im doing the lean version

[Edited on February 10, 2010 at 4:47 PM. Reason : ps i moffically tuckered out! ]

2/10/2010 4:46:32 PM

I'm guessing she subbed Cardio for plyometrics (I think it is worth forcing yourself to do plyometrics, regardless of how athletic you are unless you have awful knees). No idea why you would do synergistics on day 1 or 2, should have started with chest/back.

I didn't do core synergistics until week 4, and it kicked my butt the first time. I'm in week 6 currently so I've done everything now.

2/11/2010 2:17:21 AM

Honestly I think the key to the program is Yoga, at least the first half of the DVD. I would have never imagined how much my inner core strength has increased as a result of doing that once a week.

2/11/2010 3:02:26 AM

I have never worked on my flexibility, so all of the stretching/yoga is good for me. I am one of the least flexible fairly athletic people you will meet, especially in my hamstrings but also to an extent in my back/shoulders. This program is making my back feel significantly better, and my legs haven't been nearly as stiff after playing sports.

2/11/2010 8:29:52 AM

Quote :

"I'm guessing she subbed Cardio for plyometrics (I think it is worth forcing yourself to do plyometrics, regardless of how athletic you are unless you have awful knees). No idea why you would do synergistics on day 1 or 2, should have started with chest/back."

no....i'm doing the lean version.

http://www.p90xmomma.com/p90x-lean-schedule.php

it's in the packet.
there's classic, doubles, and lean.
http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200907/1247940351.html

i thought i made myself clear earlier.



[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 12:42 PM. Reason : guess not]

2/11/2010 12:31:31 PM

i got what you were saying, fwiw. i was just asking because you said it didn't seem that difficult compared to boxing. Boxing training is intense period. But the p90x workouts you're doing are the lesser of the set in regard to intensity.

my understanding was/is that the lean routine is for people not quite in shape enough for the regular routine. Or for people who simply wanted to lean up and nothing else the entire 3 months.

If you liked the intensity of your workouts last summer and find the lean version of p90x to not be up to par with what you're looking for, I'd consider switching to phase one of the classic routine. It's intended for leaning up. The resistance is just enough to really maintain muscle or form a base if you're really starting from the bottom. If you follow the nutrition guide semi-close (at least in sense of calorie intake at the minimum), you'll cut fat.

Or maybe start a little further into the lean routine and use phase 1 of the classic routine as the last phase. Of course, if you don't want it to be more intense... don't worry about it.

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 6:27 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2010 6:26:39 PM

^im probably gonna do that.

arms and shoulders were today, i definitely felt the burn on some of the them...but the majority of them, while still hard, didnt seem that much effective.

im gonna have to get heavier weights (12 and 15).

im trying to gauge what i should be doing .
im curious how sore i will be tomorrow....
we'll see


as far as nutrition goes im not following to a T whats on their menus or whatever.
im eating super clean and logging it on fitday using the parameters they suggested. (which is a little higher than normal for me so im trying really, really hard)


its a learning process

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 6:32 PM. Reason : study time!]

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 6:33 PM. Reason : and yes-boxing was one of the most intese workouts ever....i wish i was still doing it ]

2/11/2010 6:32:38 PM

Yeah I definitely agree about the intensity thing. Even when I started the workouts when I was in horrible shape, I didn't find them "that" hard. Sure I was sore afterwards, but they were definitely achievable. The thing that makes them difficult is really pushing yourself to the max on each and every exercise, such that any exercise can be a challenge to the most novice, out of shape person or to a more athletic, fit kind of person. That means picking a heavier weight (if you can do 15 reps on a weight it is not heavy enough, even if you are simply trying to slim down), going deep in your lunges and Yoga poses, keeping your core tight on every move, etc. The other thing that makes it tough is committing yourself to working out every single day. It is very easy to let life get in the way of your success, but I personally promised myself I would not let this happen, no matter what. So regardless of how sick I was or what I had to do that day or how little sleep I was going to get, I told myself missing a workout and not giving it 110% was never an option.

2/11/2010 8:50:14 PM

I finally decided to order P90X and will probably start it next Monday. I have the pull up bar and a mat; as far as dumbbells I'm guessing 15 lbs, 20,25, and 30 would be ideal? I am in decent shape lifting wise, usually do 20-30 lbs curls and 40-50 lbs chest workouts; any suggestions on dumbells for p90x?

I am 5'9 and have let myself go since college, 204 lbs at the moment. I would like to get to a toned 170 lbs frame. I have enjoyed going thru this thread and look forward to starting this program. Please post any advice for a newcomer.

2/16/2010 11:10:27 AM

if you have sets of those dumbbells sitting around, they'll probably be fine. If you need to get something, you may want to consider an adjustable dumbbell. I have powerblocks and i think they're great. Very sturdy, quick to adjust, good variety of weights. They're a little more expensive than maybe 4 pair of dumbbells, but you get the equivalent of more than 4 pair and they take up the space of 1 pair.

2/16/2010 2:09:47 PM

Do people on here actually use the recovery drink? I've never bought it because I think it is bloody expensive. I use All the Whey protein instead, but the recovery drink has some creatine and other shit in it that makes me think I need to add further supplementation.

Also if you are using the recovery drink, where are you getting it from because I could not find a decent price anywhere?

2/16/2010 4:55:43 PM

you can get one from the vitamin shoppe thats cheaper and better.

you def. need something because your body is SHOT right afterwards.

2/16/2010 5:18:58 PM

FYI you can find P90X, Insanity, and the likes on your favorite torrent sites...

2/16/2010 5:21:26 PM

I think I'm about to start this with a few colleagues. What are some things I need to know before getting started?

2/18/2010 2:20:45 PM

Dont plan anything that involves much walking on the 3rd or 4th day the first week you start

2/18/2010 3:07:50 PM

^^ Plan to dedicate at least 50 minutes every day, 75 minutes on half of the days, and 90 minutes for yoga. The work outs are long and intense, but that is why they are effective.

2/18/2010 5:04:26 PM

^^ Haha, I wonder how I'm going to feel going into my half-marathon in 3 weeks. Should be interesting!

^ I already do between 45 minutes and 2 hours every day, so that won't be too bad.

2/18/2010 5:13:55 PM

you'll be fine lucy!

2/18/2010 6:14:41 PM

Quote :

"It is very easy to let life get in the way of your success, but I personally promised myself I would not let this happen, no matter what. So regardless of how sick I was or what I had to do that day or how little sleep I was going to get, I told myself missing a workout and not giving it 110% was never an option."

i just have to give this man kudos. and anyone else who sticks through this til the end.

2/23/2010 10:16:51 PM

So, what's the difference between P90 and P90X? Is it just intensity or length of workouts or both? I'm not in shape by any means, but I'm also not a fatass. I want to be able to complete the program, but absolutely be challenged. At this point, if I work out, it'll be cardio for 45min-an hour once or twice a week, tops. But if I did P90X I would definitely commit to the 6 days a week, hour a day scheme.

2/23/2010 11:18:32 PM

p90 is the original i think. They needed something new to sell.

p90x is not that hard. Even if you're not in shape, it's set up to accommodate you. As long as you put in the effort, you'll be fine. Unless maybe if you have some sort of heart condition or something.

2/24/2010 12:03:28 AM

p90x is no joke and I'm amazed anyone actually does it correctly

Me? not a chance. i cant make it 10 minutes.

2/24/2010 12:07:14 AM

P90X is longer/more intense. I believe P90 is 30 minute workouts whereas P90X is roughly 1 hour blocks (a little more to add Ab Ripper X), and 90 minutes for the Yoga workout.

2/24/2010 5:58:13 PM

Alright, thanks for the clarification. I think I'm going with P90X if I can find a copy of the DVDs relatively cheap.

2/24/2010 11:40:23 PM

Quote :

"p90x is not that hard."

I find statements like this to be complete bullshit. Show me that you can keep pace with Tony on every workout and then you can make a blanket statement like that. I've been working out regularly for years and started P90X because I wanted to try something different. Even after doing some of the workouts 10+ times, I still find myself challenged to keep up with Tony and some of the other people during parts of many of the workouts.

Yeah some of the workouts are not as intense (like Kenpo or Cadio X), but the hard workouts like Plyo and especially the muscle building workouts I always get a great burn. Exercises like corn cobs and fast/slow push-up are just plain intense if you truly push yourself.




[Edited on February 25, 2010 at 4:07 PM. Reason : sd]

2/25/2010 4:06:25 PM

I am on my second run through of the program. There are two things that make it "hard" in my opinion. The first is how intensely you push yourself. On the strength workouts especially that means going until you just can't do anymore reps without your body collapsing (like push-ups or pull-ups), or picking a weight such that on rep 8 it feels like your arms are going to explode. I find it nearly impossible to believe that anyone who goes into every exercise with that philosophy will say after the 18 or 24 exercises in that video that "Man that was easy!" So my best guess if you find these workouts easy is that you're not doing enough reps or lifting enough weight, or both.

The second thing that makes the exercises hard is the fact that they are part of a 90 day program in which you exercise at least 78 of those days, and all 90 if you do the optional stretch portions. Additionally, if you follow the diet plan, it makes it that much tougher because you are probably cutting a lot of stuff out and adding a lot of other stuff that you normally wouldn't eat. So on a normal Friday where you'd typically get home at 5:00 pm, relax for a bit, then go out and have a few beers and some wings or stay in and order a pizza, you are instead working out for 75-90 minutes and making a delicious dinner of grilled fish, asparagus, and brown rice. This can get really taxing. Doing one of the exercises is very attainable, as is eating well for a short while. But it takes a massive amount of committment to convince a sore, aching body that you push to the limits for over an hour everyday, and that you are depriving of all the extra goodies (alcohol, yummy foods) to keep on going for 90 days.

2/25/2010 5:13:10 PM

^ is right, the commitment aspect of it is tough. But anyone who really commits themselves will be fine.

Quote :

"I find statements like this to be complete bullshit."

you completely misinterpreted the comment. Which is probably my fault because of the way I worded it.

A) that's not what i meant by that comment. I meant it in regard to P90. p90 is the predecessor and is little less intense. I meant that P90X isn't so much harder than P90 that a dedicated person can't finish it and should do P90 first. Yes, it is challenging. But exercise should be challenging.

I played sports up through high school and continued to work out intensely on my own for many years after that. When I go to the gym, I expect to work out. Any reasonable person who is familiar with exercise knows you get out what you put in. But workouts in Pollard's weight lifting class were just as hard as P90x workouts at times. Workouts I did in highschool were just as intense. Workouts I did on my own were just as intense.

All I was saying was that it's not some unobtainable goal. I know people who were in good shape and friends who hadn't worked out in years who did p90x. Guess what... they all completed it successfully. If you can't do p90x, it's because you're not committed or you're doing it wrong... not because it's impossible. That or you didn't read the material and like a dumbass tried to keep up with Tony Horton. If you're in absolutely horrible horrible shape, you should probably try something less intense or have never ever worked out in your life... you may want to try something less intense first.

But from what I've seen of p90, P90X isn't so much harder than P90 that I would waste money on p90. That was the point.



B) the point of P90X isn't to keep pace with Tony Horton. If you do, great. But not a problem if you don't. The point is to push yourself to that same intensity. I can't use the amount of weight that Tony Horton does for the amount of reps he does at the same pace. But, I can use a weight that's allow me to reach failure in that rep range (or whatever range i'm using) so as to be training at that same intensity.

If you watch the videos, he tells you to sit a few reps out if you need to. He goes a step further and says to pause the video if you need to. Personally, I never had to pause the dvd. I did have to occasionally pause my reps for a few seconds and then finish the rest. My roommate asked me to pause it (we worked out together) and he had to go throw up. I think this was on the first day after about 45 minutes. At the beginning I told him this would be much faster paced than what he was probably used to (going to the gym, 10 reps, waiting for a friend to go, 10 more reps, etc.) and to use weights considerably lower than what he would if he were using longer rest periods... I think he went a little too hard the first time around - a few minutes before the end, he threw up.

And there were times I didn't hit my target rep range.. which meant I used a little less resistance on the next round.


Also, if you read the documentation, it tells you a little about rep schemes and what range to try to fail at if you want to lean up, add mass, get stronger, etc. You're working out along with the DVDs, but you're supposed to tailor the workout to meet your goals. If your target is 10-12 reps and you hit that mark and with a weight that caused you to fail at that mark, you've done what you were supposed to do. Regardless of whether or not Tony or anyone else is still doing reps or not. You don't keep doing reps just because he is. But if he finishes before you, that could happen too. Unlikely because they leave a good bit of time, and if so you may be going a little too slow (which means use less resistance so you can step it up).


I'll say it again, because I believe it - P90X IS NOT THAT HARD. If you're committed, understand that goal is to push yourself to the necessary limit that causes your body to adapt, and not to simply do the exact same thing as the guy on the tv sceen... you will complete the workouts, you will see great results, and you will be very successful.

[Edited on February 25, 2010 at 5:37 PM. Reason : .]

2/25/2010 5:26:21 PM

Quote :

"But it takes a massive amount of commitment to convince a sore, aching body that you push to the limits for over an hour everyday, and that you are depriving of all the extra goodies (alcohol, yummy foods) to keep on going for 90 days."

and this is why i'm ok with being in good but not excellent shape. maybe if my metabolism REALLY slows down in the next few years i'll feel differently, but dammit if i want a few beers i'm gonna have them.

2/25/2010 5:49:09 PM

i do have a couple of questions for you guys...

1. how bad do you sweat during these workouts? i see the people on there dripping sweat and im barely breaking one. and its not because im not pushing myself. i grunt and really struggle to keep up. hell...if i dont finsh a set i pause the tape rest for a sec and finish it out. i've never really been a heavy sweater but it's kind of discouraging.
especially when i am DRIPPING sweat after an insanity workout.

2. how sore are you guys typically the next day? after those first two - three days, i havent been sore since......

and also

Quote :

"and this is why i'm ok with being in good but not excellent shape. maybe if my metabolism REALLY slows down in the next few years i'll feel differently, but dammit if i want a few beers i'm gonna have them."

amen brotha
i'm trying to be healthier, not enter a competition

[Edited on February 25, 2010 at 6:58 PM. Reason : ]

2/25/2010 6:58:18 PM

it really depends on your location and the environment and different factors to tell how much you will sweat.

I do it at my house and barely break a sweat but if I go to the gym and have it on my ipod, the environment there makes me sweat aLOTTTTTT more.

I normally get sore the first time I do a routine, after that your muscles get used to it pretty much. If you think youre not feeling it enough though, add more weight.

2/25/2010 7:33:29 PM

Quote :

"add more weight."

thats the problem. im at a point where when i go up to the next weight i can't do more than 6ish.
i want higher reps


but you made me feel better about the sweating

2/25/2010 7:38:07 PM

I don't really sweat that much when I do most of the weight routines. Plyo always works up quite a sweat but chest & back or arms & shoulders, etc, don't get me sweating too much. Doesn't really matter though, I'd still say I'm getting a good workout if I get near the end and I can't even do the last set of push ups.

2/28/2010 12:49:09 PM

One the 2nd day of this. Plyo kicked my ass.

sheesh

2/28/2010 10:04:14 PM

Day 1 for me and my hubby! It's going to be awesome, but I also can't wait to see improvement. I want to be able to do 15 pullups NOW!

2/28/2010 10:17:45 PM

I found this pretty amusing:

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/04/news/economy/paul_ryan.fortune/index.htm

Quote :

"Back in Washington on Monday mornings, and during the week, [Paul Ryan] leads about a dozen congressmen, including former football player Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), through a workout called P90X, a punishing bipartisan series of pushups, pull-ups, karate, and yoga."

a punishing bipartisan series of.... LOL

3/6/2010 7:12:58 AM

It just whipped me butt

3/12/2010 1:29:52 PM

Just had my annual exam and my cholesterol is not good... plus I am about 15 lbs overweight.

Sign me up for this shit. What workout items will I need to acquire prior to getting started? I have 30 and 35 lb dumbells.... thats about it. Think I can do this workout without waking up my daughter in the next room?

P90 or P90X... I read most of this thread, leaning towards X.

3/19/2010 12:01:20 PM

also buy one of those iron gym pull up bar things for your doorway.

3/19/2010 2:35:26 PM

And you might want more of a variety of weights or bands. Some of the exercises even Tony doesn't use 30 lbs.

3/19/2010 2:42:54 PM

^^^ I doubt you'll be able to do the workouts like Plyo and Cardio X without making too much noise. There is a lot of jumping in Plyo and some jumping in Cardio X. Tony preaches soft landings, but once your legs are on fire, it gets tough to get high enough for a soft landing.

Most of the other workouts though you should be okay (Yoga, kenpo, the muscle workouts, ab ripper), but you'll probably want to use bands in order to avoid dumbbells noise in the muscle workouts.

Also definitely get a yoga pad or some rubber mats as they will help with the noise too.





[Edited on March 19, 2010 at 3:05 PM. Reason : sd]

3/19/2010 3:04:29 PM

^4 are you on carpets or hardwoods? I had 4-5 people doing it at my house at various hours - 4 did the whole thing and one did specific workouts along with the regiment he was already doing - and noise was never an issue. I had 2 friends who came to my house and started right around 5:30, me and one of my roommates would do it around 7:30 or 8. And occasionally, another roommate would do it later or one of us wouldn't be able to do it at the usual time and would do it separately at like 10.

My living room is very open to the rest of the house, and you hear any mildly-loud noises coming from any other room, and especially the room we did p90x in. I got home at about 5:30, right as they were usually doing the warm up, and I never had a problem taking a nap on the couch in the next room or watching PTI or something. And my bedroom is right above that room as well and you can hear when people are being loud down there - it was never an issue while p90x was going on. Occasionally some heavy breathing (one guy was a grunter, so you could hear him a little more toward the end of the workout), but not anything that would wake me up or prevent me from falling asleep.

Having said that, it's a carpeted room on the first floor of a slab foundation. If it wasn't wasn't carpeted, I think it would be considerably more noisy. And compared to a crawl space or basement, the slab probably kept the house from shaking some with 2 adult men jumping up and down.

[Edited on March 19, 2010 at 4:11 PM. Reason : .]

3/19/2010 4:08:17 PM

we have hardwoods but have oriental rugs down that are fairly thick.

Where would you guys recommend getting the bands, I like the idea of avoiding the dumbbells?

Alright, I ordered it.... should be reporting back to this thread soon. To track my shit, right now I am around 238 lbs (6'6''). I want to be sub 220, defined muscle, and better cholesterol in about 100 days.

3/19/2010 10:15:35 PM

so, since so many people are doing this with great success, where are the before and after pictures?

so far, I've only seen one set

3/20/2010 7:42:13 AM

i just got this... i'm reading up on it... the nutrition stuff is basically the stuff i've been doing for nutrition (well, not for the past month or two, but i'm re-dedicating efforts!)... at least the first two stages are.

3/20/2010 5:34:27 PM

Me and my wife are about to start this on Wednesday. My brother's been doing it for like 175 days so far (and followed the diet), and I've done it with him about 10 times, so I know it's not insano hard. The hardest part seems to be doing it every day, and staying with the diet.

Anyhoo, we took some before pictures, but I ain't posting them until I have some after pictures. It is weird there's only one before-after picture in this thread so far...

3/28/2010 5:08:31 PM

I'm only 3 weeks in. I'll post when I finish!

3/28/2010 5:16:08 PM

Unfortunately I think the lack of pics is because many people start this but never finish. There are a million excuses to quit something like this so it really takes a lot of dedication to see it through.

3/28/2010 6:40:45 PM

well it certainly worked for you

3/28/2010 6:45:54 PM

At first, when I saw someone named OldBlueChair directing a at me I was like:



But then I looked at your pictures and I was like:

3/29/2010 8:19:25 PM

i love p90x i did about 2 months worth last year leading up to my wedding and then got lazy...i had lost 15 lbs and was feeling great

i'm excited to start it back up here soon once i get moved and settled into my new house.

3/30/2010 4:51:40 PM