P90X is a very intense workout regimen hosted by Tony Horton. With previous work out videos like Power 90 and the Power Half hour, Tony knows how to get you working. But this workout routine doesn’t go over the basics, and can be a little intense for beginners. It should not be taken lightly.
As soon as P90X is delivered to your door, it’s intimidating. The box contains more that 12 DVDs, a nutrition planner, the daily planner, and your record sheet. All of these seem a bit confusing and I honestly Had to focus on about half of them at first. I completely ignored the nutrition guide, set the records booklet off to the side, and then read through the workout planner. Then of course, I skimmed through the work out videos and thought “this is more than I bargained for.” Now I’ve finally picked up the nutrition guide and started recording my workouts.
I’d just like to mention that I have been doing P90X for five weeks so far. I’m not an expert or a body builder, I’d consider myself in league with the average at home user of P90X. These tips are all learned from my personal experience.
Tip 1: Have a workout buddy. My boyfriend and I workout together, so we stay more motivated to stick with it. We never compete, and P90X is very clear on the point of only doing YOUR best and not competing. Simply working out next to someone who can laugh and grunt and sweat with you helps your morale a lot.
Tip 2: Don’t eat less than an hour before hand. Not only am I not a P90X expert, this is the first workout series I’ve ever done, so there are some basic things I am just discovering. Eating right before working out can make you cramp up or even get sick, and it’s not fun.
Tip 3: Get protein! This was a big one that I discovered quickly. I didn’t go for the upgrade of vitamins or the “recovery drink” when I bought the system. But after doing a little research during week 2, I discovered that I was probably feeling horribly burnt out because I was depriving my body. I suggest a muscle milk drink that has high protein and vitamin content. Mix it up right before you work out, put it in the fridge, and then drink it right afterward. I now find myself looking forward to my “shake” as a reward for my workouts.
Tip 4: Drink lots of water. You need to at least have a cup the hour before, then a bottle to sip on while you workout, and a cup afterward. It’s impossible for me to even describe the complete difference it makes on your workout and how you feel afterward.
Tip 5: Set up your area accordingly. All of the videos require some space, and some (such as Plyometrics) require a lot more space. So move the coffee table, chairs or couches out of the way and clear ample floor space. Also have weights and/or bands to the side ready to go. I normally set two towels and my water on the side as well. One towel for padding, and the other for sweat.
Tip 6: Follow along as much as you can and work up. I was really horrified to discover how out of shape I was during my first week of P90X. I was sore every day, out of breath for most of the videos, and still could only keep up with half of the reps for each exercise! It wasn’t until the start of my fifth week that I was finally able to keep up with an entire workout and felt great about it.
I am still sore many days, but not giving up is very important. 12 weeks is not a long investment of my life if it means I can wear swimsuits with pride and enjoy my life more. If you’ve bought the system or are thinking about it, give it your all and stick with it even when it seems impossible.
