Help with a Few P90X ?'s

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Sheila_Ann
Sheila_Ann Posts: 365 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Good Morning!

I'm about to start P90X and have a few questions. Here are my stats based on the info from the book:

Current body weight: 124
RMR: 1240
Daily Activity Burn 248
Energy Amount: 2,088
Level 1: 1,800
Body Fat: 23.68

So here goes:

I currently work with a trainer on Monday and Tuesday mornings. Is it bad to work out with my trainer and then do p90x when I get home? I work out with her at 9:30 in the morning and we do heavy weights for 30 min.

I also do Zumba on some nights for my cardio. Can I do Zumba on the days I'm supposed to do cardio?

I do wear a HRM for all of my workouts and I do eat back my workout calories. I'm currently set at 1200 calories per day here on MFP. p90x wants me to eat 1,800 calories. Can stay at 1200 and add my workout calories back?

I'm looking at building muscle so should I do the Classic, Double or Lean workout?

I will also be changing my macros to the phase 1 recommendation: 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat.

Any help/suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Sheila :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    P90X is intense all on its own. Two workouts a day is not a good idea, as it is likely to lead to injury or burnout.

    If you insist on doing all of this training you MUST EAT, and eat a lot. I am now eating 2100-2200 calories per day on P90X strength days and 1800 on easy days. I'm 36 yo, 5'4", 131 pounds, and 20.4% body fat.

    If you want to build muscle, you should do classic and lift heavy (muscle failure at 8-10 reps), but if you are under eating you simply are not going to grow muscle. Muscles need to be fed to grow.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    I'd pick one or the other.
    If you're already paying a trainer money, why not stick with their programming and just lift weights, do cardio, and do zumba classes.

    p90x would be the option if you didn't have a gym membership. but since you do, you're much better off lifting weights.
  • braxton2007
    braxton2007 Posts: 15 Member
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    I would add in 2 days of P90x to your week. That way you have the trainer 2 days a week,2 days P90x,, and Zumba. That should give your body an assortment of activites and time for rest. Good luck in 2013
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    IMO

    you are going to be doing way too much if you ad P90X to that schedule

    slow down and think more quality of your workout rather than quantity

    you will burn out fast trying to do all that and your body will not have time to recover properly
  • cgeorge5555
    cgeorge5555 Posts: 27 Member
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    I agree with some of the above posts. Stacking too many workouts each day is just setting yourself up for over-training or burnout. P90X (Classic/Doubles) alone is more then enough.

    Also, the stats you provided (don't have age or height), 1200 cals per day is certainly not enough to sustain / promote lean muscle mass growth. You'll definitely lose weight but at the expensive of catabolizing precious muscle and not so precious fat. Eating back calories helps if you can remember to, so why not just set the correct caloric intake for the day instead? Like skylark94 outlined, she's taking in 1800-2100 cals daily depending on her workload schedule and for her stats (which appear similar to yours) still doesn't promote much muscle growth, it does preserve more lean muscle mass while continuing to lose fat.

    Are you seeing good results with your trainer? Does your schedule already seem to busy without adding a home workout routine in? If you answered yes to either, I'd stick with what you already have going. Otherwise If you're not happy, or you have time, then give P90X a shot.

    If you do decide that P90X is something you want to do, I would suggest starting out with Classic. This schedule and routine seems to offer the most gains if you are at a specific fitness level capable of completing the routines in their fitness test.

    One last note, while P90X is a great home workout program. The real gains are ones you achieve in the kitchen with proper nutrition and hitting the correct macro percentages. Upwards of 80% of your results will be this and this alone (strength excluded).
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    IMO

    you are going to be doing way too much if you ad P90X to that schedule

    slow down and think more quality of your workout rather than quantity

    you will burn out fast trying to do all that and your body will not have time to recover properly

    agreed here.

    weight training at a gym is going to trump p90x in quality all day long. focus on that.
  • braxton2007
    braxton2007 Posts: 15 Member
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    Maybe I'm reading your post wrong. But 2 days of weight training for 30 minutes is not going to do much or is much for that matter. Now should you do P90 on those same days? No. But adding another day or 2 of some sort of resistance exercises, be it p90 or something else, is not going to cause burnout.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    weight training at a gym is going to trump p90x in quality all day long. focus on that.

    maybe, maybe not

    totally depends on your goal

    P90X will get you in shape and cut some weight IF you actually do it
  • Josee76
    Josee76 Posts: 533 Member
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    Not to rain on your parade (and I love your drive by the way) but that's a recipe for a serious burn out. One or the other.... I have done numerous rounds of P90X and X2, it's enough on it's own.

    Good luck on your journey!
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    maybe, maybe not

    totally depends on your goal

    P90X will get you in shape and cut some weight IF you actually do it

    yeah I think it works great for people who are overweight or who haven't trained with weights before.

    I just think it's overkill for her. she already has a gym membership, might as well take advantage of it.
  • anothermop
    anothermop Posts: 187 Member
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    If you're going to try it, I'd do the Classic. Mondays are Chest and Back - Since you're with a trainer on Mondays, that could replace P90X that day. Tuesday is Plyo, so you could do that after your 2nd day with the trainer. Then use P90X the other days of the week. You could Zumba on the nights of the other strength training days--Wed and Fri. So it would almost be like doing doubles because you'd be getting a 2nd workout for cardio on strength training days and you're just replace Mondays with the trainer.

    Good luck
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    Hey P90X-ers!

    Really the most important part of P90X is keeping yourself motivated, and having a good support structure. I just joined this P90X group here on MFP and there's already 50 people in there starting the program today/tomorrow/some time in January.

    Come join us :)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10189-p90x-new-year-challenge-2013

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