OT: P90X/Health and Fitness Thread

[ReasonablySober]

I'll have the puke bucket ready.

[MickeyDavis]

I'll have the puke bucket ready.

That's what Tony says in the Plyo intro "get your little bucket nearby my friend".

If you follow Pam on plyo you'll be fine the first couple of times. Just don't follow Dom, he's a jumping machine.

[REDDzone]

MD = Tony

[jimmybones]

I'm starting p90x tonight. Any advice?

Eject disc
Stash in a drawer
Gym membership
Strength program- starting strength or any 5x5
Adjust diet to goal- fat loss or muscle gain

Success. The only reason p90x "works" is because it takes people who aren't working out at all or aren't organized at all in their training and makes you do certain things step by step. Dosn't make it better than lifting though.

[MickeyDavis]

I've lifted and I was in good shape when I started P90X. P90X is a total workout, including cardio. I'm in MUCH better overall shape and condition than when I just lifted weights. Weight lifting is fine but it's certainly not the one and only way to get in shape. Not by any stretch. There is a lot more to being in good shape than just lifting some weights. I won't ever spend my money on a gym again. To each his own.

[jimmybones]

I agree that there are different ways to acheive similar goals. But it works both ways, just because you were lifting weights, doesn't mean you were lifting the way I'm suggesting and eating the way I'm suggesting. I'd bet a substantial amount of money that if I trained you for 3 months you'd make better gains than you did while running p90x religiously.

[LUKE23]

Days 1 and 2 are the toughest IMO, DB. Get through those two and it's a tad easier to end the week. Plyo is going to own you tomorrow though. Make sure your legs are stretched out fully.

[MickeyDavis]

I agree that there are different ways to acheive similar goals. But it works both ways, just because you were lifting weights, doesn't mean you were lifting the way I'm suggesting and eating the way I'm suggesting. I'd bet a substantial amount of money that if I trained you for 3 months you'd make better gains than you did while running p90x religiously.

Maybe, but I'm not looking just for muscle gain, I'm looking for total body fitness including cardio.

[MickeyDavis]

Days 1 and 2 are the toughest IMO, DB. Get through those two and it's a tad easier to end the week. Plyo is going to own you tomorrow though. Make sure your legs are stretched out fully.

Yes absolutely do the whole Saunders cycle stretch. I hate stretching but your legs absolutely need it for plyo.

[jimmybones]

"Gains" was meant a general term for improvement, whatever your goals are. Either way, the most important thing is being consistent, so if p90x for whatever reason pushes someone to consistently work out then it's effective for that person.

[MickeyDavis]

Agreed. Certain programs work well for certain people.

[JoeyMorgan619]

I agree with jimmybones where he says p90x works just because it gets people who normally do nothing, to do something. Not saying this in reference to him either, but I agree with MD about being in better overall shape. I see huge people at the gym all the time with plenty of muscle who are out of shape. Like they literally can't jog a couple hundred yards without being gassed. Cardio is HUGE and should never be overlooked. I was running quite a bit a few months ago and was in pretty good shape, but I started getting serious in weightlifting, and my cardio has suffered. I am currently in a bulking stage but I will definitely get back to doing a good amount of cardio when I am done with that. I just wanted to gain a little bit of size.

[ReasonablySober]

I'm a little scared I won't be able to jump. My left knee is bone on bone. Any kind of shock to it and I'm in pain.

[jimmybones]

Cardio is important for your heart and general health, which is obviously important. And also obviously vital to an athlete that needs to be conditioned for their sport. But for pure body composition, cardio is of very little importance. A caloric deficit is all you need. If you aren't eating enough food your body needs another source of energy=fat stores or muscle. Lift heavy weights to encourage your body to burn fat and not muscle. Muscle stays constant while fat is burned, body fat goes down. Long cardio burns up muscle so you're losing muscle and fat, body fat doesn't change as much, you just lose weight and not fat.

/rant

[MickeyDavis]

I'm a little scared I won't be able to jump. My left knee is bone on bone. Any kind of shock to it and I'm in pain.

Well plyo will hurt then, you do get off the ground. Just start slow, you don't have to jump through the roof.

[AussieBuck]

There's no doubt that you don't need to be buying this P90X stuff to get fit but it seems to be working/keeping people in this thread motivated so that's cool. I need something to keep me motivated right now, too much work and lack of sleep is making me lazy.

[LUKE23]

Cardio is important for your heart and general health, which is obviously important. And also obviously vital to an athlete that needs to be conditioned for their sport. But for pure body composition, cardio is of very little importance. A caloric deficit is all you need. If you aren't eating enough food your body needs another source of energy=fat stores or muscle. Lift heavy weights to encourage your body to burn fat and not muscle. Muscle stays constant while fat is burned, body fat goes down. Long cardio burns up muscle so you're losing muscle and fat, body fat doesn't change as much, you just lose weight and not fat.

/rant

If the only focus is weight, then yes, caloric deficit is all that matters. If you actually want to LOOK in shape and BE in shape, then cardio is very important. Otherwise you just look really toned but your heart isn't getting what it needs in terms of cardio shape.

You don't have to lose muscle and fat doing cardio. If you eat enough calories of high protein diet you'll be in shape both cardio wise and tone wise doing P90X.

[PedroGrande]

If the only focus is weight, then yes, caloric deficit is all that matters. If you actually want to LOOK in shape and BE in shape, then cardio is very important. Otherwise you just look really toned but your heart isn't getting what it needs in terms of cardio shape.

You don't have to lose muscle and fat doing cardio. If you eat enough calories of high protein diet you'll be in shape both cardio wise and tone wise doing P90X.

Yep, and if you want to perform better in other sports too its great in levels of coordination, endurance and stamina. Since I've started to do it this year i am playing the best soccer in my life. Coincidence? I don't think so.

[jimmybones]

If the only focus is weight, then yes, caloric deficit is all that matters. If you actually want to LOOK in shape and BE in shape, then cardio is very important.

You need to do cardio for your heart, general health, and athletic conditioning, my post addressed that.

But that bolded part is flat out wrong. For body composition purposes(how you LOOK) cardio plays little to no part. A half hour doing cardio is just burning extra calories. If you eat the same exact amount of food and do cardio as opposed to not doing cardio then the cardio is creating the caloric deficit by burning more calories. It doesn't matter how the deficit is created.

Eating 2800 calories and burning 300 via cario = Eating 2500 calories

Calories in vs calories out. If you exert more energy than you put in your body, your body finds other sources to burn for energy.

[LUKE23]

You misread what I meant and it might be because of how I said it. I realize you can look amazing by only doing lifting and eating a good diet. That is why I added the "actually be in shape" part next to it. I've played a ton of basketball in my life. I love it when body builder types come in and think they are just going to dominate based on strength. Then they have their hands on their knees 5 minutes into the game and I'm running circles around them. It takes both lifting and cardio to truly be a good athlete. But some people are just concerned with their exterior look and that is it, and if that is the goal, just lifting and diet is fine and I'm not going to judge. But don't tell me those people are "athletes". Athletics is being able to handle cardio and excel in flexibility and endurance in addition to strength.