Why P90X?
With every passing year, there seems to be some new exercise training program. Sometimes these have proven themselves, other times not, and a recent contender is P90X. This program makes good use of home gyms, as the only dedicated P90X equipment is the video set, along with some standard equipment described elsewhere.
The program is built on a couple basic concepts of training: regular exercise broken up into many different types will create “muscle shock”, constantly challenging the body to adopt. This regular change in exercises effectively keeps the body guessing, and to compensate it will build muscle faster than in a more traditional program of static exercises.
P90X also emphasizes High Intensity Training (HIT), a component of other progressive programs such as CrossFit. HIT works by forcing your body into stop-and-go bursts of extreme activity followed by rotating exercises. Think of a gym where you cycle between three to four exercises, doing each one full-speed and moving on to the next with no rest period.
This keeps your cardio working at its peak while you rotate strength training exercises, leading to both strength and cardio gains without needing as much dedicated cardio time. Various studies have linked HIT to increased fat loss, faster gains in performance, and a boosted metabolism that makes it easier to manage weight.
P90X takes these elements and wraps them up into a cohesive program. It is based on a 90-day cycle where you work to full intensity for a number of weeks, followed by a relatively light recovery week, and then loop through again. This cycle changes focus on a weekly basis, keeping your body in a state of muscle shock for faster performance gains.
P90X vs P90
One other factor to consider is which training program to go for. P90 is the original get in shape from being out of shape system, and is recommend for anyone who has not exercised for a long period of time and/or has enough extra weight for it to impede performance.
P90X is the next step up, for people already in good shape who want to get to the next level. This is most relevant for, say, an MMA fighter looking to improve his athletics, or a body builder who wants an alternate system to cross-train. It would also be useful for someone of “average” weight looking to get that six-pack/ripped look.
In terms of safety, like any exercise program there is the standard disclaimer of checking with your physician if going from inactivity to P90X. Beyond that, basic rules of training apply: make sure that you use correct form in all exercises to reduce the risk of injuries, and at the first signs of pain stop to avoid the risk of chronic injury. You should expect significant muscle strain and potentially soreness, but it should not reach the level of pain and joint discomfort.
Finally, you will get the most gains out of the program if you are already an active strength trainer and have suitable P90X equipment in your home gym. A quirk of beginning body building is that your first 90 days or so of training the majority of strength gains are from your body getting more efficient at using muscles. In other words, your nervous system is tweaking performance without significant muscle gain. Once your body has reached the limit of that, then you will start to gain muscle. So, for best results start another strength program first and then switch to P90X when you are already putting on muscle.