Debi - Does P90X work?

I have heard this question many times.  Does P90X work the way they say it does?  Well...in short, yes, it does.  Of course you have to set aside time every day to go push play, and it's best to follow a healthy & balanced nutrition plan (P90X comes with a great nutrition guide, complete with recipes).  Yes, you will be sore.  Yes, it's tough.  But if I could do it, I think pretty much anyone can!

I started doing P90X in June of 2009 after seeing a friend's incredible progress.  She has always been very fit, but, gosh, she looked incredible.  Then, another friend had talked about doing it as well.  I had never heard of it before, so I talked to them, watched the infomercials, watched YouTube videos - and thought about it...for a few months.  During that time, I had been running a little bit and eating healthier, so when I finally decided to commit (Decide, Commit...Succeed!) I was in a better frame of mind.  I thought, heck, I CAN DO THIS!

Now let's be real for a second.  I hadn't really done any push ups before.  No pull ups either.  I was VERY weak - my arms, my core - I wasn't sure how I would do it, but I was determined to try.  But, just like Tony Horton advises - and all Beachbody coaches will agree - this program can be modified.  It can be modified so that folks who are new to exercise CAN do this program!

I started out by doing all of my push ups on my knees.  I was focused on maintaining good form (straight back - no bowing or arching) rather than getting as deep as I could.  While Josh used the pull up bar, I used a set of resistance bands that I hooked up to a door so they were suspended overhead.  I did this for my first 90 days.  I still got a great workout.  I still ended my 90 days with a 13 pound weight loss and some defined muscles.  I was thrilled with my results.  Although I did not take pictures as I should have, I will share some before (Spring '09) and after (July '10) pictures with you below.

I am now able to do my push ups with good form, on my toes, and I am able to go much deeper than I could when I started.  I still drop to my knees if I think I can do more but my back starting bowing.  I now do my pull ups using the pull up bar, but I still use a chair for support.  One day I will bang out pull ups without a chair - but until then, I look back to when I started and am so proud of the progress I have made.  You can do this too!

If you are considering buying this program but you are just not quite ready to commit...are you ready for my advice?  Listen to those folks at Nike.  JUST DO IT.  You will NOT regret it.  Still, though, if you think it might not be the right program for you, I would be more than happy to talk about some of the other Beachbody programs.  I have done several of them, so I can speak from experience.

Are you ready to take a step to be a healthier, more fit, stronger YOU?  Then contact me and let's talk about getting you set up with the best program for you.

Here it is...The workouts, the Program guide and the Nutritional Guide.

All you really need is a set of resistance bands to start.

A few other items that I recommend, but are not necessary to begin the program:

Pull up bar, Dumbbells, workout Gloves (prevent calluses),

Yoga mat (for yoga & abs workouts), Heart Rate Monitor, Push up stands

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And - to keep it real....here are the pictures I mentioned above...

This is from Spring 2009.  My friend posted this on her Facebook page.  

When I saw it, I was incredibly embarrassed that I had let myself look like this.  This picture is what gave me that motivation to get my act together and start taking better care of myself.  That's me on the right, with Korinne.

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This picture below is from this morning.  I am still a work in progress - I need to work on toning up, for sure (this is where TurboFire and ChaLEAN Extreme come in - and they are already helping me get closer to where I'd like to be).  But you get the idea.  I do not plan to look like that picture above - ever again.