P90X: Tony Horton's 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program
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Description of P90X: Tony Horton's 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program
P90X is a revolutionary system of 12 highly intense workouts, designed to transform your body. * Chest and Back * Plyometrics * Shoulders and Arms * Yoga X * Legs and Back * Kenpo X * X Stretch * Core Synergistics * Chest, Shoulders and Triceps * Back and Biceps * Ab Ripper X * Cardio X Extra DVD for a quick overview of the complete P90X Extreme Home Fitness training system is included. To get you started, you will also receive a comprehensive 3-phase nutrition plan, specially designed to help you lose fat; a detailed fitness guide, packed with valuable fitness information to help you get the most out of your program; and a calendar to set your workout goals, track your progress, and stay motivated.Sports reviews of P90X: Tony Horton's 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program
Customer Review: p90x gets you into shape and gives results
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I'm in week 6 of the p90x cycle and so far am very happy with the product and with the results that I've seen. I'm somebody who was already in shape and decided to replace my previous gym routine with p90x. I have a tall and skinny build (about 6'1, 175 lbs), and have been able to notice budding ab muscles along with some improvements in my chest and legs. The workouts are hard, and the first time through each of them can be very frustrating, but if you stick with it you'll find that each time you do a routine, you get better at it. I don't follow the diet plan, but I have been eating protein bars and have cut down on snack food since I began the program. Here is my breakdown of each routine.
1) Chest and back: You do this routine on day 1 of weeks 1,2,3,9,11, and it is almost all pull-ups and push-ups. When I began p90x, I could do about 1 to 2 pull-ups, and now I can do about 6 to 7 at a time, depending on the type (you use different grips for each exercise). There are about 5 types of push-ups and pull-ups which you alternate between, and then the whole routine is repeated. This is definitely one of the harder routines, and at the end you can barely lift your arms. You need a pull-up bar for this routine. I also use push-up bars which helps my wrists and improves my form.
2) Plyometrics: You do this routine on day 2 of weeks 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,11,12. This is the hardest of all of the routines, as you are constantly jumping and squatting. There are 5 sets of exercises which each have three 30 second exercises followed by one 60 second (easier) exercise. There is one additional sports set at the end which is easier than the other five. This is definitely the most draining workout, and the first time through, I had to pause it multiple times. Now, I can do it with almost no pauses, but it completely wipes me out by the end. If you have hard floors like I do, I recommend a workout mat. Mine slides around a bit, so I have to pin it under the couch in my apartment.
3) Arms and shoulders: You do this routine on day 3 of weeks 1,2,3,9,11. This routine is mostly focused around lifting either weights or using resistance bands. There is always one person in the video using bands, so you can use either and not worry about not knowing what to do. I use resistance bands since they are less expensive. During this routine, you do multiple sets of lifting exercises: biceps, followed by shoulders, followed by triceps. While it is less grueling than days 1 and 2, it still makes your arms very tired by the end.
4) Yoga: You do this routine on day 4 of weeks 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,11,12, and on days 1 and 6 of weeks 4,8,13. This workout is longer than any of the other workouts (about 90 minutes). The first half of the workout is very intense and is mostly different "warrior" poses. Most of these poses involve being in a lunge stance for a few minutes at a time and really make you balance while working leg muscles. This part of the routine is as hard as anything else you do in p90x. The second half of the routine is much easier and you mostly do different balance postures and stretches. I've been splitting this workout up and doing the second half after work, which I prefer doing so that I don't have to wake up as early. Overall, this workout (especially the first half) is very difficult, and it takes work to master each pose. You need a yoga mat for this one.
5) Legs and back: You do this routine on day 5 of weeks 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,11,12. It consists of sets of 2 leg exercises (squats or lunges) followed by one round of pull-ups. The wall squats and one legged wall squats are the most difficult exercises and really make your legs burn. Overall, it is not as intense on your legs as the plyometrics day, but it is still very difficult. The people in the video hold weights during most of the leg exercises, but I don't own them, so I just do the exercises without them which is hard enough. The pull-ups are similar to the ones from chest and back.
6) Kenpo: You do this routine on day 6 of weeks 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,11,12 and day 3 of weeks 4,8,13. This routine is a bit easier than the others, but still gives you a good workout. You throw a lot of kicks and punches during a short period of time, without a lot of breaks. It is good cardio and is the most fun routine to do.
7) Stretching: You do this routine on day 7 of every week, and also on day 4 of weeks 4,8,13. During this routine you stretch out muscles of each part of the body. Most of these exercises are from the warmups of other routines or are from the second half of the yoga routine. It's important to give your body a rest and stretching can make you better at the other routines. I try to do it each week and have only skipped it once so far. I find this routine very relaxing. This is also a good day to do the Cardio X routine as well since it is not very difficult, and I don't feel like I get enough cardio with only two days each week devoted to it.
8) Core: You do this routine during days 2 and 5 of weeks 4,8,13. You do a hybrid of exercises which work different muscle groups. Some of the exercises work abs, while there are also push-up exercises for your chest, and others for your legs and back. While not as hard as some of the routines you do other weeks, this not an easy workout.
9) Chest, triceps, shoulders: You do this routine during day 1 of weeks 5,6,7,10,12. This is one of the hardest routines of the program, and after you finish, you will barely be able to move your arms. The push-ups from this routine are much harder than the ones from other days, and some (such as one arm push-ups) are still too hard for me to do. The triceps and shoulder exercises are similar to the ones you do during the other weeks, but doing them on the same day as the push-ups makes them much more difficult.
10) Biceps and back: You do this routine during day 3 of weeks 5,6,7,10,12. While this is not the hardest workout in the program, your arms will feel sore by the end, as you do a lot of bicep curls and pull-ups. It is slightly shorter than the other routines, which makes it go by quickly.
11) Abs: You do this routine on days 1,3,5 of weeks 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10,11,12 at the end of the other routines each day. The ab workout is maybe the best workout of the package and gives the most visible results. It is 15 minutes long, and is hard work. The first few times through, I couldn't get through the entire routine, and my abs hurt afterward, but I've improved since, and have noticed the most results from this workout.
12) Cardio X: I did this workout a few times during the rest week (4,8,13). It starts out with some of the "warrior" yoga moves, followed by some kenpo, then some plyo, and finally some of the core exercises from other days. This workout isn't to difficult and is a good supplement if you have some extra time to burn off additional calories, especially since you only do cardio twice a week usually.
Overall, I'm very happy with the program. The dvd's are good quality (although they aren't wide-screen which is annoying since the black bars on the sides of the screen are becoming visible when I watch other things on TV). I also like that during each workout there is a status bar at the bottom of the screen which tells you how much longer the workout is as well as how long you have left in the current exercise (although the status bar has also burned into my screen a little bit). The casing that holds the DVDs is pretty bad, so you might want to put them in a jewel case instead so that they don't get scratched up, as I've seen a few people complaining about this in the comments. Tony is a bit cheesy at times, but I don't mind that. Some people complain that he talks too much between exercises, but he has to in order to give you enough time to rest between each exercise. The only thing which I find annoying is that he advertises the recovery drink during each routine. He's pretty good at describing the exercises, but the first time through, you might want to watch how to do some of them. I was already going to a gym and running each day for a half an hour, so the time commitment isn't too much worse for me than before and I don't have to leave my apartment. It is definitely for people who are already in shape, so I recommend if you haven't worked out in a while that you should probably ease into it with the cardio x, stretching, and kenpo routines before getting into the others. As I said above, I don't do the diet plan, but I've made an effort to eat healthier foods and more protein, which I think is good enough. I also end up getting drinks with friends each week, so I try to make up for it by either running a little extra on those days or doing Cardio X in addition to my other routine. When I do go out, I also try to stay away from mixed drinks which contain a lot of sugar. A few times I've been away for a weekend and had to skip a day, but I made up for it by pushing everything back and then doing stretching on the same day as Kenpo to catch up. p90x is definitely a much more fun and more motivating way to work out, and if you work hard enough, you will get results.
Customer Review: It really works!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I debated doing a video review for this to show my results, but I realized there would be no good way to show the before pictures.
To put it simply, this WORKS! Before I started, I was 245 lbs with a 38 inch waist. After 90 days, I'm 225 and a 34. I have more energy, better cardio, and I just feel better about myself.
The reason I started was that I was laid off from my job and doing a lot of sitting around. I needed to do something to make me feel better about myself, and this certainly fit the bill. It was tough to talk my wife into the financial investment initially, but three months later, now that she sees and enjoys the results herself, she thinks we couldn't have made a better purchase.'
For people considering this program, here are the materials I used for the 90 day program...
1. Three high quality resistance bands
I do my workouts in an area where there is not an adequate door way for a pull up bar, so I considered other options. When I hooked all three bands on to one handle, hung them from the ceiling, hooked on a force meter, and stretched them to where I would be to simulate pull ups, it came out to about 190-200 lbs of force. I know it's not the same as doing an actual pull up, but it's pretty close. Also, any time they do pull ups on the DVD's, there is always someone using the bands. They work like a charm. A real pull up bar would probably be best, but the bands are a good substitute. Just make sure your form is good, or else you won't be targeting the back like you should.
2. A Yoga Mat
This is a must for the Yoga, Stretch, and Ab Ripper routines. Don't skip it. You'd better grab a block or two as well, if you're not used to Yoga.
3. Two pairs of light and heavy dumbbells (I used 10's for light and 25's for heavy)
I mostly used resistance bands for everything, but there are a couple exercises where they don't work, particularly in the Legs and Back routine. Just having a few dumbbells on hand allows you to get the most out of each move.
4. A Chair
Just a normal folding chair to use for chair dips, push ups, and other things.
Tony Horton also recommends you have a heart rate monitor for all of the cardio routines. I agree, however, I was a hypocrite and did not wear one. Every time the workouts went to a "break" portion, I would use the on-screen timer and take my pulse for 6 seconds. Multiply by 10, and that was my heart rate! I know it's not as precise as a monitor, but it worked for me. My "zone" was somewhere between 160-180.
Ultimately however, one of the best things about this program is that it works with a minimal investment. Everything listed above cost me less than $50, which I thought was perfectly reasonable for such an intensive course. Overall, I've invested less than $200 in equipment to do this program (supplements are another story).
Speaking of supplements, Beachbody has their whole lineup of accompaniments to go with the program. Really the only one you're bashed over the head with during the videos is the Recovery Drink. Yes, it tastes quite good, but it's also very expensive. A cheaper alternative that I've found is a product called Accelerade. It has almost the same nutrition as the recovery drink (if you double the serving size), minus some creatine. All I do is use a serving of Accelerade with about a half of a scoop of whey protein in my water bottle, and I think it comes pretty close to replicating it. If you don't like the taste of Accelerade, then go for the official recovery drink. It is quite yummy, just too expensive for me.
As far as protein bars go, I settled on the Cliff Builder's Bar. It has about the same nutritional content as the official bar, and it is also the best tasting I have ever found. I eat one a day with the recovery drink after the workout.
To conclude the review, I'd like to rank each workout in terms of difficulty, from least difficult to most difficult. Others might disagree with me, but this is how the experience unfolded for my body.
12. Cardio X- I added this a couple times a week during Phase 3, because I wanted to burn a little more fat. It's similar to Plyometrics, but it's shorter and lower impact.
11. X Stretch- Your body needs this... don't skip it. It basically consists of moves from the second half of the Yoga X routine. Your body will thank you at its conclusion.
10. Kenpo X- This one is a little monotonous at times, but it's still a good workout and you can let out some aggression. I started wearing 4 oz gloves to intensify during Phase 3.
9. Shoulders and Arms- You do shoulders-biceps-triceps, over and over and over... and over. It's a very satisfying routine though, because you start seeing results right away.
8. Back and Biceps- This is my favorite of the weight lifting routines. Pull ups and bicep curls. I really love the "pulling" motion as opposed to the "pushing" (see #1 most difficult). I just always feel jacked and pumped up after this one.
7. Legs and Back- This is the only routine done throughout the entire program. For some reason, I've never been comfortable doing the very first leg move in the routine (Balance Lunges), so I usually skip it and just do regular lunges. The rest of the workout is burn city on your legs, with pull ups inserted in between. Have fun with the one legged wall squats!
6. Yoga X- Whatever you do, don't skip this one. I don't care what your feelings are about yoga... but GET OVER IT. If you can make it through the first 45 minutes of this without quitting on a move, you are a man's man. The Warrior 3 cycle is unbelievably brutal, but you're rewarded with some wonderful balance poses and stretches to conclude (minus a little 10 minute stretch called Yoga Belly 7). This is my favorite non-weight routine.
5. Plyometrics- I'm dreading doing this workout in a couple minutes after I finish writing this review. Your legs will be on fire after this one. Just knowing how many calories you burned at the end though makes it all worth it. If you try Plyo and can't quite make it, Cardio X is a good substitute. It incorporates some of the same moves.
4. Ab Ripper X- Ouch... is all I can say. It's only 16 minutes long, but you kill yourself the whole time. Tony recommends 25 reps of each move. That's a lot when you're just starting out. I eventually modified the program where I did 15 of each during Phase 1, 20 in Phase 2, and finally the full 25 in Phase 3. Be careful of your back here. If your core is not strong enough initially, your back will try to compensate during moves like Fifer Scissors, and it will cause a lot of pain. A tip is to place a pillow under your butt during the Scissors, Hip Rock, and Pulse ups. It helps a lot.
3. Chest and Back- Ooof... this bad boy is how they start you off. After I "completed" this workout the first time, I couldn't fully bend my arms for a couple days. It's a brutal entrance into P90X, and I can imagine it scared a lot of people off.
2. Core Synergistics- Again, I'm just not a push up boy. Where this routine doesn't have many pure push ups, it has a lot of variations and other exercises in the plank position. Tough for me. My core is another area that needed a lot of work at the start of the program, so this was difficult initially, and still is.
1. Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps- This is the opposite of Back and Biceps, where you're pushing everything away from you. The push up variations here really killed me. Others are good at push ups, I'm not. I also have an uncomfortable little "pop" in my right triceps that inhibits me sometimes. So personally, this is where all the pain and agony was.
So overall, if you're serious about getting in shape, this is where it's at. Take the plunge and go for it! It changed my life.
Customer Review: Why did I spend all those years in the gym?
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
There's so many positive things to say about this product it's hard to know where to begin. I'll try to avoid covering too much familiar ground of the other reviews. So let's start by saying this: It absolutely works. What's great about this program is that it addresses ALL your fitness needs. Whereas most workout videos/programs tend to focus on either strength training or cardio or flexibility or target specific areas, P90X does it all. Just be aware that you'll have to invest in a pull up bar (although alternatives are given for substituting power bands, but nothing beats the bar), some dumbells or power bands (the bands work fine if you're looking to tone up or travel with them, but for people really looking to do some work and get their Bruce Lee on, dumbells are a must), a yoga mat, possibly some push-up stands (they're worth it, or you can just use your dumbells if you have the kind shaped like a hex or a square), and a heart-rate monitor isn't bad either. I'm 30 and I've been an avid gym rat since I was 15. This thing beat me up the first time through. Plus, I'm flexible like I've never been before which makes life so much better getting out of bed not being stiff. Best of all, my abs are chiseled better than when I was 20. Tough to argue with that. Alright, enough about me, I think one of the strongest points of this program is it's level of customization.
The way the program works is this: For the first three weeks you'll do strength training workouts on days 1,3, and 5(each bodypart being worked once per week with the exception of the back-you're gonna do A LOT of pull-ups/chin-ups). On days 2,4, and 6 you'll do some form of cardio (yoga, plyo, kenpo). And then on day 7 you have an optional stretch. Then on week 4 you completely remove the resistance days and they're replaced with other types of cardio and stretching (the Core routine is amazing). In weeks 5-7 you keep the same days 2,4, and 6, but you have all new videos for the resistance days so your muscles are forced to adapt and grow and avoid plateauing. Week 8 is the same as week 4, allowing you to catch up for the final push. Weeks 9 and 11 are the same as 1-3, weeks 10 and 12 are the same as 5-7, and then there's the final week, same as 4 and 8. I know it may sound a bit confusing, but it's all laid out very clearly and concisely in the accompanying book. Plus, you'll be doing abs on the resistance days.
What I just described is called P90X Classic. It's the standard arrangement of exercises. Again, here's where the customization comes in. If your goals are more weight loss and slimming down, the book rearranges the videos into what's called P90X Lean, de-emphasizing the resistance training in favor of the fat burning. And for those truly "touched in the head", there's P90X doubles. This has you doing 2 programs per day on certain days, one in the morning and one in the evening. This is truly the ultimate challenge (but also a bit time consuming as you'll need more than 2 free hours per day to dedicate to exercising).
Another great feature of the program is the inclusion of Cardio X. PlyoX is, by far, the toughest of the cardio programs. It will chew you up and spit you out the first few times you try it. For those that find it too difficult or may have some joint issues preventing them from jumping, Cardio X is designed to be a low-impact substitute. Throughout all the different programs, Tony and the crew will show alternate exercises for people that may have some health issues (knees, shoulders, etc. . .).
Some people wonder what's next once they finish. Good question. For most, you'll benefit from going through the program one more time as is. Or, you can try the lean or doubles. Maybe just do the classic again, but try and do things double-time or increase your weights a good deal. It'll probably be a month or so before you're able to truly begin to keep up with the videos the first time through-and then they switch it up on you (that's the beauty of it). So doing it a second time allows you to go hard from day 1. Also, Beachbody is releasing P90X+ in Dec. 07. These are 5 new workouts that you can substitute in to the existing infrastructure. But, be aware, these are for people that have already gone through the entire 'X' or are in world-class shape, as they are more difficult than even their predecessors were. They were designed specifically with the intent of building upon the foundation laid by P90X, by no means are they a jumping on point. Plus, they don't replace all the existing videos, so you would be far from a complete set should you choose to grab just the + programs. But hop over to youtube and put in P90X+ for a preview (I get tired just watching). With the inclusion of these videos, the ability to mix and match as you choose to in order to meet your goals, and the format that allows you to determine intensity and speed, you'll be able to keep your workouts fresh for a very long time.
And once you've gone through the program, you'll get an excellent feel for what each video does and how to customize the program. You may want to increase your flexibility by using the Stretch X and Yoga X a few times per week, supplementing it with some cardio and strength work. Bottom line, the choices are yours. Just remember, these are not for beginners and you will need an hour per day (hour and a half for yoga)-no "30 minutes 3X per week" nonsense here. If you head on over to the P90X website (just google it since we can't use URL's), click on the picture about half way down that says "Learn more about P90X" and then click on "Is P90X for me", there'll be a link to a PDF of the fitness test you can do at home that will give you a good idea of whether or not you're ready to begin the program.
Even with the additional equipment to buy, it is well worth the money. Remember, you're not expected to be able to keep up right away. It'll be quite a while before you do. Go slow and at your own pace. You are encouraged to just keep with it, even if you can only do 1 pull-up, do it and wait for the next exercise to begin. Just stay with it and you'll be amazed at the progress you make. The last thing you want to do it burn yourself out right away. When I first got the program I spent 2 weeks just "walking" through all the routines (and I was still spent). One final note, just be careful if you live in the upstairs of a building as I do, it can make Plyo day a bit disconcerting for the neighbors beneath you if they're not expecting it ;)
One last note because I've seen some of the negative comments on here: Buy it from the official site. Just say no to all the special offers so you don't get billed for anything extra (I declined all offers and have never had a single problem with extra charges). Just buy it from the regular site at P90Xdotcom.
Update Mar. 2010: There is no doubt as to the longevity of P90X. I've gone through round after round and it is still difficult. It feels like the harder I push myself the harder it pushes back. I had some friends pick up the Tony Horton One-on-One series and the Insanity series (both from Beachbody). I tried doing just Insanity for a while but I couldn't live without the resistance exercises. While the cardio pushed me hard, not having weights just didn't work. So what we've done is take the One-on-One's and the Insanity and work them into the P90X structure. 3 resistance days with abs (each body part at least once per week), 2 cardio days, 1 yoga day, 1 optional stretch. And that's it. I can still get cramps and be sore the next day if I push myself, especially in plyo. It never gets easy, I promise. So just "keep pressing play".
Customer Review: Business Traveler's Perspective
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I travel just about every week for business and had a hard time coming up with a workout program that I could do on the road and at home and you can't count on a hotel gym to have what you need. I hate checking in luggage, but hate my butt making my trousers look small even more. If you wanted, you could probably do this workout on the road and still pack just carry on, but I've started packing a small bag so that I can bring everything I want. I figure that if I'm working this hard 6 days a week, an extra 20 minutes to get my gym bag at baggage claim is no big deal.
To take my P90X workout on the road, here's what I pack.
- The workout DVDs - I've actually got mine on my laptop and on my iPod by using Handbrake to copy the discs I bought through Beachbody. This is a quality product, so buy it rather than being a pirating weasel. Plus, if you invest your money, you'll feel more motivated to finish which is the important part. They'll refund your money if you don't like the program anyway so there is no risk.
- Gym shoes and socks - you don't need heavy duty shoes if you follow Tony's advice of being light on your feet. I pack a light weight pair of Merrill hiking shoes.
- Nylon gym shorts - with a supportive liner (for guys) since you'll be doing jumping jacks and other jumping in most every workout.
- A tee shirt for every day - since I'm soaked with sweat after every workout.
- Resistance bands - the BeachBody bands are cool since you can move the handles between the different bands making them easier to pack. I take three and bought a door clip so that I can do pull down exercises in my hotel room (it's a nylon band with a loop on one end and a sewn in block on the other).
- P90X Recovery Drink in the single serving packets - Again, as hard as I'm working at this, $45/month is not too much to spend. It tastes like a creamcycle. If you don't carry a water bottle, buy Aquafina with the big mouth top so it's easier to pour your recovery drink into it.
Optional stuff to pack
- Yoga mat - since I do these workouts in my hotel room I want something between me and the floor weather it's yoga day or not. If you don't want to pack it, extra towels from the hotel will do the job.
- Yoga block - if yoga is on my schedule during travel.
I haven't bought a heart-rate monitor since I don't need one to tell me I'm hitting it as hard as I can. Also, for all of the back workouts, it just so happens that I have been at home. I bought a pull up bar for my basement and have had that at my disposal each time. I have a heavy weight, black band for travel when the back workouts happen on the road.
I'm at the end of week 5 of P90X, so the hardest part is behind me, (i.e., the first week of muscle soreness and working the routine into my schedule). I haven't missed a workout, even when on the road. One day, I had an early flight and didn't get a chance to workout until 10:30pm. The only challenge here is the Plyometrics and Kenpo workouts have a lot of jumping and may not be appreciated by occupants of nearby hotel rooms. Plan accordingly. I've got the workouts on my iPod so I can go to the hotel gym for those workouts if I want. After 5 weeks P90X, I'm in better shape than most anyone in there so I don't care if I look a bit unconventional to the people watching the Today show while they walk on the treadmill.
Before this program I would workout when I was at home and was motivated to squeeze it in. I would run for a couple of miles and do 40 minutes of weights. However, I was lucky to get 3 days in per week and I was eating whatever was around with no real portion control. During the first week of P90X, I was so sore that a couple of days after the shoulders / biceps / triceps workout I could barely touch my face because my triceps were so tight and sore. In subsequent weeks, however, that passed.
With 5 weeks behind me, I've gone from 198lbs (I'm 5'11" and really do have big bones, esp. femurs and pelvis) to 187lbs. I haven't remeasured my body fat, but I'm sure I've traded some fat weight for muscle mass so my 11lb net loss is probably more like 15lbs+ of fat loss. I started with a 38" waist and my 35" pants are fitting me loosely now. During my fit test, I could do 4 pull ups. Now I can do 11 during my first set and a total of 70 during the back and legs work out. I can just about keep up during all of the workouts, which is no small deal.
The [...] people have put everything you need to manage your program into a very thorough spreadsheet (which you can download from their website). It tracks your weight loss progress, your body measurements, every set in every weight workout and your daily nutrition. Again, this is great for me because there is no notebook to pack when I travel.
While challenging, the workouts are actually quite fun after the first week of pain and learning the routines. Tony is as engaging as he can be in a recorded program. I find myself laughing at his jokes, even though I've heard them all repeatedly. He's got himself and 3 others doing each workout so you can follow the person doing the workout in a way the most closely matches your ability and equipment at your disposal (e.g., dumbbells or bands). The workouts are about 60 minutes from warmup to cooldown, except yoga which is 90 minutes. The weight workout discs have a 15 minute bonus abb workout, which I haven't done yet.
In conclusion, if you are like me and will follow through on something once you've put your mind to it, you'll be very pleased with this workout. $130 bucks, plus the cost of the Recovery Drink and equipment is a bargain to improve your health and feel better about how you look. The heaviest dumbbell I have used so far has been 45lbs for the lawnmower exercise (basically a dumbbell row exercise). I'll probably go heavier, but my point is that you can buy the dial-a-weight dumbbells at Costco and have every weight you need for this workout.
I hope this review is useful for my fellow travelers who are "loose in the cage" and want to improve. I'll turn on the "e-mail me when someone comments on my review" option if anyone wants to ask me anything.
Now I'm off to do KenpoX.
Customer Review: No trash, just hard work.
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
This is the best thing going if your intent is real fitness. There's a lot to say so forgive me if this comes off as a bit disjointed.
Production values: I have no complaints. Tony is a likable guy, his banter is tolerable, and his tips are good. The camera work, music, photography, etc. leave little to be desired. He has three sidekicks in each tape, and they are all nice eye candy for both sexes. They tend to do the typical hard, middle, easy version of the movements which is what you would expect.
Equipment requirements: The only specialized equipment you'll need is a yoga mat, chinup bar, and some dumbbells. The tapes move at a good pace so you should probably get two sets of dumbbells, thats what I have and I find it works. With only one set you will pause the tape too much to adjust. If you can afford and have the space for a full set of hex dumbbells than you have the best possible setup. With two sets of adjustable bells I rarely feel like I'm working too heavy or two light, I just use 15 and 25 pounders. For some movements a five or ten pound plate held in your hands is sufficient.
Difficulty: This is pretty hard. Harder than most workouts by quite a bit. Lots of movements, not a lot of rest time. Certain tapes are tougher than others but you will wipe yourself out on all of them unless you are not trying or are in elite shape.
The tapes: Good variety on a good schedule. If you keep it up you will get fit, there is no way to avoid it. Some of my favorites include Legs / Back, Ab Ripper, Stretching and Yoga, and Core. There are no tapes that I feel are not useful or well done.
The movements: Lots of movements in each tape, not a lot of rest typically. This builds muscle endurance and tone. Good assortment, quite a few movements I've never seen. Expect to make close friends with your pull up bar.
Who should use them: Unless you are verging on morbidly obese I think you can use these tapes, but you will be frustrated and wipe out early. Assess yourself, assess whether you can handle not finishing workouts for quite a while until you get into shape. For most people, though, they can handle these tapes, if they are prepared to start slow and work at it and are of proportional weight. It will be a long time before you reach a fitness level where the tapes don't challenge you. For most people that probably won't ever happen.
Who should not use them: Don't use these if you fall into the following categories:
1) You are determined to get massive as quickly as possible. P90x is not bodybuilding. Its overall fitness. You won't get huge, you'll get strong and have good muscle endurance which helps out in the real world. Pure bodybuilding involves many fewer exercises, fewer reps, much heavier weight, and would be quite difficult to pull off with the P90x limited equipment requirements. Plus you need a special diet to really get the gains.
2) You expect this to be the solution to your weight problems. This will help. A lot. More than enough to satisfy the "get exercise" requirement of any diet. But exercise is not enough. You still, in my experience, need to make friends with hunger, and get used to the fact that you should be somewhat to moderately hungry much of the day if you really want to cut weight. The whole grazing diet craze where you eat 6 small meals a day and never feel the slightest bit hungry sounds great on paper but I never lost weight with it unless I did, in fact, eat small enough meals that I did, in fact, feel significant hunger. Maybe you are different.
3) You have sports specific needs. If you train for sport than you should know what you are doing anyways, or have a coach, so I don't need to say much on that.
What it lacks: The program still has some problems. The cardio routines are all well done, and will get you working, but it is still not as efficient in building endurance as pure cardio like running or swimming and sprinting. I still do them but I add a regular running routine that involves a lot of sprinting. There is no faster way.
The plyometrics routine is good but probably not tough enough to train for sport or develop real explosiveness and power. Too many movements, not enough rest, not enough focus on exploding with 100% of power that a typical sport plyometrics routine would have you do. Its still a good workout though, no question.
Lack of focus on lower back. You'll do some lower back work in some of the tapes but not enough to prevent injury long term if you have a history in my opinion. This is probably an equipment limitation. I supplement the tape by doing a workout once a week consisting of barbell dead lifts and barbell good mornings and my back doesn't go out anymore, thank God. Three sets of each, go heavy, max effort then some downward dog and child's pose to stretch it out. Stretch and warm up beforehand, obviously. Your lower back will be like steel cables if you do this. I also do heavy squats in the same workout since they are the key to overall body strength but the legs routine is plenty for most people.
Some of the worksheets are not as detailed as I would like, and are missing exercises, especially the legs worksheet. They are also frustratingly small.
All in all if you do p90x you will have real fitness that you can use in the real world. You won't impress other guys at the bar with how big and buff you are, but if you can keep your weight under control you will end up ripped and toned, and most people agree thats the most appealing look anyways for both sexes.
Just expect to work hard to get it. Fitness isn't free. Good luck to you.
Disclaimer: I don't do the p90x diet plan nor do I use their supplements and recovery drinks. Too expensive for me and I can whip those up on my own by doing some research. For all I know they are awesome but in reality if you eat a varied healthy diet and maybe drink some grape juice immediately after working out and then a meal after you've cleaned yourself up you should be good to go.