Work It Out: P90X

I think it is fair to say that these 'Work It Out' posts have now become a series. One of these days I will run out of workout videos/programs to blog about, but until then I will just keep sharing my experiences with you.

Now, if you have never seen one of those infomercials for P90x, you are either living under a rock or you have very normal sleeping patterns. The rest of you are probably already pretty familiar with the workouts, even if you have not done them yourself.

For shits and giggles, I will fill you in. The program is made up of several different videos which each cover a different set of muscle groups. For instance, there is a video for shoulders and arms; legs and back; chest, shoulders, and triceps; etc. There are also a yoga, cardio, plyometric, and kempo (think kickboxing) workouts. Each video is about 60 minutes, except the yoga, which is 90, and the ab ripper X, which is 15. Over the course of 90 days, you rotate through these workouts which are designed to build lean muscle.

Both B and I did the entire 90 day program a couple years ago. B even followed the nutrition plan, cutting out beer, soda, and fried foods. I wasn't as disciplined with the nutrition part but we both saw some pretty good results. B definitely had a 6 pack and built some upper body strength. And my arms and legs both got more toned and lean.

That said, I don't think I will ever do a solid 90 days of this workout again. While I think it is important for both men and women to add strength training to their workouts, I felt like these workouts were more designed for men who wanted to build some muscle not women who want to drop pounds. For the most part, these workouts are not going to have your heart pounding and sweat pouring.

One other issue I have with P90x is that they are long and I don't find them all that efficient. By that, I mean I could list out all the exercises and perform the max amount of reps and probably do the same workout in half the time. I feel like Tony Horton spends an unnecessary amount of time talking and taking breaks. And if I am going to work out for 60 minutes, I want to be dripping in sweat and totally exhausted. [Note: while searching for pictures for this post, I saw an ad for P90X3 which is 30 minute workouts!!]

However, if you are looking to build muscle or get toned, then I would highly recommend this workout. If you are a woman who is looking for something that will really burn fat, then they do have an Insanity/P90X combo calendar on the Beach Body website that you can try. I would encourage you, also, to focus on your diet while doing this program, if you really want to see good results.

Have you or your husband done P90X? What are your thoughts?

Related posts:
Work It Out: Focus T25
Work It Out: Insanity