P90X and Resistance Bands

I've not been shy about sharing my difficulty with the chin-ups and pull-ups in P90X.

I'm on week six, and while I have barely eeked out one unassisted rep of these nasty rascals, I have definitely increased my reps with the use of a chair.

However, I noticed last week that when I use the chair for assistance, I am still ending the set much earlier than those on the dvd, thus creating extra time for "wandering" in my basement as I wait for them to finish. This only pisses me off. For two reasons:

1. It shines a spotlight on the fact that I've yet to conquer this nemesis.
2. I wind up wasting valuable workout time when I stop due to my inability to keep up with the elite on screen. I desire to use my time well.

And then, a "DOH!" moment. (No, the "doh" wasn't the realization that I could simply fast fwd to the next exercise rather than waiting for Tony and friends to drop from the bar.)

Resistance bands.

While resistance bands don't provide as much of a challenge that even a chair-assisted pull-up and chin-up do, they DO provide me with consistent repetition for a good 15 pulls. This, in turn, builds my strength.

So, today, I experimented by only using resistance bands.

The result? Way more heavy breathing.  By using the bands, I decreased the amount of time between exercises, which kept my heart-rate up. While I do need to pick up a dreaded "green band" from my Beachbody site, I still got a good workout today with my red one - choosing to sit on the floor to create the most resistance I could for each exercise. By going this route, I didn't experience the psychological let down of dropping from the bar while still having a minute to spare. I'm going to stay with this course of action until the third month, at which time I'll attempt the bar once again.

As for Ab Ripper X?  I can now do 25 V-Up Roll-Ups.  When did that happen?

And a word for a few, um, well-meaning peeps who have mentioned that I am, ahem, obsessive when it comes to exercise. Really? I know you mean well. Frankly, I don't think 30-60 minutes of exercise 5 or 6 days a week is obsessive. I also brush my teeth everyday. Ever heard the saying, "Only brush the teeth you wish to keep"?

Think about it. Thanks for your input. I'm going to keep my teeth. And my muscles.