P90X - worth it?

airind

I can get the p90x (just the dvds) through my work rewards program. I'm thinking of it for the winter when it's -40 outside.
Is it worth it? Do I have to purchase the chin up bar and resistance bands?

What are your experiences and what was your fitness level before starting?

_Khaleesi_

I would love to hear people's thoughts on this as well. Especially the equipment.

lind3400

Don't do it money wasted on exercise equipment, do INSANITY! Same idea as P90x but wayyyy more cardio and you dont need to spend all the money on weights and chin up bars... my friend is 2 weeks into the program and shes already lost an inch and a half from her waist and her paints are super loose.....its a 2 month program but way worth it....

ShrinkingNinja

p90x is definitely worth it. I am starting another 90 days of it on Monday and can not wait to go for it again.

You will at least need the resistance bands. Try to get some with a strap that you can shut in your door and you can do the modified pull up moves with that and that will save you having to get the pull up bar.

You are going to want to get a yoga mat too.

Here is what I consider to be must haves for this program:
Resistance Bands with Door Strap - works as your weight training equipment and your pull ups
Yoga Mat
Heart Rate Monitor

Optional:
Hand weights (Not necessary if you have enough resistance bands)
Yoga block (Nice if you are not really flexible)
Pull up bar (If you need to not spend a lot on equipment go for the bands)

LOVE LOVE LOVE this program.

I lost 14inches all over my body with it last time.

SCMarineMom

I know a guy that did it religiously and he got awesome results. You do need the resistant bands, weights, etc in order to get the full impact of the workout. I did it for about a week but it has been hard working it into my day since the workouts are so long. I want to try again with it when I can manage my days better.
Good luck!


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edorice

P90X is worth it if you do the program. Getting resistance bands is not expensive and since you'll be getting the program for free then you won't be spending much money at all. No more than $50 for the bands. You can find the resistance bands at Sports Authority. You can get weights from Target and Wal-mart.

getfitdiva

Depends on what your goal is. I completed Insanity and do P90x once in a while w/ my husband. He did the Insanity/P90X hybrid and had amazing results. Lots of inches loss and muscles he never seen before.

He use the chin up bar that connects to the doorway and hand weights. I used the resistance bands.

jaysus

About 3 years ago I was 265 lbs. I started doing p90x in my living room and lost 45lbs in 2 rounds (6 months). I didn't use the diet plan per se, just made better choices and eating lots (and lots....ugh) of grilled chicken. I also didn't have MFP, so I wasn't keeping track of calories or anything like that.

It's truly a program that works, provided that you're willing to put the work in, of course. I used dumbbells instead of the bands. I've tried to go back to doing it as a supplemental workout, but since then I've joined an MMA gym, so I don't have the motivation to work out alone anymore.

ProTFitness

I can get the p90x (just the dvds) through my work rewards program. I'm thinking of it for the winter when it's -40 outside.
Is it worth it? Do I have to purchase the chin up bar and resistance bands?

What are your experiences and what was your fitness level before starting?

Anything is worth it! It just depends on what your look for more of. Either Insanity or P90X is great but 2 different programs

ShrinkingNinja

Don't do it money wasted on exercise equipment, do INSANITY! Same idea as P90x but wayyyy more cardio and you dont need to spend all the money on weights and chin up bars... my friend is 2 weeks into the program and shes already lost an inch and a half from her waist and her paints are super loose.....its a 2 month program but way worth it....

Only negative to Insanity is that it doesn't incorporate any weight training at all. It is pure cardio. Weight training builds muscle and helps up your overall metabolism which helps you burn more calories even when at rest.

Having said that, I do plan on getting Insanity and doing a p90x/Insanity hybrid on my 3rd round of p90x.

K1Teacher

I'm on week 4. It's a big time commitment - most days are 1 and 1/2 hours long. As far as equipment goes - you can use the resistance bands for the pull ups, too - in my opinion not quite as effective but does the job (you need a band that comes with the door attachment for the pull ups). Fitness levels can definitely vary - you would just need to modify some of the exercises. Another REALLY good program that only needs resistance bands and not quite a huge chunk of time daily (more like 45 min- 1 hr) is ChaLEAN Extreme. I love her program!!

Good luck to you! :flowerforyou:

KyleGA

It's a GREAT program and if you can get it thru your rewards program...that is AWESOME! What better gift to give yourself then something which will help transform your body and use along your healthy lifestyle journey!

My wife and I started P90X the same day. We have completely different goals. Her's is to slim down, mine is to muscle up. We just hit week 9 yesterday (we were both out of shape when we started). I have lost inches and body fat percentage while my overall weight has gone up (as I'm trying to bulk up). As for my wife, she has lost inches, tone and lost 16lbs thus far.

To start with, you probably won't need any equipment, but a Yoga mat. As your body weight will probably be enough to start. But as you move along thru the program you will definitely want a pullup bar (you will do pullups by using a chair to start off with and is important to train your muscles for their full range of motion). You will want to get some resistance bands or dumbbells (3lb, 5lb adn 8lb). Don't be affraid of heavier weights, you will NOT bulk up. If you have wrist issues (do a pushup and if your wrists hurt or think they may if you did a bunch of pushups), you should use pushup bars (or if you get hexagon dumbbells you can use these).

If you really want to know how hard you're working, you should also look at getting a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), as for me, I find it critical to know how many calories I'm burning, as this determines how many calories I'm eating.

You can find the equipment reasonably priced online or even at walmart.

With any exercise program, that is really only 20-25% of the battle, the majority of the battle comes from your nutrition...when you start the program, either follow the nutrition guide or eat as absolutely as healthy as you can (which we should be doing all the time any way).

In conclusion, equipment I recommend;
Yoga mat
HRM
pullup bar
dumbbells (3lb, 5lb, 8lb)
*pushup bar, if not using the hexagon style dumbbells
towel (may need a few of these) :-)

Cheers!!!

_Khaleesi_

Huh.... I just read this.
http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/1443/p90x-insanity-and-rushfit-a-side-by-side/?utm_source=Certified+News&utm_medium=email&utm_term=May+2011&utm_campaign=Certified+News&CMP=EMC-CertifiedNews_0511

I have Rushfit and P90 x is in the mail. I don't have an interest in Insanity after reading about it here.

liftingbro

P90X is better than Insanity. Any training program that does not include weights is not complete. Cardio alone will just lead you to being skinny fat instead of just fat.

While P90X is good, it's still not as good as a pure lifting routine supplemented with cardio.

However, if you cannot afford a gym membership or time restraints dictate that a home program is better then you can get great results with p90X. If this is a free thing through work, I would grab it in a jiffy.

liftingbro

I would love to hear people's thoughts on this as well. Especially the equipment.

Not much equipement is required. You can do everything with just a set of good bands. Having dumbbells and a chin-up bar would be better but you can do everything with some bands.

AW092565

P90X is great if you have the time. You can use resistance bands in place of the bars, they show you both when you are doing those exercises. There is so much variety so you never get bored from day to day. There are other things you can use in place of the yogo block so really the items you need are not all that much.

You can also go on Craigs List and get the tools cheaper, but I feel it is worth it.

airind

Thanks for the tips guys!

I am already extremely active, and do constant weight training and cardio and yoga (with a HRM) which is why I was asking. I guess I can always up my weights if I need more challenge.

I know that 'anything is great' but it's not a matter of starting something for me, I am already doing TONS - I just thought something different for the winter may be a good variety and spice things up!!

The only thing - I do hot yoga 3 times a week, and it's not something I'm willing to give up. Would 'extra' yoga be compatible with this program or do I risk overtraining?

liftingbro

Thanks for the tips guys!

I am already extremely active, and do constant weight training and cardio and yoga (with a HRM) which is why I was asking. I guess I can always up my weights if I need more challenge.

I know that 'anything is great' but it's not a matter of starting something for me, I am already doing TONS - I just thought something different for the winter may be a good variety and spice things up!!

The only thing - I do hot yoga 3 times a week, and it's not something I'm willing to give up. Would 'extra' yoga be compatible with this program or do I risk overtraining?

I would thing it would be OK. The only change I would make is probably drop their "Yoga X" from your routine since you are already doing Yoga. See how that goes, if you feel like you're pushing too hard consider dropping the plyo routine as well.

lind3400

P90X is better than Insanity. Any training program that does not include weights is not complete. Cardio alone will just lead you to being skinny fat instead of just fat.

While P90X is good, it's still not as good as a pure lifting routine supplemented with cardio.

However, if you cannot afford a gym membership or time restraints dictate that a home program is better then you can get great results with p90X. If this is a free thing through work, I would grab it in a jiffy.

Skinny fat???

edorice

P90X is better than Insanity. Any training program that does not include weights is not complete. Cardio alone will just lead you to being skinny fat instead of just fat.

Skinny fat???

Skinny fat is someone that is smaller in size, but has no strength at all. Someone that may have dieted down to a size two, but couldn't lift their bodyweight in a single push-up to save their life.

liftingbro

P90X is better than Insanity. Any training program that does not include weights is not complete. Cardio alone will just lead you to being skinny fat instead of just fat.

While P90X is good, it's still not as good as a pure lifting routine supplemented with cardio.

However, if you cannot afford a gym membership or time restraints dictate that a home program is better then you can get great results with p90X. If this is a free thing through work, I would grab it in a jiffy.

Skinny fat???

Yes, it means that while you look thin you have not muscle and still look soft instead of fit. It happens a lot to runners who end up thin but still soft. You can prevent this by lifting weights and eating enough protein. Basically if you are eating at a deficit you will burn a mix of muscle and fat if you are in a large deficit. Running burns a lot of calories and tends to put people in large deficits. To mitiage the issue you can lift weights and get enough protein which will help you build muscle or maintain what you have.

It's not as much of an issue with people in smaller deficits (500 or less), but lifting will still help you look a lot more fit.

lind3400

Geeze I didnt know that! Thanks for the info

cheri03

Have all of you bashing Insanity done it? I have totally toned up my legs. butt and arms (you can see the ripped muscles in my arms). You do not have to use weights to build muscle. Insanity does not lead to skinny fat.

edorice

Have all of you bashing Insanity done it? I have totally toned up my legs. butt and arms (you can see the ripped muscles in my arms). You do not have to use weights to build muscle. Insanity does not lead to skinny fat.

I don't know who was "bashing" Insanity. I was only answering the question about what skinny fat is. The girls in Insanity all can do many push-ups, off of their knees. So, if you can keep up with them then you're definitely NOT in the category of skinny fat. I have done both P90X and insanity many times over. They both have their benefits.

airind

I need something a bit more than calisthenics at this point so based on the descriptions I'm thinking Insanity isn't right for me. I use calisthenic exercises a LOT in my bootcamps though and know the benefits they can provide!

I did end up ordering it through my rewards program and it should be here in 4-6 weeks, just in time for my bootcamps to finish up and the weather to turn cold. I work from home so finding the 90 minutes to complete the workouts shouldn't be too hard.

Thanks everyone!

edorice

Sounds like a great plan. I hope you love the DVD's.

iwineveryday75

ShrinkingNinja you look great! I tried P90X but unfortunately was not for me at the time I started it. I didn't have energy before the workouts and felt even more exhausted afterward. But I am so happy it worked out for you! Keep up the great work!

ShrinkingNinja

ShrinkingNinja you look great! I tried P90X but unfortunately was not for me at the time I started it. I didn't have energy before the workouts and felt even more exhausted afterward. But I am so happy it worked out for you! Keep up the great work!

Thank you.

Had this been my first program I might have felt the same way. I sorta worked up to it even though I never really thought about it that way until just now.

ShrinkingNinja

I need something a bit more than calisthenics at this point so based on the descriptions I'm thinking Insanity isn't right for me. I use calisthenic exercises a LOT in my bootcamps though and know the benefits they can provide!

I did end up ordering it through my rewards program and it should be here in 4-6 weeks, just in time for my bootcamps to finish up and the weather to turn cold. I work from home so finding the 90 minutes to complete the workouts shouldn't be too hard.

Thanks everyone!

You will love it. I am going through withdrawal right now taking some time off before starting up again on Monday.