Since I started getting quick results from P90X, many of my friends jumped on the P90X bandwagon as well. Yet after several months, most of them still haven’t started… so I asked them why, and one of the two common answers was:

“I have to get in shape first before starting the P90X workout program…”

HUH?

I thought that’s why you got the P90X Extreme Fitness System to begin with…

And you know what, I totally understand… I procrastinated for a year! So I’m not going to judge anybody. And I’ll be the first to admit P90X is not for everybody. Working yourself up to some level of fitness before going hardcore is probably a good idea; especially if you’ve led a sedentary lifestyle and have never really worked out.

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Having said that, I went from barely working out at all (for almost 5 years) to jumping into the program with both feet…

So how did I do it?

When I first bought the program I was tipping the scales at around 230lbs… the heaviest I had ever been. So after doing the research I ordered it and waited for the package (like a little kid the day before Christmas) for the package to arrive.

I have to admit that I was both intimidated and embarrassed when I received the package; intimidated because I was about to embark on a fitness program that was sure to bring pain, and embarrassed because my wife received the package — she didn’t know I had ordered it. So instead of tearing it open and digging in, I put it on the shelf in my garage and conveniently “forgot” about it.

Three months later I had reached 235lbs and I knew I had to do something. So, in disgust I went in the garage and…

…picked up the dog leash and took my dog for a walk, that turned into a 3-mile half-jog. I was dyin’ at the end… sucking breath like crazy. And for the next six months I took my dog for a brisk walk every single day, rain or shine (poor dog). All of a sudden I was down to 217lbs.

This was when I started getting motivated. I decided to put a bit more effort into it and watch my diet a bit and in about 40 days I was down to 207lbs, which was when a friend of mine at work told me he had bought the P90X workout system! He was super excited and told me he was going to start “a week from Monday”.

So, I rushed home and dusted off my old copy of P90X and spent a week preparing myself and getting used to each of the modules / exercises for Phase 1 to start the challenge with my buddy.

By the end of the 3rd day of the “preparation week” my body was so sore I could barely get out of my car… getting up and down the stairs was not a lot of fun. By the way, I wasn’t even close to finishing the workouts that week. The first day I got through half of the DVD when my body said “NO MORE”. And I think I only completed the Kenpo X workout that week… partly because I didn’t want to get any more sore (so I couldn’t start my workout the following week). Plus I was too uncoordinated, weak and sore to finish the rest.

But I think I was better prepared for the first “real” week by taking a week to understand the exercises, figure out some of the weights I needed to use for the workout. So, my recommendation is that you take it slow and if you feel overwhelmed,, take a step back and start with the hardest part of the program… the Diet.

More on that in another post.

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I’ve gotten several emails over the past several weeks as to whether the P90X workout is all hype or if it actually works.

Here’s the deal: Most exercise programs will work if you follow of it to the “T”. So, in other words: “YES, the P90X fitness program works!”

How do I know for sure?

Because I actually did the 90X workout for about 75 days before I took a break (due to travel & holidays). I went from 207lbs to 191lbs during this time. From no six pack to seeing them for the first time in a while (5 years or maybe more).

The P90X workout program offers good variety. For me, it kept me from getting bored and it was actually fun to follow along with the DVDs… believe it or not, it actually feels like you’re doing it with them. Not to mention the fact that they make it pretty “brainless”… you don’t have to think about putting a routine together or anything. Plus if you follow the program properly you will shed fat… it’s virtually guaranteed (if you follow the program).

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Ok… I admit it, I did NOT follow the diet to a “T”… I actually started with the Nutrisystem plan for the first 30 days or so… then changed to the P90X diet plan in Phase 2 of the program (the program is divided into 3 phases).

I’ve heard some people complain about the diet being too difficult… but to be honest, if you prepare ahead of time it is quite manageable. I won’t say easy, because at first it’s not… eating multiple times per day and watching what you eat ALL THE TIME is challenging in the beginning.

So, my recommendation is that if you haven’t started the P90X workout yet and are serious about losing those love handles, that get accustomed to eating 5 – 6 times per day (portion controlled meals plus healthy snacks). Another thin I highly recommend is to start entering what you eat into a food journal like myfitnesspal.com now to get accustomed to counting calories. Doing this will also help you see how many calories you eat every day… which is important because chances are good you don’t eat enough!

As for getting started… I actually took a week prior to my “official start” of the P90X workout to:

1. get used to the exercises, and

2, to figure out the amount of weight I needed to use for each exercise that require dumbbells (and make sure to write the figures down).

This will help you raise your intensity once you start your 90-day program since you won’t be fumbling trying to figure out the weights. I also recommend you start with a slightly lighter weight than you think you can use the first week or two.

Be prepared to get SORE!

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If you didn’t know already, P90X actually has a fitness test that they ask you to complete before you embark on your transformational journey. I suspect for 2 reasons: 1. so you can chart your progress, and 2. to make sure you are able to complete a P90X Workout.

The P90X fitness test consists of:

• Pull-ups
• Vertical Leap
• Push-ups
• Toe Touch
• Wall squats
• Bicep Curls
• In and Outs

It also includes a bit of a cardio portion where they ask you to do jumping jacks, then measure your heart rate. In the manual that you receive you are also asked to write down your measurements, e.g. body fat %, weight, chest / waist / hip measurements etc.

And last but not least, you need to take your “before” photos.

Did I complete the test?

No… not exactly.

I skipped the fit test because I knew I could pass it (I still ought to… and maybe I will). So far I’ve written down some of my measurements, i.e. body fat %, weight and resting heart rate. And I took my “before” photos a few days ago… I’ll share those with you when I have them uploaded.

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Earlier I started to tell you about why I chose to get started with the P90X Workout System.

So, I get back home from Philly, and one of the first things I did was to plug-in my laptop and check out the P90X reviews. I scoured the internet and found that most people just didn’t have anything negative to say about it… and those who did never completed the workouts. I looked at all the P90X Before and After pics and the various results people were posting and I just couldn’t believe my eyes.

I mean, I had some pretty good results with Body For Life, but it seemed to be outside of the norm… but with Tony Horton’s program good results seemed to be the norm… i.e. for those who completed the 90-days, and followed the p90x nutrition guide properly.

I then searched for p90x coupons and where I could find the best deals online… and I ended up buying it over here.

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Then I waited for the package to arrive… and after about a week it came:

And I proceeded to do… NOTHING.

I know… it’s pathetic. I was super excited and ripped open the package. Reviewed the info and decided I’d start… later. And not until a year later did I re-open the package. Maybe it was lazyness or just life happening but I finally got over the excuse of not having enough time and just suck it up.

It’s tough to find the time to exercise everyday, let alone for 1 hour at a time, which is what the P90X fitness program calls for. With 3 little kids (a 5-year old, 2-year old and a 7 month old) and my business to tend to it’s hard to find a balance.

But I decided to set a good example for my kids and just do it.

So, this blog is my story of how I progress through the P90X fitness program and my impressions as I go through the program (sort of like a diary).

I’ve set an official start date of August 4th, so until then I’ll be working on my diet and probably start doing a little bit of exercise so I don’t hurt myself during this program (it’s been 4-years…)

By the way, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask them in the comment section of this blog.

Wish me luck.

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Why am I starting the P90X Workout?

It’s a good question.

It’s been almost four years since I’ve exercised on a regular basis. I did the “Body for Life” transformation challenge about 6 or 7 years ago (man, time flies) and experienced some decent results. I’ve always been partial to bodyweight exercises and functional strength training, so I did the whole BFL challenge with bodyweight and kettlebell exercises and dropped roughly 30lbs. From 225lbs and 20%+ bodyfat to 195 @ 10.5%… (this is also the reason why the X90P workouts resonated with me).

Just to give you a bit more background… I’ve been training in martial arts for most of my life (such as boxing, judo, karate, brazilian jiu jitsu and JKD). And over the years I’ve sustained my share of bumps and bruises… and when I switched to training in primarily combat sports some years back, I managed to sustain a bit more serious injuries – tears in my shoulder and knees, dislocations, fractures etc. And about 4 years ago I sustained several injuries almost at once (probably due to overtraining) and had to cease training… and my weight ballooned back up to about 220lbs.

Enter P90X.

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I travel quite frequently for business, and while sitting up late at night in a hotel room in Philadelphia I saw the P90X commercial the first time.

I was impressed. It was unlike any of the other fitness infomercials I’ve ever seen on TV – here were these guys and gals really bringing it to their workouts. AND nutrition was a big aspect of the regimen as well. So I took note and wrote down “check out P90X” in my day planner and went to sleep.

The next morning I turned the TV back on to check out the news and the P90X infomercial was on again (I ended up watching the whole thing again). I was really tempted to pull out my credit card to buy the program, but resisted the temptation and decided that when I get some time I’d do some more due diligence…

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