P90X Excercise Program

Two years ago, at 37, my doctor said I needed to get more exercise in order to raise my good cholesterol level. At the same, through some unflattering vacation pictures taken at the beach, I noticed I had slowly put on quite a bit of weight. Then I saw the infomercial for P90X, which said it could transform a regular body to a ripped one in 90 days.

The series of 12 DVDs is a 90-day workout program designed to bring the best out of everyone who accepts the challenge and pushes bodies to the limits. It is definitely a commitment, but P90X encourages users to progress at their own individual pace and allows them to customize for different goals.


Workouts are scheduled for six days a week for 13 weeks, with each lasting from 60-90 minutes. The secret to the workout schedule is what’s called muscle confusion, which is achieved by constantly changing the exercises that are performed and introducing new moves along the way. The body just doesn’t know what is going to hit it next and so never reaches a plateau. This forces it to constantly work to build muscle and burn fat.

The system contains a nutrition guide to help achieve the results you want and fuel the body so it can get there. This isn’t some quick fix diet fad, it’s learning how to eat the right foods and the right amounts. The guide comes in three phases: the fat shredder, which is high in protein; the energy booster mixes carbohydrates with protein; and the energy maximizer, featuring a concentration on complex carbohydrates and lean protein. A fitness guide also provides tips for avoiding injuries.
  As with any exercise regimen, there are pros and cons, but for P90X the good outweighs the bad. What I like best is how the routines are changed on a regular basis. This keeps the workouts from getting stale by repeating the same thing over and over. In fact, you can go almost two weeks without doing the same workout twice. Resistance bands and dumbbells will be necessary for strength exercises, and a pull up bar is recommended though resistance bands can be substituted. Other than that, the workouts use the resistance of your own body.

The main knock against the program is the length of the exercises. For those of us who have trouble working in a 20 minute routine, this can be a challenge. But if you want the results, you’ll find a way. There’s also a risk of burnout from exercising six days a week.
There is an optional line of supplements recommended to go along with the program.
If you’re not quite ready for P90X, there’s the original P90 program, which is more of a beginning workout routine. The exercises are shorter and there are two levels. After completing P90X, users might want to graduate to P90X Plus, which has five more workouts on four DVDs.

For those who are ready and committed to transforming their body, P90X is definitely the way to go. It sets a workout schedule to reach your fitness goals and provides the tools to achieve them. It is definitely not for couch potatoes. If you have the commitment you will lose weight and add definition to your body.