Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler P90x fitness - done it or know anyone who has?

I've been getting back into trying to stay in shape again since the baby madness has settled down in our house and am looking for something new.

I happened to get a hold of a copy of this routine (P90x fitness) from a friend to review and have to say it looks intriguing (though not at all for the faint of heart). Anyone around here done this, or know anyone who has?

Jason

I see the infomercial everytime we visit the inlaws on their DirectTV. In fact just saw it again. I'm sure it works just like any fitness/eating right program, the problem most people don't follow through for more than a few weeks.

I have it and it is just a high rep routine, ie. chinups for 1 minute or as many as you can, followed by another set of chins then moving on to bent over rows with dumbells for another 2 sets of 1 minute intervals etc and this goes on for 1 hour including a pretty good warm up and cool down. It has lots of variation built in, good for those that are not willing to think of their own routines or need something to push for. As the saying goes you get out of it what you put into it, give it a try you have nothing to lose.

I have 3 coworkers who have tried it. One stopped after a few weeks as Randy says. The other 2 did the program at which point one of them stopped and has since lost what he accomplished. The other adapted to a less intensive program and has stayed in pretty good shape since then.

As Jason says if you need focus and/or pushing to higher intensity levels and lack a workout partner then something like this can work. Since it’s high rep low weight it would probably also work as a primer to get you foundation for heavier things if you wished or to cut up if to big. Personally I think most people get more out of putting the time into developing their own fitness programs that are sustainable.

I liken this type of program to crash dieting. Physical fitness like good nutrition is a lifestyle so while you may make substantial gains quickly most people are likely to loose them because they didn’t during that time adopt sustainable healthy habits. No reason not to try it out if you already have it but you should make a point to develop a sustainable program along the way.

My take anyway.

Cheers,
Dean

Thanks guys. I'm already in decent shape and am fairly careful about what I eat, so really I'm just looking for some new exercises to try to keep my workouts interesting. I put on about 8 lbs of "baby weight" between the time the baby was born and now, so I'm not trying to set world records, just getting back to fighting my weight.

Since I do most of my working out at home, I'm curious to see all of what they put together in their workout routines.

I'm not sure if I'll go whole hog for 90 days (unlikely), but I might give one or two of the workouts a try. They look like a$$ kickers.

Thanks for the info.

Jason

Haven't tried this. But I did notice a plyometrics DVD. From past experience, that's a session that you want to have with a trainer. There's a few plyo exercises that can really hurt you if you don't do them correctly and in moderation.

If you're a cyclist or want to be one, the Spinerval series are great. I've done the first few and they are great workouts. It does require you to have a trainer to put on your bike, I got one on craigslist for $100. It's similar to having a spin class at home.

CrossFit

Looking for a workout program? Go to the above. Do the workout of the day everyday (the include rest days). Three days on, one day off. Scaled down versions are included here, as the main page ones are for fitness beasts.

Thanks for the link Craig. I've bookmarked it to take a look at in more detail.

Jason

I've read a little about crossfit before. The wife and I were going to try to do it together but coudn't find a group to fit our schedule. We have Club One gym at work and I was going to use our in-house trainer but he wasn't trained on crossfit.

I'm still interested in doing it though. I get bored easily and prefer shorter, more intense workouts. Hence why I like cyclocross. And I'm amazed at what some of the elite crossfitters can do. There was an article in Men's Journal a few months back about a 70+ yr old guy that taught in So Cal. He surfs with Laird Hamilton. Nuff said.

The only downside to CrossFit for me is that I work out at home and don't have the garage space they advocate for a "proper" home gym with all of the recommended equipment.

At some point I hope to have room for a dedicated gym in the house, but for now, I'm squatting in an extra bedroom that is destined to be a kid's room before too long.

Jason