P90X: Miracle or Snake Oil???
TheCanMan
GT: Gasman122009JerseyRegistered User regular
GT: Gasman122009JerseyRegistered User regular
I can't stop watching the P90X infomercial. I'll just be flipping through the channels, stumble across it, and half an hour later I'm looking down at my gut fantasizing about what it'd be like to actually be in shape for the first time since high school (which by now is 15 years ago).
Does anyone know whether or not it's just another YMMV situation (aka - the results shown in the infomercial require an act of God), or is it actually effective for normal people?
Does anyone know whether or not it's just another YMMV situation (aka - the results shown in the infomercial require an act of God), or is it actually effective for normal people?
TheCanMan on
0
Posts
However - after about 3 months of watching the same DVDs over, and over, and over, they will get pretty boring. (My husband was to the point that he could repeat every word on the DVD...) It's probably better to look at the fitness thread on the forums, and set up a routine, along with a good diet. It's generally cheaper, as well. ;-)
The only way to justify paying for something along those lines is if you are a very particular type of individual that is able to manage their own time, but needs strict regimentation.
Otherwise, you're better off spending your money on a gym membership and starting a more normal routine.
I was more concerned about my parenthetical. I know that everyone's results will vary depending on a ton of factors. But I just didn't want to get tricked into buying something that has only delivered results to the small handful of people giving testimonials in the infomercial while everyone else struggles to see anything. I'm also concerned that the whole "muscle confusion" thing is just a gimmick and don't want to get con'd by an effective marketing team.
And I definitely wouldn't be paying the $120 they're asking for in the commercial. I'd probably end up getting it used on ebay or craigslist or something.
It's not snake oil - it's the same shit every other diet / workout plan tells you to do.
The benefit, in my opinion, is that it is idiot proof. You do the exercises, like they tell you to do, and you eat, what they tell you to do, and you get stronger, faster, and look better.
Is it any different than any other workout? No, not really. Muscle Confusion is the same thing as "plateauing" in traditional workouts or "stalling" in lifting.
So, it works. You would see the same results doing a 7 day a week workout and eating a high protein low carb diet rather than p90x, but this program makes it rather idiot proof.
See, that's really the only reason I'm even thinking about it. When it comes to fitness/diet, I'm pretty much an idiot.
edit: You and most of the human race, canman.
That's what makes it so cool. You do the workout like the guy says to do it. If you can't do it that way, then he shows you an easier way to do it. Then in a few weeks, you do it a real way. You eat like he tells you to do and you see results.
Also, it lets you start doing pull ups. Which, to a fatty like me, was like having sex for the first time. Knocking out pull ups makes you feel like a God.
Well, echoing other posters, it's effective as anything if you can stick with it.
I know a big fat 0 people that were able to stick with it.
Good luck though! If you have the motivation to do it, and it's what you need to stay motivated, then there is nothing wrong with such a system.
I'd want to stop at day 30 guy (MAYBE day 60). Is that possible? Just restricting yourself to a certain number of the DVDs?
I don't think it works like that. I'd guess you could probably just do it until you hit your personal goal and then stop (and resume a more "normal" workout/eating routine).
Meh. I'd probably be just better off going to a trainer then and telling them the point I want to get to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_%28Home_exercise_system%29#Insanity
Thats insane!
If you stick with it, it absolutely works. It's nothing revolutionary, it's just working your ass off. Each routine is an hour long, six days a week. It's a lot of fucking work. And you will be in agony your first week. But once your body gets used to the routine, it's amazing.
Also, you will probably never look like day 90 guy up there. Those are the top of the top results. They eat the meal plan, they did the workout without fail. I follow the routine, but the food plan nearly tripled my grocery bill. I eat decent, but I can't afford to follow the plan exactly (it's a ton of protein.)
xbl - HowYouGetAnts
steam - WeAreAllGeth
Added: Am I smelling a reason for perhaps the H&A fitness thread to allow to be reborn maybe? Pretty please? If we promise to be good and not make Tube angry with it?
But don't forget, 80-90% of the results is actually just your diet.
Anyway, P90X works as well as any other rigorous diet/exercise routine. The catch is that it's really fucking hard to stay committed to it for the duration. It's hard to do, and if you aren't already somewhat athletic and aren't already familiar with good workout form, it's pretty easy to get injured.
ed: also, of course you can stop or dial back the program whenever you hit your personal goals. It's not as though day 60 guy will turn into a fatass pumpkin if he doesn't follow through to day 90.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Pleeeeeeeeease! Can we, can we, can we?
The videos are great, because they show four people doing the same workout, but at different intensities. So they have one guy going crazy, one guy going medium and another guy going light. Tony kind of annoys me, personally, so I just put it on mute and turn on subtitles while I play my own music.
e: Also, yeah, you need to be in relatively decent shape before you start. It's definately not a beginner's workout. Not saying you need to be able to run a five minute mile, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're going from sedentary to p90x.
xbl - HowYouGetAnts
steam - WeAreAllGeth
If you're lazy like me, then you might want to try doing it with a a friend or an SO to help you stay motivated!
My advice if you want to get in shape, start a real workout routine. Get a gym membership and lift, lift, lift. I didn't think I could but I went from 140 to almost 170. Now it wasn't all muscle, and I didn't look like a before and after picture, but I was in much better shape, felt better, was much stronger and in general just felt great about it. It takes motivation and dedication, not a set of DVDs.
I've been going to gyms, off and on for years. I get in shape, then lose interest. Get in shape, then lose interest.
Nah, it's too cold to drive to the gym. I'm too tired to drive to the gym. I need dinner, etc.
But with p90, I just come home and head upstairs. It works for me. I've never followed such a strict routine so hard. So yeah, if you can stick with a gym, great. But I don't stick with gyms. This cost me roughly three months of my gym membership. So in four weeks or so, it will have paid for itself.
So if it gets someone working out, don't discourage that.
xbl - HowYouGetAnts
steam - WeAreAllGeth
It absolutely works.
It's not promising anything other than exactly what you put into it. It's an hour to an hour and a half long workout every day of the week for 90 days.
If you worked out hard for an hour and a half every day for 90 days without those dvds you'd get in shape. It's a ton of work, though, and if you cheat, it won't work.
EDIT: posted without reading a lot of the responses.
To the people who are telling you that its a huge waste of money and to just get a gym membership, good luck, unless you really know what you are doing. p90x is good because it provides you with exercises and instruction on how to do them. Unless you're willing to pay for a personal trainer, if you are new to fitness, you are going to have a hell of a time going to a gym and picking things up right away.
I'd still prefer a more conventional strength training routine, though.
Getting the 90 day results will only work for a few people, who have that specific build and determination. Everyone else is gonna have to modify it a bit in order to get those results.
Take me for example. I'm barely above 140, and i'm 6'0". I have a hypermetabolism. For me to get that kind of cut is going to take a hell of a lot more than the PX90 plan. Don't get me wrong, it will work for me, but I won't get jacked like that in simply 90 days. To be honest it could take upwards of a year and a lot of added food expenses before I reach that goal.
Same goes for the dude with the beer gut. It's going to take a hell of a lot more effort than that before you can get a similar trim.
What you have pictured are people with Meromorphic builds. Their bodies are naturally athletic, even if they're completely out of shape. They can drop and put on weight without working too hard, and their build is designed to take more abuse. It's just genetics, plain and simple.
So if you have one of these builds, congrats! I say go for it. Any workout routine will do wonders for you.
If not? Figure out a better plan designed exclusively with your build in mind, else you'll only slow your progress down.
Dude said he wanted to get in shape, though.
If he's looking to get super cut and have washboard abs, then yeah, YMMV to the max.
But if he's looking to get in shape, this system will guarantee that he will be healthier and more physically fit.
I'm pretty thin everywhere except for I've got an ass (which is fine and fiiiiine) and a little gut. How the fuck do I get rid of the gut? Diet? Exercise? I'm 34, 5'11, and 165. Ideas?
I bought it new from them, started a round and made it about 45 days till a trip got me off course. Started back up at day 1 and made it all the way to 90. It took about 2 weeks longer than 90 days due to us extending a few rest days and my workout buddy having surgery.
I'm not really following any diet plan, in fact sometimes my diet is pretty horrible but definitely noticed a change in what I can do now and build. I'm 6'0 and around 178lb and when I started I could barely get halfway down in a diamond pushup, I can crank out 15+ no problem now.
You have to stick with it, like Tony says, its a commitment. I know tons of people that have it and either drop due to the work or just burn out. You could find all the info online and do the routines without buying it but if you want it all in a package, its worth it.
The workout routine for Day 1 is the same as Day 90 (don't take this literally, there's obviously different muscle group focuses,etc). Rather than giving you "easier" things and then making you do tough stuff later on, you start out with tough stuff and Tony tells you to do as many as you can.
The fact that you can immediately see results/progress with this is a huge confidence booster.