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 > Team Beachbody

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!

Over training is not a common occurrence among trainers these days. Most people literally don’t get enough exercise to enjoy the health benefits. Over training is mostly seen among professional athletes, endurance trainers, and amateur sports like college football, and extreme sports like marathons.

We may just be more aware of over training now because of shows like The Biggest Loser. But contestants on The Biggest Loser work out for unbelievable amounts of time under tight professional supervision. Average people working out with programs like Power 90X, or Chalean Extreme, devote only an hour or so to exercise each day. Unless they’re in poor physical condition when they start, they’re unlikely to become over trained.

If you’re presently doing Power 90X on a regular schedule as described in the guide book, and you’re feeling healthy and strong, adding a session of cardio like Kenpo Karate is fine. This is known as Power 90X Doubles and many people use this approach safely. A morning session of aerobics, followed by an afternoon or evening session of Power 90X resistance training, promotes fat loss.

If you’re talking about doing a half an hour of Kenpo Karate alone, and no other Power 90X routines, your benefits will be equal to the effort put forth. Kenpo Karate is excellent for cardio conditioning, but you would not approach the optimum results possible used by itself. When Power 90X is performed as designed, your results will be a phenomenal physique and mental toughness.

Your personal goals, and your present physical conditioning, should determine what you choose to do. If your goal is only to improve your cardio vascular health, a half an hour of Kenpo Karate will achieve that. But if you want a true beach body physique, commit to doing the full Power 90X program.

Best of Luck!

It looks like you’re “Bringing it” and experiencing phenomenal results. Keep up the good work….To read the entire answer to Boris’ question, click > P90X Support Answers

I understand your concern that an extreme fitness program like Power 90X that’s designed to get people in top physical condition may not be for you. If you’re unfit and obese, your first step to getting back in shape should be a visit with your physician to determine what you’re healthy enough to do. If your doctor clears you for moderate exercise you may want to start with an exercise program for beginners.

Beachbody has a variety of programs for all fitness levels. You may find Kathy Smith’s Project more suited to your present fitness level. After losing some weight, and achieving a better fitness level, you can move on to intermediate fitness programs like Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer or Power 90.

Many clients find they enjoy incorporating more than one Beachbody product into their fitness or weight loss programs. This offers the variety necessary to stay motivated, and the muscle confusion crucial to avoiding plateaus.

You may not be ready to tackle Power 90X for awhile. This seems to be your main complaint with the program. But the infomercials and Beachbody website make it clear that Power 90X is “an extreme home fitness training system.” P90X requires users to meet a minimum level of fitness before using this program. It was not designed for obese individuals in mind.

It’s true that to get fit and stay that way requires a level of mental toughness. This includes taking responsibility for doing whatever is necessary to get into shape, including time management. Everyone can find a little time for working out. If you have a few minutes here and there, including time spent in front of the television, then Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer will fit your schedule.

As for your issue with cost, Beachbody products are some of the most affordable on the market. They offer easy pay options that allow you to break up the cost into payment plans. If you need support you’re not alone. Beachbody has a support forum where you can find workout buddies, expert advice, and delicious easy to prepare recipes necessary to stay on track.

The bottom line when it comes to fitness is that you must become excuse less. Take responsibility for your lifestyle choices. Decide you’re worth the effort, eat right and exercise. Your commitment to a healthy lifestyle, and you’re decision to follow through, will be the keys to success or failure.

Take the first step. Beachbody success stories have proven weight loss success is not an impossible nor unattainable goal. Clients of Beachbody are everyday women and men with families and busy schedules just like you. The only difference is they have decided to “Bring it!”

To learn more about a variety of Fitness Programs, visit > Team Beachbody

I’m glad you’re ready to lose your excess weight and get in shape….
to continue reading the answer to Maureen’s questions, click > Exercise after Surgery

Glad to hear you’re starting Power 90X. It’s a good idea to watch all the P90X videos before starting. This gives you a feel for the program, and insight into the demands that will be placed on you.

My second round of Power 90X was “Power 90X Doubles.” In doubles, as described in the Power 90X guide book, Cardio X is perform six mornings a week, and a P90X resistance workout is done in the evening. This system is intended to burn maximum body fat.

Sticking to the Power 90X nutrition program is key to getting results. Ask any fitness buff with six pack abs and they’ll tell you diet is 50 to 70 percent of getting cut and building muscle. Exercise only contributes around 30 to 50 percent of your results.

Extra workouts won’t make up for too many calories. An excellent example of this is a video available at YouTube entitled “diet versus exercise” in which fitness experts Craig Ballantyne and Brad Pilon show how ineffective cardio is versus a poor diet. They plainly demonstrate a good fat loss diet is extremely important, and even the best cardio workouts don’t make up for overeating.

You say you have a hard time sticking to diets. The Power 90X nutrition plan isn’t a diet, but a lifestyle. Check out the delicious recipes in the nutrition guide, and at the Beachbody website. Healthy versions of favorites like pizza, burgers, and fries, are available. No one can constantly control food cravings. Simply try to keep cheats to a minimum.

Over training should be avoided and can lead to muscle loss. That’s not your goal. Doubling up your resistance workouts on an extreme training system like Power 90X would be a mistake. P90X is designed with precision. Tony Horton knew what he was doing when he put Power 90X together. Don’t second guess his wisdom by trying to make P90X better.

As for lifting heavier on your first round, and using lighter weights and more reps on the second round, this should only be done if you feel too fatigued to go heavy on round two. Building muscle requires lifting heavy. And muscle confusion is already built into the P90X system.

Good luck with your goals as you “Bring It.”

Also, I want to get the most out of my first round of P90X( I plan to do it again, and again!) So I was wondering if it would be okay to double up on the upper body workouts( chest, back, arms, abs, etc) on their days. The first time I wanted to do more weight and less reps to build muscle, and the second I wanted to use less weights and more reps. I can’t see how it would affect the muscle confusion aspect of the program, but I am no where near an expert, so I would appreciate some guidance. Thanks Mason.

Congratulations on your early results on Power 90X Lean. While the Lean phase of Power 90X is designed to strip off body fat faster, it can slow muscle building results if you don’t keep your protein intake high enough. This is a common mistake of people on Power 90X and other fitness and weight loss systems. Make sure you eat a minimum of 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

As for your perceived lack of progress in pull ups, keep in mind you’re only at the end of week three. Try switching between the pull up bar and doing the pull up exercises with bands. This will allow you to alternate between low rep workouts with the bar and higher rep workouts with the bands. This method, known as muscle confusion, is an advanced training technique. An integral part of the Power 90X system, muscle confusion accelerates results, and can be applied to any aspect of your workouts.

Nearly everyone experiences lagging body parts. This doesn’t mean you cannot bring your shoulders up to the level of all your other body parts. Bodybuilding, including the techniques of resistance training in Power 90X, requires experimentation to see what approaches work best with your body. Don’t be afraid to mix it up. Changing your workouts and exercises often is the main premise behind Power 90X.

Later, if you do gain a lot of reps at pull ups, consider making them harder to avoid plateau. This is easily accomplished by adding additional weight, including wearing a weighted vest, or strap on leg weights. This will make performing pull ups more difficult again, and you will perform less reps while forcing greater muscle growth.

Remember, the range of reps for muscle gain is 8 to 12. For pull ups it’s sometimes higher. If you can do more than the required range, it’s time to make the exercises harder by adding more weight or resistance. This applies to pull ups, bicep curls, and even cardio. Continued growth demands increased resistance as you get stronger. Otherwise, you’ll just be spinning your wheels.

Best of luck with your fitness goals!

Over training in the general public is rare. Most people who actually exercise regularly tend to under train. That’s why when you go to the gym regularly, you see people who work out all the time but their bodies never change.

The human body, and muscles in particular, are designed to adapt. This means if we continue with the same exercise program over a long period, our bodies stop responding. This means you plateau and progress stops.

To prevent plateau, you need to change your fitness routine often. Tony Horton’s Power 90X has this built into the system. If you follow the program precisely as laid out, you avoid plateaus. You also avoid over training as you’re not exercising the same body parts daily. Muscle recovery is built into the Power 90X system.

Strength and fitness growth occurs during the rest. It’s crucial to get adequate sleep. Proper diet including protein for muscle repair, and adequate carbohydrates to fuel intense workout, are crucial. The Power 90X workout and nutrition guide show step by step how to eat, rest, and train for maximum results. I know from experience that Power 90X works. I’ve used the system for three years.

Mild over training requires more rest to recover. People who start an extreme fitness program like Power 90X find they acttually sleep better. If you find yourself experiencing the symptoms of overtraining, including lingering fatigue, suspend workouts until you recover.

As for your question whether over training is worse than not training at all, no, not training at all is not the answer. Being unfit or overweight leads to lack of energy and strength, as well as poor health outcomes. Studies have shown that slim people who are sedentary have shorter life spans than overweight people who are active.

The key to avoiding over training is to follow a well designed fitness program like Power 90 or Power 90X. Athletes who over train usually do so on poorly designed training regimes, often of their own making. Always consult a certified trainer or exercise physiologist before going it alone.

It’s very important for anyone with orthopedic injuries or chronic problems to control their weight. A recent study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism shows that excess body weight has tremendous impact on your joints. Overweight and obese adults with knee problems are greatly helped by weight reduction. Losing a pound of weight results in a four pound reduction in pressure on the knee joint.

Weight loss is still chiefly a matter of burning more calories that you consume. Choose a healthy and balanced weight loss diet that you can actually live with for the rest of your life. Studies show simple dietary changes, like substituting non fat milk for whole milk or swapping low calorie mustard for mayonnaise, add up to several hundred calories saved. This type of approach is easier to work into your lifestyle than following grandiose fad diets with loads of rules to follow.

If you are able to stand on your left knee for ten minutes at a time Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer may be fine for you. All the exercises allow you to modify for personal issues like a bad knee. I have Cerebral Palsy and arthritis, and I use Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer when my arthritis flares up, in place of Power 90X.

Swimming is a very gentle, non impact form of aerobics. Many community centers with swimming pools offer low cost or free pool aerobics classes.

Resistance training is crucial for weight loss success. Few people actually incorporate any type of bodybuilding or weight lifting into their weight loss efforts. This one reason so many dieters, particularly yo yo dieters, fail over the long tem. Failing to maintain or build muscle slows your metabolism making weight loss and weight maintenance progressively harder as we age. Tony’s Beachbody programs allow for effective resistance training with easy to use, low impact bands.

Of course, always consult your physician before starting any exercise or diet program.

Best of luck with your goals!

Peacefully,

Glenn (massage therapist and training at 41)

Thanks

As for changing your workout at this stage of the game, you should consult your physician. He knows your personal health status. Power 90 is an in home boot camp, and a fairly rigorous program. At 370 pounds, you probably need a gentler program. Consider starting with Tony Horton 10 Minute Trainer. And ask doctor if you’re ready for resistance training (an integral part of all Beachbody programs). Resistance training builds muscle, which raises your metabolism and burns fat.

Many of us have unrealistic weight loss expectations because of the huge losses seen on The Biggest Loser. Remember, contestants on The Biggest Loser are medically cleared for the rigorous workouts, and closely monitored by medical and nutritional staff throughout the competition. You also need medical advice about what exercise is appropriate for your unique situation. Health problems associated with morbid obesity influence what exercises are safe for you.

If your doctor clears you for Power 90 or another program, start slow. Modify the exercises as needed, and never workout if you experience pain or discomfort. And remember, proper nutrition is at least half the battle when it comes to transforming your body. Eat right and keep up your walking plan even if you supplement with other workouts.

Best of luck. You can do it!