Support NeoGAF

[Andrew.]

This is a non P90 related question, but this is the most active "staying fit/exercise" thread so I figured I'd ask anyway.

I've recently started getting back into shape over the past week (gym every day, biking for a half hour which is 6+ miles) then working with weights for my shoulders, chest and arms. I've also been eating much better. Since Im just starting out and my muscles are just now starting to be really sore, how often should I be exercising like this since Im just beginning? Every day? Every other day?

Also ordering a couple of those Lean1s next week.

 

[SteeloDMZ]

This is a non P90 related question, but this is the most active "staying fit/exercise" thread so I figured I'd ask anyway.

I've recently started getting back into shape over the past week (gym every day, biking for a half hour which is 6+ miles) then working with weights for my shoulders, chest and arms. I've also been eating much better. Since Im just starting out and my muscles are just now starting to be really sore, how often should I be exercising like this since Im just beginning? Every day? Every other day?

Also ordering a couple of those Lean1s next week.

You should work out at least 5 times a week. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and, if possible, take supplements to help with the recovery.

Also, try to work on different parts of your body everyday.

 

[grumble]

You should work out at least 5 times a week. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and, if possible, take supplements to help with the recovery.

Also, try to work on different parts of your body everyday.

I don't agree. Not to clog up the P90X thread with a general fitness discussion, but here's no requirement to work out at least five times a week, and using a split routine is a sub-optimal way to progress as a novice.

 

[SteeloDMZ]

By the way, I forgot to mention, since you are cycling every day, try to get a foam roller if your gym doesn't have one. Those things are freaking awesome, and can help your body become more flexible and also relieve the soreness.

 

[Andrew.]

By the way, I forgot to mention, since you are cycling every day, try to get a foam roller if your gym doesn't have one. Those things are freaking awesome, and can help your body become more flexible and also relieve the soreness.

Ok cool thanks. I'll see if I can find one.

 

[Stampy]

I don't agree. Not to clog up the P90X thread with a general fitness discussion, but here's no requirement to work out at least five times a week, and using a split routine is a sub-optimal way to progress as a novice.

Can you please explain/elaborate both claims.

1. no requirement to work out at least five times a week

As I see it there is really no requirement to workout even one day a week, but the point is in staying active and I really can't see what is wrong with working out 5 times a week with different intensities?

2. split routine is a sub-optimal way to progress as a novice. Why?

 

[grumble]

Can you please explain/elaborate both claims.

1. no requirement to work out at least five times a week

As I see it there is really no requirement to workout even one day a week, but the point is in staying active and I really can't see what is wrong with working out 5 times a week with different intensities?

2. split routine is a sub-optimal way to progress as a novice. Why?

1. To progress as quickly as you can as a novice, it is not required to work out five times per week; in fact, it is detrimental to many demanding routines as it will eat into your recovery capacity. If you want to be active and do lower intensity workouts every day then you can, but there's no requirement to do so and many people want to get their results without allocating their time to an inefficient routine.

2. It's a matter of adaptation and biomechanics. For a novice, you are so far below your potential that for a couple of months anything will have you gaining, though some will faster than others. A split routine uses a lot of isolation movements, and doesn't focus enough on heavy compounds which functionally work real life kinetic chains and have been demonstrated repeatedly to make muscle happen at light speed. Secondly, a split routine is effective when your muscles and more importantly your nervous system are already adapted enough that they need several days to recover from the stress; for a novice, they can recover from a low to moderate volume workout in a couple of days and waiting further slows your rate of progress as you delay the next stimulus. A high volume workout would be silly.

 

[SteveMeister]

1. To progress as quickly as you can as a novice, it is not required to work out five times per week; in fact, it is detrimental to many demanding routines as it will eat into your recovery capacity. If you want to be active and do lower intensity workouts every day then you can, but there's no requirement to do so and many people want to get their results without allocating their time to an inefficient routine.

2. It's a matter of adaptation and biomechanics. For a novice, you are so far below your potential that for a couple of months anything will have you gaining, though some will faster than others. A split routine uses a lot of isolation movements, and doesn't focus enough on heavy compounds which functionally work real life kinetic chains and have been demonstrated repeatedly to make muscle happen at light speed. Secondly, a split routine is effective when your muscles and more importantly your nervous system are already adapted enough that they need several days to recover from the stress; for a novice, they can recover from a low to moderate volume workout in a couple of days and waiting further slows your rate of progress as you delay the next stimulus. A high volume workout would be silly.

grumble, out of curiosity have you done any of the Beachbody workout programs? P90X, or P90X2? Or looked into them at all?

 

[Nakazato]

anyone know the restiance (L,M,H) that come with the P90 set ??

 

[BeautifulMemory]

anyone know the restiance (L,M,H) that come with the P90 set ??

Color is red and it's light

 

[Nakazato]

Color is red and it's light

thank you going to order a medium right now

 

[grumble]

grumble, out of curiosity have you done any of the Beachbody workout programs? P90X, or P90X2? Or looked into them at all?

I did P90X. It's pretty good for a home workout program.

 

[Tenacious-V]

For anyone up here in Canada that doesn't have a pull up bar, there's a great deal from fitness depot.

http://shop.fitnessdepot.ca/Heavy-Duty-Doorway-Chin-Up-Pull-Up-Bar-P697.aspx#.UOr8B3fe_Ld

They have the P90X style pull up bar (not the same brand but like that matters anyway) for $14.88! That's the cheapest I've seen anywhere in Canada.

 

[KingGondo]

Start my first round of P90X2 in earnest today.

I've been half-assing it a bit during the holidays, considering it a win if I get in 3-4 days/week. I haven't lost much if any progress, but I'm looking forward to getting back on the wagon.

I started at 220 lbs. back in April of last year, got down to 211 or so after round 1, and I'm currently sitting at 202 or so.

My family is taking a vacation to Florida in May, and my goal is to be down to 190 lbs. by that trip.

Wish me luck!

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Asylum comes in Wednesday so I'll start it next week. What workouts should i do (from P90X/X2/Insanity) this week to prepare, and get back into it after a few weeks off?

 

[KingGondo]

Asylum comes in Wednesday so I'll start it next week. What workouts should i do (from P90X/X2/Insanity) this week to prepare, and get back into it after a few weeks off?

Core Syn is the best single workout in any of the programs IMO (I haven't done Insanity, though).

X2 Yoga is always good too. If I were you I'd try that at the end of this week for recovery.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Core Syn is the best single workout in any of the programs IMO (I haven't done Insanity, though).

X2 Yoga is always good too. If I were you I'd try that at the end of this week for recovery.

Core and Yoga seem good to add. I'm doing 4 workouts this week so I need 2 more. Maybe Core Syn today, Plyo tomorrow, Kenpo Weds, and Yoga Thurs?

 

[Harry Potter]

First day of a double workout for Asylum Vol 2. Ab shredder. I've liked all of Shaun T's ab routines so I don't expect this one to dissapoint.

 

[opticalmace]

Is the Yoga workout worthwhile? Does anyone swap it with something else?

 

[Rahk]

The P90X iOS app is $0.99 for a limited time, down from $4.99.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/p90x/id425192079?mt=8

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Is the Yoga workout worthwhile? Does anyone swap it with something else?

yoga is about the most important workout you can do, X or X2

 

[obijkenobi]

yoga is about the most important workout you can do, X or X2

And I did Yoga for X2 for the first time yesterday. A much superior experience to the original one. Its going to take a few weeks to get used to the cues, but man that did not drag out like it did for the original at all.

 

[TrounceX]

Is the Yoga workout worthwhile? Does anyone swap it with something else?

I've said this a lot and will say it again - Swap it.

I've still yet to hear a rational reason why yoga is so amazing. If someone wants to explain to me I'm all ears, but I'm confident we could go 1-1 down the list of benefits and I can tell you a workout that does it better. Believe me, I'm totally prepared to admit I'm wrong, but I need more evidence than "Tony says so".

And as an anecdote, I did yoga twice during P90X and P90X2 and got fantastic results. I usually swapped it with Core Syn, total body, or just rested and hit the next workout harder.

 

[fuenf]

I'm on Day 4 now, and I think I'll skip Yoga today. Unfortunately my right arm / shoulder is really sore (and hurting a little) and I think it's best to give it some rest. Hopefully it'll go away.... I'm not really sure what caused this, the weights are relatively light and I didnt overextend myself. But I fear that my shoulder is a little too weak for the push-up routine..

Otherwise the first 3 days have been great, though, got through Plyo relatively okay and I'm far more comfortable doing AB Ripper now (including the trial week I've now done it 5 times), form and number of reps improve with every workout.

 

[SteveMeister]

And that's P90X2 Phase 2 complete. Spent 6 weeks on this, doing the normal schedule for the first 3, then subbing in V Sculpt and X2 Chest Shoulders & Tris for the next 3. After tomorrow's Recovery and Mobility, I'll be starting 3 weeks of Phase 3 on Thursday, then it's on to Les Mills Combat.

I wholeheartedly disagree about skipping Yoga. I get soooo much out of yoga. It's challenging, rewarding, and I always feel amazing at the end. Yes, in Yoga X those first 45 minutes are tough, but what an accomplishment when you get through it. X2 Yoga does flow better and is a reasonable substitute for Yoga X if you have it. Every session I try to get a little more out of each asana -- striving to match my breathing with the movement, "finding the relaxation" in each pose, and learning what each asana is trying to accomplish. It's such great stuff.

 

[KingGondo]

Core and Yoga seem good to add. I'm doing 4 workouts this week so I need 2 more. Maybe Core Syn today, Plyo tomorrow, Kenpo Weds, and Yoga Thurs?

Sounds good to me, although I haven't done Kenpo in months. I usually swap it with Cardio X and replace the kenpo portion with some plyo moves.

I've said this a lot and will say it again - Swap it.

I've still yet to hear a rational reason why yoga is so amazing. If someone wants to explain to me I'm all ears, but I'm confident we could go 1-1 down the list of benefits and I can tell you a workout that does it better. Believe me, I'm totally prepared to admit I'm wrong, but I need more evidence than "Tony says so".

And as an anecdote, I did yoga twice during P90X and P90X2 and got fantastic results. I usually swapped it with Core Syn, total body, or just rested and hit the next workout harder.

To me, it provides mental as well as physical benefits. I feel exhausted at the end of core syn, but I feel invigorated and refreshed at the end of yoga.

As for physical benefits: there's a huge difference between doing core syn (which is a great workout) and the sustained, balance-emphasized poses that yoga brings to the table. It requires a mental concentration and extreme awareness of the positioning of every part of your body.

It's also a fantastic synergistic workout. It works shoulders, arms, back, core, legs, often in combination. It fills in the gaps that the other more regimented workouts miss.

I think the vast majority of people (at least in this thread) who have been through the program and done yoga as recommended are strongly against swapping it out.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Yoga makes you so much more flexible and does wonders for stamina. It's also makes you feel fantastic after it's over. I find the stretching really helps in other P90X/2 workouts too, I can tell I'm more flexible.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

It also depends on your goal, what do you value more?

For me yoga is an absolute essential, mirroring what has already been said:

1. Full body workout. Yes there are some other workouts that work the full body too, but not the way yoga does, especially on your yoga, back, core, legs, thighs, glutes, etc.

2. You learn how to breathe in the exercise, especially learning how to be calm despite discomfort. To put it differently, you learn how to find the relaxation within the exercise, which is the whole motto of p90x2

3. All the sweat and blood flow you get from yoga is actually a form of cleansing and detoxing

4. Flexibility will help you move better, be more comfortable, and prevent injuries. I am talking about being flexible with your shoulder, your back, your thighs, glutes

5. Yoga has been known to be the fountain of youth...it has been known throughout times that it promotes longevity, and especially related to some form of spirituality

6. Even if yoga is "skipped", it is actually incorporated in a lot of stretching and moves anyway, especially p90x2


7. Yoga is a perfect bridge between two resistance workouts - you are still working your body but not completely resting

So yes, other workouts can be swapped in, but those are just some of the small benefits that I can think of which can't be found in any other workouts. To me, the higher the resistance of wanting to try yoga ("just skip it", "can't do it that for long"), the more it is worth trying to engage and overcome it.

 

[Harry Potter]

I've said this a lot and will say it again - Swap it.

I've still yet to hear a rational reason why yoga is so amazing. If someone wants to explain to me I'm all ears, but I'm confident we could go 1-1 down the list of benefits and I can tell you a workout that does it better. Believe me, I'm totally prepared to admit I'm wrong, but I need more evidence than "Tony says so".

Muscle knots are tiny automatic splints that form in muscles where you have tears. Here's what's going on. Your muscles (with the exception of your tongue), can only do two things: contract, and stop contracting. When you move your arm, the muscle contracts, when you move it back the muscle that moved it first stops resisting, and lets the other muscle move it back. When one of your muscles is damaged and gets a tiny tear in it, it tries to keep the tear from getting worse by clenching down around the tear. The muscle stays like that until the tear is healed (usually takes a day or two, muscles heal extremely fast). Well... Now we have a problem... Remember how your muscles can only contract? Well... now you have that splint clenched as hard as it can, and it's stopped contracting, but we have become a lazy and indolent species, and while normally our natural movement would cause the splint to be relaxed out, now it stays... and hurts. We call these knots, because they feel like knots tied in a rope. Knots! Have very little to do with stress... But there is another kind of nasty muscle pain that is often misrepresented as a "knot". This is the Fascial Adhesion. If you are under stress, this is probably what you are feeling. Here's what happens... All of your body is covered in a thin sheath of material called Fascia, every cell, is covered in it, it's what gives you your shape. Well muscle fibers covered in the stuff move within it back and forth. In places where your body doesn't need to move the muscle, so much as have it remain in place and strong, the fibers die out and the fascia bonds together. This happens normally, and it results in a tendon. This is perfectly normal... up to a point. When you are stressed you have a tendency to bunch up muscles and keep them that way. After a while the muscle fibers throw in the towel, and signal to the body that they are not really a muscle (biologically expensive) and could be replaced by a tendon (biologically inexpensive), and the fascia starts to bond together. This causes "muscle tightness" and frankly, hurts. If you get a massage and it hurts like someone took a hot knife through your muscles? It's the Fascial Adhesion breaking apart. Solution: To both knots and fascial adhesions are the same. Get a massage to deal with the knots and adhesions you have now, and move more to keep from getting them again. Seriously. Yoga.

 

[SteveMeister]

Great post, HP. Really a good explanation and not one I'd heard.

Makes me appreciate that rumble roller even more now!

 

[Harry Potter]

Great post, HP. Really a good explanation and not one I'd heard.

Makes me appreciate that rumble roller even more now!

I can't take credit for it as it was posted by a massage therapist on reddit but it's one of the best explanations I've heard. I tried quoting it but the gaf mobile site is giving me problems right now.

 

[fatty]

And I did Yoga for X2 for the first time yesterday. A much superior experience to the original one. Its going to take a few weeks to get used to the cues, but man that did not drag out like it did for the original at all.

Yoga X is one of the hardest workouts for me to go through (so dang long) but it is also one of the most beneficial. This is my second go round with P90X (completed it back in 2010) and I'm on week 4, recovery week. Get to do Core Synergistics tonight and I haven't done it in years.

Anyways, I wish there was a way to buy Yoga X2 separately because I keep hearing it has much better pacing. Yesterday I ended up doing the first half in the morning and the stretching section in the evening. "I recommend foot spray..."

I really need to get my eating back in check though, so I'm starting to focus on that again. But yeah, I definitely recommend Yoga as much as I hate it...I love it.

 

[KingGondo]

Anyways, I wish there was a way to buy Yoga X2 separately because I keep hearing it has much better pacing.

From what I understand, the yoga workout on this page: http://www.beachbody.com/product/p90x-one-on-one-dvd-archive.do

is virtually the same as X2 Yoga.

I ended up ordering X2 anyways, but I think I remember people telling me this when I asked a few months ago.

 

[TrounceX]

Interesting responses guys, that's what I was looking for. I can't say I've been convinced, but my mind has been opened slightly.

Since I've been feeling under the weather lately I could use a more relaxed workout. Maybe tonight I'll do X2 Yoga instead of the Bulk Shoulders routine I'm scheduled for.

 

[fatty]

From what I understand, the yoga workout on this page: http://www.beachbody.com/product/p90x-one-on-one-dvd-archive.do

is virtually the same as X2 Yoga.

I ended up ordering X2 anyways, but I think I remember people telling me this when I asked a few months ago.

Thanks for the info. I will probably end up getting X2 at some point, but when I can find it at a good deal.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Interesting responses guys, that's what I was looking for. I can't say I've been convinced, but my mind has been opened slightly.

Since I've been feeling under the weather lately I could use a more relaxed workout. Maybe tonight I'll do X2 Yoga instead of the Bulk Shoulders routine I'm scheduled for.

May I ask why you are so convinced that yoga is unimportant?

 

[Zutroy]

On day two today - Plyometrics!

I really enjoyed it and managed to keep up a lot better with this compared to Back and Chest yesterday. I can already tell that if I stick with it I'll see a huge improvement. I can also tell that I'm going to be walking into work tomorrow like an old man!

What's generally considered the most difficult out of all the workouts?

 

[Harry Potter]

On day two today - Plyometrics!

I really enjoyed it and managed to keep up a lot better with this compared to Back and Chest yesterday. I can already tell that if I stick with it I'll see a huge improvement. I can also tell that I'm going to be walking into work tomorrow like an old man tomorrow!

What's generally considered the most difficult out of all the workouts?

My vote would be for Plyo. Core Syn is up there too. Yoga is different kind of difficult.

 

[TrounceX]

May I ask why you are so convinced that yoga is unimportant?

Not necessarily unimportant, just less important.

Basically I feel like I'm wasting time that could be spent either strength training or doing cardio. Yoga does neither very well, and things like flexibility and stability etc are addressed elsewhere in P90X well enough imo.

On day two today - Plyometrics!

I really enjoyed it and managed to keep up a lot better with this compared to Back and Chest yesterday. I can already tell that if I stick with it I'll see a huge improvement. I can also tell that I'm going to be walking into work tomorrow like an old man!

What's generally considered the most difficult out of all the workouts?

Plyo is easily the hardest P90X workout imo. Nothing even comes close. The only other workout I've done that beats it is Asylum Strength.

 

[opticalmace]

Is it wrong to feel kind of "zen" post-workout? lol

Day 6 done. I did this program last year but due to school/work I wasn't able to finish off the last month. Here's attempt #2.

 

[Harry Potter]

Not necessarily unimportant, just less important.

Basically I feel like I'm wasting time that could be spent either strength training or doing cardio. Yoga does neither very well, and things like flexibility and stability etc are addressed elsewhere in P90X well enough imo.

No offense, but I don't think you should necessarily be telling people to not do yoga if your reasoning is "it's wasting time that could be spent on weight training or cardio." Not everyone is at the same level as you. Yoga more than anything is a recovery day in the program. P90X is an intense workout for people just starting their road to higher fitness and their body can really use a recovery day after what they go through in a week.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Ahh there is nothing like impulse-work out...many people impulse-purchase things, well, tonight I decided on the whim to do base and back. This was the first time I did a X2 workout since July and the first time I attempted a X2 pullup without assistance. Fun stuff, took it easy the first round, went harder the second round, and happy to say plyo was one tough son of a bitch

 

[SteveMeister]

P.A.P. Lower complete. Phase 3 has begun. I'm doing 3 weeks. The first complex was pretty easy, but I don't have a plyo box or stable bench for the first move so I was doing the alternate (albeit with 15lb dumbbells). I might try to get a plyo box this weekend as I'm not getting the quad work I should be with that move. The second complex was harder, particularly the side bridge leg lift. I need to work on my height and to figure out how to point my toe down without rolling my chest over as well. Overall a good workout, lots of sweat!

 

[Harry Potter]

P.A.P. Lower complete. Phase 3 has begun. I'm doing 3 weeks. The first complex was pretty easy, but I don't have a plyo box or stable bench for the first move so I was doing the alternate (albeit with 15lb dumbbells). I might try to get a plyo box this weekend as I'm not getting the quad work I should be with that move. The second complex was harder, particularly the side bridge leg lift. I need to work on my height and to figure out how to point my toe down without rolling my chest over as well. Overall a good workout, lots of sweat!

I still have nightmares of that first complex using a Plyo box/chair.

 

[SteveMeister]

PAP Upper #1 complete. First complex is tough! 60 second plank with feet on a medicine ball + 45 seconds Superman (I used a towel). Ouch! They also do the renegade rows faster than I do them. I need to speed up I guess. I used 20lb dummbells for those. Second complex wasn't as hard. I did 10 clean towel pull-ups on the first 3 rounds, then 9 on the fourth round plus another after a 2-second breath. Used 20lbs for the leg-up hammer curl presses for all four rounds. Fourth round, the last few reps were hard. 8lb med ball for the pike crunches, they were pretty easy so I'll use a 10lb next time. I have no problems with roller angel so I simply worked on trying to get my hands lower while keeping the small of my back on the roller.

Last night/this morning I was really feeling yesterday's workout. Particularly in my lower lats, glutes & hips. So even though today was an "upper body" workout I focused on those parts in the foam rolling sequence. Looking forward to Yoga tomorrow.

I also ordered Les Mills Combat yesterday. Got the "Ultimate Warrior" package, which has extra workouts. There's a separate schedule for that, a little harder than the "normal" program, and I already have that auto-scheduled on the Supergym starting on 1/31. I found a (huge) Facebook group that does a wide variety of Beachbody workouts, and they have a sub-group that's focused on LMC, so I've joined both groups. If anyone wants info about them PM me and I'll send you my new coach's contact info.

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

About to finish up the first set of P90X tomorrow and start my rest week next week. Perhaps oddly, I have gained seven pounds over the last three weeks.

I remember gaining weight initially during my first go around of P90X roughly 1.5 years ago, but I can't seem to recall when the weight loss began. When all was said and done, I weighed 15 pounds less than my starting weight at the end of my 90 days.

 

[obijkenobi]

Just did X2 Core for the first time (with 8 lb medicine ball) God damn. Wish I had watched it more before I did it. Had to keep rewinding it, and there were definitely times I wish I had used a towel to wipe sweat off before doing some of the medicine/stability ball stuff. Almost busted my face on the med ball burpee for example.

Still, it was a great change of pace from traditional P90X. And my core does need a lot more work. Can't wait to see how my numbers/balance progress here.

Also, I can't believe that the work out "only" burned 414 calories according to my HRM. Especially considering I'm drenched in sweat. I bet part of that was all the mini/rewind breaks I had to take

 

[evlcookie]

For those who are doing P90/P90X and those who have actually gone through with it, A quick question.

Did you follow the suggested diet at all? Or simply go your own way?

 

[FOOTE]

For those who are doing P90/P90X and those who have actually gone through with it, A quick question.

Did you follow the suggested diet at all? Or simply go your own way?

Yes, I followed it. Yes, it works. Don't be afraid of doing some research on food and building a plan that may work better for you than what is in the book.

 

[____]

Fuck, it finally got here. Starting this weekend. Wish me luck!