P90X Question #2

AmberMcDowell

Ok I have seen the infomercial and read some things on it. I have a couple of more questions...the informercials seem to show people that were a little overweight, did the program and it worked. My question is, is there anyone out there that has done the program that started it obese, like really really overweight? I am also curious if there are any women out there with PCOS that has done this program and it work? Thanks!!

hovey25

I saw a more recent ad with a guy who went from being very obese to being in great shape....said it took 4 or 5 90 day rounds of p90x to do it.

I've tried P90x and it is a good workout...it has its limitations like anything and is nothing really revolutionary. I'm of the opinion that it is for people who have a little extra fat around the mid section and want to drop that and get cut. That was not my goal so I discontinued using it and am now working on my own program with more enjoyment.

Hope that is of some help.

p.s. most workouts are well over an hour (if you include the ab ripper portion) and the yoga is 90 min so it is fairly time consuming.

medtrans79

My husband and I are probably 100 pounds each overweight. We actually started with the P90 (not the P90x) first. It is a great program. It is tough the first week but once you get used to the moves, the more you do it the easier it gets. We started a month ago and he has lost 14 pounds, I have lost 7. Of course I have "cheated" more than he has. Already though you can start to see a change in our bodies as far as definition. He has gone down two pants sizes, I have gone down one. But it is within reach and successful.

casshole

Ive seen a few stories of people being around a hundred pounds overweight, and completely transform after a couple of rounds. A few guys in the infomercial said that when they started, they could barely do any of the workout, but if you stay with it and keep working hard, you can master it. As any weight loss program, they always say you should consult a physician, but as long as you can reocgnize the warning signs of overworking yourself, I think you will be okay. It is time consuming, but in my opinion it is worth it.

boarderstud

I highly recommend P90X as it works, but I would wait until you have slimmed down more. It is basically a more intense program intended for folks who are in decent shape but having difficult reaching that next level. They say to start with their Power 90 program as it is more cardio oriented and focuses on helping you burn the fat and get into the shape required for P90X. The program is awesome though and I saw results after only a few weeks.

kellycrow

I am not familiar w/ P90X --- quite frankly, it scares me, but I wanted to ask about the PCOS... what does that have to do w/ it? I have PCOS and have been doing curves, the treadmill, zumba & yoga and have had great success so far... just wondering why PCOS would be a factor...

mworld

You really don't want to start this program if you are obese. What you really want to do is start the P90 program, the cheaper younger sibling to it. Then after that you may want to do the P90 Masters Series before even thinking about doing p90x.

Pullups/pusshups/ and jumping in the air are not things you want to do till you get into a little better shape....not to say there isn't somebody out there who has despite the risks associated with that.

trudyu

My husband has the P90X - and I decided to do some of the dvd's to see what the big deal is.... Beware - The exercises are hard - my fitness level is pretty good - I do high impact Zumba (Aerobics) 3x a week, run/walk 2x a week - so I am very active. I don't doubt that the exercises work if you can do them correctly - but they are not for beginners.

In my opinion, the workout is best for those who have lost the weight and just want to tone and get muscle definition. (again, just my opinion)

AmberMcDowell

Kellycrow-- I was just wondering about the pcos because I am not having good results at all. I have been on metformin for a year at 2000mg a day and have been doing zumba and a ton of cardio and working out and I haven't lost a pound. I have actually gained. So I was just wondering if the P90X system would even work in my situation.

kellycrow

hmm... my pcos is being 'treated' with mirena... a low dose hormone iud... no other medication. i am finished with kids so i don't need to worry about fertility any more... but i have not had weight issues that i can blame on the pcos. (i blame it on lack of exercising and the twins! haha!! gained 80 lbs with them!! oops!) perhaps it could have gone that way had i not decided to become a vegan and eat as many raw, whole foods as possible. there are plenty of vegans that are NOT thin or healthy, but it might be something to look into... i have never felt better!!

as for P90X, sorry, can't help ya there!! i am thinking about trying it, however, but with 3 kids (aged 8, 8, 11), teaching preschool, a hubby & a CRAZY kitten to keep after, i doubt i would have that kind of time on a daily basis!! good luck!!

KZOsMommy

I am doing P90X and have lost my weight (the last few pounds I want to lose are vanity pounds lol). I have done MANY home workouts (including two rounds of Chalean extreme) I would have to say that p90x is not a place to start if you have a lot of weight to lose. I am not saying you should not give it a go or that other have not had success this is just my opinion.

Kellycrow- you can make the time for it!! I have three kids (7,5,4), homeschool and have two dogs (one is a 6month old puppy) LOL it can be done Although I do have to say it is not easy!

arm031194

To be honest I'm a 53 year old male 280 lbs at 5'10" my biggest challenge isnt the workouts ,pushups modified pullups(use that chair) and dumbbells(25-40lbs) are not the issue, my biggest problem is the diet I just dont like the meal plans and find myself drifting to my old eating habits, i'm repeating p90x starting today and coupling it with weight watchers

marathon_mama

P90X is not that hard. I have completed 2 rounds and lost the 65 pounds of baby weight and I actually have "cut" muscles that I have never had when I was just running. You can always pause the DVD for as long as you need to take a drink and catch your breath. I did that often in the first round.

FullOfWin

Anything that has you move more and eat less will work whether it is one of these silly fad workouts or just tracking your calories and walking up and down the street.

TR0berts

my biggest problem is the diet I just dont like the meal plans and find myself drifting to my old eating habits

That was my biggest problem a couple of years ago, when I did P90X. Luckily, there were plenty of foods on the lists (not in the fully laid-out plan, but the "Portion Plan Foods" section) that I liked. It took a couple of weeks, but I finally found a good middle ground where I lost about 15 pounds doing P90X.

thektturner

I did not lose a single pound doing P90X. I lost inches and changed my shape. I looked better for sure, but I did not lose any weight. I had already lost about 20-25 pounds and had been exercising for about 6 months when I started it. So, I cannot say I was terribly overweight, as I had only about 60 pounds to lsoe overall. But I liked what it did for me. I did feel better and more physically fit than I ever had before, even when I was a dancer and gymnast as a kid.
I plan to start another round this weekend, actually.

knk1553

I haven't actually done p90x (I'm currently doing insanity and then going to turbofire, and probably ChaLEAN Extreme) but my dad has done it and got great results. He is around 100lbs overweight and lost around 30lbs while doing the program and his endurance got better. You don't need to be in really good shape, there are modified versions of every move, and if you buy it through a beachbody coach they can even help you out with even more modified moves. I haven't looked at the power 90 program, but from what I've read it may be a better starting point if you're extremely out of shape as P90x is hard. However, you don't get results by doing it the easy way.

You also don't have to follow their eating plan to a T, but I would say stick within a certain calorie range and macro %'s for it, as a good majority of having the body you want is what you eat. I spent an entire year working out an hour a day and eating crap and was still "pudgey" around the middle, I actually reduced my exercise and really changed my eating habits and I saw major changes.

Dave198lbs

you could try the 30 day shred with Jillian Michaels if you are starting out. Many people here have excellent results and there are a ton of threads about it.

P90X is great but not for beginners. It has a fitness test you could find on u tube and see how you do on that first.

Dave198lbs

whether it is one of these silly fad workouts

these comments really make me shake my head

I imagine you havnt done it

it's a tough workout and there is nothing "fad" about it.

but...whatever

Yogi_Carl

whether it is one of these silly fad workouts

these comments really make me shake my head

I imagine you havnt done it

it's a tough workout and there is nothing "fad" about it.

but...whatever

indeed! :noway: :grumble:

orville54

I was 319 lbs when I started my first round of P90X. After two rounds of it I have lost 57 lbs. I never had a problem with the weight lifting portion of the program but for the first round I skipped the Plyometrics and Yoga and did Tae Bo instead as I had 2 Billy Blanks Taebo discs. The second time thru I added the Plyometrics but modified many of the moves but still was able to make it thru the workout. I am now doing a P90X/Insanity hybrid program. I do not follow the actual meal plan. I didn't like a lot of the choices on it so I figured I should learn portion control. I logged all my foods on MFP and tried to keep to the caloric intake that was set up for me. The biggest thing is to "just push play." There were many days that I didn't feel like working out put I just put the DVD in and started. By the end of the workout I was glad that I had pushed play. Most of the moves on P90X can be modified so "do your best, and forget the rest."

FullOfWin

whether it is one of these silly fad workouts

these comments really make me shake my head

I imagine you havnt done it

it's a tough workout and there is nothing "fad" about it.

but...whatever

Is shaking your head part of the workout? It is a fad and a joke. Anything that touts "muscle confusion" is trash. Why would I try it when it won't help me accomplish my goals?

PatrickCoyle

Look up Richard Neal

He has a pretty impressive weight loss 400 lbs down to 190 lbs but he's your typical beachbody coach so I tend to stay away from those people

DavPul

Anything that has you move more and eat less will work whether it is one of these silly fad workouts or just tracking your calories and walking up and down the street.

This times 100. For you guys parsing this comment and getting offended by the word "fad", get over it. P90x is a solid workout program indeed. But it's just a workout program. There's no magic. There's no new principles at work. It's what bodybuilders have been doing since the 1920s.

So for the OP and anyone else interested, yes, P90x combined with a sound diet will "work". Just like any intense exercise program combined with sound principles will work.

My advice for everyone asking questions has always and will always be the same. Stop asking and start doing. Pick *any* program and get to work. Come back later in a few and we'll adjust if needed.

Yogi_Carl

Tis true - one DVD or another with whoever fitness guru at the head of it can be thought of as faddy, but if you can't or won't access a local gym for whatever reason, such DVDs can provide a sense of belonging to a group of people who are working out with you and the encouragement from the trainer is going in at the same time - in a similar way to you would want your gym friends to encourage you on to pull out that one last rep.

To those who have plenty of support, or just don't need it, maybe the DVDs don't have a lot to offer, but to those who work out alone for whatever reason they are really good for helping you to keep motivatedf and to keep up a good exercise pace.

You can adapt the program as well - the sheer number of pullups in P90X Back and Legs was out of my ability so I use Let-me-ups instead and end up doing half push-ups when they are still crunching out diamond pushes. The main thing is to keep moving and as such, P90X is excellent. I find the trainer a bit corny - but I like that!