You are an inch shorter than me and the same weight as when I started. My advice would be to eat, eat and eat some more. Also, if you aren't gaining any weight (if that's part of your goal) then consider cutting out one or two of the intense fat burning cardio work outs. Some might disagree, but I found myself eating a lot yet burning it off which wasn't as beneficial.

12/3/2010 2:52:27 PM

Plyo is the only workout I continue to do. It is the best for legs.

12/3/2010 2:52:40 PM

^^ I'm not doing it so much to gain weight, just to get fit and be healthier.

I'll probably lose a week to Christmas vacation, maybe I'll just see how the next 3 weeks work out and possibly start over after New Years (along with everyone else ).

That is, assuming this torrent finishes within the next 3 weeks.
I think Sunday-Friday would be an easier schedule for me to maintain than Monday-Saturday, especially since I'll be doing it in the evenings.

12/3/2010 3:40:40 PM

Do you need weights, pull up bar, resistance bands, yoga mat, or anything external to do these workouts?

[Edited on January 5, 2011 at 7:26 PM. Reason : .]

1/5/2011 7:24:27 PM

yes, all of those except bands, and obviously you don't NEED a mat, but it'll help so your floor isn't all sweaty, because you will be sweaty.

1/5/2011 7:49:14 PM

And a sturdy chair. I got a $10 folding chair from Target.

1/6/2011 1:37:43 AM

If anyone wants copies of this workout + all workbooks, etc. in PDF format, let me know. Will charge for time/dvd's.

1/7/2011 5:28:56 PM

I'd like copies of the booklets if you already have them in .pdf. I got a bootleg copy off craigslists and everything works great except the books are full of typos.

1/7/2011 7:26:00 PM

i just attempted the first workout ... i couldnt do half the shit lol

1/26/2011 11:30:42 AM

Which ones?

I am guessing Chest and Back was what you did. Obviously many people can't do the pull-ups, that's why they use bands or the chair assists. The only things that I would think you might not be able to do any of are.... perhaps the Diamond Push-Ups or the Dive Bombers?

1/26/2011 4:12:55 PM

Quote :

"i just attempted the first workout ... i couldnt do half the shit lol"

What's helped me for that workout was trying to do a set number of reps for each workout, keep it consistent, and bump it up by 1 for the next workout.

Simply put, the first workout I try to do 8's and 3's. Each type of push-up, do 8, and for each type of pull-up do 3. The next week I do 9's and 4's and the week after, 10's and 5's.

I understand that's not exactly how they want you to do the workout, but it lets me get all the way through feeling like I accomplished something.

1/26/2011 5:01:15 PM

basically im just out of shape

1/27/2011 11:34:46 AM

Ok, I got a free weight set for christmas. Should I get a pull-up bar or use bands for that part? I don't want to ruin my girlfriend's doorway.

1/29/2011 5:22:37 PM

I've used both a screw in pullup bar and a total gym. Wood putty+paint will fix the screw in, and the iron gym (removable, hooks into the door frame)does nothing but mark the paint a little bit.

[Edited on January 29, 2011 at 7:36 PM. Reason : .]

1/29/2011 7:36:20 PM

i did this a few years ago for a few months and quit. Now i'm working back into it again. I wouldnt say i'm full on doing it, but i do whatever workout my gf is on about 4 days a week now. things are going decently and i'll prob add more days a week as time allows.


Sincerely,
Sore all over

1/30/2011 11:28:24 AM

I am starting TurboFire tomorrow. (Another beachbody program) I am excited!

1/30/2011 10:23:10 PM

^So looks like a dancey less effective version of insanity with terrible music for women in their 30s haha

1/31/2011 4:01:59 PM

Week 6, you are my bitch.

2/1/2011 8:01:41 AM

FWIW you can get a knock off iron gym pull up bar at tj maxx for $12.99

2/4/2011 11:20:23 AM

so my sisters have started doing this, but i can't make it all the time when they do it (i work on the weekends too so those days are usually out)

i want to start getting back into working out regularly because i've been sucking wind lately.

there'd still be a benefit to doing the workouts but not necessarily every single time right? i don't want my sisters deviating from the DVDs but I'd like to still participate with them like 80% of the time most likely.

2/7/2011 10:06:30 AM

certainly. exercising 3 x a week is better than not exercising at all. the only thing to consider is that it's split up by body part/region. Those are three days a week, and the other days are cardio routines and yoga.

you could do any of the cardio routines all the time and get a good workout. but it's possible you could be in a situation where you always make it for chest and back day but never for legs. which could leave specific regions neglected. that's just something i'd keep in mind and maybe try to do at some other time. Plus, once you learn the exercises, you don't really need the dvd. So you could always do a little on your own on those days you can't go.

2/7/2011 10:31:47 AM

yea i'll be doing it in addition to my getting back into running (i HATE running when it's cold)

and hopefully back on the bike soon too

2/7/2011 10:35:08 AM

2/7/2011 11:15:08 AM

last year i started p90x on superbowl sunday.

decided to continue the tradition and started day 1 yesterday. i'm definitely at a better starting point this year than i was a year ago, because i know the system better.

after some time off (not exercised consistently last 4 months or so), i am taking it slow and not bum-rushing in. i found that taking it easy on day 1 worked very well for me, and i think this is a great approach for anyone getting back into it or starting it for the first time. just take it easy for the first week or so, then ramp up the intensity when you're ready. i dont think the jump in and conquer the world attitude works well for me.

2/7/2011 1:16:36 PM

I did P90X back a few months ago at about 60%. I slacked off and didn't do all the eating and I still lost a ton of weight. I started a new job after and am about to try and do it real deal starting tonight. Looking forward to it. My bro works at GNC and gave me a tub of NOExplode. I'll probably take half the recommended amount before working out to see how well it works.

2/8/2011 5:38:32 PM

You probably want to take the NOXplode the way it says to. Take enough to test your tolerance and go from there. There isn't much point in half-assing the dosage amount if you don't get the full effect during your session. That's just my 2 cents from having taken it since I did my first p90x round last autumn. I also recommend adding in Creatine Ethyl Ester. You take it 30mins pre-workout with your NOXplode and then with your protein shake immediately post workout.

2/8/2011 7:09:27 PM

^ what kind of gains did you see man? It didn't look like you needed to worry about losing any when you started. Did you put on much muscle?

2/8/2011 7:13:32 PM

Actually, yeah, my problem wasn't trying to lose mass but rather gain it so my first round of p90x was an uphill battle to try and scarf down food as well as build muscle. I took a few months after that to eat and do some light cardio and light weights. I've gained about 8 pounds of muscle and hope to see more as I've started week two of my second round and added creatine to the mix. I am also being more disciplined about eating those 6-7 small meals a day. Thankfully, my schedule should be normalizing within a month and it will be easier to develop a routine.

2/8/2011 9:35:00 PM

Yeah I'm definitely going to up it as much as necessary. Just wanted to work my way up instead of blowing my head off the first time I used it. It definitely did the job though. I felt like I could have done a whole extra workout. It actually isn't NO-Explode, its NO-Loaded. Not sure the difference honestly. Was a good day 1 though. Looking forward to tomorrow.

2/8/2011 10:10:35 PM

I dl'ed this shit and burned it to dvd and am past my first week. I have already spent over 100 dollars on weights, pull up bar, and supplements. I am thinking about getting some accelerade for a recovery drink but not sure since buying extra food for protein is adding up. I don't eat a lot.

I have felt like shit the past couple of months and needed to get off my ass. I warmed up to this routine by doing some cardio exercises on EA Sports Active but Plyo kicked my ass in half. I was able to finish. The only routine I wanted to quit was Yoga. Holy hell that shit is hard. I am not going to give up because it made me look pathetic. I have to get better at it.

2/9/2011 3:38:30 PM

A buddy of mine has the DVDs and we've been talking about doing it together. It would be a lot easier for both of us to do it at my place, but I don't really have anywhere for a pull-up bar. My living room (where the TV is, obviously) opens directly into the foyer and dining room. The only room downstairs that has a doorframe is the bathroom, and the ceiling is really low so I'd hit my head (I'm 6'3, btw.) The only other option that seems plausible is hanging it upstairs and running up there every time I need to do them, but that seems a little ridiculous.

How necessary is the pull-up bar for the overall experience? Is it used in many of the workouts?

2/9/2011 4:19:01 PM

Quote :

"How necessary is the pull-up bar for the overall experience? Is it used in many of the workouts?"

You do a lot of pull ups. Get a bar or bands.

2/9/2011 4:37:28 PM

Argh, I started round two today half a year after finishing round one.

God dang it was not pretty.

2/9/2011 6:50:20 PM

i restarted week 6 since I was sick last week and didn't do anything.

2/9/2011 6:51:49 PM

Being sick fucking sucks. I got sick at the end of last autumn and lost 8lbs. It was a pain in the ass to build back too, at least the healthy kind of weight. Speaking of which, it's Plyo time!

2/9/2011 9:19:44 PM

You're a football hero!

2/10/2011 7:37:04 PM

^^^^^^
I typically ran upstairs to do my pullups when I did P90X in my townhome, using the door frame at the top of the stairs. There is usually enough time each set to jog up, do 10-15 pullups, and jog back. If you have to you can always skip back to the start of the next set (each exercise/set is a different chapter on the DVD). A lot of the pullup sets in the program are right in front of a water/stretch break as well. You will not get much out of P90X if you don't do the pullups, or at least bands.

2/10/2011 8:01:40 PM

Onto my 2nd week. Chest and back absolutely annihilated me today since I actually knew what to do and tried to push myself.

Ugh, I usually go to bed around 1 but I am passing out now because I am beat. I hope this gets easier.

2/11/2011 12:07:45 AM

It does. It's cliche' but as Tony says Keep pushing play. Keep pushing play.

For me, the best boost has come when I can start to feel the targeted muscle working and can further isolate each rep to that area. Getting that brain/muscle connection is a neat feeling and can help prevent injury and stress to muscles that you may have been using inadvertently.

2/11/2011 12:24:38 AM

thinking about starting this next week, but i don't necessarily want to ditch my current routine. do any of you supplement p90x with other workouts?

2/21/2011 9:24:02 PM

It depends on what you mean by "supplement". IMO, you should not do any strength training outside of the P90X routine if you are following the weekly plan (ie 3 days of strength training per week). This gives your muscles time to repair, grow, and rebuild themselves.

This is my 3rd time through the program, however, and I find the "cardio and endurance" workouts to be kind of weak. So instead of doing Plyo or Kenpo, I substitute in either an Insanity workout or a distance run. Also, instead of doing the P90X ab routine every time, I substitute Insane Abs every other day.

But if you are talking about doing P90X as it is written, and then going to the gym to do some other workout, I would not recommend it.

2/21/2011 9:40:58 PM

Some combination of Insanity and P90X would be just about perfect, I can't stand Tony but Shaun T is incredibly motivating, really enjoy his attitude and enthusiasm.

2/21/2011 9:58:32 PM

So i've dabbled with P90X and do it casually w/ my gf at her place. however at my place i don't have any weights or bars so its sort of a hassle (lazy i know). So i've decided to give Insanity a shot. it doesnt require anything but yourself, most of the workouts are shorter, and i'm more interested in cardio/lean type stuff so maybe it'll fit the bill. I'll work in a random p90x w/ my gf for fun.

SOUNDS. GOOD.

2/21/2011 10:17:14 PM

FWIW you can get a 40 lb weight set at TJ Maxx for $24.99. It consists of 4 x 2.5 lb discs and 4 x 7.5 lb discs.

$0.62 per lb

They also have knock-off iron gym pull up bars for $12.99

2/22/2011 10:31:48 AM

Lost 30 lbs with P90x, going to try Insanity for a change and see what it can do.

2/22/2011 11:26:30 AM

I did Insanity and I was not a huge fan.

For one, it is hard - really hard. I love a challenge, but the people doing the videos can't even complete the workout without taking breaks, so that really says something. The toughest part though, IMO, was the constant toll the program took on your body, especially Month 2. I was in pretty good shape when I did the program, and I was always really tired and sore. Not in a good way either..... just basically exhausted.

I think the biggest downfall, for me at least, was the lack of return on investment. I did not see nearly the results I would have liked for the ass kicking I put on my body. I truly believe that, for an effective workout regimen, you must have moderate to heavy strength training 2-3 days a week. The small amount of strength training you do in Insanity is relegated to push-ups (ie your body weight), and it is often when you are so freaking tired that you really can't crank out very man push-ups with good form. So even though you do a shit-ton of cardio, you never really get that sustained fat burn after the workout that you would get if you were lifting weights too.

All that being said, I love Insanity as a supplement to P90X, or any lifting program for that matter. You really won't find a workout that challenges your cardiovascular system more than the Insanity workouts, and doing 2-3 a week (mixed with lifting) is a great filler when Plyo and Kenpo become too easy. (As a note I still do the Yoga on P90X... I think that is very important).

2/22/2011 11:47:47 AM

man I'm really hating the Yoga on P90X. it's so goddamn long.

2/22/2011 12:23:58 PM

I've just been accumulating free weights on craigslist the past couple of weeks. I got a set of 10s, 15s, 20s, 30s, and 35s for about $100 total. I bought a really nice yoga mat though because it was comfortable as hell. I only go above 35s when I am doing chest or shoulder press stuff at the gym. For some reason my back is really weak and I can't pull much weight.

I am going to have to do yoga tomorrow becuase my quads are still gone from plyo. It is no fun to spend an hour and a half barely being able to do a workout because you are too sore and I really want to nail the form in yoga. I really hope my quads get in better shape fast.

2/22/2011 12:33:59 PM

I was in such bad shape several years ago when I started trying out p90x, that after doing the core and abs workout just to try it out, I couldn't even stand up straight for a day or two because the area connecting my thighs and hips was so tight and sore

2/22/2011 1:46:36 PM

So i've been doing P90X for about three weeks now. Given a somewhat unpredictable schedule with a 3 year old, a wife who works 90 hours a week in constantly changing shifts, I end up taking about 9 days to get through an entire week of workouts.

Also, I'm doing the lean program given that I want to trim down a little more than anything.

Given that i'm not able to consistently do the workouts in consecutive days, how much does this affect progress.


I can definitely notice some changes. While I've only lost a couple of pounds, I can see more definition, and my pants are definitely looser. I'm assuming that i'm adding some lean mass while losing some fat, so that's why the weight number is not quite as pronounced.

2/22/2011 1:50:38 PM