P90X and P90X+ review
P90X, or Power 90 Extreme, is a commercial home exercise regimen, known for its intensity. It is designed to take 90 days, and it consists of a training program that uses cross-training (weight training, martial arts, yoga, and calisthenics) and periodization, combined with a nutrition and dietary supplement plan.
History
The system was developed by Tony Horton, Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler, Beachbody Fitness Advisor Steve Edwards, nutritionist Carrie Wyatt, Creative Director Ned Farr, and workout video director Mason Bendewald. Fitness professional Tony Horton developed the P90X system In 2002, Daikeler tasked Horton to create a fitness program for people who were already fit. Daikeler hired Ned Farr to document the process of developing the new program, giving a "look behind the curtain." Development took two years. Horton consulted various fitness experts and experimented with several disciplines before selecting 12 workouts. The program was tested and refined with several 90-day test groups. Farr's video diary documentary originally appeared every month on Beachbody's website and can now be found on YouTube.
In 2004, the completed program was released, and an infomercial was made using some of the documentary footage. Farr continues to use a documentary approach to the infomercials, using raw home footage supplied by P90X graduates. "P90X: The Proof" infomercial won a Telly award in 2009[citation needed] and "P90X: The Answer" infomercial won a Moxie award in 2010. P90X is Beachbody's best-selling product after years of positive word of mouth and heavy infomercial advertisements. Despite sales growth slowing to approximately 30%, P90X represented half of Beachbody's $430 million revenue in 2010. As of November 2010, 3 million copies of P90X have been sold for an estimated $420 million. The program had grossed approximately $500 million in sales, as of August 2012.
In 2011, the sequel to P90X was released, P90X2. Another 90-day workout regimen, P90X2 focuses on an applied sports science called Muscle Integration. Instead of working one muscle group at a time, P90X2 uses resistance on unstable platforms to engage more muscles with each movement. In December of 2013, P90X3 was released. P90X3 includes 16 new routines, and mixes in yoga, mixed martial arts, Pilates, and plyometrics into a series of upper and lower body workouts. The biggest difference in the latest program is the length of the workouts; P90X3 routines are 30 minutes long at maximum intensity.
Muscle Confusion
So what makes P90X unique? Tony Horton designed P90X around a simple technique for maximizing your results: muscle confusion.
Have you ever been training consistently, and suddenly found that you can no longer improve your fitness levels any further? It happens to all of us at one time or another. We hit the ‘workout plateau’, in which no matter how hard we train, our muscles are no longer growing or we are losing no more weight. Why does this happen?
The answer is in the workouts you are using. Doing the same exercises each week gets your body into a kind of rhythm. This is the fastest way to hit the workout plateau. You’ve probably worked it out by now – the way to get around this is to vary up your workouts, to ‘confuse’ your muscles. P90X is based around muscle confusion for the simple reason that it works. Not only that, but it helps prevent against injury. When you suddenly change up your workouts, your body will react as if you are starting again from scratch. The important thing is that you work the same muscle groups, but in a different way. The best way to do this is by switching up what equipment you use, i.e. moving from resistance bands to free weights.
Overview
The P90X program cycle lasts 13 weeks, exercising six days per week. The program has three "rotations" or emphases, called "classic," "lean" and "doubles," that the individual selects according to their personal goals. There are a total of 12 DVD workouts included with the program; each targets different skills and muscles. Most of the workouts are less than an hour in duration, although the abdominal workout ("Ab Ripper X") is performed three times per week, after six of the rotating workouts, which adds approximately 15 minutes of exercise to the times in the table below.
| Program | Exercise | Week | Muscles Worked | Type | Ab Ripper X | Length | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P90X | Chest and Back | 1-3, 9, 11 | Pectorals, Back, Biceps, Triceps | Strength Training | Yes | 52:50 | Weights or Bands, Push-up bars, Pull-up bar or bands, Chair, Fitness guide and pen, Water and Towel |
| Plyometrics | 1-3, 5-7, 9-12 | Legs, Full Body | Cardio | No | 58:36 | Heart rate monitor, Mat, Stool or Chair, Water and towel | |
| Shoulders and Arms | 1-3, 9, 11 | Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders | Strength Training | Yes | 59:53 | Weights or bands, Wall, Chair, Fitness guide and pen, water and towel | |
| Yoga X | 1-13 | Full Body | Cardio, Stretch | No | 92:24 | Mat, Yoga blocks, Water and towel | |
| Legs and Back | 1-3, 5-7, 9-12 | Quads, Hamstring, Calves, Back | Strength Training | Yes | 58:56 | Weights or bands, Wall, Pull-up bar or bands, Chair, Fitness guide and pen, Water and towel | |
| Kenpō X | 1-13 | Full Body | Cardio | No | 58:46 | Heart rate monitor, Water and towel | |
| X Stretch | 1-13 | Full Body | Stretch | No | 57:32 | Mat, Yoga blocks, Water and towel | |
| Core Synergistics | 4, 8, 13 | Full Body | Strength Training | No | 57:27 | Mat, Weights or bands, Plastic plate, cardboard or towel, Water and towel | |
| Chest, Shoulders and Triceps | 5-7, 10, 12 | Pectorals, Shoulders, Triceps | Strength Training | Yes | 55:44 | Weights or Bands, Push-up bars, Plastic plate, cardboard or towel, Chair, Fitness guide and pen, Water and towel | |
| Back and Biceps | 5-7, 10, 12 | Back, Biceps | Strength Training | Yes | 51:36 | Weights or bands, Wall, Pull-up bar or bands, Chair, Fitness guide and pen, Water and towel | |
| Cardio X | doubles | Full Body | Cardio Workout | No | 43:18 | Stool or Chair, Mat, Yoga blocks, Heart rate monitor, Water and towel | |
| Ab Ripper X | weekly | Abdominals, Core | Strength Training | N/A | 16:07 | Mat, Water and towel | |
| P90X+ | Upper Plus | 1-3, 5-7, 9-12 | hips up: chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders | Strength Training | No, Abs/Core Plus instead | 40 min | push-up stands, weights or bands, pull-up bar, water and towel |
| Interval X Plus | 1-3, 9, 11 | Full Body | Cardio Workout | No, Abs/Core Plus instead | 40 min | Heart rate monitor, water and towel | |
| Total Body Plus | 1-3, 5-7, 9-12 | Full Body | Strength Training | No | 45 min | push-up stands, weights or bands, pull-up bar, water and towel | |
| Kenpo Cardio Plus | 1-3, 5-7, 9-12 | Full Body | Cardio Workout | No | 40 min | water and towel, heart rate monitor | |
| Abs/Core Plus | 1-12 | Abs and Core | Strength Training | No | 20 min | Mat, water and towel, weights or bands, pull-up bar |
P90X2 review
P90X2 Workout. Train off-balance to build the body of an athlete.
P90X revolutionized fitness. Now, P90X2 will change the way you work out…forever. P90X2 delivers the kind of results pro athletes insist on. Not by making you work harder…but by helping you work smarter. With a breakthrough in applied sports science called Muscle Integration. You’ll engage all of your muscles with every move, delivering the same kind of training pro-athletes pay thousands of dollars for.
So what’s the key? Instability. Instead of working one muscle group at a time, with P90X2, you’ll do resistance moves on one foot, a ball, or some other unstable platform. Because your body is forced to maintain stability as you lift, more muscles are engaged with each movement. You’ll fire your abs, glutes, hamstrings – and an entire chain of muscles you may not even know how to pronounce. This is how you work your entire body in one move. As one unit. This is how you become an efficient, calorie-burning, ripping machine.
12 ALL-NEW WORKOUTS
P90X2 offers an amazing amount of variety with each workout targeting a specific goal. It builds on the principles of P90X® and focuses on agility, balance, mobility, and visible results.
P90X3 review
The majority of the P90X3 workouts are 30 minutes in length with a 2 to 3 minute cool down period in the end. The only exception is the Ab Ripper X3, which is only 15 minutes long. The workouts are designed to be completed in three blocks, each lasting between 4 to 5 weeks each. The first two blocks last 4 weeks and the last block is 5 weeks long. If you want to continue past the initial 90 day period, you can follow the Elite Block calendar and add an additional 4 weeks to the program. If you wish to do this, you will need to purchase the Deluxe or Ultimate P90X3 Kits since the Elite Block includes three additional workouts not included with the P90X3 Base Kit. If you prefer, these workouts can also be purchased separately in addition to the base kit itself.
In addition to the block schedule, you will also have the option to follow workout schedules depending on your fitness goals. The four options include the Classic, Lean, Doubles and Mass.
