t the overhead press, it’s the part involving both arms meeting in the center of your body for the little clap (the weights and forearms shouldn’t touch, but they should come close). I’m glad that I didn’t rock with anything heavier than 50 lbs. for these or I don’t think I would have been able to manage to maintain good form. Form is everything during this exercise because if you pick a weight that’s too heavy, your elbows and arms are going to drop and/or sag.
Iron Man Kickbacks
If you’re feeling like Tony Stark, then try the badass Iron Man Kickbacks so that one day you can save the world. Seriously though, I wonder how Robert Downey Jr. would be feeling if he bought P90X2 and got to this move…haha. Prolly like damn Tony why you gotta swagger jack Tony like that? Anyways, this is another awesome exercise that involves using weights and the stability ball. In order to do the Iron Man Kickback, you grab a couple of dumbbells, and lie down on your stability ball so that it is in direct contact with your upper chest.
IMK's... Yoooo Pepper Potts, stand back...haha
Make sure that the ball isn’t below your chest area or you will look like Iron Man’s heart ran out of power and will be flopping all over like a noob in the suit. Once you are positioned on the stability ball properly, you make sure that your legs are fully extended so that you look like Iron Man flying through the sky. Your arms should be holding some dumbbells so that you can do some triceps kickbacks. While holding the weights, bend your elbows like hinges, bring the weights up to your shoulders, and then kick them back so that your arm straightens out for the dual triceps kickback.
When you do the kickback, you should look like Iron Man flying through the sky with hands back and fully extended legs. Then repeat the sequence of bringing the weights to your shoulders and doing the triceps extensions (looking fly) for as many reps as possible. I chose to use 20 lbs. per side for these and it was pretty tough, but I still was able to fight for 8 reps with good form. If you want to get a little bit more burn from this exercise, you can add a small isometric hold while your arms are fully extended in the kickback. These are a whole lot cooler than the standard triceps kickbacks that are done in routines like the Just Arms workout.
Push Up Side Arm Balance
I already was familiar with this particular exercise from the P90X2 Total Body workout. It involves balancing on 2 medicine balls (one per hand) for maximum rep push ups with side arm balances in between each push up. In order to do these properly, position 2 medicine balls about shoulder distance apart, get your balance, drop all the way down for a push up, then after you push yourself up from the lowest point, you turn to one side and balance so that one hand is still in contact with the medicine ball and the other is extended straight upwards.
Side Arm Balance... HuZzAh!
When you do this twist for the “side arm balance” you need to make sure that you engage your core or you might fall and twist your wrist. Also when you turn for the “side arm balance” make sure that your feet stay close together (with straight legs) when they roll as you twist your body. If you think these are too easy, you can always add a leg raise at the same time that you raise your hand. I recommend just going for maximum reps and not worrying about adding the leg raise here because you already did some hardcore balancing on the 3 Ball Extravaganza.
Since I was familiar with the Push Up Side Arm Balance from a previous workout, I did pretty damn well with 21 reps. The whole key with these is to make sure that you are still getting the full range of motion during your push ups. A lot of people will think that they can half-ass it or go down less because medicine balls are involved. If the move is too tough for you, you certainly can feel free to modify, but it is always better to do 10 full reps, than 15 or 20 half assed reps. Half assed reps equals half assed results; don’t cheat yourself just for more reps.
At the end of the day, the only person that should give a flying fuck about your reps is you. Nobody else even needs to know how many push ups you can do. As long as you stay working hard and trying to improve, you will – that’s all that matters. Make sure you are getting the full range of motion on these if you want to gain strength from this workout.
X2 Circle Fly
After the finishing the super BAMF max reps push up side arm balancing act, you move on to the X2 Circle Flies. In order to do the X2 Circle Fly, you grab a couple of light dumbbells and head over to your stability ball. You lie on the ball so that it is in firm contact with your mid-upper stomach and so that your arms are able to hold the weights out in front of your body – like you are Superman flying through the air. Your legs should be fully extended straight back and your toes or balls of your feet should be in contact with the ground to help you maintain balance.
Once you are in the proper position, you hold the weights straight out in front of your body with fully extended arms and do arm circles for 15 seconds forward, followed by 15 seconds of circles backwards. In the past, I remember doing arm circles with weight in the P90X+ Total Body Plus workout, but what’s cool here is that the stability ball is added. The stability ball not only makes these circles tougher, but it makes you focus on keeping good form and balance. If you notice your arms start to sag or fall here, you probably chose a weight that was too heavy.
In my first round of these, I only used 7.5 lbs. per side and it was extremely difficult to survive these circle flies with good form. I somehow was able to mentally fight through these at 7.5 lbs. but it was a serious battle and I made note that these were “tough” at the weight I had selected on my worksheet. Your arms should already be pretty tired after the nine exercises that you already did, so pick a light weight. I’m pretty sure the heaviest weight used by the cast was 5 lbs. per side, which is exactly what I dropped down to in the second round.
3 Ball Dips
The last exercise of the first round is the 3 Ball Dip, which involves using three medicine balls once again (or in my case 2 medicine balls and 1 basketball). In order to perform the 3 Ball Dip, you need to place 2 medicine balls under each of your hands while you are sitting on the ground. Put your hands on them like you would if you were going into Table position from yoga. Then place both feet on the third ball out in front of your body. If you remember doing Chair Dips in the past from P90X, think of this as the same thing but with medicine balls.
Three ball dippin... ayoom
This is a pretty wicked balancing act and is very difficult to do. Although it is difficult to balance and requires a lot of focus, I honestly think that my arms would have gotten a better burn from doing standard Chair Dips with 2 Chairs and alternating leg raises every 5 reps. I was able to do 27 reps of the 3 Ball Dips in the first round, but felt like I wasn’t getting good range of motion while going down for the dips. I was trying to drop down all the way, but I felt so low to the ground that it just didn’t work out as well as I would have hoped as far as bringing burn to my triceps and arms. The whole key is to make sure you get a nice 90 degree bend in your arms at the bottom of the dip and that you are able to fully extend your arms at the top of each dip.
I did not try the 3 Ball Dip with a leg raise like Alfonso (he totally bossed up here) because I could barely handle them with both feet on the ball in front. I think it would have helped me a ton though if I would have had a third medicine ball instead of a fucking basketball. A basketball works, but I have an indoor ball and my feet literally slide right down the leather so it’s a little bit too slippery (we slippy mane). I think I’m going to order a third medicine ball so I don’t have to fuck around with a basketball anymore and so that I won’t have any excuses about “slipping” if I continue to suck…haha.
Water Break – After the first 11 exercises you get a full minute break so make sure you take advantage of it. I recommend toweling off a little bit, wiping the sweat outta your eyes and off of your arms, and getting something to drink. If you can handle it, you may want to even take a sip or two of your recovery formula. I usually take a couple quick sips of recovery formula if I can handle the sweetness without puking, drink water, towel off, and get ready to rock and roll for the second half of the routine. You do the exact same 11 moves over with maximum reps for each once again. Take advantage of this break and keep your body hydrated – you should have sweated a lot if you were working hard in the first round.
Round #2: X2 Chest Shoulders Triceps
- Chattarocker Push Ups – During the second round of the Chattarocker Push Ups, I actually was able to do more than I did in the first round because I was familiar with the move. I was going all out though and I honestly don’t know if I will be able to match my ghost of this second round the next time I do this workout. I was able to do 20 Chattarocker Push Ups here and I think that part of the reason I did so well was because my arms got a nice 60 second break prior to this move.
- Strip Press 1 – During my first strip press of the second round, I knew that my arms wouldn’t be able to handle the 40 lbs. per side that I pressed in the first round, so I lightened my load and went with 35 lbs. per side. At 35 lbs. per side, my arms could barely handle 8 reps during this first strip press of the second round. I did make it through all 8 with good form, but had to take a couple of quick pauses at the bottom of each rep in order to survive.
- Strip Press 2 – Since 35 lbs. was tough for me in the previous 8 reps, I was debating as to whether I should drop down 5 or 10 lbs. Since I wanted to be a badass and only drop down 5 lbs., I was pressing 30 lbs. per side for 8 reps. I was able to finish all 8 reps, but once again, it was a battle. My last two reps here were really slow, but I still finished all 8 before the timer clocked out.
- Strip Press 3 – The third and final strip press of the second round was still beastly for me at just 25 lbs. per side. Normally this weight would feel really light during a press, but after a full round, more push ups, and two rounds of the strip press; my arms were out of commission. I did make sure that I finished all 8 reps with good form, but I was lagging like crazy with this weight. Thankfully this was my last time doing a strip press during this routine.
- Tricep Extension (on Stability Ball) – Since I thought that 30 lbs. per hand was the perfect weight during the first round of the Triceps Extensions on the Stability Ball, I rocked with the same weight for the second round. This time I was able to do 9 reps (one rep less than the first round), but I was happy with the fact that I stuck with the same weight. Anything lighter here would have been too light and anything heavier would have been too much to handle.
- 3 Ball Extravaganza – This is the hardest exercise in the entire Chest Shoulders Tris routine, so I had no idea whether I was going to do well here or totally flop. I had to work really hard and there were several times during this set that I wanted to call it quits, but I dug down deep and tried to match my reps in the first round like a boss. I ended up getting 10 reps of the 3 Ball Extravaganza (which was 2 short of my first round) and felt great about my effort here. If your arms don’t feel completely fucked here, you probably weren’t pushing hard enough. The isometric hold required to maintain good balance will work your core and arms ridiculously hard.
- Callahan Press – In the second round of the Callahan Press, I ended up trying to use 25 lbs. just like the first round. It was really tough after the 3 Ball Extravaganza that my arms just endured, and I only ended up getting 7 reps at 25 lbs. Since there was still time left on the clock, I exchanged my 25 lb. dumbbells for 20 lb. dumbbells and did 3 more reps. Sometimes if you choose a weight that’s a little bit too heavy, you can quick stop, pick up the set of weights one notch lighter and get right back to work.
- Iron Man Kickback – Since my arms felt so far gone (like the Drake album) I decided to be smart here and use 15 lbs. per side for my second round of the Tony Starks kickback. Unfortunately, the weight that I chose here felt too light, but I made it worthwhile by getting in 12 reps. I still felt the muscle engagement, but it wasn’t as hardcore as it should have been. Next time I think I’ll try using 17.5 lbs. per side or just continue rocking with the 20 lbs.
- Push Up Side Arm Balance – During the second round of the Push Up Side Arm Balance move, I was doing push ups like a fiend and trying to out-do the crew. I was focusing on going down all the way, up all the way, and then really engaging my core during the side arm balance. I started out doing military push ups (which is tougher) and when my arms couldn’t take anymore, I started doing regular push ups. I was able to get in a total of 18 reps before the time had elapsed.
- X2 Circle Fly – I already knew that this second round of the X2 Circle Flys was going to be wicked, so I dropped from 7.5 lbs. per side to 5 lbs. per side. Using the 5 lbs. in each hand for the 30 seconds worth of flies was still tough. It doesn’t take much to keep your muscles engaged here, so I wouldn’t go above 10 lbs. during this second round. You may even want to go weightless here too if you already are feeling a major burn.
- 3 Ball Dip – During this round of the three ball dip, I tried to improve on my set in the first round in both form and balance. Using the basketball instead of a medicine ball still majorly sucked, but I still was able to finish strong with 27 reps. I don’t like the range of motion that I get with my 2 med balls and 1 basketball so I think I might just do the original version of dips with 2 chairs and alternate the leg raise every 5 reps. I always get a good burn during the chair dips and this medicine ball version doesn’t seem as good. This is the last move of the workout though and my arms were completely destroyed by the time I had finished.
Cool Down Stretch
- Shake it Out – Shake out your arms and legs after the workout just to loosen up any tightness.
- Huggers – Hug yourself and alternate arms high and low with each hug. This is a ballistic stretch designed to get your chest, shoulders, and triceps a little looser after the routine.
- Arm Slappers – The lower half of your body stays pretty much locked while your upper half is loose. You twist back and forth so that your arms slap your body – your arms should be super loose and floppy here.
- Stability Ball Stretch – Place both arms on the stability ball with your palms up and rotate the ball to feel a stretch in your arms. Then do the same thing with one arm at a time to further isolate the stretch.
- Forearm Stretch – Place your wrist on the stability ball, lift your fingers up and down, while playing with the angle to get the best possible stretch.
- X Stretch – You extend your arms and legs so that your body looks like one giant X on the stability ball. During this stretch, Tony asks Bobby Stephenson what his dress size is and he says “12” – LMAO. This is the last stretch before the workout ends and you get to go do X2 Ab Ripper.
P90X2 Chest Shoulders Triceps Review (Conclusion)
The P90X2 Chest Shoulders Triceps workout is probably my new favorite for the simple fact that it blasted my arms and made me work hard from start to finish. I really liked the way that this workout was divided up into 11 exercises and then the same 11 exercises are repeated in the second half of the routine. If you attempt this workout, you need to have your weights and additional equipment ready ahead of time because Tony and the P90X2 crew move at a fast pace. Part of the reason that they work at a fast pace is due to the fact that the goal is to give you the most hardcore workout possible in the least amount of time.
Taylor Gang or... Keep track of your rep count
The key is to stay on pace (don’t take extra breaks)
When you do this workout, your goal should be to stay on pace with the crew. Although it is tempting to take breaks so that you can get more water or give your arms a rest so that you can do more weight on your presses, the goal here is to stay on pace. It is challenging doing all of these exercises with only one break in the middle and having to repeat them all again after that break.
However, the only way you are going to build strength and burn the calories that you want is that you’ve got to “bring it” and stay on pace. If that means swallowing your pride and settling for only 10 lbs. on the second round of presses, doing the push up side arm balance without medicine balls, or doing the last set of circle flies with no weight – so be it. As long as you are staying on pace, are digging deep, and doing your best, nothing else matters.
Always choose challenging weights
If you don’t have a full set of dumbbells for this routine, you aren’t going to get optimal results. Since this routine moves at a really quick pace, I don’t even like to use my Bowflex Selecttech Dumbbells because they require adjusting in between sets. Fortunately I have another full set of homemade dumbbells that were purchased off of Craigslist and I am able to have them laid out ahead of time so I’m not screwing around. If you want to get the most out of this workout, you need to choose weights that will really push your muscles to the brink.
Having good weights is especially important during the Strip Press series. If you don’t have heavy enough weights, your arms won’t feel like they did anything during this move. Additionally the Triceps Extensions on the stability ball, Callahan Press, Iron Man Kickbacks, and X2 Circle Flies all require a challenging weight if you want to improve your strength. As I have mentioned many times before, using bands is better than nothing, but they still suck. Get a full set of dumbbells or Bowflex Selecttech Dumbbells so that you can actually build muscle.
Push yourself to the max from the very first move
If you want results, you need to get yourself amped up from the very first move. If you aren’t amped up after the warm up, think of something that fires you up and get yourself mentally ready to kick some ass. I’m saying don’t focus on pacing yourself, focus on staying in the moment and treat each exercise like it is your last – even if it is your very first. So once you start the first set of Chattarocker Push Ups, try to do them like your life depends on them. Although you should be pushing yourself to the max, it is NEVER acceptable to use half assed form during any of the exercises. It is better to quit the move early and write down your reps than do some half assed seal flops and write down an exaggerated number like 30 Chattarockers.
Maintain good form throughout the routine
In the second round of this workout, I can guarantee that your arms will feel rubberized and out of energy, but you still need to use good form. Good form always trumps extra reps and extra weight – using heavy weights doesn’t mean shit if you aren’t properly performing the move. If you notice that your form is starting to look shiest, make sure you flip the script and lighten up the weights. Good form isn’t only with weights, but involves keeping your core tight while doing push ups, going down all the way to the bottom and coming up all the way to the top of each push up as well.
Final Thoughts on X2 Chest Shoulders Tris
The P90X2 Chest Shoulders Tris workout is great because it combines old school exercises like push ups, presses, triceps extensions, dips, flies, and kickbacks and integrates new school equipment like the medicine balls and stability ball. My arms got a major blast during this routine and there were a couple of times during the second round when I was ready to collapse. If I wouldn’t have purchased the deluxe edition of P90X2, I don’t think I would have had this routine included in my package. To be completely honest, if you don’t have this workout as part of your X2 lineup, you are missing out on an awesome extra.
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