I'm not sure what you think a "lifestyle change" is, but why can't P90X (or any other workout) be that change? I'm not sure why you think this program is such a chore when you have never done it. Some people actually enjoy working out and look forward to it.

I didn't say it couldn't be. JFC, what are you, 2?

I did p90x once for about 70 days and then I caught a stomach virus that knocked be for a loop for a few days and then I got sidetracked.

Yes it works. It works because (a) you are probably going from a sedentary lifestyle to working out hard for 60+ minutes and (b) you have to follow the diet advice for it to work well.

However, even if you did your own workout for 60-80 minutes a day and start to eat right, you'll get in shape and feel better. Just pick something you enjoy and stick with it.

I think I'll save $150, and just start throwing bags of shit at cops to get in my cardio.

I'd also encourage you to look into juicing for a part of your diet. Especially if you are like me and aren't much of a veggies person. And after a week of proper juicing you will feel better overall. You will just feel "healthy" and like you have energy but in a good way, not like you just drank a pot of coffee.

I works but be careful. I blew out my rotator cuff and labrum. Had surgery 3 mos ago. My physical therapist said P90X and insanity workouts are great for business!

I bet it works pretty good. You gotta lift too, though, or you'll never get in fantastic shape.

I think lifting is underrated and gets a bad wrap, particularly for the weight loss crowd. Thus the constant flow of exercise programs that involve little to no lifting.

I know some people are intimidated by lifting. The see it as trying to get all bulked out and only for serious body builders when actually it helps burn fat tremendously in conjunction with cardio.

My one problem with the P90x program was that it was ****ing long as hell. On ab days....you were basically working out for like an hour and 20 minutes. Having three kids, a wife and a job....it was tough trying to fit in 1.5 hours for a workout.

Shit works your ass off though.

I don't know if anybody has recommended this to you or not, but you should look into the South Beach diet. You can read the book in a couple hours and then once you get the principles you don't need to go back to the book. It's a diet that's easy, it works and best of all it's a diet that you don't get sick of. I am not fat and never have been, but the rest of my family is pretty big. Everytime I hit over 210 pounds I go on a diet and drop down to 195 or so. I don't diet anymore, I just pretty much stick to the principles in South Beach and the weight doesn't come back.

This is so true... And it blows that people won't work through the first few weeks/month of lifting and find all it's value. Yes, I do my GD cardio to shut the Doc up, and hate every minute of it. But when it comes to the weights (less than it used to be), it's just a LOT more fun. The music playing is always a little more of a jam, and the feeling, at least for me, can't be beat.

So I'm not putting down the folks who live on the cardio gear, good for them, but for me I love the weights.

I'll end with this, find what you like and JUST DO IT... You may not end up with a 32-inch waist, but you might just love the burn. You may just like being able to make it through a boring conference call doing ground work.

I did P90X six times a week, ate healthy, and had no dessert or soda for 90 days. I went from 190 to 170 and lost a ton of fat. Couldn't believe how fat I was in my before pictures afterward.

Yep, gotta love the burn. And I agree about just find what you like and do it.

However, if one really wants to drop weight fast it's pretty easy; eat right and either run or swim. Seriously. Running will melt the fat off of a person provided they aren't replenishing it with a double whopper.

I notice you said "did". What do you do now? I know it's hard for anyone to keep up a 6 day routine but some do. What have you moved onto?

I think results speak for themselves.

It is HARD! I am on day 24, but can already do literally 3x as many pushups as when i started etc.

Totally true about the running thing. I personally always found that runnng worked better than swimming, NOT because it is better, but it's simpler to find. How may people really have a pool at their disposal? I spent a lot of time in the water in the Navy (my ears DON'T thank me!) and water was obviously plentiful, but it's not really swimming.... What I did find was that when we weren't underway, I could always run. Sure, it's shit for the knees, but you can get it done pretty quickly too. You can run for 20-30 minutes and all but be done. If you're not getting enough to get it done in 30 minutes, run faster. If you can sprint for 30 minutes, you're in shape! :)

So yes, running regularly and eating right = not fat.... But boredom might kill you too! :)

Weight training is actually more effective for losing weight. Old school thinking says running burns more calories, but that's not the end of the story. Lifting weights may burn fewer calories while you're in the gym, but it will cause you to burn more calories while you recover for up to 3 days.

While I agree with all of this I think you see results quicker from running, provided you run more than 1/4 mile at a time. Back when I was really into things I dropped my weight the fasted when I went to running after a workout. So, to each their own, I prefer a combo of cardio and strength training myself.

I will say, and I said this earlier, if you don't lift weights while doing a ton of cardio you most likely will burn muscle as well as fat unless you are just cramming tons of protein.

Yeah, I hate cardio for simply that reason, boredom. I hate running on treadmills as well. I hate running, period. But I know it's good for some cardio. I do the eliptical after a workout as right now my knees just can't take the pounding of running anymore.

Love p90x. Because I get bored working out, and feel like I can get a really good lift in a very quick period of time.

I'm not at all impressed with the cardio on p90x. I wish there was a better balance. Felt Kempo was worthless. Plyo is pretty tough, but not nearly what you can get if you can blend in Insanity on the off days.

Ideally... p90x / Insanity hybrid is a nice routine for a person that wants a good mix between weights and cardio.

I do a less intense version now. Three times a week or so. Will pick it up more closer to summer.

I mentioned this to my wife last night and she looked at me like I had a nipple on my forehead lol

I'll probalby decide here shortly on which route I'll take; the Power 90 deal, or the P90X etc.

P90X is the better program. It's also more fun.

cool; thanks. I may order it in the next day or so and hit it the Monday after the SB / whenever it gets here.

I hope I can move my body after the first day lol.

any ideas of post workout stuff? Like a protein drink or anything?

You could tie your couch to your back with a rope and drag it around and it works. Key is to move and find something you'll stick with for over three weeks.

But yes, P90X works. Absolutely.

I usually just have a protein shake and a lot of water after my workouts. They (the makers of P90X) sell a recovery drink, but it has a lot of sugar in it & it's pretty expensive. You don't need it.

Just make sure you're getting enough protein and drink a lot of water. You'll be fine with that.

good deal. thanks.

I see a lot of fat(ish) guys who have lifted for years. I almost never see fat people who are dedicated runners.

yes, but had to skip the yoga...I tried man but i just couldn't do it..

I hope to got I'm not so sore where I can't move the next day.

does a protein supplement (shake or otherwise) help expedite the healing process?

protein will help.

Don't overdue it when you start. Do it at your own pace. It is all about your max reps. If it is 4 pushups it is 4 pushups.. but stay active after that while the 2 minutes is going. I jogged in place or did jumping jacks while the ripped guys on tv did 400 pushups in 2 minutes...

keep some water near by and yes plyometrics made me puke the 1st time..:eek:

Day two of The Rack workout, I had a hard time washing my hair, my arms were so tore up. As far as I know, you just have to let it heal. Maybe some ibuprofen, but that's about it.

shit. lol

I don't mind a little soreness....but shit, I really hope I can get out of bed.

this ROFL

thats why if I started over the 1st week I would go at 50%..

I had no problem with Plyometrics. Yoga X can lick my sweaty asshole though.

LMAO

I don't even want to know what Plyometrics is...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pJ1tXlZSapY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Start at 1:50.

omg...butt muscles will be dead.

I call Plyometrics - plyocide. I like P90X. Good luck. Between diet and P90X a couple of days a week along with other exercise I've lost 3.5 lbs over two weeks. Its a little slow but I am trying to ease into exercise because I tend to burn out if I go full bore immediately.

Really? I'm always surprised at the # of fat guys who are able to run marathons and half marathons. Some people just have shitty diets.

This isn't just my crazy theory. I've read several articles on the subject over the last couple of years and I found it to be true through my personal experience.

The thing about marathons...you can stop...you can walk... As long as you get there eventually, it "counts".

With lifting weights, you either lift it or you don't.

I know that lifting weights helps burn fat. In my purely anecdotal experiences, the people I pass on running trails tend to be thinner than those I see lifting weights.

Didn't read the thread, this has probably already been said. Losing weight is 90% diet. Eat better first.

Throw the damn thing out the window. Just grab some iron and lift it.

The updated version is actually called Plyocide in P90X2.

Fair enough. My bro in law runs a sub 4 hr marathon and he's fat as shit. I don't know how he does it. His diet must be shit.

Not the best advice for a guy looking to put on muscle and get in better shape.

I too like the eliptical too... Not sure why, but it seems to calulate the calorie burn faster and simpler than running. I'm just not seeing it, but what the hell, it makes me feel better...

That's impressive. He must just be a really good natural athlete.

I can relate. I think I insulted a guy I work with when I made the comment "you run?" when he talked about being in a marathon. He was like "what, are you saying I'm fat?". I was like oh shit, what do I say?

But the dude shoves Hardee's breakfast burritos down 2-3 at a time every morning if that says anything.

A lot of people think that if you are training for a marathon you can eat as much as you want of whatever you want. It just isn't the case.

I weigh 167 pounds. Using the "3500 calories burned = 1 pound of weight lost" rule of thumb, running a marathon would equate to me losing almost exactly one pound of actual weight (excluding the 5-10 pounds of water weight).

OK, **** all this shit! According to the TV, all we have to do is eat before 3:00pm and we'll be some buff ****ers! Sleep until Noon, eat until 2:55, and we're good.... Like!

Yes.. but is skinny always good? ;)

Which of these guys do you think lifts weights? Which one sprints? Which one does marathons?

http://fasterfitnessstlouis.com/wp-c...s-Marathon.jpg

You can get absolutely jacked doing sprints without lifting.

Which do you think gets more pussy???? :thumb:

I think most sprinters spend time in the gym lifting, though I could be wrong. I definitely spend time sprinting.

I was a runner for years, usually clocking 20-30 miles a week. I don't miss it, and my physique is much, much better than it was when I was a runner. I also spend less time per day working out than I did as a runner.

That being said, I do a lot of "lifting" that is HIIT based, so I'm not just in the gym doing bench press and curls. I'm still lean as hell, I'm just also more "ripped" (which feels silly to say, because I'm not ripped by any means) than I was as a runner.

ROFLROFLROFLROFL

Sprinting gets you jacked. Long-distance running sheds pounds. When I was doing the Sprint 8 workout last year, my legs got big fast. I mean like obvious visible results within a month fast. I'd like to say that I'll pick it back up in the Spring, but I don't know about that.

Sprint 8 is definitely good stuff. I need to work that back into my routine.

ROFL I understand your thought process, but I wish you knew him. He's not at all.

I'll never forget going to watch my wife's brother (not the famous one, but they have the same genes, and he played college ball, too) compete in the Couer d'Alene Ironman. He'd been training hard for 2 years and was in amazing shape. Completely ripped and just putting in huge amounts of time to get ready. He hired a trainer and everything to make sure he was ready (this was on his bucket list for his 40th birthday).

It completely blew me away seeing some of the fatass, out of shape ****ers handily beating him in the IronMan. I can't really explain it, other than I think a lot of endurance sports depend on the mind and the body's ability to withstand pain as much as actual physical ability/conditioning.

I just Googler sprint 8 and did a little reading. Can I find the workouts and do them outside? Do I have to use one of their treadmills? How does it differ from my normal qtr mile interval runs?

It was in an outside mag a long time ago. The benefit of it, is that it's fast (18 minutes) so it's easy to pair with weight training or other exercises. Could be done outside easily. If you're already doing HIIT sprint program, nit sure you'll see any advantage.

Any links that actually describe the workout?

What are you talking about? I'm talking about the losing weight part...not about putting on muscle. You can't just eat like a pig and lift weights and expect to lose any serious weight.

When you're 240, you're fat, and you need to get yourself a better diet to go along with any exercise.

Can you give me more details? I'm lifting 4 days a week now and running on Saturdays in preperation for another Tough Mudder, but I was going to start another round of P90X. This is what I did for the first one and it went great.
This HIIT training is intriguing though. What is your typical workout week like?

I don't understand how you ppl all gain weight so easily from inactivity. Its the opposite for me. Always has been. Ive gotten lazy the last few yrs. Used to go 3 to 4 times a week no matter what. Now its usually about 1.6 times a week and I don't lift as hard as I used to.

At my peak I was 195 lbs..benching over 300lbs..405 squat...525 deadlift. Now my gf cooks and we go out to eat 3 times a week at least and I never eat what I want to that is healthy. Its caused me to lose 10 lbs and add body fat apparently at the same time. Now I can barely bench 255 and squat 350. Don't even do deads. If I go on vacation or take a couple weeks off lifting I begin to wilt. Ill lose at least 5 lbs. I don't think p90x would be a good idea for me unless I wanted to be a scrawny ripped dude.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/phil3.htm

On the treadmill it looked like this:

3 minute warmup
30 second sprint
90 second walk
30 second sprint
90 second walk (repeat sprint/walk 8 times, hence name Sprint 8).

It's not anything groundbreaking.

Most of my HIIT training involves kettlebells, but you can do it in a lot of ways. I set up stations and rotate between them. Example:

Kettlebell swings 1 minute with 24 kg.
1 minute heavy ropes
1000m row
10 pistol squats

Repeat 5 times.

I might just do straight kettelbells:
5 snatches each hand
5 presses each hand
20 swings each hand.

Main thing is keep the heartrate up while training.

Also check out tabata training if you're interested in weight training while still getting that cardio high.

All exercise works if you stick to it...

It would suck on a treadmill. Go outside somewhere with a lot of room to run.
1. Easy warmup jog for three minutes.

2. 30 second sprint. (Give it everything you've got. If your body isn't begging you to stop after fifteen seconds, you aren't going hard enough).

3. 90 second jog.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have done 8 sprints. After the last sprint, do a 3 minute jog to cool down.


It sounds easy, but it sucks hard. The results are almost immediate, though. It boosts your body's natural HGH production, so it's great for men in their 40s (I'm 34). I actually started to get weird zits after doing it for a month just like people get from doing roids.

I'm considering doing the couch to 5k thing again (I've done it twice so I know it works); then hitting up the P90X.

Last time I did C25K, I think I lost 15-18 lbs ...I 'think'.

That might help in hoisting my fat ass up on P90 pushups etc..

Go for it, then. If it worked for you, it's a good start. Have you started anything yet? It's been three days. Please tell me you haven't let three days go by just deciding on a routine.

Thanks. That's not all that different from what I have been doing. I run 2 minutes/walk 2 minutes. Repeat 8-12 times.

Easy, tiger. He mentioned a couple of times that he wasn't just interested in weight loss and wanted to put on some muscle.

Sounds fun. I'll give it a shot.

I have let it go lol.
I talked at lenght with the wife last night and she's down with P90.

we decided on the C25K first scenario last night. So I'll probably start that afterwork tonight; eventually migrating to a morning routine (evenings are crazy busy).

Cool. There are a lot of really fun 5Ks throughout the year that can keep you motivated.

I'd suggest adding some weight days while you do this. It will greatly improve your results.

It's a lot different in practice even though it sounds similar. A two minute "sprint" is very different than a 30 second sprint. I don't see how it could possibly work on a treadmill because you can't control your speed. If you are truly giving everything you've got, you are running much slower during the last ten seconds than the first ten.

Your body simply can't maintain top speed for 30 seconds. Two minutes would quite possibly kill you.

You're right. I have to make sure I hit a qtr mile on each 2 minute run. It's easy during the first 6 intervals. (I usually get them done in 90 seconds) I'm pushing pretty hard during intervals 10 - 11, but I'm still not sprinting.

I want to try this for the exact reason you pointed out. I think it would also be more fun to go fast for a shorter period.

For me, there is nothing fun about it. It feels awful during the sprints, and it feels somehow worse when you stop. I feel like shit for a good 15-20 minutes after I'm done...Not a tired but satisfying feeling...just awful. It really works, though.