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My P90X Journey

Does P90X Work?

The question I get the most about P90X is: Does P90X work? Well, asking if P90X works is like asking if diet and exercise work. Of course P90X works. It's good old-fashioned good nutrition and exercise, it's no gimmick. You work out 6X a week and are on a strict nutrition plan. Is it a fad diet? No. It's not a "diet" it's a nutrition plan. "Diets" don't work. Changing how you eat does work, it's a lifestyle change. You still eat like a human being, it's all laid out for you in their nutrition plan, meal-by-meal w/recipes, or doing a portion control method. Other than the obvious cutting out of junk, eating at the right time, and at the right frequency is KEY.


Why did I try P90X, of all things?

Well, one lonely depressing night in my hotel room, I was eating some chips, drinking some soda, and flipping channels. I saw the infomercial for P90X. I've always been very skeptical about workout TV shows or DVDs. It always seemed so gimmicky to me. But as I kept watching, it really made sense to me, especially the muscle confusion. The muscle confusion built into the program never allows you to plateau for too long because you are constantly getting challenged by different routines and increased intensity. Change is good!


What made P90X suit my needs?

The greatest thing about P90X, is that you don't need a lot of fancy equipment. All you really need are a set of dumbbells, and a pull-up bar. Travel a lot? You can substitute the dumbbells and pull-up bar with a set of resistance bands. You can even get some resistance bands that have a door jam attachment to simulate pull-ups. So when I travel, I can easily carry the resistance bands with me. They don't take up much space in my bag. P90X is good old-fashioned push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, pilates moves, calisthenics... things you can do using your own body weight or some resistance bands. There are days when you just do cardio - plyometrics (jump training), power yoga, kenpo karate... and other days where you just do resistance training - I never knew just how many different kinds of push-ups, pull-ups, presses, curls, lifts, squats, lunges existed before P90X.



I failed and restarted, and do not regret it

If you're on the fence, just do it. Do it. Do it. My first time, I did it, found it so hard that I had to quit after 3 days. Then I restarted and quit after a week. Took 2 weeks off to recover, because I was so sore I could barely walk or raise my arms to my head to shampoo my hair in the shower. But I restarted again from the beginning. And here I am today. I'm actually going to do another round of P90X. So I will be super ripped by summer. I hate it, but I love it.

Anyone who has ever worked out knows that the hardest part is getting started. But even after I got started I really hated it for a couple weeks. I was hatin' life. But around the 2 1/2 week mark, I started seeing results. The first 2-3 weeks are the hardest. Not only because you are so sore, but because of the diet change. The schedule change. Dragging yourself outta bed or off the couch to work out. Now... I'm always like, "Bring it! Bring it! X me! X me!" I actually get mad when I can't work out.


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90 Days Later -
I know I am not as ripped as the guys in the infomercials. But you have to understand where I started. This is just 90 days later. I feel great. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.



Final Stats

Body Fat
Before: 24%
After: 8%

Waist
Before: 39"
After: 34"

Chest
Before: 40"
After: 39"

Hips
Before: 40"
After: 37"

Right Thigh - mid
Before: 23"
After: 21"

Left Thigh - mid
Before: 23"
After: 21"

Right Arm - flexed bicep
Before: 13"
After: 14"

Left Arm - flexed bicep
Before: 13"
After: 14"

Resting Heart Rate
Before: 78
After: 62

Pull-Ups
Before: 1
After: 12

Vertical Leap
Before: 15"
After: 17"

Push-Ups - max until failure
Before: 25
After: 61

Toe Touch - sitting, legs straight, reach toward toes
Before: -5" (from toes)
After: +2" (over toes)

Wall Squat
Before: 1 min 10 sec
After: 3 min 2 sec

Bicep Curls - max
Before: 15 x 25lbs
After: 25 x 25lbs

In & Outs (ab/core/crunch maneuver) - max until failure
Before: 25
After: 117

Heart Rate Maximizer (2-minute cardio sprint, stop, 1-minute interval measurement for 4 minutes thereafter)
Before: 172, 138, 133, 127, 121
After: 161, 134, 114, 113, 106

Is it easy?

Well, if you define "easy" as sitting around and not doing much, than no, it is not easy! But if you define easy as - there is a solution to this problem, then yes, this is easy. Does it work? You cannot deny the results. You just have to do it! "Just keep pressing play" and bring it!

Now that I am done, I'm gonna do it all over again. That's right. Round 2, fight!