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[radcliff]

I have now completed the rest of the block one workouts. Here are my impressions:

Challenge: I really liked this one. I had feared it would be redundant with Chest and Back from P90X1. But due to the quicker pace and “challenge” to maintain your numbers, this was a different beast. I started with 24 push-ups to 10 chin-ups. I was able to do the 10 chin-ups unassisted for about the first half. Then, the number of assisted (w/a chair) gradually increased. My goal next time is to reduce the # of assisted chin-ups and maybe up the # of push–ups by 2.

CVX: Now this is what I wanted with Agility X. I wanted to feel exhausted at the end. While I did not get that with Agility X, this did the trick. While I typically don’t like cardio routines, doing this with a weight (a 10 pound weight in my case) really made a big difference. Not only was I exhausted from the routine itself, but I was sore in several areas due to the addition of the weight.

Warrior: Three good ones in a row! I actually kind of wish this was a bit longer. Just an all-around good routine that will work several areas of your body (mostly chest, legs, and abs). I did throw in some biceps curls as I feel the entire arm is neglected in the first block of P90x3 (I also did this with Total Synergistics [the first routine]).

So I will go through it all again this week and since I would have gone through each one twice, I will give ratings to each routine (spoiler altert: the first 3 routines will be lower than the last 3 routines).

 

[Tash]

I have now completed the rest of the block one workouts. Here are my impressions:

Challenge: I really liked this one. I had feared it would be redundant with Chest and Back from P90X1. But due to the quicker pace and “challenge” to maintain your numbers, this was a different beast. I started with 24 push-ups to 10 chin-ups. I was able to do the 10 chin-ups unassisted for about the first half. Then, the number of assisted (w/a chair) gradually increased. My goal next time is to reduce the # of assisted chin-ups and maybe up the # of push–ups by 2.

CVX: Now this is what I wanted with Agility X. I wanted to feel exhausted at the end. While I did not get that with Agility X, this did the trick. While I typically don’t like cardio routines, doing this with a weight (a 10 pound weight in my case) really made a big difference. Not only was I exhausted from the routine itself, but I was sore in several areas due to the addition of the weight.

Warrior: Three good ones in a row! I actually kind of wish this was a bit longer. Just an all-around good routine that will work several areas of your body (mostly chest, legs, and abs). I did throw in some biceps curls as I feel the entire arm is neglected in the first block of P90x3 (I also did this with Total Synergistics [the first routine]).

So I will go through it all again this week and since I would have gone through each one twice, I will give ratings to each routine (spoiler altert: the first 3 routines will be lower than the last 3 routines).

Agility X is not a cardio routine per se and focus is more on speed and balance/core control on top of the cardio aspect imo. It's called Agility for a reason imo
Precision and explosive movement. How far you can jump, or how high.

 

[h3ro]

P90X3 Day 1 complete. I'm doing the mass building schedule. Total Synergistics is a fun routine! My core feels on fire right now. Really liking the new schedule, I skipped P90X2 but remember the length of P90X being a drag sometimes.

Looking forward to the upcoming 3 months!

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

P90X3 starts today. Going to be rough getting back into 6 workouts a week when I've been off for 3 weeks and before that was doing 3 a week. Hopefully I can keep it up.

 

[Dead Prince]

P90X3 starts today. Going to be rough getting back into 6 workouts a week when I've been off for 3 weeks and before that was doing 3 a week. Hopefully I can keep it up.

I'm starting today as well. i've been almost a year of not working out lol.

 

[Dead Prince]

Day 1. way out of shape lol.
Most of the time i was just trying to figure out what these moves are.

lol. Donkey Kicks.
and need more room for Plank circles.

but after a week i should know what i'm doing.

 

[fader]

so anyone deep into p90x3? im thinking of starting that one vs p90x1 after i finish Power 90 since it seems more of a flexibility & cardio routine which is what im more attracted to vs bodybuilding. Can anyone confirm what its like?

 

[SteveMeister]

so anyone deep into p90x3? im thinking of starting that one vs p90x1 after i finish Power 90 since it seems more of a flexibility & cardio routine which is what im more attracted to vs bodybuilding. Can anyone confirm what its like?

Yep, I'm in the third week and a couple others are at least a week in or more as well. I don't see any reason why you couldn't transition directly from Power90 to P90X3. There's usually someone doing modifications of most moves. The only tricky part for a beginner is that given only 30 minutes, there's not a lot of time to walk you through every move, so I recommend watching each video before you do it the first time, and don't be afraid to pause & even back up if necessary until you "get" all the moves.

 

[fader]

Yep, I'm in the third week and a couple others are at least a week in or more as well. I don't see any reason why you couldn't transition directly from Power90 to P90X3. There's usually someone doing modifications of most moves. The only tricky part for a beginner is that given only 30 minutes, there's not a lot of time to walk you through every move, so I recommend watching each video before you do it the first time, and don't be afraid to pause & even back up if necessary until you "get" all the moves.

yea i saw some videos of it and it really seemed like a lot of the moves were based on allot of reps in a short time and Tony seemed to be a lot hastier in his approach.
So 3 weeks in is pretty good. have you noticed increase in flexibility?

 

[vatstep]

Yep, I'm in the third week and a couple others are at least a week in or more as well. I don't see any reason why you couldn't transition directly from Power90 to P90X3. There's usually someone doing modifications of most moves. The only tricky part for a beginner is that given only 30 minutes, there's not a lot of time to walk you through every move, so I recommend watching each video before you do it the first time, and don't be afraid to pause & even back up if necessary until you "get" all the moves.

This is good to hear. So many of the earlier programs/routines were inflated by over-explaining/demonstrating, which becomes an unnecessary nuisance after only a few viewings. The Master Series is ridiculously bad for this; the last time I did some of those routines, I had to run in place or do double the reps just so I wasn't standing there doing nothing.

 

[toddhunter]

Yep, I'm in the third week and a couple others are at least a week in or more as well.

If the beachbody spectrum is something like:

Cardio                Mix               Weights
  
T25                    P90X             Body Beast

Where does P90X3 sit?

 

[SteveMeister]

yea i saw some videos of it and it really seemed like a lot of the moves were based on allot of reps in a short time and Tony seemed to be a lot hastier in his approach.
So 3 weeks in is pretty good. have you noticed increase in flexibility?

I was already fairly flexible, having done P90X and X2 previously. That said, it had been a while since I'd done yoga regularly so I had regressed slightly, and I have seen some improvements since starting X3. It could also just be remembering proper form, but I FEEL like I'm stretching a bit further.

There's always room for improvement, though!

If the beachbody spectrum is something like:

Cardio                Mix               Weights
  
T25                    P90X             Body Beast

Where does P90X3 sit?

Right where you have P90X.

 

[toddhunter]

Right where you have P90X.

So exactly the same? I had a feeling it was somewhere between T25 and P90X with more of a cardio/punching kicking focus?

 

[SteveMeister]

So exactly the same? I had a feeling it was somewhere between T25 and P90X with more of a cardio/punching kicking focus?

Nope, X3 is like a combination of X and X2. It's still all about muscle confusion (wide variety of workouts) instability (although to a lesser extent than X2 and no stability or medicine balls required) and functional fitness.

X3 hits on cardio, agility, flexibility, endurance, explosiveness, as well as strength training. In intent it's more like X than X2, because X2 is specifically focused on elite athletic training, but X3 still incorporates elements of X2.

The biggest difference of course is that the workouts are shorter, which they accomplish by: shorter warm ups & cool downs; fewer breaks; more focused workouts; and less time spent explaining each move.

There is a 12 minute warmup routine on every workout DVD that you can add when needed, and the stretch workout on day 7 of each week should not be skipped, though it is considered optional.

 

[toddhunter]

ok thanks.

 

[Kiriku]

X3 hits on cardio, agility, flexibility, endurance, explosiveness, as well as strength training. In intent it's more like X than X2, because X2 is specifically focused on elite athletic training, but X3 still incorporates elements of X2.

I'm guessing there's a more dedicated arms and/or shoulders routine later on? Nothing of the sort in phase 1 at least. Looking back, P90X had shoulders & arms in phase 1, but in P90X2 it didn't show up until phase 2.

 

[radcliff]

I'm guessing there's a more dedicated arms and/or shoulders routine later on? Nothing of the sort in phase 1 at least. Looking back, P90X had shoulders & arms in phase 1, but in P90X2 it didn't show up until phase 2.

Sadly, no. There are routines (Incinerator and Eccentric Upper) where you do some curls, but they are not the main focus. This is my biggest gripe (that and the first 3 routines of block one don't seem to work me that hard). I have been adding extra curls to Total Synergistics.

 

[owlbeak]

Did Day 2 of P90X3 today, liking the workouts more than P90X already. The 30min workouts are a nice bonus as well, but I feel guilty for not working out for a full hour though, thanks to doing P90X.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Yoga day today, let's see how X3 does it compared to 1 and 2.

Yesterday was Agility X. This whole week has been me trying to figure out how the hell to do the moves and what bands to use, so it's been tricky so far. I am sore though.

Anyone done Yoga X3 yet?

 

[Dead Prince]

X3 Yoga for me too. I always skipped the yoga for p90x. it was such a long bore (couldn't even make it out of the 10 minute mark). hopefully this one just goes by quick.

 

[Fixed1979]

I ordered X3 over the weekend with expedited shipping to Canada, hopefully it doesn't take too long to get here as I really want to get started.

 

[Dead Prince]

just did X3 Yoga. LOL no balance anymore. first 20+ minutes was just trying to stand up before i can even get to the point of doing it right. anyways i think i will do this and not skip. was surprisingly not boring.

 

[casperOne]

so anyone deep into p90x3? im thinking of starting that one vs p90x1 after i finish Power 90 since it seems more of a flexibility & cardio routine which is what im more attracted to vs bodybuilding. Can anyone confirm what its like?

Based on the first few weeks (I'm in the third week), I can say that the focus is mostly like X2, but adjusted to be slightly more like X1: need less gear, moves not as complex as X2, but more complex than X1.

There's a ton of emphasis on core work (even though not explicitly stated like it is in X2) as well as cardio galore compared to previous workouts (Agility X, CVX, The Warrior every week in round 1 alone).

I can't say what rounds two or three are like yet, but I think there will be some more emphasis on body building, but not too much.

Overall, if X1 is for body building/shaping, X2 is for performance, then my initial impression about X3 is that it's about maintenance.

yea i saw some videos of it and it really seemed like a lot of the moves were based on allot of reps in a short time and Tony seemed to be a lot hastier in his approach.
So 3 weeks in is pretty good. have you noticed increase in flexibility?

I don't know if flexibility is something I'd say improves. Yoga will help, but if you want to improve flexibility, I'd go with one of the yoga programs from X1 or X2.

Also, Dynamix is the new stretch, it seems, and I'm not sure it's as good as the X1 or X2 versions.

If flexibility is key to you, then I'd swap out the Yoga and Dynamix for their counterparts in previous versions.

So exactly the same? I had a feeling it was somewhere between T25 and P90X with more of a cardio/punching kicking focus?

I think you might have just seen "The Warrior" or the "MMX" workouts.

"The Challenge" (push and pull, chest and back) is a serious workout; I've compared my peak reps from Chest and Back in X vs the peak reps in "The Challenge" and in the third week, I've surpassed my peak for push-ups that I've done in X

Anyone done Yoga X3 yet?

I've done it, and I've done the Yoga from X1 and X2.

Honestly, if time wasn't a concern, I'd prefer to do the Yoga routine from X1. That routine was split into two parts, strength and flexibility. The strength part was also a progression, you slowly worked until you hit a crescendo and then you slowly descended from it. The flexibility part then leveled out the routine until you hit Shavasana.

In X2, I find it to be slightly more rushed, but still very satisfying. The level of exertion that you should feel was there, but not on the level of X1.

With X3, the first time I did it, I felt there was little value, not because it was yoga, but because it wasn't long enough. However, after doing it for three weeks, I get hints of those levels of exertion that I'd get from X1 and X2, but for nowhere near the length of time, and I think that's a drawback of the routine. Of course, the major benefit is that it's 1/2 hour, which trumps everything for most people, but for me, time permitting, I'd prefer the Yoga routine from X1 over the other two easily.

 

[SteveMeister]

Started our first "transition week" in P90X3 this morning with Isometrix.

O hai balance poses, there you are!

So this workout is a series of 45 second isometric holds, alternating between a plank-based pose and a standing balance pose. It is TOUGH. Hardest move for me was "bound dog" with leg raise. You go into downward dog, reach one hand back, rotate your torso and grab the opposite ankle (or calf in my case). Then, you lift the other leg up as high as you can. Yeesh.

Thing about X3 Yoga vs X1 and X2 is that while X3 Yoga is shorter, that's kindof OK because SO MANY of the other workouts incorporate yoga poses & asanas. I think in X3 you're doing more yoga overall than in previous P90X workouts.

And it's a beautiful thing ;-)

 

[casperOne]

Hardest move for me was "bound dog" with leg raise. You go into downward dog, reach one hand back, rotate your torso and grab the opposite ankle (or calf in my case). Then, you lift the other leg up as high as you can. Yeesh.

That's done in Dynamix as well, IIRC. I used to skip these (stretch routines), but it really is important, I love having the flexibility that I gained from the stretch and yoga routines.

Thing about X3 Yoga vs X1 and X2 is that while X3 Yoga is shorter, that's kindof OK because SO MANY of the other workouts incorporate yoga poses & asanas. I think in X3 you're doing more yoga overall than in previous P90X workouts.

And it's a beautiful thing ;-)

I lean more towards the "not kind of ok" because I think the buildup of strength poses is really crucial to the overall experience/workout, but I absolutely agree that core and balance has been integrated everywhere.

And 110% agree that it's a beautiful thing. I want to crush Agility X as the weeks go on (and I hate plyo, which this is the X3 version of).

 

[teh_pwn]

How did Steve lap me already? Damn cut phase and by inheritance damn holiday booze.

Just did week 3 Yoga. Does a really good job correcting my aging hamstrings and whatever that tissue is behind the knees.

Excited for phase 2.

 

[Tash]

Done with week two of P90x3 - wooooo
Having a hard time eating enough, though.

 

[Infinity]

Yoga day today, let's see how X3 does it compared to 1 and 2.

Yesterday was Agility X. This whole week has been me trying to figure out how the hell to do the moves and what bands to use, so it's been tricky so far. I am sore though.

Anyone done Yoga X3 yet?

I really like Yoga X3. 30 minutes of Yoga is great.

Agility X: I really don't like this one. Last night, I substituted a Masters level workout for it, because, well - I just don't like it. Personal preference I guess. I could go into why, but it doesn't really matter here.

I'll tell you which one is the most challenging for me so far (now in week 3): The Warrior. Man, that is tough.

 

[SteveMeister]

I really like Yoga X3. 30 minutes of Yoga is great.

Agility X: I really don't like this one. Last night, I substituted a Masters level workout for it, because, well - I just don't like it. Personal preference I guess. I could go into why, but it doesn't really matter here.

I'll tell you which one is the most challenging for me so far (now in week 3): The Warrior. Man, that is tough.

I like Agility X but it's usually a complete trainwreck because my wife & I are both "presently struggling" with several of the moves! It takes a lot of skill, agility and balance to perform the moves properly and neither of us are quite "there" yet. It's not one that wears me out or gives me a good resistance training burn, but it's challenging in different ways, which is good. Variety is one of the best things about the P90X series and Agility X is a key part of that. Embrace it!

The Warrior is tough -- but try CVX with 10lbs and let me know how you feel after that

 

[casperOne]

I'll tell you which one is the most challenging for me so far (now in week 3): The Warrior. Man, that is tough.

The Warrior is tough -- but try CVX with 10lbs and let me know how you feel after that

Seriously, easier than "The Challenge"? My push-up/pull-up numbers are where I was when I was doing chest/back from X1. It's crazy insane the amount of work that's been condensed into 1/2 hour.

 

[Korosenai]

Well, I restarted Insanity recently. Halfway through week 2 now. I also bought DDP Yoga and started it today as well. I'm going to do it after my Insanity workouts. I'll probably give impressions on it as well once I spend more time with it, but so far it is really awesome. Got the military discount on it as well thanks to my Dad being in the Air Force.

That's about $30 off the auto-ship price. If you like Shakeology, and especially if your family likes it too, the cheapest way to get it is as a Coach. You get a 25% discount (on everything Beachbody sells). The full price is $129.95 but the coach price is $97.46, free shipping if you do home direct autoship.

It's normally $39 to sign up, but if you sign up & buy a Challenge Pack (a workout program plus Shakeology) the $39 is waived. After that it's $15.95/month but the discount still makes up for it. So especially if you buy multiple bags for family members it's more than worth it.

Go here and click on the Coach button to sign up. And of course you would then be able to sell Shakeology to others. Just get 3 people buying it and yours is paid for.

Thanks for the info Steve, but I just went ahead and bought it off Ebay. I don't really plan to use it again for a while, too expensive. Just a one time use kind of thing for Insanity (i'm going to take it every other day to last through the two months of Insanity).

 

[Ixian]

I did DDP Yoga and it was pretty good! Though fake pullups make me cringe.

My biggest problem with Agility X is the space requirements; I live in a studio and my workout area is actually pretty big, but I can't just put tape down in one spot for the entire duration of the workout because some moves might have me bumping into my desk or a wall. I will probably replace Agility X with something else when I do another pass through the program.

 

[Kiriku]

My biggest problem with Agility X is the space requirements; I live in a studio and my workout area is actually pretty big, but I can't just put tape down in one spot for the entire duration of the workout because some moves might have me bumping into my desk or a wall. I will probably replace Agility X with something else when I do another pass through the program.

Yup, same problem. With all those running moves I'm always afraid of running into something or slipping.

 

[StoOgE]

Hey guys,

Chekced the OP, but it looks like P90X3 wasn't out then.

I'm a bit out of shape (moved to NYC, cant afford a gym membership so using freeweights at home and running).

Would anyone suggest P90X3? Seems to fit my schedule the best. What equipment would you recommendw ith it? Should I pony up for the 3 extra workouts, not worth it?

 

[SteveMeister]

Hey guys,

Chekced the OP, but it looks like P90X3 wasn't out then.

I'm a bit out of shape (moved to NYC, cant afford a gym membership so using freeweights at home and running).

Would anyone suggest P90X3? Seems to fit my schedule the best. What equipment would you recommendw ith it? Should I pony up for the 3 extra workouts, not worth it?

Check out this post for a description of all the different versions you can get.

I got the "Deluxe" package, which includes the Elite block you mentioned. You do those in a 4-week block AFTER you've completed the initial 90 days, so it's completely optional.

Personally I think the best deal is the Challenge Pack. For $180 you get the base P90X3 package plus Shakeology on autoship (which you can cancel later if you don't like it). It's significantly less expensive than buying them separately and shipping is free this month too. If you bought them separately it'd cost around $250 plus shipping.

And yes, I'd absolutely recommend P90X3. My wife & I are in the 4th week and it's amazingly good.

 

[Korosenai]

I did DDP Yoga and it was pretty good! Though fake pullups make me cringe. .

Did you like it? Good results? I'm actually starting out on the advanced calendar.

I did Insanity Cardio Recovery this morning and then Diamond Dozen right after it (the workout that shows all this move). Just got done with the second workout of the day, Energy. So far i'm really liking it.

 

[Infinity]

I like Agility X but it's usually a complete trainwreck because my wife & I are both "presently struggling" with several of the moves! It takes a lot of skill, agility and balance to perform the moves properly and neither of us are quite "there" yet. It's not one that wears me out or gives me a good resistance training burn, but it's challenging in different ways, which is good. Variety is one of the best things about the P90X series and Agility X is a key part of that. Embrace it!

The Warrior is tough -- but try CVX with 10lbs and let me know how you feel after that

Haha, my wife and I did Agility X and had space issues. And yeah, getting the moves down is kinda tough just because everything goes at such a fast pace. I thought about watching them at my desk for awhile just to memorize the moves - then take it up again.

I've done the warrior with about 7.5 lbs; just about made my arms and shoulders fall off. I'm a small frame guy, so that was killer.

 

[Ixian]

Did you like it? Good results? I'm actually starting out on the advanced calendar.

I did Insanity Cardio Recovery this morning and then Diamond Dozen right after it (the workout that shows all this move). Just got done with the second workout of the day, Energy. So far i'm really liking it.

It did wonders for my flexibility and was the right intensity for me at the time since I had a shoulder injury. Just remember to eat properly and you'll get a lot out of it.

 

[SteveMeister]

Ok, Accelerator is no joke. Yeesh! Now I know why they call this a "Transition Week" rather than a "Recovery Week!"

 

[Dead Prince]

Ok, Accelerator is no joke. Yeesh! Now I know why they call this a "Transition Week" rather than a "Recovery Week!"

That was the first thing i did for lean. Lol way to jump back con for me after a long hiatus

 

[SteveMeister]

That was the first thing i did for lean. Lol way to jump back con for me after a long hiatus

Hah, maybe that's why Tony says everyone should do a round of Classic first!

 

[casperOne]

Did I just watch Tony dance in Isometrix?

 

[Dead Prince]

Did I just watch Tony dance in Isometrix?

keep your eyes closed!

 

[teh_pwn]

CVX + Laundry + Dishes + taking out trash somehow = multi-functional fitness

 

[zatara]

What's the consensus with taking a break due to illness? I'm on day 42 of Power 90.Thursday was my normal off day (6 days on 1 off). Friday I caught a nasty cold that I'm still fighting and I'm so beat I can't even get out of bed. Today is my 3rd day in a row off.

 

[tmarques]

What's the consensus with taking a break due to illness? I'm on day 42 of Power 90.Thursday was my normal off day (6 days on 1 off). Friday I caught a nasty cold that I'm still fighting and I'm so beat I can't even get out of bed. Today is my 3rd day in a row off.

Not sure about Power 90, but with P90X I *think* the recommendation is to go back to the beginning of the phase you were in if you miss more than a couple of days.

My take on it: I wouldn't sweat it - just continue from where you stopped and don't give it a second thought. Fitness is a lifetime commitment, you're not going to complete a 90-day program and never work out again in you life (I hope). In the long run, missing a week is no big deal (and it's bound to happen again in the future). Good luck with the cold.

 

[zatara]

Not sure about Power 90, but with P90X I *think* the recommendation is to go back to the beginning of the phase you were in if you miss more than a couple of days.

My take on it: I wouldn't sweat it - just continue from where you stopped and don't give it a second thought. Fitness is a lifetime commitment, you're not going to complete a 90-day program and never work out again in you life (I hope). In the long run, missing a week is no big deal (and it's bound to happen again in the future). Good luck with the cold.

Thanks...yeah this a for life thing for me. I never was a fit person so this is my starting point and then I'll hit up the other beach body stuff after.

 

[Dead Prince]

not feeling Agility X at all.

 

[casperOne]

not feeling Agility X at all.

You mean as in, not liking it or physically not feeling it (I doubt it's the latter)?

I'm guessing that you felt the same about Plyometrics and Plyocide.

At least in phase two it's rotated out for Triometrics; it seems more like Plyometrics in that it's the same exercises with increasing intensity.

I don't know if I like Agility X more than Plyocide or Plyometrics, but I do like that I'm doing something different.

Kind of feeling the long jumps at the end as well.

 

[arab]

liking x3 so far. shorter workouts that are still very demanding. gotta say that as a veteran of p90x that yoga x3 is a bit of a joke