P90X - Don't Do It

jdtrainer

I have to say I am quite amused by this entire thread. It is like debating which exercise machine is best. The answer is the one YOU will stay on on a regular basis. P90X is a life saver for some and a total waste of money for others. Any program that you commit to for an hour a day while eating clean will be beneficial. At least P90X tells you up front that it is hard, not for everyone, requires 6-7 days of week commitment, and has a nutritional component.

I do not think that anyone, personal trainer or not, can say what is best for "most MFPers". If after watching the ubiquitous commercials you are intrigued and can afford it, by all means go for it. Find what works for you and do not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. It is all about making exercise and eating right a integral part of your lifestyle and not a temporary change to lose a goal amount of weight.

Good luck to all on your journey!

exercisesucks

I've tried a few of the P90X workouts in the past. They weren't too "difficult" for me, because I didn't expect to be able to keep up with the people in the video anyways. They weren't too "long" for me, because almost every single day I'll spend over 2 hours on the computer doing nothing, so why not use that time to exercise?

The only part that bothered me, and which made me turn away from the thought of going through with this program, is how annoying Tony Horton can be in some videos. That in itself honestly made me turn the video off. He was repeating himself during reps or something, and it just annoyed me so much! I lost all motivation to keep pushing myself.

Such dedication.I couldn't workout because I was annoyed! Unbelievable!

SLV9

Tried it, like everything else & failed because it is so insanely hard! I can see it being beneficial to someone who has plateaued or is taking their work out to the extreme but for the average Joe/Jane I agree with the OP... skip it!

Azdak

The fact that some untrained and unfit people claim to have experienced "success" with P90x does not really mean much.

Oh seriously! Azdak, some of your replies are just downright insulting. Just because the rest of us didn't ditch our office jobs & pick up a career in nutrition like you doesn't make us "untrained"! It doesn't take a "trained" person to see muscle development or the scale decreasing. Furthermore, "success" is subjective - there isn't a single, static definition. :grumble:

?????

Reading comprehension.

Ur doin' it wrong.

Lyadeia

Seriously, who honestly cares if the O/P doesn't recommend P90X? I mean, the X'ers including myself all know it works through personal experience and the experiences of friends, family, and colleagues...so how about let him dance around to Zumba or whatever else he likes to do, and move on with life?

I love P90X and what it has done for my body. I am certainly glad I was able to ignore people like this O/P when I spent the money on my life, health, and fitness. But to each his own.............................................................

It seems to me that he basically just posted to get a rise out of people...and you guys are letting him win.

myofibril

I can't really comment on P90X as I have never done it or have very little knowledge of it.

However, can someone explain exactly how the "mucle confusion" aspect of it works? The only thing confused right now is me because as far as I know you can't astonish, bemuse or even mildy suprise your muscles. Sounds like marketing bs to me but I will keep an open mind for the time being.

jajadrift

P90x is defenitely an intense workout and requires dedication and descipline. Before getting yourself into any fitness program ask yourself first how committed you are. The P90x program works if you follow it religiously. Make the time and make the change. It is hard because it works. You can't get the flat abs without working out. The $150 is a bargain compared to the monthly payments in a gym. P90x gives you a program for 90 days and all you have to do is follow it. If it gets hard hit the pause button and resume the workout.

I say all this because it helped me. Find the program that works for you. I will defenitely recommend it to anyone. Just don't expect a miracle once the ups guy diliver it at your door.:) Enjoy!

Stooooo

I can't really comment on P90X as I have never done it or have very little knowledge of it.

However, can someone explain exactly how the "mucle confusion" aspect of it works? The only thing confused right now is me because as far as I know you can't astonish, bemuse or even mildy suprise your muscles. Sounds like marketing bs to me but I will keep an open mind for the time being.

Muscle confusion is where after doing the same routine for 3 weeks, you change it up. P90X does the same routine for 3 weeks and then enters a recovery week. After the recovery week you enter a new phase and a new set of work outs. The idea is that after doing something for 3 weeks your body will find a way to do it more efficiently, so you wouldn't have to work as hard. P90X changes it up, so you shock your muscles....

myofibril

The idea is that after doing something for 3 weeks your body will find a way to do it more efficiently, so you wouldn't have to work as hard. P90X changes it up, so you shock your muscles....

Thanks for that. I'm afraid it confirms what I thought: it is marketing spiel.

You are right that muscles have an adaptive response. However that is too volume load not exercise selection. In other words, you could use the same exercises for years and still make gains as long as you remember to progressively overload your muscles once they have become used to a certain volume. Most people work with the same volume over the course of many months and then wonder why they stall.

I guess I understand the rationale. Change up the routine to keep the user interested. However, I would put on good money that the intensity and difficulty level of the exercises increases as the weeks go by. Nothing to do with muscle "confusion" and everything to do with volume load.

I see that many people attest to the fact that P90X works. I have looked into it a little and I have no doubt that it will do if you stick to it. I suspect the best part is in fact the nutritional plan and the users who stick to that religiously get the furthest. You can't out train a bad diet. There's no magic here though:

Good diet + exercise + consistency + time = success. No kidding...

I do have one qualm about the some of the exercises the programme is said to use. I haven't researched the programme in detail so I could be wrong. However, it seems to encourage users to adopt explosive movements in an unsupervised environment (ie at home) at high intensity as well as a high frequency of workouts (60 - 90 minutes, 6 days a week.) To me that screams escalated potential for injury, possibly serious, if users are not careful and causes unecessary stress on joints. This is particularly true the more overweight the user is.

I'm not slamming this programme and if it helps people acheive their goas then more power to them. However, I believe people should be given all the necessary facts and information to make informed decisions on the methods they wish to use to acheive their goals.

tgh1914

The idea is that after doing something for 3 weeks your body will find a way to do it more efficiently, so you wouldn't have to work as hard. P90X changes it up, so you shock your muscles....

Thanks for that. I'm afraid it confirms what I thought: it is marketing spiel.

You are right that muscles have an adaptive response. However that is too volume load not exercise selection. In other words, you could use the same exercises for years and still make gains as long as you remember to progressively overload your muscles once they have become used to a certain volume. Most people work with the same volume over the course of many months and then wonder why they stall.

I guess I understand the rationale. Change up the routine to keep the user interested. However, I would put on good money that the intensity and difficulty level of the exercises increases as the weeks go by. Nothing to do with muscle "confusion" and everything to do with volume load.

I see that many people attest to the fact that P90X works. I have looked into it a little and I have no doubt that it will do if you stick to it. I suspect the best part is in fact the nutritional plan and the users who stick to that religiously get the furthest. You can't out train a bad diet. There's no magic here though:

Good diet + exercise + consistency + time = success. No kidding...

I do have one qualm about the some of the exercises the programme is said to use. I haven't researched the programme in detail so I could be wrong. However, it seems to encourage users to adopt explosive movements in an unsupervised environment (ie at home) at high intensity as well as a high frequency of workouts (60 - 90 minutes, 6 days a week.) To me that screams escalated potential for injury, possibly serious, if users are not careful and causes unecessary stress on joints. This is particularly true the more overweight the user is.

I'm not slamming this programme and if it helps people acheive their goas then more power to them. However, I believe people should be given all the necessary facts and information to make informed decisions on the methods they wish to use to acheive their goals.

You know, whether or not they want to call it "muscle confusion" or not doesn't really matter to me. And if you want to say it's marketing spiel - I say it's good marketing. And I would hope that a good product has a good marketing approach to get it out there. The fact is, it works, not a hoax. I realize that the muscles aren't really confused & that that alone doesn't overcome plateau effect, but there are sound principles behind what they're doing. You mentioned one of them - to shake things up for the user. You'll be more likely to continue with a little variety once in a while. And Tony preaches that avidly as well. Another is that they are getting you to hit the muscles from slightly different angles. The different phases of the 90 day workout are still following the same general pattern throughout as to which muscle groups they attack each day - they just give you different exercises with which to do it.

As far as volume load, they always just tell the user to choose the weight that will help you find the burn (at your goal rep set - 8-10 for bulk & 12 for tone). And many of the exercises are using your body weight, so they are max rep sets.

As a user of P90X for several months, I admit there's no magic to it. I have no doubt, those that have a lot of knowledge in exercise science and nutrition can put together a good routine & diet to accomplish the same goals. But it's a great product because it's all put together for the grand majority of us that want extreme results but don't have years of experience and training in those sciences.

That's one thing that bugs me sometimes about some experts on message boards. They'll brag about how simple it is to do something FOR THEM, and all you need is the right knowledge & understanding to avoid paying for something/someone, as if the average users are being scammed. But they've had the benefit of years of college training or in their profession that the average person doesn't have. Someone else said it well in another thread - it may not be some grand secret how to make your own clothes, but I'm not gonna waste my time & energy to go learn it when it's so easy & quick to just buy em from the store. It's not worth it. I think P90X does a great job of putting it all together for someone that doesn't already have a wealth of expert knowledge, that one can do from home, doesn't require large sums of money, doesn't require large amounts of equipment or space, and can be done in about an hour per day.

As far as the high intensity stuff, it's really just one Plyometric workout per week (usually day 2). During that routine, Tony constantly warns to not overdo anything on your joints. At one point he even talks about his own knee injury he sustained skiing and that he also needs to take it easy sometimes. The rest of the days are either resistance work or low intensity (Yoga, a little martial arts). But i see the Plyo workout as a very necessary one for P90X's intended goal which is to get really fit - not just lose some weight or to build muscle.

Harshberger24

Thank you! I was researching it the other day trying to see if I should do this or not.. thanks for the info!

Stooooo

The idea is that after doing something for 3 weeks your body will find a way to do it more efficiently, so you wouldn't have to work as hard. P90X changes it up, so you shock your muscles....

Thanks for that. I'm afraid it confirms what I thought: it is marketing spiel.

You are right that muscles have an adaptive response. However that is too volume load not exercise selection. In other words, you could use the same exercises for years and still make gains as long as you remember to progressively overload your muscles once they have become used to a certain volume. Most people work with the same volume over the course of many months and then wonder why they stall.

I guess I understand the rationale. Change up the routine to keep the user interested. However, I would put on good money that the intensity and difficulty level of the exercises increases as the weeks go by. Nothing to do with muscle "confusion" and everything to do with volume load.

I see that many people attest to the fact that P90X works. I have looked into it a little and I have no doubt that it will do if you stick to it. I suspect the best part is in fact the nutritional plan and the users who stick to that religiously get the furthest. You can't out train a bad diet. There's no magic here though:

Good diet + exercise + consistency + time = success. No kidding...

I do have one qualm about the some of the exercises the programme is said to use. I haven't researched the programme in detail so I could be wrong. However, it seems to encourage users to adopt explosive movements in an unsupervised environment (ie at home) at high intensity as well as a high frequency of workouts (60 - 90 minutes, 6 days a week.) To me that screams escalated potential for injury, possibly serious, if users are not careful and causes unecessary stress on joints. This is particularly true the more overweight the user is.

I'm not slamming this programme and if it helps people acheive their goas then more power to them. However, I believe people should be given all the necessary facts and information to make informed decisions on the methods they wish to use to acheive their goals.

You know, whether or not they want to call it "muscle confusion" or not doesn't really matter to me. And if you want to say it's marketing spiel - I say it's good marketing. And I would hope that a good product has a good marketing approach to get it out there. The fact is, it works, not a hoax. I realize that the muscles aren't really confused & that that alone doesn't overcome plateau effect, but there are sound principles behind what they're doing. You mentioned one of them - to shake things up for the user. You'll be more likely to continue with a little variety once in a while. And Tony preaches that avidly as well. Another is that they are getting you to hit the muscles from slightly different angles. The different phases of the 90 day workout are still following the same general pattern throughout as to which muscle groups they attack each day - they just give you different exercises with which to do it.

As far as volume load, they always just tell the user to choose the weight that will help you find the burn (at your goal rep set - 8-10 for bulk & 12 for tone). And many of the exercises are using your body weight, so they are max rep sets.

As a user of P90X for several months, I admit there's no magic to it. I have no doubt, those that have a lot of knowledge in exercise science and nutrition can put together a good routine & diet to accomplish the same goals. But it's a great product because it's all put together for the grand majority of us that want extreme results but don't have years of experience and training in those sciences.

That's one thing that bugs me sometimes about some experts on message boards. They'll brag about how simple it is to do something FOR THEM, and all you need is the right knowledge & understanding to avoid paying for something/someone, as if the average users are being scammed. But they've had the benefit of years of college training or in their profession that the average person doesn't have. Someone else said it well in another thread - it may not be some grand secret how to make your own clothes, but I'm not gonna waste my time & energy to go learn it when it's so easy & quick to just buy em from the store. It's not worth it. I think P90X does a great job of putting it all together for someone that doesn't already have a wealth of expert knowledge, that one can do from home, doesn't require large sums of money, doesn't require large amounts of equipment or space, and can be done in about an hour per day.

As far as the high intensity stuff, it's really just one Plyometric workout per week (usually day 2). During that routine, Tony constantly warns to not overdo anything on your joints. At one point he even talks about his own knee injury he sustained skiing and that he also needs to take it easy sometimes. The rest of the days are either resistance work or low intensity (Yoga, a little martial arts). But i see the Plyo workout as a very necessary one for P90X's intended goal which is to get really fit - not just lose some weight or to build muscle.

Wow! Very well put. You see what I think it comes down to is all these personal trainer who attack P90X do so because they are threatened by it. Mainly because it can and does take business away from them. The fact of the matter is obesity is a major problem in this country, so who really cares how people are getting in shape as long as they are doing it.

I didn't have the knowledge or back ground to design my own work out plan, nor did I have the time to research it. When I worked out at the gym I had a trainer. So not only did I have to pay gym fees, but day care for my 3 kids and trainer fees as well. That equaled a heck of a lot more then I spent on P90X, Insanity, and every other program I have purchased from Beachbody. Did my PT give me a meal plan? No, but to be honest he did give me a guide line. Did he recommend supplements? Of course he did, from either the pro shop at the gym (which he made a commission) or from a separate store that he worked part time at (which he also made commission). Again all of this added up to a heck of a lot more then what I have paid with Beachbody.

Guess what happened when I told the trainer that my wife and I (yeah I was paying for two) couldn't afford the sessions anymore? I was sent on my merry way, with a "good luck to ya". "Hey how about that plan you promised me when we first started?" OK here ya go. Sure he gave me plan, but I was on my own trying to make the plan work. Good luck trying to get a work out in during New Years Resolution time.

So I looked for something else and found P90X. No day care, no trainer fees, no gym membership. Work out any time I want. I've got a question Beachbody Coaches have answers and if they don't know the answer, they find someone who does. So as far as I am concerned PT's can get off their high horse and join the rest of the masses. P90X is taking over, deal with it... LOL!:laugh:

myofibril

But it's a great product because it's all put together for the grand majority of us that want extreme results but don't have years of experience and training in those sciences.

I guess the "extreme results" bit is really the heart of it and why the discussions of this product makes many either people shy away from it or criticise it. It seems to be driven by aesthetics primarily followed by health not vice versa. Extreme (and I am sure a P90x devotee will argue extraordinary) results requires extreme effort.

Nothing wrong with wanting a great looking body. I suspect if most people are honest with themselves that's one of, if not THE primary goals of working out. However, it's the balance of what you have to sacrifice to get a visually stunning physique and whether the individual believes those sacrifices are worth it in the end. Don't get me wrong. I am sure there are health benefits to this programme but it seems they are secondary to the "looks" side of the equation. You can look great on the outside but be falling apart on the inside.

You are right that not everyone has the time to research exercise and nutrition and so having everything in one place is incredibly useful. However, if you slavishly follow a prescribed routine then what happens when it ends? if you haven't taken the time to find out exactly what it takes or means to be healthy and strong over and above aesthetics or you haven't been told that then you are permantly beholden to someone else for your future sucess or continued well being.

Of course none of that is the responsibilty of the makers of P90X. They are a company out to maximise profits like any other (just as you could argue that persoanl trainers are out to do exactly the same!) I guess it's an ethical consideration more than anything else. However, individuals with knowledge should share that as best they can with each other so informed decisions can be made as I said before.

If you are doing P90X then I wish you luck in acheiving your goals.

BR1986FB

I didn't have the knowledge or back ground to design my own work out plan, nor did I have the time to research it.

Well...with 20+ years experience training athletes, powerlifters, bodybuilders and just good old fashioned "old men" just looking to improve their "alone time" with their wives & girlfriends, I DO and I can tell you after experimenting with every known training/nutrition program available this is THE BEST program I've run into. This wasn't my first "rodeo" with working out. I also have a college minor in nutrition.

If the person has the WILLPOWER/DISCIPLINE to put the effort in and follow the guidelines, it's idiot proof and you WILL get results! It isn't EASY but it is effective. I've personally tweaked the nutrition to my needs because I prefer more of a paleo lifestyle.

PokenStick

It's called P90 Extreme for a reason. Did anyone think when they bought it that it would be a walk in the park? If they do it's their own damn fault. It's hard, it's long, and it takes dedication. Would extreme sports be extreme if the skate boarders just jumped over speed bumps the entire time?

Since my results with P90x have been so great, I've had numerous friends/family try p90x. Not a single one of them has completed it. I love these people, but simply put, they didn't want it bad enough. Why kill yourself for 60min when you can get rid of that guilt you have for eating so much by walking around the block with a nice mocha frap and talking on the phone?

If anyone fails to not complete P90X, it's because they make excuses and wuss out. The end.

If you're too fat to do some moves, modify. If you can't do a pull up, modify. If you can't do a push up, modify. You have a personal trainer giving you all the tools you need. You have him holding your hand in the comfort of your own home. Stop making excuses.

I couldn't do any of the recommended reps the fitness test said I should and I felt like death when I first started. But I made a commitment for the 90 days, and I was going to complete it no matter what. I'm glad I did. It changed my life and I will never go back to being fat again.

BR1986FB

It's called P90 Extreme for a reason. Did anyone think when they bought it that it would be a walk in the park? If they do it's their own damn fault. It's hard, it's long, and it takes dedication. Would extreme sports be extreme if the skate boarders just jumped over speed bumps the entire time?

Exactly! They would have called it P90 "Easy" if it wasn't a challenge.

I think that people see the informercial, see the end results and think "I'm gonna do that" when they don't have the willpower or discipline to finish it. They want the end results without putting in the work. The program is DEFINITELY not for the people who don't have the right mindset.

As I mentioned, when I bought it I was in bad shape (still trained heavy with weights 5x's per week & elliptical 6x's) but I KNEW that I would finish it. Felt like I was gonna die the first few cardio workouts and thought someone took a filet knife to my chest bone after all of those pushups but I KNEW I could AND would do it.

laddyboy

Tried it, like everything else & failed because it is so insanely hard! I can see it being beneficial to someone who has plateaued or is taking their work out to the extreme but for the average Joe/Jane I agree with the OP... skip it!

Really, come on. I was the average Joe and I did it. You can do anything you put your mind to.

212019156

I agree with the OP that P90x is too hard for most people. The one good thing about P90x in my opinion is that it allows you to feel how hard you actually need to work in order to be in decent shape. The typical person is note really willing to exercise at that kind of intensity level.

Azdak

The idea is that after doing something for 3 weeks your body will find a way to do it more efficiently, so you wouldn't have to work as hard. P90X changes it up, so you shock your muscles....

Thanks for that. I'm afraid it confirms what I thought: it is marketing spiel.

You are right that muscles have an adaptive response. However that is too volume load not exercise selection. In other words, you could use the same exercises for years and still make gains as long as you remember to progressively overload your muscles once they have become used to a certain volume. Most people work with the same volume over the course of many months and then wonder why they stall.

I guess I understand the rationale. Change up the routine to keep the user interested. However, I would put on good money that the intensity and difficulty level of the exercises increases as the weeks go by. Nothing to do with muscle "confusion" and everything to do with volume load.

I see that many people attest to the fact that P90X works. I have looked into it a little and I have no doubt that it will do if you stick to it. I suspect the best part is in fact the nutritional plan and the users who stick to that religiously get the furthest. You can't out train a bad diet. There's no magic here though:

Good diet + exercise + consistency + time = success. No kidding...

I do have one qualm about the some of the exercises the programme is said to use. I haven't researched the programme in detail so I could be wrong. However, it seems to encourage users to adopt explosive movements in an unsupervised environment (ie at home) at high intensity as well as a high frequency of workouts (60 - 90 minutes, 6 days a week.) To me that screams escalated potential for injury, possibly serious, if users are not careful and causes unecessary stress on joints. This is particularly true the more overweight the user is.

I'm not slamming this programme and if it helps people acheive their goas then more power to them. However, I believe people should be given all the necessary facts and information to make informed decisions on the methods they wish to use to acheive their goals.

I have termed it "infomercial gibberish" and I stand behind that definition 100%. However, it seems I must explain myself in more detail, so I am happy to do so.

The fact that the concept of "muscle confusion" is nonsense has NOTHING to do with whether or no P90x is or is not a quality, effective program. It's only worth mentioning because the concept of "muscle confusion" has been translated -- accurately or inaccurately, fairly or unfairly--into the idea that you can "shock" the body into "burning more calories" by frequently changing activities, because "inefficient" muscles have to work harder. That is physiological BS. And I see it repeated as fact on this site and other places dozens of times per day. So criticizing that part of the P90x marketing plan and vigorously repudiating it is justified, IMO.

But P90x is hardly unique in this aspect. A number of programs--pilates, yoga, and crossfit come to mind--make some equally dubious claims about their mechanisms of action as well. Those programs all have value in their respective niches and I put P90x in that category as well.

My bias is not against P90x in particular, but against any product or program that makes absolutist claims or promotes itself as the One True Faith. And even that I wouldn't care about --I know that at some point products and programs have to market themselves somehow--except that it's a mismatch. On the one hand, you have professional marketing companies and large corporations launching a full-scale assault with no rules and no principles; on the other, you have the average person who is unhappy with how they look and uncertain because of all the mindless crap being thrown at the them by the corporations and who often has a tendency to look for something "new and improved" or "the perfect program" that is going to give them something unique that will guarantee success.

And, in my experience, the vast number of people fall into the latter category. I see my role as cutting through the BS, providing them with the most objective analysis.

I'm not all that concerned it is overpriced and that there is a lot of chaff mixed in with a few kernels of wheat. If you like it and it inspires you and you put effort into it and get results, then it is worth every penny. I just try to inform people that: a) it is not for everyone, b) it's not unique and c) do the workouts, but pretty much ignore everything else. I don't recommend P90x to people, but I don't bash the program either

Azdak

I agree with the OP that P90x is too hard for most people. The one good thing about P90x in my opinion is that it allows you to feel how hard you actually need to work in order to be in decent shape. The typical person is note really willing to exercise at that kind of intensity level.

The typical person doesn't have to work at that level to be in "decent shape". For general fitness and health, P90x is overkill. Again, that is not a negative statement. That level of training is not necessary for fitness and health. It's fine for those who want to go to a higher level of fitness and athleticism, but athleticism is a personal hobby, not a moral value.

Azdak

Tried it, like everything else & failed because it is so insanely hard! I can see it being beneficial to someone who has plateaued or is taking their work out to the extreme but for the average Joe/Jane I agree with the OP... skip it!

Really, come on. I was the average Joe and I did it. You can do anything you put your mind to.

Cool--I have a "mind" to win the Tour de France next year. I'm going to look great in the maillot jaune.

BR1986FB

Cool--I have a "mind" to win the Tour de France next year. I'm going to look great in the maillot jaune.

Good luck with that! I hear the mountain stages are a killer but you should be able to handle it.

212019156

I guess I should have defined what I mean by decent shape. Most people who would buy P90x want to have the fitness level of the people in those infomercials or perhaps some of the more fit celebrities. That's the kind of fitness level I'm talking about. If you want to be at that kind of level you have to train with a lot more intensity than most people are willing to do.

If you just want to lost a few inches and gain a bit of stamina then I agree with you, you don't need that type of intensity.

edorice

Tried it, like everything else & failed because it is so insanely hard! I can see it being beneficial to someone who has plateaued or is taking their work out to the extreme but for the average Joe/Jane I agree with the OP... skip it!

Here is a list of average Joe's and Janes that didn't want to be average anymore. I didn't want to be average. The average 40 year old female has a 40 inch waist, divorced because her husband left her for a 20 year old, and gets winded while going up one flight of stairs. Average sucks.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/Sgorrie
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/june_warner
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tenaarnett
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/lewis2583
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/frankbo25
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/roylawrence87

BR1986FB

I guess I should have defined what I mean by decent shape. Most people who would buy P90x want to have the fitness level of the people in those infomercials or perhaps some of the more fit celebrities. That's the kind of fitness level I'm talking about. If you want to be at that kind of level you have to train with a lot more intensity than most people are willing to do.

Not ripping on your post because I understand what you're getting at.

When I started I was 288 lbs, 34% bodyfat and wore a size 48 jean. I got winded, big time, just doing the warmups. I stuck with it and after my 2nd round I was 222 lbs, 8% bodyfat and a size 31.

I've seen people 350-400 lbs do this program. They aren't going to jump through the roof, like Dom, during plyo. They"modify" to their fitness level. Eventually they will get there.

This program is a marathon, not a sprint. People who WANT (I agree that it's not to everyones tastes) to do this program should ENJOY the journey....:flowerforyou:

Azdak

I guess I should have defined what I mean by decent shape. Most people who would buy P90x want to have the fitness level of the people in those infomercials or perhaps some of the more fit celebrities. That's the kind of fitness level I'm talking about. If you want to be at that kind of level you have to train with a lot more intensity than most people are willing to do.

Not ripping on your post because I understand what you're getting at.

When I started I was 288 lbs, 34% bodyfat and wore a size 48 jean. I got winded, big time, just doing the warmups. I stuck with it and after my 2nd round I was 222 lbs, 8% bodyfat and a size 31.

I've seen people 350-400 lbs do this program. They aren't going to jump through the roof, like Dom, during plyo. They"modify" to their fitness level. Eventually they will get there.

This program is a marathon, not a sprint. People who WANT (I agree that it's not to everyones tastes) to do this program should ENJOY the journey....:flowerforyou:

Your accomplishment is great and anyone who pursues their dreams should be respected.

My only quibble (and not with you personally, but just in general with some of the other comments) is with the idea that because someone decided to push their physical training to a higher or more athletic level, they are somehow superior to others who chose not to do so. I read a lot of comments about "if you have the will to succeed blah, blah, blah" implying that those who try something like P90x and give it up are somehow weak and undisciplined.

That's an ego trap that's easy to fall into. Being fit just means that's something you chose to spend your leisure time doing. And I like doing tough workouts and I like pushing myself. At my age, I get an infantile amount of pleasure and satisfaction to know I can work out harder than a lot of people 20 years younger and that I am older than most of my coworkers' parents. But I also have the perspective to know that, from a value, moral or ethical standpoint, it means precisely d**k.

iplayoutside19

I hate doing this, but I'm busy. Tag for later.

kathleenpenrod

I love it. I think it is a great set of DVDs to have as a complete workout routine or individually. I rely on them. They incorporate classic moves and a lot of variety. If you are trying to lose some weight (less than 40 pounds) this is great. It requires though a bit of athletic background, in my opinion. I am comfortable with it because of my lifestyle and physical history.

Too long? Too complicated? Too hard? No. No. No. Commit. Commit. Commit.

YassSpartan

I have to say that your approach to P90X is not the best at all and let me explain myself. Personally I believe that if you're a personal trainer and you can't even keep up with the program and can't find the motivation to finish the workouts, you should really change careers. In my experience with workouts and martial arts, hard work gives results unless you just want to go for a walk by the beach and enjoy the ocean breeze. Come on, seriously? If I was a potential client of yours, and I asked you that I want to get in shape in 90 days, do you really think that walking out 30 minutes a day while watching a comedy show on tv will really make me lose lots of body fat and gain muscle mass? I think that's why I hate personal trainers, because all they do is think about money while people spend thousands of dollars on them, and after months and even a year people can't get to see the results they wanted, and all because they don't want to push their clients hard enough so they don't quit and lose a client.

P90X IS an EXTREME workout. Is that a secret? No. P90X IS NOT for BEGINNERS. Is that a secret? No. P90X IS for people who WILL WORK HARD and DO THEIR BEST even if they don't finish the workout for the day. Is that enough to get amazing results when done along with the proper diet? Yes.

Personally, I think people should research about it before buying any fitness program, whether is P90X, or any other program. It would be wrong to go ahead and invest money in stuff you're not sure if is right for you, if it doesn't work or if you don't have at least the chance to return the product if you find out that you made a mistake. I don't know about any other programs but P90X gives you the option of returning the program if you don't want to keep it, you get free online support from an independent coach who will tell help you to succeed and people like you working out with you.

So to finish this, everyone here has the freedom of deciding what works for them or not, and what they should try, but coming to a website where people are actually looking for ways to get in shape and trash a fitness system that works for real, that's crap. If anyone ask me about P90X, I would tell them about my experience, ask them about their level of fitness and probably suggest them to get something less extreme to get their bodies ready for P90X, but I would never talk crap about any system that makes you work your *kitten* off instead of enjoying the sweet life and do nothing to lose weight.

Just my personal opinion.

dakoerber

I have actually done P90X a few tiimes and I agree it is a tough workout to start out with however, I think you need to try multiple things to find what you love. If you think P90x or any workout out there is something you might like you need to try it! You will not know what is your "soulmate" workout until you do it!

If you order P90x through the company that distributes it they have a money back guarantee. Find the workout you love and do it! No one can tell you not to do something because they didn't like it. Just sayin.