P90x Review

When I first started losing weight, I focused on what I was eating first. I didn't actually start any kind of working out until after I had lost about 50 pounds. After that I started walking, then tried jogging briefly, and then I was introduced to P90x.

P90x is a 90 day fitness program sold by Beach Body, a large company that sells both nutritional products and workout programs. They've made quite a name for themselves and many, many people have lost weight using their products. I would say that P90x is not a program that I would recommend for a very beginner. I think I could have done well to start with something a bit less extreme, but I wasn't really all that aware of what was out there, so I jumped right in.

When you buy P90x, you pay $140 and you get 12 DVDs, a nutritional guide, a workout calendar, and access to an online community for support and guidance. The  DVDs include:

*Chest & Back                                          * X Stretch
* Plyometrics                                              * Core Synergistics
* Shoulders & Arms                                   * Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
* Yoga X                                                   * Back & Biceps
* Legs & Back                                           * Cardio X
* Kenpo X                                                 * Ab Ripper X

You can CLICK HERE for a sample view of each of the discs.

The program follows a concept of muscle confusion, meaning you won't be working the same muscle areas two days in a row. You work one area enough and then let it rest and move on to another area. In this theory, the body never gets accustomed to what is thrown at it, and therefore you won't plateau. It also gives your sore muscles a chance to recover before hitting them hard again. The program lasts a total of 13 weeks. I can definitely guarantee that you will get results if you follow this program. Of course, you need to follow the nutritional side of things too, but the workouts are enough to get major results.

With the discs, you have to watch to make sure that you perform the moves with good form though, or you may end up hurting yourself. The Plyometric DVD can also be hard on your knees if you have bad knees, as it involves jump training. I've never typically had bad knees, but did notice a bit of tenderness when doing the jumping and twisting motions, so you will want to watch that. I think that if I were to try it now, I would have better success though, since I'm at a lighter weight than when I first tried P90x. The jump training does not require any equipment, but many of the DVDs do. In most cases you can get away with most of them with a good set of workout bands. However, if you don't want to do the band version, the program calls for free weights and a pull-up bar.

A great thing about the program is that there is a lot of variety. You will be doing 12 discs over the course of 13 weeks, so it's much favorable to doing the same workout every day, back to back. I can also say that it is fun. I know you don't typically think of working out as fun, and it may not be quite the same as a dance workout or sports, but Tony Horton, the instructor in the DVDs keeps things lively and if you're not grunting from the workout, you'll be giggling. He's a hoot! He can get a bit chatty though, which leads me to another negative for the program. The workouts are typically an hour long, which can be a bit more than most people can fit into their daily schedules. I have found though, that once you get a handle on the workouts, you can fast forward a bit through the instructional part of the DVDs and chop off quite a bit of time. You should never rush a workout, and always should strive for good form, but there's nothing wrong with skipping the "how-to" part of a DVD when you've done it five times.

To sum it up:

Postives

• Full of variety
• Guaranteed to get you results
• You get a lot in the package
• The online community is a great resource
• Tony is an entertaining instructor
• Comes with a 90 Day - Money Back Guarantee

 Negatives

•  A bit expensive
• Workouts run a little long (one hour)
• You will need equipment (free weights or bands, pull up bar or bands)
• Tony can get a bit chatty
• It will make you hurt (but that's a good thing, so should probably be in my positives list!)

Beach Body offers a wide variety of workout programs for people of all fitness levels. In addition to P90x, there is also  P90X2 (more difficult), P90X Plus (more difficult), Power 90 (less difficult). If you're looking for something with dance, they've got Hip Hop Abs. If you want High Intensity Interval Training, they've got Insanity. If you want something to boost your booty, they've got Brazil Butt Lift. I can almost guarantee they have a product for you if you look. I think the programs are a bit expensive, but I've seen the results. They are going to get you where you want to go, if you follow the program. So I give them, and specifically P90x, a thumbs up!

I hope you enjoyed my first product review. I hope to share more as I get into writing more in the blog. Have a great week!