I did
it! I completed 90 days of P90X! I've started P90X several times in the past
year or two but so many things stopped me.
It seemed like either someone in my family was sick (read: sleep
depreviaton) or I was sick or my youngest son was waking up at 4:45am! This year however, I got serious.
I have always been active. I would go running during the week and go to
the YMCA with my family on Saturday mornings to lift weights or swim. The problem was that I wasn't seeing any
improvements. I needed to mix up my
workout routine. That is when I decided
I had to give P90X another try.
In January (NOT January 1st), I started P90X once
again. This time I was prepared -- I
bought my youngest son a wake up time/sleep time clock -- yellow for wake up
time and blue for sleep time and it works!
He sleeps in later so
mommy can work out! I had the occasional
set back such as a few sick days but I didn't let one or two missed days stop me. I just moved on and made up the day if I
could later in the week. This kept me
motivated and rather
than disappointed.
Overview
P90X is
an "Extreme Home Fitness" program designed by Tony Horton and
Beachbody. If you are serious about
getting in shape, this is a great tool.
There are a few "programs" to choose from -- Classic, Doubles
and Lean. I opted for the Lean program
because I wanted a workout that developed strength and muscle but also included
a few more cardio workouts. Don't get me
wrong, the Lean program doesn't mean easy.
It is geared more toward getting lean rather than building big
muscles.
What I
really like about P90X is that there are different workouts each day. It mixes it up so it’s not the same thing
over and over again. Tony Horton calls
this concept “muscle confusion" but I call it “boredom prevention!” There are 12 DVDs in the P90X program, each
with a different workout. Most are
between 50-60 minutes long except YogaX, which is 90 minutes and Ab Ripper,
which is 15 minutes. There are DVDs
that focus on strength training; targeting parts of the body on different days,
e.g., chest and back; shoulders and arms; legs and back; chest, shoulders and
triceps; and back and biceps. Then there
are the cardio DVDs, e.g., KenpoX (kickboxing), CardioX, and Plyometrics (jumping). In addition, there is YogaX, Ab Ripper, Core
Synergistics and Stretching. Not all of
these were used in the Lean program, e.g., Plyo is not used (but I must say it
is a great work out).
I also
like that P90X is broken into 3 phases, each 4 weeks. The 3 phases are:
Phase 1
- The Adaptive Phase. This is where you
learn the moves.
Phase 2
- The Mastery Phase - This is where you work on perfecting your form.
Phase 3
- The Recovery Phase - This is where you really "Bring It!"
Each phase also has three weeks "on" and 1 week of "recovery" but that doesn't mean rest. The first three weeks are the mixture of core, strength training, yoga and cardio. The recovery week is basically cardio, yoga, core and stretching. This routine is good for your body and it is good for your mind since, once again, it mixes things up.
Do you
need special equipment to do P90X? You either need some dumbbells or a set of resistance bands. If you
plan to do pull ups the
P90X chin-up bar is also useful. I also found that it was good to have some cushioning
on the floor -- we have a foam mat under the rug in the basement where I work
out.
P90X is
a great program and I highly recommend it. However, it might not be for
everyone. It is not for true beginners
and it is not for anyone not willing to put in the time and effort. The workouts are 6 days a week with the
option of a 50+ minute stretch routine on the 7th day (I mostly opted for a
rest day rather than doing the stretch DVD).
I should also say that it is not just for athletes either. If you can't do all of the exercises, do what
you can. For example, I can't do
pull-ups so I don't do them but I do the alternate move (pull downs)
instead. Tony offers alternate moves for
people who need modifications. I have to
admit, the Dreya-roll is a move I just can't seem to get so I skip it most of
the time. I am not advising you to skip
all the moves you hate but if you can't do it, don't get hung up on it...move
on. I will also admit I didn't do the ab
workout as often as I should have and because of that I don't have 6 pack abs,
as my 7 year old son likes to point out.
However, I did take a few inches off my waist!
Nutrition
I think
one of the reasons I saw good results is that I used the nutritional
guide. I will be honest. I didn't following it perfectly. I did indulge in some wine and a few sweets
or snacks, after all, I was doing this program on my birthday, my husband’s
birthday and my youngest son’s 3rd birthday – I ate birthday cake. I'm sure if I didn't indulge as much my
results would have been great!
Here are
some things you should know. The P90X nutrition program has
three phases. The first is the Fat
Shredder, which is high protein, low carb.
I stayed in this phase for the phase one of the work out. You have to listen to your body. Some need to
stay in it longer and some need to move on earlier. The
second phase is called 'Energy Booster' phase this is still higher protein but it
introduces more carbs and it
is a good balance, I think, for this workout. Phase 3 is the
Endurance Maximizer. I did not go to
phase 3. I think it is better suited for
athletes.
No
matter what, you’ll be
eating a lot of protein. In
fact, I had some form of protein (veggie protein is acceptable) with almost
every meal. Lean protein helps you stay in fat-burning
mode longer, is needed by your body when you do strenuous weight training and
help you curb hunger. Phase 1 was hard
because it limited carbs to 1 serving.
Phase 2 allowed 2 carbs. I love carbs but I was actually ok with the 2
servings since, as an example, 1 cup of brown rice was a serving. I'd sometimes split my carb serving by having
a smaller bowl of oatmeal in the morning (if it wasn't a Shakeology day) so
that I could have some carbs at lunch and at dinner.
I should
point out that the P90X
nutrition program requires you to eliminate all types of white bread, regular pasta, white rice, etc. Instead, replace them with whole grains such as brown
rice, whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta. For the most part I did
this since I almost always cook with whole grains.
During
the past 90 days, I was never really hungry.
My food gave me enough fuel to effectively work out. I had delicious meals (hey, I’m a good cook)
and I was able to eat healthy snacks.
What more could you ask for??
Weight:
lost 12 pounds
Waist:
lost 2.5 inches
Hips:
lost 4.5 inches (yippee!)
Chest:
lost 2 inches
Arms: no
change, but I have more definition
Legs:
lost 1.5 inches (each leg)
I regret
not buying a body fat caliper. I would have
loved to see that change!
If you
are interested in P90X, let me know. It
was a great program if you stick with it.
I’m here to help you stick with it and achieve your fitness goals. www.beachbodycoach.com/katsquest
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