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 probably 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.
We all have abdominal muscles and it’s not necessary to do hundreds of crunches to make them appear. 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 my issues with chronic fatigue syndrome. I dropped to about 10% body fat and have stayed there ever since.
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.
P90X Nutrition or Lack Thereof
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, 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 continue to push your body further, you’ll undoubtedly need an additional supply of fat and protein to rebuild broken down tissue. Ironically, the P90X Nutrition Plan decreases protein intake to 20% along with fat intake and increases carbohydrate intake up 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. As expected, a quick search for the ingredients of a P90X Peak Performance Protein Bar revealed 26 grams of sugar, 5 different sources of soy, and a bunch of synthetic vitamins. If you’re going to physically punish your body for 3 months, the least you can do is feed it as much real 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 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 P90X program’s 6 days of intense exercise per week, especially on a long term basis, but it’s more likely that many won’t. Having experienced chronic fatigue syndrome and having done plenty of overexercising in my lifetime, I’m very conscientious of this topic. 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, and vegetables. 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 how prepared you are for exercise and to implement 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 real plyometrics. 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, 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, this 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 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 many people will unfortunately want to hear. 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.
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 the plank and its variations, the ab wheel, perhaps even some reverse crunches, and if you really want to get into it, 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.
I am completely transparent about who I am and what my qualifications are. In addition, many of the books that I’ve based my opinions on are listed here.
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’m approaching a 300 pound deadlift 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.