Posted on by steve

P90X tips

Here are some tips based on my experiences while doing P90X.

  1. Be in tune with your body. How do you feel today? Can you really push it? Should you take it easy? Listen to what your body is telling you.
  2. Don’t hurt yourself. This is obvious, but it’s also tough to do. Very often when we start an exercise program, we will tend to overdo it. This is especially true when working out with P90X DVDs. Those guys and gals are in shape, and you might not be, but you’ll still want to try to keep up with them. Fight that urge! Don’t be lazy — you gotta BRING IT — but do not push too far.
  3. Write it down. Tony harps on this during the workouts, but that’s because it’s important. Writing down what weight or band you used and other information will help you know where you’ve been, but also will make your workout much more efficient, because you’ll know which weight or band to use next time you do the same workout.
  4. Work through pain. Well, most pain. Sometimes you really are hurt, but there were several times when I felt injured and would have stopped in the past. Instead I worked through it.  In fact, I’ve had triceps/shoulder pain in my left arm that’s been there for months. I’ve been working through it, and it’s been slowly getting better. I could have stopped working it, but I could feel that this was an injury that could be worked through. See #1 above.
  5. Get enough protein. The P90X diet guide recommends a 50/30/20 protein/carbs/fat calorie distribution. This works for me. You may need to add some protein shakes into your diet to get enough protein. I did. Shakeology is pretty good for after a workout, because it has some carbs, but for general use, I prefer Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Natural Whey in either vanilla or chocolate. I chose that brand because it has no carbs and no artificial sweeters. Vanilla goes best with most of the fruit I mix it with.
  6. Almond milk is great! I have never cared much for cow milk. I think it tastes okay, but it just seems kinda nasty to me. Psychological, I know, but there are alternatives, so I put soy milk on my cereal for many years. Then I discovered almond milk, specifically the no-sugar-added variety. Wow! Delicious! I prefer Blue Diamond. Silk brand is good, but there is no “no sugar added” version available to me, plus I think Blue Diamond’s texture is a little better.
  7. Be smooth when handling dumbbells. Pick them up gently. Put them down when you’re done, then bend and pick them back up to replace them in the rack. Don’t be jerking them around or you could tear something.
  8. You can get a good workout with the bands. If you don’t have a few hundred bucks to spend on dumbbells, get some bands. I found a set of Ironman adjustable dumbbells at Costco for $300. They work great. I have used the resistance bands from Beachbody, too. They also work great.
  9. Commit to the program. The infomercials tell you to “Press play every day.” Do it. My first time through P90X, it was week 9 before I felt comfortable missing a workout. I was dedicated to it, dedicated to getting fit.
  10. Commit to the diet. The vast majority of your body composition is determined by your diet, so leave the junk food alone. You can take a break from the diet plan every so often, but make sure you keep it at only “every so often.” I know from experience, it’s very easy to fall off the wagon. Very easy.