-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
What's this P90X workout stuff?
- Thread starter bishoptl
- Start date
AB RIPPER X!equap said:
Finished 3 weeks and starting the end of phase one and noticed that my waist went down 1.5 inches already.
I was pretty out of shape before I started and already noticed improvement. The core exercises are the hardest but have helped me the most. Could barely do 2 pullups when I started and now I can easily do 8+. My improvement in the weak areas I attribute most to the core stuff.
Still suck ass at fifer scissors.
ArachosiA 78
Member
I have 2 weeks and then one recovery week left before the end of the 90 days, and I am sad to say that I don't think I will have reached my goal by then unless a miracle happens in the next few weeks. I still have a lot of fat that just refuses to budge.
Looks like I'll have to go through the program another time. If that doesn't work, then I guess I'll have to resort to lyposuction.
Looks like I'll have to go through the program another time. If that doesn't work, then I guess I'll have to resort to lyposuction.
ArachosiA 78
Member
Impossible to say how many lbs of fat I have to lose. I'm guessing...10-15.
My diet is composed of skinless chicken breasts, tuna, brown rice, yams, oatmeal, green vegetables, walnuts and occassional fruit. 2,200 calories and 30% carbs for 3 days. Every 4th day I bump my calories up to about 2,600 and increase my carbs to about 50%.
I have lost about 15 lbs so far. How much of that is fat I have no clue, however. I can't for the life of me get an accurate reading with a body fat caliper.
My diet is composed of skinless chicken breasts, tuna, brown rice, yams, oatmeal, green vegetables, walnuts and occassional fruit. 2,200 calories and 30% carbs for 3 days. Every 4th day I bump my calories up to about 2,600 and increase my carbs to about 50%.
I have lost about 15 lbs so far. How much of that is fat I have no clue, however. I can't for the life of me get an accurate reading with a body fat caliper.
ArachosiA 78 said:
You have lost 15 lbs in two months, and you're complaining that it isn't good enough? 15 lbs in two months is really fast weight loss. Getting lipo for 10 lbs of fat would be insane.
If I were you, I'd stick with the program, do another round if it suits you, and then see how you measure up.
ArachosiA 78
Member
Yeah, you're right...I just expected to be able to see my abs by now. The infomercial makes it seem like it only takes 90 days. But I guess everyone who was in the infomercial started out with really low bodyfat. So yeah, probably gonna take me 2 rounds. Fuck...I'm so tired....
Burger
Member
ArachosiA 78 said:
Do you really feel tired ? You shouldn't. You should feel like you have more energy! You should only feel tired on your rest day!
If you are feeling really out of steam most of the time, you may not be eating enough. Double check your recommended calorie intake.
What are your plans once you have achieved your weight loss goal ? Stop doing exercise and start eating cheeseburgers ? Part of the program is to motivate you into keeping up this level exercise and diet, or at least a variation of it. Otherwise what is the point of doing it ?
It's ok to have goals, but make them realistic. If your goal is instead "I wanna look slimmer and meaner than I did 90 days ago" then you've achieved that and you can be happy about it! If instead your goal is "I wanna loose 30lb in 2 months, you probably won't make it, and therefore didn't achieve your goal, which is demoralising.
It sounds like you've lost a ton of weight, so great going, and keep it up!
ArachosiA 78
Member
Thanks, Burger. But, yeah...I feel like as this program goes on I just continue to get more and more tired. Phase 3 has been pretty hard becuase of this. On the upside, I am getting stronger as I keep increasing my weight and am able to do more pushups and pullups every week.
Maybe I need more calories. Or more sleep. Been going to bed a lot later than usual due to some especially awesome games I've been playing recently.
Ah...just 3 more weeks left. I'll need to find a workout partner if I do this again though...I don't think I have the willpower to do another 90 days by myself.
Maybe I need more calories. Or more sleep. Been going to bed a lot later than usual due to some especially awesome games I've been playing recently.
Ah...just 3 more weeks left. I'll need to find a workout partner if I do this again though...I don't think I have the willpower to do another 90 days by myself.
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
ArachosiA 78 said:
yeah a partner helps immensely. I'm doing it with my girlfriend and i've told her I'm gonna lose more weight than her. It's awesomely competitive now :lol
rocK` said:
p90x comes with a nutrition guidebook. I don't think you'll need another one. maybe an extra cookbook of healthy recipes for some more variety.
you'll definitely want a big range of bands or weights. i have free weights from 5 lb (weighted circles in phase 2) to 30 pounds (lawnmowers - and even that's not enough resistance)
so, if you're using bands, get a big range and find what works for you once you start it up.
get a yoga mat or some other fitness mat.
depending on your current fitness and your goals, you may or may not want to start having protein shakes. recovery drinks after workouts are recommended but you don't want to go nuts with the sugars in those.
3 weeks in and gained a kilo. First week was pain but after that, most of the exercises have felt quite (too?) easy. The only exception is legs. I guess I have horrible leg muscles as I still can't do the full set. But all the others feel almost too easy, I think I'm doing some of them wrong. My muscles don't ache at all (like they did when I used to do some gym) though I do feel the burn in the right muscles.
Funny that I've gained some weight as I actually have eaten slightly less than recommended. I thought it might be muscles but looking at pics, it's a little bit of fat around my waist. This training is giving me bigger love handles! (I have always had small ones)
I don't really mind though. At least I'm doing some kind of sport for a change. :lol
Funny that I've gained some weight as I actually have eaten slightly less than recommended. I thought it might be muscles but looking at pics, it's a little bit of fat around my waist. This training is giving me bigger love handles! (I have always had small ones)
I don't really mind though. At least I'm doing some kind of sport for a change. :lol
Battersea Power Station
Member
Wow, that's pretty impressive. How many pull-ups are you doing and what kind of weights are you lifting?Rad- said:
ArachosiA 78 said:
Trust me man, I know EXACTLY how you feel...I started last July, and there are various points in this huge thread where i've expressed disappointment with my rate of progress...but it's important to realize that you should be in this for the long haul (not P90X specifically, but being fit as a lifestyle, not a quick fix). And yes, some of the "OMG" results shown in the informercial can be misleading for some of us that are starting from a heavier starting point...but even they realize that now. In the latest infomercial i've seen, they have a guy who started out quite heavy and ended up doing 5 rounds of P90X. Technically, i'm in my 3rd round(though i'm currently doing a hybrid), and i'll be doing a 4th(strict P90X) starting in May.
Try not to obsess about the finish line, whatever that may be(which I guess for both of us, is being able to have visible abs)...that can lead to frustration, which will lead to giving up and failing, which will start its own vicious cycle of indifference/neglect. I've been there before. You don't want to throw away the progress you've already made, which you should be proud of.
Don't be too hard on yourself, and if need be, take a few days off, step outside of the process, have a bit of fun, and renew yourself. Losing weight is not just stressful on the body, but also the mind. It's important for that to recover as well(IMO).
Lastly, I always say, take pics...they do wonders...numbers by themselves do not account for actual changes in composition (bodyfat vs. lean muscle mass...also, water weight).
Battersea Power Station said:
Well I don't think it's that impressive. I'm not that strong of a guy. I think I still have problems with finding the perfect rep/weight ratio. I'm also a good example of the skinny fat, meaning I don't weight that much but I still have some extra fat around some areas. Like small love handles. But then my shoulder area is very thin looking.
I don't have a bar so I'm doing all the back moves with bands. For moves like these I'm always aiming so that I start to feel the burn around number 5 rep and go to 12.
For stuff like push-ups I'm doing as many as I can without starting to feel unbalanced. Last time I did 25 per move. I started with 10 (= first week). So there's some improvement, I'm happy with that.
For arms/shoulders I use 15-20 kg weights.
GuessWho said:
Yes.
ShinAmano, you'll need the P90X set (DVDs, guides) and you'll need equipment (doorframe chinup bar, dumbbell set or resistance bands). If you want to go cheap, get the bands. If you want to use optimal equipment, use the dumbbells. I'd guess you're looking at 200 bucks minimum, up to about 350 including a nice dumbbell set. It's worth it, as all of this stuff can be used for many years.
I'm thinking of getting into this soon. Now I don't have the space to install a bar so I'll be using resistance bands. The website is saying that I'll need a resistance band upgrade kit (here), but do I really need this kit? I already have bands so I'm looking to spend as little as possible on equipment. I know this upgrade kit is only $12 so I'll get it if necessary, but if it's not needed I could use that money on something else.
Cool I have some dumbbells (25lbs and 5lbs)...I probably need a wider rangegrumble said:
What about a mat or anything like that...my current work out area consists of a bench with leg lifts, the dumbbells listed, a bike and a 80lb punching bag...all on a concrete basement floor.
Dacvak
No one shall be brought before our LORD David Bowie without the true and secret knowledge of the Photoshop. For in that time, so shall He appear.
I fell off of the P90X wagon about a month ago. Now I'm back. Started up again today.
I can't believe how shitty at this I am now. Super depressing. It's just so god damn hard to do this everyday. The reason I stopped last time was because I injured my leg on one of the exercises and had to stop for a few days.
Oh well. I guess I'm back. Wish me luck. (Just finished half of Chest and Back. Gonna finish the rest in about a half hour. Then I'm gonna TRY doing Ab Ripper.)
Edit: Shin, I got a pull up bar from WalMart for 20 bucks and got a cheap set of dumbbells there for 20 bucks as well. The bad part is they only go up to 20lbs per dumbbell, so I had to buy a few additional weights to put on there. Still, it ended up being about 60 bucks for equipment for me.
I can't believe how shitty at this I am now. Super depressing. It's just so god damn hard to do this everyday. The reason I stopped last time was because I injured my leg on one of the exercises and had to stop for a few days.
Oh well. I guess I'm back. Wish me luck. (Just finished half of Chest and Back. Gonna finish the rest in about a half hour. Then I'm gonna TRY doing Ab Ripper.)
Edit: Shin, I got a pull up bar from WalMart for 20 bucks and got a cheap set of dumbbells there for 20 bucks as well. The bad part is they only go up to 20lbs per dumbbell, so I had to buy a few additional weights to put on there. Still, it ended up being about 60 bucks for equipment for me.
TOM f'N CRUISE
Member
good luck man, KEEP IT UP!!!
I'm on Yoga of the second week. I already fill fitter. Plyometrics didn't kill me as bad as it did last time, and I am handling ab ripper fairly well. I look a bit thinner, and I noticed the start of some abdominal muscles showing when I flex. It will be a while till I shed the remaining fat to have them ripped, but what I see is encouraging. I will admit that I did not do the kenpo disc. I went on a 2hr mountain hike and called that my cardio.
ArachosiA 78 said:
I gained a ton of muscle on p90X, but little fat lost.
There isn't an exercise program that will make you lose fat, because energy expenditure isn't the problem nor is energy intake.
The problem, at least for me, was too much insulin. Get rid of the refined carbs, and your body starts feeding internally on body fat. If you eat lots of fat and protein, hunger isn't an issue. To understand the science, watch these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SNC6Q8FcBY
That said, P90X is a fantastic fitness program. I'll be doing it again after I've lost another 25 lbs of fat.
MeshuggahMan
Member
I was making some amazing progress between Jan-March.. easily the best shape I had ever been in. Then I just had to go and get a concussion and fracture my face (passed out, head slammed on the ground). I thought I was feeling better but I got a headache a mere 3 minutes into ab ripper. So frustrating I wish I could just jump right back into p90.. guess I have to wait a while to work my way back up to that level. Goodbye progress =(
Jamesfrom818
Banned
MeshuggahMan said:
How did you manage to crush your face?
ShinAmano said:
You can get relatively cheap foam floor pieces from sports authority and make your own workout floor.
Something like this: http://www.sportsauthority.com/prod...7568.3077629.2049960.714802&parentPage=family
(although you probably don't want 16 of them. Look for a smaller pack)
MeshuggahMan
Member
Jamesfrom818 said:
I... don't remember. From what people say about it I somehow hit a wall before slamming down on the ground. No one really saw the whole thing but that's what we think happened. I landed right on the bone under my right eye which is where the 3 fractures were at. I also somehow landed on my chin. Damaged my nerves pretty bad though and thus I can't feel anything on my upper right teeth or that whole general area.
obijkenobi
Member
Jamesfrom818 said:
I was going to make a joke about ignoring Tony's tip of the day but decided against it.
ArachosiA 78
Member
OmniGamer said:
Thanks for the encouragement, Omni. Even if I don't get the results I want, I do not intend to go back to my old eating/exercise habits. I've invested too much time, money, and energy into this weight loss issue over the past several years to just throw it all away. I have made that mistake multiple time before, but this time I plan on making fitness a part of my daily life. After this round of P90X, I'm going to take a few weeks off and just enjoy life...probably just do some light cardio and 30 min lifting sessions so I don't lose any muscle mass. After that I'll very likely do another round of P90X, as I believe one more round should get me to 10% bodyfat (hopefully). Anyway, thanks again...it helps to hear that other people struggle with this too.
f-castrillo
Neo Member
obijkenobi said:
ArachosiA 78
Member
teh_pwn said:
Unfortunately I cant watch the video you linked to right now because I'm at work, but it sounds interesting. I have known for many years now that refined carbs are terrible for you, and they are definitely not anywhere in my diet. I am on a low carb diet, but not super low. My carbs consist of yams, brown rice, oatmeal and green vegetables. No sugar, nothing refined. I eat a ton of lean protein, and a small amount of healthy fat. By following this diet and P90X, I have been losing about 2 lbs a week for 2.5 months now. So it does seem to be working...it's just that it's really hard to tell from where the weight is coming off.
I think what your advocating sounds like the Atkin's Diet. I tried this diet about 6 years ago, and I did lose a ton of weight very rapidly (40lbs in 3 months). I didn't exercise...just limited my carbs to under 20g a day. The problem is that anytime you lose weight that rapidly, you are very likely losing muscle mass as well (anything over 2lbs a week isn considered unsafe).. Currently, I have a decent amount of muscle that I worked pretty hard for, and I would be worried about losing any of it if I can help it.
I would consider following a very low carb diet again if I could be convinced that it wouldn't compromise my muscle mass. I'll check out your link when I get a chance.
ArachosiA 78
Member
Plyo is without a doubt the hardest cardio routine, but it gets easier over time. Don't be afraid to take longer breaks than they do in the video. Sometimes I'll extend my break to a full minute if I am feeling exhausted. It definitely helps.
D
Deleted member 1235
Unconfirmed Member
I'm still a huge woman on ab ribber x. Fifer scissors owns me less though, but the bicycle kicks at the start, it's like a dream to ever finish a round of those without stopping.