Posted: 5/19/2008 9:22:12 AM EDT
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I figured I would make a thread, as a motivator for myself and to post my results from doing P90X for others to read. I read the thread on P90X on here the other day, and also did some research on other boards. I liked what everyone had to say about the program, so I bought it. I also bought a power tower to put in our spare bedroom, instead of using one of the door pull up bars in this cheaply built apartment. I will be starting the first round of exercises this afternoon. My roommates are going to be doing it with me(we split the cost 3 ways on everything), so I will have some motivation and competition. I wanted something different to do, and this seems to be it, I've got everything set up in our spare room, and am going to be following the diet as close as I can. I'll post some pictures later of myself. I weigh 230lbs at 5'9". |
Here are the ones I can get now on my own:   I lost some weight on Atkins and exercising, and I hope to lose more. Here is a before picture from a couple of months ago:  ETA: Dang it, my pictures are sideways. I'll figure that out later |
| Didn't get the workout for today done...we set up the spare bedroom like we wanted it with the TV and all in it, and got ready to work out, and the darn thing's remote will not work. I'm going to go pick one up after class in the morning, and then get to working on it. I did stick to the diet today, so I guess that is part of it. Hopefully things go better tomorrow. |
Basically a bunch of bodyweight(and some exercises using dumbells) exercises that are intense. For example, here is part of what I did today in the chest and back workout: Wide Grip Pull ups close grip pull ups curl-type pull ups wide push ups diamond push ups military push ups regular push ups decline push ups And I forget the rest, there was a few more to go along with it, not including the ab workout. My chest and back are worn out. The workouts were timed, you did as many as you could in that time period, then we repeated all of the workouts. It takes approximately an hour to complete, and another 16 minutes for the ab workout. It got to the point that I couldn't even do a complete push up at all near the end, my arms would just give out. It is a good burn. If I was to do this again, I would get someone who has done the program before and buy the stuff from them, or do something like that. It is pretty easy to follow, and I like the way that the timer works on the screen. If you have any more questions I'd be more than happy to try to answer them, I've just gotta get to bed now. |
Shouldn't be any problem to modify it. I can't do a full pull up, and have to use a chair for assistance. I hope that within a week I can do some on my own, without assistance. They give you tips all along the way on how to do it if you can't fully do the exercise. 
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tagaro i just finished a strength cycle (6 weeks of heavy compound exercises, squat, dead lift, bench etc.). I put on 10lbs and jacked my bench. But...i don't feel like it is totally functional strength, if that makes sense. I tagged your thread, keep us up dated please, thanks in advance. |
Any tips you have? I used to have trouble doing them in high school, then I started one day just trying to do them, and within a week I could do like 2 of them, and worked my way up to 5 or so. That's been awhile ago, and I didn't work out for a couple of years. I'm getting ready to go do the 2nd workout, and I'll edit this post and put my feelings about it in here. |
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OK here you go. See if some of this helps: Pull-ups are a function of grip strength. Work your grip. Buy a COC gripper or 2 and use them. Gloves and pull-ups don't mix. Buy yourself a piece of rope, tie it up in a tree and climb it. I did this one summer and it made all the difference in the world. My numbers went up and went up fast. It's also pretty impressive, and chicks dig it. It will also work on your grip. If you can't do one pull-up, do negatives. Get your chin up over the bar some way and slowly lower yourself. Do timed hangs from the bar. You can also add additional weight if you feel froggy. Doing lat pull downs to increase the number of pull-ups you do is a waste of time. Overhead pressing is one of the things I do along with pull-ups since it works the antagonistic muscles. I like to do these as a superset. Oh, and it doesn't matter whether you use a machine or open bar for your overhead stuff. |
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Thanks 338, I'll try some of those out and see if they help. About the only thing I can't do from that list is the whole rope in tree thing, as I in college right now at an apartment complex, and there are no big trees close by, but next time I go to my parents' house I may try it. Oh, and about the controlled let downs, one of my friends told me about this yesterday. He is going to school for sports medicine or some such stuff, and told me this would help me. I'm going to get him to help me out some in the next week or so. Today, I did plyometrics, which is a bunch of jumping and squatting maneuvers. It is brutal and pretty much nonstop for the whole hour you are doing it. I think there are like 4 or 5 30 second water breaks in it. With 13 minutes left, I was hurting. I kept going, just not as intense, and now I know next time to take it a little easier, just not much easier. If anyone wants any info on the exercises done in plyometrics, I'll be glad to post them later on after work tonight. |
Yeah, there are 12 DVDs. You go by whichever one it says to go by that day, on one of the books that comes with it. Pretty easy to follow, and you can modify it a bit to your own tastes. Tomorrow is shoulders and back I believe, with Ab Ripper X. I'll update how that goes tomorrow night after I get off work and do the exercise. |
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My legs are still tired from the plyometrics from yesterday. A good soreness. Today was shoulders and arms. I liked this exercise, it is pretty much a combination of a bunch of different styles of curls, some shoulder flys, and some triceps workouts. Feels pretty good, and I'm sure tomorrow it is going to feel even better, lol. Tomorrow is yoga day on the DVD's, and I'm not really looking forward to it, but I am going to push through it anyhow. |
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Well I believe I may have pulled a groin muscle at work yesterday. It hurt so bad last night I couldn't do the yoga. I've got to go to work nearly all day today, so I have got to do up an accident report in case I've gotta go to the doctor. If it doesn't feel better in the next couple of days I will be going to the doctors. I'll probably do today's exercise, which is legs and back. I'm going to test it out anyhow, and if it is still hurting I will not be doing it. 
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All really good suggestions. I do all the above minus the rope(no big trees where I live) P90X rocks, stick with it. |
I haven't seen you since Christmas. How you been? |
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Started back today, my groin muscle isn't hurting very bad today. I did chest and back again today, just like last Tuesday. Good feeling doing it, and I did 1 pull up at the beginning on my own without the help of a chair, so I am progressing some. I look forward to being able to do more in the near future. Getting ready to go do some cardio work, as I am starting to implement some of the P90X Lean program into the regular P90X(basically a couple of days of cardio). I'm taking it easy today, probably going to just get on the treadmill and walk for 30 or so minutes, I do not want to hurt myself anymore. Oh, and hopefully later on this week I can update the first post with a day-by-day workout routine that is outlined in P90x, for those who do not want to buy the DVD set or just want to implement some of the workouts into their routine. |
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I'm DONE with the first four weeks of P90X. I can say I'm very glad I started this routine and I'm glad you did too, beacuse its a really good workout! The best I've ever done. If your goal is to shed that fat, you need to really step up the cardio. Do the P90X regular for the first month and go jogging three times a week (at least) on the days you do weights. Then the second and third month do the "doubles". I went jogging for the second time yesterday since I started the program and let me tell you, I'm back to my old running times when i used to run 6 miles three times a week. I'll post pics so that you see my results, trust me, if you stick with p90x and eating well you'll see good results. |
Congrats on finishing the first phase. Since I pulled my groin muscle last week, I am not really counting that week, and decided just to start over again this week. I'll be finished with the first phase about the same week I get finished with summer sessions, so I'm going to start the doubles then, and incorporate a bit more cardio into it. I try to do 3 times a week anyhow of cardio, just because I like it. Lets see some pictures sometimes so we can see how you are progressing.
I went to Wal-Mart and bought a set of adjustable dumbbells for this. I wish I could have afforded more dumbbells, but it's just not feasible right now. Anyhow, mine go up to 20lbs a piece, and I plan on buying a few more plates to put on there to get to 25 and 30. I'd say the weight range you are talking about would be fine for someone starting off. |
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I added a picture of myself at two and a half weeks here if you wanto check it out: ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=113&t=701401 |
There is a guideline for what shape you need to be in prior to starting this. I would say, 1. Be able to do 20+ pushups in one sitting right. 2. be able to do 2-3 pullups. 3. Cant be very heavy(Some exercises might be hard on the joints) |
Pretty much. Tomorrow I am going to try to type up a guide in the first post in this thread about a couple of the different days and what is done on those days. I hope I get time to do it, as right now in the next couple of weeks I am going to be busy with work and school. I'll type up some other recommendations and whatnot also when I get around to it. |
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Alright, done with another week of P90x. I can see a difference already, I was at 43" in the belly a couple of weeks ago, and am now at 41". I had some girls from work comment on me losing weight today, and that made me feel even better. I am going to run the first phase of P90X for an extra week, since I strained my groin muscle last week and I wasn't 100% this week. I think one extra week would do it. I am probably also going to change up my diet some when I start the next phase, but I will be out of summer sessions then in school, so I will have more of my morning to work out. |
| Alright, I bought a body fat caliper yesterday. So far after trying it out many different times, I am getting on average 21.2% body fat, maybe a little more. I have been noticing my stomach tightening, but I don't know what I started out at. I am going to keep doing it over the next few days, to see if it changes any. I followed the directions and all, but might get my girlfriend to do it for me and see what she gets. |
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I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think I will be continuing with P90X anymore. It is a hassle for me to get back from class, do cardio at the little gym place at the apartment complex, then do another hour(1.5hours for yoga) with P90X, then get ready to go to work. I like the exercises, so I will probably incorporate them into my workouts in the gym, and just spend some extra time in the gym. I did see some results from this program, and I honestly recommend it to someone who wants to do P90X STRICTLY as their workout. However, I like the atmosphere of a gym better, and just feel like I need to stop P90X now. I will probably list it for sale tomorrow on the EE. If anyone wants it, I'm going to put a good price on it and the first person with the money gets it. Sorry folks, I just do not think this is working with what I want to do right now. Would I do it again? Maybe. I think the exercises in it are great, and can see how after 90 days you should see some results. I wish I had been in a little better shape before I started it, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Anyhow, just wanted to inform y'all. I am going to be participating in the new weight loss thread, and have spent some time this evening studying up on some exercises and food choices. -Chad |
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Sorry to hear that. I'm getting done with the third week of the second month. All I can say, "I love it, but I hate it" (no kidding!) I'm starting p90x plus after I'm done with p90x. Looking foward. If p90x is not for you, oh well, you will find something that works for you! Thats all that matters. |
Actually, I was lying in bed last night thinking about it, and think that I can incorporate some of the exercises such as plyometrics and kenpo into my weekly routine. I liked(but hated) both of these workouts. I'm going to have to do me up a training log. So, I won't be selling it right now. 
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I finally got around to doing just that. I've been doing strength training only for a while and been meaning to put some cardio in it. I was sorta dreading adding in some of the P90X routines after doing P90 but I think that the P90X Cardio and the P90X Kenpo X are actually a tad bit easier than the P90 routine. I guess since they are using 12 DVD's they didn't have to try cramming as much into every one of them. I probably won't mess with the Plyometrics DVD since that one looks like death and I'm already hitting it hard with weights 3 times a week. |