The Scoop on P90X: A Look at an Extreme Home Fitness Program

Get an inside look at the home fitness fad that stands by its “beach body” image and find out what it needs to “bring it.”

 

Like advertisements for any home fitness program, infomercials on P90X promise results within a specific time frame: 90 days in this case. It sounds better to be accurate, but unlike most home fitness programs, P90X incorporates hundreds of exercises with cardio and strength training. With a little bit of dedication, most people will find themselves pleased with the result P90X gives.

P90X, short for Power 90 Extreme, boasts three different workout variations:

 

• Classic: This is for people who are just beginning a workout routine and need to build muscle and endurance. There is more strength training than cardio.
• Doubles: Slightly more “hard-core” than Classic, Doubles is heavy on the strength training, with a side of cardio.
• Lean: This variation is 50% cardio training, with strength and stretching intertwined. It’s for those who want to tone already developed muscles or who like cardio.

P90X comes with 12 DVDs, each with a different workout ranging from one to one and a half hours. Not only are there cardio and strength-training workouts, but there is also yoga and stretching. One of the two manuals that accompany the DVDs explains how the DVDs are to be used, which will differ depending on the workout variation. There are also two bonus workouts on a separate DVD.

Home-Fitness Equipment

There is some essential workout equipment that one needs before jumping into P90X. Heart-rate monitors and yoga blocks are used in the instructional DVDs, and while they can be useful, they aren’t required to make P90X a success. The necessary equipment is relatively cheap and easy to shop for.

• Yoga or workout mat: This isn’t necessary, but some people might not want to lay directly on the floor for exercises. These run from $20-$40 in Academy.
• Hand weights or bands: Having both is more convenient, but either one works fine. Workout bands do not have to be super thick. A set of hand weights runs from $14-$25, depending on the heft.
• Chair: Chances are everyone has one of these!
• Chin-up bar: This is only necessary for a couple of the workouts, and weights could probably be used if worse came to worse. Chin-up bars run an average of $30.

Remember that P90X comes with two manuals. The second manual is a detailed nutrition guide where good nutrition and healthy eating are stressed. For those who want a general outline of what to eat, a list of foods to buy is suggested. For those who want more structure, meals are written out in detail. The nutrition manual is explicitly tailored to P90X. It stresses more proteins than carbs at first, and as the program intensifies, more carbs are worked into the diet.

Workout + Nutrition = Success

With the great variety of workouts P90X offers, consumers feel like they are working hard at a gym. Since P90X only allows one day of rest from activities each week, it is an extreme program. The nutrition booklet is excellent supplementary material, and it would be almost impossible not to see results when pairing the intense workouts with the superb nutrition recommended. Take a peek at each of the DVDs at the P90X website and see how extreme home fitness can be!