P90X

[I_Dare]

Hey. I've put my hands on the P90X program and I've looked at some before/after pictures. I've heard it's very popular in America and not only BUT the before/after pics are kind of mixed...there are some guys that have become significantly better looking but others look hideous after.

Has anyone here had or has experiences with this program?
If so...are you satisfied?

[Traindom]

I don't mean to derail the topic but I can't help but notice that you are looking for that magic pill. I'm not trying to sound condescending, but it seems that you're all over the place. I know you're in a sort of limbo since you're waiting until Autumn, which is fine, but I think you're better off defining your goals.

Are you looking for hypertrophy and aesthetics in general? Do you want to perform bodyweight skills? You can have more than one goal as long as you prioritize.

The best thing I could ever recommend to you is this: http://anthonymychal.com/242method/

I know this wasn't the response you were looking for, but this program-hopping mentality you're entertaining is poison to your training. I know you feel you are just trying to test the waters, but I really believe you're better off focusing on your goals and training priorities.

Pump iron. Do gymnastic holds. Experiment physically. I guarantee you'll be more satisfied doing this rather than masturbating mentally.

[I_Dare]

Well I downloaded a few programs... and I decided to ask about the 2-3 most popular. I wasn't planning to start a thread about every single book I have on fitness.

Thanks for the reply.

[Traindom]

No problem. But really try to discover your goals. I think that'll be more satisfying than any program. I just don't want you spinning your wheels. Programming according to your needs trumps other programs, in my opinion.

Happy training!

[Jon]

If you follow p90x to the letter you will 1) lose weight if you have excess body fat and 2) put on some muscle. However, p90x involves working out for an hour plus per day, six days per week, for three months. If you do any remotely competent program of weights and cardio for 90 days, you will be more physically fit. Here's the things that are distinctive about p90x

1) It's pretty idiot proof
It's laid out in a step by step video that keeps things in pace. You don't have to do very much guess work. You just go to fail, pick weights where you fail at 8 reps, and track your progress. The diet tells you exactly what to eat and you follow that.

2) It's done at home.
This means you don't have to go to the gym, but you do need to buy a lot of weights. If you live in an apartment and don't have the space for a giant weight set, I would recommend picking up the bowflex selecttech Dumbbells so that you have a full range of weights. (by the way I have owned this product for a year and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who wants to work out at home).

3) It has a very high production value, especially for a workout video
basically most workout dvds are cheaply thrown together crap with bad camera work and irritating instructors. This one is very well done, is (in my opinion) pretty entertaining. This helps with the motivation factor.

That said it's pretty intense and I wouldn't recommend doing it if you have never seriously worked out. Start with something a bit less intense.

[I_Dare]

Thanks for the feedback.

What I'm REALLY interested in is this:

Do you actually look good by following this program? ) I've seen quite a few ugly people (because of their bodies) in the before/after section.

Has anyone here done it and is satisfied by the results?

I mean....it would be pretty fucked up to put in so much effort and actually get NEGATIVE (not even neutral) results

[Jon]

I have no idea what you are talking about. I haven't seen those pictures. If you follow the p90x diet and workout 6 days per week you will lose weight and you will put on muscle. The only way you can start looking worse by doing this is if you slack off on some body parts but not others, so just don't do that. The advantage of doing something like starting strength or bodyweight workouts is that it's easier to automatically work all of your muscles at the same time, so you naturally get a balanced look. P90x does dumbell training which isolates small muscle groups in addition to body weight workouts, so if you aren't careful about it you could end up with an unbalanced shape. That said, I doubt you can do that in 3 months.

[Matty]

The difference between looking good afterwards and looking shitty afterwards is diet. Diet is seriously like 80 percent of losing fat and gaining muscle. i havent seen the phoos, but the only other explanation is when you say that people look worse after, ur not referring to insufficient fat loss, but oddly shaped muscles?? I would think this would largely be based on genetics.

For what it worth, I did Muay Thai for a year and a half, and the fitness component was a lot of the same things; high repetition, low rest periods. And yes, I lost a ton of weight, and no, I didn't end up looking freaky.

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The difference between looking good afterwards and looking shitty afterwards is diet. Diet is seriously like 80 percent of losing fat and gaining muscle. i havent seen the phoos, but the only other explanation is when you say that people look worse after, ur not referring to insufficient fat loss, but oddly shaped muscles?? I would think this would largely be based on genetics.

For what it worth, I did Muay Thai for a year and a half, and the fitness component was a lot of the same things; high repetition, low rest periods. And yes, I lost a ton of weight, and no, I didn't end up looking freaky.

[SeXyBaCk]

Dude... the program doesn't determine how fit or buff or toned you look. It's the effort and discipline you put in.