p90x AND the gym? overkill or ok?

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da_bears10089
da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My hubby and I have decided that since we are in MUCH better shape than we were the last time we attempted p90x, we would give it another go starting in March. He is currently working out with free weights Sunday-Thursday and I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5 three times a week, then hitting up zumba 2-3 times (mostly because it's a lot of fun) a week. He plans on continuing to go with his lifting buddy, but i'm questioning if i should lay off the gym for these 90 days.
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  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
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    bump
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Definitely a VERY VERY VERY bad idea. These DVD sets that guide you through a 5-6 day a week schedule do not allow for you to be able to supplement additional exercise on top of the schedule without over training. Rest is VERY VERY VERY important. In fact, even combining Zumba with Stronglifts is not the best idea. Stronglifts and other Powerlifting-inspired workout plans do not really allow room to supplement them with any additional high intensity exercise because they are set up in a way that is very hard on the central nervous system and that needs time to recover.

    If you want to do P90X, ONLY do P90X and nothing else. If you want to do Stronglifts, supplement it only with light intensity cardio such as going for walks. If you want to do Zumba, supplement it with a lifting plan that is based on working in splits rather than full body 3x/week. The benefit from strength training workouts comes not from the workouts themselves, but the rest after the workouts. Not allowing sufficient rest after the workouts to allow for full muscle recovery is hindering your results in a way that kind of defeats the purpose.
  • Eve1972
    Eve1972 Posts: 297
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    I've been doing P90X with Les Mills Combat without any problems. *shrug*
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    My hubby and I have decided that since we are in MUCH better shape than we were the last time we attempted p90x, we would give it another go starting in March.

    overtraining comes at a different point for everyone.

    i'd say go for it except for the fact that you seem to say that you didn't get thru it the first time, maybe that means you shouldn't put much on top of it.

    i lift three days a week on top of p90x and its tougher then i expected. i didn't if with insanity and for some reasons it didnt seem as difficult to go to the gym afterwards... i think lol.

    I recommend that you take the recovery weeks off the gym and whatever else extra your doing tho.

    you have to ask yourself... do i really need to workout that much? unless you training for a competition, the answer is probably 'no'. especially when you consider that the real key to getting ripped is holding onto the muslce you have while you burn fat. If you have a super huge defecit, its GOING to eat some muscle... so if you want to avoid that AND workout more, then your going to have to eat more and it kind of defeats the purpose (only really worth it if you are going to compete in a sport)
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    My hubby and I have decided that since we are in MUCH better shape than we were the last time we attempted p90x, we would give it another go starting in March.

    overtraining comes at a different point for everyone.

    i'd say go for it except for the fact that you seem to say that you didn't get thru it the first time, maybe that means you shouldn't put much on top of it.

    i lift three days a week on top of p90x and its tougher then i expected. i didn't if with insanity and for some reasons it didnt seem as difficult to go to the gym afterwards... i think lol.

    I recommend that you take the recovery weeks off the gym and whatever else extra your doing tho.

    you have to ask yourself... do i really need to workout that much? unless you training for a competition, the answer is probably 'no'. especially when you consider that the real key to getting ripped is holding onto the muslce you have while you burn fat. If you have a super huge defecit, its GOING to eat some muscle... so if you want to avoid that AND workout more, then your going to have to eat more and it kind of defeats the purpose (only really worth it if you are going to compete in a sport)

    The problem with that is that it's not dependent upon fitness level. The simple facts are:

    1. These workouts are very hard on your central nervous system which needs time to recover whether you feel like you have energy or don't.

    2. You're slowing results because rest is what does the job, not the workouts themselves.

    3. You are making yourself more prone to injury by not allowing muscles a minimum of 48 hours of rest, especially shoulders. Shoulders in particular need long rest periods in between high intensity workouts or else you weaken the tendons/ligaments there, and that doesn't recover like muscles do.

    Point is, a lot of people who go through programs like P90X tend to forget about the importance of rest. Not allowing sufficient rest WILL slow results and WILL make you more prone to recovery. There are no exceptions to this. And you may think that because you're not totally wiped out the next day you've rest enough, but that is not the case. The body, and in particular, the central nervous system, doesn't work that way. Muscles and the CNS need rest periods that come in increments of days, not hours.
  • bhoechst
    bhoechst Posts: 3
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    No pain no gain, it will require dedication, and if I losing some of my mass due to losing weight so be it we have three to four months of summer weather in North Dakota and I want to look good when I’m on the river.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    No pain no gain, it will require dedication, and if I losing some of my mass due to losing weight so be it we have three to four months of summer weather in North Dakota and I want to look good when I’m on the river.

    This is true about no pain no gain. But if you don't honestly see the safety issues involved with pushing too hard and not allowing sufficient rest between workouts, then you have a _lot_ to learn.
  • bhoechst
    bhoechst Posts: 3
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    Thats what the dedication state ment was about, knowing when to take a rest or when you are pushing to hard, and to make sure you are keep your body in check.
  • Obey46
    Obey46 Posts: 31 Member
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    I tried it by strategically scheduling each muscle groups. Basically giving 2-3 days rest(which was optimal for me) per muscle group. After 2 weeks of doing it, it was just redundant and I rather lift at the gym. I hated doing the body weight exercises to the point I kept on skipping it. Eventually cut out p90x because it was not efficient.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I tried it by strategically scheduling each muscle groups. Basically giving 2-3 days rest(which was optimal for me) per muscle group. After 2 weeks of doing it, it was just redundant and I rather lift at the gym. I hated doing the body weight exercises to the point I kept on skipping it. Eventually cut out p90x because it was not efficient.

    P90X is definitely not efficient. They could have done a lot more with the program but they committed to making sure to use exercises that gave you a choice of bands or dumbbells, and in committing to that decision they also committed to an inefficient workout plan. That being said I personally believe that basic bodyweight exercises should be implemented in every training plan because they work the body in a different way than weights do and there aren't really any substitutes for basic pushups and pullups.
  • JohnBlazeNY
    JohnBlazeNY Posts: 38 Member
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    I think its an over kill if your doing the P90x workout correctly.

    Also, I cant see having the time for both unless you don't have children. I am not a fan of Dads who dedicate more time to their body than their family.

    Just my 2 cents.
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    From what I've seen and heard of p90x (which is that it looks SO intense that I still don't feel ready to challenge it) I think going to the gym alongside of it is a terrible idea.
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
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    I think it's overkill. I would do one or the other. Maybe even add a few sets of something if anything. I am not a fan of double workouts. But that's just me. I rather dial in my eating to get better results.
  • cosplayerkyo
    cosplayerkyo Posts: 30 Member
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    I think overdoing it like that will just make you want to quit rather than focusing on staying consistent.
    Follow the P90X workout via the calendar and follow a very good diet (the P90X nutrition worked wonders for me) and you'll see fantastic results.
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
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    I can completely understand not being able to have the energy to really put full effort into a second workout. I attempted Zumba after going my Stronglifts for the day a while back and i couldn't put forth nearly as much effort as i would have on a regular day. i'm going to stick with P90X and after it's done, go onto something else.
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,302 Member
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    My hubby and I have decided that since we are in MUCH better shape than we were the last time we attempted p90x, we would give it another go starting in March. He is currently working out with free weights Sunday-Thursday and I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5 three times a week, then hitting up zumba 2-3 times (mostly because it's a lot of fun) a week. He plans on continuing to go with his lifting buddy, but i'm questioning if i should lay off the gym for these 90 days.

    If you are able to go to gym and do P90X, you are not doing the P90X right. For some of the harder workout days, that would be the last major activity I could reasonably perform. Even Tony during some of the videos has said, if you are able to walk to the kitchen and make yourself the recovery drink, you probably did not deserve it.
  • Obey46
    Obey46 Posts: 31 Member
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    I tried it by strategically scheduling each muscle groups. Basically giving 2-3 days rest(which was optimal for me) per muscle group. After 2 weeks of doing it, it was just redundant and I rather lift at the gym. I hated doing the body weight exercises to the point I kept on skipping it. Eventually cut out p90x because it was not efficient.

    P90X is definitely not efficient. They could have done a lot more with the program but they committed to making sure to use exercises that gave you a choice of bands or dumbbells, and in committing to that decision they also committed to an inefficient workout plan. That being said I personally believe that basic bodyweight exercises should be implemented in every training plan because they work the body in a different way than weights do and there aren't really any substitutes for basic pushups and pullups.

    Totally agree with the pushups and pullups. It's the groucho walks and the super skaters made me think it was just silly for my personal goals.

    As far as doing both, you can always modify those body weight exercises with machines and or DB's/BB's. However switching to chest to back then to chest to back isn't an ideal split in the bodybuilding community.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    If you feel the need to go to the gym after doing P90X then you're not putting in the effort. I personally haven't done P90X but I have a friend who is on her second round of it and she's whipped by time she's done with the workout. I asked her if I did the program if I could still go to the gym and she said no way.

    I just finished up Insanity a week ago and there was no way I would have been able to add in any other type of cardio activity while doing the program. I was too beat. Lots of times after my workout all I wanted to do was just crash on the couch.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    Totally agree with the pushups and pullups. It's the groucho walks and the super skaters made me think it was just silly for my personal goals.

    As far as doing both, you can always modify those body weight exercises with machines and or DB's/BB's. However switching to chest to back then to chest to back isn't an ideal split in the bodybuilding community.

    the leg exercises are a bit of a trip, i'll give you that. but for someone whos been marriend to sqauts and leg presses since high school, sqautting as deep as you can on one leg for high reps is pretty challenging and a breathe of fresh air.

    P90X simply isn't designed to grow muscles... the nutrition guide only discusses eating at a defecit, so anyone wanting to add mass is barking up the wrong tree.

    and all this 'if you can go to the gym after p90x/insanity then your not doing the program right/hard enough' is silly bull ****. Doubles and even tripples are the norm in college athletics.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    I think it's overkill. I would do one or the other. Maybe even add a few sets of something if anything. I am not a fan of double workouts. But that's just me. I rather dial in my eating to get better results.

    this is my point in a nut shell.

    is all that working out going to condition you more? i think so... but is it a short cut to a better body? maybe not considering your going to have to limit yourself to a reasonable defecit

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