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.
Yours In Success,
Work With Me - Leaders Only
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Hey Jonathan, past week has been up and down, did a little partying over the weekend. Week 7 coming to a close and proud to say I’m still pushing play and hope everyone else continues also. Ice fishing been slow but did catch a nice 15 1/2″ rainbow trout!
I love me some trout! :-) Enjoy it! Great job for continuing to push play! BRING IT Paul!
Hey Jonathan, finishing up week 8. I really struggle with yoga, can I substitute kempo instead. I probably should just push play, suck it up and do my best. Looking toward to starting week 9
The honest truth? :-) Just suck it up and do it! :-) Doing Yoga X will help you improve with all the other workouts. Just do your best…The time used to really get me, so try covering up the clock and really stay in the moment as Tony says. Hope that helps!
The first 2 weeks is history. Now I’m counting down to the recovery week. and after that the new exercises. Beside P90X I run and hike with my backpack. 4 to 6 times a week. And it has been possible to keep pace with 2.5 hours of exercise a day so far. But last Thursday I hit the wall so hard I thought my training days were over. I had not had enough sleep and trained too hard. So the weekend after Kenpo I went to bed. And stood up first on Sunday night and made much needed stregth x. Went back to bed. And Yesterday I felt like a milion. And took 2 minutes of my run.
And poul. Venison and trout are awsome. I’ve never shot anything with a bow. But could Tinke me to try it sometime. It is not so common over here yet. But I got 2 big Bears last year. So I do not complain.
GREAT JOB Erik! Yes, sleep is incredibly important! Sounds like that did the trick for you. Keep up the awesome work and continue to keep us updated on your progress!
Hey guys. Checking in. In week six and loving it! Had a small injury last week doing hammer curls with my left for arm. I modified and nursed it for a few days and it’s coming back. I also skipped out on KenpoX last Saturday and put in 3+ hours of intense snowboarding instead. ;) Thanks to plyo I was not even sore after it! P90X gets your body ready to tackle life hard even at 43yrs old.
That’s AWESOME about the snowboarding!!! Sounds like Plyo really is paying off for you! Glad to hear that you’ve recovered from your injury. As usual, KEEP pushing play Mike and keep us updated!
I’m coming up on Day 45 of P90x classic and I have to say I can’t believe this is half over already. Pushing play everyday and eating clean. I have dropped a total of ten pounds since I made my commitment to start and my abs are very close to showing! I am still nursing an injury to my left elbow that happened during hammer curls two weeks ago, so I modify that move still. I also notice I am having uneven pectoral development. My upper pecs are way behind, so I am substituting some of the regular push up moves with more decline and decline diamond push ups for a while. Anyone else notice the bottoms developing more than the top?
Day 45? Wow!!! Yea time has really flown by! CONGRATS on your changes so far buddy! I’m the opposite of you…My upper body is super cut, and so are my legs…it’s just my calves that are kind of dinky (like Tony Horton’s). I use a weighted vest during the push ups and pull ups, and that helps to build more muscle since I have more resistance.
Well, I am really bumed to get this far in the program and with such great results to now not be able to bring it and get some size in the last half of the program. Back on the first day of Back and Biceps in week 5 I hurt my forarm during hammer curls and it still hurts in week 7! Having to modifiy allot of routines because it is killing me. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to quit the program after working so hard.
Yea I totally understand! I’d be frustrated too, and it’s never fun having an injury! It happens to all of us though (even Tony Horton). Did you happen to listen to the call I had with Tony Horton? I asked him about getting injuries and his injury he had (tore his bicep and had to have major surgery last year). Listen to it here if you haven’t done so already. I think it’ll help you out –
http://trek2befit.com/private-call-with-tony-horton-carl-daikeler
Don’t quit! Just work around it and do your best. Listen to your body and really take it easy on your forearm so you can let it heal up fully. You WILL get through this buddy! Keep us updated!
I did listen to the call, and remember him talking about that. I don’t want to quit, so I won’t but I will have to back off on some things that aggravate it. From what I can tell my injury sounds like Tennis Elbow. I’m going to modify and keep going. I won’t be able to to all the different grip pull ups for a while or lift allot of weight on curls, but the rest of the program should be OK. I guess I will have to go for size on my next round! ;)
I researched my symptoms and it looks like I have good old tennis elbow. I picked up some joint formula vitamins last night along with a band support that puts pressure on that area and relieves the pain a bit while being able to use it some. I did chest, back and triceps last night and only had to stop one twisting move that aggrivated it. So I am going to keep going and work around it until it heals.
That’s great to hear!!! Yea I’ve heard the wraps that put pressure where the pain is really helps with tennis elbow. GREAT JOB for pushing forward and working around the injury! You can always just really focus on your form this round, and then next round go all out so you can add some size. Keep us updated Mike! BRING IT!
Day 65 and still pressing play. My elbow is doing better and I am upping my weight and intensity in these last few weeks. I don’t have allot of size but my body has really dropped fat! My abs are showing a bit and I feel cut and lean all over. I weigh 180. started at 195. Following the Abs Diet meal plan. This has been hard but rewarding. Plan to stay on the Abs Diet for life and when I finish this round I will keep doing the p90x weigh training days and substitute the cardo with Mtn/Road biking during the week.
That’s great to hear Mike! CONGRATS on your weight loss and for dropping the fat! You’ll be able to go hardcore with adding the size next round. Keep up the AWESOME work buddy and KEEP PUSHING PLAY!
Starting p90x for the second time, on Sunday! I will follow the nutrition plan this time though:). I hope to see better results. I usually work out first thing, 430am. The nutrition plan has breakfast- should I eat after the workouts?
Thanks
Melvin
CONGRATS buddy! Good! Yea your nutrition is JUST as important as your workouts. Let us know how your first workout goes! BRING IT!
I will start tomorrow, April 3, 2012.
CONGRATS Cherie! What kind of goals are you trying to accomplish with the program?
On day 4 ! The workouts are good- the meal plan is a whole other adventure! It takes a while to make the food, and to plan. My fridge has never been this full of veggies!!!
lol…Good! Sounds like you have lots of healthy food in your fridge. GREAT job buddy! Also congrats for getting to day 4. KEEP pushing play and keep us updated on your workouts!
I need to lose weight. Anything after that is a plus : )
What’s pushed you to a point of wanting to do something about it?
I’m on the 51st day And I love it. I think I see some really good results. Even though I know that all the running and hiking trips eats a bit of size. But my body fat percentage plummets. For 8 weeks ago I weighed 220 pounds. Today 191 pounds. And has gone from 0 real pull ups. In chest and back to 35 And I’m only halfway done. with this round.
Awesome buddy! Congrats on your results so far! You’re rockin P90X. Keep pushing play and keep us updated!
Day 75! I can’t beleive this round is almost over. I have visable abs and am down to 179 lbs (6ft tall) I feel great, but am fighting some alergies that are making cardo difficult. All in all I am very pleased with my results.
When this round is over I am going to take a little break and go into a maintenece phase for the summer. 2 days of lifting and 2-3 days of moutian biking during lunch. Some good habits I have formed around eating are going to help me stay in good shape, like 5-6 smaller meals and watch my portions. Eating extra protien and the Abs Diet power foods are here to stay.
Day 75 already? That’s awesome! CONGRATS Mike!
Yea it becomes a lifestyle shift! Sounds like a great plan. You’re rockin P90X so keep it up and keep us updated! BRING IT!
Day 87! Few days left for my first round. I need to take photos and measurements this weekend. Been getting some nice compliments and I feel great. Going to take a few weeks off and do it again this summer. Going to look for an alternative to the 90 min YogaX as it is just toooooo long for me.
CONGRATS MIKE! You are pretty much done! :-) You’ll have to let us know how many inches you lost and your other results. I personally like the P90X2 Yoga better since it’s shorter and moves a lot faster.
Well, since I am basically done I can share my stats.
Weight: 194 down to 179 (6ft tall)
Waist: 35 down to 30/31
Body fat: 20% down to about 10%
Pull ups: 15+ up from 3-4.
Visible abs and muscle definition all around. Feel great. You can even have a cheat meal and wake up the next day and check the scale and go down a pound! Love how that works.
WOW…..CONGRATS Mike on your results!!!! 15 pounds lost, and about 5 inches lost…Incredible! You did freakin awesome!
If you want to email me before & after pics, I’d love to feature you on my blog! :-) It’s cool either way, but you did great! Excited for you buddy!
Going to buy p90x and start on it ASAP!
Awesome!! BRING IT!
Hi! Its really nice to hear all of the sucess stories! It definitely motivates me. I have printed off all the sheets and nutrition guide and am ready to start on Sunday, 4/29. Is anyone beginining close to my start date? It would be awesome to compare notes! Much continued success to everyone! Im so excited!
Congrats for getting started! I still can’t believe I am done with my first round. It is not easy, but anything worth it really is…. My advice is to take one day at a time. Be safe with good form and worry about your own numbers and not what they are doing in the videos. If you are going to failure with good form, then you are doing it right.
Mike gave some awesome advice!
I am in week 7 of P90X. I plan to do another round of P90X after I am done.
I have heard that one should wait 2 weeks before starting another round.
When starting the 2nd round of P90X should I start back at week 1, or is there another week that would be better to start?
P90X2 could be an option as well.
Awesome, congrats buddy!
You don’t have to wait 2 weeks. You can wait 1 week if that’s all you need for recovery. Then jump right into round 2! Just start back at week 1 again.
BRING IT!
I am on week five! I have lost 3% body fat so far, but now I seemed to have hit a plateau…does this plateau last forever or is there something more I should do? I am following the P90X meal guide to the letter!!!
Congrats buddy! With the workouts changing you should get past it. You should definitely blow through it by Phase 3!