How Much Does P90x Diet Cost
P90X Calendar to set your workout goals, track your progress, and stay motivated. Nutrition Plan designed to work in tandem with the P90X system. This three-phase eating plan recommends the perfect combination of foods to satisfy your body's energy needs every step of the way. P90X Fitness Guide provides a road map and plan of attack for using. How Much Does P90X Cost Iwantagreatbody. Unsubscribe from Iwantagreatbody? P90X Nutrition Plan P90X Diet Review - Duration: 9:08. WorkoutAdventure 30,589 views. Some membership options are bundled with a nutrition subscription which costs $60-$100 more than the fitness-only plan. How Do You Cancel Beachbody? Beachbody says that you can cancel your membership at any time by calling 1-(800)-470-7870 or by visiting this website.
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- How Much Does P90x Cost
P90x review time.I don’t do a lot of reviews on my site but today I’m going to tackle the granddaddy of home workout programs, P90x.
First let’s get this out the way: Unlike most P90x reviews this is not going to be some feel-good story filled with fairies and unicorns about how P90x has changed my life.
Quite the opposite.
This is going to be a brutally honest P90x workout review and analysis of its system and methodology.
Let’s get to it.
Muscle confusion is (kinda) bullshit
Yeah that’s right, I said it.
In P90x, muscle confusion basically states that you must consistently switch up your exercise selection to continue to burn fat, build muscle, and avoid plateaus.
There is some truth to this but a lot of the theory behind muscle confusion is bullshit.
Your muscles can’t get “confused.” Sorry to break the bad news. As a human being, you and your thoughts can get confused (like when you go to Bangkok and find out half the girls there are dudes). But your muscles can’t get confused. Making your workout more confusing doesn’t result in a more effective workout.
Your muscles can ONLY adapt to volume and load. This means that if you want to gain more muscle, you need to be progressively push more weight and/or reps. For example, this can be as simple as going from only being able to do 1 push-up to being able to do 2 push-ups. You progressed from 1 to 2 so your muscles will automatically get stronger. And when you’re able to do 50 push ups, you’re going to have much stronger muscles.
See what I mean? You progressed from 1 to 50 so your muscles are now bigger and stronger. Boom! Logic and common sense FTW, none of that muscle confusion silliness.
P90x review: The workouts are overkill and unnecessary
With P90x you workout 6-7 times per week depending on whether you take the 7th day as a Rest or “X Stretch” day.
Day 1 – Chest&Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Plyometrics
Day 3 – Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – Yoga X
Day 5 – Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6: KenpoX
Day 7: Rest or X Stretch
7x per week workouts. Fuck…
Professional athletes train 5-7 times per week, so why would an average Joe who simply wants to lose weight and look better need to workout every single day.
The answer – there is no need to train 7 days per week. This is just all part of P90x’s extreme branding. Obviously you’re going to be tired and incredibly sore from doing P90x so people inevitably say it’s “working” for them.
Even if you’re an advanced trainer, I can almost never recommend training 7 days per week. Granted some of these days are more relaxed than others (yoga and stretching) but still, training 7 days per week is unnecessary especially if your goal is to simply look and feel good (which is probably what most are trying to accomplish).
Will P90x get results if you do it? Yes absolutely, but it is by far one of the least optimal approaches to losing weight.
When it comes to fat loss, one of the best approaches to working out is to simply train 3-4 times per week to mainly preserve muscle mass, and to let your diet create the majority of the calorie deficit and burn fat. P90x takes the opposite approach – it tries to use the workout to create a calorie deficit/burn fat and the diet to sustain energy.
It’s much easier to eat 100 less calories than it is to burn 100 calories via exercise.
P90x review: Dieting not made easy
I’m not going to dive into the dieting section much since it’s a very very typical eat every 2-3 hours, 6 meals per day “eat clean” diet. You’ll also get the and exact meal plan to follow in the diet section.
And I am not a fan of these typical diets mostly because they’re restrictive, allow no room for error, and makes you form a bad relationship with food.
Not to mention the fact that the whole “You need to eat breakfast and eat every 2-3 hours.” saying is complete myth. Sorry, eating every 2-3 hours does not boost your metabolism.
You can eat 1 meal per day or you can eat 6 meals per day. It doesn’t matter.
Dieting is a lifestyle change but do you really want to live a lifestyle where you have to eat every 2-3 hours on the clock and can only eat a specific list of foods. Of course not, that’s lame. You want to live a life where ice cream and doughnuts are regularly involved.
I really like how Nate Miyaki’s approach to dieting, Feat Your Fat Away where you get to feast on food every night and still lose fat. His approach makes it super flexible and easy to lose fat.
Why do you want to do P90x?
Serious question: Why do you want to do P90x? Just be honest.
Most people who do P90x fall into the following categories:
- You simply want to get in shape (lose fat and build a little muscle).
- You want to get in shape but are too lazy or embarrassed to go to the gym
- You want to get absolutely ripped and need an intense workout program to help you do that.
People in category 1 are typically the beginners. They end up doing P90x because they simply believe it’s the best option. They constantly hear their friends talk about it, they see the infomercials, and what the hell, it’s the New Year so I may as well give this new workout a shot, right?
Those in category 2 have probably already tried losing weight in the past with no success. Perhaps they went to the gym and had no idea what they were doing or perhaps they had a bad experience with a personal trainer that touched them in weird places. Now they simply want to stay in the comfort of the home and maybe give this P90x thing a shot.
Category 3 people are those who are already familiar with working out but want to give themselves more of a challenge. These aren’t beginners, but they want a workout to push their body to the limit.
To be completely honest, the only people who should do P90x are category 3 people. If you find yourself in category 1 or 2, P90x is going to be overkill for you. There are much better options out there.
Conclusion: P90x gets results but it’s not the optimal solution for weight loss
I know what you’re going to say.
“But Tony Horton does P90x and he’s ripped.”
“But my friend’s uncle’s second cousin did P90x and he lost a ton of weight.”
“Shut the hell up, obviously P90x works since so many people have used it and got in shape.”
And you’re 110% right. If you follow P90x to the letter, you will get results. You will lose weight and look better, guaranteed.
But you don’t need to do P90x to lose weight and get in shape. If you truly want to improve your conditioning, then P90x may be right for you otherwise it’s a bit pointless.
In fact when you talk to people who do P90x, all you do is hear them bitch and moan about how tough the workout is and how it’s kicking their ass. “Oh man, P90x is so hard but I know it’s working because I’m so sore.” No shit Sherlock, if you do any intense workout that you’ve never done before, you’re going to be sore. And people always tend to equate soreness to results even though it’s not true (but that’s another article altogether).
My point is – P90x works but it’s not optimal if you simply wan to to lose weight and get in shape. There are just so many more effective and simple options out there. Whether you’re looking for a great at-home workout routine (I like Bodyweight Burn) or you can just go to the gym 3x per week and do a few simple strength training workouts.
And boom, you’re done. There’s no need to train 6-7 times per week…absolutely no reason at all.
Remember, use your diet to lose weight and your workout to build/maintain muscle.
P90x review breakdown
Pros:
- Exact meal plans for those who don’t know what to cook
- Good workouts for building endurance and overall conditioning
Cons:
- Over the top and unnecessary workouts if you simply want to lose weight and look/feel good
- Absolutely no science to back up muscle confusion
- Diet plan is laughably cliche – your typical eat 6 meals per day, eat clean stuff
Overall P90x score – 6.5/10
Need a more better home workout routine than P90x?
So if P90x isn’t as great everyone else makes it out to be, what are you suppose to do use for a home workout program?
There are a ton of great options but one of my favorite programs is Bodyweight Burn by Adam Steer.
It’s a fantastic program that allows you get a great workout in as little as 21 minutes. To some that might not seem like a lot but if done effectively like in Bodyweight Burn, sometimes that’s all you need.
I know I’m in the minority when it comes to doing more negative P90x reviews, so PLEASE leave any questions or comments you have in the comment section below. I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you have. As Tony Horton would say, “Bring It!”
The all important question, 'Does P90X work?' Frankly it can work, but I really don't like it and don't think it works for most people.
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My P90X review, in a nutshell, is that it's mostly slick marketing. Of course you might be able to make it work, if you have the money and are exceptionally dedicated. But for most people, no.
Does P90X Work? The P90X System
How Much Does P90x Diet Cost Plan
Beachbody's P90X workout program is impressive in its scope. I bought a basic P90X course to see if it was all it's cracked up to being.
Because I'm a cheapskate, I bought it used on eBay. My gut instinct was that I don't want to drop a ton of money on a system to review, so I was a bargain hunter.
Here's the basic P90X pack...
- P90X Fitness Guide
- P90X Nutrition Plan
- P90X Calendar
- P90X 'How To Being It' video [DVD or VHS]
These three guides outline the P90X fitness and nutrition and workout system. In exhaustive detail. Oh, and the DVDs have the workouts.
One thing I like is that everything is spelled out to the letter. If you manage to read the whole system and look at it all together, there's a lot of good workouts and nutrition ideas there.
But, one major flaw is that it's a HUGE system. Just reading through all the workouts and finding out exactly what is required from you on each day is a daunting task. The Quickstart Guide really isn't much of a help.
If you can read and digest the info, great. But it's hard, especially if you want to just jump right into exercising.
Does P90X Work? 12 Workouts on DVD
There are 12 different workouts on the DVDs. The plus of this is, I guess, that you'll never get bored burning calories and building muscle. I personally think this is just a recipe for confusion.
But actually, confusion is the major goal of the workout. Muscle confusion that is.
See, there's this theory that if you change up your workout frequently you'll see greater muscle gains. Your muscles will get 'confused', and grow more with each different workout.
The concept of muscle confusions is B.S., in my humble opinion. A given muscle can only contract in one direction, and no amount of variations will make that muscle contract differently. That's just how muscles work.
Now, I'll be the first one to say that a workout can get old and new lifts and movements can be fun. But don't do some stupid 'muscle confusion' thing - you'll just be deluding yourself.
Also, they have kenpo karate and yoga workouts, which (if you want to do them right) you'll need a competent teacher for. I really think that, with the intensity and frequency of the workouts, and the movements they want you to do, you can hurt yourself with these workouts if you're not careful.
Does P90X Work? P90X Quickstart Guide
The P90X quick start guide is essentially worthless. It lists all the equipment you need to start the program (an absurdamount), as well as all the supplements and other garbage they want you to buy.
Basically, it's a sales brochure. It's purpose is to make you spend more money on Beachbody merchandise. Worthless.
For starting quick, does P90X work? No.
The P90X nutrition guide has recipes for different calories levels, based on how much you weight. And I like the recipes - they emphasize healthy, basic foods, eating in moderation and in small portion sizes, and eating to fuel your exercise (not solely for pleasure).
All good stuff!
Now, the P90X diet (in all its forms) is a classic low-fat diet. Which can work, though fat isn't inherently bad for you.
Fat isn't evil, just calories dense. The real evils of food are in sugary beverages and sweet things (pastries, cakes, etc.), but I'm digressing. ;-)
There are three phases to the eating plan - fat shredder (first 30 days), energy booster (second 30 days), and endurance maximizer (last 30 days). Cute names, and they emphasize different types of eating (basically, more carbohydrates as you go along).
Nutrition Stuff I Like...
I like that the P90X nutrition guide emphasizes healthy, real food. I like that the nutrition guide has you count calories, if inexactly sometimes, and gives you real (really simple) recipes.
And, if you eat more when you workout then you can put on muscle. If you eat less, you'll lose weight (mostly fat). These fundamentals don't change.
The 3 different 30 day phases (fat shredder, energy booster, and endurance maximizer) are also very helpful. They make you focus on different eating styles, and really make you pay attention to what your body needs.
In this regard, does P90X work? Yes. But...
First, the nutrition guide makes a big deal about eating enough. That is, they say the P90X program is so difficult you need to eat more. Which is probably true in a sense, since the workouts are very difficult, but it's also music to many people's ears.
If you eat more then you'll find it hard to lose weight. Actually, impossible - unless you just increased you output, through working out, a TON. I think the 'you need to eat MORE to get ripped and lose fat' is just lying (marketing).
You can use this plan to lose fat, don't get me wrong. But it's the same as any other eating plan - eat less to lose fat, or workout hard and don't eat more (creating a calorie deficit).
Now that you've got the P90X Extreme Home Fitness system, you obviously need to spend more money on a ton of exercise equipment. And not just any equipment; special P90X home exercise equipment!
Here's the required equipment, as listed in the quick start guide...
- P90X Chin-Up Bar (or a safe way to do chin-ups)
- Resistance Bands or Dumbbells
...A safe way to do chin-ups? How about a regular chin-up bar from a garage sale. And it actually costs a pretty penny to buy a full set of resistance bands or a home dumbbell setup. I'd go with an adjustable weight dumbbell pair just to save money.
There's also a 'Highly Recommended' list of equipment for P90X, which includes…
How Much Does P90x Diet Cost Work
- PowerStands
- Heart Rate Monitor
- Plyometrics Mat
- Yoga Blocks
How Much Does P90x Diet Cost For A
The plyometrics mat is basically a yoga mat.
I don't like this because they're just asking you to spend more money after you bought their system. Shouldn't you be able to just start your home workout after getting P90X? And not get the unexpected surprise of finding out you need to spend more money?
Does P90X work without all this junk? Or at least most of this junk? No.
…And Garbage P90X Supplements?!?!??!
These supplements are listed in the quick start guide as 'highly recommended'. Now, if you've seen me write about supplements before you'll know that I think most of them are garbage.
And for good reason; most of them are garbage. Does P90X work without six supplements? I really hope so.
Here're the P90X supplements...
- P90X Peak Health Formula Multivitamins
- P90X Results and Recovery Formula
- P90X Peak Performance Protein Bars
- Beachbody's Performance Formula
- Beachbody's Strength & Muscle Men's Formula
- Beachbody's Whey Protein Powder Shake
A multivitamin is fine. Protein bars are OK, but why do you need to buy their special brand? Whey protein is handy for milkshakes, but again, why do you need their special brand?
How Much Does P90x Diet Cost Per
And then there's the host of specialized recovery and performance formulas. Which probably contain creatine at least, but seriously - do you really need to shell out another $100 or $200 dollars on supplements after you've shelled out for the P90X system?
How Much Does P90x Cost
Does P90X work? If you need buckets of supplements to get results, it ain't much of a system.
Whey protein and a multivitamin are good tools, but you can get them cheaper someplace else. This is just another way that Beachbody is trying to get your money.
In short, P90X can work because…
- You sink a ton of money into P90X and therefore you become invested in it. You actually stick to the workout program since it cost you an arm and a leg.
- If you eat less and workout more, like it outlines in the program, you'll drop fat and look hotter.
- When you buy it you get access to the P90X web forums, which can give you the social support you need to stick with your workout.
- 90 days is enough time to do a full body recomposition, and significantly change your body.
However, I think there are much better ways to spend your money and time. Find a good calorie tracing software, buy a gym membership, and start working out and getting active.
If you really do the P90X thing, you'll be sinking several hundred dollars into the books, DVDs, equipment, and supplements at a minimum. If you buy everything, it can get exceedingly expensive.
Simple habits and lifestyle changes are what you really need, along with calorie tracking. It's seductive to think that there's a special program that, if you only buy it, will solve all your workout problems. But that just isn't so.
Also, since P90X is a 'home' workout system I believe it appeals to people who don't want to go to the gym, or feel ashamed of working out in public. People who would rather spend money than work to change their life, or don't know a lot about fitness. These are the people who need to get competent advice and quality gym and workout time the most.
Don't be seduced by slick promises and your own desires. Take a close look at your diet, workout and eat less to lose fat, and work hard at being active and enjoying your life. That's the big secret; there's no secret.
Oh, and be sure to sign up for the e-zine Starting Strong to get monthly strength training, exercise, and diet tips e-mailed to you - and access to the free e-book Train Smart, Eat Smart: Exercise Nutrition Hacks!
OR
Does P90X Work? Here's Why I Don't Like It...
References:
1. The P90X Home Workout System Books