P90x for pre-season fitness?

I've been using it for several years, not just to get in shape for ski season but also to be fit and maintain my weight. I started with P90 and worked up to doing P90X cause I was old (late 50's),  fat (30 lbs overweight) and out of shape when I started. Now I'm just old (er). I also use some of their other workout products. If you are already semi-fit you shouldn't have any problem with it and if you can't keep up when you start out just hit the pause button.

I just got mine today!  I'll let you know how it goes! 

It will be a piece of cake for you Anne. When I started I could hardly make it through the warm ups.

Anyone else doing P90X?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buddah Bar 

A few months ago I embarked upon a program to return to good physical fitness 2 months ago. I've been bicycling for 40 minutes a few times a week. I've transitioned to using the interval training program on an elliptical machine (20 minutes, level 2, avg hear rate 132). Before I took charge of my fitness, I had been a couch potato for nearly 3 years. I'm currently 36 years old and weigh 220. I'm just wondering if I have the fitness level to do P90x or should I work on my fitness level a bit more then do P90x?

The purpose of P90X is to get you to a high level of fitness. Starting out just do what you can do, you'll get better at it. It's not easy but it's not impossible either. I struggled through the first two rounds, now, on round five or six, (Lost count of the exact number of times) I don't struggle  but it's still not easy. To succeed you need commitment, determination and perseverance. Keep pushin play. If I could do it you can do it.

Budda,

This link should take you to a PDF of the P90X fit test. Take the test and judge for yourself.

http://teambeachbody.com/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=f9e53d48-c3f2-4b25-96d4-23f8f015c372&groupId=10137

I just did P90X for the first time!  It is doable, but it's pretty tough!  My arms are actually tired as I type this.  I'll be ready to push "play" tomorrow though!   Bring It!!!

Snowmiser,

Are you following the schedule or did you pick a random workout just to try it out?

I'm following the schedule Bill.  Just finished with plyometrics. (Disk 2).  That went pretty well.  I'm going out to get some bands.  I have a couple, but know that I'll need tighter ones soon.  Do you use any of their supplements?  Also, do you chart your daily workouts? 

just remember the most important thing to lose weight is the diet.  I lost more weight when I stopped going to the gym and concentrated on the diet

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buddah Bar 

I have unstable shoulders. I see they're doing exercises where weights are lifted above their necks and other stuff that doesn't look like it would be good for an unstable shoulder. I'd do P90x but I may have to skip the fly presses and stuff that my rotator cuffs can't handle. Unless I'm wrong here.

How are you with doing push-up and pull-ups? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowmiser 

I'm following the schedule Bill.  Just finished with plyometrics. (Disk 2).  That went pretty well.  I'm going out to get some bands.  I have a couple, but know that I'll need tighter ones soon.  Do you use any of their supplements?  Also, do you chart your daily workouts? 

I don't use the supplements, don't really see the need for them if you have a solid diet. They included the recovery formula with one of the other programs we bought (Insanity) so I've been using that. Not sure I'd spend money on it though.

I downloaded and printed out the workout sheets and write everything down. We (my wife and I do the workouts together) also track the workouts on a wall calender.

Legs and back and ab-ripper yesterday, off today.

They have come out so many times in my sleep I can't count, when I was crossing the road and was worried about a car coming around a bend and took off in a sprint, and once when I lifted a wet towell--no joke.  I too have felt some slippage when sneezing but not recently.  Also, left one popped out about 5 times per practice for a year and even more per game when I was an SEC linebacker.  Playing with your left arm glued to your torso with a harness is so fun.  Dr. Andrews fixed that one 17 years and 325 days ago with the surgical equivalent of woodshop tools, a rather large screw, bone graft and reattached bicep--no problems since, despite a warning that 15 years would be about as long as it would last.  The right one came out and stayed out for about an hour at the bottom of Ovation at Killington in March--that was a proud skiing moment--damn gaper turned into me.  It would routinely slip around in my sleep for several months after that despite rehab exercises, etc.  An orthopedic md friend of mine convinced me that some of the instability can relate to solely to it being frozen from scar tissue and if you can stand to work it some, you can actually regain a bunch of mobility and normal function (assuming you don't have catastrophic damage).  I started swimming breakstroke laps, and within a couple of weeks, it seemed a lot better.  Started P90x when pool closed.  Having said all that I totally understand that its either damaged or not, and while you can make it more stable by strengthening surrounding muscles, if rotator cuff or labrum or other essential part is jacked, you need it fixed.  I haven't had this one mri'd or scanned, but its a lot better.   

I am no Dr., but of course strengthening the surrounding muscles really helps stability.  I started with the P90X lean schedule, and you really don't do much in the first month that involves the sort of motion that typically causes (at least for me) that awful feeling -- oh sh*& my shoulder is coming out.  Most of the pushups are elbows in the first phase (month) in the yoga day.  Some of the shoulder dumbell work I suppose could be problematic if you used too much weight.  By the time I was through the first month and doing a bigger variety of pushups, I can honestly say the increased strength dramatically increased stability.  Pullups don't bother mine--and don't get wrong, I'm not bangin out 20 pullups.  Use a chair.  Work your way into it.  Those points are repeatedly stressed in the routine, as is the point that if you have a bad knee or some other bad joint, don't kill yourself on a particular exercise.  The videos most always offer an alternative method to do the tougher exercises.  When I was lifting and running four hours a day in 100 heat and 100% humidity in "voluntary" summer team workouts in college we referred to our strength coach as Ceausescu (Romanian dictator that was gruesomely killed by his folk when the wall came down).  This is a workout you do at home without that sort of cooercion. 

I absolutely love the program, best exercise I've had since college ball. Good combination of difficulty and structure.  Old school hard, panicky difficult in spots in the beginning, but quickly leads to endorphin addicting, metabolism quickening bliss with dramatically better energy levels.  Anyway,  I have substituted in some of the more intense routines--primarily plyometrics for Kenpo, and will do the classic or doubles next.  Lots of variety.  Search on google and you can even find a schedule to follow in the month or two preceding a ski trip. 

Hell--do anything fairly intensely for 45-90 mins a week, it'll get you in shape.  I know an unstable shoulder is an unstable shoulder, but sames holds true there - regular exercise that strengthens the shoulder muscles will help, and Tony Horton is not in the living room forcing you to do anything. 
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buddah Bar 

Do yours pop out if you sneeze hard or planting a ski pole too hard?

Forgot to mention--bag the supplements IMHO.  I am sure they don't hurt, but Google "chocolate milk as recovery drink" and you'll see that some reputable institution did a study finding that lowfat chocolate milk is just as good or better than most marketed "recovery drinks."  Plus, it tastes better and costs about 1% as much. 

Prior to this season, usually did cardio only-- tread, eliptical and bike.  Did a full round of p90x late last spring after ski season, took a little time off in the summer, and am now in second full p90x  round- which should finish mid December.  Will then switch to Plyo, Yoga, Legs, core syn rotation for rest of ski season, and hopefully start a full round again in Spring.  Admission-- I skip yoga and replace it with cardio too often- and yoga is supposedly good for skiing.

Am anxious to see if it improves ski conditioning or even performance (balance, etc).  Can't hurt, I am sure.  Would be nice to ski bumps all day long without the inevitable dead legs late in day (and nicer to not spend the next 2 days hobbling after a marathon bump outing).  Also thinking of hitting up Canon's charity 100,000 vertical event.  That will be the test.

I am nearly done with my first round and second the comments about the increased strength and stability.  I played rugby for over a decade (nothing like scholarship football) and have some residual back problems (along with physical therapy) and this program has produced a difference my doctor and PT doctors have noted ... the Yoga and Core Synergistics workouts really set it apart for me.

I just finished the first 30 days!  Woot Woot!  :D

Finished my first round on 11/8. Did the lean version. Lost 32 pounds and feel as strong as I was 20 years ago. I just started a classic version yesterday. Don't need to lose much more weight but want to add more strength in this round. Here is a link to the Beachbody thread. http://teambeachbody.com/connect/message-boards/-/message_boards/message/79686839  if you want to jump in. We have about 20 people right now doing it simultaneously. If the improvement in my hockey game ( I am flying out there) is any indication of what it is going to be like on the mountain this year I am going to have some ridiculous fun.

@JShea Just do the Vinyasa part of yoga and yoga belly 7. Cuts it down to just around an hour.

Kevin C.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowmiser 

I just finished the first 30 days!  Woot Woot!  :D

And?

I just started my 2nd round yesterday also.  Just realized that Kevcinma is in my group on the P90X boards.  I finished a round in July and had great results.  Unfortunately, 3 + months of couch potato inactivity has put me back to square one.  One this I can say is this, do not do it if you are not committed to it.  I had the tapes for a month before I psyched myself to do it.  I was not disappointed.  Looking forward to another round.  It's tough, but about half way through you will find it easier and you will see great results if you stick it out.

I'm on day 45 now and feel great!!  Have to be somewhat selective with some of the workouts because I'm fighting Hallux Ridgeous in my right big toe.  All my pants are really loose now which is a good sign. My husband has dropped 35 pounds and is getting a six pack.  He hasn't worked out in a number of years and had success fairly quickly.  I seem to have hit the wall a little bit.  We haven't done the diet plan, but I think that's what's holding my success back, so Monday, we're starting the diet! 

Nice job Snowmiser.  Although I was not looking specifically at losing weight, it was a nice feeling when my clothes started getting loose.  Keep with the program and you will break the plateau. 

I'm not sure what Hallux Ridgeous is, but it doesn't sound like fun.  You don't realize how much you use your toes until they are injured.  Good luck.

Hallux Ridgeous (sp?) is where your giant toe becomes very stiff and swollen and painful to move or touch.  Bob Peters has a pretty long post regarding his experience with this condition.  I can't bend it at all.  I haven't tried my ski boots on yet, but I'm supposed to go to a clinic tonight, so I'll find out soon enough.  I find that if I wear a stiff shoe, it isn't irritated as much, so I guess I'll just count on being in ski boots for a while!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowmiser 

Hallux Ridgeous (sp?) is where your giant toe becomes very stiff and swollen and painful to move or touch.  Bob Peters has a pretty long post regarding his experience with this condition.  I can't bend it at all.  I haven't tried my ski boots on yet, but I'm supposed to go to a clinic tonight, so I'll find out soon enough.  I find that if I wear a stiff shoe, it isn't irritated as much, so I guess I'll just count on being in ski boots for a while!

Heh, yes, been there done that (I'm segbrown over on epic, and tcarey has dealt with it as well, familiar with those threads). Honestly, skiing has been the easiest thing for me, because of the nice stiff boot.  Getting into the boot wasn't too bad except after surgery. Depends on your boot, though.

[lol, I am on epic ... airhead today]