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[oatmeal]

I am mid-week 4, supposed to be in my recovery week, but added 2 more weeks to Phase 1.

Want to get as much fat burned off as possible before moving on. Lost a bit so far (didn't weigh myself, though I should have), but the evidence of weightloss/muscle gain is there.

So that's sweet.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Do any of you have rotating push-up grips, like Perfect Push-ups? Do you try to incorporate them into the P90X workouts?

 

[lbcyalater]

Yes, it's pretty easy to "overdo it" on your initial workouts and half cripple yourself. I remember one time, I couldn't straighten my arms far enough to comb my own hair!

It's probably better not to do that, because you might have to take a day or three off to recover. But, it's not the end of the world, and it's definitely expected if you are unused to a particular exercise, and really hit it hard the first day.

Once you get into the swing of things, probably in less than 3 weeks, you'll be amazed on how not sore you'll get after doing that workout that killed you at first. Also, "normal" routine soreness tends to peak on the day after the workout. "Killer" soreness, like that which you get after an initial overly enthusiastic workout, tends to peak on the second day after the workout. So, lbcyalater, you still have that to look forward to.

(I haven't tried P90, but I'm certainly interested. I'm pretty sure it would kill me, however.)

LOL I couldnt comb my hair today either!

 

[TheExecutive]

LOL I couldnt comb my hair today either!

Oh man, I hate that kind of soreness... I am mid 3rd week and I had that for a few days during the first week. Especially with plyo.... Good fitness program. I would recommend it to anyone looking to get into shape.

 

[lbcyalater]

Oh man, I hate that kind of soreness... I am mid 3rd week and I had that for a few days during the first week. Especially with plyo.... Good fitness program. I would recommend it to anyone looking to get into shape.

lol great, so what ur saying is my entire body will be usless tomorrow after doing the plyo tonight

 

[TheExecutive]

lol great, so what ur saying is my entire body will be usless tomorrow after doing the plyo tonight

You just did chest and back? OMG I feel sorry for your Quads...

But stick with it. It definitely gets better.

 

[LCfiner]

I'm in pretty awful shape and I just finished the first week (I refrained from posting till I could make myself get through that first whole week). I bought the system after seeing this thread. felt i needed something to kick my ass a bit. this definitely fits the bill

there were some damn crazy pains in my legs after plyo but I got over that in around two days. But for those two days. My god. I felt like my legs were jell-o. such a weird feeling. getting up from my chair at work was an ordeal, trying to stifle my moans from my cubicle mates. :lol

the second go-around with chest/back yesterday night was much better than the first time. (I was still exhausted and in a flop sweat but I didn't curse my existence quite as often). That was a good sign, I think

tonight is my return to plyo. hopefully I don't end up as a vegetable.

i'm not sure how much weight loss i can expect with this program but i'll be happy just as it builds some muscle and helps my posture and flexibility.

And Tony Horton is such a cheeseball on the videos. gotta love it. :lol

I also liked how his character changes for the Yoga video. he's screaming "bring it" and goofing around for all the other routines but he's serene and calm for 90 minutes in yoga. thought that was funny.

 

[Anth0ny]

The first week is the main killer. You really need to grind it out and just accept the soreness, especially from the first two days. I could barely start the shower and soap myself after my first Chest and Back :lol

But once week two starts, it all gets much easier.

 

[J Tourettes]

Day 2, Plyo just finished. That was some hard arse shit especially as it followed my cycle ride home carrying 25lbs of shopping in my backpack. Think I'm going to give the cycling a rest for a couple of weeks now as my legs are killing me!

 

[Boonoo]

If I go with weights instead of resistance bands should I go for a barbell with various weights or multiple dumbbells?

 

[Balboa]

If I go with weights instead of resistance bands should I go for a barbell with various weights or multiple dumbbells?

You'll need pairs of dumbells, it will be easier if you buy pairs of various weights rather than having to switch up the weights yourself because you may end up doing it every 30 seconds.

 

[TheExecutive]

I'm in pretty awful shape and I just finished the first week (I refrained from posting till I could make myself get through that first whole week). I bought the system after seeing this thread. felt i needed something to kick my ass a bit. this definitely fits the bill

there were some damn crazy pains in my legs after plyo but I got over that in around two days. But for those two days. My god. I felt like my legs were jell-o. such a weird feeling. getting up from my chair at work was an ordeal, trying to stifle my moans from my cubicle mates. :lol

the second go-around with chest/back yesterday night was much better than the first time. (I was still exhausted and in a flop sweat but I didn't curse my existence quite as often). That was a good sign, I think

tonight is my return to plyo. hopefully I don't end up as a vegetable.

i'm not sure how much weight loss i can expect with this program but i'll be happy just as it builds some muscle and helps my posture and flexibility.

And Tony Horton is such a cheeseball on the videos. gotta love it. :lol

I also liked how his character changes for the Yoga video. he's screaming "bring it" and goofing around for all the other routines but he's serene and calm for 90 minutes in yoga. thought that was funny.

This was just about the same exact experience I had. I have done plyo 4 times now (I did a couple of warm-up weeks before actually starting) and tonight will be my 5th. It gets much easier. Oh and how much weight you lose will depend on the diet but you should be able to shed some serious pounds. If you wanted to you can extend the first phase to do more cardio.

 

[TheExecutive]

If I go with weights instead of resistance bands should I go for a barbell with various weights or multiple dumbbells?

This all depends on the room you have and the money you have to spend. In either case it is absolutely imperative you have a wide range of weight for this program. Heavier is not always better as you will do insane amounts of reps. I have the gold's gym adjustable dumbell set and it works great for the program. I bought it on craigs list for 200 bucks which is pretty cheap.

 

[D23]

just finished my week 1 and i feel great, i loss about 4 pounds already! can't wait to do chest and back today

 

[D23]

is there anyway i could change my Yoga X program? cause i cant do it, and the 1 hour and 30 minutes not helping either..

 

[nicjac]

Sorry for the repost but anyone knows where I can buy this in the UK (online or in London) ?

Don't feel like importing the whole thing !

 

[D23]

Sorry for the repost but anyone knows where I can buy this in the UK (online or in London) ?

Don't feel like importing the whole thing !

have you check their website? cause im pretty you sure you can buy it there, or Amazon.uk

 

[Buggy Loop]

Did my first Chest & back today, first half is not too bad, i figured i have to go buy some heavier dumbbells. Its mostly pushups and pullups that kill me, not the ones with weights, and 2nd half of the training i simply had no juice, could barely do half of what i did on the 1st half. Doesnt help that i dont have a decent chin up bar, im using a bar from my punching bag rack (big, square, hand doesnt grip on it too well) while i wait for the chin up bar to ship.

 

[lbcyalater]

Did my first Chest & back today, first half is not too bad, i figured i have to go buy some heavier dumbbells. Its mostly pushups and pullups that kill me, not the ones with weights, and 2nd half of the training i simply had no juice, could barely do half of what i did on the 1st half. Doesnt help that i dont have a decent chin up bar, im using a bar from my punching bag rack (big, square, hand doesnt grip on it too well) while i wait for the chin up bar to ship.

tell me how you feel tomorrow...

 

[Fio]

I'm interested on this, so I did some research on the programme and I don't really know exactly how it works. I saw some videos on Youtube where on the very first day you have to do DOZENS of pull-ups, OVER AND OVER; is that right? How do you start the programme doing stuff that intensive? Because I'm pretty sure that those chubby people on their website, when they started the programme, they couldn't do more than half a dozen of pull-ups.

So, please, can someone explain a little better how it works?

 

[J Tourettes]

I'm interested on this, so I did some research on the programme and I don't really know exactly how it works. I saw some videos on Youtube where on the very first day you have to do DOZENS of pull-ups, OVER AND OVER; is that right? How do you start the programme doing stuff that intensive? Because I'm pretty sure that those chubby people on their website, when they started the programme, they couldn't do more than half a dozen of pull-ups.

So, please, can someone explain a little better how it works?

From what I can gather, you do your best and you'll gradually notice an improvement. If you really have trouble doing chin ups, there are a couple of modified methods you can do that he doesn't mention in his program. One way is to kind of jump to get yourself up and then lower yourself slowly to get used to the movement and work the muscles a wee bit and the other is to use a resistance band looped around your bar, which you can then insert your knee into so that the elasticity of the band helps take some of your bodyweight.

Personally I don't use either of these methods, even though I'm struggling to do 4 at a time as I figure I'll be better off this way.

 

[bobbytkc]

From what I can gather, you do your best and you'll gradually notice an improvement. If you really have trouble doing chin ups, there are a couple of modified methods you can do that he doesn't mention in his program. One way is to kind of jump to get yourself up and then lower yourself slowly to get used to the movement and work the muscles a wee bit and the other is to use a resistance band looped around your bar, which you can then insert your knee into so that the elasticity of the band helps take some of your bodyweight.

Personally I don't use either of these methods, even though I'm struggling to do 4 at a time as I figure I'll be better off this way.

You can use the chair for support if you are doing less than 5 pull ups currently. More than that and you can just do your best, forget the rest.

You do not need to follow the number of reps in the video, just do your maximum and results will come floating your way

 

[NZer]

I am 3 days in for the second time (the first time I got the flu straight after, just bad luck) and I am in amazing amounts of pain, but I really need either a variable dumbell kit or a variety of bands. How much should one expect to pay for a dumbell kit, and what's the best (read: quickest) to adjust frequently?

 

[LCfiner]

so, 2nd time around with plyometrics was finished last night. not nearly as sore the day after as I was last time. and I know I wasn't dogging it or doing less work than last week -- it still kicked my butt. But it's incredible what a one week difference can make for the recovery process.

fun fact: plyometrics is Latin for "are you fucking kidding me?"

 

[CrankyJay]

I am 3 days in for the second time (the first time I got the flu straight after, just bad luck) and I am in amazing amounts of pain, but I really need either a variable dumbell kit or a variety of bands. How much should one expect to pay for a dumbell kit, and what's the best (read: quickest) to adjust frequently?

Here's one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019V2RX2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

2 to 12.5 pounds of resistance. I don't know how much P90X calls for.

 

[bobbytkc]

Here's one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019V2RX2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

2 to 12.5 pounds of resistance. I don't know how much P90X calls for.

12.5 pounds may be too light for bicep curls if you are a guy. May be okay for tricep kickbacks or flys though.

 

[OmniGamer]

fun fact: plyometrics is Latin for "are fucking kidding me?"

:lol Yeah pretty much! Only reason why I look forward to it is because i know it's a huge calorie burner, which is what I need.

 

[bobbytkc]

:lol Yeah pretty much! Only reason why I look forward to it is because i know it's a huge calorie burner, which is what I need.

It is a huge calorie burner alright, but I think it is much more sustainable to run for about 7-8 kilometres 3 to 4 times a week. You'll lose weight fast this way as well, so long as you maintain a balanced diet. At least, this is what I find to be the fastest and easiest way to lose weight.

You don't get the strength and explosive power benefits of doing a P90X workout though.

 

[J Tourettes]

so, 2nd time around with plyometrics was finished last night. not nearly as sore the day after as I was last time. and I know I wasn't dogging it or doing less work than last week -- it still kicked my butt. But it's incredible what a one week difference can make for the recovery process.

fun fact: plyometrics is Latin for "are fucking kidding me?"

:lol I haven't sweated like I did yesterday for years.

 

[negreenfield]

Maybe I'm weird but I really don't find Plyometrics all that bad except for the jump knee tucks, dammit I hate those. I really hate the Core Synergistics, for me that one is by far the worst, I find myself cursing Tony constantly during that workout.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Whats a recovery drink anyway? Can i make my own with some protein powder?

Also, when they suggest a protein shake in the morning (wow), do they expect you to have done the training in the morning? Isnt it a waste if i do the training after dinner? I thought muscles after training absorb the most of what they need for like an hour, wouldnt that be the time for proteins? bleh, damn food science

 

[negreenfield]

Whats a recovery drink anyway? Can i make my own with some protein powder?

Also, when they suggest a protein shake in the morning (wow), do they expect you to have done the training in the morning? Isnt it a waste if i do the training after dinner? I thought muscles after training absorb the most of what they need for like an hour, wouldnt that be the time for proteins? bleh, damn food science

I do chocolate milk.

 

[J Tourettes]

Whats a recovery drink anyway? Can i make my own with some protein powder?

Also, when they suggest a protein shake in the morning (wow), do they expect you to have done the training in the morning? Isnt it a waste if i do the training after dinner? I thought muscles after training absorb the most of what they need for like an hour, wouldnt that be the time for proteins? bleh, damn food science

I make my own with protein powder and ultrafine oats (oats ground down to flour for easy mixability). I do my program in the evening and usually have the recovery drink straight after and then dinner a short while after that.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Whats a recovery drink anyway? Can i make my own with some protein powder?

Also, when they suggest a protein shake in the morning (wow), do they expect you to have done the training in the morning? Isnt it a waste if i do the training after dinner? I thought muscles after training absorb the most of what they need for like an hour, wouldnt that be the time for proteins? bleh, damn food science

From what I've read, its best to just take in the correct amount of daily protein regardless of time. The only thing you should be worrying about when working out is taking in H20.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Hmm, i see, yea i just read about chocolate milk as a good recovery drink, shock & awe, sounds good though.

Thanks bluestunami, so i follow the suggested calories/protein/carb/fat daily intake and i only have to worry about surviving the training, THEN recovery drink

 

[NZer]

Here's one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019V2RX2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

2 to 12.5 pounds of resistance. I don't know how much P90X calls for.

Thanks, but that's probably a bit light, even tho' I'm a weakling. I am considering splurging on the bowflex ones. Are they good?

 

[Ikuu]

Also, when they suggest a protein shake in the morning (wow), do they expect you to have done the training in the morning?

I don't do this routine, but I have a protein shake with my breakfast and then pretty much right after I do a workout.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Another question about food, can i take a full day in the food program and just repeat it multiple days if not a full week? I guess whatever i pick would have what i need on a daily basis right? Might try something else later on but i dont feel like buying 400$ of groceries right now..

 

[phinious]

I am buying the Power Blocks dumb bells from 2nd Wind Sports. They are similair to the bowflex, but they dont have any mechanically moving parts that can break (the dial). The ones im getting does 5-50lbs in 2.5 lb increments. They are marked at $360, but I haggled them done to $300.

 

[scissorfight]

bish, i've started this to help cope with my offseason depression.

just finished day 3, so far so good. i don't see myself giving up alcohol, though. :lol

i'm also doing the chocolate milk recovery drink. way better than blending some shit every day.

i noticed the protein bars are pretty high in fat and sugar...couldn't i just replace these some days with some leaner protein?

 

[bobbytkc]

Another question about food, can i take a full day in the food program and just repeat it multiple days if not a full week? I guess whatever i pick would have what i need on a daily basis right? Might try something else later on but i dont feel like buying 400$ of groceries right now..

It is alright not to follow the diet guide to the letter, so long as your normal diet is pretty good.

 

[J Tourettes]

My first night on the shoulders & arms tonight, what kind of exercises are in it? I'm wondering as I'm not sure what weight to put on my dumbells.

 

[Jamesfrom818]

I'm going to be starting this soon. My original plan was to start it this week but things keep on getting in the way like brush fires almost burning down my house.

 

[Drakken]

I'm on day 3 of week 2 with this program. The workouts were really killing me the first week. I overdid it on Chest & Back, trying to do pushups when my body was shaking and telling me it couldn't do anymore, and that resulted in severe soreness for about four days after that. Plyo was absolutely brutal, I had to sit out a bunch of the exercises. Then I ended up going on vacation, throwing off my workout schedule. I started week 1 over again when I got back, so I've actually done some of the workouts three times now. It's amazing how much easier they get; the third time through Plyo I was almost able to make it through the entire workout without stopping. That's still my most hated, though. Yoga was surprisingly difficult as well; the first half of that routine is really annoying.

Unfortunately I haven't done P90X for the last three days due to being busy all day. The solution to this would be to get up early and do it before work, but I haven't been able to force myself to do that yet. Hopefully I will soon, 'cause I really don't want to be missing days like this.

As for diet, I haven't really changed my eating habits since starting P90X. I eat fairly healthy and don't eat any junk food. For reference, I'm 5' 2" and about 115 lbs., so I certainly don't need to lose any weight. I'm hoping to add some muscle by doing this (using heavier weights and less reps for the weight routines of course) and get in better shape, as even though I'm slim, I have a pretty sedentary lifestyle (at the computer a lot of the day whether it be in the office or at home).

 

[dragonlife]

I took the plunge yesterday and ordered it since I've been letting myself go big time. This thread really pushed me to do it so, thanks, GAF Can't wait for it to arrive.

I'm probably going to have to rearrange my poor little room to make space :'( Anyway, should I buy a Yoga mat for this, guys? A quick reply would be awesome since I'm about to go to the mall.

Oh, and was foregoing the pull-up contraption a good idea? Do I really need it? I couldn't spend any more than it already cost.

I'll probably mix my own protein shake and add some flax seeds as usual I also take Fish Oil

 

[LCfiner]

I took the plunge yesterday and ordered it since I've been letting myself go big time. This thread really pushed me to do it so, thanks, GAF Can't wait for it to arrive.

I'm probably going to have to rearrange my poor little room to make space :'( Anyway, should I buy a Yoga mat for this, guys? A quick reply would be awesome since I'm about to go to the mall.

Oh, and was foregoing the pull-up contraption a good idea? Do I really need it? I couldn't spend any more than it already cost.

I'll probably mix my own protein shake and add some flax seeds as usual I also take Fish Oil

yes, get a yoga mat.

if you can, get a yoga mat plus a thicker one for some of the other routines.

use resistance bands and a door adapter to replicate chin ups. you need to really bend your back to get the right range of motion, though. and make sure the bands are not too long or too thin

 

[siddx]

Did the first day last night. Arms are sore as hell and i'm dreading plyo's tonight. My arms were so useless afterwards that when I went to make the protein shake, I couldn't lift them high enough and knocked the glass over. After much cussing and cleaning, I made another one and did the exact same fricking thing! :lol
Felt good though, even when I realized I had to do ab ripper as well. It had been a while since I had gotten such a rush of endorphins.
I managed to get all the way through, although it was ugly (diamond push ups were epic fail). And I did the chair assisted pull ups.

Question, on some of the final push ups (the diamond and leg raised ones for instance) I simply didn't have the strength to do them. So instead i used the resistance bands to somewhat simulate doing pushups. I'm assuming this is fine and better off that doing nothing at all, but I know very little about working out and want to make sure.

 

[dragonlife]

Phew...thanks for the quick reply! I'm just about to leave, too.

Did the first day last night. Arms are sore as hell and i'm dreading plyo's tonight. My arms were so useless afterwards that when I went to make the protein shake, I couldn't lift them high enough and knocked the glass over. After much cussing and cleaning, I made another one and did the exact same fricking thing! :lol

That's just way too awesome :lol Sorry about your bad luck...I'd be pissed, too. Admittedly, though, it's hilarious to read

 

[siddx]

Phew...thanks for the quick reply! I'm just about to leave, too.

That's just way too awesome :lol Sorry about your bad luck...I'd be pissed, too. Admittedly, though, it's hilarious to read

My cousin was in hysterics :lol it was pretty damn funny. The only thing that was really annoying is the protein stuck to everything and made it a bitch to clean up.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

Question, on some of the final push ups (the diamond and leg raised ones for instance) I simply didn't have the strength to do them. So instead i used the resistance bands to somewhat simulate doing pushups. I'm assuming this is fine and better off that doing nothing at all, but I know very little about working out and want to make sure.

How do you do this? Do you wrap them around your back or something?