P90X3 Review - First Month

So, I just finished my first month of P90X3.  All I have to say is...WOW.  For those who don't know, P90X3 is similar to its predecessors (P90X and P90X2) but with each workout only 30 minutes long instead of 60-90, which was a welcome change to those of us with jobs/kids/WordsWithFriends habits.  As with the first two iterations, the P90X3 workouts are led by The Bodfather, himself, Tony Horton.  It's been 10 years since he came out with P90X and, at 55 years old, he's as ripped as ever.  Tony states that studies have shown you can get the same workout in 30 minutes as in 1 hour because you're not pacing yourself and saving the burn for later.  I was a bit skeptical at first, but I quickly discovered how intense 30 minutes can be.

As with P90X/2, the first three weeks are the same seven workouts followed by a "recovery" week.  Also similar is the alternating between resistance workouts and more cardio-based routines.  The workouts are given fun names like "Total Synergistics," "Agility X," "The Challenge"--which is my favorite in that love it/hate it kind of way.  Total Synergistics utilizes many different muscle groups and gives you your first taste of pull-ups (which, for me, is always the most humbling exercise).  Agility X gets you off the ground in a Plyo-ish way, and will have you off balance the first time around until you get your bearings in weeks two and three.  Lots of leaping from here to there with a focus on core strength helping with stability.  X3 Yoga is pretty great; I am a big yoga enthusiast, so I really appreciated this workout...but moreso, I appreciated the fact that it is 30 minutes long instead of the staggering 60+ min versions in P90X/2.  It is also a lot more doable for the amateur, unlike the first version, which was very advanced from a beginner standpoint and led to many a frustrating workout.  It goes from vinyasa flows to balance poses and packs a lot in for a 30 minute yoga workout.  The Challenge is pull-ups and push-ups...easy peasy, lemon squeezy.  You pick a goal number for each and try to hit that number as you alternate back and forth throughout the entire workout.  Advice for this one: choose mid-range goal numbers, at least the first time around.  You will start off strong and end a little pile of muscly mush.  Trust me...this one's a burner.

CVX is cardio with weights.  Another one that will get your heart rate up.  I used a ten-pounder the first time around and my shoulders were on FIRE after the first two minutes.  Next up is The Warrior, a military-inspired workout where each set consists of four exercises: upper body, cardio, core/abs, lower body.  From Sphinx push-ups, to super burpees, to sprawls, this is a great one that will have you sweating.  And, finally, Dynamix, a...you guessed it...dynamic stretch routine that will help with flexibility, hit muscles you may not normally work, and kicks the pants off X Stretch (P90X).  It goes from active (leg lifts, side arm planks) to more relaxing (double knee pulls, spinal twist) and, while it won't leave you drenched in sweat, is a great way to end your week and prepare your body for the pounding it will get in the week to come.

The transition week was a nice change of pace...however, anything but relaxing.  It is full of routines both old and new.  Isometrix will have your muscles burning as you hold poses for extended periods of time.  Accelerator is another burner, doing cardio-based exercises at two speeds: fast and faster.  Pilates X made me feel muscles I didn't even know I had; it combines breathing techniques with stretching, core-based movements, isometric holds, rolls...it is a combo-platter of TOUGH.  For the non-Pilate'er, this one will be awkward at first...very similar to doing Yoga for the first time.  Just keep on pressing play and you'll get there.  The other days of the week are Dynamix, CVX, and X3 Yoga.

I got through Week 1 pretty well, the only casualty being a slightly bruised ego.  But, hey, that goes with the territory, right?  The moves are easy to learn, for the most part, and are old hat by the time the second and third week workouts come along.  By the second week, I was already feel much tighter in my core and my suits went from downright tight to slightly snug.  By the third week, everything was fitting better, definition was starting to show in my arms and core, and I was really feeling like I was making progress.  And as the month came to a close and I looked back on how my reps/weights progressed throughout the prior four weeks, my great feelings, physically, were matched with a tremendous sense of accomplishment and overall happiness with my decision to take this journey.

I don't know what it is about these workouts that breaks you down, physically, and yet still has you wanting more from day to day.  But I love this program.  LOVE it.  And I can't wait to see what the next month will bring.  Stay tuned...more to come!

For more information on P90X3, shoot me an email at jfrofitness@gmail.com, visit my FB page at facebook.com/jfrofitness, or go to http://www.beachbodycoach.com/JFro13