P90X

I just got an email from Jennifer who was listening to an older episode of the podcast where I mentioned the P90X training. Here is what she had to say about it.

I was listening to an older podcast and you mentioned P90X and wanted to hear from people who’ve done it. I am on my third “round” right now and I am blown away by my results!

Let me give you a little background…
I am a female that has been a size 14/16 for most of my adult life. I exercised at home 6 days a week, incorporating strength training, cardio, and yoga or Pilates for 15 years. I’m not talking about easy workouts either…I did things like Cathe Freidrich workouts, which are advanced. I finally settled into a size 10 after 10 YEARS of doing this. Fine-tuning my diet helped me get to a size 8, which was actually quite stunning for me, considering I really thought I had “fat genes” and a single-digit size was not in my realm of possibility. I started creeping back up into a size 10, so I got P90X. I’m a size 6 now and in the sbsolute best shape of my life! I never thought I could do 6 unassisted pullups, AND do plyometrics, AND twist myself into a pretzel due to the yoga workout.

It incorporates all aspects of fitness; cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility. It is very intense and definitely not for beginners.
However, even though it is the hardest workout program I’ve ever done, I have not been injured (or bored, which is equally important) once because it’s so well-planned. So to answer your question, no, you won’t really get these kind of results from any program you do for 90 days. It’s like nothing I’ve ever done before and I have a library of 50 workout DVDS…now collecting dust, I might add!

It has changed my life and is the best money I think I’ve ever spent….seriously. I could really go on and on, but I’ll leave it at that.

Take care,
Jenifer

If you are interested in purchasing this, I did some research. You can get it from amazon.com for $139. I realize that’s pretty steep. You get 12 DVDs, plus a calendar to set up your workouts, free online support tools, nutrition guide, etc. The better place is from the main distributor which is beach body who gives you the ability to pay in installments (3 X39) plus they offer a 90 day guarentee.

When I talked to my friend Katie (who just started it) I asked, “What else do you need to do the P90X program?” Her first answer? “A barf bucket. This thing will have you walking like Betty White.” She too seems to think she is getting good results. She said you would need some free weights, resistance bands ($45), a yoga mat ($20 as you are on the floor a lot), you may decide to get a push up bar and eventually a chin up bar ($75).

Some alternatives might be the assisted chin up station ($59), the Pro Gym in a bag (for your resistance tubes $30) from gofit.net The thing I love about gofit.net is they have FREE DVD’s for all their equipment.

If you’re looking for a less expensive version there is the Power 90 program (for about $60 plus shipping).

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In a recent article by Charlene Johnson she posted on SparkPeople.com
she talks about how common it is when people start a new exercise program (typically intended to lose weight) and they gain weight. This is especially true with intense programs like Tony Horton P90X or Chalean Extreme

Charlene states:

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and “unfamiliar” the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to “protect and defend” the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it… the women! I’m happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be “in shock” again. Don’t be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don’t do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It’s natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it’s still a bummer. We’re all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!

When to be concerned:
If you experience a significant weight gain (exceeding 5 pounds) that does not begin to decrease rapidly after the second week, guess what it is? I’ll give you one hint… you put it in your mouth and chew it. You know it! Your food (or calorie-laden beverages). News flash, friends… exercise doesn’t make you gain weight. Consuming more food than you burn makes you gain weight!

So if after two weeks you are not losing weight and have gained weight that’s not coming off, it’s time to take a close and honest look at your food intake. Start using SparkPeople’s Nutrition Tracker regularly, and be honest.

If you’re not familiar with Chalene Extreme, I found this video on youtube.