P90X Thoughts

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Hi everyone

I'm sure if I dug deep enough I would find tons of posts on this system but I want to start a fresh one that I can track. I'm looking for opinions on the P90X system. I'm one of those people that have a very hard time getting to the gym and working out and I'm wondering if a system like this is worth it. Let me also say that I would be starting the system from scratch and following the meal plan to the letter ( or as close as possible ) , also I'm not a natural born athlete, I've never really enjoyed working out but at this point I'm ready to try anything if it's something that has the possibility of yielding results.

Any thoughts?
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Replies

  • Stooooo
    Stooooo Posts: 1,191 Member
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    Hey Eric,

    P90X is a great work out system. But it is not for everyone and your success kind of depends on what kind of shape you are already in. Also how motivated are you to work out at home by yourself. Tell me a little about yourself.
  • rachel4
    rachel4 Posts: 95 Member
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    Personally I LOVE P90X, it was a launching pad for me to get motivated. It is JUST like going to the gym and working out with friends.
    Or maybe that is just me in my sad world ha ha.
    I did not follow the diet, but I already had my own and I’m stubborn like that. :laugh:
    GOOD LUCK. I hope you jump on the P90X wagon! It’s a lot of HARD (fun) WORK
  • steviebello
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    I have his 10 minute trainer dvd set, and its no joke. Tony Horton will definately get you results IF you stick with it. I'm a wuss, so I back down and don't always keep up with it... but when I do, I can feel it for days afterwards. Best of luck to ya!
  • Tujitsu56
    Tujitsu56 Posts: 392 Member
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    Very possible to get great results, but you have to commit. You have to invest like 1.5 hrs a day into this (prep/cool down/abs and whatever else is required). Follwing the meal plan will definitely help you out a lot. I didn't, but still saw some okay results. Following the meal plan with INSANITY got me awesome results, so follow the meal plan. Remember, that it's really tough. Especially for new comers. I've done 1 round of P90X and Insanity and am currently revisiting some of P90X and it's still hard. You get out what you put in. Good luck:)
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    It's definitely hard. And it will only be as effective as the effort you put into it. With that said, if you're willing to commit you'll get great results (as with any workout program).
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I'm a big (well smaller now!) fan of p90x. The meal plans are great... the recipes are great.... the workouts are even better! All you really need are the DVDs, some free weights, some resistance bands or the over the door pull up bar (i used the over the door resistance bands), a yoga mat, good shoes & a heart rate monitor. You can do it without the HRM, but I would highly suggest using one to make sure you're burning as much as you think you are. Stick to the program to the letter. Even the yoga that everyone thinks is a joke...... until they do it and they're sweating their butts off! I lost a total of 17 lbs. on p90x, gained massive amounts of strength and even some muscle definition, felt better, had more stamina and breath control and lost about 7" from each calf and 8" from my waist in the 90 days.
  • mcjabber
    mcjabber Posts: 374 Member
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    It's amazing! But it is a HUGE time commitment, so if you're not prepared to give it 75 minutes on the short days and 90 on the long, then it's not for you. It's definitely something to consider. If you ARE prepared to commit that time, then I can't recommend it highly enough!

    (putting it in perspective, though--if you were to go to the gym, and you calculate the time it takes to drive there, do a 30-45 workout, and drive home, it nets out.)

    edit: to the people who have said it is tough: it is, but it is also totally accomplishable by a regular human. You put in as much as you can, and you get better at it.
  • Jedibeau
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    It rocks! It is also very difficult if you aren't in good shape, as I was when I tried it. I found out later that there is an earlier series called P90 that is good to start with.

    Tony Horton is a fun person to work out with. He is very energetic and makes jokes. I like that we switches up different muscle groups to keep it fun.

    If you are up to it then try the P90X. it will whip you into shape!
  • JennyLJones
    JennyLJones Posts: 20 Member
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    I love P90X when I started I was out of shape and pretty soft around the middle. I started out modifying the moves I couldn't do but sticking with it. Everything said in this post is absolutely correct! It is highly effective if you commit. It does take time but it is so worth it. I could say over and over again what everyone else is saying but I'll just say that if you decide to do it. Give it a chance before you quit. Too many people quit and get discouraged too early on they don't allow themselves time to see results. Give 100% and there is no way you won't see results. Tony is funny and helpful and will def keep you motivated. I've done two rounds and will be starting the P90X2 Program on Jan. 1st.
  • aspencer122
    aspencer122 Posts: 123 Member
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    I loce P90X. I went from 324 ibs to 264 in Just a month and a Half. But due to life I lost track of it and gain most of it back. I love P90X and will be going back to it. As of today I am more then half way through INSANITY and already preordered P90X2. good luck but I highly recommend it.
  • Tujitsu56
    Tujitsu56 Posts: 392 Member
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    OMG, I'm so excited about P90X2. Yes, I forgot to mention that you'll probably love Tony. He is so corny at times, but very funny and crazy fit. Really hard to keep up with.
    I love P90X when I started I was out of shape and pretty soft around the middle. I started out modifying the moves I couldn't do but sticking with it. Everything said in this post is absolutely correct! It is highly effective if you commit. It does take time but it is so worth it. I could say over and over again what everyone else is saying but I'll just say that if you decide to do it. Give it a chance before you quit. Too many people quit and get discouraged too early on they don't allow themselves time to see results. Give 100% and there is no way you won't see results. Tony is funny and helpful and will def keep you motivated. I've done two rounds and will be starting the P90X2 Program on Jan. 1st.
  • misti17
    misti17 Posts: 106
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    My husband loves it!!!!!!!!!!! However he is a total gym finatic and LOVES to work out. I hated it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to scratch Tony's eyes out. It was too long, hard on the joints and Tony to me is obnoxious! Sorry P90X fans, this is just my opinion. So I stick with Jillian!! I love her !!!!!!!!! Some people hate her too, but me and her click. I guess it's each to their own.
  • gbl4
    gbl4 Posts: 16
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    I love P90X as well! My husband and I did it together last year and I ended up with good results while he ended up with AWESOME results. He not only lost 40lbs but got some really defined abs. You have to be committed though - the workouts are a little more than an hour to an hour and half long so you have to clear some time out of your day and the diet is very important - which he followed to a T and me? not so much :-) but every time I do a round I get that much more defined. Go for it - stay committed and you'll see results!
  • anastasiaBH
    anastasiaBH Posts: 268 Member
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    I was the same way. I used to live in an apartment bldg on the 16th floor, gym was on 3rd. I'd struggle to make it "that far" to work out.... so sad. Now, I have the comfort of my own basement but I'm in a habit of dragging my carcass down there every morning by 6:20 am.....

    You have to make time to really make it work. These workouts are an hour (90 min for yoga).

    And you have to be willing to stick with it. After the first few days, I was crying in a heap on the floor. Now, 4 yrs or so later, I can do them all, but initially, they sucked. Really bad.

    You have to modify when you're starting out. In one dvd, I think it's Chest & Back, Marin, the German Potato Soup lady (you'll see) can knock out push ups better than the men. Scary.

    They will caution you in everything you read, it is not a weight loss program per se. But it's more exercise than most of us "sort of athletic, but not really" types have EVER done. I thought I was getting a great workout on my dreadmill. HA. If you want to work your butt off, try Plyo X. So by virtue of the exercise alone, you'll probably see results.

    But you should really stick with the diet guide as much as you can. I did, about 90-95%... ish.... most days.... ;-)

    And Tony, he's now the devil I know. Sometimes annoying, sometimes..... well, let's stick with sometimes annoying.

    I also used Power 90 Master Series (also Tony)- shorter duration than P90X (about 40-45 min instead), a little heavier on cardio, just to change things up. Worked for me.

    Good luck!
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    Seems to work well for those that do it. but seriously, do any exercise 90 min every day and you'll see results.
  • NB_Eric
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    Thats' true, 90 minutes seems a bit more than I can afford right now to be honest. Between work and life it's difficult that carve out that much time and keep my sanity. I'm a bit disappointed in myself in the sense that there is a gym in my building and I could easily get up an hour earlier in the morning to the gym then go up two floors to workout. I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind to do it and alas the gym in my building is 100% empty, I would be the only person there every single morning which can be good I guess if you want privacy but there nothing to keep you accountable except myself which hasn't really worked out that well
  • aeverton
    aeverton Posts: 359
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    I will be a "graduate" in 2 weeks. Some weeks I was ready to "bring it' some weeks I was ready to quit. But, I've stayed committed and I've definitely seen results. *I'm not following the nutrition plan.* I struggle the most with yoga. Maybe because it's the longest time wise?? Anyway, I can say I've enjoyed it and it's worked for me! Now, I'm trying to figure out what to do next!

    Angie
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    Thats' true, 90 minutes seems a bit more than I can afford right now to be honest. Between work and life it's difficult that carve out that much time and keep my sanity. I'm a bit disappointed in myself in the sense that there is a gym in my building and I could easily get up an hour earlier in the morning to the gym then go up two floors to workout. I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind to do it and alas the gym in my building is 100% empty, I would be the only person there every single morning which can be good I guess if you want privacy but there nothing to keep you accountable except myself which hasn't really worked out that well

    You don't have to do the whole hour. It's sort of nice to just wake up and ramble to the gym, get all sweaty and then shower and go to work. I'd just start with 30 min for now. You'll be sore, don't you worry about that. Then work up as you figure out what you want your workout to look like.
  • simonlafontaine76
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    I'm in week 8 of the program right now but I follow only the exercise plan. For the rest I use MyFitnessPal on my itouch to make sure I control my calorie intake. The first phase requires a very high percentage in your nutrition which to me was not sustainable long term so I chose to make some good changes I could easily keep for the rest of my life, trying to limit the ups and downs of dieting.

    The exercice is amazing, although yes any 90 minute exercice will help, making sure you have a well-rounded exercise program is very important to workout all parts of the body. I used to do a lot of bench press and very little back exercises and it caused me some shoulder problems so now I stick to Tony's program. I understand he's not everyone's favorite but he makes me laugh and motivates me to press play day in and day out!

    I would definitly suggest you get the program and if you can only do it a few times a week then at least you know for that one hour you will have a world-class workout, as long as you Bring it!
  • NB_Eric
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    Let me throw a twist into my original question, we've established that P90X is a difficult system, is there a system that you would all recommend as a "launch point" to start the journey in a way to maximize the chance of success and not burn out too quick. Basically a gradual build up to the monster.