P90X may be more dangerous than Crossfit

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jofjltncb6
jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
http://collegespun.com/features/how-the-stress-of-running-a-startup-and-some-p90x-led-to-a-week-long-stay-in-the-hospital-with-rhabdomyolysis

ETA intro to story:
I simply wanted to get back in shape. I could have killed myself in the process.

I spent the past week in the hospital battling a little-known condition called rhabdomyolysis, brought on by excessive strenuous exercise. I wanted to leverage the College Spun platform to share my experience and call attention to the issue. Hopefully this can help to educate athletes about the condition and potentially save lives.

...and a paragraph further down the page:
I have a large television in my home office, along with space to exercise. I went out and bought dumbbells, a pull-up bar and a yoga mat. I bought everyone’s favorite fitness instruction video, P90X. I thought I was making a healthy decision.
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Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I have never made it all the way through P90X because I get injured every time. Sprained ankle, torn MCL, strained pec. No supervision to ensure the form is correct can be very dangerous.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    Saving for later
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    It's scary when something that seem innocuous can be so dangerous.

    I think I'll call the local Crossfit box and see if they have any specials right now. Last month, they had a discount on classes.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Wow! That sounds pretty dangerous. Thanks for the heads up.
  • favhrnstr
    favhrnstr Posts: 55
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    You have to self-police yourself when you start. Don't "push through the pain" and don't over-do it. There's a lot of cues in the videos to help you check your form. Rhabdomyolysis is less about correct form and more about going from sitting on the couch to over-exerting yourself a ridiculous amount. Every Beachbody workout has a warning at the beginning about considering your current fitness level and consulting a doctor.

    Finally, the author himself states, "You can’t put your muscles through a strenuous workout without leading up to it, and you need to recognize when your body is telling you that there is something wrong." Don't blame the exercise program because you didn't follow directions!! And please stop fear-mongering with topic headings!
  • aakaakaak
    aakaakaak Posts: 1,240 Member
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    Proving once again that people don't read articles. The main point in the last paragraph:
    You can’t put your muscles through a strenuous workout without leading up to it, and you need to recognize when your body is telling you that there is something wrong.

    It has nothing to do with P90X and everything to do with going whole hog after an extended period of time of sitting on your butt. You need to build up to working out. Jumping into crossfit would give the same results, if not worse.

    OP,

    Excellent troll.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    Proving once again that people don't read articles. The main point in the last paragraph:
    You can’t put your muscles through a strenuous workout without leading up to it, and you need to recognize when your body is telling you that there is something wrong.

    It has nothing to do with P90X and everything to do with going whole hog after an extended period of time of sitting on your butt. You need to build up to working out. Jumping into crossfit would give the same results, if not worse.

    OP,

    Excellent troll.

    Troll? *I* didn't write the article, I simply shared what another had written based on his experience.

    And on what are you basing your conclusion that Crossfit is at least as dangerous as P90X? Actual knowledge or are you just trolling from a different viewpoint?
  • TKRV
    TKRV Posts: 165 Member
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    P90X and Crossfit are both fine workouts IF you know the correct form and IF you don't exert yourself too far beyond your current fitness level.

    I hear a lot of hate on Crossfit, but while I was there, I had a ton of help. The trainers were always on me about my form. It sounds like that's not the norm, but having them there definitely helped me scale my workouts to my level and maintain good form.
  • explosivedonut
    explosivedonut Posts: 419 Member
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    I completed P90X no problem. My wife completed P90X no problem. Two of my cousins did it. My friend is currently doing it. Tony says "pace yourself" all the time. No offense, but it doesn't sound like P90X is dangerous, it sounds like not knowing your own goddamn limits is dangerous.

    If someone said they hurt their back and needed to go to the hospital after attempting to deadlift or squat 1.5x their bodyweight on the first shot, complaining about how dangerous deadlifts (or squats) are people would laugh in their face. Any exercise is dangerous if you aren't careful, and this kid clearly wasn't careful.
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
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    Wait, I thought that P90X was a version of Crossfit.

    Like P90XFit? Because the X is considered a cross or something?

    Either way, both of them sound pretty awesome, but I'm just not interested in spending my time doing that right now.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Any form of exercise can be dangerous when performed at a level that exceeds the individual's fitness level. I know people (ok, I'll raise my hand) who injured themselves out on the track because they (I) hadn't done **** in years and all of a sudden decided I could just go out and run 3 miles one day. Lifting can be very dangerous if you do not know and/or practice proper form. And the list goes on and on.

    This is why it is very important for individual's to start slow and work within their fitness level. Everyone wants to go from 0 to 100 in a week.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    You have to self-police yourself when you start. Don't "push through the pain" and don't over-do it.

    Probably the single best piece of advice anyone can ever give to people working out at home. When you're alone, and you don't have someone who knows their stuff monitoring you, you have to set your limits lower. When somebody like Shaun T or Tony Horton tells you to keep pushing past your perceived limits, you need to take that with a grain of salt. Because at the end of the day, they're not there in the room with you, monitoring your form, and ready to jump in if you suffer an injury that results from pushing too hard.
  • goncalo_PT
    goncalo_PT Posts: 14
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    Well said.
  • TheNewDodge
    TheNewDodge Posts: 607 Member
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    Sounds like the dip**** didn't consult a healthcare professional before beginning the progrm
  • Trueray
    Trueray Posts: 1,189 Member
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    This is 1 in a million article. Dude was just unlucky. Time to move on next...
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    This is 1 in a million article. Dude was just unlucky. Time to move on next...

    Or maybe 2 in a million:
    http://www.teambeachbody.com/connect/message-boards/-/message_boards/message/100571067
  • CindyC60
    CindyC60 Posts: 30
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    Most people's bodies are not designed to be a super athlete, no matter how much torture they subject themselves to through programs like that.

    People just have to start using their common sense and do exercise programs that are appropriate for their fitness level.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    Thanks JaneBShaw/Health_Gal, we will keep that in mind.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    Most people's bodies are not designed to be a super athlete, no matter how much torture they subject themselves to through programs like that.

    People just have to start using their common sense and do exercise programs that are appropriate for their fitness level.

    ^this...

    ...which is why I so strongly recommend Crossfit to anyone looking for a fitness program that is custom-tailored to their current fitness level...easily scaled to suit each individual's needs under the guidance of trained professionals.



    ETA: But P90X seems like a reasonable approach for many too...

    ...and long as they ease into and stay aware of their limitations...

    ...instead of what the author of that link did.
  • vienna_h
    vienna_h Posts: 428 Member
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    Obviously the take home message here is to never exercise, its too dangerous.

    Lesson learned.

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