P90X - Anyone try this? (4 Viewers)

[wilked]

I stick with the 3 hr before bed rule. It works since you tend to not eat well, when you eat that late. It helps to build the good habit. I agree on a strict timing basis, it probably doesn't do much.

I just set myself up for the week. Made a big veg soup (basically this http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-deta...p?recipe=752087 ), made salads for the week (for lunch, with chicken, one egg per salad, no dressing), made a spinach scrambler for breakfast a couple times this week, frozen berries / soy milk / protein shakes the other breakfasts. Had a tuna steak with quinoa and veggies for dinner.

I think to do it reasonably you need to eat the same stuff a lot of the time (habits), but I enjoy what I eat and don't mind it

 

[Peiz]

So, I started this week and I have never been so sore in my life, I can't move my arms. That's must mean I'm doing something right though. Still it is a great feeling to get through any of the workouts, even if I do less than half the reps of the guys on the video.

One question, I like the sore feeling, but I'm having a lot of trouble with my hip flexors. Has anyone else gotten this when you first start? I'm thinking it's from all the lunging. If I sit for more than a couple minutes I have a really hard time walking until they get stretched out. Could this be more of a muscle strain than just soreness?

I just don't want to do anymore damage if it's actually an injury and not just soreness. I worked through it yesterday since I did chest and back so it wasn't an issue, but I don't think I could get through Plyometrics with this.

 

[trout]

So, I started this week and I have never been so sore in my life, I can't move my arms. That's must mean I'm doing something right though. Still it is a great feeling to get through any of the workouts, even if I do less than half the reps of the guys on the video. One question, I like the sore feeling, but I'm having a lot of trouble with my hip flexors. Has anyone else gotten this when you first start? I'm thinking it's from all the lunging. If I sit for more than a couple minutes I have a really hard time walking until they get stretched out. Could this be more of a muscle strain than just soreness?I just don't want to do anymore damage if it's actually an injury and not just soreness. I worked through it yesterday since I did chest and back so it wasn't an issue, but I don't think I could get through Plyometrics with this.

Hip flexors get real sore at the begining. The first few moves of Ab Ripper X are incredibly painful on the flexors. Like anything else it gets better.

 

[Daywalker]

Stict diet and intense workout?

Sounds like a craze with staying power.

 

[Peiz]

I didn't think about that, but it makes perfect sense. I couldn't do a lot of the ab ripper leg work yesterday so just tried to do what I could. My stomach has never hurt so much, a good hurt though. Hopefully, I'll get used to those moves after doing it for while.

 

[BroadwayG]

Ya know, after actually making a concerted effort on Yoga days, it's actually starting to grow on me a bit.

to Peiz. I feel your pain man.

 

[trout]

Ya know, after actually making a concerted effort on Yoga days, it's actually starting to grow on me a bit. to Peiz. I feel your pain man.

Yoga isn't really THAT bad...it's just so long. I workout in the a.m. before work and can't fit the Yoga workout in. I tried switching yoga to the weekend, but even then I've been too busy to squeeze in 1.5hr workout. Maybe now that Fall is kicking in, I'll be able to convince myself to do yoga on Sat or something.

 

[madshot31]

Ya know, after actually making a concerted effort on Yoga days, it's actually starting to grow on me a bit. to Peiz. I feel your pain man.

Yoga isn't really THAT bad...it's just so long. I workout in the a.m. before work and can't fit the Yoga workout in. I tried switching yoga to the weekend, but even then I've been too busy to squeeze in 1.5hr workout. Maybe now that Fall is kicking in, I'll be able to convince myself to do yoga on Sat or something.

I have bypassed yoga days for an extra cardio day in weeks 2-4, but I just ordered the 45 minute yoga routine. So, next week or the week after I'll be phasing it back in. I enjoy it, it's I just can't spend 1.5 hours in my room doing yoga, maybe at a actually studio with other people, but not at my place.

 

[Chaka]

Ya know, after actually making a concerted effort on Yoga days, it's actually starting to grow on me a bit. to Peiz. I feel your pain man.

Yoga isn't really THAT bad...it's just so long. I workout in the a.m. before work and can't fit the Yoga workout in. I tried switching yoga to the weekend, but even then I've been too busy to squeeze in 1.5hr workout. Maybe now that Fall is kicking in, I'll be able to convince myself to do yoga on Sat or something.

I have bypassed yoga days for an extra cardio day in weeks 2-4, but I just ordered the 45 minute yoga routine. So, next week or the week after I'll be phasing it back in. I enjoy it, it's I just can't spend 1.5 hours in my room doing yoga, maybe at a actually studio with other people, but not at my place.

Really the initial routine and maybe some of the balancing is all you need. It definitely drags through the last 20-25 minutes though.

 

[Chaka]

Someone tell me to get off my fat ### and Bring It today. I am just really not in the mood.

 

[Chaka]

Someone tell me to get off my fat ### and Bring It today. I am just really not in the mood.

No one?#### you Jobu. I do it myself!

 

[Chaka]

Someone tell me to get off my fat ### and Bring It today. I am just really not in the mood.

No one?#### you Jobu. I do it myself!

Well...that sucked.But I love it.

 

[Bristol]

Just started Insanity. Man, is that intense! P90x is a piece of cake compared to that!

Anyone know of a good way to do P90X and Insanity together? Can I just replace the P90X cardio days with Insanity workouts?

 

[madshot31]

Just started Insanity. Man, is that intense! P90x is a piece of cake compared to that! Anyone know of a good way to do P90X and Insanity together? Can I just replace the P90X cardio days with Insanity workouts?

Basically. Also, you have to decide if you want to do yoga or another cardio routine. There are schedules that people have made out there on the net, but make sure it works for you. Organize your days so you don't do specific Insanity routine after a similar P90x one, example is legs & back followed by max plyo.

 

[Chaka]

Just started Insanity. Man, is that intense! P90x is a piece of cake compared to that! Anyone know of a good way to do P90X and Insanity together? Can I just replace the P90X cardio days with Insanity workouts?

Google "P90X Insanity Hybrid"

 

[Peiz]

Ya know, after actually making a concerted effort on Yoga days, it's actually starting to grow on me a bit. to Peiz. I feel your pain man.

Yoga isn't really THAT bad...it's just so long. I workout in the a.m. before work and can't fit the Yoga workout in. I tried switching yoga to the weekend, but even then I've been too busy to squeeze in 1.5hr workout. Maybe now that Fall is kicking in, I'll be able to convince myself to do yoga on Sat or something.

Almost done with my first week, yesterday did Yoga and just got bored. I see the benefits, but like trout is saying, it just draggggggs. I got Kenpo tomorrow and then I start week 2 on Wednesday since my off day turned out to be Saturday.@trout - right on. Hip flexors are better now, and realize it was just from ab ripper. I'm slowly recovering from being about as sore as I ever have been in my life, but I love it!

 

[Ned]

Ya know, after actually making a concerted effort on Yoga days, it's actually starting to grow on me a bit. to Peiz. I feel your pain man.

Yoga isn't really THAT bad...it's just so long. I workout in the a.m. before work and can't fit the Yoga workout in. I tried switching yoga to the weekend, but even then I've been too busy to squeeze in 1.5hr workout. Maybe now that Fall is kicking in, I'll be able to convince myself to do yoga on Sat or something.

I have bypassed yoga days for an extra cardio day in weeks 2-4, but I just ordered the 45 minute yoga routine. So, next week or the week after I'll be phasing it back in. I enjoy it, it's I just can't spend 1.5 hours in my room doing yoga, maybe at a actually studio with other people, but not at my place.

Really the initial routine and maybe some of the balancing is all you need. It definitely drags through the last 20-25 minutes though.

I use the first 45mins or so of Yoga as a change of pace in my half marathon training right now and like it so much better than doing the full 1.5hrs.

 

[Random]

Anyone else using a heart rate monitor? If you do, could you post how many calories you're burning during plyo? Mine said 573. Wondering if this is normal/correct.

 

[Chaka]

Anyone else using a heart rate monitor? If you do, could you post how many calories you're burning during plyo? Mine said 573. Wondering if this is normal/correct.

There is no normal or correct. A lot of that number depends on the HRM itself and how it calculates your burn rate.My average heart rate for Plyo is 148 bpm (173 max) and I burn about 890 calories.

 

[madshot31]

Anyone else using a heart rate monitor? If you do, could you post how many calories you're burning during plyo? Mine said 573. Wondering if this is normal/correct.

I have used it once in P90X Plyo about a month ago. I don't remember the exact numbers but I was in the same ball park. Something like 525 calories, max heart of 165(wall squats), and average heart rate of 138. I'm 6'0" tall and at the time was around 164 pounds. My overall calculated max heart rate is 198. Just tossing in all my numbers so you get a better feel of what my numbers actually were.

 

[Random]

Yea, after posting this I did a quick google search and people were claiming burning anywhere from 300-1100 calories. I'm 5' 9.5" 149 lbs average hr was 159 max was 173. Thats just a boatload of calories for 45 minutes.

 

[Random]

Anyone else using a heart rate monitor? If you do, could you post how many calories you're burning during plyo? Mine said 573. Wondering if this is normal/correct.

I have used it once in P90X Plyo about a month ago. I don't remember the exact numbers but I was in the same ball park. Something like 525 calories, max heart of 165(wall squats), and average heart rate of 138. I'm 6'0" tall and at the time was around 164 pounds. My overall calculated max heart rate is 198. Just tossing in all my numbers so you get a better feel of what my numbers actually were.

Wall squats aren't plyo. They're in the legs routine. I think.

 

[madshot31]

Anyone else using a heart rate monitor? If you do, could you post how many calories you're burning during plyo? Mine said 573. Wondering if this is normal/correct.

I have used it once in P90X Plyo about a month ago. I don't remember the exact numbers but I was in the same ball park. Something like 525 calories, max heart of 165(wall squats), and average heart rate of 138. I'm 6'0" tall and at the time was around 164 pounds. My overall calculated max heart rate is 198. Just tossing in all my numbers so you get a better feel of what my numbers actually were.

Wall squats aren't plyo. They're in the legs routine. I think.

Very true. I was just thinking about the day that's harder for my legs. Legs and Back just slays my legs compared to Plyo. I haven't done the P90X Plyo in two weeks and can't remember its moves. I have burned 650-1000 calories in the Insanity Plyo/Max Plyo workouts but nothing even close to that in the P90X one. Too much down time to keep my heart rate up.

 

[Mr. Chumley]

I got p90 (not p90x) in the mail yesterday. I'm old and out of shape so I decided to start with p90. I havene't started yet but have a few questions for you guys?

Any one using the supplements or cheaper alernatives? I read where chocolate milk is acually the best recovery drink. Any suggestions for vitamis? What is shakeology?

Mine didn't come with bands, am I better off getting some weights? If so what size? I don't know what they will be used for yet.

While in theory I would like to follow the diet, I'm a realist, it just isn't going to happen. If I start eating sensibly and cutting calories and portion size should I still expect to see decent results?

I plan on starting in the next couple days. I'm waiting for my wife to get over being sick so she can start with me. Wish me luck.

 

[Random]

I got p90 (not p90x) in the mail yesterday. I'm old and out of shape so I decided to start with p90. I havene't started yet but have a few questions for you guys?Any one using the supplements or cheaper alernatives? I read where chocolate milk is acually the best recovery drink. Any suggestions for vitamis? What is shakeology?Mine didn't come with bands, am I better off getting some weights? If so what size? I don't know what they will be used for yet.While in theory I would like to follow the diet, I'm a realist, it just isn't going to happen. If I start eating sensibly and cutting calories and portion size should I still expect to see decent results?I plan on starting in the next couple days. I'm waiting for my wife to get over being sick so she can start with me. Wish me luck.

Welcome abroad! Sounds like you're taking a very reasonable approach. Supplements - I drink apple juice and walmart protein mix. Chocolate milk is fine too. I'm sure there's better stuff out there, but this will be fine. Recovery drink/vitamins wont make or break you.Shakeology - no clue without looking it upWeights - I think you'll be wayyyy better off in the long run getting adjustable weights. I cant say enough good things about the Bowflex Selectecs 552's. They just work. Been using mine for many months and have never had a weight slip, stick, or anything adverse happen with them. That said, bands are much cheaper and may be good to start with if you're not 100% certain you're going to see this through.Diet - Getting a good idea of what and how much you should be eating is key here. I'm not a calorie counter, but if you dont eat enough (of the right stuff) you wont make it through the workouts. Food is fuel. Eating too much is just as bad. Wife - How to put this politely..... I dont think this is a good idea. I would maybe invite her to join you during your workouts, but let her know you are going to do this 6 days a week for the next 90 days. You will undoubtedly fall behind here and there due to your schedule. You will fall behind twice as much if you're trying to work around two schedules. Just my opinion.Good luck!

 

[Chaka]

I got p90 (not p90x) in the mail yesterday. I'm old and out of shape so I decided to start with p90. I havene't started yet but have a few questions for you guys?

Any one using the supplements or cheaper alernatives? I read where chocolate milk is acually the best recovery drink. Any suggestions for vitamis? What is shakeology?

Mine didn't come with bands, am I better off getting some weights? If so what size? I don't know what they will be used for yet.

While in theory I would like to follow the diet, I'm a realist, it just isn't going to happen. If I start eating sensibly and cutting calories and portion size should I still expect to see decent results?

I plan on starting in the next couple days. I'm waiting for my wife to get over being sick so she can start with me. Wish me luck.

NOTE: I seriously started overproducing in this post. Apologies for being long winded.This is the route I took. P90 followed by P90M then P90X. It is working great. Far better than I could have hoped for.

I think most on this board know that I am not a fan of sugar and as such not a fan of chocolate milk because it typically has a high amount of added sugar (or HFCS). I like the Myoplex Original or the Myoplex Lite however these are not cheap so you can go with something like Chocolate milk, particularly during the P90, just see if you can find one without added sugar (I believe Nesquick makes a version of this).

That being said I would suggest not worrying too much about your diet during P90. The program consists of four total workouts (Sweat 1-2, Sweat 3-4, Sculpt 1-2 & Sculpt 3-4) you alternate between the two 1-2 workouts six days/week for the first six weeks then the 3-4 workouts for the second two weeks. The 3-4 workouts are pretty much identical to the 1-2 just with extra sets. It gets pretty monotonous. My feeling during this program is that really what you are trying to accomplish is making the workout part of your lifestyle (turning it into a habit). This will take a tremendous amount of dedication and focus. It can be pretty easy to derail your progress and I find that failing on diet for a day or two (or seven) is exactly the type of thing that causes a nascent program to fail. Just get the workout in. Tell yourself that if you: Eat a cheeseburger, fries & chocolate shake? Who cares? At least I got my workout in. Key lime pie ala mode for desert? Who cares? At least I got my workout in. Make your focus getting the workout in and at some point during the second or third month of P90 you will start to realize the workout has become a habit and the thought of missing it will leave an emptiness inside of you for that day (if you miss a day you might feel the need to stack two workouts in the next day to make up for it).

It's when you get to this point, where working out is habit and doesn't require motivation that you can turn your focus towards your diet. You will have a reserve of motivation that isn't being used and you will need that reserve to help you make lifestyle changes to your eating habits (which also should be done gradually over time). If you try to do both the workout and eating changes at the same time you create more points for potential failure. Realize that this takes time and is not a quick fix. I put it in my head that I am on an 18 month program (P90, P90M, P90X, P90X+, Insanity, TacFit) and P90 was only the beginning. It makes it easier to maintain focus if you have a long term goal.

A standard multivitamin and perhaps a calcium (w/mag & zinc) should be all you really need. You can start to add a fish oil supplement which are great for you but supplements can become very expensive.

Adjustable weights are great but they run around $300 (and you and wifey will both need a pair). I think in the beginning you can get by very well with a decent set of resistance bands. Not only are they generally sufficient for weight but the movements are more stable with them and you are less likely to injure yourself. Don't kill yourself with heavy resistance, just get the workout it. After you are done with P90 (at least the first six weeks if not the whole program) then you can decide if you want to move on to weights. But IMO adjustable weights are the way to go, unless you want to start building a home gym with a large footprint.

Tip of the day: JUST GET THE WORKOUT IN.

Good luck and welcome aboard. (and again, apologies for overproducing).

 

[trout]

I got p90 (not p90x) in the mail yesterday. I'm old and out of shape so I decided to start with p90. I havene't started yet but have a few questions for you guys?

Any one using the supplements or cheaper alernatives? I read where chocolate milk is acually the best recovery drink. Any suggestions for vitamis? What is shakeology?

Mine didn't come with bands, am I better off getting some weights? If so what size? I don't know what they will be used for yet.

While in theory I would like to follow the diet, I'm a realist, it just isn't going to happen. If I start eating sensibly and cutting calories and portion size should I still expect to see decent results?

I plan on starting in the next couple days. I'm waiting for my wife to get over being sick so she can start with me. Wish me luck.

NOTE: I seriously started overproducing in this post. Apologies for being long winded.This is the route I took. P90 followed by P90M then P90X. It is working great. Far better than I could have hoped for.

I think most on this board know that I am not a fan of sugar and as such not a fan of chocolate milk because it typically has a high amount of added sugar (or HFCS). I like the Myoplex Original or the Myoplex Lite however these are not cheap so you can go with something like Chocolate milk, particularly during the P90, just see if you can find one without added sugar (I believe Nesquick makes a version of this).

That being said I would suggest not worrying too much about your diet during P90. The program consists of four total workouts (Sweat 1-2, Sweat 3-4, Sculpt 1-2 & Sculpt 3-4) you alternate between the two 1-2 workouts six days/week for the first six weeks then the 3-4 workouts for the second two weeks. The 3-4 workouts are pretty much identical to the 1-2 just with extra sets. It gets pretty monotonous. My feeling during this program is that really what you are trying to accomplish is making the workout part of your lifestyle (turning it into a habit). This will take a tremendous amount of dedication and focus. It can be pretty easy to derail your progress and I find that failing on diet for a day or two (or seven) is exactly the type of thing that causes a nascent program to fail. Just get the workout in. Tell yourself that if you: Eat a cheeseburger, fries & chocolate shake? Who cares? At least I got my workout in. Key lime pie ala mode for desert? Who cares? At least I got my workout in. Make your focus getting the workout in and at some point during the second or third month of P90 you will start to realize the workout has become a habit and the thought of missing it will leave an emptiness inside of you for that day (if you miss a day you might feel the need to stack two workouts in the next day to make up for it).

It's when you get to this point, where working out is habit and doesn't require motivation that you can turn your focus towards your diet. You will have a reserve of motivation that isn't being used and you will need that reserve to help you make lifestyle changes to your eating habits (which also should be done gradually over time). If you try to do both the workout and eating changes at the same time you create more points for potential failure. Realize that this takes time and is not a quick fix. I put it in my head that I am on an 18 month program (P90, P90M, P90X, P90X+, Insanity, TacFit) and P90 was only the beginning. It makes it easier to maintain focus if you have a long term goal.

A standard multivitamin and perhaps a calcium (w/mag & zinc) should be all you really need. You can start to add a fish oil supplement which are great for you but supplements can become very expensive.

Adjustable weights are great but they run around $300 (and you and wifey will both need a pair). I think in the beginning you can get by very well with a decent set of resistance bands. Not only are they generally sufficient for weight but the movements are more stable with them and you are less likely to injure yourself. Don't kill yourself with heavy resistance, just get the workout it. After you are done with P90 (at least the first six weeks if not the whole program) then you can decide if you want to move on to weights. But IMO adjustable weights are the way to go, unless you want to start building a home gym with a large footprint.

Tip of the day: JUST GET THE WORKOUT IN.

Good luck and welcome aboard. (and again, apologies for overproducing).

Lots of good discussion in this thread, but I'm sorry Chaka this is bad advice.Might as well tell the guy to only plan on doing half the workout...a full workout will be too hard for an 'out of shape old guy', so let's be realists here and only do half the workout. would you suggest that to someone? I think you should approach the nutrition as you would the workouts...do your best. While i can agree little nutritional improvement is better than none; if someone is going to spend 6 days a week working out, why botch that up with poor eating? Now you might find that following the nutrition guide is too hard and you might have too many cheat days, but still...you should start out with the correct frame of mind and at least set youself up for success. Don't start out planning to fail on this aspect of P90X.

Just my

I'm not saying I follow the nutrition plan 100% (especially on weekends), but I try to. When I eat bad one day, the next day's workout always suffer. Good nutrition will make the workouts more effective.

 

[BlueDredSo]

Just bought P90X a few days ago. I've completed the fitness test, no problem. Now I just have to get the adjustable weights and probably a nice yoga mat before I actually start. Also trying to shape up my diet beforehand so I'm used to it and can get a good routine going. I'm hoping that reading through this entire thread will give me a lot of ideas and support, which it has already.

Now, I plan on doing this in my basement as I live in a duplex and there is a family with toddlers next door. There is absolutely no way I can do it anywhere else. Problem is, there are no normal doorways down there. However, I'm only about 160 lbs. and there is a pipe with great support that I can hang on easily, is comfortable, and I can do pull-ups on without a problem. I can't really ge my chin above the pipe as the ceiling is relatively low (might be a problem with the jumping around as well, but I'll figure that out), so I kinda lean back more and lift my chest to it. Seems to work just as good. It's either that, or I run up 2 flights of stairs to my bedroom where I can hang my pull-up bar in the doorway, which seems like way too much of a hassle, especially when I'm already winded.

I'm looking forward to these next 90 days or so. The low ceiling is still tall enough where I can jump without raising my arms and barely not hit my head on the ceiling...The pull-up pipe, we'll see how that goes.

Oh, and I also posted in another forum a while back about how I can't eat the why protein I have right now. It's GNC's 100% Pure. For whatever reason it gives me horrendous acid reflux. I'm going to look at buying a different brand and seeing how it goes. Also going to try more of a non-flavored one and mix it with juice or water. The chocolate flavored mixed with water isn't the greatest tasting. Any suggestions here would be appreciated. I know IsoPure has been highly recommended, but it's not cheap.

 

[Random]

Just bought P90X a few days ago. I've completed the fitness test, no problem. Now I just have to get the adjustable weights and probably a nice yoga mat before I actually start. Also trying to shape up my diet beforehand so I'm used to it and can get a good routine going. I'm hoping that reading through this entire thread will give me a lot of ideas and support, which it has already.Now, I plan on doing this in my basement as I live in a duplex and there is a family with toddlers next door. There is absolutely no way I can do it anywhere else. Problem is, there are no normal doorways down there. However, I'm only about 160 lbs. and there is a pipe with great support that I can hang on easily, is comfortable, and I can do pull-ups on without a problem. I can't really ge my chin above the pipe as the ceiling is relatively low (might be a problem with the jumping around as well, but I'll figure that out), so I kinda lean back more and lift my chest to it. Seems to work just as good. It's either that, or I run up 2 flights of stairs to my bedroom where I can hang my pull-up bar in the doorway, which seems like way too much of a hassle, especially when I'm already winded.I'm looking forward to these next 90 days or so. The low ceiling is still tall enough where I can jump without raising my arms and barely not hit my head on the ceiling...The pull-up pipe, we'll see how that goes.Oh, and I also posted in another forum a while back about how I can't eat the why protein I have right now. It's GNC's 100% Pure. For whatever reason it gives me horrendous acid reflux. I'm going to look at buying a different brand and seeing how it goes. Also going to try more of a non-flavored one and mix it with juice or water. The chocolate flavored mixed with water isn't the greatest tasting. Any suggestions here would be appreciated. I know IsoPure has been highly recommended, but it's not cheap.

Not sure I'd be doing pullups on a pipe in your basement. Its either gas, water, or sewage. None of which I'd want busting. Is the ceiling drop or drywall? Is there an unfinished ceiling anywhere down there? I'd find somewhere else to mount a pipe/pullup bar.And like I mentioned earlier, I drink apple juice and walmart vanilla protein mix. Love the taste.

 

[Mr. Chumley]

I got p90 (not p90x) in the mail yesterday. I'm old and out of shape so I decided to start with p90. I havene't started yet but have a few questions for you guys?

Any one using the supplements or cheaper alernatives? I read where chocolate milk is acually the best recovery drink. Any suggestions for vitamis? What is shakeology?

Mine didn't come with bands, am I better off getting some weights? If so what size? I don't know what they will be used for yet.

While in theory I would like to follow the diet, I'm a realist, it just isn't going to happen. If I start eating sensibly and cutting calories and portion size should I still expect to see decent results?

I plan on starting in the next couple days. I'm waiting for my wife to get over being sick so she can start with me. Wish me luck.

NOTE: I seriously started overproducing in this post. Apologies for being long winded.This is the route I took. P90 followed by P90M then P90X. It is working great. Far better than I could have hoped for.

I think most on this board know that I am not a fan of sugar and as such not a fan of chocolate milk because it typically has a high amount of added sugar (or HFCS). I like the Myoplex Original or the Myoplex Lite however these are not cheap so you can go with something like Chocolate milk, particularly during the P90, just see if you can find one without added sugar (I believe Nesquick makes a version of this).

That being said I would suggest not worrying too much about your diet during P90. The program consists of four total workouts (Sweat 1-2, Sweat 3-4, Sculpt 1-2 & Sculpt 3-4) you alternate between the two 1-2 workouts six days/week for the first six weeks then the 3-4 workouts for the second two weeks. The 3-4 workouts are pretty much identical to the 1-2 just with extra sets. It gets pretty monotonous. My feeling during this program is that really what you are trying to accomplish is making the workout part of your lifestyle (turning it into a habit). This will take a tremendous amount of dedication and focus. It can be pretty easy to derail your progress and I find that failing on diet for a day or two (or seven) is exactly the type of thing that causes a nascent program to fail. Just get the workout in. Tell yourself that if you: Eat a cheeseburger, fries & chocolate shake? Who cares? At least I got my workout in. Key lime pie ala mode for desert? Who cares? At least I got my workout in. Make your focus getting the workout in and at some point during the second or third month of P90 you will start to realize the workout has become a habit and the thought of missing it will leave an emptiness inside of you for that day (if you miss a day you might feel the need to stack two workouts in the next day to make up for it).

It's when you get to this point, where working out is habit and doesn't require motivation that you can turn your focus towards your diet. You will have a reserve of motivation that isn't being used and you will need that reserve to help you make lifestyle changes to your eating habits (which also should be done gradually over time). If you try to do both the workout and eating changes at the same time you create more points for potential failure. Realize that this takes time and is not a quick fix. I put it in my head that I am on an 18 month program (P90, P90M, P90X, P90X+, Insanity, TacFit) and P90 was only the beginning. It makes it easier to maintain focus if you have a long term goal.

A standard multivitamin and perhaps a calcium (w/mag & zinc) should be all you really need. You can start to add a fish oil supplement which are great for you but supplements can become very expensive.

Adjustable weights are great but they run around $300 (and you and wifey will both need a pair). I think in the beginning you can get by very well with a decent set of resistance bands. Not only are they generally sufficient for weight but the movements are more stable with them and you are less likely to injure yourself. Don't kill yourself with heavy resistance, just get the workout it. After you are done with P90 (at least the first six weeks if not the whole program) then you can decide if you want to move on to weights. But IMO adjustable weights are the way to go, unless you want to start building a home gym with a large footprint.

Tip of the day: JUST GET THE WORKOUT IN.

Good luck and welcome aboard. (and again, apologies for overproducing).

Lots of good discussion in this thread, but I'm sorry Chaka this is bad advice.Might as well tell the guy to only plan on doing half the workout...a full workout will be too hard for an 'out of shape old guy', so let's be realists here and only do half the workout. would you suggest that to someone? I think you should approach the nutrition as you would the workouts...do your best. While i can agree little nutritional improvement is better than none; if someone is going to spend 6 days a week working out, why botch that up with poor eating? Now you might find that following the nutrition guide is too hard and you might have too many cheat days, but still...you should start out with the correct frame of mind and at least set youself up for success. Don't start out planning to fail on this aspect of P90X.

Just my

I'm not saying I follow the nutrition plan 100% (especially on weekends), but I try to. When I eat bad one day, the next day's workout always suffer. Good nutrition will make the workouts more effective.

All good stuff here. I plan on eating better and cutting out most fired foods and but sticking to the diet plan will be very difficult if not impossible. My biggest problem will be finding a set time to work out each day. Probably the best time will be in the morning before the kids get up for school. I'm not a morning person and this will take a LOT of will power. Do I need any kind of exercise mat?

 

[Disco Stu]

Now, I plan on doing this in my basement as I live in a duplex and there is a family with toddlers next door. There is absolutely no way I can do it anywhere else. Problem is, there are no normal doorways down there.

I'm trying to imagine how being next door to a family could be a problem here. Above sure, but next door?

 

[Chaka]

Might as well tell the guy to only plan on doing half the workout...a full workout will be too hard for an 'out of shape old guy', so let's be realists here and only do half the workout. would you suggest that to someone?

I am suggesting nothing of the sort, anymore than you are suggesting pushing a non-swimmer off a boat and telling them to figure it out. I am suggesting limiting points of failure initially. I am not saying to go out and actively choose to eat poorly, just not to sweat it if he does not radically alter his diet during the three months of P90. One of the most common causes of failure of any diet & exercise lifestyle change is trying to do too much too soon and creating unrealistic expectations. I am suggesting a process that allows one to stack a series of small attainable victories to build a solid foundation for true sustainable lifestyle change.In the grand scheme of your life three months is nothing and for most people learning how to create a sustainable lifestyle of healthy eating is extraordinarily difficult and takes more than one three month spurt of good health to achieve.Some people are able to jump into the deep end and swim, most will drown without proper training.Let Mr. Chumley decide which one he wants to try.

 

[Chaka]

I got p90 (not p90x) in the mail yesterday. I'm old and out of shape so I decided to start with p90. I havene't started yet but have a few questions for you guys?

Any one using the supplements or cheaper alernatives? I read where chocolate milk is acually the best recovery drink. Any suggestions for vitamis? What is shakeology?

Mine didn't come with bands, am I better off getting some weights? If so what size? I don't know what they will be used for yet.

While in theory I would like to follow the diet, I'm a realist, it just isn't going to happen. If I start eating sensibly and cutting calories and portion size should I still expect to see decent results?

I plan on starting in the next couple days. I'm waiting for my wife to get over being sick so she can start with me. Wish me luck.

NOTE: I seriously started overproducing in this post. Apologies for being long winded.This is the route I took. P90 followed by P90M then P90X. It is working great. Far better than I could have hoped for.

I think most on this board know that I am not a fan of sugar and as such not a fan of chocolate milk because it typically has a high amount of added sugar (or HFCS). I like the Myoplex Original or the Myoplex Lite however these are not cheap so you can go with something like Chocolate milk, particularly during the P90, just see if you can find one without added sugar (I believe Nesquick makes a version of this).

That being said I would suggest not worrying too much about your diet during P90. The program consists of four total workouts (Sweat 1-2, Sweat 3-4, Sculpt 1-2 & Sculpt 3-4) you alternate between the two 1-2 workouts six days/week for the first six weeks then the 3-4 workouts for the second two weeks. The 3-4 workouts are pretty much identical to the 1-2 just with extra sets. It gets pretty monotonous. My feeling during this program is that really what you are trying to accomplish is making the workout part of your lifestyle (turning it into a habit). This will take a tremendous amount of dedication and focus. It can be pretty easy to derail your progress and I find that failing on diet for a day or two (or seven) is exactly the type of thing that causes a nascent program to fail. Just get the workout in. Tell yourself that if you: Eat a cheeseburger, fries & chocolate shake? Who cares? At least I got my workout in. Key lime pie ala mode for desert? Who cares? At least I got my workout in. Make your focus getting the workout in and at some point during the second or third month of P90 you will start to realize the workout has become a habit and the thought of missing it will leave an emptiness inside of you for that day (if you miss a day you might feel the need to stack two workouts in the next day to make up for it).

It's when you get to this point, where working out is habit and doesn't require motivation that you can turn your focus towards your diet. You will have a reserve of motivation that isn't being used and you will need that reserve to help you make lifestyle changes to your eating habits (which also should be done gradually over time). If you try to do both the workout and eating changes at the same time you create more points for potential failure. Realize that this takes time and is not a quick fix. I put it in my head that I am on an 18 month program (P90, P90M, P90X, P90X+, Insanity, TacFit) and P90 was only the beginning. It makes it easier to maintain focus if you have a long term goal.

A standard multivitamin and perhaps a calcium (w/mag & zinc) should be all you really need. You can start to add a fish oil supplement which are great for you but supplements can become very expensive.

Adjustable weights are great but they run around $300 (and you and wifey will both need a pair). I think in the beginning you can get by very well with a decent set of resistance bands. Not only are they generally sufficient for weight but the movements are more stable with them and you are less likely to injure yourself. Don't kill yourself with heavy resistance, just get the workout it. After you are done with P90 (at least the first six weeks if not the whole program) then you can decide if you want to move on to weights. But IMO adjustable weights are the way to go, unless you want to start building a home gym with a large footprint.

Tip of the day: JUST GET THE WORKOUT IN.

Good luck and welcome aboard. (and again, apologies for overproducing).

Lots of good discussion in this thread, but I'm sorry Chaka this is bad advice.Might as well tell the guy to only plan on doing half the workout...a full workout will be too hard for an 'out of shape old guy', so let's be realists here and only do half the workout. would you suggest that to someone? I think you should approach the nutrition as you would the workouts...do your best. While i can agree little nutritional improvement is better than none; if someone is going to spend 6 days a week working out, why botch that up with poor eating? Now you might find that following the nutrition guide is too hard and you might have too many cheat days, but still...you should start out with the correct frame of mind and at least set youself up for success. Don't start out planning to fail on this aspect of P90X.

Just my

I'm not saying I follow the nutrition plan 100% (especially on weekends), but I try to. When I eat bad one day, the next day's workout always suffer. Good nutrition will make the workouts more effective.

All good stuff here. I plan on eating better and cutting out most fired foods and but sticking to the diet plan will be very difficult if not impossible. My biggest problem will be finding a set time to work out each day. Probably the best time will be in the morning before the kids get up for school. I'm not a morning person and this will take a LOT of will power. Do I need any kind of exercise mat?

The good thing about the P90 program is the workouts are relatively quick and to the point.If your workout space is carpeted then a mat is not absolutely necessary if it's a hard surface you will probably want one for the ab ripper 100/200.

 

[BlueDredSo]

Now, I plan on doing this in my basement as I live in a duplex and there is a family with toddlers next door. There is absolutely no way I can do it anywhere else. Problem is, there are no normal doorways down there.

I'm trying to imagine how being next door to a family could be a problem here. Above sure, but next door?

Same house, just split into 2. Jumping around causes way too much noise no matter where you are in the house. I think I'm actually going to install some sort of bar down there as I don't want to risk busting that pipe. The basement ceiling is unfinished, so mostly just a bunch of 2x4's and the like. Should be fairly easy to figure something out.

 

[Disco Stu]

Now, I plan on doing this in my basement as I live in a duplex and there is a family with toddlers next door. There is absolutely no way I can do it anywhere else. Problem is, there are no normal doorways down there.

I'm trying to imagine how being next door to a family could be a problem here. Above sure, but next door?

Same house, just split into 2. Jumping around causes way too much noise no matter where you are in the house. I think I'm actually going to install some sort of bar down there as I don't want to risk busting that pipe. The basement ceiling is unfinished, so mostly just a bunch of 2x4's and the like. Should be fairly easy to figure something out.

Ah, I see.FWIW, the pull-up days don't really have much jumping around. Maybe none if you do the warm-up in the basement.

 

[BlueDredSo]

Now, I plan on doing this in my basement as I live in a duplex and there is a family with toddlers next door. There is absolutely no way I can do it anywhere else. Problem is, there are no normal doorways down there.

I'm trying to imagine how being next door to a family could be a problem here. Above sure, but next door?

Same house, just split into 2. Jumping around causes way too much noise no matter where you are in the house. I think I'm actually going to install some sort of bar down there as I don't want to risk busting that pipe. The basement ceiling is unfinished, so mostly just a bunch of 2x4's and the like. Should be fairly easy to figure something out.

Ah, I see.FWIW, the pull-up days don't really have much jumping around. Maybe none if you do the warm-up in the basement.

Really? That's kinda what I was hoping for...then I could do the pull-up days in my bedroom and the jumping days in the basement. Awesome. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Cromedog]

In week 11 of P90X. I can tell you that it is somewhat addicting and if you start off just watching what you eat and eat more healthy stuff you will see better results. Then you just want to continue doing it. You can actually eat more. I eat snacks - fruit and/or power bars in between meals. It keeps you from getting to hungry and then you are less likely to gorge yourseld at lunch/dinner time. I'm a tall skinny dude...typical belly, no chest and wimpy arms. I still lost weight and toned all these areas up significantly. I've got 2 weeks, 3 if you count the recovery. I sleep better and feel better (with 1 1/2 hours less sleep - work out in the morning) than I can ever remember - age 43.

After I finish, I think I will take a few weeks off (not totally keep doing some stuff everyday, just not as intense or cut it in half) and then start over and do it again.

 

[BroadwayG]

Iteration #1 drawing to a close. Thanks to everyone here who followed along, I certainly appreciate it.

Definitely a physical wake up call for me. I knew I was out of shape, but golly gee, I haven't had that physical soreness of the first week in a long long time. But I can finally pass the fit test that I should have taken before I started

I really need to take some time to work on the diet. It's not like I'm eating fast food every week, I think I may have done that twice in the 90 days. But still, something needs to change there.

I think I may order just the regular P90 as finding a free hour and a half every day for 3 months was a lot more difficult than I expected. Hopefully switching to a shorter routine will help with the days where I just have too much stuff going on. This is probably where I should have started in the first place. And I'll always have an option if I want to kick it up a notch.

One of my college buddies is getting married in May, and as a single guy usher, I want to put on my best Disco Stu impression that night with all the sorority divorcees.

 

[wilked]

FInishing Week 3...legs / back today. Did a lot more pullups than the first two weeks...which is satisfying

 

[madshot31]

Anyone else still get absolutely destroyed by Legs & Back? I'm in week 5 and the squat/lung routine just owns me the following two days.

I have been doing quite well with the eating aspects of P90X. I don't follow their meals but I do follow the spirit and percentages of what type of foods to eat. This will have to take a day vaction on Thursday. I'm doing the day trip down to San Francisco to tailgate and go to game 5, Halladay vs Lincecum.

 

[trout]

Might as well tell the guy to only plan on doing half the workout...a full workout will be too hard for an 'out of shape old guy', so let's be realists here and only do half the workout. would you suggest that to someone?

I am suggesting nothing of the sort, anymore than you are suggesting pushing a non-swimmer off a boat and telling them to figure it out.

haha...nice analogy. I'm just saying that with the workouts everyone knows it will be tough. But just keep pushing play. do your best, stick with it. Lots of encouragement in this thread to do your best. You start out the physical stuff with a gung-ho attitude. The same should be done with the nutritional side as well. I did plyo today...."you can do anything for 30 seconds, especially if you modify". Maybe the nutritional side of p90x can be approached like that.

 

[trout]

Anyone else still get absolutely destroyed by Legs & Back? I'm in week 5 and the squat/lung routine just owns me the following two days. I have been doing quite well with the eating aspects of P90X. I don't follow their meals but I do follow the spirit and percentages of what type of foods to eat. This will have to take a day vaction on Thursday. I'm doing the day trip down to San Francisco to tailgate and go to game 5, Halladay vs Lincecum.

The legs/back workout is a hate/love one for me. The pullup numbers have been going up quite a bit. But as you said, legs are sore for days afterward.

 

[Mr. Chumley]

Did the first set of exercises today. The ones with the yoga and kicking and with the abs at the end. Not sure which disk that was. Is this the same routine I will do every other day for the next 3 months. I haven't really looked to see what's on the disk beside just hitting play this morning.

 

[Chaka]

Did the first set of exercises today. The ones with the yoga and kicking and with the abs at the end. Not sure which disk that was. Is this the same routine I will do every other day for the next 3 months. I haven't really looked to see what's on the disk beside just hitting play this morning.

Sounds like one of the Sweat DVDs but I don't know if it was 1-2 or 3-4.It should say on the DVD cover and at the beginning of the routine which one it is.

 

[BlueDredSo]

Regarding the weights...I've heard both good and bad things about the Bowflex Selecttech 552's. I'm considering buying them, but they're damn expensive and I just want to make sure it'll be worth it. I don't want these things acting up 2 months after I buy them and not being able to get a refund. I've also seen the PowerBlock adjustable weights. Around the same price, but they look like they might work better. Any opinions or preferences? I know I could use the resistance bands instead, but from what I've read it seems like the weights are the better way to go. TIA

 

[Chaka]

Regarding the weights...I've heard both good and bad things about the Bowflex Selecttech 552's. I'm considering buying them, but they're damn expensive and I just want to make sure it'll be worth it. I don't want these things acting up 2 months after I buy them and not being able to get a refund. I've also seen the PowerBlock adjustable weights. Around the same price, but they look like they might work better. Any opinions or preferences? I know I could use the resistance bands instead, but from what I've read it seems like the weights are the better way to go. TIA

I prefer PowerBlocks. The Bowflex are fine but I don't like that you really need to keep them in their stand to keep the weights properly aligned for adjusting them. You can adjust the PowerBlocks on any flat surface.

 

[Trey]

Going to start up this Saturday. Looking forward to adding some muscle after going from 159 to 144 over the last year with a steady dose of biking/running.

 

[Ned]

Anyone else still get absolutely destroyed by Legs & Back? I'm in week 5 and the squat/lung routine just owns me the following two days. I have been doing quite well with the eating aspects of P90X. I don't follow their meals but I do follow the spirit and percentages of what type of foods to eat. This will have to take a day vaction on Thursday. I'm doing the day trip down to San Francisco to tailgate and go to game 5, Halladay vs Lincecum.

The legs/back workout is a hate/love one for me. The pullup numbers have been going up quite a bit. But as you said, legs are sore for days afterward.

Legs/back was the only one that still gave me wicked soreness once I got deep into the routine. It always destroyed me.

 

[Peiz]

Well, started week 3 yesterday, and it was rough. I was hoping to improve more on the chest and back, but I was really struggling near the end. (Those damn dive bombers kill me) My biggest improvement is ab ripper, broke the 300 mark for the first time!!! My least favorite so far is probably yoga still. The 1.5 hours just bores me. We'll see if I can get past that mental barrier, since next week it's on the schedule twice.

I'm looking forward to getting a little change of pace next week. I still want to do some lifting, maybe on my own. Is that a bad idea during the recovery week? Nothing as intense as the videos but maybe just some free weights every couple of days.

The biggest thing I would tell the newcomers is to just keep hitting play. The last few days my motivation hasn't really been there, but I always feel good and accomplished during that cool down.

 

[matuski]

Been doing P90X for awhile. Thinking about Insanity. What can those who have done Insanity tell me about it? What will it add to my workout that P90X doesn't?

I've started back up on p90x and use Insanity for the Cardio days. I like it better this way I think.