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[Psychotext]

What's the best way to go if you're going to have to skip a couple of days in the program due to work / travel? My missus is going to be away for three days and there's no guarantee there will be a gym at the hotel where she's going.

Could she just replace one / two of the missed days with a solid cardio / plyo session?

 

[GCNemesis]

What's the best way to go if you're going to have to skip a couple of days in the program due to work / travel? My missus is going to be away for three days and there's no guarantee there will be a gym at the hotel where she's going.

Could she just replace one / two of the missed days with a solid cardio / plyo session?

Yeah, if I were in that situation, I would try to find do some form of exercise as you suggested, either plyo or cardio plus ab ripper, and then when I returned home, I would pick up where I left off. If that doesn't fit her schedule, she could just press on with the remainder of the program.

 

[Psychotext]

Thanks.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Are you in the US? I was able to get my medicine balls off Amazon for under $100. The brand is Danskin, $18.57 a piece.

Yeah, I'll take a look at the brand. What weight did you get? I was thinking I'd need 2 10's and 2 12's...

I dropped $100 for 5 med balls on Ebay. Maybe you should look there? There are always alternate moves you can do if you don't have the necessary equipments, but I don't know how effective they are.

I'll check here too. Thanks.

 

[Harry Potter]

Yeah, I'll take a look at the brand. What weight did you get? I was thinking I'd need 2 10's and 2 12's...

I got 2 8's and 2 12's. Sorry, earlier I should have said that the 12's were $23.84. Still not bad tho.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I got 2 8's and 2 12's. Sorry, earlier I should have said that the 12's were $23.84. Still not bad tho.

How's the quality? They look a bit odd compared to, say, the Valeo balls.

 

[Harry Potter]

How's the quality? They look a bit odd compared to, say, the Valeo balls.

They aren't as big and pumped up as the Valeo balls. The Valeo balls look like a basketball almost. I'm able to do all the excercises in phase 1 with them tho, like the pushups. I wanted those ones originally but they were too damn expensive.

 

[GCNemesis]

How's the quality? They look a bit odd compared to, say, the Valeo balls.

My wife has a Danskin 8lb that I've been using for most of Phase 1; however, doing pushups/burpees on it is not comfortable. I've had to modify my moves because instead of getting the balance that a harder medicine ball provides, it acts as a sack of sand and doesn't provide nearly any balance or wrist support. Definitely would recommend harder medicine balls for these types of exercises. That's just me though, others probably have different experiences. I will be looking into getting the Valeo's, or comparable, soon.

 

[Harry Potter]

My wife has a Danskin 8lb that I've been using for most of Phase 1; however, doing pushups/burpees on it is not comfortable. I've had to modify my moves because instead of getting the balance that a harder medicine ball provides, it acts as a sack of sand and doesn't provide nearly any balance or wrist support. Definitely would recommend harder medicine balls for these types of exercises. That's just me though, others probably have different experiences. I will be looking into getting the Valeo's, or comparable, soon.

I'd agree that burpees are hard with them but I find burpees to be hard in general. Push ups I haven't had any problems with my wrists. Have you tried inflating them with a basketball pump? They come shipped kinda flat.

 

[GCNemesis]

I'd agree that burpees are hard with them but I find burpees to be hard in general. Push ups I haven't had any problems with my wrists. Have you tried inflating them with a basketball pump? They come shipped kinda flat.

I have a stability ball pump, not sure it will fit, but worth a try. Thanks.

 

[FOOTE]

Good work Alfarif! I love that goofy grin. :lol

Starting week 6 tomorrow.

so i got sick this week and had to skip 3 days. What do you guys do? Re-start the week? just start back from where i stopped?

Restart the week. That's what I'd do anyway.

 

[Alfarif]

Nice work man! Very impressive. I don't know if you mentioned it before, but what kind of diet are you following?

I might have mentioned it before but it's probably lost in one of the three or four fitness/weightloss/help I'm fat threads around here.

Essentially, my staples include chicken, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Typical meals might be something like the following:

Breakfast
1/4-1/2 cup bluberries
Fiber bar
1-2 serv cashews or pistachios
8 oz of Lactaid (lactose free milk) with scoop of protein

Lunch
Red roasted pepper marinated chicken breast in red and green peppers and onion
1 cup of green beans and/or peas

Or

Lemon basted tilapia
1 cup of green beans

Or

Turkey Sandwich (slice tomato, lettuce, olive oil mayo, sandwich thins)
1 cup of green beans

Or... I could go on... lots of things to eat (turkey little smoked sausages, turkey sausage, salads, etc, etc)

Snack/Post Workout

3 scrambled eggs
3 slices of turkey bacon
8oz Lactaid/protein

I pretty much don't eat the same thing every day and almost never in the same order, so I'm not sick of anything I eat. I have a cheat day on Sundays, but it's really more like a cheat meal. I still try to keep it inline with the diet (i.e. go to Wendys and get a grilled chicken sandwich and salad; go to TGI Friday's and get a steak, roasted vegetables, and water; etc)

Good work Alfarif! I love that goofy grin. :lol

LOL I was trying to imitate the guy in the portion of the app where it tells you how to stand for the pictures.

 

[RivalCore]

Thanks to much inspiration and education from reading GAF I finally started p90x today. I'm not unfit or fat but the last 18 months of bad eating and long hours have gotten to me. One of few the side effects of quitting smoking was my eating habits got out of control so I've been weening myself onto a healthier regimen for the last two weeks.

I didn't find Chest/Back too bad. My pushups definitely took a nose dive in the second set but I'm definitely out of condition doing them. I need to get a chin-up bar mounted somewhere in my room though, resistant bands don't come close for me. Unfortunately my doorway can't fit a bar and I'm renting so drilling holes might be out of the question.

Ab Ripper killed me though. Some of the moves are damn near impossible for me and I'm half afraid I'm doing more good than bad if I'm fucking up my form to manage 15-25 reps. So far so good though!

 

[vatstep]

Pretty neat Wall Street Journal article about Tony and P90X, plus a video feature:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203646004577213680069437326.html

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Pretty neat Wall Street Journal article about Tony and P90X, plus a video feature:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203646004577213680069437326.html

Thanks for posting it. A good read. My sentiment is similar too, especially from watching Tony's interview with Dr. Oz.


Yeah Tony can come off as a bit awkward and sometimes even creepy at times (at least in P90), but my experience has been he's all about inspiration and encouragement. It's never about to just get big muscles but to do our best. I know some people have mixed feelings about Yoga, but I love it - putting a little spirituality (in the broadest sense of the word) in maintaining the well-being of the body and mind? Absolutely.

I appreciate his light-hearted approach and really he feels to be kind of a buddy on a 90-day (and longer) journey

 

[SteeloDMZ]

Tony seems like such a legit guy. I'm glad I learned about him and P90x.

 

[Harry Potter]

Pretty neat Wall Street Journal article about Tony and P90X, plus a video feature:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203646004577213680069437326.html

Great read. Tony is awesome.

and here looking very dapper with Shawna.

 

[BeesEight]

I did P90x after returning home in the summer and just been doing a lighter, 'maintenance' routine since. I have to admit, I didn't get the results I was really hoping for with the first go around, but I may have set up expectations a little high. My cousin told me about the new P90x2 routine and I thought it might be time to ramp up my exercising for another one of these three months of hell.

So my question to those that have done/are doing the P90X2. How does it compare to the first routine and what sort of results are you seeing? Is it worth it, as I'm noticing a mention of medicine balls required for the routine, or should I just repeat P90x?

 

[SteeloDMZ]

I'm still trying to figure out if that's the same Shawna from the 1st P90X.

 

[Chuck (Old)]

Is Tony short or is Shawna just really tall?

 

[opticalmace]

Is Tony short or is Shawna just really tall?

Apparently Tony is 5'11". Also she has pretty tall high heels on.

 

[FlawlessCowboy]

Hey P90 Gaf, I'm planning on starting p90x within the next few weeks and I have a few questions.

I already have a pull-up bar and a set of 20lb dumbbells, do I need a set of resistance bands as well? Or can I simply use the dumbbells?

Secondly, I'm 6'3 -- 160lbs, and I'm kind of worried about making sure I don't lose weight since I'll be working out so much. I've got very fast metabolism and I don't know how closely I'll be able to follow the diet plan since I'm usually at work or school all day. Do you have any recommendations in terms of how to avoid losing weight?

I'm pretty excited about starting the program. I'm in decent physical shape, but I'm ready to start building some real definition and muscle.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Hey P90 Gaf, I'm planning on starting p90x within the next few weeks and I have a few questions.

I already have a pull-up bar and a set of 20lb dumbbells, do I need a set of resistance bands as well? Or can I simply use the dumbbells?

Secondly, I'm 6'3 -- 160lbs, and I'm kind of worried about making sure I don't lose weight since I'll be working out so much. I've got very fast metabolism and I don't know how closely I'll be able to follow the diet plan since I'm usually at work or school all day. Do you have any recommendations in terms of how to avoid losing weight?

I'm pretty excited about starting the program. I'm in decent physical shape, but I'm ready to start building some real definition and muscle.

Some moves require lesser weights because their nature of resistance, so you can go either go dumb bells or use s light resistance band. I personally use 3 different sets of weights (12 / 15 / 20) and use that bands for some tricep moves and shoulder fly

And I don't know about losing weighy but I would venture to guess that you can start with the phase 2 of the diet since its meant to sustain your energy rather than losing weight

 

[Revoh]

So is this only for fat loss? I'm 176 cm, 65 kg. Will I add muscle if I eat over maintenance and do the program? I think if I cut now (I still have love handles) I will look anorexic, so my plan is to bulk a little and then cut the fat. I can't really go to the gym because my work schedule is fucked up so I'm looking for a routine that I can do at home.

My current equipment are: a pull up bar, a 15 kg barbell and some light dumbells.

 

[AnonPrime]

Starting The P90X Program today!
I Gotta get in shape for the Tough Mudder This Summer!

 

[BeautifulMemory]

So is this only for fat loss? I'm 176 cm, 65 kg. Will I add muscle if I eat over maintenance and do the program? I think if I cut now (I still have love handles) I will look anorexic, so my plan is to bulk a little and then cut the fat. I can't really go to the gym because my work schedule is fucked up so I'm looking for a routine that I can do at home.

My current equipment are: a pull up bar, a 15 kg barbell and some light dumbells.

No fat loss is only a small portion of it. It's about being fit and being in the best shape possible. The exercises are designed to work all areas of the body. There are different phases in the diet plan they can be followed at any time to your needs

 

[Psychotext]

Starting The P90X Program today!

Same for me and the missus. Did the initial fitness test tonight. I couldn't do any chin ups (wasn't expecting to), and she struggled with the in / out test but I think we'll probably be ok after the initial shock.

Can anyone point me in the direction of what I'm supposed to be doing instead of pull ups? (For until I'm a bit stronger) Or do they show you that in the videos?

I'm half tempted to hook up some sort of foot strap to my chin up bar.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Same for me and the missus. Did the initial fitness test tonight. I couldn't do any chin ups (wasn't expecting to), and she struggled with the in / out test but I think we'll probably be ok after the initial shock.

Can anyone point me in the direction of what I'm supposed to be doing instead of pull ups? (For until I'm a bit stronger) Or do they show you that in the videos?

I'm half tempted to hook up some sort of foot strap to my chin up bar.

Hey! I think the options are

1) bands
2) use chairs for assistance.
3) some people on YouTube say you can substitute using dumbells. I personally like using the chairs

They do show you what and how you are supposed to do in the videos

 

[Psychotext]

Thanks.

 

[Jos]

Just posted this in the weightloss thread, but the results are all from P90X!

I am still a work in progress. I dropped from 101kg middle of last year to 79kg now. Lost a bunch of weight in an accidental (read break up) way through walking my dogs about 15km a day, and cutting down alcohol. At the start of the year decided to do P90X.

I've been doing about 12 - 15km of walks a day, P90X while running LeanGains IF and a mostly low / slow carb diet, but have been adding in sweet potato and oats more recently.

Currently at day 44. Loving the extra energy, and for the most part can't wait to do each exercise (although Yoga is still pretty tough for me. Still quite inflexible.)

 

[Psychotext]

Awesome job.

If I get results anything like yours I'd be ecstatic.

Unrelated, has anyone actually really managed a 50/30/20 ratio in stage 1? I've got my entire menu set out for the week and even eating three large meals at the right ratios (plus protein drinks / bars) I'm basically ending up at least 400kcal short every day. I'm going to be the walking dead if I do that, and I simply don't have time to eat any more than that.

I'm thinking of dropping it to 45/30/25 which should help quite a bit as I'll be able to use slightly less insanely fat free cuts of meat for extra calorie goodness. I took their phase 1 menu and calculated it to be about 44 / 34 / 22 on average anyway, so I'm guessing hitting the precise numbers isn't an exact requirement.

 

[OG Kush]

Just posted this in the weightloss thread, but the results are all from P90X!

I am still a work in progress. I dropped from 101kg middle of last year to 79kg now. Lost a bunch of weight in an accidental (read break up) way through walking my dogs about 15km a day, and cutting down alcohol. At the start of the year decided to do P90X.

I've been doing about 12 - 15km of walks a day, P90X while running LeanGains IF and a mostly low / slow carb diet, but have been adding in sweet potato and oats more recently.

Currently at day 44. Loving the extra energy, and for the most part can't wait to do each exercise (although Yoga is still pretty tough for me. Still quite inflexible.)
[/URL]

How many hours IF are you doing? and is it everyday?

 

[Chuck (Old)]

Jos, those are fantastic results for one month. You're going to be unrecognizable after 90 days. Keep up the good work!

 

[SteeloDMZ]

You are gonna be ripped by the end. Great work man.

 

[BeesEight]

God damn, I didn't get results anywhere near that and you're only a third of the way through.

So is this only for fat loss? I'm 176 cm, 65 kg. Will I add muscle if I eat over maintenance and do the program? I think if I cut now (I still have love handles) I will look anorexic, so my plan is to bulk a little and then cut the fat. I can't really go to the gym because my work schedule is fucked up so I'm looking for a routine that I can do at home.

My current equipment are: a pull up bar, a 15 kg barbell and some light dumbells.

I did it for muscle gain and I'd say it's really good for building strength. I think you'll get more out of it if you wanted to lose weight but I managed to get around 20 lbs on after completing the program.

The routines don't really call for a barbell but I'm sure you could modify a few of them. I used adjustable dumbbells which were really good since you'll want a range of 5-25 lbs (or more depending on strong you are going into it).

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Yeah, good work, I don't think I've ever seen my abs.

After a Super Bowl weight gain I was back on track last week and this morning weighed in at 211. That's down 3 pounds from last week, and down 11 or so since starting P90X2.

That 210 mark needs to be broken! Then the 200.

 

[Garryk]

What are the opinions on taking fat burners with P90X? I got a trial of OxyElite Pro with my vitamins at GNC and don't know about side-effects.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

What are the opinions on taking fat burners with P90X? I got a trial of OxyElite Pro with my vitamins at GNC and don't know about side-effects.

I have no medical opinion on such things, but they give me the heebie-jeebies. I'd rather just stick to healthier eating and green tea.

 

[OG Kush]

What are the opinions on taking fat burners with P90X? I got a trial of OxyElite Pro with my vitamins at GNC and don't know about side-effects.

Some guy took this, creatine and had a really good diet and got fucking amazing results. He posted pics in the first few pages of this thread. Check them out.

 

[Harry Potter]

Starting phase 2 today. I can already feel the fire in my buttocks.

 

[lljride]

I've been enjoying the hell out of phase 2 so far. I'm going to take the full 6 weeks here, but I'm substituting the bonus workouts starting this week (V Sculpt and Chest+Shoulders+Tris).

I've been cultivating mass this phase. Diet's been clean, just increased my calorie intake. Gained about 5 lbs.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I've been enjoying the hell out of phase 2 so far. I'm going to take the full 6 weeks here, but I'm substituting the bonus workouts starting this week (V Sculpt and Chest+Shoulders+Tris).

I've been cultivating mass this phase. Diet's been clean, just increased my calorie intake. Gained about 5 lbs.

Favorite description ever. I love Always Sunny.

 

[Infinite_Daremo]

V Sculpt is by far my favourite exercise in P90X/2. Still paranoid bands are gonna smack me in the face though. Definitely gonna post pics when I finish. They'll combine P90X and 2.

 

[Syph]

Just did my first day after being lazy for more than a year (Gf, studies... the usuals), I used to be in shape and quite muscular but damn it killed me. I didn't do too bad on the rep count but I was nauseous like a mothafucka afterwards.

The only thing that annoys me is changing the weights on my dumbbells. Gonna look for something that I can just slide over the bar to stop the weight from moving so it doesn't take so much time.

 

[SteeloDMZ]

I'm also trying to cultivate mass. My calorie intake is probably the same as the Energy Booster Level 2 of the guide (2400 calories per day approx), but instead of a regular protein shake, I went with a Lean Mass Gainer protein shake.

Do you guys think that will work?

 

[Psychotext]

Yay, first day done. There were a few things in there I could only do a couple of, and I must admit that I did the easiest version of virtually everything... but a start is a start.

Also, lol at the awesome vertical push ups. I had to stop, was totally "WTF!".

 

[Jos]

How many hours IF are you doing? and is it everyday?

More or less. A typical day for me at the moment:

6.45am - large glass of water and two phenorex thermo tabs
7am - hour or so dog walk (uphill / downhill), about 5km - 8km
11.30am 10mg BCAA
12pm - 1pm P90X Workout
1.30pm first meal of the day - oats, protein shake, bananas, more carbs on a weights workout day, about 1000 calories (also running the PAGG stack)
4pm - snack - protein cookie, usually 400 calories or so
6pm - hour or so dog walk (uphill / downhill), about 5km - 8km
8pm - dinner, steak, salad, 800 calories or so
9.30pm - Syntha 'Desert' shake

I've been experiencing doing Plyo / Cardio P90X fasted (with BCAA) and I actually prefer it. Even waiting several hours after my last meal I still feel more sluggish doing it.

IF isn't for everyone, and there can be days where I accidentally run to 18, even 20 hours fasted just through having meetings or a busier day, but generally I like having a compressed eating cycle and I notice that when I eat earlier in the day, it just starts making me hungry for the next meal. With IF, that next meal is never far away!

I am usually pretty good with the diet throughout the week, but treat myself to a cheat day for an ice cream, chocolate binge most weekends, and have had two bad weekend in a row with friends weddings, parties etc.

Planning to cut cheat days shortly but I also have a business trip coming up for almost the entire final block. Plan to keep exercising on the road, but managing diet will be tricky...

 

[opticalmace]

Starting phase 2 today. I can already feel the fire in my buttocks.

High five, me too. Looking forward to trying it out tonight.

 

[OG Kush]

More or less. A typical day for me at the moment:

Aight, cool. Also what BCAA are you taking because I got some unflavouried stuff that tastes really reallly bad. Pills may be better, but I'd have to take so many damn pills just to get 10 grams.

 

[lljride]

I'm also trying to cultivate mass. My calorie intake is probably the same as the Energy Booster Level 2 of the guide (2400 calories per day approx), but instead of a regular protein shake, I went with a Lean Mass Gainer protein shake.

Do you guys think that will work?

Probably, but it really depends on your total calories for the day more than anything. I just added an extra protein shake per day on top of my regular diet, which I've used to maintain my weight after P90X last year. That extra 250 calories or so per day helped push me over the edge into weight gain territory.

If there are extra calories in the lean mass gainer vs your regular protein powder then it should work.