Why the P90X Exercise Program is Overrated
by Vin Miller
Everyone is talking about the P90X exercise program and ads for it are taking the internet by storm. In fact, I’ve even been seeing ads for it on websites like Miriam Webster. Is all of this hype justified? Not if you ask me.
Despite its gimmicky marketing, I was intrigued by the P90X program based on a number of people’s opinions and decided to check it out. Although my primary intention was only to learn more about P90X, I was actually planning to give it a try. That was until I watched it. Although this program may be well suited for some, which I’ll discuss later, it’s definitely not for me. I prefer fitness programs that are motivated by excellent physical function, high resistance to injury, and above all else, optimal health. Even though the P90X program can certainly bring the average person closer to these ideals, I think it does so in a manner that’s compromised by the program’s undeniable priority of burning calories and getting “ripped.”
There’s More to Fitness than “Getting Absolutely Ripped”
It’s not hard to tell right from the beginning that this product was intentionally designed to be mass marketed. I’m not mad at this, but in my opinion, it compromises the quality of the program by catering to a massive and mainstream audience that tends to value appearance more so than health. In my opinion, the P90X is nothing more than an exercise program of mediocre quality that’s designed to burn calories, get people fired up about working hard, and sell a few supplements. This may be fine for some people, but for me, it’s not at all what fitness is really about. A set of ripped abs may turn heads, but the more important concern should be if the actions you took to get those abs will help you function optimally well into your old age. Chances are that they won’t, and in many cases, they’ll likely do the opposite.
There’s a Healthier and More Functional Way to Develop “Ripped Abs”
Developing “ripped abs” seems to be the focal point of the P90X program and there are primarily two ways in which people develop them. The first way is by living a truly healthy and balanced lifestyle with an impressively defined abdomen being a natural byproduct. The second way is to compensate for an unideal lifestyle by doing a ridiculous amount of crunches and burning as many calories as possible which can be a significant and undesirable burden on the body. Most of the models that you see on magazine covers likely fall into this latter category, and despite how good they look, it’s very possible that they have poor internal function. Those who don’t believe this should read about fitness model Daniel Martin and the unhealthy practices he and his peers use to look their best for photo shoots.
It’s not necessary to do hundreds of crunches to make your abdominal muscles become visible. In fact, once I started eating a truly healthy diet, I lost 30 pounds in 3 months, and that was with minimal exercise because of the issues with chronic fatigue syndrome that I was dealing with at the time. I dropped to about 10% body fat and have stayed there ever since. The key to having a flat and defined midsection is losing abdominal fat, and the best way to accomplish this is through a truly healthy diet.
Your abdominal muscles have a much more important purpose than helping you turn heads at the beach. They’re crucial to the stability of your midsection and spine, and if you wisely choose exercises that work the rest of your body, your abdominals will get plenty of good training. Even if you’d like focus on your abdominal muscles directly, you still don’t need to do anything close to the amount of abdominal exercises that are included in the P90X program.
The P90X Nutrition Plan Falls Short
I didn’t expect much from the P90X Nutrition Plan, but was happy to see that it at least recommends a variety of whole foods. Although a few of the recipes surprisingly include steak, which I think is a good thing, the P90X Nutrition Plan is for the most part a politically correct low fat diet. Ironically, during the initial and easiest phase of the program, the diet plan calls for a “fat shredding” phase which is basically low in carbohydrates and high in protein. As the program continues and you proceed to push your body further, you’ll undoubtedly need an additional supply of fat and protein to rebuild broken down tissue. However, at this point, the P90X Nutrition Plan ironically decreases protein and fat intake to 20% each and increases carbohydrate intake to 60%!
During the three months of the P90X program, the Nutrition Plan has you eat a different way each month. Each of the three months actually correspond fairly well with the three general Metabolic Types which are the Protein Type, Mixed Type, and Carb Type. The philosophy of Metabolic Typing is based on a number of genetic and environmental factors that provide us each with a unique metabolism that will respond best to one of these three types of diets. The P90X Nutritional Plan basically has you eat as a different type each month which means that you’ll likely feel well for one month and possibly not so good for the other two. Why would you want to do that to yourself?
What I find most disappointing about the P90X Nutrition Plan is that it relies fairly heavily on protein powder, protein bars, recovery drinks, and protein shakes, all of which are highly processed and nutritionally inferior to natural whole foods. The ingredients of the P90X Peak Performance Protein Bar includes 26 grams of sugar, 5 different sources of soy, and a bunch of synthetic vitamins. In addition to the health risks associated with sugar, soy can cause digestive issues and contains phytoestrogens that can cause health issues and interfere with fitness progress by altering testosterone production. Finally, synthetic vitamins don’t always have the same benefits as vitamins that naturally occur in whole foods and may not be assimilated as well either. If you’re going to physically punish your body for 3 months, the least you can do is feed it as much high quality and nutritious whole food as possible.
Ironically, if more people avoided processed foods like the Peak Performance Protein Bar, there would probably be much less of a market for extreme weight loss oriented exercise programs like the P90X.
Eliminating the Unessential
The success of any fitness program depends mostly on how long you choose to keep up with it. Many people are extremely busy, very stressed, deprived of sleep, and as a result, are chronically tired. The P90X program requires a considerable amount of energy and time which a lot of people don’t have. Although it seems that many people are making room in there lives for three months of P90X, I think it’s appropriate to question if they’ll be able to make it a lifelong habit or if it will be like The Biggest Loser where many of the participants regain most of the weight they lost because they didn’t properly instill healthy and sustainable long term habits. More importantly, I think it’s also appropriate to question if a rigorous program like P90X is even a good idea to pursue as a lifelong habit.
Some people may have the physical capacity to easily handle the 6 days of intense exercise per week that the P90X program prescribes, but it’s more likely that many won’t. While it’s healthy to challenge your physical limits, doing so nearly every day will take its toll and likely cause chronic tiredness or even adrenal fatigue.
Fortunately, whether you’re concerned about overexercising or simply don’t have 6 hours per week of free time, it’s still possible to make a great deal of progress with your fitness. If you insist on using the P90X program, here are a few suggestions that I think will make it a more practical, useful, and sustainable workout routine.
Ignore the P90X Nutrition Plan
It would be much better to simply eat natural whole foods such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and nuts. Don’t fall for the hype that you need an excessive amount of protein to build muscle or that you need to load up on a lot of bread and pasta to fuel the exercise that you’re doing.
Use Your Own Warm Up Routine
Soft tissue work, or self massage, should consistently be part of your warm up routine. By loosening tight muscle tissue, it will help to promote increased flexibility, range of motion, and strength. In turn, this will facilitate the execution of proper exercise technique and reduce the potential for injury.
To save time and reduce the performance impact that stretching is known to have, it makes sense to only stretch tight muscles prior to a workout. More specifically, you should only stretch the tight muscles that might prevent you from performing exercises with a full range of motion or correct technique. The stretching chapter of How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek has an excellent and easy to follow self assessment that you can use to determine which muscles you should consider stretching prior to a workout. It also has a number of great strength training exercises that you might choose to replace some of the P90X exercises with.
An even better way to assess yourself for physical limitations and design a corrective warm up routine that will help to prevent injury is to use the Assess and Correct program created by Eric Cressey, Bill Hartman, and Mike Robertson.
Don’t Do the Plyometrics, Kenpo X, or Cardio X Workouts
When proper safety precautions are observed, plyometrics is a great way to improve performance and injury resistance. However, the P90X Plyometrics workout is more of a long calorie burning session than a true plyometrics workout. Along with Kenpo X and Cardio X, these workouts are very similar to aerobics, step, or spin bike classes which means that they’re relatively high in intensity and are a significant physiological burden that can easily wear down the body and require more time to recover from, especially when done on a regular basis.
The P90X schedule typically includes 2 of these 3 workouts each week. I think it would be better to replace one or two of them with a half hour to an hour of mild exercise such as walking, hiking, an easy bike ride, or whatever other type of activity that you might enjoy. It should be just enough to get your heart rate up to 55% to 75% of your maximum heart rate, but not enough to make you out of breath. If you have the capacity, high intensity interval training would make a good replacement for the remaining workout, and even just 10 to 15 minutes is fine. If you’re feeling up to it and really want to physically push your limits, interval training is the time to do it! This is also an excellent and efficient way to promote weight loss because the intense effort will cause your body to burn calories at an accelerated rate for up to 48 hours.
Forget About Your “Beach Muscles”
While different exercises strengthen different muscles, they all rely on the limitations of a single recovery system. In addition, functional strength is about much more than how much weight you can lift with a single muscle. It’s about how effectively you can incorporate your muscles into basic movement patterns. For these reasons, properly executed compound movements such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, pulls, and presses are preferable because they train multiple muscle groups and movement patterns and conserve energy and recovery capacity by doing so through fewer exercises.
The P90X program refers to the shoulders and arms as your “beach muscles” which is something that I’m sure will motivate many people. However, you don’t need to do specific exercises for your biceps and triceps to have impressive arms, and you certainly don’t need to waste time and energy by practically dedicating an entire workout to it. All of these muscles are sufficiently challenged with demanding compound exercises including the push-ups and pull-ups that are used in the P90X program. I think it would be better to pass on the arms and shoulders workout and replace it with some relaxing activities to help support your recovery from previous workouts.
If you insist on doing isolation exercises for your arms, you can replace a few of the exercises in the back and biceps video with a couple of the shoulders and triceps exercises.
Add Resistance to the Strength Training Workouts
It’s difficult to make significant gains in strength without eventually increasing exercise resistance beyond body weight. If this is a desired goal, it can fortunately be accomplished without going to a gym or spending thousands of dollars on a home gym, but it does require a few pieces of basic equipment.
Although the P90X program does suggest using dumbbells for some exercises, even this can be limiting unless one buys a complete set which can be quite expensive and take up a lot of space. Instead, a set of adjustable dumbbells such as Powerblocks can be a much more favorable option. Likweise, a dip belt will allow you to hang weight plates from your waist and do pull ups with more resistance than just body weight, and a weight vest will allow you to do push ups with more resistance as well. Alternatively, you can save money by using the weight vest for both push ups and pull ups, but the vest may restrict movement during the bottom portion of a pull up. Finally, if you have the space and budget, an adjustable weight bench will dramatically increase the variety of exercises that you can do.
Use Your Own Core Routine and Don’t Go Crunch Crazy
As I mentioned earlier, the abdominal muscles are for stability, and since most of us tend to sit for many hours each day, there’s no reason to worsen this imbalance by doing crunches. There are a number of great core exercises that you can do with minimal equipment such as plank variations, the ab wheel rollout, and perhaps even some reverse crunches. If you want your core training to be more advanced than this, you can include some of the swiss ball exercises described in How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy. You certainly don’t need to dedicate an entire workout or even 20 minutes to core exercises. Just add one or two of them to the end of each workout and that should be plenty.
Don’t Do Yoga X Unless You Truly Enjoy It
Yoga can be surprisingly strenuous, and in addition to that, the P90X Yoga X routine is an hour and a half long. You could be using that time to prepare yourself real food rather than eating the processed powders and bars that are recommended by the P90X Nutrition Plan.
Stretching is certainly important, especially if you have any tight muscles, but you certainly don’t need to do an hour and a half of it. Furthermore, it would be a much better use of your time to focus on stretching the muscles that you know are tight and in need of attention.
Self message and stretching are an important part of maintaining a physically healthy body and should be done on a regular basis. An excellent time to stretch and do soft tissue work is right before bed because it doubles as a relaxing bedtime routine that will help you fall asleep more easily.
Reduce the Workout Volume
The P90X workouts tend to be focused on many variations of a just few basic movements. For example, the chest and back workout contains 6 different variations of push-ups and a total of 12 different exercises. These 12 exercises are done in sequence and then done again in reverse order. In my opinion, this is an unnecessary amount of volume for just a few different muscle groups and is another example of the program’s emphasis on burning calories.
In addition, I really don’t think that you need to do 6 different types of push-ups, and even if you insist on it, you don’t have to do them twice. Either way, there’s plenty of opportunity to trim these workouts down to a size that’s much more manageable in terms of both time and energy.
What I Like About the P90X Program
I’d like to end this on a positive note, and fortunately, I do have a few good things to say about the P90X program. One thing that’s great about this P90X craze is that it’s inspiring a lot of people to exercise and stay committed, at least for three months. However, a healthy commitment to exercise needs to last for a lifetime and needs to be more about health and wellbeing than weight loss and ripped abs. If you choose to follow the P90X program, embrace your ambition, but don’t get carried away. If you notice that you’re feeling more tired on a regular basis, take a few steps back and reassess what you’re doing.
Another thing that I think is excellent about the P90X program is its emphasis on functional exercises, particularly lunges, pull-ups, and push-ups. These are basic movement patterns that we should all be doing.
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You are clearly writing this from your perspective and not considering that there are people — many people — for whom this program is exactly what they need. If this program is overrated, how is it that I am in the best shape of my life at 38…and I was a college basketball player? I am back at my college playing weight and yet feel I am much stronger than I was in college.
I wish had this program then. As you said at the end, it gives people guidelines and motivation to stay committed.
Cardio X is hardly a high-impact workout. In fact, I consider it a good warm-up for the day and not quite a workout. Yoga X is therapeutic both for the body and the mind.
Your statements are way too broad and irresponsible. I completed my 90-day cycle last week and now I am taking two weeks of cardio and core work before I start another 90. I am a firm believer in this program.
What a great idea, let’s rip something that is obviously working for many, many people and changing their lifestyles so that more lazy Americans who want a reason NOT to workout see your blog and stay on the couch.
Congratulations.
Hi Alan, thank you for sharing your thoughts. Unfortunately, I think you completely missed the point of my article, and given the craze surrounding the P90X, I suspect that I am going to see more of this.
Congratulations for being in the best shape of your life. It’s a great accomplishment and I’m sure you’re proud and excited. I’m sincerely happy for you. However, this doesn’t necessarily give any reflection on the state of your health which is mostly what this article is about. Perhaps you’ll say that your health is better than ever, but will it stay that way if you follow a routine like P90X religiously for years? Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Why take the risk when there are much more practical and efficient ways to exercise.
I never said Cardio X is high impact. My issue with it is that it can push your heart rate fairly high for an extended period. This really isn’t a big deal on occasion, but doing it religiously can be a problem. This is why many people affectionately call this type of exercise “chronic cardio.”
Yes, Yoga is therapeutic for both the mind and the body. If you enjoy Yoga, then do it. If you don’t care either way, you don’t need to waste an hour and a half of time and energy on stretching exercises that aren’t even targeted to your individual needs.
I don’t think I’m “ripping” the P90X program at all. I’m simply pointing out what I perceive to be its flaws in order to help people exercise smarter and I’m also providing alternatives to help people customize it to their needs. I have no interest in criticizing someone else’s work just for the sake of it. My intent is to help, not harm.
I am ABSOLUTELY NOT recommending that people stay on the couch. In fact, I think my suggestions make the P90X program more sustainable and make it much easier to follow as a lifelong program. So many people are hyped up about P90X after doing it for 3 months, but that’s just a drop in the bucket in terms of developing a sustainable lifelong exercise habit.
Very well stated Vin and very kind and polite. Thank you for responding in this manner. It reflects highly on you.
I really like when you said, “…I’m also providing alternatives to help people customize it to their needs. I have no interest in criticizing somone elses work just for the sake of it. My intent is to help, not harm.”
This is so TRUE about you.
Thank you, Robin! Although I periodically write about the flaws I see in various products or programs, I don’t really like the negativity but I think it provides good examples for people to learn from.
It means a lot to me that you’re able to recognize this.
Great article Vin, and I agree with all your sentiments. In 2007 I did two rounds of P90X. I started out like many, totally enthusiastic, reading the message boards every hour, taking pictures etc. Towards the end of round two, I was absolutely sick of the program and will never do it again. Like anything done over and over, my body just got used to it and it became a mental and physical drag. I even tried P90X Plus for variety and did it for two weeks. I should have learned my lesson but bought Insanity this summer thinking I could manage a round after doing CrossFit workouts for a year. Again, by the end I was going crazy with fatigue, boredom, injury etc. I think these workouts are great to keep around to to on occasion, I just personally have a hard time buying into the idea that Beachbody has found a secret ingredient for ultimate fitness. The message boards are nice, and I still browse and post from time to time, but Beachbody is careful to delte any posts that speak negatively of its products
Between the workout programs, supplements and gear, I’ve spent several hundred dollars with Beachbody and have vowed to keep my wallet closed. Eating real food, and performing CrossFit workouts scaled to my ability has helped my overall well-being and fitness more than anything I have ever tried. Sometimes the workous are long, sometimes short. I’m always tired but I NEVER feel the sense of dread I get working out in front of the t.v.
The one thing you did not mention is the Beachbody coaching community. Beachbody is essentially a multi-level marketing company and if you spend enough time on the boards, you will be invited to “coach”. Your primary job as a coach is to introduce others to Beachbody products and hopefully sign up others for the wonderful business opportunity.
Some coaches are great and truly spend a great deal of time answering questions and helping people attain their goals. Ultimately however, the goal is to get you to sign up and start recruiting for the team.
Hi Amy, thanks for sharing your valuable experience! The good side to this is that you learned more about your exercise tolerance and are better prepared to make smarter decisions going forward. I’m happy to hear that you’re feeling better based on your healthier choices and I hope that others will benefit from your experience.
I’m well aware of the Beachbody Coach marketing program but didn’t feel the need to mention it. However, I do think it’s good for people to know about it and I’m glad that you brought it up. While I’m sure the majority of Beachbody Coaches have great intentions, at the end of the day, it’s a marketing system as you mentioned.
I used to be extremely gung-ho about P90X and the Beachbody community, getting involved with it earlier this year. I was a coach at one point. I really bought into their nutrition and fitness advice and completed 1 full round of P90X and several partial rounds. I started to realize I was investing a lot of time and money into a program that was making me tired and not giving me great results. I started to lose hope I was also under the impression the program was more of a marketing scam than I originally thought. I was also having some recurring digestion issues and horrible joint inflammation that didn’t improve the more “fit” I thought I was.
Like a number of other former P90X followers, I found Mark’s Daily Apple and several low carb communities. At first I was a bit confused – you mean fat isn’t bad for me? What gives? The more I read, the more I was intrigued. I stopped doing P90X. I cut my coaching subscription. I cut grains from my diet. I added more dietary fat. I became more aware of eating real, local foods for better health (no more fructose-laden “green” shakes and protein bars). I opted for more functional, shorter lifting sessions and just staying active through walking, hiking, biking, and other bodyweight exercises. Currently I’m following a program designed by Alywn Cosgrove. It works and it certainly doesn’t leave me feeling like crud later in the day. Plus, a 25 minute lifting session certainly beats a 75 minute one!
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are redeeming qualities in some of the workouts, but the length of workout and the continual repetition is what seems unnecessary and in some cases, unsafe, especially with the Plyometrics DVD. It’s difficult to express any concern in many of the message boards as the users have had such ridiculous success in getting ripped they don’t exactly want to look at any underlying problems. They don’t seem to understand, in many cases, that there are viable, safer, alternatives to maintaining a healthy and fit body. Many negative comments about the program are mocked and sometimes ridiculed by others who claim “Oh, well, if you’re bored with the program or not getting fast results you’re obviously doing something wrong.” Ugh. Frustrating.
One thing that is quite prevalent in the boards are posts about people being sick, tired, and hungry. I didn’t see the problem at first, but now I do. I used to complain of the same things and give the same tired advice to keep pushing through. Chronic cardio and overtraining have these effects over time. Before P90X I ran on a regular basis. I didn’t understand (at the time) how some of my health problems at the time were related to my choice of fitness. I also couldn’t grasp why my weight loss stalled after phase 1 of the P90X nutrition plan.
I guess I learned my lesson. There are certainly benefits to getting up off the couch, but sometimes a program that you think is the best out there may actually be more of a problem than you think.
Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing your story and taking the time to express your concerns. It’s great to hear that you’ve learned from all of this and are more conscious of your eating and exercising habits now. As with Amy’s story, I hope that your experience will be beneficial to others. Keep up the good work!
Hi Vin. Nice retort to P90X. I always love your very positive responses. I am sure he means well and is just defending what he knows. Many people don’t know what health is. Some people can live on smoke and mirrors for a while but in the end it always catches up to you. The latest fad exercise program will never make up for a solid eating plan with moderate exercise. Excessive exercise can lead to adrenal dysfunction which can wreak havoc on your body. I’m sure you written about this before. Anyhow, keep positive. You are helping many people move toward better health.
Thanks, Don! It’s good to see you back!
Yes, as Amy and Melissa have pointed out, many people have to get over the initial excitement before they realize what’s really going on. It’s all part of the learning experience.
Adrenal fatigue is definitely a significant concern with excessive exercise. I mentioned it in the article and do write about it frequently. Here’s an article dedicated entirely to adrenal fatigue.
I am so glad to see your article,you are right about a lot of things.
First I have that problem with the amount of time it takes up and I also have been feeling incredibly tired as of lately.I thought it was something wrong with me.
I found when I was doing it occasionally ,and then go to the gym and do about a half to 45 min.,of cardio my energy level was much higher.
Not to take away anything from the program but it is not for everybody.If you can stick to it
and have the time you will see results.
Dear Vin,
I just reviewed and stumble this article. Because I had looked into this program as well. and you have confirmed for me certain aspects of that didn’t sit right with me. I would not trade whole foods for even the healthiest of health bars unless weight or convenience was an issue like in doing long hikes, travel on a plane etc. I also feel that too much focus is on losing weight and having head turning muscles. I believe that is TOTALLY the wrong focus. Yes, it’s great and healthy to NOT be over weight and yes good muscle can really help strengthen the whole skeletal frame and spine, etc (I know this from experience)
…..BUT It’s really NOT about ANY of that. It’s about being overall totally healthy, about doing well rounded life-long consistent exercise and life-long healthy eating. There are so many “pump them up” programs and trends and hypes out that that I don’t even look at them any more. I am NOT saying that this or any other program may not help someone or be their entry into healthy living, but it goes soooooo much deeper.
I also do NOT agree with the whole protein craze. Too much protein can create a VERY acid body and an acid body can create all kinds of repercussions. It is very hard on the whole body and extremely bad for certain conditions. People think that if one has osteoporosis that you need lots of protein, that is not so. The resulting acid condition from it can actually inhibit bone growth.
At one point in my life I lived years as a total vegan (almost 90% raw) and lived a very rigorous lifestyle doing massive amount of physical work, lifting, lugging, pounding, load carrying, trekking, etc. and was stronger that most men I knew. And yet this might not work for everyone. Some people may need some animal protein.
Another thing is that now at an older age my body requires a program suited to ME and my various past injuries. I have a shoulder I once partially dislocated, I have an ankle that was damaged mountain climbing and high speed ski racing, etc. etc. So I had a friend who does yoga design a very very simple and short yoga workout (only very basic stretching poses) that took into consideration all those factors. And I listen to my body when I do upper body work outs (hand weights or rowing) or even hiking, biking or walking…eating. I go into it all with no set “beliefs”, but rather what is it my body needs now? This is important because I need to adjust this to how much sleep I’m getting, do I feel tired today? I need to check in with myself EACH day and adjust what I do accordingly. In that way I don’t get discouraged. I still get exercise and yet I don’t drain myself…..I instead ENERGIZE myself and walk away feeling better, even IF I am tired.
There is very little out there that speaks to the WHOLE picture of health. As my husband has been losing weight I keep telling him it’s not about losing weight it’s about healthy eating and healthy exercise…..then the weight will naturally take care of itself….for the rest of your life.
Also, Vin, I sense the P90X was too commercial. It made my insides cringe. For ME, and I speak ONLY for me, the program would take me away from myself and listening to my own body’s needs and going at my own pace, eating what my body was telling me to eat and exercising within my capacity (for where I’m at right now) and gradually building on that so that the exercise becomes just part of my life and who I am….and not some program separate from me or my lifestyle.
I do NOT want to discourage those who this program may be REALLY perfect for, but for me it takes me way off my holistic way of being in my body and in the world. I really like what DON wrote above.
There is a tendency with programs like this that people become discouraged when they are unable to make such a HUGE leap from where they are at into a dramatic and strenuous program like this. So they give up, without realizing that there is a middle ground. People can start right where they are at, simple, day by day. I believe the body will naturally increase it’s need for more exercise as it starts to heal and gain more energy and physical strength.
We tend to live in a world of extremes…and there really are many forms of middle ground. My yoga is VERY simple and yet it stretches me out and helps keep my limber and makes me feel better. Even if people started walking more and cut out all the nasties like sugar, white flour, fried food, etc, etc. Those would be HUGE changes in American culture.
Anyway Vin, I really enjoyed this article. It confirmed what I felt inside. “You’ve done a good jog, boy!!”
Trust your gut, you do know. I am proud of you. You speak to a larger audience who need to hear this. They then do not fall through the crack and/or give up. They feel there is hope.
Hugs,
Robin
Forgive typos. Proofed it but still missed a lot. Racing against work deadlines, but couldn’t resist commenting here. It’s a powerful post.
Hi Robin, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to leave such a thoughtful response.
In my opinion, exercise is a means to improve health and performance, and as such, fitness and athleticism should be one of the ultimate expressions of optimal health. The popularity of the P90X is one of many unfortunate indications that this is an uncommon perspective. However, I’m glad that you share it and am grateful that you’re helping to promote it.
I think the bottom line of everything that we do is how well we’re living life, and while having an impressive beach body might be rewarding, there’s so much more value to experience from a balanced and healthy life. What’s ironic about all of this is that it’s really not that hard to achieve an impressive physique if you regard your health as a high enough priority.
In regard to protein and acidity, keep in mind that some primitive cultures such as the Eskimos and Indians enjoyed superior health on very acidic diets that were very high in protein. Although many fitness enthusiasts, particularly bodybuilders, do tend to consume excessive amounts of protein, I do think that some people do better on larger amounts. Of course, it should be from a high quality source such as pasture raised meat rather than processed powder.
By the way, I fully dislocated a shoulder ski racing and had surgery on the other one. I’m right there with you in regard to valuing the importance of injury prevention.
Hi Vin. Another good article. This program caught my eye while TV surfing. only because I am in the process of a new routine and some of the exercises looked good for my program. My first impression was this P90X is not for someone that has been exercising on the couch for years. but for someone that may need some refreshing changes in a exercise program they are on. I can’t comment on the nutrients for this program but from what you say it seems liket this program then is a training program and not a way to a healthy lifestyle’ maybe a stop on the way there. I am always wary of programs with beach bodies pumping the programs. As my wife once said she is not going to the gym because she doesn’t want to look like that. Little did she know that it takes years of rigorous iron pumping and good genes. If the public knew the lifestyle to get six pack abs they would stay on the couch.
In one of your best articles ‘Top 10 Reason Why You Should Play Tennis’ I would move number 7 to number one and say it is a lot more fun than most purchased exercise programs like the P90X. Does anyone think that ad looks like fun!
Thanks, George!
That’s a good point about P90X not being for people who are looking to improve their sedentary lifestyle. The P90X material gives a big disclaimer about it being an extreme program and that you should be in excellent health prior to starting it. Unfortunately, it seems that people who are out of shape and overweight are ironically the program’s biggest audience.
Yes, it’s common for women to think that they’ll bulk up like Arnold if they so much as touch a free weight. Having put a lot of effort into becoming big and muscular when I was younger, I always find some innocent humor in this.
But in regard to developing a flat and defined stomach (not necessarily with the bulging abdominal muscles that you see on magazine covers), it really doesn’t take much work beyond living a truly healthy lifestyle.
I’m glad you like the tennis article! That’s a great point, exercise should definitely be fun. Although I think a somewhat structured fitness routine is an important part of being able to participate in sports with a minimized risk for injury, playing a sport is definitely a great way to make exercise more enjoyable.
Hi Vin,
I think there might actually be some validity to the P90X cycling Nutrition Plan. I have no solid evidence, only personal experience. Whenever I make a diet shift, I tend to notice an initial increase in my metabolism before it settles back down to normal. A few examples I have noticed in the first week after the change:
Increase total calorie consumption by 500 cal/day –> Decrease in % body fat, while weight remains constant.
Switch to a lower carb diet with lots of fat/protein –> Decrease in % body fat, weight decrease.
Go on vacation for a week and eat completely different diet (generally lots of restaurant food) –> No change in % body fat, weight decrease.
Generally after the first week, the changes stop and my % body fat and weight become stable again. I think it makes sense that the body becomes accustomed to a steady diet and thus burns food fuel efficiently. Once a radical shift is made in diet, the body initially becomes confused and burns more calories. I think of this as analogous to breaking a plateau in weight-training. The best way to do that is to completely change your exercise routine and stress the muscles in a completely different way.
I would think that our ancestors would have to adapt to radical changes in diet throughout the year. Maybe there would be more carbs consumed during the summer months when wild grains, nuts and fruits/berries were in season and more animal fats/proteins consumed during the winter months.
This is all pure speculation, but I thought I would throw the idea out there.
Keep up the good work on the blog. It gets better and better every week.
Hi Joe, thanks for your comment!
There’s no doubt that a dramatic change in diet can have a significant impact on body composition. For example, if you switch to a low carb diet, you’ll be more likely to burn body fat for energy. However, the more important question is how does this relate to your health? Take the Atkins diet for example. Of all the people who lose weight on it, some feel great and some feel awful. The people who don’t feel well are obviously interfering with their body’s ability to function optimally even though they achieved the desired effect of losing weight. What’s important to realize is that you don’t have to do this to yourself to lose weight, and the fact that the P90X Nutrition Plan recommends it is just another example of how it prioritizes appearance over health.
You’re right that the diets of our ancestors varied with the seasons, but I don’t think that the change is really that dramatic. People who follow Metabolic Typing, for example, tend to notice a decrease in appetite for protein and fat during the warmer months, but it’s a relatively small adjustment and they still stay within their “type.”
I’m happy to hear that you’re still enjoying the blog.
Vin,
Clearly everyone has an opinion, and I certainly have respect for everyone expressing theirs. That being said, I’m in complete disagreement with the nay sayers about P90X, or those that say it makes them tired and they didn’t see results.
The fact of the matter is (and this is REGARDLESS of the program you follow), the results come from following an eating plan, working hard on your workouts, and getting the proper amount of rest. Period!
P90X is a program that gives people a completely detailed structure to follow, and it takes the guess-work out of the equation. Those that fail the process do so by not following the instructions, or working out with enough intensity.
People start out at different places in their fitness journey’s, and it takes some longer than others to reach their goals. P90X is “designed” as a 90 day program, but it may take some people 5 rounds to get to where they want to be. Fortunately, Tony Horton designed the program with plenty of options, so the repeatability (while STILL getting great results) is there.
If people fail to get results with P90X, its because they’ve failed to commit to at least one component of the program. We all have to be in the right mindset to accomplish anything in life, but its time for people to point the fingers at themselves when they fail, and stop placing the blame on the programs they fail to stick to when they do fail.
Thanks for providing a venue for equal debate.
Mark B
P90X practitioner since its 2004 release!
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
You certainly have a valid point that many people blame their exercise program for their lack of results rather than considering any faults of their own. However, I don’t think it’s justified to assume that this is the only reason why someone might not achieve good results from the P90X program. We all have different capacity for physical activity, and regardless of how healthy someone’s lifestyle is, it’s definitely possible for the demands of the P90X to overwhelm their capacity and contribute to fatigue and health issues.
The fact that the P90X takes the guess work out of exercising is part of the problem that I have with it. No exercise program is perfect for everyone, and as such, anyone who is serious about improving their health and their life through exercise should at least have some sense of how to customize a program to their own needs.
You touched on something that is a major concern for me-avoiding overworking your body. I have already experienced the negative effects of working out too much. I sustained a torn ankle ligament a few months ago (actually while doing the plyometrics section in P90X) but mostly devoting my time to jogging, and I’ve been meek about getting into a full fledged workout routine since.
I was wondering if you could offer a little advice as it seems that you have learned how to balance. I’m currently a student, and I work 3 days a week at a job that is very physically taxing. I’m on my feet for around 9 hours (with a lunch break of course). The first 5 hours-there are customers in the store and my duties rotate from the cash register and bagging, stocking, wheeling out heavy stacks of product, sometimes walking around to collect carts in the parking lot, etc. The last 3-4 hours are mostly just stocking, but first we have to unload heavy boxes from pallets and also wheel those out on the floor, so there’s tons of heavy lifting and bending. Definitely leaves possibility for repetitive strain injuries, and I am always exhausted when I get home and pretty sore in the morning.
The problem is-I’m not sure how much and when I should exercise. The idea of weight lifting before work sounds exhausting, but I need to make sure that some of my days off are completely restful. I have 10 pounds to work off, and am still trying to correct my eating habits as I was previously doing so much exercise it didn’t matter much what I ate. Does it sound feasible to do weight lifting, followed by about 20 minutes of interval cardio, only 3 days a week? It doesn’t seem like enough to me but, again, the problem may be my diet (I eat plenty of healthy foods just-too much. I snack when I’m studying and such). I know that was a lot to read-but I appreciate any advice if you get the time. =)
Hi Elyse, thank you for your comment! It’s great to hear that you’re trying to be more conscious of your health by not over exercising.
It sounds like you might have had preexisting ankle vulnerability even before doing the P90X program. I suggest that you find a good physical therapist or corrective exercise specialist to help you get your ankle back in good condition.
It seems as if your exercise goals are primarily based on weight loss, and that you’ve already experienced the effects of using exercise to compensate for diet. If you’re strict about eating mostly natural whole foods, which you should be doing anyway for your general health, it should be easy to manage your weight. As I mentioned in the article, I got down to less than 10% body fat with minimal exercise and without even trying to specifically do so. It was the result of my clean diet and healthy lifestyle.
Since you have a physically demanding job, I think your exercise goals should be primarily based on supporting your ability to do your work. This will go a long way in helping you avoid chronic pain and injuries. I think your top priorities should be to make sure that your core is functioning properly so that it will effectively stabilize your spine when you lift heavy things, to reinforce good posture and lifting technique in the movements that you do most often, and if you do a lot of the same movements repetitively throughout the day, to make sure that you train the opposing muscle groups to maintain balance.
We all have a different capacity for exercise. To determine what yours is in combination with your work, start small and gradually build up. I would start with 2 strength training sessions per week with maybe just two or three key exercises per session and just two sets of each exercise. To balance your training and help with weight loss, you can do some low intensity aerobic exercise and perhaps 1 day per week or every other week of high intensity interval training.
Hopefully you’ll find that this is enough to make you feel good about exercising, but not enough to wear you down and make you dread your workouts. Once you establish a sustainable level at which your comfortable, you can add more exercise and evaluate how you respond. Just remember to start small and increase the amount of exercise gradually.
For a variety of reasons, you may even find what I suggested to be too much. If that’s the case, keep eliminating until you get to a comfortable level. When I was dealing with chronic fatigue, I couldn’t even do 20 minutes of low intensity exercise without getting an “exercise hangover” for the next few days.
I hope that helps!
Hello again,
I seem to have an exercise plan that works for me-but my question is regarding changing the routine. Exercise advice always seems to include that you should change up your routine every couple of weeks. Is this mostly to avoid plateauing, or is this also a good idea to avoid overworking a certain set of muscles?
Right now I’m working 3 days a week at the very physical job, so my weekly routine is: light, functional weight training and stretching before work (I change the # of reps and weight a little every time I do them-often I just do 1 set of about 4-5 different exercises) and then one day a week I do glutes/lower body-and alternate every other week on that day with either HIIT cardio or a strengthening yoga routine, and then 1 day every week of strengthening yoga. That gives me 2 days of rest, but I also try to do very light yoga for stress relief and meditation every chance that I get. I suppose the main concern is my light functional weight training-if I am targeting certain muscles to avoid muscle imbalance, is it ok if I continually do these week after week without dramatically changing anything? Thanks!
Hi Elyse, I’m glad to hear that you put together a routine that’s working well for you!
Making planned and periodic changes to a program is generally referred to as periodization. Although it can be done in a number of different ways, it’s generally used to prevent plateaus as you mentioned, to allow a progression into more advanced training, and to incorporate a number of different types of training that wouldn’t work well together in the same program. It’s also used to help athletes peak at specific times of the year.
Although periodization is effective, it’s not the same as the “muscle confusion” concept promoted by P90X which I think is nonsense. It’s important to stick with an exercise or type of training long enough to benefit from it and be able to measure progress. This could be a few weeks, a few months, or even longer. It depends on the individual and their goals.
As long as your program incorporates safe exercises that keep your opposing muscle groups in balance and you give yourself adequate time to recover between workouts, doing the same exercises for an extended period of time shouldn’t cause any problems with overuse. In fact, some weightlifting philosophies actually recommend staying with the same exercises for up to a year or more while adding just a little bit of weight each time. Maintenance exercises used to prevent injury are another example where it could be advantageous to stick with the same thing long term.
What’s most important is that you’re progressing towards your goals. Most people who exercise just to stay healthy and keep their body functioning well don’t really need to worry about periodization, especially if the concept confuses them. Besides, most people like to change their routine after a while for some variety, and as long as they choose a new set of exercises that continue to be aligned with their goals, they’ll be doing a bit of periodizing without even realizing it.
If you’re worried about imbalances, you can use the Assess and Correct DVD to test yourself every once in a while to make sure that you’re not causing any new problems. You may even discover potential problems that you weren’t aware of.
One last thing. If your job is very physically strenuous, which you say it is, be selective about what type of exercise you do before and after work. You don’t want to fatigue a muscle that you’ll use all day, and it can also be a bad idea to exercise with fatigued muscles that might cause your technique to break down. Both scenarios can make you more prone to injury as well as overuse which is something that you seem to be particularly concerned about.
I hope that helps!
Thank you very much for your response, that was helpful. You are spot on-I believe I had weak ankles because I was jogging for an hour or longer, 6 days a week (because I had a desk job) and I don’t blame the P90X routine for the tear-just a coincidence. =)
I’m glad to see a health and fitness writer who is so well-grounded, for a change.
Just my opinion.
I have been doing P90x for about 1.5 month. And I must say that this program works. I can definately see the result and feel it of course. It works because it shows and demands us to push it. But I think this P90x will just be one of those programs we do for a period of time, after that we will move to another program. Like someone said above, I dont think beachbody discovered the holy grail of fitness prog. All that muscle confusion idea, yes I buy it. But after a while our musce will not be confused anymore, and eventually we will plateau with this prog.
Just do it while it still works for us. I also meet a lot of people being too skeptical instead of just doing it. Workout is workout. You just have to do it hard enough. Be it P90XXXX, if we dont do it hard enough, might as well warm our couch.
Hi Ron, thanks for sharing your opinion!
Since you say that the P90X works based on less than 2 months of experience with it, I assume that you’re saying this in regard to appearance. I’m not questioning the effectiveness of the P90X program for weight loss, but rather the emphasis that it puts on quantity instead of quality. As I mentioned in the article, I believe that the P90X program prioritizes appearance over health, and in this case, “pushing it” is not necessarily a good thing.
The fact that you perceive the P90X as a program that you expect to get bored of abandon is a sign that it’s a poorly designed program. A well designed program will match the individual’s physical capacity and have some variation as well as periodization which is a much more sensible and realistic form of “muscle confusion.” As such, a good program can be followed on a long term basis without causing boredom or fatigue.
I completely disagree that there’s no compromise between pushing yourself to the limit and sitting on the couch. This type of mentality is why so many people get frustrated with exercise and give up. In fact, pushing yourself to the limit too often can be much worse than not exercising at all, and it also completely disregards the importance of health which should be the top priority of any exercise program.
Vin,
Great article on the p90x. I agree that p90x is not the holy grail of long-term fitness but no program is. I believe the more holistic approach is to see one’s life as a continuum, for now p90x will work for the 90 days and it will help jump start fitness for many, in 90 days I will either try something else (e.g. perhaps Tennis). My point is that if you see life as one very long exercise program, you can do p90x now, then Tennis, then Run, then play golf. And as mentioned in your article and responses, exercise should be tailored to one’s abilities. For some p90x will work, for others it won’t. Just like Tennis works for some and not for others. I don’t think that p90x is badly designed because it won’t keep your attention forever. Very few things in life can accomplish that.
p90x, Tennis, run, or whatever – do it within your abilities, it says so in the p90x paperwork. For example, before running my first marathon, the most I had run in one go had been 2 miles at most. Slowly over a period of time I build up to 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, 20, till I was able to run the whole marathon. I plan to take this same approach with the p90x or any other exercise program, listen to your body and exercise accordingly. My point is that you can’t blame p90x for being “extreme.” It is as “extreme” as you make it and that is with any exercise. Even golf can give you injuries if you push it too hard.
Cheers,
Rodrigo
Thanks, Rodrigo!
I agree that variety is great, and as an avid player myself, I especially like your choice of tennis.
However, in regard to what “works”, there’s a lot more to consider than variety. For example, tennis, running, end even golf all have unique characteristics that put significant physical demands on the body. Without the proper preparation for such activities, injury becomes much more likely, and in my opinion, this contradicts one of the most important objectives of exercise.
While it might be more fun to simply jump from one activity to another, the P90X is not the best preparation for tennis, and tennis is not the best preparation for golf. While tennis and golf might improve our conditioning, they only improves our strength to a minimal degree and actually create undesirable muscle tightness and imbalances. As such, these activities by themselves do not promote well balanced physical health without the addition of other forms of exercise.
Regardless of what activities you choose, you always have to be conscious of the balance between strength, mobility, flexibility, conditioning, and of course, your capacity. Switching from one activity to another based on random preference completely contradicts this principle, and as I mentioned above, is much more likely to promote injury. Granted, it’s much better than not exercising at all, but with a little knowledge, it’s very possible to design an exercise program that promotes both balance and variety.
I actually think that you can blame the P90X program for being extreme, mostly because it seems to be marketed as more of an appearance and weight loss program than a true fitness program. As I explained in the article, there are much healthier and effective ways to accomplish these goals.
Finally, golf can definitely give you injuries, even if you don’t push it. Although most people don’t realize it, a golf swing builds tremendous forces throughout various joints and muscles of the body. This is a great example of why there’s much more to fitness than choosing whatever activities appeal to you most at any given moment and why it’s so important to follow a well rounded exercise program that intentionally intends to balance the different aspects of physical health.
Vin,
I have been doing P90X for 9 weeks. While, I have lost quite a few inches off of my body, I have lost very little weight. I do not follow the nutrition plan, but I do watch my calorie intake and eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, veggies, etc. I have actually had very little success losing weight since I had my baby 19 months ago. Anyway, I was wondering if you thought it was possible for the intensity of the P90X program to keep me from losing weight? I definitely love the variety of the program, but I have been considering cutting my weight routines in half and then adding more cardio to see if that would help me. Any suggestions on that?
Thanks!
Tiffany
Hi Tiffany,
Yes, overexercise can absolutely interfere with weight loss and even cause weight gain. Excessive exercise can lead to elevated production of the hormone cortisol which helps your body deal with stress (including physical activity). Part of the function of cortisol is to promote glycogen production and elevate blood sugar to prepare your body to respond to whatever stress it is dealing with.
Elevated cortisol levels are also known to increase appetite. If you’re producing excess cortisol by overexercising, this is promoting glycogen production, and if you’re eating more carbohydrate because of the resulting increase in appetite, this combination can very easily promote excessive insulin production, and in turn, fat storage.
In addition. elevated cortisol can also cause body fat to be relocated to the visceral fat cells that surround the organs of the midsection. This basically means that cortisol can promote an increase in abdominal fat.
When you say plenty of whole grains and fruits, this sounds to me like you’re eating a lot of carbohydrates. If you’re eating too much carbohydrate, it will definitely interfere with weight loss and may even cause weight gain. You can try replacing some of your carbohydrate intake with fat and protein and continue doing this until you reach a point where you’re shedding unneeded body fat and are also feeling well. It’s important to not compensate in regard to how you feel.
I think it would be a great idea to cut the P90X workouts in half, and instead of doing cardio, you can try doing 1 or 2 short sessions per week of high intensity interval training as long as your energy level allows it.
Vin,
Thanks for your reply! I forgot to write in that I try to make sure to get plenty of protein in during the day. I just meant that I eat plenty of other good stuff and I try to stay away from white flour. I actually decided to just drop P90X for a while, so that I can watch my calories more. I am now doing cardio & weight training 3 times a week for an hour total. For 2 days a week, I am trying some core vinyasa yoga. It looks like the scale is already starting to go in the right direction, so I will just try this for awhile. I am thinking about doing interval training in the future. What do you think of Kettlebells? Thanks for your help!
Hi Tiffany,
That sounds like a good plan. Good luck!
There are some advantages to using kettlebells, but they’re only as good as the exercises and program that they’re used with. I also think that you can get just as good of a workout with dumbbells which are usually more readily available.
Again, different programs affect folks in different ways. I, for example, always GAIN weight when I embark on a serious weight lifting /conditioning program. I believe it has to do with the addition of muscle mass to my slight build. Even if you are “trimming down” and dropping your % of fat, the increase in muscle mass may result in weight stabilization, or even weight gain.
Weight, by the way, is a poor indicator of fitness level and is something we focus on way too much. We are all built differently, require different foods (in different amounts), and even have different fitness needs. It’s all about balancing those needs with your activities, lifestyles, and diet.
Hi Vin – What’s your take on a program like Insanity Workout? This is a high intensity interval training workout. Have you had a chance to review it? I would be curious to see what you think.
Hi Phil,
Based on the website, I think it’s more of the same shortsighted and appearance driven approach from Beachbody. It only takes a couple of seconds to see that this program is all about a “60 day full body transformation” and “digging deep.” This is just like the P90X, but even more intense.
Typical high intensity interval training works well and is already a significant burden on the body without being “turned upside down.” Why make it many times more intense? Besides, interval training is straight forward and gives you plenty of opportunity to be creative without having to buy a program. You can turn any type of cardio into interval training, and you can even do weightlifting exercises in circuits to get similar results.
As I said in the article and in many of the comments, healthy exercise is a long term approach. Any program that emphasizes fast and dramatic results is clearly based on a much different motivation. Furthermore, great results that come from a truly healthy lifestyle don’t take much longer than they would with an extreme exercise program, and instead of potentially sacrificing your health for appearance, you’d be improving it.
For someone who is dead set on a program like this and believes that they have the necessary capacity, I’d say go for it, but to pay close attention to what their body is saying and to cut back if necessary. The “no pain, no gain” mentality will get you nothing but more pain. I love the idea of digging deep, especially in sports, but I think it’s a bad idea for it to be the foundation of a fitness program unless it’s intended to prepare someone for an extreme activity, and even then it has to be carefully moderated.
Vin-
Interesting take. I have actually been scouring the internet looking for some feedback challenging the P90X workout. I plan to start the workout on Sunday and will continue to check back in with this thread as I get into it. What is attractive to me about it is that it is spelled out for me. I am generally a pretty healthy person and eat high quality food most of the time. I ran a sprint triathlon last weekend and try to stay as active as I can with 3 kids under 4 years old. P90X attracted me because I can do it at home either before the kids get up or after they get to bed. I am hoping to get through a 90 day round of the workout and then begin training for an Olympic length triathlon this coming summer integrating swimming, biking, and running with some of the strength exercises from P90X. That is a lot of planning and I have no idea how it will go, but I will be sure to provide feedback as it progresses.
Hi Dan, thanks for your comment!
It sounds like you have some ambitious plans. Good luck with your training and the P90X. I look forward to hearing about your progress.
While it may initially seem like a benefit that the P90X relieves you from the effort of designing your own program, I think this is also what comes back to haunt many people and leaves them bored or fatigued and not knowing what to do next. Unless you want to spend the rest of your exercising life bouncing around from one popular program to the next, which usually isn’t very effective, you have to bite the bullet at some point and learn how to design at least a basic program for yourself. Although it does require some learning, it’s really not that hard and the long term benefits are well worth the effort.
Hi Vin, I’m back to comment on the Insanity question. I actually purchased this program and started it over the summer. At first I thought it was the new Holy Grail of fitness programs. The workouts are very demanding, but fun. Shaun T. is an excellent leader, and the people doing the workouts really struggle and you kind of feel like they are there with you. Breaks are encouraged and I initially saw an improvement in body-weight exercises and stamina.
After the first month things started to get old, the dvds changed to “Max” workouts, but they really aren’t that different. It’s the same type of exercises arranged a little differently. Mentally I started to drag and instead of looking forward to working out, I dreaded it, even though they were getting easier physically as the weeks went on.
My knees have never been as sore as they were this summer and there is no way to get around the constant squatting and jumping. While there are a lot of body-weight moves to get strong, there are no weights and I found I had lost considerable strength when I took up CrossFit again.
By the last week I had had it, I could not bear doing the same set of exercises again and again. There are 12 DVDs, but very little variety. One workout is called Core Cardio Balance and it is a little different, but places a great deal of stress on your knees and other joints due to the length of time holding certain positions. I was actually depressed and started gaining weight! I spent some time on the BB message boards and found I was not the only one having these issues, many people complained of weight gain, fatigue etc. I contributed a rather lengthy post stated my frustrations and the BB thread moderators deleted it. At that point I decided to quit the program and focus again on CrossFit. My weight has returned to normal, I’m gaining back strength and my running is improving again. Needless to say I will not be a Beachbody customer in the future.
Hi Amy, thanks for sharing more of your feedback!
The way you describe Insanity Workout makes me think it’s even worse than the initial impression I got from the material on the website. It’s hard for me to say much about it without seeing the DVDs, but the repetition and intensity that you describe sound to me like it’s even more of a questionable program than the P90X.
Vin,
Thanks for your thoughts about the program. I will say the program isn’t perfect but may the closest put on DVD.
Also, the ripped abs are merely a byproduct of the routines. You don’t do a single “Crunch” in this program. abs are developed through yoga, full hour of core training and yes the abripperX which is incorrectly named. It’s more of a quicker every few day core workout.
I am on my third round with some breaks in between. I have taken the workout to the gym and incorporated some more traditional weight/cardio/interval training.
P90X was life changing for me. It may not for those who are getting to the gym 4/5 days a week or can afford a personal trainer.
For me it was perfect to get me back in the game and motived.
Keith
ps. One on One with Tony and P90X+ offer some variety and more intensity.
Hi Keith, thanks for for sharing your experience!
The reason why the perfect program doesn’t exist on DVD is because such a program would be customized to your individual capacity and needs. A DVD program that’s mass marketed to millions of people simply can’t do that. One of the primary points of this article is that with a little effort, you can learn enough to effectively design your own programs and not need a DVD program or a personal trainer. In fact, by making this effort, you’ll probably be able to put together a better program than many of the personal trainers that you’d find at mainstream gyms.
In contrast, most people don’t learn much from programs like P90X, or even worse, they learn the wrong things. When they realize the program is too intense, or they get bored of it, they don’t know what to do and end up buying another similar program.
Ab Ripper X may not include any conventional crunches, but it’s FULL of movements involving spinal flexion (moving the shoulders towards the knees) which is basically the same thing. As I mentioned in the article, this worsens the imbalances that many of us develop from spending so much time sitting. Furthermore, there’s really no good reason to spend this much time training the abdominal muscles.
I’m happy to hear that the P90X has been a positive experience for you, that you’re working your own ideas into it, and especially that it has gotten you into the exercise habit. At the same time, I hope you’ll accept it as what it really is (a generic mass marketed program that errors on the side of overtraining) and that you’ll pay close attention to how your body is responding to it (for better or worse).
Good luck with your future exercising.
I am a personal trainer and I must admit this is a very difficult topic to address without ruffling feathers on either side. P90X does work, but it is not for the mass public that has been targeted. This program is for individuals that will push themselves to work extremely hard, eat right, and remain faithful for the complete 90 days.
This style of working out is nothing new to bodybuilders, fitness models, or athletes/extreme fitness enthusiasts so people who have been apart of these groups can really appreciate having this sort of format laid out to where all they have to do is push themselves. This is not to say that someone who has never been physical couldn’t come in, follow the program and get results but if they don’t have a natural desire to push themselve to the max they might feel discouraged and not get the full benefit of this sort of workout.
The bottom line is that P90X , Insanity and others makes people feel as if they are finally finding out what professionals are doing to get great results.(Natural) Body Builders can be fat in the off-season and in 3-5 months be ripped to the fiber so the public knows that there are ways to get fat off fast without taking drugs and that’s what they want. P90X fits the profile of what people imagine a body builders or athletes program to resemble therefore they want to try it. The factor being overlooked is that we all must examine a program to see if it is right for us and if we are ready to give it our all. P90X is one that if you can’t give 100% you will end up wasting your money and time.
Hi Jovaughn, thanks for your comment!
No ruffled feathers here.
I have nothing against people pushing themselves hard with workouts. In fact, I’m an advocate of it (for people who have the capacity) and do it myself. However, it’s of utmost importance to know why you’re pushing yourself.
The P90X is obviously not a good program for someone looking to maximize strength or muscle mass. It’s also not the greatest program for athletic conditioning. That leaves weight loss, which is primarily what it’s marketed for, and general physical wellness.
Maximizing strength, muscle size, or athletic conditioning are certainly goals that require intense effort. However, weight loss and general physical wellness don’t require this much intensity, and many of the people seeking these goals don’t have the capacity for it anyway. Weight loss is mostly about diet, and in my opinion, anyone who thinks they need an intense exercise program to lose weight isn’t eating right. Furthermore, general physical wellness for the average person who doesn’t have major fitness aspirations only requires a fraction of the time and effort required by the P90X.
Based on this, I believe that the P90X is well suited for those who simply want to exercise intensely for no other reason than it’s own sake. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as they respect their energy capacity and don’t force the issue. I think anyone using it for any other reason is shortchanging themselves.
Sure, bodybuilders can be fat in the off season, but that’s an indication that they’re not following a truly healthy lifestyle, even if they’re trying to “bulk up”, and this is exactly my point. The big picture is that a good fitness program is one that contributes to optimal health. In my opinion, the seemingly aimless intensity of the P90X can do the opposite.
Vin,
I have read your responding arguments and although I disagree with most of what you are advocating, you do have some valid points. If you read thoroughly enough into the P90x program it does state that there is a fitness test that you must pass in order to perform P90x safely and effectively.
Now I do agree with you on the point that every fitness plan is different and individualistic but you are dead wrong about any average person, with a little effort you can design your own effective workouts. Sure anyone can design their own workout program, even research it, but the average person knows hardly a shred about their own body, body systems, and all that entails when dealing with fitness, nutrtition, and injury prevention. Unless there is a trained professional to help guide them along for a time to instruct them on proper nutrition, mechanics, techniques, and exercises, they are basically people just waiting to become injured.
As with any fitness routine, the longer you perform it the more tedious it gets but, what Tony Horton states is that you “set and goal” you can still do the program multiple times and switch up the intenstity of it. I am a recent graduate from college and a former collegiate runner where I was averaging 80-90 miles a week with 2 weeks off between seasons running year round. The program worked for me yes, as well as it worked for my 20 plus odd teammates. It was specifically tailored to every individual but the training plan worked. This is also a fairly marketed plan. Now I do understand that this is a plan specifically for runners but anyone who wants to run can use this plan as a guideline, be it for lifelong fitness or for competitive racing no matter the level. (This plan isn’t just running, but it entails all details, cross training, nutrition, sleeping, miles, times, splits to hit, workouts, core routines, lifting routines, drills, stretches, ect…)
Your statement about adrenal failure is ridiculously exaggerated. Yes it can happen, yes it sucks, but people who set their goals to high are the ones to blame, not the program. This program can be life long since most of the program uses body weight or you can opt instead of weights to use bands (which I recommend for long term).
Although this program is mass marketed, it does provide a great guideline for a fitness routine. People who have no clue what they are doing want to be instructed, they want guidelines, they want to be told every single thing to do and not to. This program does it, down to the nutritional plan, workouts, and exercises. Speaking of which, yes people can not use their products and get the same results but your non-hype about protein powder and its companions is a little unsettling.
P90x has its ups and its downs just as any workout program, mass marketed or not, but it is still at the moment one of the better programs out there if done correctly. All the videos hits the same muscles and muscle groups as any self made workout program or designer workout program, it is all a matter of the FITT schedule.
Lastly, I would like to ask about you. What are your credentials? Where are your sources that you are pulling your information from? If you are just a person writing reviews is one thing. I had noticed giving advice to a woman about her own exercising program. If you are not a person with credentials to back your knowledge on the subject then I would suggest to stop for others safety as well as your own. I question your authority on this subject matter because in all reality it does make a big difference between a person just posting their thoughts and comments about a workout than a professional in the field of exercise science, kinesiology, human anatomy & physiology, and nutrition giving their thoughts and comments about a workout plan with intimate knowledge on the subject matter.
Thanks for your article,
Rob
Hi Rob, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Here are the “Minimums” from the P90X fit test.
This “fit test” is great for establishing a baseline to measure progress, but beyond that, all it does is weed out the people who are in seriously bad physical shape. In my worst stages of chronic fatigue syndrome, I could have passed this test with flying colors. This test is by no means an accurate assessment of who does and doesn’t have the capacity for the volume of work involved in the program.
Yes, the average person knows “hardly a shred” about their own body, healthy eating habits, or injury prevention. This is exactly the problem and is why so many people are unhealthy and in pain. The trained professionals don’t always have the right answers either. Anyone who truly wants results and cares enough about their health will take the time to empower themselves with knowledge.
Here’s more on why I recommend that people take more responsibility for themselves and be more critical of the “trained professionals” you refer to (including myself). The Elusive Answers to Good Health and Success
Why don’t you call BioHealth Diagnostics to find out just how common it is for people to have a suppressed cortisol pattern throughout the day. I have been trained to run testing through this lab and you’d be surprised by how many people are dealing with adrenal fatigue.
Of course, everyone should take responsibility for their health, and I completely agree that if someone were to worsen their state of health by following the P90X program, it would be their own fault. As such, I’m not blaming the program, I’m just trying to help people not push themselves beyond their capacity, or as you put it, “set their goals too high.” Furthermore, the fact that this program is mostly based on body weight exercises has nothing to do with it’s long term effects. This may reduce the risk of injury associated with weightlifting, but it certainly doesn’t prevent someone from overtraining.
Yes, they want to be instructed, but they’re not really learning anything. When they become bored with P90X or realize that it’s too much for them, they’re left having to find a new program. As such, they end up bouncing from program to program without any type of definitive philosophy behind their training. This is not an efficient way to promote optimal health through exercise and is an unlikely way to maintain life long motivation to be active.
My opinions on the P90X program are based on how it does and doesn’t contribute to optimal health. It’s obviously more advantageous to one’s health to consume nutrients from natural whole foods rather than highly processed powders and energy bars. You’re certainly entitled to consider this “unsettling”, but it’s bold to assume that modern processed foods are adequate replacements for the foods that nature has provided us with for millions of years. It’s also bold to assume that science has discovered everything there is to know about our dependencies on these foods.
Despite the time you took to challenge my opinions and qualifications, you obviously didn’t read my about page.
My motivation is to help others be able to help themselves, and if they ask for my opinion, I’m going to give it to them. I have never claimed to be a source of recommendations for people to blindly follow and have no interest in providing such recommendations. I am an advocate of encouraging people to think for themselves, and this implies that they take responsibility for their own decisions.
At 28 years old, a low-carb phaze followed by the P90X program has made me feel and look much better than I did at 18 years old, no jokes.
P90X is probably not the best workout program you can buy if you are new to exercise since it is very extreme –but if you are already in somewhat good shape, it’s probably the best exercise program you can buy in DVD form.
I suppose that the extra muscle and nice abs I have now are overrated…
I don’t think it’s overrated -It works very well if you stick to it and eat properly as well… It’s hard work but it does pay off in the end.
You may say ‘but you could do it in the gym’ sure, but Gyms aren’t free either – a whole year here is 500$ every year. I can use p90 X for years for a mere 120$
It also depends on your goals… if you just want that ripped tone look p90x is great .. but if you want serious bulk and bodybuilding type stuff… you probably are better off with the gym.
Um, the protein bars and drinks are optional… You don’t need to use them.
Some people like the protein bars because being ‘chocolaty’ they have them as a snack rather than a real chocolate bar which is just as much, if not more, chemical and unnatural than a protein bar –minus the protein.
You have to keep in mind that very few people have iron discipline -few people can exercise like crazy and eat nothing but natural food without going nuts.
You said something about Atkins “some feel great some feel horrible” or something to that effect…
Anyways, I used to suffer from chronic migraines and lack of energy… like all the time, I would have a headache at least every second day.. it was dreadful…
Until I came across a book by Dr Atkins
The idea of eating a lot of fat and little to no processed sugars was strange to me… especially living in an age where all you hear on tv is low-fat, no-fat .. fat makes you fat etc…
I was about 225 when I started Atkins and in 4-5 months dropped to 145. Amazing..
What was really surprising was that the headaches were gone, my energy was back and I did not feel hungry all the time… even though I was eating less than a few months earlier…
I think some people are very very sensitive to sugar/insulin (I’m not a health pro … you probably know what I mean.)
I’m one of them… I still to this day cannot have more than 4 beers without feeling a headache coming on haha…
For me a diet rich in fresh meat, some veggies some fruit and some dairy was the best thing to ever come my way.
I should have know something was up when the media viciously attacked Atkins… makes sense, how could big diet companies make money when the cat was let out of the bag?
Simple trick to weight loss and health? Not powders, not miracle shakes or breads….
Pure whole foods.
Hi Justin, thanks for your comments and congratulations on improving your fitness and losing so much weight!
Like many of the other people who have commented, I think you may have missed my point. You have extra muscle and nice abs. That’s great, but the extreme nature of the P90X is not necessary for achieving these characteristics. More importantly, this type of extreme exercising is hard to sustain long term, and many of the people who try to do so are likely to overtrain and compromise their health. In this regard, extra muscle and nice abs absolutely are overrated. In addition, just because someone might feel great after three months of P90X doesn’t mean that it’s a healthy way to exercise. A more conservative exercise program can make you feel just as great without the risk of overtraining and the positive effects are much more likely to last long term. To support optimal health, exercise needs to be a lifelong habit and life is much longer than a three month round of P90X. If you’re able to repeat the full P90X program time after time without it slowing you down or making you dread exercise, then maybe it’s a good program for you, but I think you’d be in the minority.
In regard to the cost of P90X, I don’t really think you’re saving anything. P90X certainly isn’t the only way to workout at home, and as you can see from some of the comments above, most people grow bored of it and end up looking to buy another similar type of program. Besides, some gyms are as cheap as $10 per month now and a full year membership would pretty much be the same cost as the P90X DVD set.
In my opinion, the protein bars and drinks aren’t really any more or less optional than any other part of the program, and they certainly aren’t the only shortcoming. “Iron discipline” is not needed to follow a healthy diet, but a strong appreciation for truly good health is, and I think this is lacking in many of the people who emphatically support P90X. You’re absolutely right that it’s harder to eat only natural whole foods while “exercising like crazy”, but this is because excessive exercise dramatically increases appetite, especially for carbohydrates. Instead of addressing this by eating garbage protein bars and drinks, it would make much more sense to simply not overexercise! This brings us back to my main point. You don’t have to “exercise like crazy” to improve your appearance or your health, and doing so is more likely to detract from optimal health than promote it.
In regard to the Atkins diet, two major problems that I see with it are that it neglects food quality and nutritional individuality. Not everyone does as well as you and I on a diet that’s high in protein and fat. Some people have a metabolism that’s better suited for less protein and fat and more carbohydrates. However, nobody is well suited for the excessive amount of carbohydrates that most people eat today, and in comparison, any diet based on whole foods is relatively low in carbohydrates.
I have been doing P90x for 6 months now, and while I feel stronger and fitter, there have been several negatives, and I am getting tired of the commitment. First of all, I’m 48 years old and have done some sort of exercise since my 20’s 5-6 days a week, so I wasn’t a “couch potato” looking for miracles. I actually GAINED weight (fat) on this program, and have since joined Weight Watchers and lost 13 pounds, continuing to do the p90x 6 days a week. Secondly, the Plymetrics killed my feet and ankles, and the stretches for Kenpo and the “Dreya Roll” from the Core workout really killed my knees. I have since cut out all the cardio type workouts and walk my dogs on those days, which makes me MUCH happier. Thirdly, while I love the Yoga, 90 minutes of that nearly drove me insane, so I skip some of the Yoga Belly and excessive stretching and got it down to a sane 60 minutes. I am in the process of trying to figure out how to keep some of the workout, but only want 4 days worth of it-the others I want to walk my dogs! Thanks for your posts-they really confirmed what I have been starting to feel about p90x!
Hi Peggy, thanks for sharing your experience!
There are two reasons why I’m not surprised that you gained weight. First, excessive exercise is a significant source of stress that promotes an increase in cortisol and insulin, both of which promote fat storage. This is why you sometimes see a marathon runner or aerobics instructor who is noticeably overweight. Second, as I mentioned to Justin, excessive exercise can dramatically increase appetite, especially for carbohydrates. This obviously promotes weight gain as well.
I think you made a good choice by cutting out the cardio workouts. I really don’t think there’s much value in keeping a high heart rate for an extended amount of time. I think low intensity aerobic training, which walking your dogs can qualify as, and occasional interval training are a much better alternative and are more conducive to optimal health.
I have nothing against doing Yoga for it’s own sake, but I think it’s an inefficient way to improve flexibility. You certainly don’t need to stretch for 90 minutes, or even 60. As little as 5 or 10 minutes focused on tight areas can be plenty, especially if done daily.
Ok, Mr. Vin first off, I would like to commend you on a well written article on P90x. I have been doing P90x now for about a year and a half now. At first I was not able to complete the phases as instructed in the DVD outline. As a 29year old male at the time, I knew I should of been able. I found myself tailoring some of the exercises to my comfort level.
Please note, I do feel like it (P90x) is very effective, however, I must say it is not for everyone… Some people look at the commercials and order the DVDs as if its magic pill that will transform your body with no questions asked. Little do some people know, you have to TOTALLY comment yourself to 90days, 6 days a week, for an hour or more per day. That really sounds unrealistic for anyone that is not a fitness model or athletics.
Your comments on Cardio X and Stretch X are so true. I have many years of experience in Martial Arts, so the Stretch X is a total waste of my time. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone that is flexible. As for the Cardio X, anything that is going to raise your heart rate is good for your health to certain degree of course. However, this DVD starts off too slow for me. Too much focus on yoga moves at the beginning of the DVD. I replace this DVD with many various speed interval training routines.
Yoga X is not a waste of time at all for me…. I found it to be very effective; however, I found myself “pressing play” only on the weekends with this DVD because it is the longest out of 12. I like to get my workout done in the morning before work.
Some of the exercises are very redundant. “Shoulders & Arms” and “Chest & Back” for example. I really feel like I could have created this workout. Really was looking for something that was going to be challenging right from the start, like “Back & Biceps.” I think these were the last two routines that Tony was looking for more ideas to fill the time up on the tape, so therefore, he just said, lets repeat the moves. In order for me to feel like I am getting a burn from these routines, I found myself combining the DVDs. Taking a little from one and adding it to another.
The nutrition plan is a total waste of my time because I am a vegetarian. I had to create my own menus that consist of high proteins and fibers into my diet. With the amount of money that P90x cost, it should have come with a vegetarian diet.
When anyone ask me how I got into the shape I am now, I tell them the truth. Nutrition, nutrition, and nutrition are the first three things that help me lose weight and maintain it off for 3 years now…P90x help shape my body, however, it is the dedication that is not outlined in the DVDs that will allow you to Decide, Commit, and Succeed. That has to come from within.
Sorry to say, with the 3 people that I recommend P90x, 0 have been able to complete 21 days without skipping or given up.
By no means am I knocking Tony Horton/Beach body’s hustle of making money. I’m just saying, if you don’t allow yourself to have time for Fitness in yourself for an hour per day for 90 days, these DVDs are not for you.
Lastly, it doesn’t take 90days to get into the best shape of your life…..it takes a lifestime. You have to keep going.
Hi Karon, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I think your experiences with the P90X highlights one of my primary complaints with it which is that a mindless and generic exercise program will rarely accommodate the individual needs that most people have. This requires a bit of knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of various exercise methods as well as how much intensity and volume to take on. Unfortunately, mass marketed programs like the P90x that are marketed to people who are desperate to lose weight almost always fail to deliver such information.
You also reiterated two of my other major concerns. Weight loss is mostly about healthy eating, and using exercise to improve health, energy, happiness, and even weight loss needs to be a lifelong habit, not a 90 day crash course.
I have to agree with Karon about the Yoga X. While I have modified it to take only an hour, I think it’s much more than a stretch program-I have become much stronger, more flexible and feel less stiff and sore over all doing it. It’s actually my favorite workout now-if I am feeling sore beforehand, I feel great afterward! I have actually combined and modified most of the workout myself Karon. I now rotate the chest/back and chest, shoulders and triceps every other week, as well as the back and biceps and the shoulders and arms, and I do have the leg workout with each arm or chest workout, so that my workout week is like this example: Day 1, Chest and back and half of legs, part of Ab Ripper X, Day 2, Walk my dogs!, Day 3 Core Synergesics, Day 4 Walk my dogs, Day 5 Shoulders and arms, half of legs, Day 6 Walk my dogs, Day 7 Yoga X. It works for me!
Hi Peggy, thanks for sharing your experience. It’s good to hear that Yoga X is still working well for you.
In your case, Peggy, yoga is great because you enjoy it and it keeps you active. In contrast, anyone who does yoga purely for the strength and flexibility benefits is short changing themselves by choosing an inefficient way to achieve these goals. Also, people who incorporate yoga into a full workout routine need to realize that it can be strenuous, and in turn, can be a problem depending on their capacity and how much other exercise they’re doing.
As I mentioned in the article, I have nothing against doing yoga for it’s own sake, and I agree that it can have strength benefits. However, for someone who’s already doing strength training, these benefits aren’t really necessary and may be infringing upon their recovery from other workouts. As I also already said, the amount of stretching done in yoga is a lot more than what is necessary to promote and maintain good flexibility.
This is another good example of why I don’t like the P90X program. It’s a bunch of different workouts that seem to be haphazardly thrown together without much reasoning behind it and without a common goal aside from the misguided intention to burn as many calories as possible. People who follow a well rounded exercise routine don’t need to do yoga for strength or flexibility, and those who do yoga because they love it don’t need to do as much additional strength training or stretching depending on their goals.
Hello there Vin.
Thanks for a well-balanced, interesting article. I have no buck in the P90X bandwagon but I can appreciate the effort you invest in getting sensible, workable info across to anyone who would listen. The way you isolate elements of the program (plyo, yoga &c) and give pointers for customizing each is just cool.
I fully agree with you from a little personal experience that a truly balanced and healthy lifestyle will land you up with a set of stellar abs anyway. i train at home, doing heavy basic work (for legs i have to depend on high rep sandbag squats; good interval training), yoga (not one hour; i am an indian and value yoga as more than a fat loss gimmick) and maintain a high protein low nothing diet that keeps me decently ripped (10-12%) But the joe needs a P90X to prod him. which is just fine unless an injury happens. that’s what i told my friend who shot me a mail asking after this program’s worth. now i don’t even have to frame a response. i’ll just send your article to him.
keep strong
-Arka
Hi Arka, thanks for your feedback and support! It sounds like you have a good perspective on exercising and I appreciate your emphasis on doing yoga for what it is rather than using it as an inefficient way to obtain secondary benefits.
Hi Vin,
I came across this page while googling info on P90X. I’m glad that yours is a well thought out and a truly critical review of the program. My brother has been doing P90X for about a year and just lent me the DVDs. I intend to start the program soon. But I’m also slightly skeptical of a few things about the program, namely Plyometrics, Yoga X, Cardio X and Kenpo X. I’ve just not been convinced of the benefits of those exercises. I’ve been doing regular HIIT cardio for the past few months and it’s been working well for me, so I’m wondering whether I could replace all of the above exercises with just 20-30 minutes of HIIT. How effective of a workout is Cardio X compared to a shorter duration of HIIT on a treadmill or elliptical trainer? Or would it be advisable to do HIIT instead of Cardio X and Kenpo X, and weight training from the program instead of Plyo and Yoga? Yes, there will be far less variety than the traditional design of the program, but I’d imagine that it’d also be a more effective training system overall.
Ron
Hi Ron, thanks for your comment!
Keep in mind that interval training can be more strenuous and impose more of a recovery demand than a workout like Cardio X or Kenpo X. Since the intensity of the P90X program is already likely to overtrain many people, adding even more intensity may not be a good idea. I think it would be better to replace one of these workouts with interval training and simply drop the other workout entirely.
Cardio X and Kenpo X can provide some cardiovascular benefits that interval training won’t. If this matters to you, then you should consider replacing these workouts with lower intensity cardio which will provide similar benefits but with less need for recovery. I think it’s generally a good idea to include low intensity cardio in a well rounded and health oriented exercise program anyway. Within the limits of one’s capacity, I think a combination of low intensity cardio and occasional interval training is best.
Unless you’re an athlete or someone who needs to be prepared for explosive activity, you probably don’t need to do plyometrics, and even if you did, the plyometrics workout included in the P90X program isn’t well suited for this purpose.
As I mentioned in the article, you don’t need the full yoga workout to improve and maintain flexibility, but I do think it’s important to include some stretching and self massage in any exercise program.
Wow! I ordered p90x on the whim. I found this site on google, and I just asked the seller to refund my money before he shipped out the DVD’s:-).
The first couple of paragraphs sounded like you were hating on the program. But as I read deeper, I can feel your sincerity and alot of it just made sense.
I’m sticking to my calisthenics, running and whole foods. I think I’ve found a new site! Thx Vin…
Hi James, thanks for your comment!
I’m glad that you realize I’m not aimlessly bashing the P90X program. It sounds like you already have a decent idea of what type of exercise you enjoy, and with the money you saved, there are plenty of great books that you can buy to give you some new ideas. If you’re interested, there are a number of good fitness books in my recommended reading list.
I think he IS hating on the program. P90x is “all about getting ripped abs”? Really? I wonder what P90x DVDs you were watching because mine don’t focus on that. Unless you think the “getting lean” talk really just means “abs”, which it certainly doesn’t to me. Is the program overkill for a lot of “regular” people? Sure. But how many other workout DVDs out there tell the person up-front that you have to work hard to look this way and do these things, and then show you how to do it? Not too many.
And P90x isn’t about “useable fitness” or longterm health (or whatever you want to call it)? What? I’ve seen person after person on weightlifting and bodybuilding forums make fun of P90x for not being a “real” workout or whatever, and then some of them actually try it and have to eat crow because they can’t do what 50-year-old Tony Horton can do. Sure, maybe they can waddle up to the weights and bench or squat more than him, but they can’t get through the moves that are more about general, everyday fitness. I’ve been told Tony Horton is out on Muscle Beach every Sunday embarrassing “real lifters” with his overall combination of strength, endurance, and flexibility.
The P90x lifting, at its core, is basically a multi-day split routine that practically every bodybuilder on the planet does some form of. If you take out the extra cardio and plyo and whatever else, at its base it’s a “typical” bodybuilding program. Do people need to do so many different assistance exercises to be overall strong? Nope. Do people Need to isolate biceps? Nope.
But even on powerlifting forums I’ve seen countless people say if there was one thing they would have changed over the years it would be to have done more isolation arm work because they simply weren’t happy with the size of their arms. Are they “beach” muscles? Maybe they are. But I doubt there are many “regular” guys out there who don’t want bigger arms, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And if you don’t want to do them in the video, then don’t do them. Heck, I hate the Kenpo DVD for a couple reasons, so I go do something else instead. That doesn’t mean P90x isn’t good overall.
And anyone who says power yoga is easy or only about stretching or whatever probably has never done it. There’s a vid on youtube of a guy who did yoga to drop nearly 150 pounds and to walk again without braces for the first time in 15 years. And yoga isn’t good for overall fitness and strength? Yah. Someone implied the P90x yoga is a “gimmick.” I bet that “gimmick” would put most of the people reading this on their ass in under 30 minutes. Tony has said he can’t do what he can do because he does chin-ups, but because he does yoga. I made fun of yoga too. Until I did it.
So let’s get down to it. You more or less bash P90x because it has too much volume, too many “extra” workouts, too much focus for your liking on “beach” muscles because there are some curls in it, and they try to promote their protein bars. I’ll give you the protein bar one, but, as for the rest, eh. If you don’t want to be that fit in that many areas or think it’s overkill, fine, take more off days between workouts or go do something easier. Meanwhile, 50-year-old Tony Horton will be doing things that “fit” people half his age can’t do.
I mean, the nutrition part aside, (regardless that tons of weight lifters, including professional ones, eat like complete crap), you basically bash P90x for encouraging people to do (in your opinion) “too much.” How many other workout DVDs even get close to encouraging people to do “too much”? If you go to any serious weightlifting/fitness forum, you’ll see many people who consider P90x an “intermediate” workout plan that can help get a person ready to be “serious.”
Look at most “serious” weightlifting workouts, and there will be big, compound exercises, some isolation or assistance exercises, and then the author will recommend various forms of cardio or plyo or the like if you want to be leaner, with people often working out 5 or 6 days a week. How is that different from P90x? It’s not. You should be 80% praising/20% bashing P90x, not the other way around.
Hi Wes, thanks for sharing your point of view.
I think it’s quite evident from the overall message of my article that the P90X is focused on “getting ripped” in general, and “ripped abs” is the typical measure of this. Regardless of semantics, my main point is that P90X focuses too much on apperance and not enough on health and physical function.
Hard work is only a portion of what’s necessary to be fit and healthy. The hard work has to be applied with purpose, and it’s easy for some to work themselves to the point of it being detrimental.
I don’t know if there are any other DVD programs available that are better than P90X, but it doesn’t matter. Good information on fitness, weight loss, and health information is readily available to those who want it. Furthermore, as I mention in the article, the idea of generic DVD exercise program is flawed anyway because it’s very difficult for it to meet the individual needs of the people following it. If you’re going to spend hours each week busting your butt to get fit, you might as well also invest some time into educating yourself to ensure that you’re choosing methods that are effective, efficient, and supportive of good health.
Tony Horton undoubtedly has an impressive level of fitness. However, someone having a high level of fitness doesn’t automatically mean that they’re optimally healthy. Fitness and health don’t always corrolate with each other and it’s possible to be fit despite having compromised health. Furthermore, as a highly trained individual, Horton obviously has much more physical capacity for P90X type workouts than many of the people doing them. It takes time to increase physical capacity, and it should be done gradually.
In regard to physical function, some of the exercises used in the P90X program such as pull ups, push ups, and lunges will certainly facilitate improvement, as will the cardiovascular workouts. However, it seems pretty obvious to me that these exercises are incorporated into the P90X program mostly as means of improving appearance. Anyone truly interested in improved physical function should assess their strengths and weaknesses, use corrective exercises where necessary, and choose exercises that will support their typical activities. This is difficult to do with a generic workout program, and it’s a flaw that applies to only P90X and any other program like it.
I don’t doubt that the P90X program will improve physical function, but I also think there are much better and efficient ways to do it.
Yes, and the typical bodybuilder routine is just as flawed in this regard as the P90X.
However, if one’s goal is to be a bodybuilder, then this type of training has purpose, but I highly doubt that any successful bodybuilder would consider P90X to be an effective way to achieve their goals. This is primarily because it’s not specific or focused enough which is a point that I’ve made several times.
Indeed, there’s nothing wrong with that at all. The key is realizing that this type of training is more for appearance than anything else. In fact, I don’t see anything wrong with adding a couple of “beach muscle” exercises to a well designed program if someone is so inclined. However, a well designed program is one that is based on specific goals, limitations, individual needs, and overall capacity for physical activity which are areas in which I think the P90X falls short, as would any generic program.
One of the reasons why the P90X is so popular is because it can be followed mindlessly. However, if you reduce volume and cut out some of the workouts to stay within your capacity, which I think is a great idea, then this defining characteristic of the P90X program is lost. At this point, you might as well invest some effort in educating yourself and design your own program. While I do agree that P90X deserves some credit for providing people with ideas, I think this is outweighed by the potential for it to encourage people to overtrain and exercise without much purpose other than appearance.
Weight loss is mostly about correcting flawed eating habits, and for those who wish to accelerate the process, a reasonable amount of exercise will help. Yoga is a form of exercise and can certainly be a part of this. If it’s the only way someone is willing or able to exercise, then it’s great. Otherwise, it’s certainly not the most efficient use of exercise for weight loss.
Yoga certainly is good for overall fitness and strength, especially the more strenuous forms. However, if one’s goal is specifically to get stronger or become better conditioned, yoga isn’t the most effective way to do either. This is why I say to not bother doing it unless you truly enjoy it or want it’s primary benefit of developing a connection between mind and body. Besides, in a program like the P90X that already includes strength training workouts, the moderate strength building benefits of yoga certainly aren’t needed and may even impair recovery from other workouts.
Yes, if someone needs to reduce the volume and intensity of P90X to stay within their physical capacity, I think it’s a very smart idea. You can’t expect someone who’s sedentary or 30 or more pounds overweight to get up off their couch and start exercising like Tony Horton without unecessarily increasing their risk of injury and overtraining.
You’re right, many weight lifters eat poorly. This is the case for many athletes as well. However, this doesn’t make the nutritional advice offered by P90X any better, and I’m certainly not suggesting that people eat poorly like the typical weight lifter or athlete.
Maybe the P90X could be regarded as an intermediate level program based on exercise selection, but I think that’s a poor way to classify it in regard to volume.
If it’s a well designed program, the strength training will be based on one’s limitations, abilities, and goals. Depending on these goals, it would also likely include exercises that allow more potential for strength development than the bodyweight and dumbbell exercises used in the P90X program. Yes, these exercises were chosen so that people can do the program at home, but this is yet another example of the problem with following a generic program. Some people may want to become stronger and may be willing to go to a gym or buy whatever equipment is necessary to do so.
In regard to the cardio and plyometrics, I think you missed some of the main points of the article. Sure, cardio and plyometrics are a part of many well designed exercise programs, but it’s important to consider quality and qantity as well. Most knowledgeable endurance athletes do the bulk of their aerobic training at lower intensities than the P90X cardio workouts, and these are trained athletes who are very likely to have much more capacity than the average person following P90X.
Likewise, the plyometrics that most well trained explosive athletes perform are much different than the P90X plyometrics workout, and they’re typically done in a progression that starts off easy and gradually increases in difficulty and complexity. This reduces the risk of injury and facilitates greater improvements. Besides, most people who do the P90X program probably don’t even need plyometrics, and even if they wanted the benefits, they could get them with much fewer jumps and therefore less impact to their joints and less use of energy.
20% is a bit generous in regard to how much I’d praise P90X, but I’m not “bashing” anything. I’m using P90X as an example to help inspire people to learn and make more informed decisions about their weight loss and fitness efforts. If someone disagrees with my perspective and thinks that P90X is the best program for them, that’s fine!
Respectfully all,
After reading this forum and being completely non-biased in any of the stances, the main focus here is the obvious; fitness, life fitness, and of course personal well-being (homeostasis). A little about me, I continue to live, preach, eat, & breath the concept of fitness for over 25 years. I am in the Armed Forces, I teach the Physical Therapy Assistant course, and our main focus is (I guess I lied earlier and said I wasn’t biased…) to provide information which will assist our patients/clients in achieving 3 things, (round about) 1. The knowledge for recovery, 2. The ability to sustain & maintain (a lifelong practice), & 3. Prevention.
One of the blocks I teach (and this is where I fabricated a little) is A&P&K of the spine, Muscles of the spine, & Therex…so what does this mean? Core stability, absolutely just what you (Vince) were talking about. Without a strong core, an individual certainly can find themselves with a mess of associated problems, all of which stem from an unstable (weak) core. Our ability to strengthen this (large) area doesn’t rely on large muscular movements; it simply needs to have repetition. This is achieved through basic routines, those which ARE exercises, but even then by our methods within PT is quite simple and will NOT tax the individual to the point of exhaustion.
My promoting the PT field is obvious, but in regards to P90X, Cross fit, or any formidable (marketing) workout routine, I feel they are quite worthy of the monetary amount they are asking. In the military we preach fitness, fitness, & fitness; however when you look around we have service members who eat, look, & have the same problems as your every day Joe/Jane civilian. There isn’t a day which goes by when I don’t hear a Soldier speak about buying P90X, Cross fit, etc…What do I tell them? “Great, this could be a start of a new you” I have the video’s, I venture onto the cross fit websites, & our Company, BN even promotes some of the exercises.
Within this forum is a grand bit of insight, information, and opinions, but in the long run it comes down to this. Did the product get you moving, did you see results (whether negative or positive), and did you follow what they were selling/preaching?
All of these and more questions come up when speaking about ANY fitness program; it’s all relevant to the matter at hand…again, whether good or bad! If we buy into the hype Vince (which we did), and we discuss it with our friends or peers, we made a difference in our lives and there’s.
Lastly, I live in one of the most obese, fat, morbid, overweight states you could imagine, Texas (San Antonio); if half of this great state would take the initiative and “waste” a measly $120.00 (A month’s worth of burgers, hotdogs, & fast food), to buy just one of these products, it would make a world of difference in their life/lives.
Thank you for the forum and thank you ALL for what you do!
V/r
Keith
Hi Keith, thanks for your thoughtful response!
A number of other people have also said that the P90X is good if it gets sedentary people exercising, and I agree, but only to an extent. Especially with a sedentary population, jumping into the P90X routine is going from one extreme to another. For the people who are able to realize when they’re pushing themselves too hard and would be motivated to search for alternatives if necessary, then I agree that the P90X was worth the money for giving them the initial motivation to exercise. However, for the many other people who consistently push themselves beyond their capacity because they mistakenly think it’s a necessary evil of fitness, they may very well end up chronically fatigued and be more prone to injuries and other health issues such as adrenal fatigue or suppressed immunity. These people may end up being more opposed to exercise than they were before starting P90X. To be fair, this applies to any generic and intense exercise program.
It’s great if the P90X program motivates people to start exercising, but only if they’re able to channel that motivation into a desire to learn more about fitness and enable themselves to adjust their exercise routine into one that meets their individual needs, promotes health and function more so than appearance, and can be maintained as a lifelong habit. I don’t think people should pass on buying the P90X program only to return to a sedentary lifestyle, but I do think we all must take the initiative to ensure that our individual needs are met and that we respecting our individual capacity for physical activity. In many cases, including fitness, less is more!
It may not be for you but it works for me.I love tony as a trainer and p90x worked for me.By the way I have also used his power 90 work outs this to me is just that next step up.
Hi Julian, thanks for sharing your experience.
I’m glad to hear that P90X works for you and hope that you’re saying this from a long term perspective. It’s easy for someone to say that the P90X worked well for them after 3 months, but the real question is how well it will work when done consistently year after year.
Vin,
I came to the conclusion you are a girlyman. You cannot handle P90X. Twenty years ago I was doing triathlons as well as marathons. I slowly let myself go a bit. Fast forward to present. I am now in better shape at 49yrs. than I was 20 yrs. ago thanks to P90X. Keep up your safe, Richard Simmons workouts. P.S. did you even complete a cycle?
Hi Larry,
I can deadlift more than 300 pounds and I can do chin ups with 50 pounds hanging off of my waist. Not overly impressive, but not bad either if you ask me.
Apparently you don’t appreciate the simple concept that different people have different physical capacities. This is the result of a combination of genetics, health, and fitness level. Unlike a triathlete or marathon runner, many of the sedentary people who think they can jump right into the P90X program are unlikely to have the health or the fitness to withstand the amount and intensity of activity it demands, especially not on a long term basis.
It’s been a long recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome for me, and to be honest, I’m extatic that I can now play a tough 2 or 3 hour tennis match, do a half hour of heavy weightlifting, or do as much as an hour of low intensity cardio without feeling like I was hit by a mack truck for the next two weeks. To be honest, I probably couldn’t do 3 months of the P90X right now without it causing persistent fatigue, but I’m pretty darn confident that I have a higher capacity for activity than many of the people currently slaving away with it. Furthermore, as my fitness, health, and physical capacity all continue to improve, I’m confident that it won’t be long before I could handle a program with the intensity and volume of the P90X, but I wouldn’t try to even if I could. I know it’s not necessary and I have the ability to put together training programs for myself that are much more specific, efficient, and enjoyable.
As someone who’s completed triathlons and marathons, it’s really not surprising that you can handle the volume of the P90X, but it’s shortsighted to think that based on your level of fitness, which is not at all typical, that everyone else can handle the P90X as well. Besides, the volume isn’t the only issue with P90X. In my opinion, a good portion of the program is a waste of time and energy.
Vin,
I may have been a little overzealous and I aplogize. Within the program are MANY modified moves that sedentary people can handle. There is a testimony from a man that was well over 330lbs. that modified for a full year until he was able to grasp the entire workout. He calls it P lifetime X. This isn’t just a 90 day program. It can be preformed as long as an individual wants. It can be modified.
No need to be a rude jerk, Larry.
Larry must be a “Beachbody coach.”
Ron, Not a coach, just a believer. Yes, Peggy I did come off rude and jerky and I do apologize.
Thank you Ron and Peggy for your support, and thank you Larry for your apology. Most importantly, thank you all for not letting this degrade any further into a derogatory and inflammatory conversation (which is something that I will not tolerate on this site).
I think we can all agree that P90X does have some positive aspects and that it can work well for people, even on a long term basis, if they are willing and knowledgeable enough to modify the program to better suit their individual needs and limitations.
Vin,
Agreed, and again I apologize.
Thank you,
Lar
I’m proud of you, Larry! You were very humble and respectful. To be somewhat on your side, I do P90X myself 4 days a week…I do the upper body weight lifting ones, YogaX, and Core. I do like those and have really benefitted. But the remaining days of the week, I walk!
Hi Vin. I did p90x before I was pregnant with my son. I did not follow the nutrition plan or buy the supplements. I eat as organic as I can afford and stay away from sweets and “junk food”. At first I only did parts of the workouts as I could not make it through a whole one. As time progressed my stamina increased. I continued with easy activity and eating well while I was pregnant. Now my son is 9 months old (I also have a 6 year old daughter), I run a mile or two a day, 5 times a week and follow my own version of the workouts. Yoga is out since it is ridiculously boring for me. I LOVE the plyo video but make sure I can get plenty of rest afterwards. I don’t own a scale, but I feel so much better about myself and have tons more energy throughout the day. I don’t go crazy and I think that is why I like p90x so much.
Hi Belinda, thanks for sharing your experience!
I’m glad to hear that the P90X is working well for you and it’s great that you figured out a way to customize it to your own needs and capabilities. Despite my reasons for not liking it, I think your experience shows how it can work well for some people, particularly when adjustments are made.
I just started this program because I was tired of the various times that I started an exercises regime that would get me to a certain point and then I would plateau and go nowhere. I want to see a change in my body shape and increase my strength and energy levels. As with most women in theit 40s, I am very weak in the upper body and as a result of this weaknes and bad posture, I get aches and pains in the shoulders and back. I feel like this program will help me with these issues as well as lose the 10% of excess body fat that I currently have. As far as the rigors of P90X, the program continueally tells people to rest when needed and set reasonable goals for each set. DON’T try to do the same amount of reps as those on the video! I didn’t. I did the little girly pushups and used the bands for the pull ups. I felt great afterward. All that being said, I’m a little leary of eating too much protein which is how I found your article. I read that eating a high protein diet can inhibit calcium absorption and thereby cause osteoporosis which runs in my family. Your article really didn’t talk too much about the protein levels in the program. I will probably stick to a more sensible balance diet of whole foods.
Hi Tracy,
Just because the P90X is something different doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t hit a plateau while following it. In fact, I think you certainly can plateau with the P90X, especially in regard to strength because without going to a gym or buying additional equipment it will be difficult to consistently increase resistance.
Although the program may suggest resting when needed and not doing as many reps as the people in the videos, there’s a lot more to consider than this. Even if you do fewer reps, the program still involves a lot of sets. Far more than what is necessary to build impressive strength. Likewise, even with longer breaks in between sets, the excessive number of sets can still easily push someone beyond their capacity. In addition, doing an hour of fairly intense aerobic exercise 2 to 3 days per week can also be too much for some people, especially in combination with the strength workouts. It’s definitely possible to make great strength gains with much fewer sets and greatly improve fitness with aerobic exercise that is less intense. This is why I say the P90X is inefficient and is designed to burn calories more so than anything else. Exercising beyond what is necessary to improve fitness and health just to burn calories is not a smart way to lose weight.
As long as you’re not forcing yourself to eat more protein than what keeps your appetite satisfied, I don’t think it would be difficult to eat too much of it, especially if it’s protein from high quality meat rather than highly processed powders. Traditional Eskimos and Native American Indians eat significant amounts of protein and are known for their vibrant health. The key is finding the amount of protein that is suitable for your individual metabolism.
Regarding osteoporosis, I would be more worried about deficiencies of the fat soluble vitamins A and D which tend to be found in animal fat and along with … protein! I’d also be more worried about food and beverages like soda and coffee that aren’t good for us anyway as well as the pasteurization of dairy altering the structure of calcium and impairing it’s absorption. This is an especially important concern since most people rely on dairy for calcium. Another important concern is the phytic acid in nuts, grains, and seeds that aren’t properly prepared. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of a number of minerals including calcium and magnesium, both of which are important to bone health.
Nice article. I found your blog while was sitting here sore from P90x and searching for some balanced opinions. Very impressed with your demeanor answering reader comments. So I added your blog to google reader so I can catch your new articles.
I borrowed the p90x kit from a friend who gave up. I am very glad I didn’t pay full price for it. Really I am surprised this is rated so highly. When I looked at the before after photos in the materials, it appears very scam like as the if you check the shadows most of the before shots have the flash coming dead on, the after shots have the flash at an angle. It is very obvious and a bit sleazy marketing IMO.
Beyond that the volume seems ridiculous. You end up doing up 12+ sets per body part. I end up so sore from workouts I can’t even do the warmup the next day or two. Tony is very annoying. Having done a couple of the workouts more than once now, I find his banter wearing already. The constant pushing of their supplements is also annoying.
Though there are positives.
I never tried a video based home program before, so this does help me do more than when I just try making my own plans. I don’t know about many programs that are weight/strenght based at all. I think Leg/back disk is a pretty good core of a home program.
I am debating buying this from my buddy and maybe just doing the leg/back disk, Plus chest/shoulders disk twice a week each (throw in some stretching/plyo or nothing on the other days).
Or finding a better alternative (BTW I am thin summer runner in Canada looking for a home workout to build strength in winter).
Is there a similar program for doing at home workouts(with dumbells/chin bar) that has less volume, more emphasis on compound movement/functional strength, with a less annoying host?
Thanks, Peter!
I completely agree with you about the volume and it’s my primary point of contention with the P90X. While high volume training is appropriate in some situations, it seems that its only purpose in P90X is to burn calories. I wouldn’t worry too much about the soreness, though. Even just a single set can cause significant soreness if it’s challenging enough, especially if it’s an exercise that you haven’t been doing regularly.
I can relate to what you said about Tony. Working out day after day listening to him would drive me crazy. However, being that this is just my opinion, and a highly subjective one at that, I didn’t mention it in the article. I also appreciate and respect the fact that some people are motivated by trainers with this type of personality. To each his own.
I don’t know of any good DVD workout programs to recommend, and based on the importance of addressing individual needs, I question if such a thing could even exist. However, I think you’re doing the right thing by extracting the pieces of P90X that you find useful and incorporating them into your own routine.
A couple of good resources that I think might help you put together a well rounded program for yourself are How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy by Paul Chek and Core Performance by Mark Verstegen. In addition, The Big Book of Exercises will give you more of a selection of exercises to choose from, a good portion of which can be done at home with dumbbells and minimal equipment. Just be sure to not let yourself be overwhelmed by the choices and the occasional contradictions from different authors. As long as you identify a few key training priorities and start off small and simple, you should be able to progress quite well and make adjustments along the way.
I’m generally not an advocate of high volume endurance training, especially at higher intensities, but if you’re a serious runner, you might want to check out some of Joe Freil’s books. He might provide you with some good insight on how to tailor your workout program to your running and how to do both without overtraining. I like his book on heart rate training and think he has a pretty good perspective on fitness that’s cautious about pushing people beyond their capacity.
Thanks. I have no issue finding workout information, but workout videos for home strength building seem rare. I do see value in having the on screen lead to keep you on track and provide some motivation(even from Horton, though eventually he may be too much). I never looked at anything like this before because most workout videos tend to be “aerobics”. While this one is more aerobic than I am looking for, it is still more strength oriented than anything else I have seen. If I was going to a Gym, I would have no problem coming up with a program or carrying it out when there. The problem is getting there and paying for it. So my apartment and a few dumbells creates challenges.
I have experienced lots of muscle soreness over the years, lifting weights at various times in my life, so I am not alarmed by soreness in general. But even after doing the same p90x workout a second time, it is a fair bit higher than I am accustomed to on traditional weight programs. I think the volume is a bit high for me. My school of thought is that a bit of soreness ideal(naturally more after a layoff). The goal is not to destroy your muscles, but to stimulate them. All this extra destruction might handy for extra load on the system for people trying to lose weight.
But some of us are skinny guys looking to build functional strength.
I will probably stick with tailoring P90x unless someone suggest better video led workouts.
Hi Peter,
Sorry if I underestimated your experience. Good luck finding another DVD program. If you find one that you like, please let me know. I’d be curious to take a look at it.
Vin, Ive been watching the P90x commercials, and find them interesting, @ 36 years old and in the worse shape of my life, im skeptical and nervous considering its been years since ive been in military shape, i am however a dedicated person and when i put my mind to uasually do something it tends to be done in extreme im tired of being tired and watching for the first time in my life my belly excaping my britches sucks, ive scrolled, and read all the comments, and have to applaud you, and appreciate your time well put into this, i am however going to try the P90x program and will keep you posted on how it turns out, hopefully without a heart attach do to shock. Also fatigue you talk about could that be posibly from depression, cause I know thats been a problem for me kills my drive, but with six kids, ft school (due to the economy and construction being crap) ive been severly depressed and know working out will help in eliminating it with the natural endorpines the body releases when you exercise, but i know ive been stressed out way to long with out the proper diet, and exercise, feel the toll its put on my body, along with the years of abuse, ciggeretts, alcohol ect. The P90x seems to be the cheapest most reasonable offer on the market , with a structured plan, and motivator which i need to keep me motovated aswell, also however would love to get back into playing tennis, and could use a tennis partner if your in the az area. Is their any supplements you would recomend (creatine) or such while going thru this program?, Again thanxs Vin, and sorry about the run on sentences im the king at that em
geez should of proof read before hitting send, sorry everyone still in school eng not being my best subject
Hi Jason,
I too am dedicated and tend to do things to extremes. We are the type of people who I think the P90X is the worst for because we’re more likely to look at it as a challenge and less likely to back down and reduce the volume if necessary. Based on this, keep in mind that doing the P90X can end up making you more tired than you already are if you’re not careful.
Exercise absolutely can help to reduce or eliminate depression. In fact, I think there might be some research showing that it’s at least as effective as some medications. However, like I said above, if you’re not careful about respecting your limits, you could make your depression worse. Keep in mind that a healthy diet can reduce depression too.
It doesn’t take much exercise to produce endorphins and boost your mood, and the exercise doesn’t have to be intense either. I’ve experienced an overall increase in my sense of happiness from doing short weightlifting sessions as well as low intensity cardio, but I’ve also experienced fatigue, depression, and irritability from exercising too much. I think the best approach is to error on the side of not doing enough and making adjustments as necessary.
For now at least, I think you’d probably be better off not worrying about supplements. I think it would be much more beneficial to focus your energy on quitting smoking if you haven’t already, eating a healthy diet, and getting plenty of rest. No supplement will make up for deficiencies in these areas.
I’d love to play tennis with you, but it would be a long drive from NY!
Hi Vin,
A very interesting article. Like a lot of other respondents, I too have been considering buying the P90X program. I have recently read the book the Abs Diet, and by following the dietary guidleines have shed 4.5kgs in 3 weeks. There is a workout program in the latter part of the book which looks quite good. I was wondering if you’re familiar with the book and the workout program? I am no stranger to exercise, having been a P.E. teacher before I got into sales. Now with 5 year old twins, I need to follow a plan that won’t interfere with the time I need to put aside for the family. When I was in my 30’s I got down to about 10% bodyfat; now I’m in my late 40’s I’m probably around 20%. What are your thoughts on the resistance bands and chin-up bar?
Thanks,
Dave
Hi Dave,
Sorry, I’m not familiar with The Abs Diet.
I think resistance bands are good for some exercises, particularly injury prevention exercises, but I don’t think they’re very good for building basic strength because they limit exercise selection and the extent to which you can increase the resistance.
I think chin ups are a great exercise, especially since most people spend too much time working on their chest and shoulders. The fact that the P90X program emphasizes the use of them is one of the few things I like about it. However, I don’t think it’s a good idea to do the wide grip pull up variation and I think it’s more than sufficient to do just a few sets of them.
Thanks for your reply Vin,
The Abs Diet focuses on 12 “super foods” and regular daily exercise; mostly in the form of resistance weight training. In fact ABS DIET POWER is an anacronym for the 12 super foods:
Almonds and other nuts
Beans and Pulses
Spinach and other green vegetables
Dairy (skim milk or low-fat yoghurt)
Instant hot oats
Eggs
Turkey and other lean meats
Peanut Butter (natural)
Olive Oil
Wholegrain Breads & Cereals
Extra Protein (Whey Powder)
Raspberries and other berries
The rationale is to have 6 small meals spread out through the day that combines as many of these super foods as possible. The emphasis is on carbs around workouts and exercise and the rest of the day each meal should have a protein component. I’m aiming at around 500 cals below maintainence, which for me is around 3,000 cals. As I indicated, I’ve lost about 4.5 kgs whilst utilising this program. The workouts are full body workouts done 3 times a week. The program recommends 2 sets of 15-20 reps for everything. Typically the exercises are done with free weights.
I intend to do the P90X program with your modifications; i.e. lose the yoga, stretching and diet.
cheers,
Dave
Hi Dave,
Based on what you described, there are a few things that I don’t like about The Abs Diet.
I’m not a fan of low fat diets and you can read why in the article I wrote about skim milk. In short, fat is important to our health for many reasons and it’s not the cause of weight gain and heart disease that many people believe it to be. A few other significant concerns with dairy are the quality of it’s source and if it contains A1 beta casein.
There’s a reason why beans are notorious for causing gas. They contain polysaccharides which are difficult to digest and can fuel the propagation of undesirable bacteria. This is how the excess gas is produced and is not at all conducive to good digestive health. This also applies to any food that’s high in starch.
I think nuts a great source of nutrition, especially for snacks, but only if they’re properly prepared. Otherwise they contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors which interfere with mineral absorption and protein digestion. Peanuts, however, aren’t nuts and aren’t necessarily a great choice either. They’re highly susceptible to mold growth, and as such, it’s easily possible for peanut butter to contain aflatoxins. You also have to be careful about reading the label because peanut butter often contains trans fat as well.
Turkey is great, especially if obtained from a reputable source. However, I don’t like the idea of only eating lean meats for the same reason I don’t like low fat diets in general.
The recommendation for cereals and breads is particularly suspect for a weight loss diet, even if made from whole grains. They also present the same concern as nuts. Other than the Ezekiel brand, few manufacturers properly prepare the grains they use. Also worth considering is that many people are sensitive to the gluten in grain without knowing it.
I especially don’t like the idea of relying on protein powder as a source of protein instead of real whole foods. Not only is it likely for at least some of the protein to be denatured from pasteurization, but the powder is also likely to contain oxidized cholesterol which isn’t good either. Using protein powder on occasion probably isn’t a big deal, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to rely on it as a substantial part of daily protein intake.
Berries are a great recommendation. They’re a great source of antioxidants.
If you stick to natural whole foods like meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and nuts, I bet you’d still be able to lose weight without having to worry about counting calories which I think is often a flawed approach. I lost 30 pounds in 3 months this way which wasn’t even my intent. I didn’t even know I had that much extra weight to lose!
I hope that helps!
Nice site, and a great long discussion about P90X!
I think without any knowledge about exercise and general fitness, one cannot do P90X anyway, since it’s not easy. So armed with some knowledge, the individual can tailor the program to their needs.
Personally, instead of a 7 day training block, I’ve extended this to 10, with 3 days playing squash. And as for the nutrition goes, I’m vegetarian, mostly vegan though, so I don’t munch chicken or fish so a high protein diet is difficult for me. I don’t take any protein powders either. I’m soon adding running to my workouts during squash days too. Its totally customizable for me. It gives me exactly what I want, good bodyweight exercises, mixed in with dumbbells, it shows me modified moves too if I’m tired/hurt/not able to do a particular exercise. There’s strength work, flexibility, cardio…so it’s an all round workout. Tony can be too much, but generally entertains, and seems like a nice guy who shows you the moves exactly. I’m using this as a stepping stone for harder workouts, more intensity! If you think this is too intense, and you don’t like intensity, then this is not for you. Try Rosstraining.com for INTENSE. His products are amazing. Again if someone thinks P90x is overtraining, then Rosstraining is definetely NOT for them.
All this stuff about this program will get you ripped is up to the individual, and it obviously depends on how people are going into P90x! It’s just a marketing thing. And why hate them for that, they have made millions off this, good for them!! Check out the reviews on Youtube etc, from people who have got great results, they can’t all be liars can they??
Bottom line: You could do a LOT worse, than P90X.
Thanks, Gerrard!
It sounds like you do quite a bit of exercise, and in my opinion, the more you do, the harder it is to maintain your health with a vegetarian diet. This applies even more so with a vegan diet. I recommend reading The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith who was once a devoted vegan. You could also read Breaking Back by James Blake which is not necessarily related to nutrition, but provides some insight on his decision to abandon his vegetarian diet after realizing that it was inhibiting his body’s ability to cope with the physiological burden of professional tennis.
Yes, the P90X is about getting ripped, and that’s my primary contention with it. It’s all about being ripped with little regard for optimal health. Contrary to what most people think, it’s very possible to be fit, ripped, and unhealthy, and unless you have a naturally high capacity for physical exertion, I think following an exercise program like the P90X for a long period of time will push many people in that direction. And that doesn’t even take into account the fact that most people are already at a compromised state by eating poorly, not getting enough sleep, and being under too much stress. While some people think that intense exercise may compensate for these things, it actually adds insult to injury and makes matters worse.
You’re right again that you can do much worse than the P90X, but this doesn’t lessen any of its flaws. Why settle for bad instead of awful when you can choose to pursue something that’s excellent?
Thanks for the reply.
I like working my butt off in the gym. I love sport. Try telling a professional boxer or soccer player that by running miles on end, and then getting into the gym/training field and working for another 3 hours is “bad” for him. He’ll likely get knocked out, or embarrass himself in front of everyone!!! And just because most of us don’t compete professionally, it doesn’t mean that we also cannot enjoy the benefit of being super fit, like professional athletes. Obviously this has to come with the discipline to eat and rest well, otherwise I agree this could be counter productive. Which is basically what you are saying. P90X is not all about getting ripped, it IS about getting healthy if that’s what someone wants. Any exercise program with a diet of McDonalds and beer is not a good idea, not just with P90X. Eating right is obviously common sense, you don’t need a lot of protein or supplements to be healthy while maintaining an active lifestyle.
As for the books, I could name you 20 books which contradict the above books completely, but I won’t! Vegetarianism is a topic which I don’t like debating, like politics and religion! You get nowhere. It’s a matter of belief and opinion. James Blake? How about Martina Navratilova (she actually won things!), Edwin Moses (Multiple World Record Holder), Carl Lewis (Multiple World Record Holder). True athletes who were at the very top of their game, undisputed number 1’s.
And Matt, the plyo workout is a great workout. I love this workout, it’s challenging. Do not skip this at all, it’ll improve your explosive strength.
Hi Gerrard,
I too like working my butt off in the gym and love sport. However, I’ve experienced the effects of overdoing it which I don’t love at all. Some of us naturally have more capacity than others, and there’s probably no better example of this than professional athletes. Many of us simply don’t have the genetics to keep up with their training regimens. In a way, it’s probably a bit like natural selection. If you don’t have the capacity to do that type of training, you probably won’t make it as a professional athlete. However, there’s also another side to that. Some professional athletes do train much more than they need to and pay the price. For example, some of the best analysts in tennis have been saying for a while that Rafael Nadal trains too much and now it’s starting to catch up with him in the form of chronic injuries. You don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself if you can’t even show up to perform! Besides, who’s to say that many professional athletes aren’t stealing from their future by training so hard?
If one has the capacity for a high volume of exercise, I suppose there’s nothing wrong with utilizing it as long it’s recognized that there might be undesirable consequences, but I still think it’s important to know what the intended purpose is. The P90X plyo workout you mentioned is a great example. If someone really wants to improve their explosiveness, why not research what the best strength and performance coaches are teaching. I’m confident they’d find something much different than the P90X. What then is the purpose of doing an inferior plyometrics workout? To jump around for an hour just to make marginal improvements to explosiveness and enjoy the sensation of working harder than necessary, or to make significant improvements to explosiveness with only the amount of work required? If the latter, then I would think the P90X is not the most efficient or effective use of time. Even for people who just want to moderately improve their explosiveness to prevent injury, a full workout dedicated to plyometrics certainly isn’t necessary. Again, what’s the purpose? Putting burden on your joints just to burn calories?
I agree that eating right is mostly about common sense, but it’s about much more than simply avoiding things like beer and McDonald’s. Besides, most people still opt to overexercise and mindlessly burn calories instead of fixing their diet. That’s not the healthy way to do it, and I also have a hard time believing that the P90X is about health more so than appearance based on the diet it promotes. Although the P90X is likely to improve the health of someone previously living an unhealthy lifestyle, this is not the same thing as optimal health. In my opinion, the general standard for “good” health these days is a compromise and isn’t really anything to be proud of, but I suppose one has to experience life both ways to really appreciate the reality of this.
Your absolutely right about Navratilova. However, based on her book, she clearly lives a much healthier lifestyle overall than even most “healthy” people. That’s important to consider as is nutritional individuality. Some people can do pretty well on a vegetarian diet, some can’t. I don’t think too many people would disagree that the more exercise you do, the more protein you need for repair which clearly creates an added challenge for vegetarians and especially vegans. Athletes like Navratilova certainly have shown that it’s possible, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best way. However, even if I don’t agree with it, I respect and appreciate your choice to be a vegetarian and apologize if it seems that I pushed the issue too much. My only intent was to share information.
Hello, I’m 60 and purchased P90X a month ago. I watched the DVD’s first without doing a thing, then modified the workouts for my needs. The different exercises, chin up bar, bands and the few weights I have allow me to do a SHORT workout to suit ME. The eating plan and chemical supplements went straight to the TRASH. I have eaten organic for 2 years now and found the overload of protein and the chemicals not to my liking. This system is a good plan to MODIFY FOR YOUR NEEDS. This system for a 60 year old is way to intense for me and I don’t have a desire to be ripped! I want to feel good, sleep well and exercise without causing damage to my body. Everything in moderation. Listen to your body, it will tell you when enough is enough.
Tony
Hi Tony, thanks for your comment!
It sounds like you clearly understand what so many others seem not to. Exercise is about improving quality of life. As you put it, feeling good, sleeping well, and avoiding injury. For others, this may include performance and physical function. Even for people who do want to be ripped, overall health and quality of life should be the top priority. Ironically, this perspective can actually make it a lot easier to produce an impressive physique because of the discipline and dedication that are typically associated with it, especially when properly applied to diet. Unfortunately, too many people are stuck on the dogma of calorie burning to realize this.
Your healthy perspective is refreshing, Tony. Thanks for sharing it and good luck with your exercise routine!
Hi…I recently purchased the P90X kit and began today. I’ve always been in good shape due to the fact I bike 5-6 days aweek to and from work, weight train 4-5 times a week and in the last 6 months have been running approx. 25 miles a week. The reason I began P90X is to add some variety to my fitness plan. (I felt as though I was in a rut). After reading your article…I was wondering if I should basically ignore the fat shredding diet and just keep eating as healthy as I was. Also.. since I’m pretty active already.. should I not do the plyometrics and kempo routines? I really appreciate your time. Thanks. Matt
Hi Matt,
You’re more than “pretty active.” You’re doing quite a bit! Instead of regarding P90X as additional variety, I would regard it as additional burden to your body that you’ll need to recover from. I think the important question to ask yourself is what value are you getting from this burden? If your primary goal is to lose weight, you’re already doing more than enough to accomplish that. In fact, too much exercise can actually impair weight loss because of the physiological stress it causes.
Weight training 4 to 5 days per week is quite a bit and is likely to cause overtraining unless you’re doing very light lifting. And that’s without the biking, running, and now the P90X. If I were you, I would assess the reasons why you do all of this exercise and ask yourself if you really need to do this much to accomplish your goals.
I don’t know what your definition of a healthy diet is, but a “fat shredding diet” sounds to me like a bunch of hype. Instead of “shredding fat”, your diet should be based on building health, and the best way to do that is to eat mostly natural whole foods. If you do it right, you don’t have to count calories or avoid fat either.
Matt (and Vin)
I too have recently purchased P90X and commenced today. I have already been on a low-carb/high protein diet for a month and I’ve been running 8km every other day in preparation for my 90 day challenge. I’m a very disciplined person so I have high expectations of actually getting in the best shape of my life at the end of the 90 days.
I did the chest and back routine today and whilst I couldn’t perform as many reps as the guys in the video, I faired pretty well. I don’t have the chin-up bar, so I used the resistance bands. I also substituted dumbell presses for some of the push-up variations which I found quite difficult. I was pretty spend at the end of the workout; however I feel really good about this program. The videos are great to follow along with.
I’m going to give this program a red-hot go; I want to challenge myself. I’ll put up a post every now and then and give you my feedback. By the way, I’m 48 years old; ex-physical education teacher and footballer, now working in sales.
regards,
Dave
Hi Dave,
I look forward to hearing about your progress. I’m especially curious to see how you choose to maintain what you’ve accomplished after the 90 days as I think this is one of the major shortcomings of P90X. It may be easy enough to get through 3 months, but what about 3 years? Regardless of that, I hope it works out well for you. Good luck!
hey vin.. u failed to accound that this program may be ideal for people who already are healthy and have been weightraining and doing cardio for years.. just need that push to get bigger, ripped or work at higher intensity.. although i understand your perspective that people need to tailor it to there needs. That goes with any program though and since people aren’t physical trainers they should seek to understand there needs.
Adressing your “Overtraining”. You clearly havent tried it out and are just speculating. The importance of alternating muscles worked on what days is adressed in this program. In addition p90x guy tells u to take breaks and pause when needed. However there may be a little too many exercises but this dependent on how u do them (Weighted non weighted) and your level of fitness. Also if people were overtraining, i guess that should be adressed in the video because it is not common sense. However this program can be tailored to fit anyone i believe.
Biggest point is whether people should understand self-specific training or p90x should be held responsible for telling people to set more specific program tailored to there needs (i.e. more rest days shorter duration)…..
Also i do think that in one video he states that you may not be able to do all his exercises to start with but eventually u can
Hi Sun, thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I appreciate your sentiment but certainly have not neglected to consider people who are already healthy. While such individuals may have the capacity to complete the P90X without much issue, my point that it’s a lot of unfocused physiological burden to the body still stands. Regardless of how healthy one is, they still have a limited amount of recovery capacity, and in my opinion, the P90X pushes the limits of this capacity more than it needs to for it’s intended purposes. Based on this, people who are already healthy aren’t immune to the volume of this program infringing on their health.
You’re right that I haven’t done the P90X program and that’s because I know that I’d be wasting time and effort. I know what my fitness goals are and know how to approach them in a more efficient and effective manner. My only intentions with this article are to help convince people to have more direction and purpose in their exercise programs and to not burden their bodies more than necessary simply to burn calories. If you consider that to be speculation, then so be it. You’re entitled to your opinion as well as making your own choice to follow the P90X program if you think it meets your needs.
Mr. Miller,
I understand your concern about over exercise, your experience with chronic fatigue syndrom and advocacy for a healthy lifestyle. However what I can’t wrap my head around is why are you so down on people trying to obtain a peak level of fitness in a short amount of time. Clearly you are well versed in your fields and are entitled to your opinion however, I disagree with your evaluation of exercise component of p90x. I won’t comment on the nutritional aspects of p90x as I do not follow that plan and have no need or interest in loosing weight.
I had the benefit during my college years of practicing karate under a traditional instructor. These classes were 4 days a week for about 2 to 3 hours each and were insanely intense. Easily 3 times more intense as anything p90x has to offer. Each class went until much of the class were completly exhausted. As I look back on what I could do as a result of that practice I can only conclude that it was because of the intense and repetative nature of the practice. I was not competing or training for some demonstration, I pushed as hard as I could because I felt most alive when I moved past what I thought were my limits. Ironically, I felt a certain kind of energy. Over the years I continue to train hard but with less frequency and also added lighter workouts. However, I would argue that you do not receive the full benefit of any training, workout or practice unless you consistently push yourself beyond your limits.
I believe that humans have much untapped potential and that we can accomplish seemingly inhuman feats through intense training. For this reason people should be encouraged to push themselves and not hold back for as long as they are able to perform the exercise or practice properly.
I attempted to run a marathon a few years ago because my father ran marathons and I wanted to take a step in his shoes. My goal was to finish one marathon and then if I choose to run another better my time. I followed a beginner running schedule but unfortunately I developed an illiotibutal (sp?) band problem (pain) and was not able to continue the program after my 18 mile run due to pain. I stopped because I could not run properly (ie. without experiencing the bad kind of pain). But my point is you train for a marathon by running a lot. Sometimes the training is too much for some people (it was for me) some people can handle it and much more. Perhaps I should have started out with a half marathon (even though I ran a few of those just in my training) that involved less running but my goal was a marathon and I trained accordingly. I did not accomplish that goal but at least I tried and if I had not tried I would have never known. The fact that I am no worse for the wear is probably due to me stopping when my body told me to. This principle is repeated over and over again in p90x.
Individuals who purchase p90x should practice this principle. There are always people who refuse or don’t know how. However, this is true for any kind of training, even if the training is specifically tailored to an individual. This is not the fault of the program it is the fault of the individual. What is more, maybe some people simply want to experience this type of training for a short period in their life and will move on to less intense routines. I see nothing unhealthy or inherently wrong with that. Simply because you reach a certain level of fitness by following a certain program and are unable to maintain that level for 3years or more in and of itself does not speak ill of the program or the individual. People have different goals at different periods in their lives. It goes without saying that following the same set or series of exercises for the rest of one’s life won’t continue to produce positive results and could in fact produce negative results. One’s routine of exercise and its intensity level must change over an individual’s life but the individual must be the one to recognize when that change needs to be made and then make the change. People such as yourself are well equiped at advising on these issues.
Another thing I noted relates to your repeated assertion that there are better ways to accomplish and maintain the results that p90x produces. I would agree that there are safer ways and ways that are more unsafe, that there are ways that take longer and ways that take a shorter period of time. Whether or not these ways are better is in the eye of the beholder. It just seems that your wealth of knowledge in this field and your personal experience make you focus more one the negative side of what if than the positive side of what if. My problem with that it results in you advising people to cut themselves too short instead of exploring their potential. Or at least that is the way it comes across to me.
That being said I enjoy reading this thread and compliment you on a forum that has provided for a healthy debate.
Hi Troy, thank you for your thoughtful comment.
It’s important to realize that peak fitness cannot be obtained in 3 months. It takes years. Besides, in my opinion, the P90X is more about weight loss than fitness. The program is very basic in regard to developing the individual aspects of fitness such as strength, power, endurance, flexibility, and mobility. Although the P90X can serve as an introduction to these aspects of fitness, an introduction isn’t enough to develop peak fitness, and most of these aspects take quite a long time to develop to one’s genetic potential. Whether you’re a dedicated athlete or just looking to promote good health, fitness needs to be a long term objective. Unless you have extremely strong motivation, a high genetic capacity for recovery, excellent health, and excellent lifestyle habits, the volume of the P90X program is not a good approach to developing long term fitness gains. Pushing your limits during each workout is similar to working to failure. Doing this consistently and frequently is a sure way to overtrain which is a very legitimate way to compromise one’s health, and in some cases, it can takes months to recover from it.
There’s a fine line between exercise contributing to one’s health and it imposing so much demand for recovery that it’s a compromising burden. For serious athletes and people who love intense exercise, this burden may be fulfilling enough to be worth while as long as it’s not taken to the point where it can actually hurt performance which is definitely possible. However, in regard to the P90X, it seems to me that most people who follow it simply want to lose weight, and this shouldn’t be a surprise since it’s exactly what the P90X is marketed for. Why put this much burden on your body to lose weight when it’s not necessary? And for anyone who is a serious athlete or enjoys strenuous exercise, why not do it with more direction and purpose to get more out of it?
Your marathon experience is a great example. You suggest that perphaps you should have started smaller and progressed more gradually. This is exactly what I’m saying, and although you say that the P90X promotes this, I disagree. Giving brief mention for people to go at their own pace is a lot different than providing the guidance people will need to help them determine how often and how intensely they should exercise. Many people are stuck in the mentality that more is better, and in regard to the people following the P90X program to lose weight, I think many of them will be hyped up by the marketing to do as much of the videos as they can and push their limits as much as possible. When this is repeated most days of the week for an extended duration, you have a classic overtraining scenario.
Even when someone approaches marathon training gradually, it’s still a tremendous burden on the body. If someone wants to complete a marathon as a fulfilling personal goal, perhaps that makes it a worth while trade off. However, training for marathon after marathon is a different story and may very well be borrowing from one’s future. If someone loves marathon running so much that they’d be unhappy not doing it, then maybe it doesn’t matter in their case. Not everyone understands that consistently pushing their physical limits comes with a cost, and this is all I’m trying to make people realize. The P90X just happens to be a great example of it that applies to a wide range of people.
I would like to emphasize that I am definitely not trying to discourage people from trying to discover their fitness potential and I’m glad you gave me the opportunity to do so. The point I’m trying to make is to be smarter about it, and if applicable, to do it with more purpose. Besides, the way the P90X program is designed, it won’t bring anyone to their maximum potential for endurance, strength, power, or any other aspect of fitness. As such, how can it truly allow someone to explore their potential? All it does is allow one to be intense, dig deep, and fight the feeling of fatigue to push past their limit all while burning a bunch of calories. Yes, it clearly improves fitness as well, but not to the point of allowing someone to experience their full potential. I like pushing my limits myself, and even if I wasn’t an athlete, I’d still want to do it, but not so frequently that it consistently challenges my capacity for recovery and threatens to compromise physiological function.
In most cases, you’re right that you can’t expect long term progress from following the same exercise routine for the rest of your life. However, simply bouncing around from one generic DVD workout program to another isn’t any better. There’s a lot more to periodization than simply doing something different. In general, a periodized program that changes over time will still have the continuity of a common and specific goal. While a marathon runner may adjust a training program that he or she has adapted to and is no longer progressing from, the overall training goal is still to run long distances as quickly as possible, and any adjustments that are made will be aligned with this goal. You can go from the P90X to Insanity or any other Beachbody program, and the only common goal will be pushing your body really hard just to burn calories. In my opinion, that has nothing to do with exploring one’s potential for maximum fitness.
If someone thoroughly enjoys the P90X routine and their only objective is to simply enjoy working hard, I suppose that’s fine as long as it’s not wearing them down, but I think it’s a waste to apply that much effort without directing it towards a more significant goal than simply challenging themselves or burning calories.
Vin-
That is exactly what I am trying to figure out right now. I am three weeks from finishing P90X but I knew from the beginning that I would probably not continue to do it. I just wanted something to get me in gear and maintain after I was finished. I didn’t weigh myself and take pictures when I started. I have not done so since either. I know I have lost weight since my jeans don’t fit anymore and am told by friends and family that I look better.
I credit just as much of my success to my change in the way I eat. I use a combination of “Eat This Not That” and the ABS diet (same authors) and am excited about the way feed both myself and my family now.
I am going to need a new workout routine in 3 weeks! I have no idea what to do now. Do I use a few of the P90X videos that I liked and combine that with jogging? How many days a week and for how many minutes of exercise should we be getting? How much should this be cardio? How much resistence? How much stretching (yoga)?
Hi Kevin,
Congratulations on your weight loss and I’m glad to hear that you’re inspired by the dietary changes you’ve made. Although I haven’t read Eat This Not That or The Abs Diet, some of the reviews seem to indicate that they’re largely based on calorie counting and avoiding saturated fat. If you’re open to the potential of getting even more benefit from your dietary changes, I hope you’ll consider that calorie counting can be a very flawed approach and saturated fat is an important nutrient that doesn’t deserve it’s bad reputation. In general, when you focus on eating mostly natural whole foods such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and nuts, there’s much less need to worry about limiting calories or avoiding fat, even if you occasionally choose to indulge in fast food. Most importantly, this type of approach emphasizes optimal health as a top priority with weight loss being a secondary benefit. Either way, I wish you the best of luck with continuing your progress.
Unless your goals are more specific than simply losing weight and maintaining or promoting good health, I think it’s best to follow a well rounded routine that includes the basics: strength training, interval training, low intensity aerobic training, flexibility, and mobility. You can try starting off with 2 days per week of strength training, 1 day of interval training each week or every other week, and one day of low intensity aerobic exercise. Depending on your capacity and how you adapt to your workouts, you can add or subtract volume as you see fit.
For aerobic and interval training, you can choose from any of your favorite activities such as running, cycling, rowing, etc. You can even be creative and use other activities that provide about the same amount of challenge. For strength training, you can continue using the exercises from P90X and adjust the volume to meet your needs, or you can use something like The Big Book of Exercises to get some new ideas. I think it’s generally best to choose compound exercises that incorporate multiple joints, and it’s also important to make sure that the combination of exercises chosen works all of the major muscle groups. In regard to flexibility and mobility, you don’t need to do yoga unless you prefer to, and if you’re looking for something different, you can try the resources I recommended in the article. It would also be a good idea to do a self assessment of your potential for injury.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by not knowing what to do next, I suggest embracing this as an opportunity to experiment and discover what you like most and what works best for you. Just be sure to error on the side of being conservative rather than trying to do too much at once. You can always add more later if you think it would be appropriate.
Vin,
Your article was boring to read and lacking. To me it wasn’t very convincing. It sounded very old school and not encouraging or motivational for anyone wanting to workout and get healthy. It had no positivity in it!
After the first sentence we got the point that you are not into P90x. I find it very disrespectful to those who are in the program. If P90x inspires people to do the program and to work out and challenge themselves then there is no harm in the program. Let them decide instead of you trying to persuade them not to do it. Everyone has done interval training and everything you mentioned it all gets old! Everyone is always looking for a new way to change up their workouts! P90x promotes doing different things each day, other programs is the same thing day after day.
The nutritional plan is not a must in the P90 program. It’s encouraged but you dont have to do it. Plus P90x is more than just getting ripped. If you want to get ripped and you’ve done everything else and have hit a plateau P90x will help you go all the way. It also is for getting in shape just not ripped. Have you actually gone through the program? All 90 days? Or did you just watch the dvd’s and not do it? If you haven’t, you have no clue what you are talking about and your article is pointless. Also, anything you do can cause an injury! P90x tells you and encourages you to focus on your form before anything else so you dont get injured! ANYTHING can cause injury and nothing really tries to prevent it!
P90x is challenging, burns calories tones muscle, it does it all! It’s a wonderful program. You’ve preached to the choir..we all know that intervals are good and biking hiking blah blah blah is good for you… but why not add that to P90x if you enjoy those things so much! Your body adapts to those exercises and those things. P90x keeps you on your feet and your body doesn’t adapt. I think you are missing the point that P90 is more than burning calories, it’s to improve strength and encourage an active lifestyle. It’s about goals and proving to yourself you can do it. It is about one’s quest to finding their maximum fitness. It helps with agility and so much more. I think you have your head so far up your own fanny that you missed the whole point of P90x!
I find it funny that most gyms are adding P90x programs to their facility and trainers are using P90x with their clients…..
Hi Lacey, thank you for your honesty.
Sometimes, opening people’s minds to what they might be doing wrong is prerequisite to helping them live healthier lives. In other words, you can’t fix something that you don’t know is broken. Because mainstream beliefs are often based more so on advertising and corporate influence than on science, experience, and logic, pointing out the flaws in a popular trend like the P90X can be an effective way to help people think more for themselves and more sensibly. Although the article may seem to be negative in regard to the P90X program, the overall message, which is to encourage people to make more informed decisions regarding their exercise habits, is intended to be positive.
Similar to the new trend of toning sneakers, many people argue that the P90X helps to motivate people and gets them off the couch. However, if you don’t guide them toward developing a balanced and informed perspective on exercise in addition to motivating them, then it’s likely that they’ll eventually end up right back on the couch after the novelty of the P90X wears off or after the program wears them out. The positive message here is that exercise needs to be done in a way that can be enjoyable and tolerable for a lifetime. Although some people will disagree, I don’t think the P90X program supports this. Most importantly, I’m not choosing anything for anyone. Instead, I’m merely offering a different perspective. Take it or leave it.
There’s a fine line between periodizing an exercise program to provide variety and prevent plateaus verses having so much randomness that it becomes difficult to monitor progress. Most people who are knowledgeable about strength training would likely agree that the “muscle confusion” discussed in the P90X program is pretty much nonsense. Furthermore, I never suggested that a high quality exercise program requires doing the same thing day after day.
The P90X will “bring you all the way” to what? This is one of the major problems I see with the program. It lacks the ability to support specific goals other than losing weight, burning calories, or working really hard just for the sake of it. If you want to maximize your strength, speed, endurance, or athletic performance, the P90X will only bring you a small portion of the way.
Anything can cause injury and nothing tries to prevent it? While any type of exercise does pose a risk of injury, the level of risk can vary significantly, and many exercise programs are indeed specifically designed to minimize this risk. In fact, it’s often one of the top priorities for strength and conditioning coaches that train professional athletes, and their reputation often depends on the injury rates of their clients.
You can “prove to yourself” that you can hang with three months of the P90X program and I’ll prove to myself that I will be a better athlete for years to come and that I’ll be fit and active well into my old age. To each his own! If having my “head so far up my own fanny” means having a perspective on exercise that’s based on optimal health, long term performance improvements, and lifelong exercise habits rather than embracing a 3 month challenge, then so be it. However, I don’t think I’m the one who’s missing the point, at least not in regard to your reasoning.
You may think it proves a point that private gyms and personal trainers are using P90X, but all this really shows is that they want to take advantage of a popular trend to improve their business.
I’ve just finished my second week of P90X and I have to say that this is the program I’ve been looking for. I have modified some aspects; I don’t do the plyo or yoga. I replace these elements with low intensity cardio. However I love the resistance training. Combined with my Abs Diet, I have lost 5kgs. My muscles are more defined, I’m fitting into clothes, I have more energy and people are commenting on how good I look. This is good enough for me. I’m going to get some bloodwork done at the end of the 90 days to see how other aspects have improved. I will continue some form of this program after the 90 days.
I find it very interesting that people like Lacey get so defensive of P-90X that they have to resort to bashing Vin and being completely disrespectful. You don’t have to agree with him, but why get defensive? He has his opinion and reasons for that opinion-this is America-you don’t have to agree, but at least show courtesy! You can disagree COURTEOUSLY! One more point. I did P90X religiously for SIX months, and now I’m paying for it with ankle problems and a pulled lower back. I still do parts of it (LOVE the YogaX), but I have mostly stopped doing the harder stuff as I’m just not designed for heavy weight lifting-and it took 6 months of being sore EVERY day, and then the injuries to admit that to myself. I’m 48, in good shape (have worked out my whole adult life), am at a good weight, and eat fairly decently (not real big on being a food martyr). But I’m fine-boned and don’t support much muscle on my frame to begin with, so needed to admit that and move to lighter weight training.
Hi Peggy, thanks for your support!
I don’t mind overlooking a little disrespect as long as there’s actually some thought involved in what’s being said and it makes for good discussion. However, I won’t approve a disrespectful comment that adds no value to the discussion, nor will I allow a comment like Lacey’s to proceed into an inflammatory conversation. As much of a challenge as it can sometimes be, I do my best to respect everyone’s opinion and I hope the more edgy comments don’t bother you or anyone else too much.
Vin,
Although I wasn’t overly impressed with the article, I did think your responses to the posters were top notch. While you make it clear that the nutrition plan is an issue, I find it hard to support ANY plan. For one, you WON’T have a custom plan in any pre-packaged system for the masses. Also, I can 5 different Nutritionist and health experts and they will have 5 different plans (obviously your daily activity and goals are a huge factor).
While I can see having issues w/ the products they push, I actually enjoy the program and feel they put together a good little work out in a short time fram (only one substantially longer than 1 hour total). To say these exercises are too much is kind of silly as I use it as daily change of pace in the morning in addition to my real workout. I also like to hike, bike, and play sports, but this is something I have as a set routine to start the day off right. I would consider this low risk (in terms of injuries) to sports like basketball or football as well as highly intense workout (a true plyo workout or explosive lifting for example). There are warnings given, modifications are available, and it leaves a set list of things to do to motivate those that wouldnt do as much on their own.
I have seen people that did work out at all use this program to great results. Not so much in losing weight, but also being a benefit to the cardio challenged. A friend of my wife has used the program and can run a mile (this person couldnt run 100 yrds previously). We are talking about 200+ lb woman being able to modify and make the program work. How hardcore is that?
Hi JP, thank you for your respectful comment.
I agree in regard to it being difficult to support any type detailed plan that’s delivered in a generic format, and I suppose much of my objection to the P90X program could be better explained by emphasizing this point more. Although your objection to such a plan seems to be in regard to nutrition, I think it applies to fitness just as much.
When I say that the the P90X is too much, it’s important to realize that I’m suggesting it’s too much for what it’s meant to do. For example, most serious athletes would have to do a lot more work to maximize their performance, and for them, this amount of work is not too much, but such a goal is not what the P90X is meant or able to provide for. Furthermore, pushing the limits of maximum performance like this may not be as healthy as everyone thinks and these athletes may be borrowing from their future to an extent. Obviously, it’s a much better situation than being sedentary, and there’s genuine purpose behind their effort, but it’s still a legitimate consideration. In contrast to truly maximizing performance, I see the P90X as a weight loss program, or even a basic fitness program for people who don’t need to lose weight. When I say that the P90X is too much, I mean that it’s too much for these goals. You can achieve these goals with much less physiological load. Furthermore, many of the people looking to accomplish these basic goals are also dealing with compromised health which is a very common result of the typical modern lifestyle. In my opinion, the P90X can easily push them over the edge if they’re not careful. While exercise can obviously build health, it’s also a physiological burden that can destroy health by adding to an already excessive amount of burden caused by other lifestyle aspects.
I think most of the people who object to my opinion of the P90X have a pretty good capacity for physical activity and are just looking to enjoy the high intensity of a demanding workout. Perhaps this is the case for you. Although I think it would be better to apply the intensity to a more specific goal, I suppose there’s nothing wrong with working hard just for the sake of it as long as it’s truly for enjoyment.
In regard to nutrition, you’re absolutely right that there’s a lot of contradiction out there. However, what I recommend is more of a guideline than a plan. While you may disagree with my objection to the politically correct low fat diet or the variation in macronutrient ratios, I think it’s difficult to disagree with the idea of a diet based on natural whole foods being one of the most simple and effective ways to support optimal health, and for the average person, this includes supporting exercise recovery. I think we can agree that the P90X does do a reasonable job of promoting whole foods but that it falls short when pushing the processed powders and bars.
Your wife’s friend is a great example. Good for her! While I could argue that there are better methods that she could have used, I certainly think it’s better that she achieved what she did using the P90X than having not achieved it all.
Hey Vin,
I agree with some of your article. I’m sorry if this has been said but I’m tired and I don’t feel like reading all those comments. I disagree with alot of the people that P90X has lost it’s luster and is boring. For me, I’m going to do P90X to get back into shape and then do my own cardio and strength workouts. If it’s meant to be an all the time workout then that’s dumb. I have tried it and then had to get my knee(s) surgery. I like the program. The only thing I don’t like is the main guy Tony. For some reason I want to reach through the T.V and punch him in the throat. He is so cocky. Other than that I would recommend this as a quick start to get you back into shape and then find another workout. That’s how I’m using it. Thanks.
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment.
Although some people might argue that the P90X program can be used over and over again, I agree that it’s not well suited for this. However, I don’t think the P90X is a good “get back into shape” program either. I think returning to exercise after a layoff should be a gradual process that gives your body the time it needs to comfortably readapt to intense training. There’s not much about the P90X program that’s gradual, and the manual and DVDs even say this. Maybe this is the approach that you prefer, but for many people, starting right away with high intensity and high volume is an easy way to burn out and lose interest.
If you’re confident enough in your exercise knowledge to plan your own cardio and strength training program, I think it would make much more sense to also put together your own program to get yourself back in shape. This would give you the opportunity to following a more gradual and incremented approach that could transition more smoothly into the program that you eventually plan on following.
The reason P90X is popular is that it provides a structure. The thing I like about the program is that it’s there on the DVD and in the booklet – all I have to do is press play. It may not be to your personal liking Vin, however there are literally thousands of people changing their lifestyle for the better through this program. It won’t suit everyone and you’re absolutely right – it’s intense and there’s a lot of exercises; however the results people are getting from this program speak for themselves. I also agree with you that the people who are getting the most from this program have a reasonable capacity for exercise. Everybody is different – I think there are a lot of positives about P90X. I for one will be continuing this program in some shape after the 90 days.
Hi Dave,
I can appreciate the fact that some people want to simply press play and follow a generic structure. Perhaps the average person with this mentality doesn’t have the motivation or desire to develop a better understanding of exercise and apply it to their individual needs more effectively. As long as they don’t burn themselves out, I would agree that something like P90X can suit them well. However, this is not the audience I had in mind when writing the article. As I mentioned to Steve below, this site is about optimal health and maximizing life which typically requires being proactive and taking control. Anyone who is open minded to such an approach should have at least some motivation to optimize their exercise program, especially considering how important exercise is to optimal and vibrant health.
Generic structure is convenient and generally effective, but rarely optimal, and in some cases, far from it.
This is an interesting bit of information here, much of it I agree with and some of it I don’t. I’ve been using Beach Body products (mainly Power 90) since 2003 and have had GREAT success with Power 90. Power 90 is not as extreme as P90X…the “advanced” workouts in Power 90 are just 38 minutes and 45 minutes for weights and cardio respectively. I find this to be plenty, so I agree with Vin that much of the P90X is just too much and in many cases unnecessary. I also agree with Vin that if you don’t like Yoga (and man I really don’t so I sometimes skip that in Power 90) then why do it? For longevity of your exercise program, you’ve got to like it at least a little bit. I continue to agree with Vin that a lot of focus on ab work is not necessary at all. There are three steps to nice abs, and in order of importance they are A) Good Diet; B) Cardio work; C) ab work done for just a few minutes 2-3 times a week max. The one area I will slightly disagree with Vin on (if I’m understanding him correctly) is that Beach Body promotes unhealthy ways to get ripped abs. The diet is central to the program, no matter what program you use, and their advice on what to eat is solid, especially when compared to the average American diet. I’m not a big believer in downing a ton of supplements (other than a one a day vitamin), so I don’t buy all that from them, but the diet portion of their programs is decent. Also, Tony constantly says to hold back if you’re not up for what they’re doing and to slowly build up the ability to do it and that if you can’t it’s not a big deal. I would also say that it’s a bit of a stretch for Vin to say that “Most of the models that you see on magazine covers likely fall into this latter category (that second category being “an unideal lifestyle by doing a ridiculous amount of crunches and burning as many calories as possible which can be a significant and undesirable burden on the body.”), and despite how good they look, it’s very possible that they have poor internal function.” That’s just too big of an assumption with baseless facts for me to buy, but in general I agree with what Vin has said.
Here’s something about programs like P90x and Power 90 that not everyone is considering…MANY people have incorporated cardiovascular exercise into their exercise programs but have NEVER done any weight lifting at all. I have long been a distance runner, ran for my college team have run marathons and ultra marathons, but prior to 2003 at age 36, I had never done any sustained weight lifting or resistance training of any kind. When I started Power 90 in 2003 I weighed 169 pounds, so I wasn’t Biggest Loser material, but I could only do 5 pushups MAX when I started. By the end of this program I was doing 30 pushups for the max pushups (this was at the end of the session…if I did them fresh I could get over 40)…just a CRAZY improvement. I also developed biceps and shoulder muscles that I never had before. This had a practical application for shoveling snow and trimming the bushes in the yard, etc. I lost some total weight (fat) while putting on muscle and was stronger in the upper body than I had ever been…a fact that has remained constant for 7 years as I often do rounds of Power 90 to supplement my running. I find that when I am in the midst of a focused training regimen that I will eat better, and so Power 90 and Beach Body definitely helped me clean up my diet…hardly just an outside improvement while neglecting the inside.
Bottom line is that there are many ways to skin a cat, and if you decided that P90X was the way you were going to go about it, if you follow Tony’s advice that you just do what you can do and hold back if you can’t on that given day, then you could use P90X to help you get where you want to be…it’s a very flexible program really. The key for any exercise program is to do it, so whether it’s Tae Bo or The Firm or Power 90 or Insanity or P90X, or whatever, eat well, constantly monitor yourself for injury and fatigue and just keep at it. If you decide you want to be bigger, then change your routine to include more weight training or to using heavier weights with fewer reps; if you decide you want more endurance then use lighter weights for more reps or start running or use an elliptical training or any number of things. It’s not rocket science.
Hi Steve, thanks for your comment!
In regard to the P90X being an unhealthy way to get ripped abs, what I mean is that I perceive it to emphasize appearance more so than health. Although the program certainly does provide nutritional guidelines that would be a major improvement to the typical modern diet, the overall emphasis of the program is clearly based on burning calories, and the typical modern diet is bad enough that nearly any diet program will look great in comparison. Also keep in mind that this site is about optimal health and that this is the perspective from which my opinion on P90X is based. While exercise is clearly an important part of optimal health, pushing the limits of overtraining is an entirely different matter.
My reference to cover models is also meant to be an example of the emphasis of appearance over health. There are many ways to lose weight and build muscle, and many of them are not congruent with optimal health. Excess calorie restriction, excessive exercise, hormone altering supplements, drugs, and cosmetic surgery are all examples of approaches commonly used to improve appearance that can also detract from one’s health. Just because someone has an impressive appearance with low body fat and plenty of muscle doesn’t mean that they’re vibrantly healthy, and it also doesn’t mean that their lifestyle habits will help them remain active and disease free as they age. Athletes and models represent some of best examples of physical greatness, but drug use and eating disorders are very common in these populations. Such behavior is clearly not focused on health, vibrance, and longevity. Some athletes and models are indeed very health conscious, but I think this is the exception rather than the norm. In short, an exceptional appearance doesn’t imply good health.
I agree with what you said in your last paragraph. I think the only major difference in what I’m saying is an additional emphasis on optimal health and exercising with direction instead of mindlessly following a generic program.
Hi Steve,
In regard to the following statement, I came across a very telling and unfortunate article that you might be interested in reading.
Here is a story about fitness model Daniel Martin and the unhealthy stresses that he puts his body through to look his best for a photo shoot. He also explains how the drastic measures that he takes are an industry standard and that magazines even expect their models to show up for photo shoots dizzy and feeling unwell due to their tactics for looking as lean and muscular as possible.
Hi Vin,
Nice post. And for one thing, its one of very few articles which talk critically about this P90X routine. I googled several times to find posts/articles listing cons of P90X but hardly found any worthy links there. That’s part of modern marketing strategy: Writing whole lot of positive blogs about your own products and use SEO tricks to obtrude negative reviews with positive (self created) articles.
I am trying P90X (yet again) with a sole objective to finish it. My previous few attempts failed partly because of reasons you mentioned (including tiredness, fatigue and boredom) but a major factor has been my lack of commitment to a healthy routine. I am one of those who starts going to gym every January and then drop out after March. I follow a strict food plan till Friday and come weekend its all out of window.
Now I take P90X as a challenge to myself for being consistent and staying with my resolutions. I am ready to compromise and modify the routine but just do it for sake of doing it 90 days on the trot. And thats one good thing about this program that it allows room for modifying moves and pace yourself.
One positive aspect of this workout is the basic exercises it involves. There isn’t much complicated in it. Its push-ups and pull-ups and abs and jumping and aerobics and yoga. Its all plain simple strategy to push oneself. Now you want to push yourself to limits, upto you. But I don’t see anything wrong with the routine. I go running few times and burn as much calories I would burn with plyometrics but plyo involves my whole body and I feel much more refreshed than running. So to say “Do not do plyo” wont be correct. You may take breaks. Skip few parts. Reduce intensity. But the fact remains that unless you get out of your comfort zone, you can’t be as fit as you desire. Its not about pushing beyond your limits but its more about pushing your limits further.
To expect it to take 90 days to reach your goals is not right. Its a lifelong commitment and so no harm in going slow. Beachbody has to make money and so they will obviously target masses and market it as quick 90 days solution. Its for one to use his/her wisdom to understand that it took more than 90 days to gain all that fat and get unfit and so it will take more than 90 days to revert that. Use P90X or any routine as a small step in changing your lifestyle to a healthier and fitter one. And I have no complaints with P90X as one of those steps. There is nothing more motivating than finding those pants going lose after a month of effort. Thats what P90X can do: Make you move out of your cozy bed and sweat out with dumbbells and push-up bars without an excuse of rain or cold outside.
Hi Anuj, thanks for your comment.
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been struggling to find motivation to exercise. Perhaps you should give more thought to why you wish to exercise and maybe you can come up with a more significant reason that provides more motivation. When you say that you’re going to challenge yourself to complete the 90 days of P90X, that sounds like a short term perspective to me. You acknowledged the importance of exercise being a lifelong commitment, but what are you going to do after you complete your 90 day challenge? Is your sole objective to test your dedication to a 90 day goal and be able to say that you completed it, or to find a way to sustain the motivation needed to stay committed to exercise for the rest of your life? I think this question underscores why I think the P90X does a poor job of inspiring a lifelong commitment to exercise.
I never said to not do plyometrics. I suggested not doing the P90X interpretation of plyometrics. True plyometrics is about improving power by instigating adaptations to the stretch-shorten cycle and is a type of training that applies mostly to serious athletes. It’s a focused type of training that puts a lot of stress on connective tissue, and as such, should be very specific and should incorporate as few jumps as necessary to provide the desired training stimulus. It’s also not recommended for people who are heavy or have previous injuries, however, most people who follow the P90X program are likely to fall into one of these categories. Furthermore, the P90X plyometrics workout is basically just a bunch of random jumping that’s unlikely to provide the true benefits of plyometric training, and it includes an unnecessarily excessive number of jumps.
Although it depends on the goal, you’re absolutely right that it takes more than 90 days to achieve fitness related goals, especially if the goal is a lifelong commitment to good health and physical function. However, while you interpret the P90X program to be something that supports this, I interpret it to be the opposite.
Vin,
I am about to start P90X in April with a few friends who have challenged ourselves to complete the 90 day experience. We were drawn to it by friends and just lots of success stories from others who have tried it. I played soccer and rugby years ago in high school and used to be very active and fit, but have lost the drive to work out. I am hoping something like P90X would be a constructive way to increase my work out regiment by giving me advice and techniques to use. I have not worked out in a few years but stay active due to work and outdoor activities. I am a relatively skinny guy, i am 6′1” and 155 lbs and im looking to tone up, not bulk up, and to just get into shape. I am not willing to spend the money to have a gym membership and P90X looks to give me a cheap but fulfilling work out. I was wondering if you have any tips to improve my P90X experience (Meal plans or recovery tools) or any advice at all about in home work out routines. Thanks for the article.
Hi Jason, thanks for your comment!
I think the novelty of the P90X may very well succeed in renewing your interest in working out, but I think this will be temporary, and once the novelty wears off, you may end up looking elsewhere to renew your interest again. If you choose to do the P90X program, be prepared for this possibility so that you can avoid falling into another long layoff.
To maintain a long term interest in exercise, I think it’s critical to define some clear goals and to be creative in choosing exercises and activities that you enjoy. More importantly, overworking yourself is probably the fastest way to lose interest in exercise, so be sure to respect your capacity and recovery needs.
I think it’s smart of you to be looking for advice and instruction, but I don’t think the P90X is the best place to get it. The P90X is more of a generic routine to mindlessly follow than a learning resource. I think Core Performance by Mark Verstegen would be a much better learning resource that should help to give you some basic ideas about designing a well rounded workout program for yourself.
In regard to customizing the P90X program, I’ve provided a number of ways to do this in the article. Instead of doing exercises simply because they’re in the P90X DVDs, understand what the exercises are accomplishing for you and how well they correlate with your goals. This will help to give you some direction in regard to what changes to make and what you might need to learn more about. With this approach, you should eventually be knowledgeable enough to not need or want a generic program like the P90X.
Vin,
Your use of the phrase “mindlessly follow” is inferring that many who follow P90X do so without any thought to the exercise or the outcome. I would say the majority of us who are advocates of this program don’t “mindlessly follow”. It is a bit of an indictment on the people who have adhered to the principles of P90X. At the end of the day, people make different choices on everything in life. There are many ways to skin a cat as they say. Anything that gets people off the lounge and doing physical activity is a good thing. It doesn’t have to be rocket science.
Hi Dave,
Perhaps I should have been more clear because I didn’t mean it to be derogatory and I didn’t mean it to apply to everyone who uses the program. In a previous comment, you mentioned how you appreciate being able to simply press play which I assume to mean that you prefer the convenience of not having to worry about designing your own program. As I’ve already said, I can appreciate why some people might choose this route. However, unless there’s at least some attempt to consider how the individual components of the P90X program apply to one’s goals and how the program could potentially be customized to better suit these goals, then I consider this approach to be mindless (which, again, I don’t mean in a derogatory way). Sure, not everyone follows the program this way, but I bet a lot of people do.
If throughout your experience with the P90X you’re assessing how well each aspect of the training is helping you achieve your goals and thinking about how to make improvements if necessary, then I absolutely agree that this is not mindless. However, this is also a lot more than simply pressing play and following along. If someone wants to take such an approach to fitness, it’s entirely their choice, but I think they’re short changing themselves. As you said, everyone makes different choices and has different reasons for doing so. Some people simply don’t care that much about fitness or even health. Some people exercise just because they know they’re supposed to and don’t want to put any further thought into it. That’s fine. I’m not trying to force anyone into a different frame of mind. I’m simply offering another perspective for those who are open to being more proactive about maximizing their success.
The argument of getting people off the couch has been brought up many times. However, what good is getting someone off the couch for 3 months if they end up going right back? For the people who are inspired by P90X to make exercise a lifelong habit, that’s great. However, in my opinion, the P90X is not designed for this, and as you can see from previous comments, people end up looking for something else after they’ve been through it a few times. I don’t think going from one generic DVD program to another is a good way to instill a lifelong commitment to exercise, and even if it helps someone get in the “best shape of their life,” I think it’s likely that they’ll eventually end up back on the couch unless they have at least some motivation to exercise under their own direction.
The convenience of a generic DVD exercise program versus using “rocket science” to design a customized program are two opposite extremes. Being more proactive than simply following a generic DVD program may require a bit of learning, but it’s entirely doable for anyone who has a little motivation. Again, it’s a personal choice, and for the people who will never have this motivation, I agree that the P90X is better than sitting on the couch (providing it doesn’t cause them to overtrain). For anyone else who might be intimidated by the prospect of basic program design being too difficult, you’ve inspired me to work on a series of articles to explain it in more detail and show that it’s not. Thank you for this. It’s something I’ve seen wanting to do for a while anyway and I think it will be helpful.
Vin, thanks for the article. Overall, I think it’s good, but I also think it’s a bit overcritical. I would also like to correct a couple of points you made.
First, you described Yoga X as an hour and a half of stretching, which is not accurate. About 50% of the Yoga X time is spent in strength-building moves, including abs. The remaining 50% of the time is split between stretching and balance moves. Overall, I find it an excellent workout, although I balk at an hour and a half of anything, and am much more interested in in a 1-hour yoga alternative. A small number of the moves are just plain impossible for me to even attempt. I’m just not built to achieve them.
Second, you refer to the ab workouts as basically being a ton of crunches, but the entire P90X regimen actually has not a single crunch. This rocks, because crunches suck; nobody can tell you how hard a crunch needs to be, or how far it needs to go, and they are all but useless in my eyes. Contrarily, Ab Ripper X gives you precise and exact instructions for the 11 exercises it presents, and you can easily determine when you’re doing them properly.
Most exercise programs I’ve dealt with are underrepresentative of core work. I’m 45, and for years I’ve been a runner, but always have dealt with difficulty from old back injuries and generally poor posture. P90X has definitely resolved this issue for me. Its core focus has been a huge bonus and my back has never been better or stronger. Fine-looking abs are just gravy, so to speak.
One complaint I do have about P90X is that there is not enough time spent discussing adaptations. Tony Horton describes adaptations for several exercises, but not for the majority of them. My wife quit P90X in frustration.
As you say, 75 to 90 minutes of exercise every day is excessive, and I agree. P90X worked well for me, and I’m in my 2nd go-round now, but I’m looking for a new, less intensive (in time and effort) maintenance workout. I don’t need to be ripped, but I do need to have a balanced, changing exercise program. It’s possible that Power 90 might fit the bill, but I’m not sure I want to go that route. I tire of Tony’s persona.
Thanks again,
Br. Bill
Hi Bill, thank you for your feedback.
Yes, some yoga positions can be fairly intense and can build strength. However, the strength building benefits of yoga pale in comparison to actual strength training. Since the P90X does include legitimate strength training exercises, using yoga to build strength is redundant and unnecessary. Doing so would be beneficial for people who don’t do strength training, but this doesn’t apply to those who follow the P90X program.
In the section of the article that I mention doing a ridiculous amount of crunches, I’m referring to some of the common methods people use to achieve “ripped abs.” This was not meant to be a description of Ab Ripper X. However, Ab Ripper X does contain crunch variations that involve abdominal flexion. I estimate that this represents about a third of the Ab Ripper X workout. As I mentioned in the article, this probably isn’t the best movement for people who spend most of the day sitting which I suspect to be the case for many of the people who follow P90X.
I’m glad to hear that the P90X has worked well for you and that you’ve reduced your back pain. Good luck with your next program!
My 6th week using p90x and I am STILL very impressed. I had no idea it was such a popular workout when I first began. I have not seen any of it on TV as some have. Fact of the matter, I don’t watch television. However a friend of mine gave me the workout system to try since I had been talking about ‘getting back into shape’ and I gave it a try.
Now, I used to work out a lot using many different methods, but I have to say that p90x, minus the hype which I had none thrown at me is doing a mighty fine job at shaping my body. Common sense has me doing only what I can safely do as I work along it the folks on the video. No pressure felt and most importantly, IT IS NOT BORING and REPETITIVE! I love it and would definitely recommend the system to people who are looking for results.
In my opinion… what is right for one may not be right for another. If it works for you then great, if not, that doesn’t mean that the product is bad. In everything we do it is ultimately up to the individual whether he/she will stick to it or not. Some will, some will not. For me… this has been working, I feel great, I’m motivated and my entire life is moving toward a lifestyle that will definitely STICK. I can’t imagine falling back into my bad, unhealthy habits.
Bravo p90x! Two thumbs up along with two big toes~!
Hi Kikue, thanks for sharing your feedback!
I’m glad to hear that the program is motivating you to exercise, and most importantly, that your staying within your limits. Although you refer to this as common sense, I think it’s something that many people neglect.
I enjoyed reading your take on the P90X program Vin.
I do agree with you wholeheartedly that there is absolutely no substitute for whole foods, but a lot of the bars, shakes, etc. are infinitely better than what the normal person eats on a daily basis — I think it’s a good start for many who are not healthy eaters.
Health and fitness is a journey, and anything that gets people motivated enough to get off the couch is a step in the right direction IMO. I think P90X does amazingly well in this regard, and the workout is extremely effective to boot (the results clearly speak for themselves).
Another positive in my opinion is the fact that it’s laid out in a very clear, easy to follow manner. There is no guesswork with this program, you either follow the program or you don’t. For those who have no experience with working out, this is extremely valuable and results in a well-rounded, comprehensive workout schedule vs. working upper body 5 days a week.
Subscribed and will stop back soon Vin. Have a good one.
Hi Fat Loss Blogger, thanks for your comment!
I absolutely agree with the positive aspects of the P90X that you mentioned, but the program being a “good start” is only really a benefit for those who are truly willing to take the next step. Unfortunately, the program doesn’t really tell you what the next step is or that such a step even exists. As such, I think most people perceive the P90X as being a complete program that provides everything they need in regard to exercise and diet, and based on this, they may very well not see a need for a next step. Furthermore, some people consider the P90X program to be complete. I think these people are short changing themselves in some regards, and this is part of the premise for this article.
In regard to getting people off of the couch, I agree that this is a positive aspect, but as long as it’s just the appeal and popularity of the P90X program that’s inspiring them, it’s likely that they’ll end up back to the couch unless they find a more meaningful source of motivation.
Hi, Vin!
I found this article by way of Google, because I had started p90x and after 3 weeks.. I am convinced my previous work-out progam was better for me and my lifestyle, but was afraid to modify the program to do things I actually enjoy like walking/jogging outside. After 3 weeks of p90X, I have gained 6 pounds (wanted to loose weight) and have actually gotten bigger (wanted to get smaller…) my guess is this program is too extremely focused on building muscle and not really all that balanced. Plus… I go on frequent business trips and would constantly be having to repeat weeks due to missed sessions. I really felt like p90x was sucking the life out of me because every spare minute I had was spend doing workouts that either confused me, seemed like they were working against my personal goals or were just plain old not effective because I couldn’t do them at the same pace as the P90X team (Superman banana rolls… changing every 5 seconds??? I can’t even switch into the proper form that quickly… so, I felt I wasn’t getting the full benefit from the program.)
It is really refreshing to read a truly unbiased, logical article on the matter. Chances are I will go back to my other work-out habits that seemed to be working and possibly try p90x at a later time with some modifications. Maybe over the winter. For right now… I miss being outside.
My husband also started and stopped p90X, because he literally got sick after some of the workouts, but I expect he will start again. First, though.. I will your article with him, as I do want him to consider the risks and really just get healthy without putting unnecessary strain on adrenal function.
I am sure that P90X is right for some people, and might possibly be right for me someday… but just not now.
Thanks again for a fabulous, logical and unbiased article.
Best and healthy wishes to all who read!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Your frustration with the time commitment and the lack of alignment with your goals are two key issues that I’ve tried to address with this article. In my opinion, most typical fitness goals, such as losing weight or improving health, can be successfully achieved in much less time (and with less intensity) than what the P90X requires. This statement is not intended to cater to laziness, but rather to limit the amount of unnecessary physical burden that one exposes their body to. While the P90X program might be a healthy amount of exercise for some, it could easily push many others beyond their limits, especially those who have been sedentary or are not in excellent health.
Even though the P90X didn’t work well for you, it at least sounds like you still benefited by learning from the experience. Hopefully that will serve you well in the future.
There are many reasons why you might have gained 6 pounds during your those 3 weeks, but it’s unlikely to be because of the strength training component of the P90X program. If you’re new to strength training, most of the initial gains in strength would result from adaptations of the nervous system rather than muscle growth. In addition, it would be difficult to increase muscle mass by 6 pounds in just 3 weeks, and the P90X program isn’t really well suited for such an increase. If it were, there would be much more of an emphasis on increasing the amount of resistance used for most of the strength training exercises. A more likely explanation for the weight gain would be an increase in appetite resulting from the intensity of the program, or possibly an increased stress response from pushing your limits (this can promote fat storage).
Vin, thanks for that reply… you are so right… when I was doing P90X, I was starving 24 x 7 and eating more than I knew I should have, no matter what the program recommendations were. And.. since the work-outs were so long, I was getting up extra-early to do them, which had a negative impact on my sleep patterns. So, you are probably right on about the weight gain. Since I stopped doing P90X, I have lost the 6 pounds I gained plus 4 more.
I have also lost an inch off my waist and about .75 inch on each thigh, which puts me just slightly ahead of where I was when I started P90X. I have along way to go, but I feel I am in control again and, more importantly… enjoying and looking forward to my work-outs again.
Thanks again for this FABULOUS forum.
Have a great day!
I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.
First of all I just started the program. I am about to start my first recovery phase. I wanted to point out a few things that I think are important.
About yoga, it is extraordinarily important to differentiate isotonic exercises from isometric because they definately work the muscles in different ways. Sure there are many Arnolds in the world, but how many can gracefully hold headstand, insect, or crane posture? Not many if any. In fact, how many can achieve full extension in just seated forward bend?
Moving on to plyometrics. Yes it’s dangerous, but I think that like martial arts, if you focus on form (and it has to be something you’re good at, because form is something that is processed as a cognitive-spatial element, you have to see it to get it) it will work wonders for you. But for most people who cannot maintain focus for 60 minutes, form will suffer, and injuries will occur.
As for the isolated isotonic movements such as bicep curls. While there is little benefit in a routine full of isolated isotonic movements, because it does not train the muscles to work together, I think P90X gracefully handles this by having compound muscular workouts such as pushups and pull ups.
Now here is where I differ from some people. I do not really tire from things if I have not mastered them. Tony and friends can do 20 pull ups. I can barely manage one at this point. I use a chair to assist me. Until I can finish this program at that level, I will not grow disinterested in it. I am somewhat competitive. This brings me to my next point. A lot of people, you included, talk about “health.” As far as I have read there are two intrinsically important things related to aging healthy aside from diet. Muscular strength, and muscular flexibility. I.E. strength training and yoga. P90X has both things, so that’s a good thing in my book. Your main point has been that you “bet” that your health will be better than the people who follow P90X, yet you have advised modifying the program. Because the isotonic exercises must be balanced with isometric ones, you are short changing that aspect of the program and then betting against it. That does not seem right. I think that anyone who does P90X with proper form, and with proper focus, and still enjoys it (while eating decently, more on that in a sec), will maintain better health in their age than the “eats healthy and bikes for 30 minutes a day.”
You said that the muscle confusion idea was not valid, however Mike Geary in his stuff, as well as other authors, have talked about “turbulence training” which exhibits the same principles of variety causing the body to not be able to settle into an adaptation. While more mainstream that some of the turbulence training material, it is still sound in my opinion and there is a community behind it.
Lastly, to just touch on diet, I follow a variation, by the same author, of the Blood Type Diet. While not delving into it too much, there is credence according to the author that different blood and geno types should engage in different exercise patterns. Mine happens to advise switching between high and low intensity work outs. Plyo = high, weights = low in my eyes because I am not taxing my heart to much in weight training. Once again, P90X seems to have a nice balance here. While each exercise will spike your heart rate, it has a chance to drop, on the weight days. On the days like plyo, you will maintain a higher heart rate, that’s higher intensity. Some, like Type As should not do P90X at all because of the muscle acidity in high intensity exercise. While I do not advise anyone to this system, it is food for thought.
So to summarize: P90X is certainly not for everyone. You talk about having a long term plan, but for me my long term plan is to keep as athletic as possible. P90X and P90X plus are just my gateways to getting to a place with my body that allows me to do what I want. I have tried other routes and failed miserably. This is working, and it will work for many people. I think the only possible shortcoming is that like you said, being commercial, it is marketed to an audience irrespective of their special considerations, but that is not a short coming of the program design itself. If you want to be an athlete, I think P90X is a great way to get started, assuming of course that you have a moderate level of fitness beforehand.
Hi Brandon, thank you for sharing your opinion.
I think a more important question in regard to some of the yoga poses is how many people need or want to be able to master them. Sure, it’s an admirable accomplishment, but one that might hold little value to some people and not be worth the investment of time or energy required. For someone who just wants to promote or maintain basic flexibility as part of a well rounded exercise program, this investment is overkill.
I have nothing against plyometrics and think it’s an excellent method of improving athletic performance and even building resistance to injury. However, I think plyometric exercises are probably best left out of a generic workout program due to their high level of specificity and their potential to cause injury when used inappropriately. Furthermore, because plyometrics are used to develop power, they’re typically done with high intensity and low repetitions. The plyometric training in the P90X program pretty much follows the opposite approach. This makes sense from the perspective of reducing the potential for injury, but it also eliminates much of their purpose and raises the question of why they’re even included. For someone who doesn’t have the foundation of fitness to handle true plyometrics, I would agree that the watered down version in the P90X program can be helpful for some, but I still think less volume would be better. Either way, this watered down version of plyometrics still seems to have caused problems for people. Furthermore, the P90X is primarily marketed as a weight loss program, and it’s not a good idea for people who are overweight to do plyometrics. Extra body weight greatly increases the amount of impact force, and in turn, the potential for injury.
Yes, the use of compound exercises such as lunges, push ups, and chin ups is one thing that I do like about the P90X program.
When I refer to “health,” I think I’m referring to it on a much deeper level. Sure, there is a musculoskeletal component to health that includes muscular strength and flexibility, but this is just scratching the surface. Although exercise can improve health, it’s also a burden on the body, and when done in excess for an extended period of time, it can disrupt the function of important organ systems such as the endocrine system and nervous system, and this can lead to all kinds of dysfunction. Granted, some people have more capacity than others and will be less likely to enter such a state, but some of the sedentary people who suddenly jump into the P90X program may not be so lucky. For them, balancing isometric movements with isotonic movements is the least of their concerns. Furthermore, I completely disagree that this is even necessary. Isotonic strength training movements done through a full range of motion in combination with a basic stretching and/or self massage routine is sufficient for developing well balanced musculoskeletal health. I agree that the isometric strength development that results from yoga is beneficial, but I disagree that it’s a must for people who use other methods of building strength.
Yes, it’s beneficial to include variation in the way that an exercise program stimulates the body. Periodization is a structured and gradual approach to doing this. However, I think “muscle confusion” is unnecessarily excessive in the amount of variation it promotes. For the serious athlete or fitness enthusiast, this can make it more difficult to monitor progress. For anyone else, it’s completely unnecessary except perhaps for the simple enjoyment of variety.
I also disagree that the P90X is a good fitness program for athletes. In most cases, improving athleticism requires improvements in strength, power, conditioning, flexibility, agility, balance, and injury resistance. The P90X falls way short in regard to developing the strength that most athletes desire because there is little to no emphasis on increasing resistance. This, along with the watered down version of plyometrics and the lack of other explosive training, also makes it a poor program for developing power. The P90X doesn’t include any agility training at all, and rightly so since it would be inappropriate for a general population. Flexibility, injury resistance, and conditioning are perhaps where the P90X would be most useful for athletes, but even here there are shortcomings. Most importantly, it’s important for athletes to follow programs that are customized for the specific demands and common injuries associated with their sport. This is obviously not the case with the P90X, and to the program’s credit, it would obviously be extremely difficult for a generic program to accomplish this.
Disagreement aside, I’m happy for you that you’re motivated by the P90X program and I hope it continues to suit your preferences. Thank you for inspiring thoughtful conversation.
Vin,
I must say that I enjoyed reading your article and all 129 responses to it. I commend you on your professionalism and the way you present yourself in some of the responses to the feedback that your received. You sure have put a lot of time into this forum! From top to bottom, this has been the most helpful page in deciding whether to purchase or not to purchase this product.
I have a personal friend that has done P90x with very good results but wanted to see what others have done. I have been searching the internet for days watching the videos of how people have changed over the 90 days but could not really find anything negative except a couple reviews that were pushing other products. Your likes, dislikes, suggestions and recommendations have all opened my eyes.
I just recently turned 40 and I am not in the best shape of my life. I am 6′-1″ and just tipped the scale at 240lbs. I recently re-joined the gym with my wife since they were offering such a great deal but the problem is getting there. I am not looking to get “ripped” but getting back into a size 34 jeans would be ideal.
I’m not really sure what I am going to do but I do know that I have to get off the sofa and computer and do something, stop making excuses and live a healthier life. Your article/responses/feedback has been very helpful and I thank you for that!!
Hi John, thank you for your kind feedback! It’s refreshing when people see the bigger picture that I’ve tried to present and realize that I’m not looking to aimlessly criticize P90X.
I don’t have any doubt that the P90X program has delivered tremendous results for some people. What’s important to consider if there’s a more efficient way to accomplish similar results while being more conscientious of optimal health.
If your primary goal is weight loss, I think you might be surprised by how much weight you can lose by simply following a diet based predominantly on natural whole foods, and this will of course be conducive to improved health as well. Exercise will obviously help as well and is certainly important, but I consider it secondary by a large margin to good nutrition.
Great article! While I really enjoy a vast number of exercises in P90X (going back to what you stated as functional movement emphasis). Skepticism is always healthy, especially in regards to workout programs. I used this program for a short amount of time about 2 years ago, and it did wonders for me in regards to the strength I was looking for; however, I have been working out for years now and understand the dynamics of a good workout. I like to replace some of the dvd’s with a 30 minute interval run, or 1000+ yds in the pool. The I found that a little modification to the program that involved leaving your home really made the workout effective. I even took weekends off from it (with the exception of stretch X) and it did wonders for my maximums. Bottom line, your article really brings a healthy skepticism to this popular program, and while I really enjoyed (I had to stop because I had been doing some ground fighting for my military unit which resulted in someone busting my foot to pieces) it is necessary for people to realize that having some base knowledge on health can go a long way in making this program effective (or any program for that matter). I’ve personally always have had a bias towards circuit training
Hi Tyler, thanks for your feedback and for emphasizing the importance of knowledge and experience. One of the primary messages I intended to convey with this article is for people to take more accountability for their fitness and health than simply making a commitment to follow a generic program, and I think you’ve exemplified this perfectly.
Sorry but to me it sounds like your just trying to give people an easier route to being fit, people who have larger muscles and are more fit do not get stronger by trimming their exercises and just eating healthy you have to work for it. Some people like myself like the challenge anyways. I go to college full-time and work full-time while doing p90x and honestly p90x doesn’t add on any stress, deprive sleep, or make me chronically tired. You just have to be strong mentally. Good article, I might of preceived the article a little different but thats just how I feel.
Hi Nathan, thanks for sharing your opinion.
Easier can imply laziness which is not at all what I’m encouraging. What I’m trying to encourage is a smarter way to improve fitness while also being more conscientious of optimal health. The amount of effort and dedication one applies is only as effective as the intelligence behind it, and I am by no means suggesting that building fitness or strength doesn’t require hard work.
I like challenge just as much as anyone else, but there’s a point at which the physiological stress of challenge, particularly when related to physical activity, can be overwhelming and detract from optimal health. The point at which this happens can vary significantly for different people. This is one of the reasons why I think it’s important to understand your goals and make sure that you’re actions are aligned with them. It will help to prevent the scenario of wasting energy on activities that won’t contribute to these goals, and in turn, will reduce the chance of this becoming overwhelming to the point that it can hinder progress and impair general wellness. You may not be able to appreciate this because you can handle the volume and intensity of the P90X program without issue, but it’s important to realize that you have youth on your side. Just because you can handle it doesn’t mean that everyone else can too.
It certainly is possible to make significant increases in strength by doing less. I’ve done it myself and so have many others. It’s very possible to make impressive strength gains from just one or two resistance training workouts per week that are each less than an hour in duration. Because such workouts are intense and can have significant recovery demands, some people need to limit themselves to such a schedule in order to make progress. Contrary to what you might think, two half hour strength training sessions per week can still be extremely hard work and very challenging. Furthermore, the P90X program is not well designed for someone who wants to make significant strength gains because there’s little to no emphasis on increasing resistance. However, this is understandable for a program that is focused primarily on weight loss and the ability to exercise at home with minimal equipment needs. It’s just another great example of why it’s important to make sure that one’s exercise program is truly aligned with their goals.
Short and sweet it works and works very well for me. It is the closest thing to having a personal trainer. The advanced workout will require you eat benefical foods.I am on day 30 and I feel great .No assumtions I am 54 years old and ex-college basketball playerl I lowered my cholesterol 200 to 147, blood pressure 120/70 resting heart rate=63.
I also am active member of the Senior Games.
This program is not for every one it is very demanding like most high level tranning.
Thanks for your comments Vin
Hi Carlton, thanks for sharing your experience and congratulations on improving your health.
The P90X program is like having a personal trainer in regard to having someone there to motivate you. However, the primary benefit of working with a good personal trainer is their application of advanced fitness knowledge to your specific individual needs and goals. This of course can’t be accomplished very well through a generic video program.
If the P90X has motivated you to make exercise a more consistent part of your lifestyle, then I think that’s great. However, I assume that you’ll eventually grow tired of P90X, and when you do, I think it’s important to make an effort to identify and address your individual needs and goals at a very specific level instead of simply looking for another generic video program. It’s also important to realize that month after month of a demanding fitness program can actually detract from health when one’s physical capacity and need for rest are neglected.
In regard to advanced training, it’s my opinion that it’s typically much more focused on goals that are more specific and performance oriented than weight loss or general health. However, these latter goals are what most people seem to use the P90X program for, and I think the physiological burden of intense training, particularly on a long term basis, is unnecessary for these purposes and sometimes detrimental. If someone enjoys the intensity and can handle it without experiencing any negative effects, that’s fine, but it would be unfortunate for someone to push themselves beyond their capacity thinking that this amount of exercise is absolutely necessary to promote weight loss, great health, or even an above average level of fitness.
Hey Vin,
I’m sitting here at 1 am when I should be doing homework. Instead, I read through this entire page of comments. As a friend and I were interested in starting P90X, correct me if I’m wrong, but are you basically saying that P90X can act as a starting block for the “average” person, and can work, so long as I tailor it a bit to fit my own needs? I’m a “regular” teenager interested in staying in shape, especially since I’ve stopped swimming.
Hi Eric,
Yes, if you tailor the P90X program to your own needs and respect your capacity, I think you can gain value from following it. However, I also think it’s important to educate yourself about fitness as much as you can. Not only will this improve your ability to choose and apply exercise principles that relate best to your individual needs, but I also think it will greatly improve the chances of making exercise a lifelong habit.
Vin,
While I am a current P90X-er coming to the end of my 2nd month, it is nice to read an article to provide some contrast to the general P90x craze. For me, I honestly needed something to direct me and provide a rigid schedule. Countless times I have tried to motivate myself to begin regular exercise only to quit after a couple days. I know it is difficult to understand from the more fit side of the tracks that you are on, but some of us really struggle to get off our lazy butts.
I don’t think most people realistically think that they can do P90x for 90 days and be magically fit for the rest of their lives (at least I hope not). Some people just really need an organized and laid out way to develop a habit of fitness in their lives. I think that consideration of personal ability should be taken into account during any activity. I used to do a lot of long distance back packing and frequently saw hikers out of commission because they pushed too many miles.
I for one bought my dvds used and make my own energy bars, etc. from scratch from whole foods. The commercialism is unavoidable because it is in fact a product for people to buy and is a business. But, that being said, I don’t reject every product that I see a commercial for…I found my favorite trash bags based on a commercial.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your experience!
I completely understand that some people need a bit of a push into a rigid schedule to stay motivated. However, it’s also important to consider what the schedule entails. If the P90X motivates you to exercise a certain number of days per week, that’s great, but if what you’re doing on those days is too much for your capacity, then you’re likely to eventually become fatigued and not be able to keep up with the schedule anyway. Furthermore, if you can try to identify a more meaningful source of inspiration for exercising, that would probably be much more powerful and effective in motivating you to stick to a schedule than any kind of generic DVD program.
I agree, it’s common sense that the results of 90 days of P90X or any other program won’t last a lifetime. For the most part, you’ll obviously only enjoy the benefits of exercise for as long as you continue to do it. However, the rigid and intense structure of the P90X program isn’t very conducive to longevity which is why I’ve argued that it’s more of a quick fix approach than a well balanced long term solution that promotes exercise as a lifelong habit.
The advertising for the P90X program has no influence on my opinion of it. I too have chosen to buy things based on advertising. The only reason I mentioned the P90X advertising is because it’s a good indication of what the program is really about which in my opinion is getting “ripped” as quickly as possible. The purpose of this article is to encourage people to not only realize that there may be some negative consequences to this, but also that there are more practical ways to go about it that are more conducive to optimal health.
I really need to strongly disagree with almost everything you say. First of all, everyone is different – very very different – and while P90X doesn’t do it for you, it might do it for others. I, for example, was a mass building idiot until P90X came along. Now all of my knee and back problems are gone, I have FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH, and I live a considerably healthier lifestyle to supplement the hard work I do exercising. I have also been doing P90X since January ‘09, and I don’t feel any of this so called chronic fatigue you speak of. P90X has inspired me to be healthy in all aspects of my life, and I now work out with different goals in mind (calorie burning and “getting ripped” are merely pleasant side effects). People who claim they’re now injured as a result of P90X are, forgive me, not cautious when it comes to working out. READ THE WARNING IN THE BEGINNING AND DO THE EXERCISES PROPERLY! I am defensive of P90X as it changed my life. It’s not for everyone, that is for sure, but don’t come down on it because you couldn’t hack it and quit, or because you didn’t listen to Tony (ok, he’s a little tough to really listen to, sometimes I have to tune him out when he gets absurd) when he said “let go of your ego.” The human body is capable of amazing things, and I found that out thru P90X. Your argument is biased and one-sided, and I think you need to update your point of view. Plyo and Yoga have turned me into an agile and flexible person, being able to do things I couldn’t even dream of before. I am a black belt, and kenpo has improved not just my cardio, balance and agility, but also my striking ability. Cutting out the yoga is a BAD idea – if you don’t have 90 mins do another, shorter, yoga workout. Yoga (any yoga) is the fountain of youth and CANNOT be replaced with cardio, and one would be foolish to suggest not doing yoga. And if you say you don’t have 6 hours of free time a week – you are a liar. I’m an attorney, and I find the time to get these workouts in. Stop blaming the program for your lack of motivation. Maybe it’s not for you, but don’t bash it because of that. Remember, people who will read this article and use it as yet another excuse to not exercise, try P90X, and if you hate it, return it. And listen to the instruction and read the guides – I don’t follow the diet plan I just try to eat healthy, but the guides (BOTH OF THEM) can help your efforts. Modify, make it your own, and don’t let your ego force you to do things you know you can’t. That being said, I agree that one must be very careful when doing this program, and realize that, after the 90 days, you need to keep up the intensity to maintain your gains (which Tony says in the work out guide). I hope I wasn’t a total jerk – I was going for partial jerk.
Hi Asasso,
Yes, individuality is very important, and this is a major point I’ve repeatedly made. However, this also implies how unlikely it is for a single workout program like the P90X to accommodate the individual needs of a large group of people. This is why I provided some suggestions on how people can modify the P90X program to better suit their needs.
This is just another testament to the importance of individuality. If you read through some of the comments above, you’ll find that not everyone has been as lucky as you. Furthermore, I never said that the intensity of the P90X program will cause fatigue for everyone who tries it.
Good, this is an example of how the P90X can lead someone in the right direction, and I’m happy to hear this. However, the key here is realizing the importance of going beyond the principles of the P90X and becoming more educated about fitness and health so that you can more effectively accommodate your own specific needs.
Don’t be so quick to forget about the individuality that you yourself said was so important. Some of the people who try P90X have been sedentary for years and are highly susceptible to injury. Others might have previous injuries that make them susceptible as well. In either case, such individuals may not be fully aware of the true extent of their susceptibility, and in these cases, the warning won’t make much of a difference. This is why I think it’s important to be assessed by a physical therapist or to use a self assessment like Assess and Correct.
I can assure you that my opinion on the P90X isn’t based on not being able to “hack it.” I have a lot more determination than you realize. Contrary to what you seem to think, my primary dislike of the P90X program is that it’s designed with appearance goals in mind more so than true health or fitness goals. Although, as I mentioned in the article, I do realize there are some aspects of the program that this doesn’t apply to.
Yes, the human body is capable of amazing things, but it definitely has limits, and if you push too much, its capabilities are diminished. While the P90X may have helped you realize your capabilities, it may cause others to realize their limitations in an unpleasant way. I’m all for pushing limits, but it has to be within reason.
As someone who practices martial arts, flexibility is obviously a specific need that you have. As we’ve been discussing, individuality is important, and the average person will not have the same flexibility needs as you. Furthermore, while yoga would certainly be an effective way for you to develop the flexibility you need, it may not provide enough of a focus on the specific muscles that are prone to tightness based on the particular style of martial arts that you practice.
I think it would be more appropriate to say it would be foolish to suggest not doing any flexibility work. However, this is not at all what I said. Instead, I suggested that people who don’t have a need for advanced flexibility and don’t like yoga can save time and energy by following a more basic self massage and stretching routine instead. I have nothing against yoga, but it’s certainly not a requirement for basic flexibility. I also never suggested that yoga can be replaced with with cardio. In fact, an increase in cardio would likely require an increase in flexibility work.
This article is not at all based on my individual needs, schedule, or level of motivation. In fact, I have a tremendous amount of dedication and don’t appreciate your insinuation that I’m lazy.
Making the time commitment to P90X is more about priorities than schedule. I agree that anyone who views fitness as a priority will make the time. However, it’s also important to consider how effectively that time is being put to use. In my opinion, for most people’s fitness goals, the P90X program is not an efficient use of time. Why do more than you have to, especially in cases where the increased physiological burden can be disadvantageous.
People with basic fitness goals can achieve excellent results with less of a time commitment and certainly with less intensity than what the P90X program calls for. Putting in extra time can obviously be more beneficial, but only if it’s done with specificity and within one’s capacity.
Hi Vin,
I really liked your article about P90X. My husband and I are considering purchasing this video to use at home together. I have been trying to research it and this seems like the first real review I found that did just say it worked or it didn’t. My husband and I are in our early twenties and we don’t always have the time to work out outside or at the gym. I was hoping to find a good workout video that we could use at home together. My husband does not want to spend money on a gym membership because he knows he probably will not go. We live in a nice neighborhood and often take walks, but we don’t really jog or run because my husband has problems with shin splints. He developed them in basic training in the airforce and was medically discharged. I am glad to know that you disprove of the P90X nutrition guide because we had no intention of using it. I am not fond or pills, shakes, or gross energy bars and I don’t want to change the way I shop for groceries. I cook everyday and we eat few processed foods. I would much rather cook our regular meals than to try and make ourselves eat food we do not like. I think we may order the video and do the regular workouts combined with a regular diet (maybe less red meat and hearty meals) and try it for 90 days. After that we figured we would just pick and choose videos a few times a week to maintain a healthy routine that we enjoy.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for your feedback!
Since you’re primarily looking for a workout to do at home and probably don’t want to invest in any equipment, I think the P90X will serve you well if you pick and choose from it wisely and respect your capacity. Good luck!
Vin,
Thanks for the good reads…. I did P90x and agree with you. I was wondering if you could turn me on to an at home workout routine that will help me lose weight and build muscle(more concentrated on losing weight) I do eat well but would like a 30-45 minute routine I can do 6 days a week. I like to bike and run but looking for a full body workout. PLEASE HELP ME..thanks!
Hi Matt,
As I mentioned in my article, I firmly believe that healthy eating is the most important aspect of weight loss, and to address this, you should be eating mostly natural whole foods, particularly meat, fish, moderate amounts of fruit, low starch vegetables, and nuts. The more closely you adhere to this principle, the easier weight loss will be, and you’ll likely enjoy the benefit of improved health as well.
If you enjoy biking and running and they don’t cause you any difficulties, then it makes a lot of sense to include them in your routine. I’d keep the intensity low and would reserve maybe one day per week for intense intervals if you feel that you have the energy for it.
For strength training at home, assuming you don’t have a lot of equipment, I’d focus primarily on lunges, chin ups, and push ups, but not necessarily with as much volume as is used in the P90X program. I’d also include swiss ball rollouts or planks for core work, or even better, ab wheel rollouts if you can do them. If you’d like to get more serious about strength training, I’d consider some of the equipment recommendations I made in the article which will greatly expand the variety of exercises that you can do at home as well as the amount of resistance that you can use.
For flexibility, I’d use the stretches from any of the resources that I’ve recommended in the article and would also include self massage.
Although this may not sound like much compared to the P90X, I think it’s sufficient for a well rounded exercise routine that supports both health and weight loss. I hope it helps!
Hi Vin, I appreciate the feedback that I have picked up by reading some of the positives and negatives of the P90X program and fitness in general. Thanks.
I am 53 years young, married with three daughters 20,18,16 and we are looking for an exercise program that would fit us as a family. I too believe that being in good health is a much better goal than a beach body (I may not have always said that).
I have attempted to stay fit all my life by running and training with weights (lighter as I age). My wife and daughters have not been very disciplined in exercise but eat fairly healthy. None are terribly overweight and all have done some running. One daughter and I just completed our first marathon.
Two of us (wife and daughter) would like to lose 10 – 20 pounds and gain a bit of muscle and the rest of us would just like to gain a bit of muscle and tone up. All with the end goal to feel and look healthier. Beyond that, I would hope that my family would have such a good experience and reward from this that they would be motivated to continue the process for life.
Can you and would you have any suggestions or direction for me?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Bill,
Congratulations on completing a marathon. That’s an impressive achievement!
One thing which stands out to me is that you and your daughter are fit enough to complete a marathon but are still looking to lose weight. This leads me to suspect that perhaps you’re not being as mindful of your food choices as you could be or that you’ve been overtraining (the physiological stress of excess exercise can impair weight loss). As you decide how to proceed, this is something to consider.
As I said to Matt above, I really think diet is the most critical factor in weight loss. However, the key is really focusing on food quality by choosing whole foods that are low in starch and sugar and avoiding processed foods and flavored or sweetened beverages as much as possible.
It sounds like your primary concern is long term motivation. I suggest choosing activities and exercises that you truly enjoy, not pushing yourself too far past the point where exercise becomes more of a burden than something enjoyable, and to find a convincing way to associate the benefits of exercising with meaningful personal values. This last aspect is arguably the most important. Here’s an article that discusses it in more detail.
Hi Vin. I think we can all agree that doing what ever it takes to get this country moving and eating correctly is a very positive start. I am in the best shape of my like thanks to P90X but I am not opposed to cross fit or any other training methods for that matter. I think they are all fun and I love the variety and I love to challenge myself. Most people need a structure laid out for them that they can follow and P90X does this. They don’t say you only have to do P90X. Of course you can move on to other things, mix and match it get some personal training sessions to learn even more but P90X lays an awesome foundation. P90X will hopefully change a persons bad habits and at least open their eyes to a new world of fitness out there. Heck, if someone doesn’t like P90X just return it for a refund. Yes, I am a coach and I like to share fitness and health with everyone but I was a customer first, doing P90X and that is what led me to the coaching program. It is a lot of fun getting people to work out and seeing them do a complete 360 in their lives.
As far as eating bars and protein powder goes, well if you don’t need to supplement then don’t do it. I find the bars come in handy for me when I am crunched for time or on the road. I don’t use them every day but they do make things a little easier.
Hi Jeff, thanks for your comment!
I totally agree about the positive start about getting people moving. However, as I’ve said before, this start needs to be followed up with some ambition to make exercise a lifelong habit. In my opinion, this requires at least some level of education and an awareness of how to address one’s individual needs. Most importantly, there needs to be a meaningful source of inspiration. Unfortunately, because much of the appeal associated with P90X is based on rapid appearance based results, I think it’s easy for people to approach the program with a quick fix mentality that doesn’t include much concern for longevity. Hopefully there are sensible Beachbody coaches out there like yourself who are compensating for this.
In regard to the bars and powders, being busy is a convenient excuse to eat processed foods. However, there’s no reason why someone who’s pressed for time can’t prepare themselves for such situations by making healthy snacks or meals in advance or even choosing bars and powders that are of higher quality and contain fewer undesirable ingredients.
Im not a P90X supporter or detractor. I was simply looking for some unbiased information on the subject. I think the problem some people have, myself included, is not whether you think the program is good or not, its the biased way you put it. How serious would you take a food critic that has not eaten at a place but rates it low anyway just because he read about it in some books? Movie critics have to see a movie in order to rate it. Would you believe me if I told you how horrible a movie was or how great and awesome it is only to find out at the end that I had never seen it? What if consumer reports gave a rating on a product yet never tested it? Thats how I felt reading your article. I was happy to hear something that wasnt sugar coated like so many other reviews only to find out that you hadnt even done the program. Not doing it simply because you think it wont be good doesnt cut it for me, not if you are going to rate a product. I had hoped youd have done it then formulated an opinion. But instead you say many things based upon what? Not direct experience. It would be like saying I know what birth pain is like because Ive read a bunch of books on it. Your answer may be I already know so I dont need to do the program to rate it. Well that goes back to the food or movie critic or consumer reports analogy. Their credibility would be shot had they not seen that movie or eaten at that place or actually tested that product. Does this compare to a boxed exercise program? yes. They dont say they are health critics, but you say you are. So I continue on in my quest to find someone who has actually done P90X in its entirety and can give an unbiased opinion of the product without sugar coating it, try to sell me something.
Hi Dan,
Can I critique the taste of a particular wine without actually consuming it? Obviously not. Can I be justified in suggesting that consuming the same wine too frequently is probably a bad idea? Certainly, and I think this is the case with my criticisms of the P90X program as well. The point of this article is not to share personal experiences with the program, but to discuss the exercise principles behind it (or lack thereof), and I think the many years I’ve been exercising and studying fitness have provided me with plenty of experience and knowledge to do so.
I encourage you and anyone who shares your sentiment to try the program for yourself and come to your own conclusions. If the ideas that I’ve presented in this article help you make better use of the program or make you more aware of the need for longevity and a more balanced and health oriented perspective on fitness, then my intentions have been realized.
Doing any workout, will i need a recovery drink and a protein bar?
Hi James,
No, recovery drinks and protein bars are not necessary. There are many people who were able to achieve incredible fitness before such things even existed. As long as you’re regularly choosing high quality foods, eating enough to support your activity level, and getting plenty of sleep and rest, this should be more than sufficient. It’s amazing how many people use expensive recovery supplements without giving enough appreciation to these basic factors. If you’d like to be more proactive about improving your recovery, one thing you can do is to make sure that you have a high quality meal shortly after exercising.
Good article, lots of postings. P90X is appealing on the surface level because its results are visible, very visible, but mostly on the surface level. But once you’ve figured out that you don’t have to be fat, a slug, a couch potato, then a more important question arises. What do you want to do, and what do you want to be? P90X and other programs (taebo, etc.) focus very hard on producing a “beach body,” but for the 99.9% of the time you are not on a beach or wearing a sleeveless T-shirt, what do you really want to be able to do?
The answer should be contain the word “fitness”. You should choose your activity (tennis, golf, skiing, mountain climbing, marathon, triathlon, kayaking, bicycle racing, bicycle touring, fly fishing) and create a training, diet and lifestyle program that puts you toward your goal. Anything else is, frankly, shallow, and most likely unsustainable. You should aim to be a totally fit person who can practice and improve on the chosen activity, getting better at it all the time with minimal (less than 0.01%) of injury. So, if you are a tennis player, you should have proper stroke technique, excellent and balanced muscle tone for legs, core, arms and good tennis endurance. To do this you will need to hit the track, hit the gym, eat right and pursue improvements in technique. You will probably look, in street clothes, remarkably normal and even in a swimsuit just reasonably fit, and not “cut” or “buff.” THIS is what will make you a happy, physical person. Having a ribbed ab or “guns” for arms will not do it, over time.
If you are a high angle mountaineer then you will need excellent endurance and stamina, the cardio ability to perform at peak levels in much thinner air, excellent muscle tone for legs, core and arms, the ability to haul a 50 pound pack 7~10,000 feet up from where you start, and specific skill sets with ropes, caribiners, chocks, protection and expedition safety and emergency medical care. Again, achieving your physical activity will make you a complete person, not sporting a pair of deltoids that look like 18th century cannonballs.
It doesn’t much matter what it is you choose to do; choose it and then structure a fitness and lifestyle plan to achieve constant improvement in it. Anything else is underperformance or vanity, or both.
However, it is entirely possible that using the above method, you could find a number of exercises and inspiration from P90 or something similar that you could adapt to truly important goals.
Hi Doug, thanks for your comment!
I completely agree with your perspective and I think it’s very much in line with what I’ve been trying to say.
One thing I’d like to mention is that some people aren’t interested in pursuing an “activity.” While it can certainly be a great source of motivation, it’s possible to find other sources of motivation that will help to make exercise a sustainable habit. The key is to find a way to associate the benefits of exercise with meaningful personal values. For some, this may include a sport or some other similar type of activity, but for others, it might not, and it doesn’t have to. For example, late in his career, Andre Agassi was motivated to train hard because he realized that his tennis success could support the development of his charter school for underprivileged kids in Las Vegas. Helping these kids is valuable to him, and once he realized that he could leverage his fame to support this value, it motivated him to fully dedicate himself to his tennis career, and in turn, his fitness. This is especially noteworthy because he very much lacked this commitment earlier in his career. I think this is a great example for people who don’t naturally enjoy physical activity.
I agree that someone who follows a basic fitness routine, whether it be to improve performance or simply support good health, can expect to look “reasonably fit.” However, I think it’s realistic to expect even more than this. Although it typically requires a good amount of strength training to develop a muscular “beach body,” anyone who follows a truly healthy diet and is reasonably active can look very lean and fit without dedicating a lot of effort solely to this purpose.
I also agree that there are aspects of the P90X program that can be of value to people who are motivated by meaningful goals and are aware of how to apply these aspects to their personal needs.
I KNEW IT: After a year of trying P90X and really being faithful for the first 4 months, I did the same as you and missed my walks, etc. I also gained weight and had joint issues. I still do a few of the videos when I’m stuck inside due to rain, but that’s pretty sparing. What I find with any programmed exercise and me is that I’m gung-ho at first, but the routine gets me down after awhile and I need a change to something less structured and more free, plus an hour in front of a video isn’t how I want to spend my time!
Peggy, it is so validating to hear that I am not alone in my less-than desired results. I agree… I’d much rather be outside.
I, too, like to change things up- it’s just nice to not feel beholden to P90X and know that it’s OK for me NOT to do it, because it wasn’t the right thing for me.
Good luck on your fitness endeavors.
Vin,
This is an amazing website, I totally understand your emphasis on healthy functional and sustainable fitness.
Thank you for providing a wonderfully moderated environment for all parties. The way I see it, P90x is a good program, a very good program at that. However, it is not the holy grail of fitness, and has drawbacks like any other program.
You have done a good job of bringing its deficiencies to light, even if people were to do P90x, they would be better off educating themselves to its potential drawbacks. I have started p90x and reached a lot of the same conclusions independently, ie I have halved the volume and doubled the frequency as I am in a wheelchair and unable to do cardio.
I totally concur with you on many of the observations. Above all your caveat regarding the total emphasis on cosmetic looks and profit motive rather than sustainable and functional life long health.
I cannot thank you enough. P90x is simply another weapon in my arsenal.
Zak
Hi Zak, thank you for your kind feedback!
More importantly, thank you for emphasizing the importance of learning, especially since I intended this to be one of the more important aspects of the article. Although it may seem like a critique of the P90X program, my real intention was to use it as a way to suggest what I consider to be a more balanced and health conscious approach to fitness.
Thanks for the informative website Vin. I just saved the link and will definitely read it in the future.
This has been an interesting read, although I only read maybe 40% of the posts.
I both agree and disagree with the original post.
I was unfamiliar with P90X until recently. I saw the first infomercial about a week after I started doing P90X, so no hype for me.
A lot of what you mentioned is actually shared in the P90X DVDs. I think that it does a good job at promoting health, safety, improved physical function, etc.
The focus on ripped abs and crunches is relative. I’ve only done the first 2 weeks, and the focus seems to be on improved fitness, coordination, stamina, strength, flexibility, nutrition, attitude, etc. There’s also emphasis on proper form vs. increased repetitions.
I don’t follow their diet, but the initial stage makes perfect sense to me. Although most popular diets can be unhealthy, reducing carbohydrates is a good way to jump start weight loss. I think this is where I first heard it, probably near the end of the show:
http://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16715
They have some other wonderful programs available for online viewing. I think you’ll enjoy them.
A bit about my story:
After a motorcycle accident in 1996, and then working on my Ph.D. in 1999 without much physical activity, my health deteriorated. At one point I was weighing 260 lbs, and for the past few years I have dealt with arthritis, tendinitis, sleep apnea, and a bunch of other problems.
I think it was 2 years ago when I entered a weight loss challenge (and won). I had returned to training Karate and also took up inline skating. One day I could not get out of bed and it turned out to be a herniated disc and a couple of damaged discs. Many months later I got over that enough to be able to train karate again, but 2 or 3 months ago I had problems with my neck, which are finally going away thanks to a lot of acupuncture, exercises, and a change in diet. I HATED the Percocet, Vicodin, Parafon Forte, etc., that the doctors gave me in the past and I prefer a “healthier” approach to improve my health
So, I discovered P90X and started the program about 2 weeks ago, still with some back and neck problems. I don’t want a beach body or to be ripped, but it really seemed like a good workout, with a lot of variety, and doing things I had done in the past (except for Yoga).
I lost 6 pounds in the first 10 days, but I’m definitely tailoring it for my needs as follows:
-I don’t follow the diet. Based on my unhealthy weight of 242 lbs when I started I’m supposed to eat way too many calories (3500). After one week I adjusted this to 2400.
-Regarding supplements (e.g., protein powder, protein bars, recovery drinks, and protein shakes) I do take multivitamins, protein powder (since my doctor told me to before I even began doing P90X), and lowfat chocolate milk as a recovery drink. I only drink soy or almond milk these days, so I’ll try to find out if those alternatives would work as a recovery drink. My current diet pretty much consists of salmon, fruits, and vegetables.
-I don’t do any jumping, or plyometrics. I may give them a try once I lose at least 40 pounds and regain my strength. I’m scared to do that now because of my back and because I injured my Achilles tendon a few years ago while trying to jump rope again. It was at the last minute of my routine, and it was awful. I used to jump for 45 minutes when I was lighter and exercised regularly
-I don’t go beyond my limits. I was actually surprised to be able to do quite a bit of the exercises. I was told that this was EXTREME and so far it’s been perfectly doable. Since I could not work out a couple of days, I actually combined 2 sets of exercises on 2 consecutive days to catch up. Not ideal, but I was able to do it.
-I may substitute some of the routines. This idea came about while doing Kenpo X. I read asasso’s comment (“I am a black belt, and kenpo has improved not just my cardio, balance and agility, but also my striking ability”) and my experience is the opposite. I have to mentally tell myself that this is more like “dancing” or “aerobics” instead of a Martial Art. Yesterday I started training Karate for the first time since my neck injury, and the workout I get there is much more intense than what I get with Kenpo X, and this is while training within my limitations. Doing a kick, punch, or strike with the proper technique is quite a workout. I’m looking forward to getting back to it. I may still do Kenpo X but more like aerobics. (Not that it matters, but I’m also a black belt. My Sensei (Hanshi) is an advanced black belt in a wide variety of martial arts. 8th Dan in Karate.)
-Given the impression I got from Kenpo X, and as a Yoga newbie, I’m thinking of following a Yoga workout by an actual Yoga instructor. I tried “Yoga for Beginners & Beyond: Stretch, Strengthen, Be Stress Free! – Ana Brett & Ravi Singh” and liked it but had to stop. I’ll give it another try this weekend. Seemed better for me than Yoga X.
So in my opinion P90X offers a few advantages:
Variety
Enthusiasm
Nutrition guide
All in one package
Any program that restricts carbs for a month and includes over 6 hours of intense exercise per week is likely to result on weight loss (or at least fat loss).
Disadvantages:
By offering so much variety (e.g., Yoga, Kempo, Plyometrics, etc.) I don’t think that they’re offering the “best” example of each.
So far it has worked for me, but I’m modifying it to better suit my needs. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate it an 8.
Thanks again for your wonderful website!
Hi Eddie, thanks for sharing your experience and congratulations on persevering through your challenges!
It seems that you have a good grasp on how to take a generic program like the P90X and modify it to your needs. For people who have the awareness and motivation to do this, I agree that the P90X can provide some value.
I agree that a reduction in carbohydrates along with 6 weeks of exercise will help just about anyone lose weight, but like you said, this is a “jump start.” Although it’s fine to try things that may accelerate progress, it’s only worth doing if it supplements a more reasonable and sustainable plan for long term success. And of course, it’s questionable to pursue such approaches if they have the potential to compromise health. For some, this could easily be the case with a high volume of exercise.
I’m not surprised by your assessment of Kenpo X in comparison to martial arts training. I don’t think the P90X program is specific enough to be a good training program for athletes. However, to be fair, I don’t think it’s marketed as such.
In regard to your consumption of soy milk, I suggest reading The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla Daniel.
I am a big fan of P90X and I also enjoyed this article. I just finished my first phase and, yes, it worked as advertised. When I first started, I just wanted the “beach body”. Now that it’s over, it’s become much more than that. I actually care about fitness now as a lifelong thing. I think the 3 months of P90X really helped me open my eyes. The commercials are slick but over and over Tony Horton really emphasizes a fitness life-style as an anti-aging mechanism.
However, looking back, I think it may have been possible to get the same or very close to the same results I had by eliminating 1/3 to 1/2 of the overall workout volume. There were some weeks I felt like I was overtraining but I got through it somehow.. sometimes a little slugglishly. Maybe I am lucky to not have been injured or pull something.
After reading your excellent detailed essay, I agree and am considering to eliminate some of the redundant moves for round 2 of P90X, for example: the 2nd half of the Chest/Back workout and the repeat sets of the Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps workout. They are awesome but I remember thinking — is this too much? I followed my own healthy-eating guidelines and did fine. I only used the P90X plan as a basic reference.
I must admit — I love Plyometrics and Kenpo. I really felt the benefit of Plyo last week when I was playing volleyball with a bunch of guys in their mid-20s and I am 37. I was running for every ball, kinda doing the tire moves and the side-to-side quick squats to go for the ball. It was the first practical application of the Plyo workout and it felt very “natural”. The guys I was playing with couldn’t believe I was pushing 40.
So overall I am a big fan of P90X.. it works as advertised and I also agree with your findings regarding redundant moves and potential over-training. In the end, Tony does say to “modify modify modify”.
Hi Viktor, thanks for sharing your experience!
One of my primary criticisms of the P90X program is that it’s focus on appearance and speedy weight loss doesn’t cultivate a good perspective on long term health and fitness. I’m glad to hear that your experience has been different. It’s definitely a plus if the P90X can help get people out of the quick fix mentality, but I question how likely it is for this to happen.
I certainly agree that you could have made excellent progress with less volume. Recognizing that will hopefully help you optimize your training going forward.
I’m glad to hear that the program has improved your performance. If you’re serious about volleyball, you may want to consider adding some weight training (instead of body weight training), true plyometric training, and anaerobic interval training to your program. These are important components of improving athletic performance that I think are given little emphasis in the P90X program (and rightly so since many people who follow the program are probably not athletes).
Wow. Thanks for the article and honest input which seems hard to come by these days seeing the hype on P90X. I am currently doing the program for over a month and a half now. After many years exercising and personal training a lot of what P90x had to offer went against my better judgment.
After reading your review it only confirms my thoughts of modifying the program to meet my needs. I should have listened earlier as a shoulder problem from benching years ago suddenly came back to light. I believe that happened in conjunction with the “volume” approach in P90X. I will be taking your advice, making the changes and enjoying exercise again. Add me to your mailing list if you like. Also, any other info on how to make the program more efficient let me know. Or, if you have any advice or knowledge of in-home workouts with minimal equipment let me know.
Hi Max, thanks for your comment!
Other people have insinuated that it’s obvious that the program should be modified to meet individual needs. I think your experience is an important example of how this isn’t always the case. When one follows a structured program like the P90X, it’s easy to think that it needs to be followed as closely as possibly to obtain the promised benefits.
Here are some things that you may want to consider in regard to your shoulder problems.
-Avoid movements that require a wide positioning of the hands and outward position of the elbows. Examples include wide grip chin ups, wide grip pull downs, push ups with wide hand positioning, and wide grip bench press.
-When doing pulling or pushing exercises, use dumbbells instead of a barbell when possible, position your hands slightly wider than shoulder with, and keep your elbows aligned with your wrists (which should be somewhat inward towards the trunk). If you decide to do a chest pressing exercise, choose incline over flat bench.
-Try some shoulder isolation exercises with light dumbbells to improve the strength and stability of the joint. Here are two good ones to try: Shoulder External Rotation and Rear Lateral Raise (better done with chest supported on an incline bench).
-Make sure that you don’t have forward shoulder posture and balance your pressing movements (chest and shoulder) with pulling movements (back).
I hope that helps! If your shoulder pain is bad, you should also consider seeing a doctor or physical therapist.
Hi Vin,
So I was also looking through google to find info on p90X when I found your page.
I have to say I am extremely dissapointed. I am a 30 yr old father of 3. I use to be an avid aggressive in-line skater. Not only riding ramps and grinding curbs and railings but also with a friend of mine would skate about 10-15 mi per night. I was in decent shape. I have never had a six pack or any thing like that but I was at least thin and fit in my clothes comfortably. Once I went to college the skating slowed to a stop. I have since done no real excersize for an extended period of time. I have honestly never really eaten well. Fast food and soda are a large part of my diet. I am aware I need to cut those things out and am working on it. I also just quit smoking cigarettes a little over a year ago. I am desperate to get healthy. To the extent that when I exert my self my body seems to beg for more. And if I drink water I feel the difference in my body. I havent drank a lot of water for most of my life but have been incorporating it heavily as of recent. I was really looking forward to P90X to jump start my getting healthy goal. But after reading this im honestly disheartend and depressed. I need help ! what do I do to get into this healthy Life style if I have no knowlege of what is or isn’t healthy. Not to mention the proper way to work out and the right things to eat ? I will be the first to admit the fact that P90X seems to “lay it all out” for you is very appealing. As well as the “ripped abs” and the “beach body” ! Help Me Please ! what do I do? Where do I start ?
Thank you
James
Hi James,
Please don’t be depressed. Your ambition to take control of your health is very positive, and to take full advantage of it, it’s important to pursue an approach that prioritizes optimal wellness and longevity. Any appearance related benefits are best considered secondary and should come naturally.
The best way to avoid feeling overwhelmed is to start small. With your diet, you can start by simply replacing processed foods with a balance of natural whole foods such as meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables.
Given your excitement towards the P90X program, maybe it would be beneficial to follow it with some of the considerations that I discussed in the article. Instead of blindly following it and overextending yourself to keep up with it, follow it with the perspective that you’re looking to learn and gain experience with various forms of exercise. As you become more experienced with exercise, you should be capable of designing your own programs that are much better suited to your individual needs and preferences.
Keep in mind that doing a little for a long time is a lot better than doing a lot and then giving up, so don’t force yourself to do everything in the program. Do what you enjoy, what you think is beneficial, and what you think you can handle given your current capacity.
As you do all of this, it’s incredibly important to educate yourself. This will give you further direction and new ideas to try. Over time you should end up with the experience and knowledge you need to promote .
A good primer on an overall approach to healthy living to help you get started is How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy by Paul Chek. In addition, there are plenty of articles on this site that you can read. Check out the getting started page.
You are definately right. This program is not for EVERYONE. However, as an ex-special forces vet and life long advocate for finding the best ways to push myself to the limits – I’ve found this workout to be very challenging. I do the P90X workouts every morning and continue to lift 4 evenings a week. I’ve found that the overall variety and broad spectrum of workouts in these routines to benefit and compliment one another (as well as my lifting routines). Yes, your article does have a hint of critique overtone to it, but we all have different wants and needs as well as limitations. I think its safe to say – the P90X workouts were beyond your comfort level as well as not being congruent with your goals. For the extreme athletes – this might be more up your alley as it has been mine!! I love the regimes and have continued with the program and others like it. Good health. Good strength. Good body. Its all a matter of what you deem important, I guess.
Hi Jason, thanks for your comment.
You’re right that the P90X is not congruent with my fitness goals, but this article isn’t about me. In fact, one of my criticisms of the P90X program is that as a generic program, it’s difficult for it (without customization) to be congruent with anyone’s goals except for those who simply want to challenge their physical limits (which is fine, but also vague) or are after the advertised benefit of a “beach body.” With a bit of thought, just about anyone should be able to come up with more specific and beneficial fitness goals.
The P90X does not exceed my comfort level, but as I already said, this article is not about me. I suppose my opinions are partially based on having experienced the unpleasant effects of overtraining, but they’re also based on my experience with the impressive fitness (and health) improvements that can be gained from a program that is more abbreviated, concise, and goal oriented than the P90X. This approach I describe in the article may not satisfy those who simply want to exhaust themselves with hard work, but I think it’s a more practical, sustainable, efficient, and effective way for people to promote optimal health through fitness or pursue more advanced and specific fitness goals with health still being a top priority.
I’m not sure what you consider an extreme athlete, but I consider the P90X to be lacking for athletes in general. This is not the audience it’s intended for anyway. Being an athlete implies the need to physically perform in a specific way that dictates specific needs for strength, power, endurance, flexibility, and injury prevention. Ideally, the strengths, weaknesses, and other individual aspects of the athlete need to be considered as well. A generic program like the P90X can only marginally satisfy such needs.
Hi Vin,
My partner and i are thinking of starting up the P90X program. do you think it would be benificial to do it at a slower pace? can it be done say over 120 days instead? and maybe walk on the days in between? I was never going to eat the protien bars or anything i am still going to stick to my usual healthy diet. surley doing this program at a pace i can handle is more benificial that not doing anything at all?
thanks
Hi Christine,
Sure, you can abbreviate the program and extend it for as long as you’d like. The primary goal should be to make exercise a long term habit, and based on this, the number of days is irrelevant. If you focus on the exercises and workouts that are enjoyable and apply to your goals, but at your own pace, and only as frequently as you feel comfortable with, you should be able to continue the program indefinitely. I think this approach would make the program more sustainable and would be more conducive to making exercise a lifelong habit.
You can also periodize a bit and choose to focus on certain aspects the program for a while. For example, you can focus mostly on strength training exercises for a few months and do a bit less of everything else. Then, for the next few months you can do more low intensity aerobic exercise or more anaerobic interval training (neither of which are actually included in the program) while cutting back on the strength training. If you feel a bit overworked, you can give yourself a break on focusing more on yoga or other types of flexibility and mobility training for a while. You can keep this up until you either gain enough experience to put together your own program, get tired of P90X, or both.
Yes, doing less exercise is certainly better than doing nothing at all, and in regard to overtraining, it can even be better than doing more.
I hope that helps. Good luck!
Hey Vin,
I have read your article and most of the comments. I agree that P90X is not the only answer to being completely fit. I have recently started it and i love the program to be honest…but i consider myself in better shape than most. I play basketball at least twice a week, tennis couple times a month, golf once a month, and occasionally football, swimming, cycling and running. Plus i ran a marathon a little over a year ago. I tend to eat pretty healthy and avoid junk. I do push-ups, crunches, and bi/tri’s every now and then but, i needed something more and more regimented. Looking to define the body and P90x i feel is doing this….i understand the over working out can be bad for some…but i truley feel a P90X can be a great workout. I still continue to play basketball, use this program, and eat healthy. If i need a day off, i take it. Like most have said being in shape is a lifetime commitment. I know i wont complete this in 90 days but i dont think that is a bad thing. Or makes the program useless. Also i know you mention that eventually people will get tried of P90X….but honestly that goes with everything. Considering there are so many different work outs and exercises….i am sure i will create my own routines and then switch them up and over and over again. It’s not the end all but a very nice addition!!
With all this being said i do have an actual question with regards to a revcovery drink. I have never done a recovery drink with except to the marathon. P90X has definitely brought out muscles that i didnt even knew exsisted (Another reason i love it)…but my soreness has been prolonged and i need something to help it. I have done my research and found that Organic Low fat Chocolate Milk with maybe a banana right after my workouts will do the trick. Good 4-1 ratio of carbs to protein while not over doing the protein. What do you think about this as a recovery drink? I know you mentioned a good meal shortly after but sometimes hungry doesnt hit that close after a workout.
Thanks!
Hi Jason, thanks for your comment.
It sounds like you have a pretty good perspective on how to benefit from using the P90X program, but considering that you’re already quite active, I think you’ll need to be especially careful about overtraining and injury. It sounds like your primary activity is basketball, and based on this, I think you’d be better off following a more sports oriented program that’s more focused on basketball related needs and injuries and also takes into account how often you’re playing. If you’re not that serious about basketball and are really set on completing the P90X program, you may want to consider saving it for a time of the year when you’re less active with sports.
In regard to recovery nutrition, I stand by my statement that quality food is most important. With the possible exception of elite athletes, I don’t think there’s much need to get carried away with specific formulations. In general, you want complete protein (from an animal source) for the repair of tissue damage, a small to moderate amount of simple carbohydrate to replenish glycogen, and maybe some antioxidants to counter the free radicals created by strenuous exercise. Fruit, particularly berries, is a choice for post workout carbohydrates and antioxidants.
I think the 4:1 ratio can quickly become excessive. For example, if you have 20 grams of protein which isn’t all that much, you’d have 80 grams of simple carbohydrates which in my opinion is more than necessary in most cases. Even though the body is more receptive to sugar after exercise, many health problems are associated with excess sugar consumption.
In regard to chocolate milk, I consider it to be a highly processed beverage that’s best avoided. There are a number of concerns to consider with pasteurized milk as well as chocolate. The added sugar in chocolate milk could also be a concern depending on how much milk is consumed.
Prolonged soreness is a symptom of overtraining. If this continues after your body becomes more accustomed to the P90X program, you might want to consider cutting back some.
I find this to be very informative page. I am a 43 year old female, about 25 lbs over weight, but always worked out never could lose the weight. I did cardio kickboxing, running, cardio cardio cardio for 15 years and managed to all this weight. I have to say is that i was told over and over I was not eating enough, but hey I thought if I eat, I will get fat. P90x has taught me about nutrition and how much it goes hand in hand with weight loss.
The first 2 weeks of p90x, I was religious, and on top of that I was doing extra cardio at the gym. 1hour in the morning, 3 times a week. I bonked hardcore in the 3rd week. Felt like crap, my muscles were cramping, feet and hands cramping, tired……after never tracking my food, I logged it and found out I was eating only 900 calories, and I was eating alot!! No wonder I have so much abdominal fat. I was resigned to being fat and very depressed. I couldn’t understand for someone who was so athletically active why I stayed F A T!! So now with p90x, I am eating ALOT. And, I am seeing a tighter body after just a week of changing my diet. I also have learned from this article that too much exercise will produce cortisol. I weigh 170, large boned so I look smaller, but i put on muscle fast. How many calories do you think I should be eating? Thanks for all your advice.
Hi Kat, thanks for sharing your experience!
As strange as it sounds, undereating can make it difficult to lose weight because it slows down your metabolic rate in order to conserve energy. Combined with the stress of potentially overtraining, you may have very well had two things working against you. I’m glad to hear that you’ve made some adjustments and are now seeing progress.
For a very active woman, a general recommendation for energy requirements is 20 calories per pound of body weight. For your weight, this would be 3,400 calories per day. If you’re still looking to lose weight, you can reduce this by about 500 calories per day. A better way would be to estimate your calorie requirements based on your ideal weight rather than your current weight and not subtract any calories. Either way, it’s only meant to approximate how much you should be eating, so be careful to not be obsessive about calorie counting. Also pay attention to how your body responds in regard to your weight and how you feel and make adjustments if necessary.
Vin,
You are obviously well – educated in health and fitness. I think most people need two things for their workouts: structure and simplicity. A personal trainer and even the cost of a gym membership is a problem for many these days.
What I’m hoping the p90x is doing is motivating people to try to get into shape, have some success, and continue on in life more healthy and confident.
Hi Noel, thanks for you comment.
Despite my enthusiasm for healthy living, I do understand that many people don’t want to invest a lot of time, energy, or money into planning an exercise routine. However, the more knowledge someone has about exercise, the more easily they can plan a simple and inexpensive program that can be done at home. While the P90X eliminates the need to plan a program or buy a gym membership, I think that for many people, the program itself is not well aligned with their needs. When this is the case, the effort and money saved up front isn’t worth all that much.
I too hope for people to be motivated, but they have to be motivated to do more than simply start being active. I do think the P90X deserves some credit for motivating people to exercise, but if they’re not motivated to take it a step further by determining what their needs are and learning what type of program would most effectively meet them, they’re less likely to succeed and more likely to return to their sedentary way of life.
Hi Vin,
Great info and conversation you have here. Here is my take on P90x. I don’t necessarily think that it is overated. I think that if you follow the plan, it does what it says. Granted, it my not be something that substainable over a long period of time but you cannot deny that it does work for SOME people (not saying you are). I faithfully did about 60 days of the program but got to the point where it became pure torture to even drag myself in front of the television to PUSH PLAY, The workouts are long and repitituos (IMO) and some of the exercises just seemed totally ridiculous (banana roll). I also have knee issues that prevented me from doing some of that jumping around that’s involved in Plyo X. Having said this, I did get decent results for 60 days losing about 18 lbs but I ended up quitting because I just burned out. I went back to a more sensible approach for ME of weight lifting using free weights and cardio using my treadmill, elliptical, and recumbent bike. So far this is working for me and I have lost 30 lbs in a little over 3 months. Old fashioned exercise, coupled with a balanced diet and not restricting ANY foods (in moderation) has been the the key to keeping me sane and slowly allowing this to be more of a lifestyle change than a DIET.
Hi Ken, thanks for sharing your experience!
Your story highlights most of the issues I have with the P90X program. It’s geared more towards being a 3 month weight loss crash course than a program that promotes a truly healthy and sustainable lifestyle, and because it has great potential to push the limits of overtraining for many people, it can arguably compromise one’s health more so than improving it. My primary point is that I think the P90X is not a very health conscious or sustainable way to lose weight and make exercise a lifelong habit. Maybe overrated is not the best word to have used, and I agree that the P90X is perfectly capable of delivering weight loss results, but the issue in my mind is how the results are delivered.
I’m happy to hear that you’ve found a more sustainable, sensible, and enjoyable way to continue your progress.
I am not sure how I feel about this article or the people speaking negatively about P90x. I am in my 4th week of it and I like it so far. A lot of the exercises are similar to what I did when I was in kung fu or Tae Kwon Do in high school. However, I have become a bit out of shape over the years and I wanted something I could do at home, so I looked to P90x.
My opinion:
I think that people get injured just because they are not listening to their bodies and they are trying to get a “quick” fix. When I first started, I could only make it through about 45 minutes of the workouts and then I would do some stretching I learned in kung fu to cool down and keep my muscles stretched. Tony Horton is always saying to pace yourself and have good form. If you sloppily do any exercise, you are going to injure yourself.
As far as the nutrition plan, I am still doing the low carb part but I know my body and if I start feeling like I need more carbs, I will give my body some more carbs. I might have a piece of whole grain bread or oats or something like that. The nutrition plan even says to do so.
I say that people need to use common sense and listen to their body when doing any type of nutrition or exercise.
I’d just like to mention that P90X is a heavily hyped product that attempts to build a cult following. They’ve used fake-grassroots marketing repeatedly, on and offline. One wonders how many of these boosters here are actual supporters or are paid marketers. That’s the state things have gotten to in this society.
The P90X program was designed to sell product. Weird chemical bars, powders, shakes.
That said, I think it’s probably pretty good. I tend to disagree with a number of Vin’s concerns but there are indeed a number of things I find sleazy about the P90X program.
I’m going to be working it myself and we’ll see how it goes. But I’ll be cooking for myself, not eating food-like substances released by the P90X Chemical Corporation.
Thanks, Vin, for being reasonable in an era of extreme credulity and hype.
‘Nother thing is, P90X is all really basic stuff. There’s nothing unusual about it in any way. His concept of “muscle confusion” may be true but it’s just another way of looking at the old bodybuilder idea of shocking techniques to get out of plateaus.
The only thing I like about it is that it’s all packaged up and ready to go.
Hi roou, thanks for sharing your opinion.
If you look hard enough, I think it’s possible to be turned off by the marketing for just about any product. However, given the number of ads I’ve seen for the P90X program, I wouldn’t doubt that they’ve probably crossed some boundaries. Either way, what I think is telling about the marketing is that it’s mostly directed at people who care more about appearance than health.
There is indeed a scientific foundation behind the importance of having variation in an exercise routine to promote continued progress. It’s called periodization. However, in my opinion, the P90X “muscle confusion” is a gimmicky and unscientific butchering of this concept. Periodization implies variation with purpose that aligns with training goals. In contrast, P90X “muscle confusion” seems to be random variation for it’s own sake, which if anything, makes it harder to track progress.
Hi,
I bought P90X 3 months ago with the hope that I will finally get in shape in three months. I must say I tried it many times but simply couldn’t get it done till the end. I simply would give up because I felt so tired next two days. I work at least 9 hrs per day and doing P90 for an hour or even more was just too much for me. I thought of doing only some of the exercises but realised I wouldn’t win anything.
The worse thing is that ex. Last 6 days so you only have one day to rest. Having only day didn’t give me flexibility because sometimes I had to stay longer at work or simply wasn’t feeling in good mode to do exercise.
I will definitely buy one of your suggested books but is there any DVD or guide that will provide you with tips how to get stronger and build muscles and that it is not as intense as P90X. I can only afford 40 minutes a day of exercise and was thinking to run 4 times per week but this will only help me remove some weight but not built my muscles. Any advice from your side will be highly appreciated.
Hi Remi,
My book recommendations are intended to help people learn more about exercise so that they can design their own programs to suite their individual needs and goals. It’s practically impossible for a DVD program to accomplish this. Until you have the knowledge you need to put together your own program, perhaps your best option would be to trim down the P90X program to be a better fit for your schedule and energy capacity. I think you’re selling yourself short to say that you “wouldn’t win anything” by doing only a portion of the program. It may take you longer to see results, but what’s more important is that you won’t overwhelm yourself and will probably be able to stick with the routine longer.
I think P90X is all about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and seeing/feeling the results. After 3 months, you may decide it doesn’t work for you and try something else, but what do you have to lose by trying something different for 3 months? You can still listen you to your body during a P90X workout – just don’t do everything they are doing on the screen if you can’t do it or don’t feel up to it or it doesn’t feel right. The diet changes every month, and you are allowed to change the phases in less than a month or more than a month, depending on what your body is telling you! Also, you don’t have to use protein shakes or bars…it’s all up to you. Of course their stuff is for sale, but you don’t have to buy it!
Anyone can use P90X to teach their body what it can/can’t do, what it needs and what makes it feel the best!
I really feel you should have tried the program out before giving this critique. It’s kind of unfair to judge this book by its cover, so to speak. For example, the Yoga X routine is much more than 90 minutes of stretching. The first 45 half is packed with pretty intense strength & balance building asanas.
Hi Jackie, thanks for sharing your opinion.
I fully support the idea of someone pushing themselves to achieve a goal as long as they’re not excessive or obsessive about it. However, pushing your limits just for the sake of it seems a bit misguided to me. I suppose it’s like running a marathon just for the pride of having been able to do it which can provide a lot of value and meaning, but I question how well the P90X program can equate to this. Besides, the premise of this article is exercising to promote optimal health or performance rather than challenging one’s limits, and it’s important to realize that these two objectives can be contradictory.
Yes, anyone who follows any exercise program has choices and can make modifications, and that’s the reason why I provided some suggestions for doing so. However, the P90X program appeals to many people because it’s designed to spare them from this effort. In other words, many of the people who follow the P90X program are likely to feel compelled to follow it exactly, especially if they fear that not doing so will compromise their results.
I am very familiar with every mode of exercise included in the P90X program and have enough experience with them to recognize the shortcomings of the program. Furthermore, any personal experiences I might have with the P90X program would give little indication of how well it would be suited for other people. As I’ve already said, the purpose of this article is not to critique the program based on my personal preferences or capabilities, but rather to use it as an example to discuss sound exercise principles.
Hi Vin,
just found this link while searching for comments on the p90x . There are many valid points from both sides and i have read them with great interest . Being a Fire-fighter for over 20 years i have always been lucky to be able to weight train every day/night whilst on duty and then resting my body on the 4 days off i have .
My social lifestyle and the fact a serious knee injury meant i had to retire from playing football (soccer) over 10 years ago , and the weight has very gradually piled on !
I have always trained very heavy with the basic compound exercise’s being my basis of all my training ( dead lifts, squats, bench , dips , chins etc etc ) .
I recently was put onto the p90x programme by another Fire-fighter who along with other members of the Fire service started doing the programme together . Now i was very sceptical about the whole process , but after looking into the programme and now having just started week 3 i would like to pass my comments/observations to the forum if you dont mind?
I did the first DVD by myself , and one of the other members on my watch came down and watched me doing it so i felt very very awkward doing it in front of him ! The next shift i did he watched again but then started playing about with the resistance bands , but then did the Ab-ripper x section which we found very hard to say the least !
Anyway 2 weeks later and we now have 5 members of the watch all doing it together via a big screen in our lecture room ! This programme is not for everyone , it clearly states that at all times BUT we have all seen really good results especially myself as i have been doing it for the longest , so far i have lost 7lb in the 3 weeks , which is not huge i know but for someone as big as myself that is the most ive lost in over 3 years . I am not hungry in anyway and continue to eat a healthy diet and i do allow myself treats at weekends !
I have not purchased any of the supplements they bang on about and just stick to whey protein and plenty of water for my training , we have found it to be superb to workout together , yes hard to do but that’s the challenge for us and we will i am sure complete the 90 days as we are all to stubborn to quit this programme! After the 90 days i will incorporate HIIT into my workouts and vary the programme to the ones i enjoy which will not be the easiest !!
All training programmes have good and bad points its how you approach them and to what level you want to reach that matters , personally its been a breath of fresh air for me after so many years weight training , as they say” you pays your money and you make your choice!!!”
All the best Mark and the Fire-fighters from Red Watch Earlham ( Norwich UK )
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your experience!
It sounds like you have some solid weightlifting experience, but as you probably know, it’s important to realize that such exercises aren’t going to make a significant difference in regard to weight loss which is what you seem to be after.
I’m glad that you’re enjoying the P90X program and have experienced some success with it. In conjunction with this, remember that truly healthy eating is the most important aspect of losing weight and keeping it off and that it will be difficult and potentially undesirable to sustain the volume of the P90X program long term.
I just want to put my 2 cents in that my husband transformed his life and his health with P90X at the age of 48 and I think it is not good professionalism to bash a health tool publically. you can state your opionion of better ideas without putting a great tool down.
Tony Horton is a great role model ….over 50 and in great shape and a great motivational trainer. I hope that the replys have made an impact before casting judgement on other health or exercise tools that are valuable in the market place. your opinions are great and thanks for sharing your truth…but please be careful not to cast to much opinion on tools that have not gotten into your actual life and have made a huge difference in others…
you can promote your ideas without putting down others…if your ideas are worthy!
I know this to be true in the biz I am in ….we never bash others products and we still do great!
just saying…
Hi Linda, thanks for your feedback.
Even though there is some overlap, I think it’s fair to say that the P90X program is much more a weight loss tool than a health tool. They may sound like the same thing, but they’re not.
I have nothing against the P90X program or Tony Hornton directly, and I’ve said this previously. What I’m criticizing is the extreme focus on burning calories through exercise to lose weight, particularly in relation to the misconception that this is a good way to promote health. Anyone who’s interested in longevity and wellness would be better off pursuing weight loss in a more sustainable way that promotes optimal health. Despite what some might people say, including Tony Hornton, it’s very obvious that the P90X program and the advertising for it are more focused on appearance. Health should come first, and I mean optimal health, not the poor modern standard of “good” health which is nothing more than not being obese and not suffering from a major chronic disease.
I congratulate your husband for transforming his life. What matters most, though, is how much of his daily lifestyle habits will be permanently improved for the better. I think it’s fair to say that the P90X is sort of a weight loss crash course that can’t be followed continuously on a long term basis without putting unnecessary physical demand on the body, and based on this, it’s not well aligned with the goal of optimal health. In my opinion, if your husband is able to live a healthy and vibrant life years beyond doing the P90X program, he will have undoubtedly gone far beyond the principles offered by the program, and for this, he is much more deserving of the credit than the P90X program. In regards to health, the only credit that I think is deserved by P90X is for initially encouraging people to take more responsibility for their health, and this is despite it happening in a somewhat indirect way. For this, I do give the P90X credit even though I think it’s more a result of the program’s immense popularity than it’s quality.
I appreciate your sentiment that I’ve been too negative in regard to the work of others, and in general, I much prefer to be positive and keep criticism to myself. However, I see people interpreting the P90X as a guideline for living a healthy lifestyle and I have objections to this that I’d like to think have been valuable for some people. For anyone else who cares more about rapid weight loss or challenging their limits than optimal health, by all means, buy P90X and have at it! And if someone is able to learn from the P90X and understand and avoid the potential of overburdening their body, then even better! I am by no means trying to hurt the sales of the P90X program, but am instead trying to broaden people’s perspective on how to make exercise a part of a truly healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
As a fitness professional wth an academic background in both exercis ephysiology and biochemistry, I can tell you that this article is dead on.
Mr. Miller, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Hi Kelli, thank you for your kind feedback!
Great Article! I’m have started p90x 25 days ago and have also some complaints about it.
In General I think it’s a good program, at least for me. I don’t follow the nutrion plan, didn’t even bother to read it, as I changed my eating habits before and cook everyday.
I will finish the programm and then build my own training plan. As a start it is great, because when you decide that you want to workout, you usually don’t know how and you will lose your motivation when you have to read 3 month before you can start.
I’m 30 years old and already pretty fit – the programm is ok for me, but I think it’s way to hard for alot of people that are overweight and can’t do a pullup. Those shouldn’t start with maximum rep intervalls of pulls/pushups.
My complaints are:
1. 90 Days – The reason why it’s a 90 day workout is because you can sell it better that way. Get fit in just 3 month! But actually the workout will take longer than that, because you need more recovery. If your muscles are sore – don’t train. The plan isn’t very clear how to cope with this. It will force people to workout everyday, even if they need recovery just to get it done in 90days. There should be at least one more recovery day a week.
2. Abripper X is too hard. Your lower back is really worked out in the exercises and that causes pain in the lower back when doing those insane situps exercises. Also, abdominal trainig that is that hard is a little bit too much 3x a week. I would exchange at least one ab workouts with training the lower back (supermans, …). The warming up should integrate more core exercises.
3. I really miss dips in the chest workouts.
4. I think you should set goals, that go beyond having a nice body. Getting better at your sport, learn a handstand or something like that.
Some Questions to you Vin:
1. Why do you recommend to skip yoga? It’s probably to long, but it has some good core exercises.
2. You said P90x Plyo is actually plyometrics. How should one train plyometrics? Fewer exercises?
Hi Simon, thanks for your comment.
I completely agree in regard to the 90 day time frame because in my opinion it contradicts the concept of making exercise a lifelong habit. Granted, it’s desirable to include phases of variation in a long term workout plan, but similar to what you said about goals, which is also something that I completely agree with, I think such variation should have a more direct and beneficial focus than using high volume to burn calories.
What I suggested is that people not do Yoga unless they have a purpose for it. Some people find it relaxing or use it to clear their mind in a similar way that meditation would be used. This is great, and I think people who find value in it for these reasons should continue to do it. However, although Yoga does provide strength and flexibility benefits, I think it’s a poor and misguided replacement for a strength training and stretching program. A good strength training and stretching program should be dictated by an individuals strengths, weaknesses, and performance or activity based needs. Yoga programs are generally not designed this way, and the P90X Yoga workout certainly isn’t. Furthermore, the P90X program already involves a lot of strength training which makes the strength benefits of Yoga redundant and unnecessary. In short, Yoga is not nearly as effective for developing strength as a strength program is, and it requires much more time and energy than what is necessary for an effective stretching routine.
Plyo-X is a very watered down version of plyometrics, and it’s arguable that this defeats the purpose of doing it. Another consideration is that plyometric exercises are generally contraindicated for overweight individuals, yet these are the people who the P90X program is primarily intended for. Fortunately, the low intensity of the Plyo-X exercises makes this less of an issue, but this is countered by the high volume. Plyometric exercises should generally be done with a low volume (low number of jumps or foot contacts) because of the required intensity and the resulting stress on joints and connective tissue. The purpose of plyometrics is to improve power production through the exploitation of the stretch-shorten cycle and is generally only used in sports orientied training. Based on all of this, I think plyometrics is inappropriate for someone who’s been inactive and is possibly overweight which represents the majority of the P90X’s target audience. Plyometrics can be beneficial for non athletes, but it’s generally recommended to complete a phase of strength training first. For example, it’s recommended that anyone performing lower body plyometrics is able to squat 1.5 times their body weight for 1 repetition, and most of the people following the P90X program are probably unable to do this. There are also additional considerations for older people and people with previous injuries.
I am interested in the calm backlash against P90X. I have been doing it for the last few weeks, and though it does have some issues (mainly size/strength loss,) I find the program to be effective in losing unwanted fat quickly. I have say very few people mention that P90X is nothing more than well put together circut training. I knew this going in and was up for it. Being 51, 6′2″ and 240 after going to the gym 4-5 days a week for two years I realized I was eating wrong (by my own bad choices..I know better,) not doing much cardio, and not pushing myself like I should. P90X has become a tool for me to recharge my fitness habits. Reminding me you can not be healthy by just squeeking by. So again, it works for me.
Your dead on about the processed suppliments you mentioned in the original post. I avoid these unless there is no other way possible to get food in me. I don’t keep them around but rather grab one somewhere if I need to.
I gues what I am saying is P90X lays a good ground work for future fitness. Seeing the results I am seeing, and feeling, I know I must do cardio three days a week. I have to push myself when doing resistance training. And I have to eat properly to keep my body healthy.
Hi Phil, thanks for sharing your experience.
For someone who’s already fairly knowledgeable about exercise, I agree that P90X can be valuable in helping to recharge someone’s interest in fitness as it’s seem to have done for you. I don’t agree that it’s a well designed circuit training program, though. Circuit training is an effective way to get modest aerobic improvements from a resistance training program or to save time by grouping unrelated exercises together and therefore reducing the amount of rest time needed between sets. However, this is a secondary focus of a well designed training program. The primary focus is still on based on some type of specific goal relating to fitness, and this is something that the P90X lacks in my opinion. You even said yourself that the program has resulted in strength losses which is obviously not a typical characteristic of a well designed resistance training program.
I also agree that P90X can be an effective way to lose weight fast, by my contention here is that this mentality is typically not in alignment with promoting optimal health. I think it’s questionable to push the limits of one’s physical capacity just to burn more calories and lose weight faster when a more moderate amount of exercise and more focus on diet can produce as much benefit in a slightly longer time frame. Furthermore, such an approach is more healthful and more supportive of developing habits that can be sustained long term.
OK.. This blog is a bit disturbing and i hope you’re not a trainer because you have no idea what it takes to bring about real long lasting change. If i applied you’re lack of motivation and goal setting to my life it would take me 90 days to take out the trash.
90 days is a reasonable time for P90X and a solid goal that provides a feeling of accomplishment upon completion that makes you wanna set your next goal higher and push on.
P90X GRAD Here! Bringin’ IT! 58 pounds lost in 3 months and, according to my family doctor, in the best shape and health of my life.
I find it rather telling about the kind of person that you are and a certain lack of motivation that exists in you. There is nothing unhealthy about working hard for extended periods of time and taking your recovery seriously.
P90X was and is exactly what i need. All of the workouts, although not for the weak of mind or heart who lack motivation, are long, hard, fun and fulfilling. Tony is always very clear and open with the fact that some may need to take additional breaks. In fact he encourages it. “Do you best, forget the rest”
Throughout the entire program Tony preaches safety and form in a way that makes it feel OK to modify if needed.
For those of you who would rather do 10 minutes of weak cardio, 2 minutes of pretend ab exercises, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done, great job…its better than the average American, but that’s not for me.
That’s nothing near the pursuit of serious progress that I crave. If you want serious life-altering results you need serious life altering motivation and HARD WORK with a goal, in this case it’s 90 days. How do you reach a goal in a timely manner without a serious expectation? Plain and simple.
NOW, From a statistical standpoint, people who are driven to workout hard and fight through the pain tend to apply that motivation and ambition to their life. Unfortunately, the same holds true for those who pretend to work hard and just go through the motions..you know…Those who feel that ..”ehh.. i did enough to say i worked out today”
P90X is definitely not for the latter. For the others who want to change your life…Bring It!
Headway fitness,
You couldn’t possibly be more wrong about me. Strong determination is one of the most defining aspect of my personality. In fact, because of this, I’ve pushed myself excessively to the point of overtraining numerous times, and this is part of the reason why it’s so obvious to me that the calorie burning focus of P90X is misguided.
Think about how many people lose weight and then gain it all back. 90 days is an irrelevant goal if you can’t keep the weight off, and without modification, the P90X is for most people not the type of fitness program that can be made into a lifelong lifestyle habit.
I congratulate you on your 58 pounds of weight loss. I never had that much weight to lose, but I apparently had 30 pounds extra because that’s how much I lost in 3 months by simply following a an excellent diet, and if you think it doesn’t require strong determination and motivation to implement and stick with a truly healthy diet, then I’d say you’re greatly mistaken, and that’s being polite. And by the way, I’ve kept the weight of for years and have every intention of keeping it off for good. That’s what I call determination and “bringin’ it,” and I’d love to see if you’re still “bringin’ it” a few years from now.
High intensity or high volume exercise comes at a physiological cost. It’s a significant burden to the body, and that’s precisely why proper recovery is so important. However, it’s shortsighted to think that the body can repeatedly recover from such burdens without any negative impact, and for this reason, it’s even more shortsighted to repeatedly impose such a burden without good purpose. As I’ve said many times, burning calories is a very questionable justification for this, and it’s also unnecessary. Even if you crave high intensity exercise for no other reason than simply doing it, there are more focused and appropriate ways to implement it. High intensity interval training on a periodic basis is a great example, and you don’t know what “bringin’ it” is unless you’ve experienced the hunched over sucking wind feeling that follows a tough interval workout.
I never suggested 10 minute cardio sessions or “pretend” ab exercises. You’re obviously exaggerating here to support your point. Besides, if you think planks or ab rollouts are “pretend” ab exercises, then you’re in disagreement with many very knowledgeable experts.
I also never suggested that people don’t have serious expectations. Staying active and maintaining ideal weight for the rest of one’s life are both very serious and admirable expectations. “Timely” should be a reasonable amount of time to get to this point without it being overwhelming and should be considered a secondary goal. Of course, what is overwhelming varies by individual, but the purpose of the primary goal is lost if one tries to progress too fast and burns out.
The point of this article is definitely not to about laziness and getting away with doing as little exercise possible, but rather to exercise intelligently. In my opinion, “bringin’ it” nearly every day for 90 days primarily to burn calories is not intelligent.
I’m currently halfway through my first cycle of p90x. I came to P90x after reading about it on mark’s daily apple. I have been eating primaly for 8 months which has made wonderful changes to my life and my body. I realised though that I had a lack of knowledge when it came to exercise. Mark Sissons spoke about lift heavy things and intervals. I been in and out of the gym for many years but knew I needed guidance. For a couple of months I plugged away doing my own routines but to be frank it, was a bit shambolic. Trying to juggle designing my own workouts, a young family and a full time job was proving difficult.
That is where p90x has benefitted me. As a relative novice, or someone who has struggled to designed varied workout programmes, I see p90x as a perfect induction, as sort of boot camp to kick start me, show me some variety and give me some knowledge. Having a routine to work to has allowed me to relax and just go with it.
I can see it has limitations but only represents itself as a 90 day boot camp. That’s how I intend to use it. After the 90 days I intend reintroduce my weekend hiking, mix it up a little, drop one of the cardios and take an extra rest day etc.
I have a slight issue with your criticism of p90x because it isn’t a life long solution for everyone. This seems a little harsh to me? Where is this ideal lifetime solution? I suspect the answer is that real health is a life long journey of learning, enjoyment, variety and improvement. I get that, but p90x seems a good place to start the journey.
If p90x is doing anything for me it is changing my mind set. A life without regular exercise, in whatever form’ is no longer an option for me. I suspect it has done this for a lot of people. Opened their eyes to what their body is capable of, given them an introduction to health and fitness and the desire to grow and learn more. I thinks it deserves praise for that, which to be fair you have given it.
Great blog by the way.
Mark
Ireland
Hi Mark, thanks for your feedback!
It’s important to realize that when you plan an exercise program, you shouldn’t be doing it on a daily basis. It should be done with a longer term perspective. For example, if you decide that for the next month or two you’re going to focus on improving strength, you’d put together a program focused mostly on resistance training and include a minimal amount of other types of training to maintain other aspects of fitness. It might take some time to organize this, but once you’re done, you’re all set with planning for weeks or even months with the exception of any small adjustments that you might find necessary. Elite athletes who are under the guidance of a good trainer tend to have their training planned for the entire year!
I completely agree that the P90X shouldn’t be regarded as much more than a bootcamp. However, many people seem to be doing just that, and this is precisely what I’m arguing against, especially since I disagree with the concept of a bootcamp. While an intense and accelerated training program might be appropriate for a well trained athlete who has an event to prepare, I see little justification for the average person to do so, especially given the potential for it to be too much and translate poorly into lifelong habits. Unless there’s a legitimate reason to rush, slow and steady progress is more sustainable and usually leads to better long term results. When it comes to weight loss, I think many people are impatient, and I don’t consider this to be a legitimate reason to rush progress.
I suppose it’s reasonable for people to want to go through a brief period of rigorous training just for the challenge, but even in this case, I think it should still be more focused on a more specific goal than burning calories bootcamp style to lose weight. For example, focus primarily on either strength training or aerobic training, but not both at the same time. Doing high volumes of both at the same time impairs the progress of both and makes overtraining much more likely. I’m not saying to completely exclude one at the cost of the other, but rather to do more of one and less of the other.
The ideal lifelong solution comes from one’s knowledge about themselves, particularly their needs and goals, and their knowledge of how best to meet them. This requires some dedication to learning which is what I’ve encouraged all along. Some people say that the P90X is life changing, but in my opinion, any weight loss or motivation obtained from the program pales in comparison to the empowerment of knowledge and the understanding of how to apply it to improve one’s life.
I think your main point is that I’m criticizing the P90X based on expectations of it being more than it’s meant to be, and I think you have a somewhat valid argument here. I suppose I could have presented it in a better manner, but what I’m really addressing in this article is other people’s expectations of the P90X being more than what it really is. As I’ve mentioned in other comments, I truly have no interest in criticizing the P90X directly. My main intent has always been to address some of the misguided perceptions about healthy and intelligent exercise that the P90X’s popularity seems to have fostered.
Thank you for recognizing that I do appreciate at least some of the motivational potential of P90X. My hope is that what I’ve presented in this article will help people use this motivation to transition into more sustainable habits and seek more self awareness.