P90X - Does it Work?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Omaha

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.

[Omaha]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

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.

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.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Omaha

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.

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

[Omaha]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

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

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

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Omaha

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.

[Omaha]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

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.

Originally Posted by NewChief

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

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?

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Omaha

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.

[Omaha]

Originally Posted by NewChief

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?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Omaha

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 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.

[Omaha]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

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.

Sounds fun. I'll give it a shot.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Omaha

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.

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.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by petegz28

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).

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

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.

Yes.. but is skinny always good?

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

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Yes.. but is skinny always good?

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

You can get absolutely jacked doing sprints without lifting.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

You can get absolutely jacked doing sprints without lifting.

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.