How To Start P90X The Right Way
How To Start P90X
I see SOO many people jumping into P90X without doing the critical steps that they need to do so that they set themselves up for success. There is no beating around the bush. P90X is an EXTREME program. This isn’t some type of fad workout, or one of those goofy 80′s dance workouts. This is an extreme program that gives extreme results. Period.
However, you will only get those extreme results if you follow the program as it’s laid out and you do ALL 90 days! Doing a few weeks or even a month and then quitting won’t give you results. Doing whatever workouts you feel like doing whenever you can won’t give you the results. Ok, maybe you’ll get some results, but definitely NOT the kind of results if you had followed the program as it’s laid out (that includes the workouts AND the nutrition!).
So…if you’re absolutely serious about losing the weight. If you’re absolutely serious about getting toned, getting ripped, or even bulking up…If you’re absolutely serious about getting into the best shape of your life so you can live a long, happy, healthy life with your kids (or future kids), with your spouse (or future spouse), and with your family and friends, then it will behoove you to follow these steps on how to start P90X the RIGHT way.
How To Start P90X (and Finish) The Right Way
I’m going to try to keep this page as brief as possible and literally give you step by step instructions on how to start P90X with links to resources that have videos, PDF’s, etc. to give you every leg up possible to ensure your success.
STEP 1 – Create A Free TBB Account For Free Coaching.
This is a no brainer. By clicking the above link and creating a free Team Beachbody account you’ll get an extra layer of support and motivation that you’ll need to ensure you stick with P90X. You’ll get ME as your personal success Coach, and you’ll get access to some free tools that you’re going to need to get yourself started right. So don’t think about this step, just do it.
STEP 2 – Read Through The P90X Fitness Guide AND the P90X Nutrition Guide.
P90X Nutrition Guide
A lot of people don’t do this, and then they don’t have a clue about anything. Those guide are there for a reason! Read them from cover to cover.
If you don’t have the P90X Nutrition Guide, then click the following link for some alternatives- P90X Nutrition Guide
If you don’t have the P90X Fitness Guide, then my blog is going to become your best friend. Use this page as your road map to starting P90X the right way.
STEP 3 – Confirm You Have All The Required Equipment.
You need to do this step ASAP in case you need to order any equipment or supplements (so you leave yourself some time for shipping). You also don’t want to start doing the workouts, and then you say “OOOOPPPPS, I don’t have X piece of equipment so I can’t do X exercises.” That’s just going to derail your progress with the program.
To confirm you have all of the required equipment, go here (do this EVEN if you think you have everything)- What Equipment Do You Need For P90X
STEP 4 – Take Your Measurements AND Your Before Pictures.
I’m not going to explain why this is important, actually I’m going to YELL and say…JUST TAKE DO THIS! DON’T SKIP THIS STEP!
Just click the following link and I’ll explain why, and how to do this- How To Take Your Measurements & Before Pics
STEP 5 – Take The Fit Test
You shouldn’t skip ANY of these steps, but this is another common thing people skip (really just out of laziness). I’m not going to yell this time :-), rather I’m just going to give you a page that will tell you how to do it. Just do it.
Click the following link to learn how to take the P90X Fit test- P90X Fitness Test
STEP 6 – Decide Which P90X Schedule You Are Going To Do & Print Out The Worksheets
There are 3 different workout schedules of P90X that you can do. You need to pick which one you are going to do, and you need to print out the work sheets so you can track your progress.
Click the following link to figure out what schedule is right for you, and to print out the P90X worksheets- P90X Workout Schedule
STEP 7 – Figure Out Your #’s, Clean Out Your Kitchen, & Go Grocery Shopping.
Your nutrition is JUST as important as your workouts. It’s basically like an equation…Your workouts + Your Nutrition = You Meeting Your Goals. Proper nutrition is FIFTY percent of that equation. So here’s what you need to do-
- Based on your goals (whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain weight and just get toned, or to even bulk up) you need to figure out your numbers (calories, protein, carbs, & fat) – How Many Calories Should I Eat A Day.
- You need to keep a food journal for at least a week to confirm you’re not over eating or under eating – How To Keep A Food Diary.
- Then you need to RID your house of ALL of the junk, and go grocery shopping and purchase foods based on the P90X Nutrition Guide or the alternative resources I gave you in Step 2.
STEP 8 – Proclaim Your Start Date & Give Us Daily Updates.
It’s proven that people who tell other people that they are going to do something, are MUCH more likely to actually do that something and follow through. Also, the people who commit to giving our community daily updates whether here on my blog, or on our Facebook page are more likely to stick with it. So here’s what you need to do.
- Leave a comment below and let me know your start date for starting P90X. THEN come back to this page and reply to your comment and tell us how your first workout went.
- Next, give us daily or at a MINIMUM weekly updates here on our Facebook page – Trek2BeFit Facebook Page.
STEP 9 – Share Your Results.
The people who go through ALL 90 days MUST be recognized! The fact that you just completed such an extreme program is something you should be so freakin proud of. Send me an email and tell me your results. I may even want to feature you here on my blog to share with the community of 90,000+ (and growing) visitors and members. I may also eventually create a separate page to feature everyone’s P90X results.
At The End Of Each Phase & At The End Of P90X
Make sure at the end of each phase that you re-take your measurements, and your pictures. Also, at the end of 90 days, re-take your measurements, your pictures, AND the P90X fit test. This will help give you some added motivation, will help keep you going, and will allow you to see if you are going in the right direction or if you need to make adjustments to your nutrition.
Now…TAKE ACTION!
You’ve got ALL the resources you need and you even have a step by step blueprint on how to start P90X. It’s now your time to just DO IT and take action! How serious are you about accomplishing your goals whether it be to lose weight, get toned, get ripped, or to bulk up? You ONLY get something different by doing something different so JUST DO IT! I can’t wait to help YOU on your journey and to see your final results.
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Name is shaun..did p90x before for like 2 weeks and quit…not this time around….my wife wants to do join in with me this time around…need some pointers on how to stay committed to it for the whole 90 days….I’m going to go with the classic version….
Awesome buddy! Congrats for committing to do P90X. Check out this post here-
http://trek2befit.com/jedi-mind-control-techniques
And then let us know what your why is.
Thank you she is much better. I was getting ready to start week 4.
Good! Instead of re-starting completely, you could always just start back at week 4, or even go back to week 3 if you want to.
Since you only missed a week I wouldn’t start from day 1, but it’s ultimately up to you. Let us know what you decide!
Why do I want to do p90x? Defiantly for increased energy…I have two little boys and I want all the energy I have to offer to them……another why is that I’m a pretty lazy person at home…I do my part in the house but through it all I’m lazy…so I would love to break that lazy spell…another why would be that I have really never worked out in my life,and would love to get committed to some kind of workout regiment….I just really need the motavation to finish the p90x and to move on to furthur things..
That’s a great reason to do P90X! So when are you officially going to re-start P90X?
Feb 2nd 2012……I am really looking foward to this…I’m actually picking up the p90x right now….I drove over an hour and a half to pick up….
Good! Let us know how your first workout goes…and remember to go through ALL of the steps on this page if you’re serious about it.
Feb 6th2012……I am really looking foward to this..I’m going through the p90x now and just really confused in terms of where I start with all this….
I change my start date to the 6th….I just don’t want to go into not knowing what to do….where do I start?
I have made up my mind to start p90x feb 3 2012…I’m a little confused about what phase of nutrition plan I should go with…I’m 6’4 about 200 pounds….I want to gain muscle..another thing is in terms of the exercises I will not being doing the yoga for personal reasons, so I wanted to know what can I substitute for the days that I have yoga…I will be doing the classic version…..I’m also a little tight on money so I wanted to see if you could steer me in the right direction in terms of what supplements I will need to get and was looking to maybe by those I walmart or something….
Awesome! Great job for committing to starting on Feb. 3rd. Have you read your P90X nutrition guide? That’s the best place to start. Read it a few times if you need too. It will walk you through what you need to do.
I’m assuming the personal reasons are religion based? You don’t have to share if you don’t want to. You’re just going to be missing out by not doing it. And it definitely isn’t a religion or anything like that…it’s just Yoga. But you’ve gotta do whatever is right for you. You could always do X Stretch in place of it, but again you’ll miss out on the benefits of the Yoga.
If you’re tight on money…then just get yourself some whey protein and a multi-vitamin.
Well I change my mind I will be starting today….my wife will be doing it with me to….I got the whey protein multi vitamin protein bars fruits veggies and fish and rice for dinner tonight…looking forward to my first workout….
Starting day 1…here we go…..
Awesome!!! Remember to just do your best and forget the rest! Let us know how it goes!
Wow!!! Just got finished with the first day…ab ripper x and those push up and pull ups kicked my butt but I didn’t give up…I know its a struggle and I know their are other people struggling with me…I want to thank you johnathan for all your help and encouragment…looking forward to tomorrow work out…I’m going to do the best none the less……
No problem buddy! KEEP pushing play!!!
Wow day 2 over with…that plyo really wooped me..ready for tomorrow…
lol…NICE job Shaun! It will probably be painful to walk tomorrow, but that’s ok…that just means changes are happening!
YogaX last night. Did good, but I need more work on some moves. For some reason I woke up at 5am this morning and was wide awake. I decided to knock out back and legs. One more day and week one is done!
Hey, you got it knocked out early, so that’s awesome! GREAT JOB buddy for sticking with it and not letting excuses get in the way. BRING IT!
…Keep it going mike I’m right behind you…day number three for me tomorrow
Yes I’m really really really sore…I can’t even get out of my truck correctly…what can help ease the pain?
Check out this post…it should help you out-
http://trek2befit.com/relieve-muscle-soreness
Hey Jonathan, I changed my address, hope this gets to you
Hope what gets to me?
i tried several times to send a comment, but was having trouble,but you got it so all is good. I started week 4 and all is going great!! talk to you soon. Have a great weekend
Got it. Good!!!! At the end of this week you’ll have completed a FULL month of P90X! KEEP pushing play Paul!
Day number three over with…sore as you could possibly could imagine…me and my wife brought it…she is a great help and encouragement….ready for day number four…
Congrats Shaun! Check out this post for help with the muscle soreness-
http://trek2befit.com/relieve-muscle-soreness
KEEP bringing it!
I start tomorrow .. Glad to join you. Paul, you are a hunter. Or outdoors man.
It took me a little to get the last bits. But now I’m just ready to bring it.
Good! Congrats for starting TODAY! Let us know how your first workout goes!
Week 1 down. Starting week two tonight. Feeling really good. Managed to behave myself diet wise at last night’s Superbowl party.
Nice!!! Congrats for finishing week 1 of P90X! Yea there were definitely lots of temptations, but I managed to do pretty good myself. GREAT job buddy….KEEP pushing play!
Thanks! It was easier to avoid temptation when you think about how hard you are working and why you would want to throw it away on the diet! I found out the first week that I don’t have enough weight to fail at 8-10 reps on most routines and the bands are difficult to get setup fast enough or the right tension to fail at 8-10 reps. I want to gain some mass, so I’m checking craigslist list to find some used dumbbell sets.
Exactly!! That’s what I do when I’m tempted…I try to remember how hard I’ve been working throughout the week. Stuffing my face for a few seconds of enjoyment is usually never worth it! :-) Of course though I will have an occasional cheat meal every now and then.
Yea Craigslist is a great place to find a heavier set of dumbbells. Keep pushing play Mike and continue keeping us updated on your progress!
Day 5 over with..legs and back wasn’t no joke…ab rippperx still putting up a clean fight….kenpo tomorrow…..need some suggestions on the diet….eating healthy though…
Great job Shaun! Check out the links on this page for help with the nutrition. You can also check out this page for a simple breakdown-
http://trek2befit.com/p90x-diet-plan
Adjustable dumbbells should be here by Wed evening!
Shawn: Johnathan should be able to help you on the diet. I am not following the p90x diet plan per say, but I am hitting the proportions and calories on my own. I have been doing a ton of research on this. I recommend figuring out your body type and then research what others with your type are doing successfully with p90x.
Great advice for Shaun!
That’s freakin awesome that you have a set coming! I use adjustable dumbbells too and I love them. I use the Power Blocks.
Hey mike what kind of diet are you following….I’m eating healthy but maybe i can do better in terms of the p90x diet and nutrition..any suggestions
Shawn,
The p90x diet plan seems to align with the research I have done, but it is very generic (how could it not be really) and does not consider body type. I don’t think you can go wrong by following it and then making adjustments later as you learn more. I’m a Mesomorph body type and have no problem gaining or loosing weight. I get muscle gains when I commit to weight training. Never been fat in my life, but I was soft around the center! Judging by the photos of Johnathan, I would say he is mostly an Ectomorph and gains come very hard. That is why he was not fat to start with. I recommend researching this, it will really help you come up with realistic goals based on your genetics.
Yep! :-) Gaining is pretty tough for me. On a mission though to learn my body more with this round by tracking everything so I can gain the muscle I want! Great advice again buddy!
Mike I’m 6’4 and. Probably about 200 pounds…I have never been nothing more then that..I’m pretty tall and slim guy, but looking forward to putting on muscle….I’ve been eating a lot of chicken salads egg whites fruit pasta and some vegetables…..will eating thos things help….thanks…
Shawn,
You are just like my older brother. He has struggled to gain muscle his whole life, but never gains much weight regardless of diet. I recommend you read the whole p90x diet guide, calculate your phase level and calories/nutrient targets and either follow the plan or do your own meals to hit those targets. Either way is going to be some work. I recommend you research Ectomorph diets for building lean mass like here.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ectomorph_diet_bulking_plan.htm
Sounds like you are eating healthy, but make it count by hitting the right amounts for your body type.
First day of P90X is over. I have muscle spasms and it was crazy hard to get out of bed this morning. time is 9:30 am (Tuesday) right now.
Food plan run by categories. My goal is to lose 30 pounds in 90 days. And get in the very beste shape of my life.
Erik I’m on day 6 and in the start of p90x I was sore to for like the first three days…go and get you some arnika gel…its really good for muscle soreness….also take you a epsom salt bath that’s good too…..just know that your not the only really sore…..I couldn’t even get out the bed…I had to have my wife help me up…….just keep doing YOUR best…
Thank you. I have searched a lot for it but do not think we have it this side of the pond. But found something called Voltaren. And it works okayak. tin the tip.
And it works okay. thanks for the hint.
Day number 6 over with..kenpox..whole lot of kicking and punching……..tomorrow
X strecth……first week in the books…11 more weeks to go…..
Week 1 done? That’s freakin awesome Shaun!!!! You’re going to LOVE X Stretch!
Good job Shawn,
I don’t know about you but I feel like an idiot when I do KenpoX. I am always trying to figure out the punch moves and ending up just throwing around my arms like a spastic 6 years old! ;) I have Day 9 Polymerics tonight. Not feeling very well today and my wife is home sick with mild flu symptoms. I am going to bring what I can tonight and go to bed sooner.
Sorry to hear that you guys aren’t feeling well! Yea if you’ve got flu like symptoms too, then it’s always a good idea to take a day or so off so you can let your body fight whatever you’ve got.
As far as Kenpo X…I totally sucked at it when I started! :-) I’m pretty lacking in the coordination department so it took me a good 3-4 times of doing Kenpo X to get it down. Once you get the moves down, you’ll love Kenpo X. It’s a great workout to take out any anger you have! :-) Keep us updated!
Sorry you and your wife are not feeling well…a good home cook soup always helps
Though…yeah I wasn’t doing to good in kenpo…I’m 6’4 and my legs aren’t that
Flexible yet, so the routine in kenpo was somewhat difficult in terms of the different moves….I love plyo!!…I swet the most on that routine…..just keep bringing it mike…I’m right behind you…their was a saying I heard along time ago:crisis creates change,change
Creates Opputunity!!!!!
“crisis creates change,change. Creates Opputunity!!!!!”
Love it!
I’m looking forward to starting week 5. I think kempo is my favorite workout . I was fumbling at first , but once you get the moves down its a really great sweat. Yoga tomorrow, its really hard for me, but I’m pushing play anyway. Talk to you all later
Nice job Paul! Man, you keep getting closer and closer to finishing Month 2 of P90X! Keep up the AWESOME work!!!
I am very sorry to say that I have stopped P90X today. I am still continuing on the diet plan. So I extend fat shredder from 1 to 2 weeks.
I have an overloaded tendon in the shoulder. Following your doctor’s advice I should not overburden it. But I quite simply could not resist the temptation of P90X. And here I sit with my arm in a sling. And 8-day “free” from work.
Plyo is tough. My pulse was driving well over 200 the first half hour and then I had to stop 15 min. With bali stick stretch. To get your heart rate down a bit. And then give it gas again the last half hour. This program is crazy. I love it.
And am looking forward to the shoulder is ready again. so I can bring it some more .. And even more to try the new fitness level. in the upcoming hunting season
I hope you get feeling better Erik.
I pushed through Plyo yesterday evening even feeling weak, but I did not have a temperature so I brought it! Felt great during the workout. Only had to pause a couple of times to get my heart rate back under 170. I crashed at 8pm and got 10 hrs sleep. This morning I am good as new. Hope my new adjustable dumbbells make it here today so I can kill it tonight with Shoulders and Arms.
To answer Erics question, yes , I am a hunter. I shot a nice six pointer on Nov. 15th, my second with my bow. Love that venison!
Nice!!! Venison tastes awesome!
X strecth done..week one in the books….ready for chest and back..one of my
Most hardest work outs because I have long arms…any suggestions?????
No big suggestions for you except to just do your best and forget the rest as Tony Horton says. Really take that to heart! Do as many reps as you can and make sure to keep track of your numbers so you can continue to push yourself harder each workout.
I will finaly start p90x on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. Had to order a pull up bar because I weigh 309. My question is should I start before I go to work or wait until I get for. From my years in the service I hae exercised before working on an empty stomach then showered and ate breakfast.
CONGRATS for committing to start P90X!! What’s got you doing the program?
If I were you…I’d knock it out first thing in the morning. That way you won’t have to worry about doing it in the evening, and you’ll be less likely to skip the workouts.
Day 1 of week 5 went well, I had surgery on both my wrists this past year so I struggle with push ups. I made it through and I’m still pushing play!
Paul, You might wan’t to try some push-up stands or my favorite are the Perfect Push-up handles. Takes the bend out of your wrist. I don’t use them for diamond push-ups for obvious reasons.
Great advice!
AWESOME JOB Paul! You’re doing freakin awesome buddy!
Week 2 down! I did 25 mason twists last night and I can do 12 of the straight leg sit ups. Could not do one the first night. Feeling really good. Body fat is down too, over an inch off my belly measurement.
Oh, my weight has gone down a tad. maybe 1 1/2 pounds from last week. Gaining muscle and dropping fat! Can’t ask for much more…
NICE! Wow….sounds like you’re seeing results already and it’s ONLY week 2! GREAT JOB Mike! Continue pushing play and keep us updated!
Thanks Johnathan. I have a noticeable lose of belly fat and it has been a real encouragement knowing I have 10 weeks left to get even more change!
Yea the change has JUST begun! KEEP it up brother!
just wondering about what to do. i am a little overweight and want to loose 25 pounds. do i do classic or Lean. any help will be great.
I’d probably say just go for the Classic, but check out this post for more info on them-
http://trek2befit.com/p90x-workout-schedule
I’m starting tomorrow! Can’t wait! I’m ready to get ripped!
CONGRATS!!! What’s got you doing P90X?
Let us know how your first workout goes!
Hey Mike, I have push up stands and they really make a difference, my wrists r pretty weak right now, still haven’t fully healed, takes a good year
Got sick on 10th day of p90!! Should I just start back on the rountine I had for that day??
Sorry to hear that. Hope you’re feeling better. If you just missed one day, then can either re-start at the day you missed (and skip the rest day so you’re back on track next week) or you can just keep going and stick with the schedule. It’s really up to you. All that matters is that you continue pushing play as soon as you start feeling better.
I did Plyometrics during lunch so I would have this evening free to spend with my wife. This is my favorite cardo workout in this program. This was the first session that I was able to go without pausing to bring my hear rate back ito the zone and I stayed in the zone the whole time. Making progress and feeling great. Still havent lost any weight, but I have gained muscle and lost some inches of fat in places. Whole body is leaning out.
Awesome Mike! Congrats for going through the ENTIRE plyo workout without having to pause it!
Hope you and your wife have an awesome Valentine’s Day!! KEEP BRINGING IT!
Day 3 of week five down, ab ripper still kickin my butt, still taking breaks and pushing play. I’m seeing some changes, and I’m trying to eat righr, just doin my best , and you know the rest
BRING IT PAUL!!!! Great job buddy…I did Ab Ripper X today (replaced it for Ab Ripper X 2), and I forgot how intense it was myself!! Keep up the awesome work!
Hey Jonathan, just finished kempo. I may sound like a broken record but I absolutely love this workout. I sweat my ass off today. I’m not trying to lose weight, but I dropped another pound. Any thoughts?
Nice job buddy! Did you lose fat (you can find that out by re-taking your measurements)? If you’re measurements dropped in the right places, then that’s a good thing. Otherwise, it sounds like you need to either take in more calories, or increase the weight you are using while making sure you are failing at 8 to 10 reps.
Thanks Jonathan. I’ll try that, its tough though because I have wrist issues. It seems the only area I have any fat is in the mid section. It’s coming off slow but sure. Gotta go walk the dog, talk to you tomorrow, have a great night.
Today we received our p90x and we as in my boyfriend and myself start tomorrow :) we are so excited we had a few of the discs from a friend but now we are ready to tie down and do the 90 days :) super excited
Awesome! Congrats!!!! What kind of goals are you two trying to accomplish?
Day 1 of week 6 under my belt, my butt was dragging today but I made it through, even ab ripper…. with a few breaks. Feeling great and pushing play. Thanks for all your encouragement Jonathan
My pleasure buddy! Great job for pushing through it! KEEP PUSHING PLAY!
Hey guys. Starting week 4 tonight with YogaX. I would have to say this program is becoming a habit and I enjoy “my” workout time each night. Really excited about the next 4 weeks as most people say that’s when the results start getting good!
Congrats for getting to week 4 Mike! Yea for myself and a lot of people it starts out as just a fitness program…but it ends up turning into a total lifestyle change.
Keep up the great work Mike!