P90X Questions Please someone answer them

mbruskotter

ok my husband and I are on the verge of buying P90X but before we do we have some quesitons. One how much weight in dumbells does a man need? My husband uses 45s for shoulder press with 8 reps...is P90X a high rep low weight thing or high weight low rep? We don't want to spend a ton of money on dumbells we have a gym membership and can't justify it. I'm thinking that he wont need anything more than 30 if the program is what i think it is. Also, do they map out your workouts for you? Like today you are doing C&B tomorrow PLyo or Kempo...or do they make you guess? I like to be told what to do on which day....I can guess and aimlessly wonder around the gym if that's the case. What are these phases? Do the exercises actually change or is it phase one is the first 30 days phase two the next.....and phase three the last? i think i'm reading that people are running and doing plyo or kempo...are they not enough on their own? I don't think anyone needs more than 45 min of cardio because it starts feeding off of my muscle instead of fat and I like my muscle. Is their food guide just a guide like these are things you should avoid and this is what you should eat....do they give any recipes or how you should break your meals into six small meals...i like to have suggestions for snacks and when to time my protein and carbs...do they help with that? I think that's all for now if I have more questions I'll ask but if anyone can give me any kind of feedback i would really appreciate it i don't want to call beachbody and have some customer service rep push me and make everything sound so great...yada yada yada.

P. S.
What is this "bump" thing i keep seeing on MFP?

waguchan

You do a lot of reps, so you don't need heavy weights. Just rubber bands or dumbbells up to 15 pounds.

merrilyigoalong

My husband is pretty muscular and I think he only had 35s as the highest dumbbells he needed to do this at home.

P90x is great. If you are doing the workouts right - really pushing yourself, you don't need anything else. If you look at the FAQs, they say pretty much just that. If you have energy left at the end to run, you should have lifted harder! After doing plyo, that last thing I wanted to do was run!

They tell you EXACTLY what to do and on what day. Day one 1 one workout, Day 2 is another, day 3 is another, etc., each week is the same for three or four weeks. Then you do something different for a week before phase 2 starts and they prescribe exactly what you do the same way for the same three or four weeks, rest phase for one week...then begins the last phase. You do some of the same DVDs throughout, but you will not get bored. They are GREAT workouts and I have to admit, I adore Tony Horton now. At first I thought he was a geek, but you can't help but love him after a week or so. He's got a fun personality. You'll see what i mean.

Oh, they also have three different "prescriptions" for whatever your end goal is. If you're just doing it to do it, there's the standard version which will kick your butt. If you want to do a fat burning version there is a different plan for you to follow that gives you more cardio. If you're looking for extreme results, there is a prescription for that as well.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it when I did it. for me, it was more of a pain to move the furniture out of my small living room every day to make room to do it. You will DEFINITELY see changes.

The diet has recipes that are good. It will tell you exactly what to eat, but if that is too much for you, you can choose to do it in a different way. They give you a little grid (eat "x" servings of this food group, eat "y" servings of this food group, don't eat a, b or c., yada yada.

does that help?

Buy it. You won't regret it!

lilchino4af

P. S.
What is this "bump" thing i keep seeing on MFP?

It's to bring the topic back to the top so more people will see/read it.

TuscanySun

P. S.
What is this "bump" thing i keep seeing on MFP?

"BUMP" is what someone will type into a post when they want to save it to their topics too. When you go to Community, you'll see one of the links says "My Topics". Any time you type in a post, it gets added to this My Topics page.....makes it so you can go back to see what you've posted recently and keep up with links easier.

Some people do this especially for recipes and exersize tips etc that you might want to re-read later.

Does that help?

erickirb

For the weighted exercises it is up to the user how many reps you can go heavy and do few or go light and do a bunch. The only thing that 45 pounds might not be enough weight for are "Lawn Mowers", which are 1 arm bent over rows, I use 55-60 pounds for that exercise, but other than that 45 should be enough. P90X is great I just started my third round of the 90 days, it works.

Don't worry the program tells you exactly what to do but there are 3 options to the program Classic, Lean and doubles. You can always start with Classic for the first 90 days then try another option for round 2.

I added additional cardio, just to get running in as it is not covered in this program, and I enjoy running, but to do that you have to eat a lot as you will need the energy. The program is enough without the extra cardio, trust me.

Bump is a way that the thread will be easily accessible for the MFP member who did it so they can look at the answers themselves.

lt_mrcook

You won't burn muscle after 45 min of cardio...you will actually start to burn fat between 30-60 minutes of cardio. Before 30-60 minutes your liver has an extensive storage of glucose ready for your use. After that you start to burn fat, and should add in some simple carbs to help your muscles get the nergy they need as your body converts the fat. The more often your practice this, the better your body gets at it. Your muscles store more glycogen to start, your liver stores a little more glucose, or body gets better at using those stored sugars and at converting the fat. You're getting in shape.
don't skip on protein, especially after a workout as then your muscles need the amino acids it breaks down to for repair of the microscopic tears the work created. repair those tears and you get stronger.

Simplicity

If you buy the full version you get the nurtion guide which has three ways of telling you how to eat.
1. pick the right ingredients and correct amouts
2. meal plan where you get full on meal plans and times
3, recipes that you can mix and match along with folowing the certain "blocks" for each day

Weight repetitions are based on either low rep or high rep depending on lean muscle or bulk it up to you. Tony allows for both. if your husband has upto 45 s for shoulder press he will inevitably need more but the end of the 90 days and also some of the moves require heavier weights for men in a sense that the 45's will be too low for moves such as lawnmower etc.
there are 12 different exercises in short you do 3 weeks the same and one different that is block one then you do three weeks the same and one week different again then you do alternating different weeks in this order

week 1-3 and rest week 4
week 5-7 and rest week 8
week 9 and 11 the same
week 10 and 12 the same
week 13 rest week
week 1,2,3,9,11 are the same
week 5,6,7,10,12 are the same
week 4,8 and 13 are the same

if you eat enought food and follow the program you will not sacrifice muscle over fat based on the resistance training and the amouths of protein you will possible build or at leawst retain muscle and decrease fat.

good luck i hope i have helped a little.
Ben

ps after reading the nutrion guide you will pick up automatic good food choices and the means to create your own "healthy" snacks

Simplicity

wow i should learn to write quicker oh well!!!
Ben

scweegie

I have been checking out the P90x videos and in the ones where you need to lift weights he always asks if you want to lift 8-10 or 12-15. I always get confused, but one is a target for lean muscle/toning and the other is for big muscles. Depending on this you set your goal, and you should be trying really hard to lift the last few. So maybe the weights you have now will be fine for the beginning and by the end you may need some heavier ones.

Also as the other posters said the complete program tells you what workout to do when and what to eat. There are a few programs though within the program. The lean, the classic and doubles. You would pick which is right for you.

stevemcknight

bump is a way to keep a forum topic on the front page of a thread.

p90x or any weight lifting - in general the idea is to lift 6-8 for size, 12-15 for lean. You should be maxed out at your intended target. Your husband will probably need more weight, but there are options to keep 45's working.

For example - 1.5's. You lift the whole way up, then 1/2 way down, then back up to the top again. That's 1 rep. If 45's are too light for a given exercise, do 1.5's and I assure you, it won't be too light...

mbruskotter

you guys rock thanks for the info...i'll present it to my husband when he gets home....it's really his deal...i'll of course do it if he decides to get it but he hardly gets to the gym and needs something to do at home...thanks to the MFP family for your quick responses

T_R_A_V

Im on week 4 and havent gone over 35 lbs yet

jmb1510

It is very mapped out for you. You spend the first three weeks doing a specific order: Chest and Back, Plyo, Shoulders and arms, Yoga, Legs and Back, Kempo, rest day. The 4th weeks is a cardio week with specific excersies on each day. Week 5-7 are a new Rotation on the Resistance Days with the cardio days being the same. Week is another cardio week. Week 9-10 you do the first three weeks workout routine, week 11-12 you do the second three weeks workout routine and week 13 is another Cardio week.

As for weights, if you don't want to invest in weights then the bands will work just fine. They show you how to use the bands for each excercise and how to adjust them if you want to have more resistance. You can choose to do 8-10 reps or 12-15 reps for each excercise, but you do a lot no matter what. Each day of excercise, event the resistance is about an hour long with very little rest time. You don't need a lot of weight..

The food guide is to maximize the excercise and get the most out of it. It starts with a mainly protein diet for the first phase, but still geting carbs and fruit. The next phase is more balanced and the final phase is more carbs. They give a bunch of choices for food and grocery lists and eating plans and you can get recipes by signing up to their website, Million Dollar Body.com. One thing about this program is it is not a diet but excercise routine. You are suppose to eat a lot of food. The minimum for a women is 1800 calories a day and a man is about 2500 calories a day. This is about geting in shape, not losing weight. Many people don't realize that.

I have done this program twice and getting ready to do my third, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

rikrok

My wife and I have done a couple rounds of P90x. We love it and we can workout together which makes it easier to complete and fun (yes working out can be fun!). . The amount of weight depends on your goals. P90x can be either higher rep/lower weight or lower rep/higher weight. To build muscle mass you will need heavier weights and 6-8 reps per set. You can also do lighter weights in the 12 rep per set range. P90x is always encouraging you to push yourself whether it is increasing the weights or increasing the reps. I personally lean toward the heavier weight philosophy for both men and women. We started with the bands. I didn't particularly care for them but they do suffice. I like using dumbbells for the workouts. I am not a large man by any means (5'11", 180 lbs.) and I do some of the P90x exercises with up to 50 lb dumbbells. I love the adjustable weight dumbbells made by Powerblock. My wife and I each have a set. She has the Sport 2.4 and I have the Sport 5.5. I love that they are adjustable and that they do not take up much space. another plus is that some of these sets (such as the 5.5) can be expanded in the future. P90x does map out your workouts so there is no guessing. There are three phases in P90x. The first two phases are three weeks including strength training with kenpo, yoga and plyo mixed in. After each three week timeframe, there is a recovery week of working out without strength training (yoga, cardio, etc.). The last phase is four weeks of working out with strength training included. I do not workout any extra beyond the time required for the P90x and I was able to go from 210 lbs. down to 180 lbs and lose two inches in my waist. There are a few ways that the fitness guide allows you to track your food. They do give snack and meal suggestions and do have recipes. I'm not a calorie counter so I found their general guide to be more valuable. This is a guide that basically says you should have x number of servings of protein, x number of servings of vegetables, etc. I photocopied and laminated this and use it as a check off sheet on my fridge. The beachbody website also provides some assistance in this area. Overall, I highly recommend the program. It is also not a big deal if you can't get through all the exercises at the beginning. Don't let this discourage you. As Tony says, "Do you best and forget the rest!"

erickirb

Week 9-10 you do the first three weeks workout routine, week 11-12 you do the second three weeks workout routine and week 13 is another Cardio week.

Not quite weeks 9 and 11 are the same as weeks 1-3, and weeks 10 and 12 are the same as weeks 5-7.

Canuck_TriFit

What everyone has said is really accurate? There's only one or two exercises where heavy dumbbells are used (Lawnmowers for one). Most others it seems that anything under 50lbs will do if you have adjustable ones. Personally I bought an adjustable set of 55lbs so they go from 2.5lb to 55lb. I'm pretty soon going to max on the Lawnmowers. I don't want to spend the extra money on on heavier ones so I may get some resistance bands and experiment with the tension.

Diet and Nutrition guide is fairly good. Personally I don't use it other than to use the protein, carb and fat ratios which i put into MFP goals and track my food intake that way. It's what works for me. The recipes do look good but most I can't do because of other family members with food allergies.

I love P90X and would recommend it to anyone.

mwehby

Diet and Nutrition guide is fairly good. Personally I don't use it other than to use the protein, carb and fat ratios which i put into MFP goals and track my food intake that way. It's what works for me. The recipes do look good but most I can't do because of other family members with food allergies.

What are the ratios you are using? I am using:
Fat Shredder: 50% protein, 30% Carb, 20% Fat
Energy: 40/40/20
Endurance: 20/60/20

are you doing somehting different?

mworld

@CanuckFit

" I'm pretty soon going to max on the Lawnmowers. I don't want to spend the extra money on on heavier ones so I may get some resistance bands and experiment with the tension."

I have the same issue. I used to do these in the gym as part of the normal wimpy 2 min rest workouts and i needed 80's.

I got the heavy tension bands....they really suck for lawnmowers because you essentially have to step on the band close to the handle then pull and it really really doesn't feel right....the bands suck in general for any exercise that requires you to 'shorten' the band by bundling up its slack, but work really well for all the shoulder and bicep types generally. so definitely try it before you buy if that exercise is one you are thinking of using them on.

right now im just skipping the lawnmowers, they really aren't that great an exercise unless you can get a heavy enough weight.

Canuck_TriFit

Diet and Nutrition guide is fairly good. Personally I don't use it other than to use the protein, carb and fat ratios which i put into MFP goals and track my food intake that way. It's what works for me. The recipes do look good but most I can't do because of other family members with food allergies.

What are the ratios you are using? I am using:
Fat Shredder: 50% protein, 30% Carb, 20% Fat
Energy: 40/40/20
Endurance: 20/60/20

are you doing somehting different?

I used the Fat Shredder for phase 1, Energy for Phase 2, I've only modified the Energy and not doing the Endurance in phase 3 so I'm doing 35/45/20 now in phase 3. I always struggled to try and keep protein higher than carbs in the first 2 phases. You definitely need protein powder.

Canuck_TriFit

@CanuckFit

" I'm pretty soon going to max on the Lawnmowers. I don't want to spend the extra money on on heavier ones so I may get some resistance bands and experiment with the tension."

I have the same issue. I used to do these in the gym as part of the normal wimpy 2 min rest workouts and i needed 80's.

I got the heavy tension bands....they really suck for lawnmowers because you essentially have to step on the band close to the handle then pull and it really really doesn't feel right....the bands suck in general for any exercise that requires you to 'shorten' the band by bundling up its slack, but work really well for all the shoulder and bicep types generally. so definitely try it before you buy if that exercise is one you are thinking of using them on.

right now im just skipping the lawnmowers, they really aren't that great an exercise unless you can get a heavy enough weight.

ok thanks, I do have a weight machine too so that may be able to get me by. I was thinking resistance bands might be a good purchase anyways in case I'm ever away from home and need to do a workout.