P90X: Week One

I just went through a full week of the P90X informercial special  training program! How’d I do? Read on!

I almost gave up on this before I started. When I cracked open the packaging and started reading the pretty P90X booklet, I saw on page 2 loads of dire warnings about how not to attempt P90X if you weren’t already in shape. Find another workout, they said. This is definitely not for you. This gave me pause.

Am I in shape? I dunno. My workouts were sporadic at best over several months. They have a fit test to help you decide and I could do most of it (save the pull up, but that could very well be psychological).

The fit test, however, was pretty much the standard fitness test that every personal trainer worth their money will put you through when first working out with them. It’s actually to measure where you are on the fitness scale to be able to tailor workouts. But since I don’t  have a real live personal trainer, I was still really nervous.

But I didn’t really want to go through the hassel of returning P90X without giving it a go. And there was a section in the book about modifying the series of workouts so that it was a little more cardio and not hard core resistance training. I decided that was the way to go (i.e. no brutal plyometrics) for my first 12 weeks, and then switch to P90X classic for my next 12 weeks. So I popped in my first workout (Core) and got busy.

Hard? Hell yes. As hard as all that? Not so much.

Like any fitness program on DVD, the workout can be modified for your fitness level. Need a break, march it out. Can’t do 30 reps? Stop at 25. The idea is to have a goal and reach or exceed it. Being the first week, my only goal was to get through the workouts and start committing movements to muscle memory (oh hai, Kempo, that was me kicking awkwardly with flailing bunching arms!). I kept my weight low and just tried to figure out what the hell I was doing.

Shockingly, for me anyway, the straight up 15 minute ab workout is near impossible. I had two years of pilates to build up my core, and their extreme ab workout is probably the one that I am the worst at (more on my thoughts about this some other time).

As I suspected, the nutrition part is hard to master. I’ve been really really good at cutting out carbs and junk food, but I cannot seem to get down the “eating enough” part. They recommend eating every three hours or so, and it’s damn hard to master eating so often. Particularly when you have to think about what you are going to eat. Can I used my one carb at breakfast or should I wait until dinner?

I broke down and bought a protein drink mix. It’s impossible for me to find the time to make a breakfast that does not consist of cold cereal or a bagel.  I made the mistake of trying the workout on day two with just a little fruit in the morning. Twenty minutes into it, and I was ready to drop. So I am replacing breakfast with the protein drink to help get through my morning workout.

I like Tony Horton’s style, although his motivation-speak can be a little to “pumped” for my taste. But he’s pretty clear with the instruction and he  can certainly get an extra rep or two out of you.

What about results? I am not sure if I am losing inches yet, since I did not do my initial measurements until about half way through my first week. But, I have lost 2 pounds. Not too shabby. Although at this pace, I doubt I will have the buff bod that you see in the P90X before and after photos. But this seems a lot more realistic.

Oh and those pull ups? Until I get brave enough to master, I am doing pull downs on a machine during the pull up portions of the program. Trying to find my max weight for this right now. Yeah, I know, it’s kind of a cheat, but I don’t want my aversion to the pull up to keep me from going through this program. I’ll get there eventually.

Tagged as: P90X