p90x advice

gojuju

I'm starting p90x on Monday. I have heard horror stories about how horrible and hard it is. I think I've psyched myself out a little. For those of you that have done p90x, what advice do you have for a beginner, scaredy-cat like me?

Thanks in advance for your input!

Kyle4088

Good luck I have been really really tempted to try it but I have not (YET) and I do know some people that are P90X coaches - just something about it I cannot buy into........ one of my best friends used to be a personal trainer and natural body builder and he taught me how to work out and eat right --- so for me it is making the choice of knowing what i need to do ---- I DO agree that would be an awesome jump start and a shock to my system ---very very tempted to try it

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I hope you do it and find amazing results and look forward to your updates

HopetoFaith

Hi gojuju, I would like to join you on this scary p90x journey, I see not many girls takes challenge.

bacamacho

It's very hard at first if you've not done much that dealt with weights. It's new, it's different. Each time you press play though it gets a little bit easier. Mind you, if it's too easy, might need to adjust. Add more weights or do more reps. You are supposed to feel it. Don't try to keep up with the guys on the video. Do what you can to failure. May be less than video guy, but it's working just the same for YOU.

Good luck and enjoy!

jessgumkowski88

I'm doing insanity right now, and it's by the creators of P90X. It's super hard and some even say it's harder than P90X, but I can't compare since I've only done one workout for P90X. However don't be intimidated and don't give up! I guarantee that you will not be able to do every exercise, or keep up with them, but if you keep up with the video and do whatever you can each week you'll see serious improvement! Insanity was the best choice I made for my life I'm just a college student who doesnt leave her room much and it lets me have a gym right there (no equipment necessary). I was super gungho the 1st day, minorly excited the 2nd, neutral towards the exercise by the 3rd, and by the 4th day, I was really complaining and I didn't want to do it. I kept saying I hate this I cant do this I hate cardio, etc. etc. you just need to either remind yourself why your doing it, or have someone motivate you when you hit that first commitment wall. But when you see the results, it won't happen again.

My biggest suggestion for motivation it to take weekly pictures, especially the day 1 to day 7 picture will be awesome. At least for me in insanity, I saw a huge difference. I hope you have as much success with P90X!

alyssa92982

you can do it!!! i started it july 2011 and have been doing it since!!!! love the results i have obtained after round 1 then after round 2 and so forth, which keeps me going. it really helped me to have my husband doing it alongside of me. we would keep each other on track with both workouts and diet.
good luck hun-you can do it, just stay determined!!!

misskris78

I've done one round of P90X, one round of Insanity and one round of a hybrid. I'm in maintenance right now, and I added in Turbo Fire for fun. I'm a 5-5" 34 year old mother of one. My fitness goals were to be a size 6 US. Probably 25 lbs but I don't weigh myself. I went from a size 10 to a size 6 in about 8 months with this workout plan netting around 1500 calories a day. I eat my exercise calories. I was aiming for sustainable weight loss, not fast weight loss.

Now to P90X. I would put this program in a category of cardio resistance. The moves are fast, and your heart rate will rise. The resistance days are biased towards upper body with one leg workout. Each resistance day includes Ab Ripper X. The non resistance days include a plyometrics workout, a Kenpo karate workout and the longest dang Yoga video on the face of the planet. If you're just getting into weights, you will need 5, 8, 10 and 12 lb dumbbells. I use up to 25 lbs now and rarely use anything lower than 12. You will also need a resistance band for pull ups, and a pull up bar for later on. I still use bands.

If you're new to exercise, I assure you that you will be sore at first. You probably won't be able to complete legs and back, and you'll do push ups on your knees. You won't be able to do all the moves in Ab Ripper X. When I started, I was so excited to do 10 push ups before going to my knees. I can now to 50+ of most variations with proper form.

The hardest part about this system is the time commitment. Workouts are 50-60 minutes plus 15 minutes of Ab Ripper. Yoga is 90 minutes. The first month of the nutrition plan is protein heavy and is probably hard for vegetarians. My biggest mistake was not following the plan. I found the err in my ways when I started insanity and the weight started to melt off. But I remind you: I eat my exercise calories and I net 1500 (gasp!) ... if you're looking to emaciate yourself into a pair of skinny jeans, this might not be the right program for you depending on your build.

I am in the best shape of my life - and I'm pretty ripped. Ripped enough to get comments from strangers. While I'm positive that there are better gym based weight programs that incorporate personal trainers, that's not a reality for most folks.

A lot of women gain weight with this program and they are disappointed when they're finished. I was one of them. Diet is key. They muscles are there, they're just under a layer of fat. I think for most people, a round of intense cardio when P90X is done is useful.

Best of luck!

Nikstergirl

I just finished my second round and I love this program! My biggest piece of advice comes from Tony's mouth during most of the workouts... "do your best and forget the rest". You won't be able to do every move as good as the people on the video the first time through... or the second for that matter. Don't let it get you down. Use the weights that work for you and make it tough but not impossible. Try HARD, take breaks if you need them. Don't be so hard on yourself if you have to modify certain moves, they want you to do that so you don't get injured. Just enjoy the workouts. Tony's a goofball and I love his personality in every video. Get up every day and push play. Eat! Don't be afraid to eat (good healthy food of course) at least 1500 calories, I usually go for 1800 myself, but I'm in maintainence now as well. Drink tons of water, both during the workouts and throughout the day. Enjoy it. It's a great ride and you WILL get the results you want if you work hard!!!!

mwheatcraft54

I started P90X in June. I had done about 60 days of it once before, so I at least knew what to expect, but it had been a few years and I was about 50 lbs overweight. I had issues at first with my tummy getting in the way of some of the exercises, including yoga, but I just kept going.

It is HARD. Don't make any mistake about that. The moves seem impossible at first, you'll be exhausted and sore and not able to get out of bed. Do it anyway.

The videos have lots of ways to modify the moves - do those. When Tony says "If you need to take a break, take it!" do. The key is, don't stick with the modifys - when you're over the initial blast, start trying to keep up with the kids.

You'll feel sore for about two weeks, then you'll notice you're not as sore. You won't see any major changes until around week 6 - 8 - but it's happening so don't quit. Just keep getting up and turning on the video machine.

I'm currently in my second round (didn't take a break between rounds) and continue to make huge improvements. So far I've lost 25+ pounds in 17 weeks and over 12 inches off my body. Seeing muscle definition is amazing, and this morning I'm heading out to run my first 5k ever. I can't begin to tell you what this program will do for you - you'll have to see it for yourself. It has changed my life though - and I love it.

One other word of advice - do the X-Stretch video. It's tempting to skip it, but you can throw it in anywhere - and it will help in all of the routines, and it will make you feel better. I've had huge wrist issues, and the two wrist stretches are helping me so much, as are the neck and shoulder stretches. Consider it a gift to yourself and do it.

mirthfuldragon

I'm on day 62 of the classic program. For some background, I lost right at 95ish pounds doing the typical gym mill and a summer of some heavy cycling - elliptical machines, weight machines, some free weights (biceps, some light squats, etc.). So I came to the program with a solid fitness base, but still overweight and not fit.

I would categorize the program as difficult, but not impossible and not insane. I have not thrown up, have not gotten hurt, and not damaged anything.

It is a solid program, and it hits everything. I've lost 15 of the stubborn pounds (with two weddings so far, where I enjoyed myself considerably in the food department), breaking through a plateau, and I am, more or less, enjoying it.

Every move is modifiable, and don't expect to be able to do them all right off the bat. I still do diamond pushups on my knees, and I can crank out 40 regular pushups without a problem.

My advice: do your best, and forget the rest. It is new, so expect to struggle with it a bit. It will take some time to learn what is going on. Also, make sure you do the Yoga routine! I had never done yoga before, and it was new to me, and thanks to Yoga, I can now put my palms flat on the floor when I touch my toes. Yoga and, to a lesser extent, X-Stretch balance and round out the program. The program is not impossible, and if you stick with it, you'll see results.

Also, beachbody forums are a waste of time. You'll get better advice here without all the "buy unnecessary crap" spam.

joecollins9385

the first week of each phase in the workout is the hardest. push through and it gets easier.

dan95130

I'm on day 76 of my first round. It is hard so don't be discouraged if you have to hit pause to catch your breath or shake the stiffness out of your arms before continuing. I take anywhere between an extra 10 and 30 minutes of breaks.
Conversely, if you start with a modified/easier form of an exercise, don't stay there any longer than necessary. If you have to do pushups from your knees, try starting on your toes for a few then go to your knees for the last few reps.
Don't forget to take progress pictures. Good luck, you'll be pleased three months from now.

gojuju

Thank you for the replies, everyone! It's REALLY GOOD to hear that breaks and modifications are okay at first. I tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to everything I do, which I'm working on changing. I'm hesitant about the time commitment for p90x, but I am arranging my life so I can do it. I'm raising my three little ones on my own, taking 17 credits this semester, and working a bit, too. The other concern is I need to be more committed to protein intake, because I know how important that is for p90x. I'm a vegetarian...with an occasional albacore tuna sandwich thrown in the mix . So, it's time to get creative...

Again, I appreciate the feedback.

Take care everyone, and best wishes for your health and personal goals!

mirthfuldragon

The other concern is I need to be more committed to protein intake, because I know how important that is for p90x. I'm a vegetarian...with an occasional albacore tuna sandwich thrown in the mix . So, it's time to get creative...

Whey protein, or soy protein if you skip dairy. It is surprisingly tasty. If you're cool with fish, it also has a great ratio of calories to protein.