P90X review: Week 1–3

P90X is probably the most well-known exercise program on the market due to late night infomercials running for it for what felt like years. It was hard to turn on the TV at night without hearing Tony Horton talking about muscle confusion or a weight loss and muscle building testimonial.

According to the ACE science backs up P90X's effectiveness as a workout program. So after looking into the scientific efficacy of the program, I dove in and started it.

There is a set weekly schedule for P90X. The first 3 weeks are the same so it was easy to get enough in to do a review for each video.

Chest and Back, Plyometrics, Shoulder and Arms, Yoga X, Legs and Back, Kenpo X, Rest

Peripheral Equipment:

Pull-up bar or resistance bands

Resistance bands or free weights

Yoga blocks (optional)

Yoga mat (optional, but I recommend it)

Weight loss/aerobics:

“P90X is not a fast-track weight loss solution like other programs. It's an unprecedented fitness solution designed to give you a stronger, healthier body that will become leaner and perform better over time. It's not designed for weight loss per se. It's designed to increase human performance and improve overall body composition. Trust it.” From Steve Edwards, the Director of Results at Beachbody, in the P90X Extreme Home Fitness Nutritional Planning guide.

It's really hard to 'trust it' if you're not seeing any results, but what you don't see on the scale you may see if you look other places, such as the fit of your clothing or the visible strength and toning of your body. Despite this, I was still consistently losing weight while using P90X for the first 3 weeks.

Plyometrics – This is hardcore. I completed it once in the past, many years ago, and I recall being completely wiped out and just dropping to the floor toward the end panting, “I can't, Tony. I can't. I'm done. I can't.” I gave it a try again just to see and was not the least bit surprised to discover I wasn't ready for it. I was exhausted just 30 minutes in and part of that was the warm-up.

Cardio X – P90X's program recommends using Cardio X if you're not up for Plyo yet. And so this is what I did for week 1 – 3. It's a nice cardio workout with a lot of variety since it pulls bits from the other cardio DVDs. It is far, far more exciting than Power 90's cardio and really gets the heart rate up.

Yoga X – Don't let this being a yoga program fool you. My heart rate regularly got up to 130 and stayed there during the first 40 minutes of Yoga X. The rest of the DVD is balance and flexibility poses which calm the heart down and work to limber up things that might be tight from the other exercise days. There's also a great yoga belly ab section toward the cool down that is fairly fun, especially if you're tired of standard crunches or ab ripper.

I find Yoga X boring and dread doing it every week. It's just so repetitive. And the repetitiveness of the first 40 minutes of the DVD might have been forgiven except that you do an identical chaturanga > push-up > downward dog > runner's pose, repeat to warm up for other days as well. By the time you get to yoga it's just, 'ugh, this AGAIN? And not just a warm-up but 40 minutes?!'

Kenpo X – By far this is my favorite DVD. Ever since I've owned P90X I have swapped Kenpo X in for other cardio exercise programs because it is just so much fun. Punching, kicking, moving, blocking, it's really easy to get caught up in what you're doing and stop counting down the minutes until your 'torturous' exercise is over.

Strength exercises:

I do not have a pull-up bar and my very old resistance band broke when put over my door. So I found replacement (https://youtu.be/vGAK2-_kn1U) pull-up mimic movements if you don't have a pull-up bar or bands. This will be important for the Chest and Back as well as the Legs and Back day.

Chest and Back – I hope you like push-ups and pull-ups because that's almost all you're going to be doing today. Despite being the same basic moves though, this never feels repetitive or tedious because the variations add a little something new to think about and slightly different muscle groups being worked.

Shoulders and Arms – Shoulders, triceps and biceps get some love today. Free weights and/or resistance bands are essential.

Legs and Back – This was a refreshingly nice leg day. Two leg moves then one set of pull-ups to give the legs a rest. The day after, every single week, my butt, thighs and calves were absolutely aching from this.

Fun:

The variation in the program these first three weeks certainly keeps things fresh and exciting. On the third week you might begin to dread something you don't like or find boring, but by that point you can console yourself with only having to do it one more time before getting a break (unless like me, you hate Yoga X, at which point you'll be doing it twice more next week).

Most of the programs are fun and each program is varied in itself enough to keep you on your toes and eager to keep going.

Verdict:

5/5 The program works. Weight was coming off steadily, my body is stronger than it was when I started and though I despise Yoga X I am finding everything else very pleasant.