- P90x -

[GilaMinumBeer]

My buddy is going to let me borrow his 1st session once he moves onto week 4. I'm never done a workout routine before and am sure this will kill me. I am nowhere near over weight, but am quite lazy and out of shape.

It will wipe you out the first few days.

By week 2 you will have better range of motion and be able to do more reps.

We quit by week 3 or 4. Keep talking about starting it back up but never do.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

My resting heart rate is down about 10 bpm.

Yeah, I think you might be dead.... Just sayin'

Did you guys all get pull-up bars to do this? That is the one handicap I think be having. I'm in decent shape but I wanna trim off some more fat....

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Yeah, I think you might be dead.... Just sayin'

Did you guys all get pull-up bars to do this? That is the one handicap I think be having. I'm in decent shape but I wanna trim off some more fat....

I got the bar but have never used it. I forget what we did instead.

 

[BrewBrain]

Yeah, I think you might be dead.... Just sayin'

Did you guys all get pull-up bars to do this? That is the one handicap I think be having. I'm in decent shape but I wanna trim off some more fat....

I bought the pull-up bar, but I'm pretty terrible at it. I do as many pull-ups as I can, then switch to bands. I'm getting better, but I can't do enough to feel like I worked the muscles properly.

Plus, the bar sits in the doorway, so I can reach the floor with my feet. I think it would be better to have a higher bar, but that isn't an option.

 

[BrewBrain]

SWMBO and I just started week 5. I feel a lot better than when I started, my love handles are noticably smaller, and my pants are fitting a little looser, but I haven't lost weight yet. I guess some weight is moving from fat to muscle. I'm pretty exhausted each night and have been sleeping pretty well.

I used to work out at the gym a good bit, and I don't think P90X will bulk me up like the gym did, but it's great being able to do the same program with my wife.

I already eat pretty well, aside from the beer consumption, so I haven't been following the diet plan, and I didn't buy any recovery drinks or anything. I'm planning to find some whey protien online or something for post-workout. Once we finish the first 90 days, I'll start at the beginning again, maybe do the doubles if I can find time.

My SWMBO and I are a few days behind you. I've also noticed clothes fitting looser, but haven't lost weight either - only about a pound so far.

SWMBO is switching to the cardio version for week 5 to the end.

 

[Randar]

I am starting week 2 today and I have to tell you.. those DVD's kicked my A$$. I was sore all weekend. The foods not as bad as I thought. The breakfast scrambles arent really my favorite though.. too many egg whites.

If you know how to follow a workout eating and supplementing plan, it's pretty simple to do without their products. Keep healthy snacks like almonds around and if you know how to build yourself a 40-40-20 plan, do it. 4-6 meals a day as previously mentioned and lots of chicken, fish, bison, etc.

Anyways.


The best tips I have given to friends who have tried this are:

1) Do the abs video before the daily workouts if you want to try to get it all done in one session. Hip flexors and stabilizers won't hold up otherwise, especially early on.

2) DO NOT skip the stretching and Yoga. I was skeptical of the yoga but it quickly became one of my favorites. Most men are not nearly flexible enough and while I am pretty flexible, the focus on hip flexibility helped tremendously with what is otherwise a chronic back issue. And it is no joke, definitely hard but you don't feel nearly as stupid with it after a few weeks and getting all the moves down. The first few sessions you'll feel like a wet noodle flopping around.

3) Get a heart rate monitor. I was working in a WAY too high heart zone for plyo and really had to monitor myself to keep within proper training range

4) Listen to your body. Muscle soreness and recovery soreness are one thing, but with the repetitive pushups and the plyo, you can very easily develop tendonitis or other issues that will put you on the shelf for longer if you don't recognize and account for them before they really flare up.

Good luck, I loved it and everyone I know that has done it has had great results, but you definitely need to have the time and determination to get it done.

 

[Randar]

I bought the pull-up bar, but I'm pretty terrible at it. I do as many pull-ups as I can, then switch to bands. I'm getting better, but I can't do enough to feel like I worked the muscles properly.

Plus, the bar sits in the doorway, so I can reach the floor with my feet. I think it would be better to have a higher bar, but that isn't an option.

I'm 6'3" and have it mounted in the floor joists from the basement and can still touch. I made it work, but it is not ideal.

And to start I made a goal of doing 10 reps no matter what. I would do as many free pullups as possible and then have the chair there to help me reach 10.

I went from doing only a 1-2 free per set at the start to doing 10 free per set at the end and I have quite long arms and have always sucked at pullups, so I was amazed at the progress.

Don't worry about not losing weight at first. You're moving it to better places! Muscle weighs more than fat and most people will initially actually GAIN a little weight unless they are on a carb-free diet in unison. The reason they carb-starve you in the p90x plan is just so you lose some weight initially and keep you motivated. Otherwise there really is no reason to carb-starve you when you are burning 1000+ calories circuit training every day.

40-40-20 protein-carb-fat is a great lean-out diet in a workout like this. And make sure you're getting complex carbs and lots of fiber and skipping the crappy simple sugars and carbs.

 

[Randar]

It will wipe you out the first few days.

By week 2 you will have better range of motion and be able to do more reps.

We quit by week 3 or 4. Keep talking about starting it back up but never do.

LOL!

The end of week 1 has to be the most exhausted and sore I have ever felt in my life.

 

[TxBrew]

If anyone is not using it I would love to buy/borrow your DVD's and give it a shot.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

If anyone is not using it I would love to buy/borrow your DVD's and give it a shot.

x2!









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[hammacks]

I did the program a while ago and loved it. I will be starting up again this Summer. I haven't done much except pushups and pullups since finishing (Armstrong pullup program)

One word of advice: Careful with your knees! I overworked them on plyo one day, pretty late in the program. The next day was legs/back I think? I must have had bad form on my lunges because of the soreness, cause I made them much worse. I had to substitute biking for both workouts for a few weeks.

 

[arch1tect]

I did the program a while ago and loved it. I will be starting up again this Summer. I haven't done much except pushups and pullups since finishing (Armstrong pullup program)

One word of advice: Careful with your knees! I overworked them on plyo one day, pretty late in the program. The next day was legs/back I think? I must have had bad form on my lunges because of the soreness, cause I made them much worse. I had to substitute biking for both workouts for a few weeks.

This was my biggest issue with this program. The amount of lower body work was a lot but there were no incorporation of heavy lifts for them.

 

[SourHopHead]

My brother started week 4 or 5 Sunday and he's been following it to the letter. He likes it and I started crossfit so we could compare the workouts and results. Neither one of us can do pull ups with out a chair or bands. He is really watching his diet and I have been changing mine a little. Not sure how much weight he dropped, but I dropped 8lbs and we are both getting fit. I wish I could workout everyday but going to take a couple weeks to get my out of shape a$$ back to that level. 2 on 1 off but my bro on p90x is still going strong everyday.

 

[Randar]

This was my biggest issue with this program. The amount of lower body work was a lot but there were no incorporation of heavy lifts for them.

There were quite a few opportunities to use heavier free weights during lung or squat moves and you could dial back your reps as needed. Hence, I don't get this comment at all. My calves were huge at the end of a p90x cycle and my hammies and glutes were in great shape. A vast majority of people do NOT need bulk in those areas.

If you are expecting to be power lifting and 400 lbs on a squat rack, p90x isn't for you in the first place.

 

[KFBass]

I had a buddy who did it to the letter. He lost 40 lbs (from 240lbs) and I have seen him do 20 chin-ups in a row. I did a week or so of it and decided it wasn't for me. Though the plyometrics and the abb workouts are fantastic. Also the yoga, don't brush that off. I found that difficult.

I recently got the MensHealth big book of excersises and am doing one of those workouts with good results. I generally run about 20miles a week and was just looking for some cross training stuff.

 

[Mirilis]

I ended up getting fat again. I have gained back the 25 lbs I lost and I want to start this again but I get up at 6am go to work then leave at 4 pm to go to school and make it home by 10-11pm. After that I eat dinner then do homework until midnight and get some sleep to repeat again the next day. I don't have an hour and a half to dedicate to working out anymore. I gotta find someway to lose he weight. I started eating less again to put me in the right direction.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

If anyone is not using it I would love to buy/borrow your DVD's and give it a shot.

You might be able to "borrow" a PX90 torrent.

http://www.torrentdownloads.net/searches/p x 90

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I ended up getting fat again. I have gained back the 25 lbs I lost and I want to start this again but I get up at 6am go to work then leave at 4 pm to go to school and make it home by 10-11pm. After that I eat dinner then do homework until midnight and get some sleep to repeat again the next day. I don't have an hour and a half to dedicate to working out anymore. I gotta find someway to lose he weight. I started eating less again to put me in the right direction.

I can sympathize with not having time, that sounds like a fairly rough schedule. I have made a point lately to MAKE the time to exercise, whether it be on lunch breaks or otherwise. Recently I cut back on my calories and started running 4 miles everyday- Yesterday when I got home from my last lab I had been sitting in front of a computer for the past 2+ using 100% brain power and I was whooped. But I went through the motions of getting ready and by the time I got back from my run I felt about 20 times better. I ended up doing 3 hours worth of homework because I had brought back my energy. Whereas if I had simply eaten dinner and sat down to try and work I would have drifted off or been unproductive. Taking that 30 min out of my day to run has been very worth it.

 

[masonsjax]

I you don't have time and you happen to have $10K laying around, I hear the ROM machine will give you a pretty serious workout in 4 mins/day.
http://rommachine.net/

 

[Julohan]

I am on week 2. Week 1 was a killer. The second week already feels easier. I am using bands only. I do feel like I am missing out not having a pullup bar. I will probably purchase one next week.

 

[BrewBrain]

well, one more day of stretch, and then on to phase 2. I'm really starting to get this stuff. I even got through most of that first section of yoga tonight. I'm not flexible enough to get 'r done yet, but I'm making progress.

side note: I could never ever do yoga in a public class. Waaaayyy to many fart poses

 

[Netflyer]

It's funny, a friend at work just asked me about p90x and I laughed at her because I have p90 (the regular version - the original) and IT kicked my butt. I'm a 6'1" 190# guy in pretty good shape, so I thought. P90 put me in what I considered excellent shape in 90 days, (for a 45 year old - 49 now but was 45 at the time) dropped to 170# and was pretty cut. At the time I finished p90x just came out and I passed because I was in good enough shape to do what I do (surf) and was fine with continuing the p90 exercises. My neighbor got p90x and I did some with him and it was too intense for me, too much impact. I'm the opposite of most people, the yoga is easy for me but the other stuff kills me. So, I'm going to lend her (friend at work) my p90 and see if she can handle that before she does the 90x... 90x is freakin' extreme! If you are having trouble with it do P90 regular (non x) first

 

[Mirilis]

It recommends you complete Slim in 6 if you werent in generally good shape before starting P90X

 

[BrewBrain]

Yeah, definitely good to get somewhat in shape before trying P90X. I'm considering my first time through practice for when I can really do it the second time through. I'm getting better, but I'm definitely not always keeping up with those mean bastards on my tv.

 

[masonsjax]

My wife did slim-in-6 last year and liked it. She dropped weight quicker with that than she is with p90x, and she plans to go through that again after we finish p90x.

I did some of the slim-in-6 with her last year and it seemed like it was a lot of cardio type stuff. The p90x plyometrics disc really wrecks me. That's the most intense workout of the system IMO. My quads and gluts are still a little sore from Tuesday.

 

[Mirilis]

Plyo and Yoga were really hard for me. I have bad problems with my knees (cracked knee cap playing football in highschool) and Im only 28!

The hardest one that I did was the legs one. Where it kept making me do lunges.

 

[bkov]

i did it for about a week or 2, than stopped. started up awhile after, did it for 3 weeks than quit. thinking about trying it once again

 

[dndlyon]

Ouch!

A gym just isn't in the cards for us with our lifestyle and current financial obligations.

I knew I was overweight (duh) but, I never realized until starting this just how stiff and inflexible my body had become.

Did I mention how badly I hurt?

Amen and Amen! I picked the Power 90 instead of the P90X after searching and looking at a lot of reviews. I was in pretty good shape in college because I had time to work out. Since then, a desk job and a husband who can cook has completely done me in! The reviews I read made it sound like the Power 90 was a good starting step with the 90X workouts being a lot harder.

I started the Power 90 about 2 weeks ago, went for a full week, then had to work a couple of overnight shifts that really messed up my routine. I'm starting again tonite. I'd love to do the workouts in the morning, but found the workouts are way to hard for me first thing in the morning without eating first. I just can't handle that puky feeling, and getting up at 2 or 3am so I can eat before my workout isn't going to work.

Good luck to those of you on the program! I think like anything else, it'll work if you stick to it.

 

[SourHopHead]

My bro is down to 180-185 and feels good. Dogged it a bit the last couple weeks but is going to start it again next week. I'm down to 206.5 struggling to do my crossfit 3 days a week, due to sickness and crappy work problems. I know it is no excuse but I do what warmup I can at home at least. August will be the test when we both jog down the beach and see who sucks it up. Now we both can't drink like we used too.

 

[BrewBrain]

I finished up 60 days pretty much on plan, and the results are very, very good. I'm quite happy.

I've been busy and have taken about a week off, but my metabolism is in such high gear now I keep losing weight without working out Even with elevated the past two weekends.

I'm out of town next week, but I'll get back on when I get back home. I'll just pick up with phase 3 and hope for the best. I'll do the 90 days again starting in mid-August when I'll have three months of uninterrupted time at home.