Experienced P90 help please!

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gettinfit4god
gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started week 4 of P90. I am 300+ and while I am very pleased with my results so far (I have muscles! Who would have thought?), I am still struggling with the power yoga on level 1-2 sweat. I cannot perform the moves. It is not physically possible for a person who has just started working out to lift 300+ pounds into the positions shown on the video. I have tried so hard that I have hurt myself! The go-to answer from my coach and everyone else on beachbody.com is that if I stick with it, I will be able to eventually, but that is not helping me right now. Has anyone else had this experience? Are there any yoga moves that I could substitute? Anything has to be better than lying on the floor crying, although I'm sure that burns a few calories. ;-) Thanks for your help!

Replies

  • moran1917
    moran1917 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    i have had similar issues doing another dvd series. what i did was try everything and see what muscles it was affecting. Then while the people in the video did the movement that i was unable to do i substituted a movement that effected the same muscles but was more manageable. for instance i had trouble with a weak core and could not do some of the plank movements for the whole minute alloted. so i did it the way they wanted for the 20 seconds i could and then i flipped over and practiced hollow man for the rest of the minute. as my core improved i was eventually able to do the whole minute as it was supposed to be done. that is all the advice i can think to offer.
  • CoachMelissaDi
    CoachMelissaDi Posts: 215 Member
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    I am a P90X grad and I havent did any of the yoga at all. it hurts my hands too much (I get tendinitis too bad in my thumbs) so I just switch out on that day with cardio and x stretch dvds. It works fine for me. As long as you are getting a great stretch in that is all that matters. And then when you lose more weight you can try the moves and it will work for you then :) I am a coach also so if you need help at any time just let me know! Have a great day :)
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
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    Plank is the exact movement I can't do. Plus, they go through the sequences really fast and I can't make the transitions. Is it alright to jump from one move to the next? I can't swing my leg under me from downward dog to runner's pose without dropping my knee and using my hands to lift myself into position. I had been looking for alternative moves on youtube, but I had not considered searching for moves that work the same muscle groups. I had just been looking for yoga for the obese in order to fill the same amouont of time. Thanks for the direction. I will search that move specifically!
  • TNFirefly
    TNFirefly Posts: 169 Member
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    From over 400 lbs, When I do a video, I have to modify just about everything. I half time march, skip the turns, and do what I can even if it is marching while they do whatevers. I agree with moran that you can figure out the target muscle group then find something you can do at the same time. Keep going!
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
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    Thanks! I will keep that in mind!
  • abbiepql
    abbiepql Posts: 45
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    My husband and son do it - have done it many times. Both of them skip most of the yoga and just repeat the moves they feel comfortable doing. Seriously, my husband is trim but some of those moves are very hard on his back. The point is to stretch and move, if you are doing that than kudos to you for doing the rest! Do what you can and then move on to doing those that you can while they turn themselves inside out. Besides Tony's mouth and his frequent use of the phrase "get busy" it seems like a effective workout!
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
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    My husband and son do it - have done it many times. Both of them skip most of the yoga and just repeat the moves they feel comfortable doing. Seriously, my husband is trim but some of those moves are very hard on his back. The point is to stretch and move, if you are doing that than kudos to you for doing the rest! Do what you can and then move on to doing those that you can while they turn themselves inside out. Besides Tony's mouth and his frequent use of the phrase "get busy" it seems like a effective workout!

    Haha! It's not his phrases that get me, its how he starts to say something, then drops down to a whisper. After 3 weeks I have come to the conclusion that those times are when he's trying to be funny and aren't important to hear anyway. LOL!
  • Jennchel
    Jennchel Posts: 16
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    I would say to modify everything. If you can't do plank, do plank on your knees. Or just do it for a couple of seconds then rest, then try a couple more seconds. I agree with you about swinging the leg in to get to runner's pose, there's stuff swinging, but it isn't necessarily my leg! lol. Take your time, do what you can. Don't feel bad that you can't succeed perfectly in every pose, at least you're pushing play! Make sure you keep trying to do the poses though, because one day you'll try it, and be so surprised that you did it! Good luck! and have fun!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I've been doing yoga for 6 months and I still can't bring my foot up from downward dog. So I don't. I drop my other knee first. It's ok to do that.

    As far as the plank. What is your specific issue? Just holding it? Or is it hurting you is some way?

    I've only done the P90 yoga a couple of times and it is brutal. He really is fast. I make all kinds of modifications to what I'm comfortable with and what I have done previously in classes. I figure I'll get there eventually.
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
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    I've been doing yoga for 6 months and I still can't bring my foot up from downward dog. So I don't. I drop my other knee first. It's ok to do that.

    As far as the plank. What is your specific issue? Just holding it? Or is it hurting you is some way?

    I've only done the P90 yoga a couple of times and it is brutal. He really is fast. I make all kinds of modifications to what I'm comfortable with and what I have done previously in classes. I figure I'll get there eventually.

    Both. It hurts my lower abdomine. It may just be an issue like jennchel mentioned and things swinging and pulling!
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
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    I would say to modify everything. If you can't do plank, do plank on your knees. Or just do it for a couple of seconds then rest, then try a couple more seconds. I agree with you about swinging the leg in to get to runner's pose, there's stuff swinging, but it isn't necessarily my leg! lol. Take your time, do what you can. Don't feel bad that you can't succeed perfectly in every pose, at least you're pushing play! Make sure you keep trying to do the poses though, because one day you'll try it, and be so surprised that you did it! Good luck! and have fun!

    HAHA! So true!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Both. It hurts my lower abdomine. It may just be an issue like jennchel mentioned and things swinging and pulling!

    Yep. That is absolutely just a practice thing. Practice makes perfect. Make mods as you need to, you will gain the strength as time goes by.
  • abbiepql
    abbiepql Posts: 45
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    Might I add the P90X is a very ambitious workout for someone just starting and I, my son and my husband are extremely proud of your accomplishments - everyone starts somewhere, you just happen to pick and really steep mountain, you will reach the top before you know it!
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
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    Might I add the P90X is a very ambitious workout for someone just starting and I, my son and my husband are extremely proud of your accomplishments - everyone starts somewhere, you just happen to pick and really steep mountain, you will reach the top before you know it!

    P90 is different from p90x. It's much easier. I need to lose another 100 before I'll start something that hard core!
  • PippaJo_
    PippaJo_ Posts: 233 Member
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    I've only just started P90, and I'm only about 30 pounds overweight, and I can't do the yoga either, so don't feel bad! (And I consider myself reasonably flexible.)

    I do think that he goes *awfully* fast - too fast, really. So what I've done is simply go through the moves MUCH more slowly - if that means that I get through the sequence less than twice, then that's what it means. I can't swing my leg through either, and honestly, I'm not sure that it's necessary. I just get from downward dog into the runner's pose as smoothly and painlessly as I can - however I can. Right now, that's putting a knee down, then bringing it forward onto my foot.

    I really think that holding the runner's pose/crescent/warrior is more important than how I get there. And maybe eventually I'll make it from plank pushing through to cobra, but it's not right now, and I'm okay with doing each part individually, slowly so I don't hurt myself - holding for as long as I can.
  • tesskb328
    tesskb328 Posts: 19 Member
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    Don't get me wrong, I love Yoga..but not P90X's version. I always skip it and do something that I feel more productive with. It just is way too hard and I always end up sore for days afterwards. I don't feel like I'm doing the poses right.
  • Steph13RN
    Steph13RN Posts: 92 Member
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    I agree with you about swinging the leg in to get to runner's pose, there's stuff swinging, but it isn't necessarily my leg! lol.

    Jennchell ... you have me cracking up!! I couldn't agree with you more!! I'm a bit busty and sometimes no matter what sports bra (or two) that I have on, they still find a way to get in the way!!

    ETA: I'm really liking what I'm seeing on MFP in regards to P90 ... I think I'm going to order it! I think it will be a perfect way for me and hubby to workout together!

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