Hi everyone,
As most of you know, I recently completed the 90-day fitness program called P90x (I'm sure you've seen infomercials for it at some point). Now that I've finished one of the most intense and grueling--yet undeniably effective--fitness regimens I've ever undertaken, it's time to give a little feedback since I know that many of you have been asking for it.
 |
| The pic on the left isn't actually Day 1, but rather was taken the previous summer. Add on about 5-10 lbs to that and you'll have an idea of what my Day 1 looked like! |
First off, I probably should give a little background on why I decided to get involved with this program in the first place. Well, the truth of the matter is that I did it "just because". I didn't do it because I was depressed. I wasn't in horrendous shape (although looking back at my Day 1 photo I definitely wasn't in good shape!). I wasn't training for a marathon or anything. Rather, I had heard from one of my bosses late last year that a friend of theirs had done P90x and gotten into the best shape of their life. Fitness hasn't exactly been my top priority over the past few years since moving back to Memphis, but for some reason "getting into the best shape of my life" seemed like a good enough reason in and of itself....just because. It was almost as if I didn't really have anything better going one, so why not? Thankfully that decision has turned out to be one of the best I've made in quite some time!
Like my boss' buddy, I can likewise attest that I am easily in the best shape of my life...even though I was highly active in sports back in high school (wrestling and lacrosse mostly). But the great thing is that even though the 90 days are officially finished, the program was so well designed that it's almost turned me into a fitness junkie in that short amount of time...and I feel 10 times better for it! And of course, it's hard to deny the sense of accomplishment you feel when you go from being able to only do 6 chin-ups to almost 30 :)
Ok, anyway...you all get the picture. P90x works. And the reason it works is because it removes the guess-work that often comes from trying to create your own fitness regimen. And it's not like it's reinventing the wheel here (the very first workout you do is almost entirely comprised of different types of pushups and pullups... "basic, basic" as Tony might say). Instead, it simply does a great job of providing the structure and motivational tools to bust your butt for the entire 90 days. And that my friends is a pretty big accomplishment.
Well....now that I'm finally finished with this whole enterprise, I think I'm going to move on to the next big thing. I talked a while back about the new "Chalean Extreme" program (also 90 days) that recently was put out by BeachBody and the P90x folks. It's gotten some strong early feedback, and I think it might be a great way for me to continue on the fitness train without becoming too bored from doing a second round of P90x. Although I'll miss having Tony Horton as the instructor, it'll be nice having slightly shorter workouts to do (they're around 35-40min instead of an hour for P90x). And for those who are interested, don't worry, I'll be blogging about it as well I'm sure once I get started. So stay tuned for that!
But now though, just want to say thanks to everyone who's been reading my little blog here over the past 90 days. It's definitely motivating to know that others out there are wanting you to succeed, and it also doesn't hurt to know that you're helping inspire a few folks to get in shape as well. I doubt I could have finished this thing though without you people! Again, thanks for reading...and feel free to send any questions you might have if you're contemplating taking the P90x plunge :)
Best,
Russell
P.S.- A couple of suggestions for potential P90x folks (although I recognize some of this stuff is price-restrictive):
1) Tony Horton's 10 Minute Trainer: Tony is the same guy who leads the P90x program, and his 10 Minute Trainer is a GREAT thing to have in your workout video lineup for those days when time prevents you from doing a full P90x workout. It's an entirely separate program, but these little 10 min workouts are about as intense as you could possibly get in such a short amount of time!
2) The Firm's "5 Day Abs": This is a great, albeit cheesy, 5-day ab video from back in the 90s that I stole from my mom. A perfect way though to supplement the Ab Ripper workout though from P90x! Slightly lower intensity, but very effective. Highly recommended.
3) P90x Plus+: These are 5 new supplemental workouts for P90x folks wanting to take it to the next level. I bought them at about the halfway point primarily just to provide a little extra variety to the program. But these are definitely extreme. A great way to give a boost to your fitness!
4) As Jack Lalanne says, "Exercise is King, but Nutrition is Queen". In fact, close to 80% of your visual results are directly influenced by what goes on in your kitchen. Eat clean, eat smaller portions, and eat at the right times! HUGELY important!
No comments:
Post a Comment