P90X-Is P90X a program for everyone?

A few years ago, I began embarking on a journey for health and fitness after I could no longer play high school football. The first program I ever attempted to do was P90X and boy, was it an experience! I enjoyed many things about the program, but as always, also saw ways it could be improved.

The Pros of Using P90X:

• No gym membership needed
• Can follow the DVD and see exactly how to do the exercises
• Helps to lose excess fat and weight
• Price of the program is quite reasonable for the value (around $120)
• Can be used by both men and women
• Incorporates yoga to improve flexibility as well as balance
• Ability to pause the video if needed to catch your breath or take a small break
• Only equipment needed are dumbbells or resistance bands, a pull-up bar, and a yoga mat

The Cons of Using P90X:

• Does not help with building muscle as much as it helps with losing fat
• Workouts can run long as the yoga is 90 minutes while others are 60 minutes
• Exercises and workouts can become repetitive or boring as there are only 12 different workout DVD’s over a 90 day time span
• Can be tough for a beginner new to working out (remember to take those breaks when needed!)
• The Plyometrics cardio workout can be rough on the knees for older men and women
• There is only 1 ab workout routine in the entire program
• Even though little equipment is needed, the dumbbells can get expensive and you must have a proper place to hang a pull up bar (I used one that fit in the doorway)

Goals and Experience Using P90X:

I found the motivation to begin P90X as well as my overall fitness journey whenever I quit high school football. My former football coach told me something that still motivates me today. “If you quit this team, you’ll always be a quitter and quit at everything in life.” Determined to always be more than a quitter, as well as improve my health, I started P90X. My starting weight was 225 going into the program with 20% body fat. Whenever I finished, my final weight was 192.7 with 15% body fat. Overall, I lost fat in my arms, my chest, my stomach, and especially my back. One great thing I can say is that this program will build a strong back for almost anyone that uses it. This is very important because a strong back is essential for not only working out, but everyday life. While I was very happy with the fat I lost, I was still disappointed with the muscle I gained. At the time I was satisfied, but looking back now, I realize P90X is not necessarily ideal for those wanting to build great muscle in my opinion. Not saying that it’s not possible, but in my experience, I found it lacked in that aspect. I should also include that I did not follow the nutrition plan exactly, but did eat healthy to the best of my ability!

Overall Rating:

Workout length—7/10 (could have been shorter, but I have seen programs with longer times)

Fat loss—9/10

Muscle building—6.5/10 (you will develop a much stronger back and core)

Nutrition guide—N/A (I didn’t follow the nutrition guide. Sorry, everyone!)

Workout variety—7/10 (could have had more variety in my opinion)

Workout Program Overall—8/10 (Great for someone looking to lose fat and get in better shape but is limited to working out at home!)

I hope my review of P90X was helpful to many of you and if it was not, or your experience was different, please share! I love hearing what others are doing to stay fit and healthy! I am also willing to show before and after photos to anyone who cares to see. Thanks for reading!