Last week in ActiveBlog I walked you through some of the benefits of the P90X workout system. We talked about providing the convenience of working out at home, a structured program that provides significant variety to your workouts, and measurable, documented results that are posted all over the internet and in numerous "look at me now" YouTube videos.
This week we look at some of the downsides of the program so you can determine if it will work for you.
The Downside of P90X
There are no “off days” in P90X. The 90-day program requires 6 days of intense workouts and 7 days a week of rigid adherence to their nutrition plan. The workouts are not only intense but long. They are typically 60 to 90 minutes in length. Darrell remarked, “At first it seems like an hour a day for 90 days isn’t bad. For someone that hasn’t exercised in years it started to get pretty intense. I worked very hard the first 30 and felt great.”
The nutritional plan is heavy on supplements. If you read back in my blog you will see my thoughts on supplementation. It should be possible for everyone who follows a sensible eating plan to get all the macronutrients, vitamins and minerals they need from a well balanced diet. I have been in the fitness industry long enough to realize that pushing supplements is simply a profit machine for the companies and trainers who do it. P90X is no different. When I met the founder of Beach Body last year at a small fitness industry meeting it was clear to me that their next profit line was the development of more supplements. In fact, that was the essence of the presentation about what was “coming up” for P90X.
P90X requires additional investment. To do the workouts properly at home requires about $500 worth of dumbbells, bands, balls, etc. Unless you have equipment at your home already you will need to outfit yourself with a mini-gym. In addition, you will need to invest in the supplements that go along with the nutrition program.
P90X is not sustainable. Deirdre points out, “This is not a program that you can sustain for a lifetime.” Having worked with many people who have done specific exercise programs and rigid eating patterns it eventually isn’t able to be sustained. There are some program options beyond the first 90 day transformation but maintaining the results will be challenging. For most people their lives are not setup for long term high intensity training like this. It is similar to The Biggest Loser in that it becomes very hard for the losers to keep the weight off when they stop working out for 4 hours a day at a fitness ranch and have to go back to their jobs, families, and daily stresses.
In part III of my P90X blog I will discuss in-home personal training and how it can be used to supplement/compliment a program like P90X or vice versa. Stay tuned for next week's blog.
Paul
Paul Dziewisz
Active Personal Fitness
www.ActivePersonalFitness.com
Elevation Boot Camp
www.ElevationBootCamp.com
267.626.7478
"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."
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