P90X..Any guys starting it? Monday Jan 12th

I am making the plunge Monday.  I see that there is a thread for the ladies so I thought I would see if any guys are doing this.  I am a little bigger (and older 40)than most people I see starting this (205 currently), but I started losing weight a year ago and after losing 40 pounds I need something else.  Anyway if anyone is starting and wants to commiserate let me know.  ;)

I like the bands for some of the exercises....I bought some gold gyms walmart specials and they suck balls....so I would buy quality ones from a real sporting goods store if you wanted to go that route.....the bad thing about adjustable weights is that you'll have to push pause and change them...unfortunately the workouts are so varied that two dumbbells won't be enough, it'll either be too much for some moves or too little for others and the workouts are already averaging on an 1.5 hrs...so that's why I do a mix.

I see, well thanks for the input guys, I think I may just buy the bands from the p90x website due to the financial aspect of it. But I will keep you guys up to date on how the bands are.

Day 16....CardioX is getting easier or I'm getting better at it!!!  I am not really dropping much weight but I can tell the difference in the weight I have.  It will be interesting in 2 weeks when I take 30 day photos.  My wife says she can tell the difference at least!!

P90x I borrowed from a friend once, and I just found it to not be in alignment with my goals. It's also difficult, and isn't the best thing for beginners.

I can imagine that only a small small percentage of the people that buy this program actually finish it, and if they do, they don't get the results they wanted because they didn't follow the program correctly. The rest who don't finish it just feel too tired after work to work out, and one day turns to 50 and soon the P90x program is sitting in the basement with some AB sculpting device.

I have two major critiques of P90x. The first is that P90x uses guys that were previously muscular and fit at some time in their life before they started the program, and everyone knows that it's much easier to regain muscle mass that you previously had. The second one is the lack of emphasis on legs, did you ever see any of these guys in the infomercials show their quads, hams, or calves in the after photos?

I want strength, size, and to educate myself more about weight training and weight loss. I'm not impressed with the size of the guys on the infomercials; I personally want to be bigger than that. And After 90 days, what do I do? Do the whole program again?

All you need is one set of dumbbells to do the program they say, and hexagonal dumbbells can cost 20 dollars each. This also concerns me when it comes to strength building, am I supposed to buy a different set of dumbbells each week or two to keep adding resistance? And do I buy a different set of dumbbells for different exercises such as shoulder press, bicep curls, and so forth?

Doing pushups will give you some strength, but when you can 50 of them, it just starts getting ridiculous, and how do you add resistance to push ups after you can do so many decline pushups?

What about mass gaining exercises such as deadlifts, squats, bench press, dips, and presses?

I think that you have found the wrong program all together. If you were looking to build mass you should have invested something like a bowflex, or some N O EXPLODE and a gym membership. P90x clearly expalins in its commercials that it is for people of extreme atheltic pasts. This is not to say that only these people will benifite from it but none the less it is a fat burning, high intensity program designed to tone muscle, not build mass.

I see P90X as about getting into shape not bulking up.  Believe me I didn't look like their normal guys in the photos when I started but I am seeing results.  The workouts are tough but you just have to man, or woman, up and DO THEM!!  I think the biggest problem is people who say they want to get into shape but don't want to put forth the effort to do it.  As far as no legs workout, I can tell you really haven't done the tapes to their fullest.  My quads and hammies have developed a lot of tone and my calves are cramping because they are getting worked so much.  Look, I am not knocking you at all.  There are plenty of other programs that will do what you are looking for but this one is probably not for you.  Just my 2 cents.

Fortius is right though....the people they show are already in shape and probably have around 13-10% body fat...their "before" pictures where taken probably late in the day after a big meal with maximum amount of water retention....their after pics were most likely taken after a day of dehydration and a light weight work out to pump up the "goods"....you see, their pilot program didn't involve just yahoos they grabbed off the street...these where most likely tony's friends or friends of friends that worked out on a weekly basis....the reason the guys legs are so underdeveloped compared to the rest of their bodies is because they probably didn't put much emphasis on them in their previous training program like all meat heads  (too busy having chin-up competitions with tony)....as a guy, I know when I hit the weights back in the day, legs were much neglected....its just a guy thing....look at the biotches...dreya webber has super thick legs...she probably has a penis too from all the extra testosterone injections....all I'm saying is that this, like any program is a tool to help me get closer to my work out goals and something new to mix up the same ol same ol....I have no delusions of looking as buff/ripped as joe bavino or any of those other d-bags...but the program will produce solid results as long as you do your best and forget the rest.  Yes to do the program properly requires extreme dedication and will most likely take up about 2 hrs of your day (factoring in moving the furniture, fixing your recovery drink...etc etc) and some money if you plan to go the non-adjustable weights way...6 days a week is a lot to put up with tony and his goons and knowing that most people give up after the first month is only going to make hitting day 90 even sweeter.

Next week, I will start my third month of P90X.  Since starting, I have lost 4 pounds, but I am definitely slimming down.  I guess I had lots of room for muscle to build up.  I am also doing my own diet.  I think if you want to get ripped, you HAVE  to follow their diet plan.  I am happy to stay in shape through the winter months.  Getting ripped is not a big deal to me.

I am starting to have to motivate myself to get it done, but I want that 90 days under my belt.

I want the 90 days thing as well.  Just to kind of prove to myself and the doubters that it can be done.....

My p90x journey has been delayed because I am waiting for my resistance bands to come in. I think it is great that you guys are wanting to complete the 90 days as personal goals, In all actuality most of us are doing this program for ourselves anyways. Im sure even when we started the program we didnt expect to become one of the extremely fit people on the work out videos but regardless of what other people may expect it is more about feeling the reward of self satisfaction and reaching personal goals. 

Oh yeah, and I have decided to make my p90x a sort of experimental one in the aspect that I am ONLY going to use resistance bands. I have had a very large backgroung on free weights and dumbells so this will show how my body will transform using resistance. Ill keep everyone posted on how it goes!!

Rest week!!!  This ought to be interesting.  I am doing lean so four of my workouts are the same.  It will be interesting to see how I feel next week when I start with some new workouts.  Down over 1 1/2 percent body fat though in my first three weeks.  I wish it were more but I'll take it!!

Enjoy your recovery week!  I found my first one a little intense, but this IS P90X 

Yesterday, I did chest and back again for the first time since the end of month one.  Good lord, LOL...  It was just as hard as it was the first time.  I did manage to do almost twice as many push ups the first set than I did the last time.  This so reminds me of the day I arrived in basic training.  They made us do like 200 push ups.  It put our systems into shock to prep us for what was ahead.  I feel like I've been shocked again.

29 more workouts to go.

OK.  Doing Yoga with workouts from the first month is DEFINITELY harder than doing Yoga with workouts from the second month.  I am in month three and the first week mirrors the first month's exercise schedule.  What a butt kicker!

Do you guys take before and after photos?

I take my 30 day photo Tuesday...can't wait!!  I am not going to take any photos until the 30 day intervals just so I can have something to look forward to.  I can tell the difference though.

Week 9 really kicked my arse.  I had a hard time doing Chest, Triceps, and Shoulders today.  All of those damn push ups are killing me!  LOL...  I think I start out getting to like twelve, and by the end, I am lucky to get to eight.  I am feeling much much happier about my results with the Ab X workout.  I got to 20 on those damnable pfiefer scissors, and today, I actually did the bonus round on the Mason twists.  I'm clinging to the little things, can't you tell?  

my brother bet me I couldn't do 40 crunchy frogs.....little did he know I was a secret crunchy frog ninja master....needless to say, I was pretty much worthless for the remainder of the ab ripper session

30 days and I lost 9 1/2 pounds and over 2% body fat....we will see about the next 30...

Gentlemens, after nearly 10 weeks of P90X, I finally completed he Ab Ripper X workout without a break.

Thank you...