P90X is Beachbody’s hugely successful fitness program and many who’ve seen Tony Horton in television’s most-run infomercial probably have doubts about its effectiveness. Because word of mouth is the greatest marketing campaign and hearing personal testimonials is more effective than a company’s guarantee of offer, P90X is more popular than ever – and it’s catching on like wildfire. Whether you’ve heard about it by a person who’s completed the program or through a friend of friend, you’ve no doubt heard of P90X and the stories of success or failure.
I’m here to be your friend, the person you know who did it and had success doing it.
Time to get into shape!
When I first heard of P90X, I had little to go on other than a word-of-mouth testimonial from someone I trust. Still, I was skeptical and put it off as another gimmick, as the latest fitness scam promising the body of a Greek god just before making an about-face and scurrying away like a Ponzi scheme. But, since I was sick and tired of feeling like I felt, I was willing to make the commitment and give it a try. Let me tell you, I started seeing results in the first week and it definitely didn’t take 90 days for me to become a believer.
The P90X program
Although you will lose weight (or body fat) following the program, P90X is not a weight-loss program; it’s a lifestyle change and introduction to the world of physical fitness.
Much better, uh, we think…
P90X is essentially composed of two aspects: training and nutrition. The training is further broken down into three programs: Classic, Doubles, and Lean. These are all, once again, divided into three phases designed to create muscle confusion. Muscle confusion is the key ingredient to avoiding plateaus and achieving maximum results.
P90X training
The Classic program, which I did, is designed for the beginner – but don’t assume that it’s easy. While it will lean you out, there’s not a lot of cardio and you may want to do some on your own. The Classic program is more of a strength-training system that will yield weight loss, some mass gains, and definition results.
The Doubles program is what you want if you want to build strength, gain muscle, and really lean out. It’s essentially the Classic program with the addition of Cardio X three to four times a week. More intense, more energy required, more results.
Time for a real six pack.
The Lean program offers more cardio and less resistance training for maximum weight loss. It’s a cardio-based program that incorporates some minimal weight training, because building muscle increases metabolism and helps with weight loss to help you achieve a leaner body mass.
P90X nutrition
The nutrition plan provided with P90X lets you either follow a set menu or make your own based on nutritional values. I followed the menu, but instead of changing phase to coordinate with the phase I was on in the training, I stuck with the Fat Shredder phase for the duration of the Classic program. The remaining two phases of the nutrition plan are the Energy Booster and the Endurance Maximizer.
So long, friend.
While the phases of the nutrition plan are self-explanatory, I will say that the recipes are delicious if not expensive and time consuming to make. Give it a try, but after a couple of weeks you’ll find equally as healthy but less expensive alternatives – or at least short cuts that can cut costs and time.
Also, while following the menu and portion sizes, if you feel you’re eating too much, eat less; if you feel you’re not eating enough, eat more.
P90X results
By the time all was said and done, I had lost 30 pounds, 5 inches off my waist, and 12 percent body fat. No, I wasn’t a ripped machine at the end of the program, but I was happy with my results, as I am much leaner, I put on some mass in the right places, and see some sculpting and definition. I’m hoping that after a second cycle I’ll be able to push myself further and see even greater results.
