Thank you for the insightful information about what worked best for you on the program. I am sure your suggestions will be helpful to Chad and Frank.

Congratulations on getting through most of Power 90X. Don’t be hard on yourself for missing just one week. Fitness is a journey of a lifetime, not simply a six or twelve week program to be rigidly followed.

Power 90X Plus is a great follow up to Power 90X, particularly if you find Power 90X to no longer hold the challenge it once did for you. Cardio vascular training alone, as you mentioned, is not a balanced approach to fitness. Resistance training is important for everyone to maintain or build muscle. Combining cardio and resistance training into your workouts at the same time also makes your workouts more efficient and less time consuming.

You don’t give your height, but weighing in the 110-115 pound range is on the thin side for most women. Getting a ripped look is not achievable by everyone. Your genetics and body type may not allow you to look like a fitness model. Your goals should focus on achieving a healthy weight.

As for building strength, if you stick with resistance training and gradually increase your weights, you will achieve that goal. Studies show people can build muscle well into their 90s. Don’t be afraid to lift hard and heavy. It’s a myth that women will “bulk up” by lifting weights. Women only achieve a bulky frame from training if they take illegal steroids and male hormone shots.

You say that you lost 4% body fat on Power 90X, but you didn’t lose weight on the scale. This is because you gained muscle while losing body fat and they offset each other. This is very common. Try tracking your progress with more obvious signs like your clothes fitting more loosely.

Almost nobody can follow a strict nutrition program all the time. Nor would that be good for your psychological well being. Fitness does not require perfection. Just follow the Power 90X nutrition plan most of the time and you’ll see results.

Power 90X is designed to avoid plateaus. If you find yourself experiencing a plateau, change up you routines. Also try adding a hundred or more calories to your diet as explained in the Power 90X nutrition guide. Eating too few calories slows your metabolism, making it harder to lose body fat. Power 90X is demanding and you must adequately fuel your work outs.

Chad: you don’t need much equipment, only a pull up bar and some dumbbells of your choice, although it’s better to have a few different sets of weight. I have some 8′s which i use for the low resistance shoulder exercises and some 20′s 30′s and 40′s for curls. I’m 6’0, 185. As far as developing your butt, yes. You’ll get plenty of a workout between the squats and lunges and kicks you’ll be throwing. There are several different DVD’s, you do a different one every day. The fat burning, as with any workout, will be entirely dependent on your understanding of how nutrition works.

You can, however, substitute resistance bands for both the pull up bar and dumbbells, so you could technically do the entire program with only resistance bands.

Frank: you could definitely make due if you needed to. You may need to modify a couple moves to work in a tight space, but 90% of them are done in one spot, and all of them are easily modifiable. I’d recommend resistance bands in your situation for the pull ups. You could loop it onto a high part of your truck and just pull back, the same way they do in the videos if you don’t have anything that could bear your weight in the truck.

To anyone: I don’t work for beachbody. I’m not even a coach. But I went from being about 15 pounds overweight to having a pretty discernible six pack in like 30 days. If you’re more than 15 pounds overweight, I will guarantee you, if you do this program for 2 weeks, even taking breaks whenever you need them, you will immediately see results. The only irritating part is hearing the same commentary when you do a workout more than once, so I just turn up the iTunes while watching. Good luck!

It’s always a great decision to start taking care of your health and begin a journey to getting fit.

Walking is good exercise, particularly if you’re too heavy to engage in other forms of aerobics right now. Swimming is also a smart option. But it’s not too soon to incorporate resistance training into your exercise program. Resistance training builds muscle and muscle burns fat. If you want to improve your metabolism, building and maintaining muscle is important.

You can start your resistance program with a set of resistance bands like those sold by Beachbody.com. Or you can start with free weights or weight machines available at your local gym, college campus, or community center. Invest in at least one session with a personal trainer who can show you how to properly perform resistance exercises. Ask a knowledgeable friend or family member for help if your budget doesn’t allow for a trainer.

Beachbody offers exercise programs for beginners and overweight people who need to start slowly. Kathy Smith’s Project You would be a great place for you to start. Gradually, you will gain fitness while you lose weight. Eventually, you will be ready for intermediate and advanced fitness systems like Power 90 and Power 90X.

As for your goal to lose 135 pounds by June 2010, that’s pretty ambitious. Losing that much weight in five months is not a healthy goal. Most doctors recommend losing 1 to 2 pounds a week and that fits with what our bodies can actually achieve and stay healthy.

Although 1500 calories a day is achievable, as you add resistance training and later more aerobic activity, make sure you eat enough protein to support muscle growth. Cut calories by limiting simple carbohydrates like potatoes, pasta and rice, and avoid refined carbohydrates like desserts and bread. Be sure to eat appropriate servings of healthy fats like omega 3s to support your heart, skin, and cells.

Stay active and eat right, and you will reach your weight loss and fitness goals.

I wanted to thank you Tony for this great program. I had been into fitness since my early twenties but had only taken up resistance training within the past year. I had mostly been a cardio, long walk or bike type person. I’m 28 going on 29, female, and usually in the 110-115 range, pretty slim. However, I wanted to get that ripped look, the abs, and burn off the goo on the problem areas, hips, thighs, classic female I know. And also to build strength.

I am amazed to say that I lost 4% body fat dropping from just below 20% which wasn’t bad to begin with to 16-17 range. however, I did not lose any pounds! I didn’t follow the nutrition plan to the “t” but I always eat clean and health-veggies, fish, chicken, turkey, light yogurt and fruit, with the occasional red wine, and of course I don’t smoke. I didn’t cut calories except here and there as I found it really hard to eat below 1700 especially when doing doubles.

Surprisingly I started being able to do 1 or 2 chin ups and about 0.25 of a pull up. Now I can do 8-10 chin ups and 4-6 pull ups! I had never thought it’d be possible. I dropped from a size 4/5 to a size 2/4 and lost close to 2 inches overall. The question I guess is how it is possible for me not to have dropped any weight at all. It is quite the mystery.

Like I said this is by far the most success I’ve had in a short amount of time, without cutting calories. Also keep in mind that because I’m already slim it is very hard for me to lose weight, and I’m more likely to plateau as I already have been working out for years-every day, consistently. I guess I still need to improve flexibility and balance-those two areas are where I’ve had the most difficulty. I saw some improvement but not that much. Any advice on that? Thanks and thanks for a great program!

If you feel the fitness test for Power 90X is completely beyond you due to your present physical condition, you can set P90X aside for now. Start with a fitness system geared for your present level, such as the original Power 90, or Kathy Smith’s Project You. After several months of conditioning exercise, you can move on to Power 90X.

To learn more about all the Beach Body Programs, visit > Tony Horton Beach Body Programs

Before you give up on Power 90X, I suggest that you try taking the fitness test. You might surprise yourself. You are only required to be able to do the minimum before beginning Power 90X. For example, if you can do at least 5 to 8 bicep curls, a few push ups and pull ups, and jog in place for two minutes, you can begin P90X. You may not be able to keep up with the gang right away, or even finish a workout, but you can get started.

Although you’re 53 years old, you stated that you do not live a sedentary life. That’s a plus, and Power 90X does not require you to be overly active or super fit to start. Power 90X is designed to get you on the path to extremely fit in under an hour a day. If you’ve been exercising and lifting weights for 8 months, you should be ready to give Power 90X a try. Modifications are built into the program, you can start at your present level, and build your fitness and physique to impressive levels in as little as 90 days. But don’t be afraid to take your time.

Congratulations on losing 30 pounds! You sound determined, and that will serve you well in losing the last 30 pounds. You say you have hit a plateau. P90X should get you over that. Go ahead and give it a try. You may find you have what it takes to Bring It!