P90X Review
P90X is a DVD workout program (the proper internet term is VF (Video Fitness)) produced by BeachBody.com. It has 12 DVD’s for you to follow along with. Each DVD is a different workout altogether. The program is designed to be a 90 Day program, with a method that utilizes each DVD at different intervals for maximum results without what is referred to as “burn out”. It has Strength Training, Cardio Training, Abs, Yoga and Stretch.
Why I Can Write A Review About P90X?
Just so you know I’m not just some guy that saw the P90X infomercial and just randomly did a workout and put up a review, I’ll tell you a brief background of my “workout life”.
During college, I started working out in the gym, barely able to lift the bar off my chest when I bench pressed. I kept at it and started working out with some of the college football players. (I didn’t play football).
After college, I was hitting the gym 6 days a week with a bunch of buddies. We were not working out for anything other than to hang out with each other and try to outdo each other. We had some intense workouts because no one wanted to leave until we out did each other. You can just imagine how that was.
After that, I joined a national gym (Bally’s) and for the next 10+ years, I was a regular in the weight room. So, when I say I was a gym-rat, I was a gym-rat. I’ve lifted weights with some pretty serious folks, did some crazy workouts and had fun while doing them.
I say this not to brag, but to let you know I’ve been around the gym world for a while.
Now, fast forward to moving to another part of the country and not having a gym nearby to join. I quit working out all together and was NOT in any kind of shape to do any kind of workout program.
I saw the P90X infomercial several times and it intrigued me, so I ended up buying it. Now, I went into this with the expectations of a “sweating to the oldies” type of workout. I mean, come on, how could a DVD program workout actually be satisfying to a former gym-rat, right?
So, my intentions were to try it until the "return policy period" was almost over and return it. After all, why would a guy who's been going to the gym most of his adult life, want anyone to know he was working out with some lame DVD trainer, right?
All I got to say is……OH……MY……..GOD! This is a workout program that will kick your ass, without mercy and without hesitation. But, at the same time, is gentle enough to keep you wanting more. Yes, I know, it doesn’t sound like the two go together, but after completing the program, you’ll understand completely.
And if that wasn't enough to make you believe I know a little bit about working out, how about this…
Oh, and by the way, I'm a TWO TIME P90X GRAD! I've put myself through two rotations of the program and I've done most of the P90X workouts countless other times just because I wanted to work out. (Actually, 2.5 times, I got an injury half way through the 3rd round. Non-workout related injury)
Who Is P90X For?
P90X, IMHO, is designed to give maximum results to both men and women. The beauty is, everyone goes at their own pace. You do what YOU CAN DO. You’re “competing” against yourself, if you will. This workout program is for anyone, male or female.
I’ve read reviews for P90X that say “you should already be in shape before you start it” and “if you’ve never worked out before, don’t start with this program”. I can somewhat agree to these statements, but I feel if someone were to purchase the program, they would do research on it to begin with. Especially since finding info on the program is easy.
My Warning To All Is, if you have NEVER worked out before, this may not be a good starting point for you. If you decided to disregard my warning, fine. But don’t give up half way through it and say it was too tough because you are warned…THIS IS A TOUGH PROGRAM!
If you’re the type of person who gives up easily (you know who you are) this is NOT FOR YOU!
Oh, and all you guys filled with “machismo”, check that attitude at the door. Believe me, P90X will out “machismo” anything you have.
Any of you ladies who say “I don’t want to get bulky so I won’t do this program” really need to understand how workouts actually work. This program is designed to give you the body you can show off in that new bikini, without the "Arnold" build you're assuming you end up with.
All that being said, P90X will give you what you put into it, plain and simple. If you go about it half-ass, you’ll be disappointed. If you choose to think this program is a joke, then it probably will be for you.
Equipment You Will Need
The program itself recommends a pull up bar of some sorts and dumbbell weights. It may even mention to get a yoga mat (which I recommend), but I’m not sure.
I will tell you what I did to set up my P90X “gym”. I actually used my garage as my workout facility. I went to a local carpet store and asked if they had a 7’ x 7’ scrap piece of carpet they could sell me. They did, for about $20. (it's actually a 6'x7' piece) When I do my workouts, I roll it out, when I’m done, I roll it back up, put a bungee cord around it, and leave it in the corner. Bingo, I now have a carpeted, cushioned, portable floor.
I don’t like the pull-up bars that attached to a door frame, so I got something else. Oh, those bars work fine, but I just wanted something different. I put two hooks up on the ceiling (making sure the hooks went into the studs) and got about 4’ of chain from Home Depot. Had them cut it into two 2’ pieces. I then went to a local junk yard and ask if they had a bar or pipe about 5’ – 7’ long that was not all rusted out. The did (it was actually a chain link fence post) and charged me $1 for it. I fixed the chains to the hooks on the ceiling and threaded the pipe through it. Presto, instant chin up bar.
I hooked up an older 13” television with a DVD player attached on a shelf and Bingo, I’m ready to watch.
I didn’t have any dumbbells to speak of, so I went to Wal-Mart and got a resistant band. I got the strongest one possible. I’ve heard some folks say to NOT get this, I STRONGLY disagree. I have put that resistant band through pure torture and it’s still going strong. Oh, I would NOT recommend the type bands where you have 3 bands that can be hooked together, they don’t work well, I have used that one as well, it's not recommended by me.
If you have dumbbells, that would probably be best. You may even want to invest in those adjustable dumbbells, to avoid extra clutter. I was just too cheap to buy them. I now have two sets of dumbbells, 20lbs and 25lbs. (I got them at garage sales for $2 each, just a tip)
But you WILL need some sort of dumbbells or resistance bands.
I have used both the bands AND the dumbbells. Both work well and believe it or not, it's a whole different type of workout with each, so feel free to mix and match!
So there you have it, a total gym set up for less than $50. Not a bad price to pay for getting in shape, eh?
Let's Discuss The P90X Structure
P90X is designed to be a 90 day program. Each 90 days is called a rotation or a round. So, when someone says "I'm on round 2 of P90X", they mean they've already completed one 90 days, now they are on their 2nd 90 day program, get it?
There are 3 different rotations you can follow: Classic, Lean, and Doubles.
The Lean is designed for more weight loss, therefore there is more cardio workouts and less strength workouts. The Classic is just the opposite, more strength and less cardio. The Double is a combination of the Lean and the Classic, basically doing two workouts a day.
Personally, I've done the Lean program and the Classic program. I much preferr the Classic as I enjoy the strength workouts more than the cardio. Oh, don't get me wrong, there is plenty of cardio built into the Classic, so don't worry about getting enough cardio in. Which ever one you decide to follow, you will NOT be disappointed.
The instructor for P90X is Tony Horton, who is some fitness guru with a bunch of credentials. To me, the credentials don't matter as long as I believe the guy knows what he's talking about, which I do. He is definitely NOT your typical bleached blond diva or spandexed out muscle head saying "if you do this you can look like me" instructor. He comes across as just one of the guys you can hang with at your local bar or coffee shop. He has a sense of humor that is right along with mine, so I really dig how he interacts with everyone on the sets, including the camera guys.
Some folks feel he talks too much during the workouts, I don't think so at all. He interacts with the others on the workout set (who are actually working out, not just going through the moves for TV purposes) but he also does the workouts himself.
I personally liked the way Tony acts as it reminds me of how guys interact in a gym. Guys are guys, we talk with each other at the gym, we encourage each other, we throw ribs in occassionally, and we work out….hard. That's the attitude Tony brings with these workouts. If I can say one sentence about Tony, he makes the workouts fun.
Because Tony talks a lot and some people don't like that, P90X was smart in their design of this program. They give you an option to mute out Tony and leave the background music or mute out the music and just leave Tony. Personally, I've gone through 2 rounds of the X and countless other workouts at various times and still have not gotten tired of Tony.
Speaking of the background music, I like it. It's not bubblegum-ish or techno or bee-bop-ee (which would all drive me nuts) it's just music that goes with each workout. The music for the strength workouts have a harder edge to them, while the cardio is more upbeat and the Yoga and Stretch is more soothing. I give a thumbs up to the person who picked the background music.
The background set for the workouts is awesome! It has the look and feel of a gym, but at the same time is not intimidating to folks who are "scared" of a gym. No wall-to-wall mirrors, no flashing gizmos, no fake potted plants around. Just a nice comfortable gym feel to the whole thing.
The P90X Nutrition Plan
This is one thing I cannot speak much on as I didn't follow it. I wil admit, my results were not the way I would have like them to be, but I'll also admit that I did NOT follow the whole P90X plan, because part of the program is eating right. That is my weekness. Oh, I don't eat pizza and beer every day, but I can add some healthier food to my diet, that's for sure. (check out my picture at the end of this review)
For your best results, sticking to the P90X nutrition guide is the way you should go. Will you recieve results with out it? Sure, but not nearly as good as you would with it. Bottom line, unless you admit your food intake habits, or lack their of, you cannot blame anyone for not achieving what you want except yourself. What you put into your body is crutial to your visible results. (Yes, I know this but I still did not do it as designed)
I don't consider myself a nutritionist at all, but I did review the guide and it made a lot of sense to me. No counting calories, just portions. The guide gives you a guideline to follow and it's very doable, I just didn't follow it, plain and simple.
If you want an honest review about the nutrition part of P90X, you can find them all over the net, I'm just not the best source for that part of the program. If someone reading this has a good review of it, please let me know and I'll link to it from here.
Now, Let's Review The Actual Workouts
(in no particular order)
Each workout has a warmup period and a stretch period at the beginning. I would recommend NOT skipping these as you do not want to get injured. Follow what Tony says and you'll be fine. Give yourself a least a hour for each workout (some are shorter). Adding the Ab Ripper X workout at the end of some of the strength workouts puts another 15 minutes on your workout. Just an FYI.
Back and Biceps Workout – this is probably my favorite of all the workouts. I can't quite put my finger as to why, but I just enjoy the whole workout, from start to finish. You will need your pull-up bar for this one and your dumbbells or resistance bands. Tony shows you how to do it both with the weights and with the bands, so you won't have to figure things out on your own. I won't get into each individual set, but there is a wide variety of biceps workouts you go through. Each is different, each is challenging. The back excersises is grooling as well. Several variety of pull-ups with non-pull-ups excersises thrown in. Even if you cannot do a single pull up, Tony shows you how to do it and before long, you'll be doing SEVERAL, which is a great feeling! Love this workout!
Core Synergistics – This is a cardio workout more utilized in the Lean rotation and on recovery weeks during the other rotations. Yes, this DVD focuses on your core, but you'll get a full body workout as well. You'll be getting on the floor with this one, so having some sort of carpet or pad is a must. My piece of carpet I descibed earlier works fine for me.
Kempo X – This is P90X's version of kick boxing or Body Combat. Fun workout that will keep your heart rate up for most of the workout. Not as fast as some of the more traditional Kick Boxing workouts you will find, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in intensity. You will need a carpet or at least your Yoga Mat for the warm as you'll be doing some stretches being on the ground.
Legs and Back – Strenth training. Again, we use the pull up bars for the back workouts. I believe the back portion was put in here to give your legs a bit of recovery. Some of the back excersises are the same as in the other back workouts. But this DVD is mostly for your legs. Do NOT plan on going dancing after this workout! It's a killer on your legs, but it's one of those "I'm sore but I feel GREAT" kind of things. No need to get into the different excersises here, but just know you will feel this workout in your glutes and legs!
YogaX – (this goes off the P90X time slot, it's a 90 min workout) For those of you that think Yoga is for whussies (I was one of those guys) I defy you to do this entire workout and see if you still feel the same way. I'll admit, I don't understand what Yoga does, or why it works or what it works, but there's something to it. I have never sweated as much during a workout as I have with YogaX. Tony swears by this workout. You will need a soft surface because you'll be on the ground a lot. I use my Yoga Mat on top of my carpet for this one. Yogis (I chuckle every time I hear that term) say P90X missed the boat with this workout as it doesn't explain a lot of the poses or moves to the non-yoga folks. All I know is it makes me sweat and I feel like I really, REALLY worked out afterwards.
Plyometrics – (sometimes called PlyoX) – FYI, this is not in the Lean rotation. No weights or bands here, it's all you and all I can say is OMG! The first time I did this workout I thought I was gonna fall over dead. Talk about a different workout! Plyometrics is known as Jump Training, and jumping you'll do all through this workout. Make sure you are on carpet because Tony teaches you how to "land softly", but don't think this workout is "soft". Even after you do it once a week for your 90 day rotation, this workout will still kick your butt. You will be on the floor gasping for air when you're done, but you'll feel awesome. Another one of my favorite workouts!
Shoulder and Arms – Strength training. Just like it says, shoulders and arms. Pure and simple weight training for this one. Get your weights or your bands and be prepared to go 100% for the full time. You will feel this if done right, I don't care how big your arms may already be. My suggestion, don't hold back, go all out with Tony and the kids.
Cardio X – Just like the name says, pure cardio. The shortest of all X workouts, about 35 minutes or so. Some say it's a watered down version of Core Synergistics with a bit of PlyoX, KempoX and YogaX thrown in. A good workout but it may leave you wanting more, especailly when you compare it to the other X workouts. Still, nothing to sneeze at, it will work you.
X Stretch – Just like the name says, this is a stretch DVD that focuses on stretching. Starting from your neck and going all through your body down to your toes. Don't think this isn't work because it does work you. As with Yoga, it's a more relaxing work, but it's still a workout. Expert trainers will tell you this is a MUST DO with any kind of workout program. A soft floor and a Yoga Mat are needed here.
Chest and Back – Strength workout. Forget bench pressing, this is a world class chest workout without using a single weight! For the back excersises, again you'll need your pull-up bar, dumbbells or bands. But for the chest portion, a padded/carpeted floor, a paper plate and a chair. Yup, you read that right. If you think a push up is a push up is a push up, you'll be surprised and shocked the first time you do this. You may be even cursing at Tony before it ends. Heck, the final excersise, the Dive Bomber push ups, is a workout within itself. Simplicity to the core but oh so tough. I give this workout 5 stars.
Chest Shoulder and Triceps – Just when you thought Tony couldn't come up with any other variations of puch ups, he does. This workout may not be as intense as Chest/Back, but it's just as difficult. You'll blast right through this workout in rotation fashion. Chest-Shoulders-Tri, Chest-Shoulder-Tri. You'll need your weights/bands, a chair, and a carpeted area for the floor work. I'll say one word here…..OUCH!
Ab Ripper X – Usually done after your strength workouts. Some folks do this all by itself, but I figured I'm already sweaty so I'll do it when it's designed. Simpley put, this is an ab workout. BUT, you're not doing 1000 situps. I won't get into details with this, but about 15 minutes of intense ab work and you'll feel those abs alright. You'll be on the floor the whole time so a soft place (carpet) and your Yoga Mat will be helpful.
To Be continued……