P90X - Don't Do It

I've tried a few of the P90X workouts in the past. They weren't too "difficult" for me, because I didn't expect to be able to keep up with the people in the video anyways. They weren't too "long" for me, because almost every single day I'll spend over 2 hours on the computer doing nothing, so why not use that time to exercise?

The only part that bothered me, and which made me turn away from the thought of going through with this program, is how annoying Tony Horton can be in some videos. That in itself honestly made me turn the video off. He was repeating himself during reps or something, and it just annoyed me so much! I lost all motivation to keep pushing myself.

Such dedication.I couldn't workout because I was annoyed! Unbelievable!

The fact that some untrained and unfit people claim to have experienced "success" with P90x does not really mean much.

Oh seriously! Azdak, some of your replies are just downright insulting. Just because the rest of us didn't ditch our office jobs & pick up a career in nutrition like you doesn't make us "untrained"! It doesn't take a "trained" person to see muscle development or the scale decreasing. Furthermore, "success" is subjective - there isn't a single, static definition. :grumble:

?????

Reading comprehension.

Ur doin' it wrong.

I can't really comment on P90X as I have never done it or have very little knowledge of it.

However, can someone explain exactly how the "mucle confusion" aspect of it works? The only thing confused right now is me because as far as I know you can't astonish, bemuse or even mildy suprise your muscles. Sounds like marketing bs to me but I will keep an open mind for the time being.

I can't really comment on P90X as I have never done it or have very little knowledge of it.

However, can someone explain exactly how the "mucle confusion" aspect of it works? The only thing confused right now is me because as far as I know you can't astonish, bemuse or even mildy suprise your muscles. Sounds like marketing bs to me but I will keep an open mind for the time being.

Muscle confusion is where after doing the same routine for 3 weeks, you change it up. P90X does the same routine for 3 weeks and then enters a recovery week. After the recovery week you enter a new phase and a new set of work outs. The idea is that after doing something for 3 weeks your body will find a way to do it more efficiently, so you wouldn't have to work as hard. P90X changes it up, so you shock your muscles....

The idea is that after doing something for 3 weeks your body will find a way to do it more efficiently, so you wouldn't have to work as hard. P90X changes it up, so you shock your muscles....

Thanks for that. I'm afraid it confirms what I thought: it is marketing spiel.

You are right that muscles have an adaptive response. However that is too volume load not exercise selection. In other words, you could use the same exercises for years and still make gains as long as you remember to progressively overload your muscles once they have become used to a certain volume. Most people work with the same volume over the course of many months and then wonder why they stall.

I guess I understand the rationale. Change up the routine to keep the user interested. However, I would put on good money that the intensity and difficulty level of the exercises increases as the weeks go by. Nothing to do with muscle "confusion" and everything to do with volume load.

I see that many people attest to the fact that P90X works. I have looked into it a little and I have no doubt that it will do if you stick to it. I suspect the best part is in fact the nutritional plan and the users who stick to that religiously get the furthest. You can't out train a bad diet. There's no magic here though:

Good diet + exercise + consistency + time = success. No kidding...

I do have one qualm about the some of the exercises the programme is said to use. I haven't researched the programme in detail so I could be wrong. However, it seems to encourage users to adopt explosive movements in an unsupervised environment (ie at home) at high intensity as well as a high frequency of workouts (60 - 90 minutes, 6 days a week.) To me that screams escalated potential for injury, possibly serious, if users are not careful and causes unecessary stress on joints. This is particularly true the more overweight the user is.

I'm not slamming this programme and if it helps people acheive their goas then more power to them. However, I believe people should be given all the necessary facts and information to make informed decisions on the methods they wish to use to acheive their goals.

You know, whether or not they want to call it "muscle confusion" or not doesn't really matter to me. And if you want to say it's marketing spiel - I say it's good marketing. And I would hope that a good product has a good marketing approach to get it out there. The fact is, it works, not a hoax. I realize that the muscles aren't really confused & that that alone doesn't overcome plateau effect, but there are sound principles behind what they're doing. You mentioned one of them - to shake things up for the user. You'll be more likely to continue with a little variety once in a while. And Tony preaches that avidly as well. Another is that they are getting you to hit the muscles from slightly different angles. The different phases of the 90 day workout are still following the same general pattern throughout as to which muscle groups they attack each day - they just give you different exercises with which to do it.

As far as volume load, they always just tell the user to choose the weight that will help you find the burn (at your goal rep set - 8-10 for bulk & 12 for tone). And many of the exercises are using your body weight, so they are max rep sets.

As a user of P90X for several months, I admit there's no magic to it. I have no doubt, those that have a lot of knowledge in exercise science and nutrition can put together a good routine & diet to accomplish the same goals. But it's a great product because it's all put together for the grand majority of us that want extreme results but don't have years of experience and training in those sciences.

That's one thing that bugs me sometimes about some experts on message boards. They'll brag about how simple it is to do something FOR THEM, and all you need is the right knowledge & understanding to avoid paying for something/someone, as if the average users are being scammed. But they've had the benefit of years of college training or in their profession that the average person doesn't have. Someone else said it well in another thread - it may not be some grand secret how to make your own clothes, but I'm not gonna waste my time & energy to go learn it when it's so easy & quick to just buy em from the store. It's not worth it. I think P90X does a great job of putting it all together for someone that doesn't already have a wealth of expert knowledge, that one can do from home, doesn't require large sums of money, doesn't require large amounts of equipment or space, and can be done in about an hour per day.

As far as the high intensity stuff, it's really just one Plyometric workout per week (usually day 2). During that routine, Tony constantly warns to not overdo anything on your joints. At one point he even talks about his own knee injury he sustained skiing and that he also needs to take it easy sometimes. The rest of the days are either resistance work or low intensity (Yoga, a little martial arts). But i see the Plyo workout as a very necessary one for P90X's intended goal which is to get really fit - not just lose some weight or to build muscle.

The idea is that after doing something for 3 weeks your body will find a way to do it more efficiently, so you wouldn't have to work as hard. P90X changes it up, so you shock your muscles....

Thanks for that. I'm afraid it confirms what I thought: it is marketing spiel.

You are right that muscles have an adaptive response. However that is too volume load not exercise selection. In other words, you could use the same exercises for years and still make gains as long as you remember to progressively overload your muscles once they have become used to a certain volume. Most people work with the same volume over the course of many months and then wonder why they stall.

I guess I understand the rationale. Change up the routine to keep the user interested. However, I would put on good money that the intensity and difficulty level of the exercises increases as the weeks go by. Nothing to do with muscle "confusion" and everything to do with volume load.

I see that many people attest to the fact that P90X works. I have looked into it a little and I have no doubt that it will do if you stick to it. I suspect the best part is in fact the nutritional plan and the users who stick to that religiously get the furthest. You can't out train a bad diet. There's no magic here though:

Good diet + exercise + consistency + time = success. No kidding...

I do have one qualm about the some of the exercises the programme is said to use. I haven't researched the programme in detail so I could be wrong. However, it seems to encourage users to adopt explosive movements in an unsupervised environment (ie at home) at high intensity as well as a high frequency of workouts (60 - 90 minutes, 6 days a week.) To me that screams escalated potential for injury, possibly serious, if users are not careful and causes unecessary stress on joints. This is particularly true the more overweight the user is.

I'm not slamming this programme and if it helps people acheive their goas then more power to them. However, I believe people should be given all the necessary facts and information to make informed decisions on the methods they wish to use to acheive their goals.

You know, whether or not they want to call it "muscle confusion" or not doesn't really matter to me. And if you want to say it's marketing spiel - I say it's good marketing. And I would hope that a good product has a good marketing approach to get it out there. The fact is, it works, not a hoax. I realize that the muscles aren't really confused & that that alone doesn't overcome plateau effect, but there are sound principles behind what they're doing. You mentioned one of them - to shake things up for the user. You'll be more likely to continue with a little variety once in a while. And Tony preaches that avidly as well. Another is that they are getting you to hit the muscles from slightly different angles. The different phases of the 90 day workout are still following the same general pattern throughout as to which muscle groups they attack each day - they just give you different exercises with which to do it.

As far as volume load, they always just tell the user to choose the weight that will help you find the burn (at your goal rep set - 8-10 for bulk & 12 for tone). And many of the exercises are using your body weight, so they are max rep sets.

As a user of P90X for several months, I admit there's no magic to it. I have no doubt, those that have a lot of knowledge in exercise science and nutrition can put together a good routine & diet to accomplish the same goals. But it's a great product because it's all put together for the grand majority of us that want extreme results but don't have years of experience and training in those sciences.

That's one thing that bugs me sometimes about some experts on message boards. They'll brag about how simple it is to do something FOR THEM, and all you need is the right knowledge & understanding to avoid paying for something/someone, as if the average users are being scammed. But they've had the benefit of years of college training or in their profession that the average person doesn't have. Someone else said it well in another thread - it may not be some grand secret how to make your own clothes, but I'm not gonna waste my time & energy to go learn it when it's so easy & quick to just buy em from the store. It's not worth it. I think P90X does a great job of putting it all together for someone that doesn't already have a wealth of expert knowledge, that one can do from home, doesn't require large sums of money, doesn't require large amounts of equipment or space, and can be done in about an hour per day.

As far as the high intensity stuff, it's really just one Plyometric workout per week (usually day 2). During that routine, Tony constantly warns to not overdo anything on your joints. At one point he even talks about his own knee injury he sustained skiing and that he also needs to take it easy sometimes. The rest of the days are either resistance work or low intensity (Yoga, a little martial arts). But i see the Plyo workout as a very necessary one for P90X's intended goal which is to get really fit - not just lose some weight or to build muscle.

Wow! Very well put. You see what I think it comes down to is all these personal trainer who attack P90X do so because they are threatened by it. Mainly because it can and does take business away from them. The fact of the matter is obesity is a major problem in this country, so who really cares how people are getting in shape as long as they are doing it.

I didn't have the knowledge or back ground to design my own work out plan, nor did I have the time to research it. When I worked out at the gym I had a trainer. So not only did I have to pay gym fees, but day care for my 3 kids and trainer fees as well. That equaled a heck of a lot more then I spent on P90X, Insanity, and every other program I have purchased from Beachbody. Did my PT give me a meal plan? No, but to be honest he did give me a guide line. Did he recommend supplements? Of course he did, from either the pro shop at the gym (which he made a commission) or from a separate store that he worked part time at (which he also made commission). Again all of this added up to a heck of a lot more then what I have paid with Beachbody.

Guess what happened when I told the trainer that my wife and I (yeah I was paying for two) couldn't afford the sessions anymore? I was sent on my merry way, with a "good luck to ya". "Hey how about that plan you promised me when we first started?" OK here ya go. Sure he gave me plan, but I was on my own trying to make the plan work. Good luck trying to get a work out in during New Years Resolution time.

So I looked for something else and found P90X. No day care, no trainer fees, no gym membership. Work out any time I want. I've got a question Beachbody Coaches have answers and if they don't know the answer, they find someone who does. So as far as I am concerned PT's can get off their high horse and join the rest of the masses. P90X is taking over, deal with it... LOL!:laugh:

I didn't have the knowledge or back ground to design my own work out plan, nor did I have the time to research it.

Well...with 20+ years experience training athletes, powerlifters, bodybuilders and just good old fashioned "old men" just looking to improve their "alone time" with their wives & girlfriends, I DO and I can tell you after experimenting with every known training/nutrition program available this is THE BEST program I've run into. This wasn't my first "rodeo" with working out. I also have a college minor in nutrition.

If the person has the WILLPOWER/DISCIPLINE to put the effort in and follow the guidelines, it's idiot proof and you WILL get results! It isn't EASY but it is effective. I've personally tweaked the nutrition to my needs because I prefer more of a paleo lifestyle.

It's called P90 Extreme for a reason. Did anyone think when they bought it that it would be a walk in the park? If they do it's their own damn fault. It's hard, it's long, and it takes dedication. Would extreme sports be extreme if the skate boarders just jumped over speed bumps the entire time?

Exactly! They would have called it P90 "Easy" if it wasn't a challenge.

I think that people see the informercial, see the end results and think "I'm gonna do that" when they don't have the willpower or discipline to finish it. They want the end results without putting in the work. The program is DEFINITELY not for the people who don't have the right mindset.

As I mentioned, when I bought it I was in bad shape (still trained heavy with weights 5x's per week & elliptical 6x's) but I KNEW that I would finish it. Felt like I was gonna die the first few cardio workouts and thought someone took a filet knife to my chest bone after all of those pushups but I KNEW I could AND would do it.

I agree with the OP that P90x is too hard for most people. The one good thing about P90x in my opinion is that it allows you to feel how hard you actually need to work in order to be in decent shape. The typical person is note really willing to exercise at that kind of intensity level.

I agree with the OP that P90x is too hard for most people. The one good thing about P90x in my opinion is that it allows you to feel how hard you actually need to work in order to be in decent shape. The typical person is note really willing to exercise at that kind of intensity level.

The typical person doesn't have to work at that level to be in "decent shape". For general fitness and health, P90x is overkill. Again, that is not a negative statement. That level of training is not necessary for fitness and health. It's fine for those who want to go to a higher level of fitness and athleticism, but athleticism is a personal hobby, not a moral value.

Cool--I have a "mind" to win the Tour de France next year. I'm going to look great in the maillot jaune.

Good luck with that! I hear the mountain stages are a killer but you should be able to handle it.

Tried it, like everything else & failed because it is so insanely hard! I can see it being beneficial to someone who has plateaued or is taking their work out to the extreme but for the average Joe/Jane I agree with the OP... skip it!

Here is a list of average Joe's and Janes that didn't want to be average anymore. I didn't want to be average. The average 40 year old female has a 40 inch waist, divorced because her husband left her for a 20 year old, and gets winded while going up one flight of stairs. Average sucks.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/Sgorrie
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/june_warner
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tenaarnett
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/lewis2583
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/frankbo25
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/roylawrence87

I guess I should have defined what I mean by decent shape. Most people who would buy P90x want to have the fitness level of the people in those infomercials or perhaps some of the more fit celebrities. That's the kind of fitness level I'm talking about. If you want to be at that kind of level you have to train with a lot more intensity than most people are willing to do.

Not ripping on your post because I understand what you're getting at.

When I started I was 288 lbs, 34% bodyfat and wore a size 48 jean. I got winded, big time, just doing the warmups. I stuck with it and after my 2nd round I was 222 lbs, 8% bodyfat and a size 31.

I've seen people 350-400 lbs do this program. They aren't going to jump through the roof, like Dom, during plyo. They"modify" to their fitness level. Eventually they will get there.

This program is a marathon, not a sprint. People who WANT (I agree that it's not to everyones tastes) to do this program should ENJOY the journey....:flowerforyou:

Your accomplishment is great and anyone who pursues their dreams should be respected.

My only quibble (and not with you personally, but just in general with some of the other comments) is with the idea that because someone decided to push their physical training to a higher or more athletic level, they are somehow superior to others who chose not to do so. I read a lot of comments about "if you have the will to succeed blah, blah, blah" implying that those who try something like P90x and give it up are somehow weak and undisciplined.

That's an ego trap that's easy to fall into. Being fit just means that's something you chose to spend your leisure time doing. And I like doing tough workouts and I like pushing myself. At my age, I get an infantile amount of pleasure and satisfaction to know I can work out harder than a lot of people 20 years younger and that I am older than most of my coworkers' parents. But I also have the perspective to know that, from a value, moral or ethical standpoint, it means precisely d**k.

I love it. I think it is a great set of DVDs to have as a complete workout routine or individually. I rely on them. They incorporate classic moves and a lot of variety. If you are trying to lose some weight (less than 40 pounds) this is great. It requires though a bit of athletic background, in my opinion. I am comfortable with it because of my lifestyle and physical history.

Too long? Too complicated? Too hard? No. No. No. Commit. Commit. Commit.

I have actually done P90X a few tiimes and I agree it is a tough workout to start out with however, I think you need to try multiple things to find what you love. If you think P90x or any workout out there is something you might like you need to try it! You will not know what is your "soulmate" workout until you do it!

If you order P90x through the company that distributes it they have a money back guarantee. Find the workout you love and do it! No one can tell you not to do something because they didn't like it. Just sayin.