So many people look at others who are carrying a huge amount of weight, hundreds and hundreds of extra pounds, and wonder how they let that happen. How did they not notice? How did they let it go so far? And then keep going beyond even that? How can they stay that way?
I don't wonder.
No one "let" a massive weight gain happen, as if they were having robbers over for the evening and inviting them into the house. Most did notice, but circumstances in their lives made taking appropriate action within themselves something they couldn't handle. It didn't go so far suddenly, overnight. If it had, like any rational person, they would have freaked out and done something about it immediately.
No, this was slow. A pound here, another pound there. Because, what is just one pound? Nothing to freak out about, right? You were the same person yesterday as you are today... you handled your business, you survived to greet the next day. One pound doesn't change that. That is how the pounds stack up.
People view others with massive weight to lose as if they're a whole other species, a different type of person. They treat them with disdain, as if they're mentally deficient. This is important to note, because sitting on the inside of that fat-shell we look at ourselves and say "Well, that can't be me! I'm still as smart as when I was a size six, maybe even smarter! Something doesn't fit here with everything I've been taught and shown..."
There is no difference between a thin person and a heavy person. Deep down, we are all the same. Things just... happen. We let them, it's our own fault, true. But when they do, and we face the reality of our own situation, the reverse process is very difficult to face for the same reason that gaining it was so easy. If one pound gained was no big deal and didn't change who we are, then one pound lost doesn't make a big bit of difference either. Yes, every pound lost is one at a time and eventually they do add up to a big change, but most people go into weight loss for things other than a number on the scale or tag on your pants. Most people look at losing weight as a way to make themselves a better person. Since gaining a pound here or there didn't change who we were originally at a smaller size - why would it change who we are now?
I read an article a couple of weeks ago (I can't find it now, it was on Yahoo Health Reuters) that showed a difference in attitude and behavior amongst test subjects (mice) when they were over-fed, and those that were under-fed. The over-fed, fat mice were despondent. They didn't care to look around and explore new environments, and when dropped in water they didn't care so much about keeping their head above it. They were unhappy, and anti-social. By contrast, the "thin" hungry mice were eager to check things out, swim to safety, and get along with others. The theory is that when you are over-fed you have no reason to try to get along, look and experience new things, or even take much interest in your own life. Whereas, if you were hungry (consistently, so your reserves were low - i.e. thin) you would need to be nice to others, work together to find food, and generally take an interest in your own life simply to insure your own survival.
Basically in short, if you are thin and generally hungry you are supposed to be nicer. A side note here; if this is true, with the majority of the U.S. population over-fed, it suddenly makes a lot more sense why people are meaner nowadays and why so many people are unhappy with their lives in general (aside from the economy and other nightmares.) I don't know if I agree with the study, but I find it very interesting nonetheless. It suggests that we actually can change a major part of how we operate internally by what we choose (or choose not to) eat. However, when I think of some of my fitness competitor friends as they cut in preparation for competition... well, those are NOT happy, friendly people. They'll take your head off for a bagel, if you don't watch yourself.
Still, this study offers intriguing ideas about the potential to be a better person overall by changing your weight and eating habits. But this is also a cumulative effect, and hard to gauge in reality. Are you nicer with people being nice back, or are people just treating you like a human being again when you are thinner? Both improves the quality of your life... I suppose the jury is out on that one.
But this brings us around to the biggest question I am asked time and time again: How do you stop eating the junk and the big portions, and start eating the right stuff? The answer is that you just do. It's not easy, and usually that pizza is always going to be more desirable to me than a super healthy meal, but my Id is not a separate entity. That little devil on my shoulder is still me, and ultimately I make the choice in either decision. So, the answer to how is simply that one just does.
This usually frustrates the heck out of people when they ask. That isn't what they wanted to hear. They wanted to hear about some magical refrigerator organizational process, or a supplement that makes you operate like a health-nut-robot. They didn't want to hear some warped version of a Nike ad. But you know what? The reason that ad campaign is so successful is because it is 100% true. How do you workout every day? You JUST do it. You drag yourself out of bed, and you just do it. You stop arguing and whining about the unfairness of it all and you just get it done. You stop whining like a six-year-old about not having a slice of cake, grab your apple and go focus on the rest of your life. You walk away from the bad choice, and accept the good one. You just DO.
It's not always easy. It is also a cumulative process that doesn't require 100% adherence. You need to make enough of the right decisions in order to shape your health the way you want it. It's the same formula for anything you want in your life. One decision doesn't solve all your problems. If you think about all those "instant" fixes out there - even winning Lotto wouldn't solve all your problems, you would just end up with a whole set of bigger new ones. There is no instant fix in life, for anything or anyone.
Your health is cumulative. Your career is cumulative. Your relationships are cumulative. Your life is cumulative. The only way to make anything better is to make the right choice on step at a time. Even I lose sight of this fact and slip, but it doesn't make it any less true. You make the right choice on your own power. You just do.
Showing posts with label weightlifting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weightlifting. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Brutal Truth From The Inside Out
From my mailbag:
Dear Savy,
I'm so confused with all the diet advice out there. I saw you looked at P90X, but then you talked about Body For Life, and macronutritents and things like that. I'm looking at Southbeach, but I don't understand why it makes fruits off limits and stuff like that. Other diets let you eat butter and bacon. Why can't someone just tell it like it is? What can I eat? What should I not eat? What should I do for exercise? Do I need supplements?
Please help! I'm so confused!
(name omitted)
The reason that you're confused is that there are a lot of answers out there, coupled with a lot of misinformation and people who want to make a fast buck off of the desperate dieting consumer. So, lets break it down to the absolute brutal truth, and then take it back to what is reasonable.
Fruit : Any diet that tells you to avoid fruit like it's evil is suspect. You should see red flags every time any diet tells you to leave out natural foods that you know are good for you.
Vegetables: Same as fruit, if someone is telling you to avoid them, something is wrong with that diet/person. Now, if someone is telling you to subsist off of them, there is something wrong too. You need more than just vegetables in your diet to be healthy. You are not a caterpillar.
Meat/Fish: If a diet tells you to avoid meat, you should ask why. As a vegetarian it is 100% possible to have a 100% healthy diet without meat, but you need protein. You need complete proteins, and that means you need to know what things to eat to create a complete protein. There are a lot of books about being a vegetarian that aren't trying to sell you a diet, those are your best resources (it's been a long time since I was a vegetarian, I don't remember everything anymore.) Meats with a higher fat content are less healthy for you.
Dairy: Is NOT evil. Should you drink milk every day? No, not necessarily. It's up to you. If you would like to, you can work that into your diet. Should you be drinking whole milk? No. Should you have butter? No. Should you have the full fat cheeses? No. Can you? Yes, if you are smart about it and balance it with the rest of your diet.
Grains: Is bread evil? No. Should you avoid all grains? No, absolutely not. Now, realize that there are some people who have a medical need to not have certain grains in their diet. Other people feel better without certain ones (like wheat/gluten). Now, all of that being said, are you better off without processed grains like pasta and bread? Yes. The more UNprocessed the grain, the healthier it is for you. Does that mean you can't have pasta and bread? Of course not, but be smart about it.
Sweets/Junk: Should you have sweets in your diet? No. No ice cream. No cake. No Candy. No chips. No pretzels. No roasted honey peanuts. No fried foods. No Junk. (don't freak out, keep reading.)
Supplements: Do you need them? No. One exception: if your doctor says you need something like calcium for bone-loss or something like that, listen to them. The doctor is a very different source for advice than some fitness guru who is trying to sell you the latest in miracle pills. The FDA has a lot to say about supplements, and most of it negative. Be smart, this is your body and what you put into it is important.
Exercise: Do I really need to exercise? YES. Is 10 minutes a day enough? No. What about those tapes that promise in 20 minutes a day a few times a week? NO. What about 30 minutes a day? You're getting closer. Current research suggests that 30 minutes a day is the MINIMUM. Do I need to lift weights/weight bearing activities? Yes. Cardio? Yes. Do I really need both? YES.
Hey, it's the truth.
Now, reality check: Do you HAVE to do all those things? No, you do not. Living in this world, in your life, requires compromise. Imagine never having a bite of your own birthday cake? That's just silly.
The brutal truth is that you should eat "close to the tree/ground" which means looking for foods as close to their natural form as possible. Oat Bread is seriously processed, steel cut oats are barely processed at all. One is much better for you than the other, it's as simple as that. Ice cream doesn't even figure in anywhere near the tree or the ground. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't room for it in your life. Pizza too. (See? I'm not all evil.)
The truth is that you wouldn't want to go through life gnawing on lettuce and oats. So, you make your nutritional choices as balanced as you can. Strive for the "gold" but balance it with reality. The truth is that as a human being you enjoy the tastes of different things. Find the things that appeal to you and push them to be as healthy as you can. Make some choices that are just flat out 100% perfectly healthy, but not all of them. Give yourself a break... just not a BIG one.
Exercise? There is no way around it. We're a lazy species. We have created ways to not do anything, and then to entertain ourselves while we are actively being inactive. That's fine, but you must balance that out with really doing something at other times. Exercise is absolutely necessary now because of the world we live in. If you were out hand plowing the fields all day, it would be a different story. But now your work to acquire wheat can be as simple as a click of the mouse and waiting for someone to ring your doorbell while you sit and watch television. And driving to the grocery store is certainly not like going out and hand-harvesting the food.
You have eliminated what used to be fundamental activity in your life to exist and filled it with other things. There is a price to be paid in order to feel good and look good now, and that means getting out there and moving your body. You need cardio for many reasons, most of which I'm sure I don't have to repeat. You need weight training of some sort because your body is not holding onto its muscle because you aren't using it. But more than that, you are putting yourself at a physical disadvantage with other activities you actually do engage in because those muscles aren't there to support your body. This sets you up for injury and misery. You don't have to bulk up like a fitness competitor, but you do need to work your muscles with something like weight training (there are other options) in order to feel good, protect from injury, and really to just enjoy your life at a level you would not without it.
Look, all of us want to look like super models of one type or another. But the truth is, we don't lead our lives getting paid for being models. The motivation that exists for them to be perfect is lacking in our lives. The good news is that a lot of those model-perfect people engage in behavior that is actually unhealthy (for example, you MUST EAT -skipping meals is not healthy in any way shape or form,) and you have the opportunity to make sure everything you do is in pursuit of your own well being instead of an image. Believe it or not, you have the better set-up.
Sure, you want to look good. But your primary goal should always be to feel good. If you make your move to ensure that you will feel good inside I promise that you will look amazing on the outside. It's that simple. Stop attacking your lifestyle from the outside in. It doesn't work that way, it's backwards and it's often harmful to work from the outside in. Think about how you feel. How would you like to feel? That is your goal. Set up steps to achieve it. The outside will follow.
Do you have to eat perfect? Absolutely not. This is your life, and you need to live it. That means that you participate now and then in celebrations that involve food and lazing around. But not every day. Most likely not every week.
You need to find things that taste good and are healthy to boot, there are a lot of them. Finding healthy good tasting items is a priority because no one wants to lead a life where everything you eat tastes like cardboard. So what's the solution? Maybe you start with a healthy cooking class or cook book. Experiment. Only you know what you like, so pursue those flavors with an intent to improve them to the point that they are a healthy and a sustainable choice for you. Build your recipe box and pantry until it's filled with what you enjoy that supports who you want to be from the inside out.
What about other family members that you live with? If you are a parent, teaching your children how to be healthy from the inside out is one of the best gifts you can give them. If there is someone in your household who is unsupportive, you have to decide whether to give in to them and let them take you down to an unhealthy level, or if you are important enough to yourself to keep moving in the right direction. Life never stops. You are either moving forward or backwards, and you are choosing every step before you. You can put your foot down on solid or shaky ground, but it is 100% your choice no matter who is voicing their opinion to you.
I have lived with those who do not make the same choices as I do. The answer to handling it is to just be quietly persistent. No, not with them; be persistent with yourself. It is not your job to change their choices and behavior. It might seem like a good idea to retaliate when they attack your lifestyle, but it isn't. The solution is simple: just keep doing what you are doing. Quietly. Let them voice their opinions, but don't engage them in conversation about it unless they ask a reasonable question. You have made your choice, you know it's in your best interests - that is all you need. You don't have to defend yourself, isn't that a relief?
The reason everything is so confusing out there with the million different opinions and advice floating around is because it's about finding balance. With so many people out there, that means that there is a lot of variance in what equals balance for one person verses another. So, here is the best advice I can give anyone who comes to me for nutritional and exercise help: You now know that eating an apple is what you should be doing rather than a glass of apple juice, or an apple flavored soda. You know you need to eat foods as close to natural and healthy as you can. You know that you should be moving your body, and not just for 10 minutes a day. You know what you like about how you feel, and what you wish felt better. And yes, you even know what you would like to look like but you have heard me and understand that how you look is just a result of making everything better from the inside out and will follow in the wake of making the right decisions for the rest of you - it's a sure bet, so you don't even have to worry about it. You also know what things are important in your life whether it be having that birthday cake or getting in that daily nap.
You know you best. You know what things you need in your life so you don't feel shortchanged, but you also know what things in your life are excess. Trim the excess, keep the necessities. Fill the gap with what is healthy, and keep that which brings you a thrill and makes you feel balanced. Find your own balance with the tools you have, but don't ask for someone else to give you the blueprint; only you can do that.
Dear Savy,
I'm so confused with all the diet advice out there. I saw you looked at P90X, but then you talked about Body For Life, and macronutritents and things like that. I'm looking at Southbeach, but I don't understand why it makes fruits off limits and stuff like that. Other diets let you eat butter and bacon. Why can't someone just tell it like it is? What can I eat? What should I not eat? What should I do for exercise? Do I need supplements?
Please help! I'm so confused!
(name omitted)
The reason that you're confused is that there are a lot of answers out there, coupled with a lot of misinformation and people who want to make a fast buck off of the desperate dieting consumer. So, lets break it down to the absolute brutal truth, and then take it back to what is reasonable.
Fruit : Any diet that tells you to avoid fruit like it's evil is suspect. You should see red flags every time any diet tells you to leave out natural foods that you know are good for you.
Vegetables: Same as fruit, if someone is telling you to avoid them, something is wrong with that diet/person. Now, if someone is telling you to subsist off of them, there is something wrong too. You need more than just vegetables in your diet to be healthy. You are not a caterpillar.
Meat/Fish: If a diet tells you to avoid meat, you should ask why. As a vegetarian it is 100% possible to have a 100% healthy diet without meat, but you need protein. You need complete proteins, and that means you need to know what things to eat to create a complete protein. There are a lot of books about being a vegetarian that aren't trying to sell you a diet, those are your best resources (it's been a long time since I was a vegetarian, I don't remember everything anymore.) Meats with a higher fat content are less healthy for you.
Dairy: Is NOT evil. Should you drink milk every day? No, not necessarily. It's up to you. If you would like to, you can work that into your diet. Should you be drinking whole milk? No. Should you have butter? No. Should you have the full fat cheeses? No. Can you? Yes, if you are smart about it and balance it with the rest of your diet.
Grains: Is bread evil? No. Should you avoid all grains? No, absolutely not. Now, realize that there are some people who have a medical need to not have certain grains in their diet. Other people feel better without certain ones (like wheat/gluten). Now, all of that being said, are you better off without processed grains like pasta and bread? Yes. The more UNprocessed the grain, the healthier it is for you. Does that mean you can't have pasta and bread? Of course not, but be smart about it.
Sweets/Junk: Should you have sweets in your diet? No. No ice cream. No cake. No Candy. No chips. No pretzels. No roasted honey peanuts. No fried foods. No Junk. (don't freak out, keep reading.)
Supplements: Do you need them? No. One exception: if your doctor says you need something like calcium for bone-loss or something like that, listen to them. The doctor is a very different source for advice than some fitness guru who is trying to sell you the latest in miracle pills. The FDA has a lot to say about supplements, and most of it negative. Be smart, this is your body and what you put into it is important.
Exercise: Do I really need to exercise? YES. Is 10 minutes a day enough? No. What about those tapes that promise in 20 minutes a day a few times a week? NO. What about 30 minutes a day? You're getting closer. Current research suggests that 30 minutes a day is the MINIMUM. Do I need to lift weights/weight bearing activities? Yes. Cardio? Yes. Do I really need both? YES.
Hey, it's the truth.
Now, reality check: Do you HAVE to do all those things? No, you do not. Living in this world, in your life, requires compromise. Imagine never having a bite of your own birthday cake? That's just silly.
The brutal truth is that you should eat "close to the tree/ground" which means looking for foods as close to their natural form as possible. Oat Bread is seriously processed, steel cut oats are barely processed at all. One is much better for you than the other, it's as simple as that. Ice cream doesn't even figure in anywhere near the tree or the ground. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't room for it in your life. Pizza too. (See? I'm not all evil.)
The truth is that you wouldn't want to go through life gnawing on lettuce and oats. So, you make your nutritional choices as balanced as you can. Strive for the "gold" but balance it with reality. The truth is that as a human being you enjoy the tastes of different things. Find the things that appeal to you and push them to be as healthy as you can. Make some choices that are just flat out 100% perfectly healthy, but not all of them. Give yourself a break... just not a BIG one.
Exercise? There is no way around it. We're a lazy species. We have created ways to not do anything, and then to entertain ourselves while we are actively being inactive. That's fine, but you must balance that out with really doing something at other times. Exercise is absolutely necessary now because of the world we live in. If you were out hand plowing the fields all day, it would be a different story. But now your work to acquire wheat can be as simple as a click of the mouse and waiting for someone to ring your doorbell while you sit and watch television. And driving to the grocery store is certainly not like going out and hand-harvesting the food.
You have eliminated what used to be fundamental activity in your life to exist and filled it with other things. There is a price to be paid in order to feel good and look good now, and that means getting out there and moving your body. You need cardio for many reasons, most of which I'm sure I don't have to repeat. You need weight training of some sort because your body is not holding onto its muscle because you aren't using it. But more than that, you are putting yourself at a physical disadvantage with other activities you actually do engage in because those muscles aren't there to support your body. This sets you up for injury and misery. You don't have to bulk up like a fitness competitor, but you do need to work your muscles with something like weight training (there are other options) in order to feel good, protect from injury, and really to just enjoy your life at a level you would not without it.
Look, all of us want to look like super models of one type or another. But the truth is, we don't lead our lives getting paid for being models. The motivation that exists for them to be perfect is lacking in our lives. The good news is that a lot of those model-perfect people engage in behavior that is actually unhealthy (for example, you MUST EAT -skipping meals is not healthy in any way shape or form,) and you have the opportunity to make sure everything you do is in pursuit of your own well being instead of an image. Believe it or not, you have the better set-up.
Sure, you want to look good. But your primary goal should always be to feel good. If you make your move to ensure that you will feel good inside I promise that you will look amazing on the outside. It's that simple. Stop attacking your lifestyle from the outside in. It doesn't work that way, it's backwards and it's often harmful to work from the outside in. Think about how you feel. How would you like to feel? That is your goal. Set up steps to achieve it. The outside will follow.
Do you have to eat perfect? Absolutely not. This is your life, and you need to live it. That means that you participate now and then in celebrations that involve food and lazing around. But not every day. Most likely not every week.
You need to find things that taste good and are healthy to boot, there are a lot of them. Finding healthy good tasting items is a priority because no one wants to lead a life where everything you eat tastes like cardboard. So what's the solution? Maybe you start with a healthy cooking class or cook book. Experiment. Only you know what you like, so pursue those flavors with an intent to improve them to the point that they are a healthy and a sustainable choice for you. Build your recipe box and pantry until it's filled with what you enjoy that supports who you want to be from the inside out.
What about other family members that you live with? If you are a parent, teaching your children how to be healthy from the inside out is one of the best gifts you can give them. If there is someone in your household who is unsupportive, you have to decide whether to give in to them and let them take you down to an unhealthy level, or if you are important enough to yourself to keep moving in the right direction. Life never stops. You are either moving forward or backwards, and you are choosing every step before you. You can put your foot down on solid or shaky ground, but it is 100% your choice no matter who is voicing their opinion to you.
I have lived with those who do not make the same choices as I do. The answer to handling it is to just be quietly persistent. No, not with them; be persistent with yourself. It is not your job to change their choices and behavior. It might seem like a good idea to retaliate when they attack your lifestyle, but it isn't. The solution is simple: just keep doing what you are doing. Quietly. Let them voice their opinions, but don't engage them in conversation about it unless they ask a reasonable question. You have made your choice, you know it's in your best interests - that is all you need. You don't have to defend yourself, isn't that a relief?
The reason everything is so confusing out there with the million different opinions and advice floating around is because it's about finding balance. With so many people out there, that means that there is a lot of variance in what equals balance for one person verses another. So, here is the best advice I can give anyone who comes to me for nutritional and exercise help: You now know that eating an apple is what you should be doing rather than a glass of apple juice, or an apple flavored soda. You know you need to eat foods as close to natural and healthy as you can. You know that you should be moving your body, and not just for 10 minutes a day. You know what you like about how you feel, and what you wish felt better. And yes, you even know what you would like to look like but you have heard me and understand that how you look is just a result of making everything better from the inside out and will follow in the wake of making the right decisions for the rest of you - it's a sure bet, so you don't even have to worry about it. You also know what things are important in your life whether it be having that birthday cake or getting in that daily nap.
You know you best. You know what things you need in your life so you don't feel shortchanged, but you also know what things in your life are excess. Trim the excess, keep the necessities. Fill the gap with what is healthy, and keep that which brings you a thrill and makes you feel balanced. Find your own balance with the tools you have, but don't ask for someone else to give you the blueprint; only you can do that.
Monday, July 10, 2006
P90X Review
I feel it's probably time I posted my review of P90X, since I have gotten a lot of emailed questions on it. (Edit: Ultimate Fitness has contacted me to offer a coupon to everyone for $5 off the program. The code to input at check-out is: smw5off)
I initially started off with the standard P90X, and then switched to P90X Lean (in order to not beat up my husband, due to some scheduling issues.) Because I have done a big portion of both versions, I feel I can offer a pretty well rounded report on it.
The first thing I want to establish is a reminder of where I have come from over the past...Oh.... Eight years. I went from sedentary (220+ lbs), to cardio bunny (mostly tae-bo), to weight training, and then on to the serious fitness freak that you see before you today. I did NOT start this program after getting up off my couch one day and deciding it was the one for me.
This program is NOT a good starting point for ANYONE. I am speaking most directly to those men, and you know who you are, who regardless of your actual fitness level, assume that you can handle anything at any level, simply because of your testosterone and Y chromosome. I'm married to one of these "I can do anything" types, and trust me: he tried P90X, suffered, and dropped it - and he isn't a completely unfit guy either.
If you are interested in P90X, male or female - drop the ego and take their fitness test. For REAL. It will replace your normal workout, because it takes about 40 minutes. It's not a marketing gimmick, it's a necessary thing you should do. Because, if you can't hit everything you need to on the fitness test, you not only aren't ready for P90X, but you might cause yourself injury if you try it.
Now that I have scared everyone off, lets back up for a minute. It's not THAT bad, but you do need a certain higher level of core fitness in order to start in on this program. If you don't have that, there are a lot of places to start. If you have a long way to go, I recommend a doctor's clearance and then daily walks and body weight moves (like push-ups, sit-ups, etc), ramping up to a harder regimen. I also highly recommend Body For Life (NOT NOT NOT BFL for Women, that book is a total waste of good paper, and Eating for life is a good MAINTENANCE cookbook, but not so hot for an actual plan - and by the way, all the success photos/stories in the cookbook are from the ORIGINAL BFL plan, not EFL), but as the ORIGINAL plan was intended. Ignore the "official" website, and all the stupid tweaks people have tried to twist it with. Half.com has a ton of cheap copies ($1.37 when last I checked), so it won't even cost you much to look into it. Once you have completed that, you may or may not be ready for something like P90X, but you can try the fitness test again and find out where your weaknesses are.
The system is a set of DVD workouts which involve a ton of body-weight moves (like push-ups, pull-ups, plyometric moves, etc) as well as cardio and weight training cycles. The equipment you will require is a large enough space to go bouncing about in all directions without causing serious injury or property damage, free-weights of varying sizes, a chin-up bar/station, a yoga mat and blocks, and some people also use bands, as well as push-up bars (optional.)
**A note about the bands - I bought a set from Walmart. I snapped those suckers in half. They stink, don't buy them from Walmart or any of the other major retailers. You need a set of HIGH quality bands if you are going to be using them. I do not know if the set they sell through the Beachbody website are high quality or not, but you can try them or a serious fitness retailer. You need at least a medium weighted resistance band and the heaviest one they have (to mimic pull-ups if you can't do them.)
Personally, I have an interchangeable set of dumbbells with plates. This worked out OK, but there were times I had to hit the pause button because I couldn't get it set up quickly enough. If you have the cash (which I do not), I highly recommend PowerBlocks. I also have a Power-Tower station for the pull-ups. You can buy a standard chin-up bar from a major retailer for about $6, or you can invest in their fancy junglebar version for about $40. My power tower ($70) was a personal "I gotta HAVE IT!" freak-out, so it's not necessary. I just wanted a station that was good for not only pull-ups, but dips, leg raises and other exercises. Yes, I know, fitness freak. But for P90X , you only need the pull-up station, with the ability to do both wide and close handed grips.
The actual workouts range from a plyometric workout, core and cardio, to several weight/target area workouts (like legs & back, or shoulders & arms, etc). There is also a 90 minute Yoga session which you do every week, as well as a cardio workout of Kenpo. My favorite of all the workouts is the Kenpo, because I'm a sucker for anything that involves fighting moves - serious or not. I also value the yoga that has been incorporated because it has helped with some flexibility issues I was struggling with. Since the yoga also comes dead center of the week, it also relieves some tightness that you end up acquiring through the earlier workouts.
The weight workouts are good because there isn't a ton of monotony. You have a lot of different exercises you move through, and you never get bored because of that. The pull-ups aren't as bad as they sound. Yes, they're HARD. Yes, you end up doing a LOT of them. But there are ways to "spot" yourself, and assist with the pull-up until you can switch over to doing them without assistance. The DVD does show you how to do this, even expects you to. If you are interested in just learning about how to get your body doing pull-ups, Stumtuous.com has a whole "how-to" for you to get in gear.
These workouts are hard-core, but they're also geared for your own level. Basically, you will get out of this what you put into it. If you go through this DVD workout like a pansie: only lifting low amounts when you could lift more and doing half-hearted moves when you should be taking it to the mat - well, then you'll only get a blah workout and blah results. But if you hit it with the intensity you KNOW you have, and you work HARD and focused, you will get solid results. The upside to all of this is that it's an unlimited challenge. You keep pushing yourself harder and higher, and you will always be challenged by this workout (which is why I think you don't see many used ones for sale, they're definitely a permanent addition to my DVD library.) But, if you decide to be a slacker, then it's likely the best you'll do is whine that it's not enough and "whyyyyyyyy" doesn't it work for you like it does for everyone else?
This is like life, people. You want it? You gotta put in the effort. Plain and simple. It's a shut-up and put-up situation. In the end, you have the map - if you don't make it there, you have no one but yourself to blame.
From a personal trainer standpoint, I really appreciate that there is a real, serious, intense workout available like this. 99% of the video workouts out there are too weak for me, no matter how much effort I put into it. I think what makes this such a challenging set is because it has so many different types of exercise involved, as well as the open ended room to increase your own intensity level. After these workouts, I actually FEEL like I have worked out. In the case of all the other DVD workouts I have tried, I felt as if I hadn't done enough.
The regular version/schedule is six days of workouts (all different, except the added Ab-Ripper on three days), and then a day of rest (or you can do the stretching DVD which isn't included during the week.) Every three weeks, it changes over to a recovery week. While you still do six workouts, they aren't the weight training ones, so it is a little bit of a break. Not much, but enough. Then it changes to a different line up for three weeks, followed by another recovery week, and again for the last four resulting in a full 13 week program.
P90X also has a version called doubles, which is essentially the regular schedule plus doing the 40 minute CardioX workout (which you only see during the recovery week or on the Lean version) several extra times during the week. I have to tell you straight out that this would drive me INSANE. Doing the P90X Lean version, you do the CardioX workout every week, replacing one of the weight training sessions. If I had to see that cardio DVD that often I would probably lose it. The obvious alternative, however, is simply to add your own cardio workout of about 50 minutes to those days as your extra workout. They're just offering the basic option with their doubles plan, without having to figure out a different workout without guidance.
The program also comes with an eating plan. I will tell you straight that the plan is maintenance level as far as calories go for MOST people. If you are thinking about losing a lot of weight, the eating plan is too much. It's the right kinds of food, and I 100% approve of the layout, it's the quantity verses goal.
*If you are wanting to gain mass, it might be enough calories, or a little low for a male. For a female it might be enough. However, I would like to point out that P90X isn't a muscle-mass increasing routine. It WILL build some muscle, make no mistake, but it is more about power. P90X is about creating strength with what you have, and refining it. Power over size, for all intensive purposes.
* If you want to maintain, I suggest you follow their eating plan as it's laid out. However, I would suggest you monitor your levels of body fat, measurements and scale weight to see if you should add calories or subtract them.
* If you are trying to LOSE weight, this is where things get tricky. The calories are a bit high for women (for men, I would start with it and then adjust as necessary) and I would probably start off about 100-300 calories less than the plan equates to on a daily basis. HOWEVER, you need to understand that these workouts are power oriented workouts. They demand a great deal from your body, not only to rise to the occasion with the proper intensity, but also in the matter of recovery afterwards. If you drop your calories too low, you will wipe yourself OUT. Your workouts will suffer, you will get less results, and frankly, you will just feel AWFUL. So, on the angle of a cutting program, this one walks a fine line.
One of the reasons I chose the P90X Lean version of the schedule was so I could actively pursue the weight loss side of it. It IS easier than the regular version, and obviously less demanding than the Doubles. But even so, it is a demanding routine on the body. Because of that, there is no room for error. You must fuel your body at the appropriate times, or you will feel it. You cannot skip meals, because it will tank you.
Now, one last thing to be clear on. If you are after visible results, you need to understand that those are 80% rooted in your kitchen. What you feed yourself, how much, and when are absolutely KEY. There is no workout, or pill, or magic wand that will enable you to get around this fact. If you don't eat right, you will not see what you are working so hard for. You will experience an increase in strength/power, you will probably even feel better, but you won't SEE it, OR feel as good as you COULD if you did right by your body in the kitchen. You want to see your abs? You could do a million crunches, and it won't make a damn bit of difference if you are eating in excess and the wrong things. It's the one hard fact that people want to deny, yet can never truly do so.
You want to be fit? You gotta do the work. You want to LOOK fit? You gotta do the work AND eat right. It's that simple, it really IS that black and white. No if's, and's or but's.
So, to the point: I like the workout. I like the food plan. And I even like the instructor and his presentation of the whole plan. Oh, one technical note, though - the whole thing is kind of dark. Not that it isn't shot well, it is. It's just that the room it was shot in is dark toned, and there are often shadows in the background which leads to an even darker appearance. This was probably on purpose since it allowed you to 100% focus on the instructor who stood out well against this background. However, it did make it tough to see sometimes because of the glare of lights in my own room against the television, regardless of where the lighting came from (above, or from a lamp or window, etc.) Don't misunderstand me, it's not a poor quality recording at ALL. And hey, maybe it's just me.
If you are now interested in P90X, Ultimate Fitness Gear has contacted me to offer a coupon to everyone for $5 off the program. The code to input at check-out is: smw5off
Edit 2/2008: I have recently been able to try out two of the nutritional supplements many had asked me about, this link is my review of them.
Edit: I wrote this review in July 2006, and recently it has been getting a lot of traffic. I still stand by everything I said. I am not affiliated with Beachbody. Up until now I had been taking questions, but it is becoming more than I can keep up with, so I won't be answering any more. Please see if your question has already been answered in the comments. Thank you!
I initially started off with the standard P90X, and then switched to P90X Lean (in order to not beat up my husband, due to some scheduling issues.) Because I have done a big portion of both versions, I feel I can offer a pretty well rounded report on it.
The first thing I want to establish is a reminder of where I have come from over the past...Oh.... Eight years. I went from sedentary (220+ lbs), to cardio bunny (mostly tae-bo), to weight training, and then on to the serious fitness freak that you see before you today. I did NOT start this program after getting up off my couch one day and deciding it was the one for me.
This program is NOT a good starting point for ANYONE. I am speaking most directly to those men, and you know who you are, who regardless of your actual fitness level, assume that you can handle anything at any level, simply because of your testosterone and Y chromosome. I'm married to one of these "I can do anything" types, and trust me: he tried P90X, suffered, and dropped it - and he isn't a completely unfit guy either.
If you are interested in P90X, male or female - drop the ego and take their fitness test. For REAL. It will replace your normal workout, because it takes about 40 minutes. It's not a marketing gimmick, it's a necessary thing you should do. Because, if you can't hit everything you need to on the fitness test, you not only aren't ready for P90X, but you might cause yourself injury if you try it.
Now that I have scared everyone off, lets back up for a minute. It's not THAT bad, but you do need a certain higher level of core fitness in order to start in on this program. If you don't have that, there are a lot of places to start. If you have a long way to go, I recommend a doctor's clearance and then daily walks and body weight moves (like push-ups, sit-ups, etc), ramping up to a harder regimen. I also highly recommend Body For Life (NOT NOT NOT BFL for Women, that book is a total waste of good paper, and Eating for life is a good MAINTENANCE cookbook, but not so hot for an actual plan - and by the way, all the success photos/stories in the cookbook are from the ORIGINAL BFL plan, not EFL), but as the ORIGINAL plan was intended. Ignore the "official" website, and all the stupid tweaks people have tried to twist it with. Half.com has a ton of cheap copies ($1.37 when last I checked), so it won't even cost you much to look into it. Once you have completed that, you may or may not be ready for something like P90X, but you can try the fitness test again and find out where your weaknesses are.
The system is a set of DVD workouts which involve a ton of body-weight moves (like push-ups, pull-ups, plyometric moves, etc) as well as cardio and weight training cycles. The equipment you will require is a large enough space to go bouncing about in all directions without causing serious injury or property damage, free-weights of varying sizes, a chin-up bar/station, a yoga mat and blocks, and some people also use bands, as well as push-up bars (optional.)
**A note about the bands - I bought a set from Walmart. I snapped those suckers in half. They stink, don't buy them from Walmart or any of the other major retailers. You need a set of HIGH quality bands if you are going to be using them. I do not know if the set they sell through the Beachbody website are high quality or not, but you can try them or a serious fitness retailer. You need at least a medium weighted resistance band and the heaviest one they have (to mimic pull-ups if you can't do them.)
Personally, I have an interchangeable set of dumbbells with plates. This worked out OK, but there were times I had to hit the pause button because I couldn't get it set up quickly enough. If you have the cash (which I do not), I highly recommend PowerBlocks. I also have a Power-Tower station for the pull-ups. You can buy a standard chin-up bar from a major retailer for about $6, or you can invest in their fancy junglebar version for about $40. My power tower ($70) was a personal "I gotta HAVE IT!" freak-out, so it's not necessary. I just wanted a station that was good for not only pull-ups, but dips, leg raises and other exercises. Yes, I know, fitness freak. But for P90X , you only need the pull-up station, with the ability to do both wide and close handed grips.
The actual workouts range from a plyometric workout, core and cardio, to several weight/target area workouts (like legs & back, or shoulders & arms, etc). There is also a 90 minute Yoga session which you do every week, as well as a cardio workout of Kenpo. My favorite of all the workouts is the Kenpo, because I'm a sucker for anything that involves fighting moves - serious or not. I also value the yoga that has been incorporated because it has helped with some flexibility issues I was struggling with. Since the yoga also comes dead center of the week, it also relieves some tightness that you end up acquiring through the earlier workouts.
The weight workouts are good because there isn't a ton of monotony. You have a lot of different exercises you move through, and you never get bored because of that. The pull-ups aren't as bad as they sound. Yes, they're HARD. Yes, you end up doing a LOT of them. But there are ways to "spot" yourself, and assist with the pull-up until you can switch over to doing them without assistance. The DVD does show you how to do this, even expects you to. If you are interested in just learning about how to get your body doing pull-ups, Stumtuous.com has a whole "how-to" for you to get in gear.
I would say the workout I hate the most is the plyometrics, closely followed by the core synergistics. Why? Because plyo is HARD, people! Doesn't mean it's not worth doing. If anything, it's because it's hard that it's worth doing. Though, I admit that near the end of one of the workouts, I looked up to see the instructor doing a push-up where he brought his whole body into the air off the ground (feet and hands) and clapped in mid air, before coming down and doing it again - I almost took off my shoe and threw it at the screen.
The instructor, Tony Horton, is a good looking 40-something guy with a great attitude. Admittedly, at first I found him slightly grating. But I think that was because I have a lot of preconceived notions about DVD workouts, and their instructors. OK, they're not preconceived notions, we're talking outright hostility. If I had to endure another energizer-wind-up-pink-lollipop- cotton-candy-fluffy-should -be-tossed-out-of-a-plane instructor, I was going to lose it. Thank goodness this wasn't the case. Once I was able to understand the rhythm of his sense of humor, I was fine. Honestly, I think he's probably one of the best motivational exercise instructors I have ever seen.
However, for those who don't agree, the DVD's come with the options to play the workout with either the music or the instructor, or both muted and just have it give you your cues on the exercises. So far, I haven't done either, which was a total shock considering my propensity for a lack of patience in this area.
On certain days, you are expected to tack on the 16 minute "Ab Ripper" routine. This thing sucks. Sorry to use the language, but...Well... OW. Necessary, but OW. I also found that I have next to NO patience for tacking it on right after a regular workout. After 60 minutes of lifting weights and doing pull-ups, the last thing I want to do is look at some fresh-faced bunch of people and kill myself with an ab routine. So, what I have done instead is to tack it on later in the day. I'm MUCH happier with this arrangement, and it allows me to draft my husband into doing it with me. It's so much more enjoyable to hear someone else cussing and whining through a workout, than yourself.
These workouts are hard-core, but they're also geared for your own level. Basically, you will get out of this what you put into it. If you go through this DVD workout like a pansie: only lifting low amounts when you could lift more and doing half-hearted moves when you should be taking it to the mat - well, then you'll only get a blah workout and blah results. But if you hit it with the intensity you KNOW you have, and you work HARD and focused, you will get solid results. The upside to all of this is that it's an unlimited challenge. You keep pushing yourself harder and higher, and you will always be challenged by this workout (which is why I think you don't see many used ones for sale, they're definitely a permanent addition to my DVD library.) But, if you decide to be a slacker, then it's likely the best you'll do is whine that it's not enough and "whyyyyyyyy" doesn't it work for you like it does for everyone else?
This is like life, people. You want it? You gotta put in the effort. Plain and simple. It's a shut-up and put-up situation. In the end, you have the map - if you don't make it there, you have no one but yourself to blame.
From a personal trainer standpoint, I really appreciate that there is a real, serious, intense workout available like this. 99% of the video workouts out there are too weak for me, no matter how much effort I put into it. I think what makes this such a challenging set is because it has so many different types of exercise involved, as well as the open ended room to increase your own intensity level. After these workouts, I actually FEEL like I have worked out. In the case of all the other DVD workouts I have tried, I felt as if I hadn't done enough.
The regular version/schedule is six days of workouts (all different, except the added Ab-Ripper on three days), and then a day of rest (or you can do the stretching DVD which isn't included during the week.) Every three weeks, it changes over to a recovery week. While you still do six workouts, they aren't the weight training ones, so it is a little bit of a break. Not much, but enough. Then it changes to a different line up for three weeks, followed by another recovery week, and again for the last four resulting in a full 13 week program.
P90X also has a version called doubles, which is essentially the regular schedule plus doing the 40 minute CardioX workout (which you only see during the recovery week or on the Lean version) several extra times during the week. I have to tell you straight out that this would drive me INSANE. Doing the P90X Lean version, you do the CardioX workout every week, replacing one of the weight training sessions. If I had to see that cardio DVD that often I would probably lose it. The obvious alternative, however, is simply to add your own cardio workout of about 50 minutes to those days as your extra workout. They're just offering the basic option with their doubles plan, without having to figure out a different workout without guidance.
The program also comes with an eating plan. I will tell you straight that the plan is maintenance level as far as calories go for MOST people. If you are thinking about losing a lot of weight, the eating plan is too much. It's the right kinds of food, and I 100% approve of the layout, it's the quantity verses goal.
*If you are wanting to gain mass, it might be enough calories, or a little low for a male. For a female it might be enough. However, I would like to point out that P90X isn't a muscle-mass increasing routine. It WILL build some muscle, make no mistake, but it is more about power. P90X is about creating strength with what you have, and refining it. Power over size, for all intensive purposes.
* If you want to maintain, I suggest you follow their eating plan as it's laid out. However, I would suggest you monitor your levels of body fat, measurements and scale weight to see if you should add calories or subtract them.
* If you are trying to LOSE weight, this is where things get tricky. The calories are a bit high for women (for men, I would start with it and then adjust as necessary) and I would probably start off about 100-300 calories less than the plan equates to on a daily basis. HOWEVER, you need to understand that these workouts are power oriented workouts. They demand a great deal from your body, not only to rise to the occasion with the proper intensity, but also in the matter of recovery afterwards. If you drop your calories too low, you will wipe yourself OUT. Your workouts will suffer, you will get less results, and frankly, you will just feel AWFUL. So, on the angle of a cutting program, this one walks a fine line.
One of the reasons I chose the P90X Lean version of the schedule was so I could actively pursue the weight loss side of it. It IS easier than the regular version, and obviously less demanding than the Doubles. But even so, it is a demanding routine on the body. Because of that, there is no room for error. You must fuel your body at the appropriate times, or you will feel it. You cannot skip meals, because it will tank you.
Now, one last thing to be clear on. If you are after visible results, you need to understand that those are 80% rooted in your kitchen. What you feed yourself, how much, and when are absolutely KEY. There is no workout, or pill, or magic wand that will enable you to get around this fact. If you don't eat right, you will not see what you are working so hard for. You will experience an increase in strength/power, you will probably even feel better, but you won't SEE it, OR feel as good as you COULD if you did right by your body in the kitchen. You want to see your abs? You could do a million crunches, and it won't make a damn bit of difference if you are eating in excess and the wrong things. It's the one hard fact that people want to deny, yet can never truly do so.
You want to be fit? You gotta do the work. You want to LOOK fit? You gotta do the work AND eat right. It's that simple, it really IS that black and white. No if's, and's or but's.
So, to the point: I like the workout. I like the food plan. And I even like the instructor and his presentation of the whole plan. Oh, one technical note, though - the whole thing is kind of dark. Not that it isn't shot well, it is. It's just that the room it was shot in is dark toned, and there are often shadows in the background which leads to an even darker appearance. This was probably on purpose since it allowed you to 100% focus on the instructor who stood out well against this background. However, it did make it tough to see sometimes because of the glare of lights in my own room against the television, regardless of where the lighting came from (above, or from a lamp or window, etc.) Don't misunderstand me, it's not a poor quality recording at ALL. And hey, maybe it's just me.
If you are now interested in P90X, Ultimate Fitness Gear has contacted me to offer a coupon to everyone for $5 off the program. The code to input at check-out is: smw5offEdit 2/2008: I have recently been able to try out two of the nutritional supplements many had asked me about, this link is my review of them.
Edit: I wrote this review in July 2006, and recently it has been getting a lot of traffic. I still stand by everything I said. I am not affiliated with Beachbody. Up until now I had been taking questions, but it is becoming more than I can keep up with, so I won't be answering any more. Please see if your question has already been answered in the comments. Thank you!
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