I remember the first time I saw Beachbody’s P90X infomercial in January 2010. I had never heard of the program before, but it caught me at a good time, as I was looking to get back in shape, and this at-home program seemed to be a perfect fit for what I wanted. Within a few months I had pulled the trigger and begun the program. A year and a half later, I have attempted the program four times, and have made it through twice. Here are the ups and downs of the program, and how you can find success with it.
The Ups:
To be sure, the program is extremely well developed. It hits every muscle group during the weight training and has a great balance of cardiovascular health as well. There are 3 sections to the program, separated by what is called a recovery week of different routines to allow your body to rest from the hardcore weight lifting. By switching up the workups regularly, your body never has a chance to get into a training rut (known as muscle confusion). That being said, for the most part, you will be doing the same cardio workouts throughout the entire 90 days, with only the weight training days getting switched up, so there is some consistency to the program.
The workouts move quickly and having a coach (Tony Horton) in your home keeps you on track. Additionally, there is little equipment that is needed to get started in your home. The program is heavy on pull-ups, push-ups, exercises requiring relatively low weights, and home cardio. It also incorporates yoga and a stretching video, two aspects of fitness that many weight lifters ignore.
Finally, the program spells out a dietary program for the user as well. It provides recipes for every meal, and ideas for meals outside of the program if the user is not interested in following those recipes. Ultimately, it simply encourages you to follow the dietary mix of protein-carbs-fats that change each phase. It truly does spell out everything for someone who has never considered eating healthy before.
The Downs:
As I mentioned, I have attempted P90X four times. I made it through 2 of 3 phases (a little less than 60 days) the first two times I attempted it. The first week of the program is incredibly tough, and you will be extremely sore, but I was still had more energy from starting back at physical activity than I had from my sedentary lifestyle. I felt great at the end of phase 1 (week 4), and then week 5 was again a tough week, filled with soreness (as the program is designed to be), though I expected the next several weeks to get easier. To my surprise, they did not, and by the end of the 8th week, I was exhausted and fizzled out early in phase 3.
There are two things that led to my loss of energy and motivation going into the 3rd phase. The first was that I was trying to cut my calories too much in an attempt to lose weight, which was a main goal of mine. I simply didn’t have enough fuel to keep going. The second is the amount of time needed to dedicate to the program. Each day was requiring anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes of intense exercise. It is not a program that you can casually slip in after work without consciously blocking off the time, which is difficult to do 90 straight days.
How I Made It To Day 90:
The third time I started P90X, I was determined to make it through. I started by committing to working out in the morning instead of trying to fit it in after work, even if it meant having to go to bed earlier in the evening. I still was able to do some social activities after work, but ended up having to skip tv watching later in the evening. I also decided not to focus on weight loss, but instead focused on making it through each workout and keeping to a healthy, balanced diet with adequate calories. Additionally, I committed to doing the full yoga and stretch workouts, which were not as interesting to me because they were areas I struggled in.
My results: I was able to lose 32 lbs during the 90 days, and maintain the energy needed to finish each workout well. Additionally, I gained about 8 inches of flexibility in my hamstrings, finally able to touch my toes again for the first time in years. I still found that weeks 6 and 7 were difficult, but not so much so that I was unable to begin phase 3. After taking a month off after completing it the 1st time, I did it a second time, recently finishing again.
My Advice:
P90X is a great program, but it is not a program that can be completed without a strong commitment of 3 months. You will lose weight naturally on the program, but if you are too focused on weight loss, you will not be able to finish, because you DO need enough calories to make it through the program. The routines are good enough that you can do them outside of the structure of the program, which is a good option for someone who cannot commit to an hour or more the entire 90 days. Ultimately, you need to evaluate what your goals are and what your commitment level is before making the investment in this program.
