Has anyone tried the P90X dealio?

[Satchmo]

I've heard a lot of buzz about this program. Has anyone actually tried it? I've heard it is brutal, but effective if you stick to it.

I wish liposuction was cheaper. Do they have Groupons for it?

 

[khari]

I've done it. It is very brutal. It is very effective if you stick to it. In my view, whether you should get it or not depends on your level of fitness. If you were working out up until a year or so ago and stopped going because you couldn't find the time to get to the gym, you should be fine. If you're like a bunch of folks out there who haven't worked out in 15 years, I suggest you get one of the other videos by Tony Horton, like the Power 90 or Power 90 Master Series. After doing one of them you'll be in better shape to tackle the P90X.

 

[northernmoris]

I think he hit it dead on.. I think its a good series.. Worth the money IF you use it..

 

[Perseverance]

I got 1/4 into the workout, got tired, and turned on the Play Station! I do want to eventually complete the program.

 

[OpusXKC]

I ran through P90x last year and then I did it again, only really doing the resistance days. It is a tough program for sure, but what good exercise isn't hard? You can certainly give it a go, just realize when you start you won't be keeping up with the superman speeds Horton puts out there. Do your best and forget the rest :sign:

 

[OpusXKC]

I ran through P90x last year and then I did it again, only really doing the resistance days. It is a tough program for sure, but what good exercise isn't hard? You can certainly give it a go, just realize when you start you won't be keeping up with the superman speeds Horton puts out there. Do your best and forget the rest :sign:

Actually after thinking about it, this is what got me to cut down on cigars. I realized that I was at work, on my ass for 8-10 hours a day. After that I was at the shop, for 4 more hours on my ass. So I started this to trim up, and subsequently spend less time at the Law and more time exercising. Honestly I can't really complain.

 

[ironpeddler]

My 23yo son did it with his gym buddy...almost killed him (first few sessions) but got him into shape like nothing else he's ever done before.

 

[mjolnir01]

One of our flight docs recently wrote this:

The "Big Three" require right start

Bottom line is don't go into one of these workout regimens straight from the couch. Once you are ready though, these workouts are great. I have friends who religiously do Crossfit with great results.

I personally tried Crossfit once. I hadn't planned on adding it to my workout routine, but I wanted to see what it was about. It was awesome to be sure... it reminded me of a military basic training beatdown. Needless to say I was about 12 years removed from my freshman year, so I was sore for a week.

edit for clarity

 

[punk_lawyer]

One thing I would stress on this program is to make sure that you have the right equipment. Unless you use the resistance bands, make sure that you have the right sizes of dumbbells to do the exercises. I can see someone getting torn up by using the wrong weights. None the less, it is a great program.

 

[Breedy]

A lot of it depends on you, are you ready/willing to invest the money for the program? Like Khari said, if you have a back ground with some physical activity then you should be able to work up to this, but if its been a while then maybe you should start of slower.

There are plenty of "free" programs out there to help on your way to achieving a healthier life style.

Couch to 5k

100 Push Ups

200 Sit Ups

None of those are meant to be similar to P90X, but they are free and should give you an idea if you're going to be able to stick with a work out program.

Calorie Calculator

If you're trying to lose weight a Calorie Calculator can serve give you a generalized idea of what you calorie consumption should be

 

[Kid Montana]

I did four weeks of P90X and as others have said, you need to be a minimum amount of fit to start out with or its not going to be productive or even safe. That said, if you're stagnating at a certain level after working out for a while, it may be time to jump on P90X. Its the most effective weight loss and strength training regime I've undertaken.

 

[tsmckenney]

I've gone through a few times, but actually have never finished the full program on a good diet. I think it's a great program. It's well balanced, and it will get you strong. I never thought it was 'brutal', but like anything man, you go at the pace you want. The tough thing for me with P90X is that the sessions are long. They average 55 minutes, and the only time in the day I have is in the am. Which means getting up at 5:30 to work out. Still, you get used to that as well.

If you know you don't have that kind of time, I would give P90 a go. Shorter, and still effective. You won't get quite as strong as you will with P90X though. The first time I did P90X, I did make it through 8 straight weeks without missing a session. I felt like I could turn over cars, and you know how big I am bro. :laugh:

Drop me a line if you want to talk further.

 

[Shamrocker]

How much space is needed to do these workouts, and what equipment is recommended? I've thought about this program, but never seriously investigated it.

I got 1/4 into the workout, got tired, and turned on the Play Station! I do want to eventually complete the program.

So the name Perseverance is a bit of a misnomer...

 

[DonkeyKong]

I'm actually a personal trainer (side job), and the P90x program does work for a few reasons. One, it is easy to stick to since its simplistic and a video, two it's a constant change of workouts. The only problems I have seen is certain abdominal workouts don't remove your hips from the equation, which causes your waist size to grow. The other being the majority of the workouts are anaerobic, which is fine for the general public I suppose. The other is you dont stick to one particular movement long enough to actually have muscular growth, it's more of a fat burning program than a mass building.

 

[khari]

How much space is needed to do these workouts, and what equipment is recommended? I've thought about this program, but never seriously investigated it.

As far as space goes, I would recommend an 8x8 space. You will sweat a lot so you want to do it on a hard surface or put down towels. For equipment, you will either need exercise bands or dumbbells. When I started I got these but later I got the Bowflex Selecttech 552. My wife did it with me so I got her the Selecttech 220. For the P90X you will also need a pull up bar.

 

[2K6TBSS]

I just got the P90X kit. I am going to start the program in a couple weeks. I am going to start on 4/1, not sure why I am waiting, just thinking starting at the beginning of the month is better for me.

I have a couple friends and some family that has done it, they have all said that it will kick your butt. The results if you stay with the program (and eat right) will be great. I don't think I will gain a lot of muscle mass, but will tone up, and get some muscle mass. My goal is to look toned for the summer, I don't want to look like a person shooting roids or anything, just good physical shape and tone.


ETA - I got the DVD's from EBay (didn't really save anything buying the DVD's on EBay, maybe $10 at the most).. I also bought the pull-up bar and resistance bands from an EBay seller named yes4all. I think I paid like $50 for both shipped (the bar and bands). I am into the kit for about $150 total (including the pull up bar and bands).

 

[DonkeyKong]

I just got the P90X kit. I am going to start the program in a couple weeks. I am going to start on 4/1, not sure why I am waiting, just thinking starting at the beginning of the month is better for me.

I have a couple friends and some family that has done it, they have all said that it will kick your butt. The results if you stay with the program (and eat right) will be great. I don't think I will gain a lot of muscle mass, but will tone up, and get some muscle mass. My goal is to look toned for the summer, I don't want to look like a person shooting roids or anything, just good physical shape and tone.


ETA - I got the DVD's from EBay (didn't really save anything buying the DVD's on EBay, maybe $10 at the most).. I also bought the pull-up bar and resistance bands from an EBay seller named yes4all. I think I paid like $50 for both shipped (the bar and bands). I am into the kit for about $150 total (including the pull up bar and bands).

A common misconception is that you can easily put on muscle. It takes years to put on a large amount of mass even with hormonal treatments. That being said, p90x will help you lose weight as long as you keep a good diet. It comes down to calories in vs. calories out, simple physics. Your body adds mass if it takes in more calories than it uses. Just remember to keep 1gram of protein per pound of lean body mass to preserve muscle tissue or you will look skinny fat. As in you will be skinny but have no structure or muscular definition since your body fat percentage will still be high.

Try sparkpeople.com to monitor your daily calories or if you own android there are apps for this.

 

[Brickhouse]

My fiance and I are starting this tomorrow. Just got all the stuff this weekend.

We are both pretty active, and being in the Army, we already hold a decent fitness standard.

From what I've heard, the program is extremely tough, but if you stick to it, you see results.....but then again, isn't that any diet/exercise program?

At any rate, I begin tomorrow.

 

[ironpeddler]

As far as space goes, I would recommend an 8x8 space. You will sweat a lot so you want to do it on a hard surface or put down towels. For equipment, you will either need exercise bands or dumbbells. When I started I got these but later I got the Bowflex Selecttech 552. My wife did it with me so I got her the Selecttech 220. For the P90X you will also need a pull up bar.

..and all this time Khari, I thought you were naturally Buff! :sign:

 

[tsmckenney]

I'm actually a personal trainer (side job), and the P90x program does work for a few reasons. One, it is easy to stick to since its simplistic and a video, two it's a constant change of workouts. The only problems I have seen is certain abdominal workouts don't remove your hips from the equation, which causes your waist size to grow. The other being the majority of the workouts are anaerobic, which is fine for the general public I suppose. The other is you dont stick to one particular movement long enough to actually have muscular growth, it's more of a fat burning program than a mass building.

I definitely agree with that. You will still feel strong as a m'fcker though. As in, I may not actually be able to pick Ketchtwenty2 up and throw him across the room, but I sure feel like I could.