Does P90X Live Up to the Hype?
By now, you have all seen the infomercials for the P90x. They are famous for making the claim that you can attain a complete body transformation in just 90 workouts.
The big question, does it work?
After expecting this to be a big scam, I am actually surprised to tell you that it really does work. But that is… only if you do it.
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Pros |
Cons |
| The workouts work. You can make pretty dramatic changes if you do these workouts—as prescribed.
The exercises are straight forward and doable for most people who have experience working out. Most people report that Tony Horton (the instructor) is very motivating. For something this hard, it is great to have good motivator. You don’t need a lot of extra equipment or a spotter. Again, if the program is done as prescribed and your goal is to lean and defined – then this should do the job. It was hard to find a fitness trainer to say a bad word. |
You still have to “eat right” to come close to the results you see on TV
This is big time commitment. It is an hour a day of exercise and the yoga program is a whopping 90 minutes. Some of the moves may be too much for those who aren’t in good shape [however, they do show you modified moves] You need a pull-up bar for a lot of the sessions, you make the call. Some people report that Tony Horton can be a little annoying (but the majority like him) They up sell you their nutritional supplements on the DVDs which is a little much. You don’t need them. |
The Investment
P90X is expensive ($120.00), and the shipping is a whopping $19.95 with some bit about this being “Free” and “Express”. This part is definitely kind of scammy, but all of those television products do it. It must be part of the, “culture”
But, if you truly think you can commit to 90 days of craziness, don’t let that kind of thing stop you. The best thing to do is to find a good deal on eBay and Amazon.
However, If aren’t really gung ho, then the package is just going to gather dust.
The Real Key to Success: The Eating Plan
The package also includes a nutrition guide with meal plans, a workout calendar, a fitness plan and online support. They put you on a really strict diet, which is the real reason why people are losing so much weight!
The truth is, If you do the workouts and don’t follow the diet – you probably won’t lose any weight at all! The infomercial is slightly deceiving this way. I am not saying the workout isn’t great, but let’s be honest…
A Free Way to Lose Weight?
There is a great alternative to P90X that my pack loves. You might want to try these methods before committing to P90X (which is a big commitment). It’s a 100% free report I’ve put together that teaches you several proven methods to lose weight. In the Health Hound’s opinion, I would say that it’s a no-brainer not to at least give this free report a try.
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Ok a quick question. I’m 5’7 and 125 pounds, I am pretty physically fit, but I’m wondering if p90x will help me build muscle mass?? I run a lot and eat foods with a lot of protein and drink protein shakes. Is the p90x workout something that would help me ??
YEAH! Use weights where you max out at 8 reps to build, but honestly use all kinds of weights, your muscles will benefit from different kinds of tears. If you are worried about preserving muscle tissue and not feeling so sore, bcaa’s and glutamine will protect your muscles from being used as fuel when you work out. Make sure you eat a little more complex carbs than they sugguest in the meal plan if you are already lean. You may just want to skip the phase one nutrition all together and add some more protein to phase two.
YOU WILL DEFINATELY GAIN MUSCLE IN THIS PROGRAM.
I have been doing p90x for 3 weeks. I ave gained weight and my pants have gotten tighter, haven’t lost any inches either. I follow the diet just right what is happening? I’m afraid to go on afraid I might git bigger..
How big were you to begin with? There could be several reasons for the size increase after 3 weeks. Really, need more info to make an educated response but I wouldn’t necessarily quit because of this.
I have been doing weight watchers for about a year, and have lost about 40 pounds. It’s based on a points system- I eat 29 points a day- which converts to approx 1300 calories a day. Is this a good nutrition plan for p90x? I just ordered the DVDs, should have them in a week or so. I eat a fantastic balance of fruits, veggies, complex carbs, and lean protein- mostly from chicken, beans, and nuts. I just want to make sure I will be eating enough.
The workouts come with a nutrition plan, so you’ll be able to determine that for yourself.
I would say, if WW is working for you, keep doing it. Adding P90-X will only make it work that much better as you add muscle mass and burn more calories.
Eat the way you have been just adding the recovery shakes will be enough to make sure you have enough calories. You need them anyway
No. Tony makes a very strong point about this. If you don’t get enough fuel, you won’t be able to complete the exercises. You MUST eat to perform. At a minimum, you would need to add the additional calories you would require to complete the workouts to what you are currently eating.
is the p90x good for getting back into shape would it wrk to lose weight for a big fella
Of course! P90x is a great program for losing weight, in fact, the majority of the people purchase the program to lose weight! As long as you’re motivated, and stick to all the 90 days, and the nutritional guide, you should see some brilliant results, just like a lot of other ‘big fellas’ have.
I’ve seen lots of comments about people losing weight from participating in the P90X program, but what about gaining weight and muscle? I don’t have trouble losing weight, but rather gaining weight.
Most people do not, and will not, gain muscle mass with P90X, as you are simply not lifting heavy enough weights and most of your chest/back work is pushups/pullups. This workout is for toning up and slimming down, more than for gaining or bulking up.
I bought p90x 3 years ago and have done it in 6 month stages twice. I am currently working on my 3rd time around. It works well and yes i have put on muscle. you need to utlize heavier weights with shorter reps.. even if its 3 to 4 initially, you will eventually get higher and your nuscles will bulk up. Stay away from white flours, sugars.. even fresh juice at night is bad. I get big and trim with 3 months. But you have to really bust your tail and be discipline with your diet. Dont lie to yourself. If you thin already you need to double and half you food intake with lean proteins..good luck ..
Today I begin my 6th week. Ive gone from 324 to 300 and dropped a size in the waist. It is a bit intense, but I really enjoy it. I’m following the diet somewhat and it is working great! and Im currently working thru p90x.
I know this is a home based program, but I have no place for a pull up bar..is it possible to watch the workouts at home and complete them at my workout room near my home? Or, do you have to be in front of the TV for the whole thing?
Unless you memorize the program, you need to be in front of your TV. There are band options for the pullups.
I use the bands, and I bring the dvd with my laptop to gyms when I travel.
I cant believe that anybody doesnt believe P90X works. It works great, so do boot camps, crossfit, boxing or any other kind of booty kicking exercise we can put our minds too. i just finished breast feeding and have been knockin off my mommy pounds for a few weeks already. I rotate through P90X or my local boot camp. Great stuff.
Humm…A friend loaned his copy of the P90X program to my son. My wife and I were thinking of trying to do it also. I am 54, 5′ 9″ and 270lbs. After reading Health Hounds comment “The truth is, If you do the workouts and don’t follow the diet – you probably won’t lose any weight at all!” Like most people, I struggle to stay on a “diet” so I hesitate to go to the trouble of doing the workout. I did send for Health Hounds no bull report, so maybe that combined with the P90X will do the trick?
@Tim, Yeah, if you don’t stick with the diet the workout alone will probably only make you more hungry. I’ve been down the path many times before and ultimately what I learned is that there certainly aint any shortcuts or easy ways. However, there ways to increase your chances of success and having great results. What finally worked for me was a combination of setting attainable goals and combining p90x with the diet and some supplements. Initially i was taking CLA and green tea, but then I added so many other things that I started using a supplement called liporidex (because i was taking a bunch of the ingredients anyhow).
First I set a goal to go 1 week on the diet, doing my workout and taking all my supps everyday.
Since I’ve tried many ways to diet, this time it was really important for me that i stuck with it. So I didnt set weight goals, just timed ones.
Fast forward 3 months and I had lost 28 pounds and all my clothes fit wonderfully again. I was happy with the results, so I backed off on the frequency of p90x. However, I just continued with a 10% reduction in my daily calorie intake (vs my expected daily intake), stayed on the liporidex. Its been over a year and I still have kept the weight off!
Getting up at 4 am and watch infomercials on TV is dangerous. But I am glad I did, I just ordered P90X today! Wish me luck.
Hmmmm….. It just looks like a kids P.E. class… remember those? Nothing really special.
I’m a 54 year old female that has done P90x on and off for three years. I love the results. I’m not over weight and don’t follow the diet. Just the fact that you can do it in your own home is great. I don’t like using the bans but prefer the pushup bar. And I usually fall asleep in the middle of the yoga. . .too long. But the results and change up far surpass the negatives. I’m a supporter!!!
I will be doing my first round of P90x starting the first of the year 2012. I’m 35 and stay active and fit, but plan on taking on this challenge. I will be posting my workouts and results along with photos on a daily bases at http://www.funhomefitness.net. Wish me luck and please come by and see my progress
P90X is the best workout program that I have ever done. I road bike 3-4 times a week so thought I was in good shape until I started this. It has been great. I was not what anyone would consider fat but I lost 2 inches from my waist the first time around. I did use the diet plan for the first 6 weeks or so.
P90X is a great workout. If one can accomplish the workouts, you will definetly be fit.
If you cant perform the workouts because the are too intense, do shorter work out times and modify the exercise until you can acheive it. You will get there, maybe not in 90 days but better than not trying at all.
I’m one of the people who found Tony to be annoying. I had a borrowed copy. While the exercises were good, I found the man leading it so annoying, I didn’t finish even the first week. I suppose I could have muted the sound, but then couldn’t follow along very well. I would have done better with just a list of the exercises, reps, and some good music.
I’m 48, I wasted more than 25 years doing the standard body builging type workouts- then I found P90X. I’ve been doing the workouts “a la carte” so they fit into my sporting activities (mostly beach VB) for about 18 months. I’ve never followed the program’s order or frequencies, nor have I even opened the diet guide. Wow, what a difference. I’m just as “built” as ever, except now I’m strong, lean AND fit. For the first time I can rememeber I have no joint issues, no muscle pain, no love handles! My vertical has returned to numbers not seen since my 20′s. Even when don’t have the DVD, I still complete P90x style workouts with whatever is available. It’s a game changer.
I was wondering if the program still gives you results even if you don’t follow the diet plan
I did 5 weeks of this workout about a year ago, and I lost 14 pounds in those 5 weeks alone. I’m only 21, and I had just recently stopped playing college football at the time. I went from 212 pounds to 198 despite being in pretty good shape beforehand, and I got A LOT more muscle definition. The program definitely isn’t a cure-all (doesn’t help much for adding muscle mass if that’s what you’re interested in), but I highly recommend this program for anybody wanting to get in better general physical shape.
P 90x is the best fitness program on the bar none. It takes commitment but pays off.
I started this program out at 285 pounds and after 90 days I am at 234 pounds. This is incredible and I have tried everything. Yes I followed the diet but the diet guide is very well written and easy to follow. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
It is not all about the diet plan like this article states at all. Also, if 1 hour is considered a “big time” commitment than you are fit enough to begin this program anyway. If you eat relatively healthy at all you will lose weight on this program. And to the person doing this for a marathon or half, wrong workout program
I’m 62 and had some reservationsabout starting this.. I’m in my fifth week and the results have been amazing. I do not follow their diet closely but have trimmed back quite a bit and tossed out cokes, cakes, candy .. I’ve lost 18 pounds to date, 2 waist sizes, and my blood pressure and cholestorol really dropped. It’s not an easy program, probably the most intense exercise I’ve done since early military days. In fact I bought this from a 24 year old that gave up on it. P90X support is available and the program works.. good luck!
My husband and I are doing P90x and have been for 2 months now. Its been an interesting journey. We are not sticking to the diet plan ‘although we probably should” but we have made some gains and feel and sleep alot better than we have for a while. Tony is a good motivator and we like doing the programme. We will do the 90 days and then start over again. We are doing the double programme but I think we will go Classic next and I will go lean. Yay
I am in pretty good shape but started using the P90x routine as part of my workouts. workouts before where getting stale and this definitely gives you additional options. I do not not use the cardio portion and can say the workouts are great and I can definitely see the increase in muscle and muscle tone. I have purchased a chin up bar as well as a set of dumbells (powerblocks) which are also great and have purchased TRX for additional work. I see no negatives to his programs and would highly recommend. two thumbs up