p90x

I'm halfway through my first round and I had BETTER RESULTS after only 30 days on P90X than I had in SIX MONTHS of hitting the gym. The program is INTENSE and you need to be 100% committed. Anyone who has 'failed' at the program failed because they did not commit to it. You need to follow the meal plan and do the workouts or you won't get the desired results. This is ESSENTIAL. The food and the workouts flow together! Trust me, you WILL NOT go hungry on the plan, in fact - most days you are struggling to eat enough food! It's all about what you eat and when you eat it.

It requires dedication but I honestly believe that ANYTHING worth having (i.e. - a lean, cut body) requires dedication and committment.

I really enjoyed p90x and I did see results within the first month even. The only thing that I did not like was hearing the same thing every week. The dvd's do get old even though they have a variety of exercises. If you want results and results fast, it is a very good deal (especially if you use ebay and download the charts). But if you are like me and get tired of the same things very quickly, then stick with cheaper ways of working out. I may start my p90x again eventually for fast results, but until I can stand listening to Tony's dumb jokes again, I am going to just stay at the gym.

I see a lot of ads for this, and I think it looks like an outstanding program, though I admit I have never tried it. My guess is this: there is probably a pretty strict diet that goes along with it, which is fine cause you have to eat right. I work out with a trainer that's a pro body builder. I see him work out with another guy who lifts the same weight but doesn't have anywhere near the physique. I asked him what the difference was, and his answer is diet and consistency. Over the last 9 months, I can honestly say that this guy is 100% right. I work out hard at the gym 6 days a week and was seeing OK results. when I took his diet advice, which was tough but not insane, the fat started falling off and the muscle stayed. I've lost over 12 pounds of fat in the last 2 months, gained over 6 pounds of muscle (not a lot, but considering a reduced food intake, I am happy to not be loosing muscle). I am getting comments from a lot of people, including the trainer, my wife, and people I only have casual contact with, that I look more toned up, lean, etc.

SO, p90x looks cool, and I would probably have bought it myself if I didn't get so much out of my gym membership, but I am a firm believer that an excersize plan is only as good as the food plan that goes with it. Here's what I do to eat and for slimming down:

(I'd highly recommend a polar heart rate monitor for this).

Food (daily)
Protein 250-300 grams (chicken, protein shakes, etc.)
Carbs 75-100 grams (all slow digesting or "clean carbs" like sweat potato, brown rice, ezekiel bread)
Fat 30-40 grams (as much as possible unsaturated).
Spread these out through 5-6 meals per day. If you spread out the protein and carbs, (50 protein, 15-20 carbs) per meal, the fat takes care of itself.

Strength
3-4 sets per body part. Day 1 Legs, Day 2 Shoulders/Abs, Day 3 Back and Tri, Day 4 Chest and biceps. Repeart cycle. I take 1 day off.

Cardo:
6-7 days, 60-90 minutes
Overall, keep your heart rate in zones 2-3, although its not a bad idea to bump up to 4 for short periods.

The hardest part is finding the time, but if you can, you WILL get results. I am down from 30% body fat to 9%, and hope to be close to 6% by the early sept. Then, I will increase my carbs and put more muscle on. To start, I wanted to loose as much fat as I could and get some abs (which are starting to show), just to prove to myself that I could do it and so I wouldn't freak out when I started gaining weight when adding muscle.

Also I take 1 meal per week and eat whatever I want. I recommend you make this a dinner and follow the normal diet to that point. There are plenty of opinions about cheat meals, but I do one meal, not a day, and I plan it way in advance, not on implulse. Next one is saturday...and it really keeps me sane. There is some decent research behind this too that says it stops your metabolism from stalling. Just make sure you get back on the next day!

Hope this helps. If you do p90x, let me know what you think...

I just ordered P90x and I'm hoping that it is worth the money too. I'm excited because my husband and I are planning on doing it together.