P90X...who's tried it?

[GAME05]

i've been away from weightlifting for maybe six months now and am getting back in it. you guys are getting me excited about it again.

 

looking back to last time i was lifting and on a stricter meal schedule, i'm sure glad i did the research myself and didn't just jump to what i was told to do by a video. now i've got the knowledge for my own, plus i still have the habit whenever i pick up food at the grocery to look on the label for the nutrition (or lack of) information. and since any change in regular diet can be difficult to adjust to, i always allowed one day a week that i wouldn't really stick to it, have that ice cream or the chicken wings when i'd go out with friends.

 

i also thought it was fun to research and design my own workout program. i've never taken to plans from other people. i gave myself a 6-day schedule with an extra open day in there for whenever i wanted to take a day off (like laundry day).

 

a motivation suggestion i have is to take measurements of yourself every couple of months like bodyfat%. it was a huge motivation for me that maybe i wasn't seeing the progress in the mirror, but the numbers were telling me that what i was doing was really helping.

 

i'm starting a boxing regimine next week. i've got two different pairs of dumbbells at home and will buy a simple bench. for about $150 and some knowledge about exercises, that's really all the equipment you need for a full and complete workout. if you don't have the knowledge about different exercises, i would say look some up online or invest in a couple workout sessions with a trainer, tell him to show you a lot of different stuff, then just duplicate those on your own.

 

it's going to be a challenge this time to build strength and muscle for boxing yet trim up some (i've probably plumped to 16% bf by now). i think i'm going to have to go heavy on the protein yet stay low on the calories.

[PlayerHader]

Just got done with day 2, the plyometrics. This is demanding. I had to pause it a couple times to catch my wind and definitely took some breaks during the different moves to get something back in my legs. I thought back and chest was tough, but plyos might just have been worse. Harder to pace yourself without missing out on moves.

[olliegjw]

My wife and I just started the program last night. Pretty sore this morning. I am excited to do the plyometrics this evening. I believe the toughest part of the program will be the diet, since I am a very picky eater.

[thebruce44]

One thing that hasn't been said in this thread (among a ton of other great advise) is that what works for me may not work for you. Some general guidelines have been posted, but everyone's genetics are different.

 

Also, some have said to eat less and you will lose weight. Remember, your maintenance calories are affected by your metabolism and the amount of energy you expend during the day. So you could potentially eat the same amount you have in the past, but lose weight by just working out. If you eat less and work out though you are going to get much better results.

 

Anyway, some rambling here but I hope it helps someone. As others have said, I could post on here for a while from things I have learned. Of course, I know next to nothing compared to some out there.

[GAME05]

definitely the "just eat less" advice is mostly worthless, since that just leaves you hungry and you end up snacking on crap foods. although it's amazing what drinking a glass of water before a meal and switching out a portion of meat for a vegetable will do for you. even dropping 200 calories from your diet won't show up much in the sort-term, but over the long haul it will make a world of difference.

[thebruce44]

definitely the "just eat less" advice is mostly worthless, since that just leaves you hungry and you end up snacking on crap foods. although it's amazing what drinking a glass of water before a meal and switching out a portion of meat for a vegetable will do for you.

As an example of how everyone find success differently, I actually do better switching out a portion of vegetables for meat. Or even better if its carbs for meat.

 

Anyway, instead of the eat less advice, I think what most here are trying to say is burn more calories than you take in. That is the general rule for sure. Next, you can start looking at how those calories are divided up among protein/carbs/fats for your individual goals. I will just say that I don't think its a good idea to just try to lose weight. If you maintain or add muscle while losing fat, it will keep your metabolism up. If you just lose weight, eventually it will get harder and harder to drop pounds.

[NievesNoNO]

I have also been wondering about P90X. Thanks to all who posted who've used it. I didnt' want to spend the money for a pull up bar that I wasn't sure would work anyway in our small house or for the adjustable weights. I went with Insanity instead as you just need yourself and a DVD player.

 

I've been trying to work my way back into shape after a few years of not caring. I few years back I had done the Body for Life program which also is big on many small meals throughout the day making sure to get protien and carbs in each and drinking plenty of water. For those who haven't eaten that way before, it does take some getting used to but you can really crank up your metabolism.

 

I've never been one to be on a strict calorie counting diet, but I can see where that's the way to go if you want to be sure to get results. In fact I may go that route as I haven't been seeing the results I've been looking for. I usually just use portion size to monitor my eating. I have read alot of nutrition labels though so I have a fair idea of how many calories are in what.

[PlayerHader]

I was a P90X failure my first time through (take a look at the author of this thread). I made it through a couple of weeks, but I started at a bad time and eventually that became my excuse for stopping. I'm looking to get back into it. I'm not concerned about the workouts. I know how tough they are and I'll need to ease into them the first week.

 

Nutrition. I don't cook, but I currently have plenty of time to start getting decent at it. I want to make a run the grocery store tonight. Throw out some basic food ideas that you recommend keeping around the house. I'll get chicken breasts and eggs for sure, but what are some things that I wouldn't normally think of. Include snack foods, as well.

 

THANKS!

[olliegjw]

I was a P90X failure my first time through (take a look at the author of this thread). I made it through a couple of weeks, but I started at a bad time and eventually that became my excuse for stopping. I'm looking to get back into it. I'm not concerned about the workouts. I know how tough they are and I'll need to ease into them the first week.

 

Nutrition. I don't cook, but I currently have plenty of time to start getting decent at it. I want to make a run the grocery store tonight. Throw out some basic food ideas that you recommend keeping around the house. I'll get chicken breasts and eggs for sure, but what are some things that I wouldn't normally think of. Include snack foods, as well.

 

THANKS!

Apples, bananas, peanuts (other nuts can be good also), string cheese (made with skim milk), oatmeal.

 

If you have the P90x nutrition guide, that could be a good starting point, even if you don't follow that plan.

 

 

[hurricanecrush]

I forget what they call it but I like using the modular approach to eating that they offer. You quickly learn that 3 oz. of lean meat is a protein serving and 100 calories of veggies is a veggie serving, etc. Once you get the hang of it, you can somewhat figure things out even if you have to go out to lunch for work. I created a cheat sheet for myself in Excel that looks like the example in the nutrition book (8 days per page)... I just keep this in my back pocket and mark as I eat a unit. I like to code the squares with a B, for breakfast, MS for morning snack, L for lunch, etc. You don't have to do that but I like to, so I can see how I'm spreading my eating out throughout the day. Once you've done this for a week, it gets really easy.

 

I would get a lot of veggies and meats. During phase one, you eat more proteins and veggies than anything else. I always had shaved/sliced turkey and baby carrots in the house... they were always good for a quick snack. Also, the skim string cheese is a quick, convenient snack. I buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cook 2-3 lbs. of them on Sunday and eat them throughout the week... you can eat them plain, throw a little bbq sauce on them, cut them up and throw them in a salad, etc. I always have snack sized bags of protein powder and a shaker on my desk at work for a quick mid morning or afternoon snack. I keep carrots and small V8 cans in the fridge at work for snacks. I also have a box of protein bars at home and work (Pure Protein, peanut butter flavor and I get them at WalMart for $6 for a box of 6).

 

For going out at lunch, I like to hit Subway. I get the footlong chicken ($5) and have it with spinach, jalapenos, black olives, onions and yellow mustard. I eat half at lunch and the other half as mi afternoon snack at 3-3:30.

 

The key IMO is to have simple, healthy snacks always available. I sometimes get in a rut and eat the same things for a while but it is easy and I'm never hungry. I find that if I'm unprepared, I will end up eating like crap.

[John Brew]

Thought I'd rekindle this thread to report. I started the 'Lean' version of P90X on Feb 1 and finished yesterday. I lost 18 pounds and feel incredible. I didn't do all of the measurements prior to starting other than stepping on the scale, but I've 'gained' 2 whole notches on my belt. I've been getting a lot of compliments.

 

I decided to start with the lean version as it seemed slightly less intense. I wanted to shed some weight and I wanted to finish the program, not get burned out and quit halfway through. The eating part wasn't too difficult for me. I followed their guidelines fairly strictly at first, but it really wasn't that different than what my wife and I already try to do (she's a registered dietitian so that helps). But I did eat better throughout -- no soda, pizza only twice, drastically less chips and mindful of portion sizes. I drank less beer and only on weekends (or at Brewer games).

 

The most difficult aspect for me was the time commitment. A lot of nights I wouldn't start working out until 9 or later which was tough, but I plowed through. I printed out a calendar just for this and x'ing off each day in blue sharpie was so fun. It's amazing to think back to when I started, and how I couldn't get through all of the workouts, whereas at the end I felt strong pretty much throughout. I'm able to get through everything on Ab Ripper which made me want to puke the first month. Saturday I helped my Grandma move and everyone else was dropping like flies, I was going strong all day and came home and did Yoga X.

 

Now of course I have to keep the momentum going. I'm pretty active in the summer with biking, tennis, and jogging, but I'll definitely mix in a few of these workouts each week. Then I'd like to start the classic version of this in late summer or fall. And continue to eat smart.

 

Just wanted to give some encouragement to anyone that might be doing it, or thinking about it. Thanks for letting me brag a little :-)

[olliegjw]

Well done, John Brew!!! My wife and I are just finishing week 11 of the classic version. So far, I have lost about 23 pounds, and have so much more energy. While I haven't had the best diet, it has been much better than before the workouts. The hardest part was giving up caffeine. I can't wait to start playing softball, and see the results on the field.

 

You are right about the time commitment. The day of rest built into the program helps. If there was a day we were too busy, we would just push everything back a day, and skip the scheduled day of rest.

 

We will definitely be doing another round or two once the summer ends.

[RayKingsForemanGrill]

I bought it a month ago... and haven't done it yet. But your success make me realize I need to jump into it...

[dannyjnoonan]

Everyone has different ideas of fitness. I'd say that running a calorie deficit will work, but it's not the simple equation some people have described. I think cutting carbs and eating "real food" is more important. It's all about insulin.

 

Never tried p90X but I've been doing CrossFit for like 4 years, and p90X is basically CrossFit in a box, minus the heavy lifting. My understanding is that it works great, but is time consuming and gets boring as you start cycling through it again and again. We have a ton of people come to the CrossFit gym that have done p90X and just needed to mix it up a bit. It's not perfect, but it's probably a good investment, at least for a while.

[owbc]

For anyone interested in trying P90X without spending $140, someone has posted most of the videos on Youtube. They probably will get taken down eventually, but it is useful to see the various exercises. I have been mixing a few into my running routine--they are insanely intense but you improve quickly.

[razzzorsharp]

My thoughts...

 

I bought some DVDs on Ebay for 36 dollars shipped from China. Knockoffs for sure, but they look and sound great. Anyway, it is tough and I was sore for the first week. I started late March and have dropped 18 pounds. Now to be fair, I was and still am fat (269 to start) so the pounds did fall off easily but it was and still is a tough workout. I did start to eat a little better as well. Anyway, the gist of what I am saying is do not be turned off by the intensity of the whole program and even fat guys can do it but with modifications (I can't do the one armed pushups or clappers without being on my knees).

 

It is a time commitment however so keep that in mind. Also, I couldn't do the Yoga as I am not flexible enough so I do 45 minutes on our elliptical instead.

[PlayerHader]

I just started week 7 yesterday. I'm basically right in the middle and have seen pretty impressive results already. I'm down around 12-15 pounds but my upper body has been completely reshaped already. Bulging shoulders and triceps, toned biceps, higher and more broad throughout the chest and visible traps. My legs appear muscular as well now, rather than just thick.

 

I've hit some rough patches lately when it comes to motivation (missed a couple of workouts last week, diet has been slipping but is still far better than when I began), but the visible results help me work through that. At 5'8" I've gone from 220+ to ~208 but I've lost inches from my waist. Pants are getting too loose and shirts are getting snug around the shoulders and chest rather than the belly. I have plenty of stomach fat to lose yet, but if I get to around 190-195 by the end of the program I imagine I'll look pretty damn tough.

 

I didn't mention my cardiovascular condition yet. I really could see the improvements in this area in a matter of a week or two. Your legs strengthen as your heart and lungs do and you feel like a new person pretty quickly. As someone mentioned above, I am pumped for softball to start up!

 

I'd definitely vouch for it.

[Invader3K]

How do you guys feel P90X compares to traditional progressive weight training. Any of you tried both?

[rluzinski]

As a New Year's resolution, decided to lose some weight. Started at 6'0", 220. I'm now 180. I used the Weight Watchers method of tracking my diet, which really isn't anything special. You just keep track of calories, fat and dietary fiber. I made a spreadsheet in google docs if anyone is interested.

 

Anyway, just eating right, walking, pushups and pullups. I'm sure I'm not in great cardio shape but I feel much better.