P90x nutriton plan- what next?

grabbjava

I am currently on week 6 of the P90x program. I have been following the nutrition guide for the most part and making sure I stay within the macro levels. Right now I am targeting 2400 calories with 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat. I have lost a little weight on the program, about 6lbs, which is fine by me. I am currently 6'0 and 169lbs, about 15.5% body fat so I am still the skinny–fat type.

I am doing P90x to get rid of the flab in the midsection. I have seen improvement so far so the program is working. The problem I see is I feel my lean body mass is low, now that I have lost the weight I want to increase muscle mass.
So on to my question. Phase three of the nutrition plan is suggesting macros of 60% carbs, 20% protein and 20% fat. To me the carbs seen really high and protein is low. So I think I have three options, modify to a 50% carb 30% protein, go back to fat burner and try to get rid of the last bit of flab or just follow the program as is and see what happens after the 90 days.

In general, I am at about 90% intensity in compared to the videos and do take a couple of extra breaks during the workout to catch my breath so perhaps the additional carbs may not be all that bad. I guess I am suffering from overcarbaphobia. Last year at this time I was 230 lbs .and I never want to get that flabby again.

I am open to any suggestions – fire away

stephgas

my husband was trying to gain weight and lean muscle mass when he tried p90x. he wasn't impressed with the nutritional plan and followed his own along with the exercises. p90x is muscle confusion and plyometrics. it's good for sculpting, but not building lean muscle mass. p90x is really not for muscle building. my husband was 6'2" and about 165 when he started. he didn't lose any weight but he toned up a bit in the 90 days of p90x.

to build muscle you want to do more old fashioned weight lifting. ingest one gram of protein per pound of body weight. work one muscle group at a time and give each ample time to recover (my husband split it into chest, back & shoulders, legs, arms. abs three times a week, cardio one or two days a week). drink so much water - like A LOT. your body requires a lot of water to process protein. my husband has done this on and off for the past year and has gained 40 pounds of muscle.

personally, based just on your 6", 169lbs numbers, i would think you are at a pretty good spot. if you're seeing results and still enjoying p90x, i say finish the program and then transition to weight lifting.

grabbjava

Thanks for your input. It helps to know that your husband was in the same basic place I am and what he did to get results. I will finish the program but I might modify the diet a bit. I was thinking about 5x5's after P90x.

skylark94

I didn't use the plan at all. The calorie allowance of 1,800 it gave me was too low and I didn't like the macros and restrictions. I set to 40/30/30 and a calorie allowance of 2,000-2,400 (high on lift days). I'm 5'4", 130, 37 yo, and female. During my first round I didn't lose any weight, but my body fat dropped, so I did a good job of hanging on to and maybe gaining a little bit of lean mass.

I'm a week into round 2, doing Lean this time, and following the same eating plan.

tadpole4192

It is not uncommon to lean out during phase 1 and into 2. Keep at your routine and you will see the muscle definition increase by the last 4 weeks. A challenge for many is to get enough proteins and variety. Also by adding more weight til failure will help with muscle building. The second installment to the P90X is P90X2 which will take your fitness game to the next level. Also Beachbody has a new program out called Body Beast which specifically aligns with more traditional body building.