p90x

[Glocker]

I tried before and fell off the fitness bandwagon. I'm already skinny (with a beer belly). I was thinking of doing far less cardio and more lifting and pull ups. Ab ripper X of course will still be in there.

Does this sound like a good plan or at least a logical one? I don't want to lose any weight.

I'm in the same situation as you. For the longest time I've been working out lifting heavy weight for a year then on and off ect. I'll get to a point where I actually am stronger and feel it too. But I never get big...which is what I want.

I'd like to see if any of you tall skinny guys (such as myself) went through the workout program and bulked up or did it just make you feel stronger without any mass added to your body?

 

[Fletch]

I tried before and fell off the fitness bandwagon. I'm already skinny (with a beer belly). I was thinking of doing far less cardio and more lifting and pull ups. Ab ripper X of course will still be in there.

Does this sound like a good plan or at least a logical one? I don't want to lose any weight.

Then you have to eat to support additional muscle mass. Cut down on carbs and fat, eat lots of lean protein. Eat grilled chicken breast until you're sick of it, then ask for seconds.

Working out is only half the battle; diet is the other half. Nobody likes to hear it, and as the saying goes, diet is the hardest exercise, but it's the truth. You can't work out like a fiend on a 2000 calorie diet and expect to maintain or gain weight. 3000 calories will help you gain, but only if it's the right kind of calories.

Without knowing anything about you other than you apparently drink beer, I'd say hit the weights a little harder, the cardio a little easier (but keep it in the routine), and seriously work on your diet.

 

[Denny347]

DO you go to the gym here in indy or just home workouts? I have been thinking of heading to the gym but I know of no one who belongs.

My department is doing it now so I am doing some in their class and on my own. I might join Indy Crossfit at Brookville Rd and I465 if I want more classroom. There are GREAT videos on crossfit.com and indycrossfit.com.

 

[Passive101]

Then you have to eat to support additional muscle mass. Cut down on carbs and fat, eat lots of lean protein. Eat grilled chicken breast until you're sick of it, then ask for seconds.

Working out is only half the battle; diet is the other half. Nobody likes to hear it, and as the saying goes, diet is the hardest exercise, but it's the truth. You can't work out like a fiend on a 2000 calorie diet and expect to maintain or gain weight. 3000 calories will help you gain, but only if it's the right kind of calories.

Without knowing anything about you other than you apparently drink beer, I'd say hit the weights a little harder, the cardio a little easier (but keep it in the routine), and seriously work on your diet.

Fletch you are right. My diet is horrible. I will bulk up a little bit and 3 months later I swear my arms are skinner then when I started and my beer belly comes back full size.

Would that mass building calorie crazy stuff at GNC help me or is that the wrong type of food to be eating?

Some days like today the only thing I've eaten is 4 cupcakes and a can of Pepsi. I know it sounds bad, but I didn't have anything to do and I've been playing Far Cry 2

 

[phrozen5100]

Fletch you are right. My diet is horrible. I will bulk up a little bit and 3 months later I swear my arms are skinner then when I started and my beer belly comes back full size.

Would that mass building calorie crazy stuff at GNC help me or is that the wrong type of food to be eating?

Some days like today the only thing I've eaten is 4 cupcakes and a can of Pepsi. I know it sounds bad, but I didn't have anything to do and I've been playing Far Cry 2

It looks like you need an entire overhaul of your diet. One highly evident problem with your diet is that the composition is WAY off. I'd recommend taking a look at how much protein/fat/carbs you're consuming.

Don't even bother with the GNC gainer as you can make your own of much better quality for less money. Pick up some peanut butter, protein power, oatmeal and a blender for this.

Do you currently have a gym? Feel free to shoot me a PM some time about it, since we're both in La Porte.

 

[Fletch]

Fletch you are right. My diet is horrible. I will bulk up a little bit and 3 months later I swear my arms are skinner then when I started and my beer belly comes back full size.

Would that mass building calorie crazy stuff at GNC help me or is that the wrong type of food to be eating?

I'm no dietitian, but what I constantly hear is "start with real food". Supplements should only be used to smooth out the bumps, never as a replacement for quality food. If you don't have time for real food, a protein bar or meal replacement shake works wonders, but they shouldn't be the foundation of your diet.

Personally, I make it a goal to never eat more than 500 calories at a time, and to get at least 2500 calories in a day. This is nominally 2000 calories for basic survival, plus 500 to fuel my workouts. That means I'm eating around 5 times a day.

I've tried a bunch of different diets, from Weight Watchers to vegan to various stuff I've looked up on the internet. Frankly, the P90X diets are the easiest to follow and I never feel like I'm starving myself. Boring myself, sometimes, but never starving.

 

[oldschoolmuscle]

any body got a boot leg copy for me.. i wouldnt mind tryin it...

 

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

Powerblocks are on the way should be here Monday, so I may start it then and get a AAR report type of deal going on here, so everyone can compare.

 

[Passive101]

any body got a boot leg copy for me.. i wouldnt mind tryin it...

If you look around I'm sure you could find it. If you check craigslist a lot of people sell fitness dvd's to.

 

[Root]

.

 

[JiNx0036]

The P90X program is great and is an a** kicker! The first DVD I popped in I got about 3/4 of the way and could not do any more pushups or pullups. After a week or so, I was completing the whole thing non-stop and gaining more reps with each week. I had gotten sick for about a week and it threw my whole mindset and rythem off and I fell off the bandwagon.

In a few weeks I'll be starting again but I'm creating a whole new program for myself. I'm not into the Yoga, tried it and it seemed boring, I'd rather pump weights. Im going to stick with the schedule of chest, Legs, Shoulders and Biceps but with my own twist.

These weeks following up to it I'm overhauling my diet to what I need to be at with food intake. 20% of the program is physical while Diet plays a huge 80% of it. Take too many calories in and you'll gain and take too less, you'll not gain anything. You have to find what your daily calorie intake should be and what you burn daily. The P90X program doesn't really cover how much you should be taking cause some want to lose wieght and some want to bulk up at the same time.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/caloriecalculator.htm -this is a great tool and the guys forum and video are really helpful.

If you want to bulk up doing the program you have to use heavier weights. The program is designed to lose weight and form the muscles that are already there (hence the ripped look). Instead of doing 20 reps with the 35 pound weight throw in a 40-45 pounder. That's the only way you'll gain the muscle mass. If your looking to get ripped and lose weight then the 20 reps per workout will work.

I'd say get your diet into a routine for a couple weeks, find out what foods and meals you can create to get your daily intake and get used to eating correctly. Put in a cheat day every week and eat some ice cream or something but don't overindulge. This will make it easier and you might just lose some weight with those first few weeks and you'll feel a s*** ton better everyday. I don't know about anyone else but when I cut out fast food and ate right, I noticed I woke up feeling better, more energy, and a overall better mood throughout the day.

Good luck to everyone who is doing the program or thinking of doing it.

 

[Ironjaw's-wife]

updates anyone??? I started the p90x again last nite.....cardio x...ouch

 

[Fletch]

updates anyone??? I started the p90x again last nite.....cardio x...ouch

I've been doing it for over a year now. I've slimmed down quite a bit, but haven't gotten all ripped because my diet sucks... it sucks less than it did a year ago, but it still sucks.

We started doing the P90X+ videos a couple of months ago, and really enjoy those workouts... perhaps even more than the original P90X. The workouts are faster and more varied, so it feels like you're spending less time in boring repetition. However, it's not quite as much dumbbell work so I feel like I'm losing some strength, and have it in my head to go back to the originals to pound the weights a little harder.

We've also just gotten the TurboFire workouts from BeachBody, to try and get some variety in our cardio. Our eventual goal is to have a bunch of different things we can do, and just sort of mix & match to keep it fresh. Wife wants to do Insanity as well, but I'm thinking I'd like to see some more weightlifting stuff. My dream would be to find a set of videos (or even a single video) that assumes you've got a bench and squat rack, and guides you through a high-intensity workout with that sort of equipment.

 

[oldfb]

Turnnshoot do you think walking the pool at the YMCA might help that knee instead of or in addition to weights?

I really should start myself but I am always afraid someone will try to harpoon me.

 

[DagerOne]

updates anyone??? I started the p90x again last nite.....cardio x...ouch

I'm about to start Phase 2 (which means I'm 28 days in). The early going was rough, but I managed through it. I HATE the Yoga, but I do it anyway...I've noticed my flexibility increasing dramatically. I've never been and will never be a big guy...the genetics just aren't there...but when I've started getting bigger (like in college when I was working out regularly) I noticed that I couldn't scratch parts of my back and whatnot, and that bothered me. With this Yoga X stuff, as much as I hate it, I can see that it has its benefits in flexibility, and I AM tired after that disc is over, so it's doing its job.

 

[Clay]

Im curious now. Tag for more info.

 

[Fletch]

I'm about to start Phase 2 (which means I'm 28 days in). The early going was rough, but I managed through it. I HATE the Yoga, but I do it anyway...I've noticed my flexibility increasing dramatically. I've never been and will never be a big guy...the genetics just aren't there...but when I've started getting bigger (like in college when I was working out regularly) I noticed that I couldn't scratch parts of my back and whatnot, and that bothered me. With this Yoga X stuff, as much as I hate it, I can see that it has its benefits in flexibility, and I AM tired after that disc is over, so it's doing its job.

Reps for not wussing out on the Yoga.

 

[Clay]

Where are you guys getting your P90x videos? just buying the set from the website?

 

[Fletch]

Where are you guys getting your P90x videos? just buying the set from the website?

That's what I did. You can probably find used copies cheaper on eBay or whatever, but I have no problem paying the producers of quality work for their efforts, and P90X is definitely worth the "new" price, IMO.

I would say that you should probably skip all of the add-on offers they give on the way to the checkout screen. Most of the stuff offered can be found cheaper at Wal-Mart or your local big-box sporting goods store. The only exception I know of is their "Rest & Recovery" drink mix, which is hands-down the absolute best-tasting, easiest-mixing stuff I've ever tried, and I've been through the whole shelf at GNC.

 

[DagerOne]

I would say that you should probably skip all of the add-on offers they give on the way to the checkout screen. Most of the stuff offered can be found cheaper at Wal-Mart or your local big-box sporting goods store. The only exception I know of is their "Rest & Recovery" drink mix, which is hands-down the absolute best-tasting, easiest-mixing stuff I've ever tried, and I've been through the whole shelf at GNC.

A lot of folks (myself included) have substituted "Accelerade" for the recovery drink. As I understand it, the most important aspect of the Recovery Drink is the 4:1 ratio of carbs : protein, and Accelerade has this as well.