Does P90X Work for Women? Check Out This P90X Woman’s Results
Sep 9th, 2009 | By Coach Nancy | Category: P90X FAQP90X Results for Women
This is a great question. It’s true that P90X has a lot of push ups and pull ups in it and these can be difficult for women. But there are work arounds given. Get a set of resistance bands instead of the pull up bar. You will need an accessory to enable you to get the resistance bands in a door to get that done. Or you can get the pull up bar as I did and just use a chair to provide a bit more leverage until you can get some unassisted pull ups out on your own.
Women should not afraid to lift heavy weights. You will not become real bulky – it’s not in us as we don’t have enough of the hormone testosterone to grow big muscles like men. Also you can always go a bit lighter in the weights and go for a sleeker, toned look if you feel you are becoming too muscular.
>> Yes – I want to learn more about P90X today! <<
I just finished my first 90 day round with P90X and have gotten great results. As a 50 year old woman, I can tell you P90X is tough but not too tough for any woman my age or younger. All I can say is I’m glad I’m doing P90X and I’d love to see more women do it with me.
Look how well 90 days of P90X have shaped my tush!
And finally a few more pictures of my ongoing transformation and see for yourself how quickly and how well P90X works.
P90X worked for me, an overweight, out of shape, over 50 woman. It WILL work for you too. Don’t keep wishing and hoping for change, take action today (click on the banner below):
Hi, I have been doing P90x for about 30 days now. At first I couldn’t get through the whole video now I can. Also I am doing the lean workout. My question is why haven’t I seen any results I have not lost a pound or any inches. Thank you Tina
Hi Tina,
A couple thoughts come to mind about your lack of results. First, let’s talk about not losing inches. If you really want to change your shape, I recommend that you switch to the Classic routine. The extra resistance training is going to cause your body to put on more muscle which not only shapes you, it will help you burn more calories. You’ll also be doing Ab Ripper X 3x per week rather than 2x per week which will help pull in your stomach. I suspect many women worry about putting on too much muscle but the fact is that we don’t generate enough testosterone (like men do) to do that.
Secondly when you work out – especially with the resistance training – work out hard. Lift as heavy as you can. Do as many push ups and pull ups as you can. If you are doing push ups from your knees, start out first military style and see how many you can get out before you have to go to your knees. The secret to big change is in the intensity of the workout.
If you are not losing weight, that’s mostly a diet issue. I find that the P90X diet tends to calculate too many calories for women. Instead of doing their metabolic calculation, try this approach instead. Set your daily target for protein as 1 gram per every pound of body weight. So if you weigh 150 lbs, you’ll target 150 grams of protein. Add an equal amount of carbs which in my example would be 150 grams of carbs. Then keep your fats real low. We are trying to hit a 40/40/20 ratio in calories of proten/carbs/fats. Now protein and carbs each have 4 calories per gram. So 4 x 300 (150 gr protein + 150 gr. carb) = 1200. Now that’s 80% of your daily calorie target. Then you divide by .8 to find out the total with fats added in. 1200 / .8 = 1500. That means that 300 calories will come from fat (1500 – 1200). Each gram of fat has about 9 calories so that means you can eat about 33 grams of fat. That’s really not much so your meat and dairy selections need to be really low fat. Also, cook any veggies for the day without fats (steaming is preferred).
You’ll want to portion out your calories into 5 or 6 meals a day. I find that dinners can easily run 500 calories so I try to keep my calories looking as follows:
The late protein drink I have shortly before going to bed. I just mix a little whey protein powder with water this helps keep my body from cannibalizing the muscle I worked so hard to build while I sleep. It’s hard to get 150 grams of lean protein in each day unless you are regularly consuming some whey protein. I like the Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein that I find most cheaply priced at Walmart. It mixes really easily with water and it tastes pretty good (a little gritty at the end – not sure why). I use it in a protein drink in for breakfast, often as a mid afternoon snack and again just before bedtime. There’s very little fat or carb in it so that makes it easier to hit the diet targets.
Also be sure to sleep enough. This is important for metabolic changes to occur. While 8 hours is recommended, I admit that during the week I’m getting only about 7 hours.
Please try these changes and let me know how you do.
Coach Nancy
Im 22 years old and about to start P90X. I dont want to look like a guy with all that muscle. Whats the differens between CLASSIC,LEAN AND DOUBLES in the workout. Witch one should I do, I just want to loose weight, flaten my stomach, lift up my butt all that good stuff.But again without all that muscle.
Hi Olga,
I strongly recommend you start with Classic. You won’t get too muscular because you don’t have testosterone levels like men have. I lift as heavy as I can while I do Classic and I’ve now been doing it for 150 days and I’m not muscle bound. See my updated picture on my coach Nancy page at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?page_id=271 and decide for yourself about whether I’m too muscular.
If you are overweight I can guarantee you that making poor food choices in the past was only half your problem. The other half is due to a sluggish metabolism and a good chunk of that is due to low muscle mass. You need to add muscle to ramp up your metabolism so your body burns more calories 24 hours a day. Doing more cardio like what is in the Lean version won’t build muscle.
Once you get to the 3rd month, you can then consider adding in a couple more cardio workouts. That’s what the Doubles version is all about. Don’t try it before the 3rd month because it will be too hard. Keep your energy for your chest, back, leg and ab workouts so you really ‘bring it’ during them. When I got to my 3rd month I bought Insanity and tried to do doubles by using Insanity but I could not keep it up. Now I do all the P90X resistance workouts and 2 Insanity workouts (they replace the P90X cardio workouts) and I may do a real short high interval intensity training workout in the late afternoon of the days I do the resistance workouts. I’ve got my current workout regimen posted up at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/m/articles/view/test.
But for now, just start with the Classic routine, eat a good diet that’s well balanced in carbs/protein/fat (I follow a 40% carb; 30% protein and 30% fat guideline) and keep your calorie count to no more than 10x your weight which means for every 1 lb of body weight you can add 1 calorie a day to your diet. Now there are limits to this calculation. Don’t eat more than 2500 calories a day even if the calculation comes up higher and not lower than 1400 calories a day even if the calculation comes out lower).
Let me know how it goes for you!
Nancy
Hi Olga,
Sorry I missed this question. Classic is the version I recommend for both men and women. It has more resistance training in the schedule than the Lean version does. Lean replaces some of the resistance training with more cardio. But if you need to reshape your body, it’s more effective to go with Classic. Doubles adds in an extra cardio workout on your resistance or strength training days. I don’t recommend trying doubles until you get through the first month or two. I did some doubles in my last month and did see more weight come off when I did it but I could not sustain it due to how hard it was and the time commitment.
Nancy
Hi! I’m impressed with your results and enthusiasm! I ordered P90X because I noticed I have been losing strength in my arms recently (I am 43). After receiving the videos, I realized the weakness was due to rotator cuff tendonitis (common in women over 35). I also have a history of lower back pain, but nothing shows up on Xray. I ahve been afraid to start the P90X routines because I don’t want to permanently damage my shoulders. Do you know how much strain the routine puts on the rotator cuff? Or do you have any tips for me to do it more safely?
Hi Donna,
Rotator cuff injuries can be mild to severe. Severe injury may need surgery. I am not a doctor and encourage you to be sure you see someone about this (if you already haven’t) and get his or her advice.
Now if your injury isn’t severe, I believe you can do much of the program. You’ll have to rehabilitate your shoulder before you try a pull up. But you may be able to do the push ups and there are some back exercises Tony has you do that don’t involve the shoulder (or at least not much) which should be doable. There are some good exercises for rehabilatation of this injury described at http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/rotator-cuff-home-rehabilitation-exercises.
Nancy
One more thing about the lower back pain. That may be due to weak abdominal muscles. So doing the P90X Ab Ripper X routine will help strengthen your abs which will take stress off of your lower back.
Nancy
If I don’t have a pull up bar can I use something else?
Thanks
Tracy
Hi Tracy,
Yes, you can use resistance bands and perform pull downs. It sounds like you don’t have P90X yet because when you watch the videos someone is always doing resistance band pull downs in lieu of pull ups. You will need a set of bands with a door accessory so you can easily pull down. I like this traveler’s band kit from Bodybuilding.com because it’s complete yet very affordable. With this, you would not need to buy any dumbbells.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I am 32 years old and I am 5′5″ and I weigh 220lbs. My husband bought P90X …can I use it to lose weight?
Thanks,
Angie
Hi Angie,
Yes you can use P90X and I highly recommend the Classic version your husband is likely doing. The thing is to do what you can. That means if you have to start out doing push ups from your knees then that’s what you do. As far as pull ups go, that will be very hard. You may do best by purchasing a set of resistance bands and do pull downs instead of pull ups. (I like this travel kit because it’s priced cheaply and has the important door accessory you’d need for pull downs.) Tony has a person using resistance bands in every resistance workout so you’ll see how it’s done. Also given your weight, be careful with the Plyo. Definitely follow the lower impact moves until you lose some weight.
Nancy
Hey Nancy,
I am considering to purchase the p90x system but am a bit scared. I am 5′ 9′ and 220 lbs. I was wandering if the p90x would turn my fat into muscle and make me bulk up. Also I dont know the kind of calories I need to take in for my body weight. Do you have any suggestions before I purchase the p90x system.
Hi Shauna,
Fat never ‘converts’ into muscle. But beyond that here’s why you need not worry. When you diet or even if you diet and do cardio, you may create a calorie deficit for awhile but you don’t add any muscle. In fact both dieting and cardio tends to reduce muscle mass. When that happens your metabolism slows down further an further.
The only way to increase your metabolism is to add muscle. Now women don’t need to worry about getting real bulky because we don’t have the testosterone. When you add some muscle, not only will you get curvy in the right places, you will burn more calories 24 hours a day.
Why I recommend P90X Classic version is that you do resistance training to build muscle, some cardio to help burn calories and you change your diet. It’s this 3 faceted assult on your body’s fat collection system that stops the fat from accumulating and retrains your body to burn more fat for daily fuel (rather than just getting from blood sugar and sugar storage in your body). That’s how I got my transformation.
If you buy P90X through my link (click here or click on the banner above) I will coach you for free and help you with your diet.
Shauna, I’d wish you good luck but you don’t need luck. All you need is the commitment to take the first step to change your life. The Beachbody slogan ‘Decide, Commit, Succeed’ is a good one so when you are tired of being fat and feeling sluggish and tired of envying all the ‘pretty’ girls, make a decision to make a change and then give it a real commitment.
Coach Nancy
I just received the P90X program, I read thru both the books for the program, and the nutrition meal plan. I would like to start on Monday so that I am able to have off on Sunday. I have been going to the gym for about a 1 yr now and did the aerobic exercises such as step, bosu , boot camp, & weight training. I have lost 25 pounds. . Looking forward to actually eating good cause I really did not watch want I was eating when doing the gym thing, I really did not know what to eat and how many times…..so the meal plan should help me. I ordered the p90X program due to I hit a plateau and looking to tone and shape my body along with maybe losing about 5 to 10lbs pounds. I’m confused on what program I should do? Should I do the lean or the classic?
Thanks,
Christina
Hi Christina,
I always recommend Classic. Lean has too much cardio. Now there is nothing wrong with cardio but what makes P90X such a great program is how it mixes resistance training with cardio and yoga/stretching. You need all the components for best results. Regarding the P90X diet, I do recommend that you keep your caloric intake to 10x your body weight (in pounds) which will be less than what you calculate with P90X. Check out my full article on this at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?p=409.
Also you may want to try Shakeology as a meal replacement program if you are looking to lose that 5lbs – 10lbs fast. I have one client that lost 3lbs on her first week of Shakeology and she had previously lost 27lbs before that.
I haven’t orderded any of the protein bars or the recovery shake for after you have worked out. I have whey at home that I was using after I work out. Do I have to order the protein bars and the recovey drink also or can I just use they whey that I have?
Hi Christina,
I personally didn’t like the Beachbody bars. You can find a list of what I like and buy (for less) at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Nutrition-Protein-Bars.htm.
I love the taste of the recovery drink but it’s best for guys trying to add muscle, not women trying to lean up. I also have a list of the different protein powders I recommend at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm. Use what you have for now and then look at my list for even more ideas.
Nancy
P.S., these questions are really best for our member forums which you can get to from the tab at the top of this page or just click on http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/index.php
Hi Nancy,
I’m lookiing to buy P90X withing the next few days and am wondering if they give you a schedule of the workouts you need to do and on what days – similar to your workout schedule. Did you make that up or does a schedule come with the dvd’s and kit?
Thanks!
Hi Shawn,
P90X comes with a 90 day workout schedule and I recommend for your first round you use their Classic routine schedule. I just created my own variant after doing a round of P90X.
Nancy
Great thank you!
Sorry another question – the site for the traveler’s resistance band is a little confusing – do you have another, more specific website?
Did you use these bands to replace dumbbells and pull ups or just pull ups?
Hi Shawn,
I’m sorry there appeared to be some wrong characters in taht last link. Try this: traveler’s band kit from Bodybuilding.com
You use the bands to replace both dumbells and the pull up bar. In each strength workout DVD one person is working out with the resistance bands and Tony usually gives that person a little extra focus so you know what to do with them.
Nancy
Hi,
I ordered my p90x today and I am so glad to how found this site. It has really answered a lot of questions that I had!! I was a little concerned about bulk as I have maintained a good musculature underneath the fat I have managed to accumulate!! Good to know that women don’t build up muscle like men do.
I am really looking forward to receiving this system. I “used” to be in great shape, but a bad divorce and the ex-husband abusing the kids had taken its toll on all of us emotionally and of course physically. I stopped working out all together and eating like there was no tomorrow (especially the icecream)!!!!!!! Now we are all better and I am beyond ready to take care of ME!!!!!
I am going to start off with the Classic workout as you suggested. You really seem to think this one is the best? I know this is really going to be a super tough workout from everything I’ve been reading. I know I am ready to do this and I will go at my own pace!! Would you recommend the lean after the first 90 days?
Thank you for all of your invaluable information. I’ll be back to check out your other links.
Thanks,
Jenn
Hi Jenn,
Classic is best. After the first 2 months or first 90 days you can do doubles to lean up a bit more if you find you need it. See my post about doubles at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?p=1576. At the end of my first 90 days when it was bad weather outside I then purchased Insanity and did some of that for my ‘doubles’ work.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I’m 22, and 5′5″ weighing about 148 lbs. I just finished my first month of p90x classic. I really enjoyed it, and did see some results. The thing is I haven’t been sticking strictly to the meal plan, barely at all really. Just wondering your thoughts on how important it is? I definitely have cut back on sugars and soda, watch my calorie intake etc and try to eat healthy but as I live at home, I mostly have to deal with the food my parents buy. Do you have any suggestions etc for the next month or two til I finish my first round? Thanks!
Kayla
Hi Kayla,
Thanks for stopping by.
Diet is really important if you want to really slim down. I understand if you don’t control what your parents buy but if they shop at Walmart, perhaps you can get them to buy some of the Body Fortress brand whey protein to increase your protein consumption. Body Fortress is pretty cheap (sells between $12 – $15 for 2lbs) but very good.
As far as breads go, I have a list of brands I buy and perhaps you can talk Mom (or Dad) into buying those brands because they have fewer calories and more fiber. You can find that list at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Bread.htm. Also please feel free to sign up over at our forms there – we are a fun, growing community.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I am 48, going though menopause and finding it harder to lose weight. I have been thinking about ordering p90x. I live in a small mobile home and worried about space. My weight problem is in the middle area. I have lower back problems which makes it hard to do sit ups….I guess to be honest…I am just scared it won’t work after I have spend so much on it. Do you have any suggestions before I purchase the p90x system.
Thanks
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for stopping by! If you’ve read much of any of my blog you know that I’m 51. I am also going through menopause and until I started P90X I had a significant belly on me. So I get where you are coming from. As to your questions here’s the straight scoop:
I am here to help you every step of the way for free. All I ask in return is that you buy P90X with this link (look for ‘fitgirl1958′ to be your coach – that’s my Beachbody screen name) as I get compensated in return by having folks buy from me.
Only you can decide if you are ready to commit to P90X. It isn’t an easy program but it you really want to remake your body, then you have to realize you will have to put real effort into changing it. What I can tell you with certainty is that the program works.
Good Luck!
Nancy
Hey Nancy!
Im 19 years old ,5″8 in height and weigh 165 lbs. I used to weigh 220 lbs but I worked out by doing aerobics and lost 55 lbs without having to change my diet. I want to loose my last 10-15 pounds and get some more muscle deff in my stomach and arms, but it’s pretty hard. Im not sure how to eat or what workout to do. I heard about P90X and was wondering, Would it be worth it for me to try it? Would it get the job done?
Hi Kerstin,
Here’s how P90X could help you. First, while the aerobics have done a great job for you, aerobics will never help you build any lean muscle mass. It’s lean muscle mass that will increase your metabolism and have you burn more calories 24 hours a day.
Next, it comes with a complete meal plan. Now when I work directly with my P90X clients I do adjust the calories women eat and I help them with some specific foods and ideas about how to really melt off the fat while you build a little lean muscle.
Finally, I’ll be here to help you. In return I only ask that you purchase your P90X through me (click on this link) as I get compensated when my clients buy from me.
Whatever you choose to do I want to say a big Congratulations on the weight loss you have achieved already. It’s hard to stick with an exercise program and sometimes you wonder if it’s worth the effort. But you plowed through and I commend you for that!
Nancy
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your site because I just completed day 3 of the ‘lean’ program of P90X. I will switch right to Classic tomorrow! Thanks! And you look fabulous–I’m 45 yrs old and I have that belly, too, that YOU had! Thanks again
Thank you Teresa! Just work the program and you too can get terrific results. Also, consider dropping by our members area at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/.
Also, if I want to lose weight faster, could I throw in more cardio? I am assuming it would most likely kill me, but just wondering what your take was on it. Like, would doing cardio mess up the fact I’m building muscle?
Does that make sense? Sorry I am in a wedding in August and have to wear a FUSCIA, slim cut dress!!!
What the heck???
Thanks for your response!
Hi Nancy- I am in week 2 of P90x. I had started p90x lean last week, but switched to Classic today. Mainly because of what I have been reading about better results. I have two young children. After I had my 4 yr old, my body bounced back very quickly. I am a runner ( I completed my first marathon this past fall). However after I had my second child, my abs never recovered. I don’t know if it is because I had to have c-section with him or what. I started working out as soon as I got the green light and did mainly running with some strength training and occasional yoga as well. Will P90x help with my abs, considering I have not had results yet? I am 33 yrs old, 5′5 and weigh 133 lbs.
Hi Carolina,
Yes P90X will help your abs! I had my second child c-section and I get that your abs are not going to respond as quickly as they have previously but there are 2 things to consider.
First, you’ll be doing Ab Ripper X (ARX) 3 times per week which is 1 more time than you do in lean. Now that may not seem like much but it’s a 50% increase in muscle stimulation. That adds up!
Secondly, what many people don’t know is that the body works in a very connected manner when it comes to building muscle (part of what’s missing with your abs right now). You see the more muscle stimulation you have in total, the more muscle you can build. So when you work your legs, it helps stimulate your body to build muscle in your upper body and abs. So going Classic with more weight lifting overall will help your abs more than Lean will.
Finally, while I’m sure it’s hard, be patient with your body. C-sections are hard on the body but you will recover and as young as you are and as good a shape you were in prior to pregnancy you’ll look awesome. Make sure you eat enough super lean protein (I cannot recommend a high quality protein shake enough) to super charge your metabolism to burn fat.
Nancy
Hi Teresa,
I missed this follow up. Too much cardio can mess up the muscle add. What I recommend is that you do the first 2 months pure Classic and work each workout as hard as you can. Then the last month you can do ‘doubles’ which P90X has outlined in their fitness guide or you can use running or, as I did, Insanity or some other fat blasting workout for the 2nd workout. If you look at my transition, I was making really good progress the 1st two months but then really ripped the fat off in month 3. By then I had the muscle built and the metabolism revved up so adding more cardio then worked well.
Nancy
Oh, okay, thanks. That makes sense. It’s like I’m building my engine up then in the last month I can really crank it to get the fat off, right?! An you answered my other question I had about how Doubles works…nice.
Teresa
Yes Teresa, build the engine and then run it hard to blast the fat off. One thing to remember, once you do a month of doubles, go back to 5 or 6 workouts per week for at least a month. The body isn’t capable of sustaining the high output for long periods of time without any breaks. You’ll end up over trained which will result in possible injury and your body will start to cannibalize muscle mass and burn calories less efficiently.
Nancy
Okay, thanks
Teresa
Is it okay to drink coffee?
Also, I went to Beachbody, using your link to your free coaching, and since I’m already signed up with Beachbody it wouldn’t let me do it again of course. So I have an assigned coach; I am right now doing the ‘free’ thing ; how do I change to YOU as a coach? Suffice it to say, you are in affect ALREADY coaching me, which I appreciate, but I wanted to get you plugged in to my actual Beachbody site, you know?
Thanks!
Hi Teresa,
Yes it’s OK to drink coffee. Coffee before working out (particularly when you are doing plyo or other cardio) can accelerate fat loss.
To change to me as coach you send an email to coachrelations@teambeachbody.com and tell them you wish to make a coach change to Nancy Andrews, email pressplayfitness@gmail.com. Give them your full name and email used when you signed up at Beachbody previously. It takes generally a day to get them to make the change. Also it’s best to copy me on the email so I can follow up with them if there is any significant delay (that’s not happened yet but you never know). Use ‘coach change request’ in the subject line.
Nancy
Hello,
I’m about 298pds and I just started out at 308pds, I just started P90X about 2 weeks ago, my question is I want to make sure I’m doing the right verison. Meaning the Lean/Classic/Doubles, I know you keep saying Classic is best to start with but would it be right in my case with my weight? I have been doing the Lean version so far and I have already lost 10pds and feel like I’m building muscle but I just want to make sure that I will be getting the results I want. Which is to lose weight and get toned!
Thank you,
Lydia
Hi Lydia,
Thanks for stopping by and congratulations on your weight loss!
Your starting weight does not affect the recommendation. You will build more muscle with the Classic version which increases your metabolism more and hence will help you burn more calories. Moreover, a weightlifting session, if you lift weights heavy enough to get a muscle burn somewhere after 10 – 12 reps will keep your metabolism raised (aside from growing muscle) longer than a cardio session.
It really as simple as making sure you get the most calorie burn from the time you put in. More strength training will also tone you up faster.
Nancy
Hello,
I have heard wonderful things p90x and am just doing some research before I make the choice to buy. I am a 28 year old female who is trying to shed pounds, tone and tighten. I have been going to the gym on and off over the last 8 years. I started kickboxing 8 months ago and although I love the tough workout I am actually getting bigger due to muscle. My legs and butt feeling it the most. I am very concerned that with this program I will encounter those same results. Any thoughts on how that could effect those areas of my body. I am very dedicated to the work out and am willing to give it my all but I have seen some concerns in the reviews about not shedding any pounds.
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay,
There seems to be 2 concerns here that are different issues. First let’s talk about the weight loss issue. Invariably if a woman is not losing weight I discover if I’m working with them that it’s due to either too many calories consumed, the wrong calories consumed, and/or the woman not working out hard enough. My only complaint with the P90X program is that the nutrition guide calculates too many calories for women. But I also find that many women don’t pay enough attention to what they are eating. They may be eating well overall but then they have some rather high calorie items they don’t really pay attention to (for example eating nuts). Also to keep your metabolism running high, you need to consume enough protein. I recommend a diet that’s based on a 40/40/20 carb/protein/fat ratio. When you do the math, most women find out that they are not consuming enough protein.
The other common inhibitor to weight loss is not working out hard enough. This is particularly true for the resistance training part. Because of the silly recommendations you can find in just about any women’s magazine, many women think that doing a bicep curl with a 2lb weight will help them build muscle. That’s just not heavy enough to produce the micro tears necessary to build muscle.
In your case, you are concerned about building too much muscle. I have to say that I’m perplexed, even skeptical that kick boxing can actually put on any significant muscle because there is no weight other than that in your leg. Now how a body looks is obviously a very variable assessment from person to person. What is muscular to you may just be slimmed and toned to me. Hard to say.
What I can tell you is that the P90X program only has 1 day a week devoted to real leg work. There are the plyo and kempo routines that will lightly work a leg but the Legs and Back routine is the only one with lunges and squats. I repeatedly point out to my clients that I work out with far heavier weights than I expect them to. My results have been to shed a ton of fat and build some lean muscle. I lost 3″ off of each thigh during my first 90 days and I lost over 4″ off of my hips. Now I’m more ‘muscular’ than most women because of my physical disposition and my heavy weightlifting. I like that. To me it’s slimmed and toned – you are entitled to your own assessment of how I look – but the point is that it’s unlikely you would even get as muscular as I am now.
The last thing I want you to think about is that for 95+% of the women I talk to, P90X is the best program for them. But they typically have a lot of weight to lose (more than 10% of their body weight) and don’t have much muscle mass. Since you are 1) fit already, 2) have been fit for years, 3) are young (under 30 is young) and 4) concerned about adding any more muscle, take a look at Insanity. This is a program that is best for the committed athlete. It’s too hard for most people and actually isn’t usually a good fit for their goals but you are different, you actually are in that less than 5% group of people who could handle it. If you think of yourself as a warrior type, this is something you’d quickly get addicted to. Having said that, please note that it’s not only the toughest workout on DVD (I thought they were just hyping it up but I do Insanity and it’s true) it’s high impact. You can learn more about Insanity by clicking here.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Nancy
Hi Nancy!
Thanks in advance and congratulations on changing your lifestyle!
I just recently bought the P90X program and I’m taking your advice about the nutrition plan. I’m in the level 1 category and agree that 1800 calories a day will probably be too much. I was wondering though, what should I cut back on? Not only in phase 1, but in all? The protein, carbs or fats? In phase 1 there is only 1 serving of carbs and fats, so I’m thinking proteins….but I know how important they are! If you could shed some light on this, I would so appreciate it! I’m 22, 5′6 and 135lbs. I would love to lose 10lbs of fat, but gain muscle and tone. Saddlebags belong on the back of a saddle, NOT my bum!
Alyssa
Hi Alyssa,
Looks like I missed this the other day. So for fast weight loss 10x your body weight in pounds which for you would be 1350 – 1400 calories a day. Follow a 40/40/20 carb/protein/fat ratio. So that’s 560 calories or 140 grams each of protein and carbs and then 280 or about 31 grams of fat.
In the Phase 1 plan, it’s weird that they use the term carbs as something different than veggies and fruits. Veggies and fruits are almost 100% carb. So I ignore that block formula because it has you thinking incorrectly. Frankly, unless you are consuming a high quality protein shake 2x per day, it’s unlikely you are consuming enough protein! So don’t cut back on protein please. You need protein to both repair (grow) muscle which will end up having you burn more calories a day. Also lean protein will increase your metabolism! Also the carbs you do eat need to be complex carbs and the fruits should be in the low glycemic range. Good fruits include fresh apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit and all berries. I have lists of what I buy for breads, protein powders and protein bars over in the members area. Just go to http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/ and look at the diet forums.
Nancy
Honestly at your weight, I’m thinking what you really need to do is mostly burn fat and build muscle which will lean you out and make you curvy in the best places! 10lbs would be top end for your weight loss – even 5 lbs overall but burning fat while adding muscle would make a huge difference in how you look.
Hi Nancy,
I have been trying to find P90X results for women over 50. I am approaching 56 and am in the middle of my recovery week of Phase 1. I am 5′3″ and weigh 138 and chose to do the lean program and am following the P90x meal plan. It does seem to be a lot of food and I have not weighed myself yet but i don’t think I lost much weight. I am definitely leaner and my stomach seems to have shrunk but I am afraid to find that after working hard for 1 month and not having awesome results will discourage me from bringing it. Help!! What am I doing wrong?? my upper body strength is almost non-existent. It’s difficult for me to do push ups. But I am getting stronger and am able to complete almost all the workouts. Of course I love the Kenpo and Cardio workouts they are the easiest for me. What size weights should I use. I am currently using 5 and 8 lbs. and am sure that I can do 10 lbs. so am getting 10 lb weights tomorrow.
Hi Sharda,
1) You need to take measurements weekly – sometimes you are putting on muscle and burning fat so the scale may not move much but you are getting real results.
2) The P90X meal plan calculates too many calories for women. See my recommendations to Alyssa right above you on how to eat properly for fast fat loss and continued muscle growth.
3) Which version you do is your choice but hands down the best transformations come from doing Classic. Sure it’s harder but that’s why it works so well.
4) What weight you should use is the one where doing an exercise at 10 – 12 reps creates a real burn and is hard to finish. If you can finish 12 without really struggling, then you aren’t lifting heavy enough.
The reason why Classic works when you lift as heavy as you can is only then are you stressing your muscles enough to create the micro tears in the muscle that, when repaired naturally by your body, will create a stronger, bigger muscle. In women, because we do not have but a fraction of the testosterone hormone that men have, our ability to grow muscles is limited. Unless you take steroids or workout for hours a day with a lot of supplements, you will not get the female bodybuilder look, you’ll only get lean and toned with P90X
When I started I was weak. I had to do my push ups from my knees. I used only 8lb and 10lb weights. It took me awhile to get to where I am today where I use 15lb, 20lb, 25lb and even for a few exercises 35lb weights. I am not overly muscular even though I lift heavy.
One thought is rather than going with 10lb weights which is only a 25% increase in weight over the 8lb weight you are already using, I would try lifting the 12lb weight in the store and see how that feels. Again, by the 10th rep or so it should be really hard to lift.
Nancy
Nancy,
i just have a couple questions. I just finished Day 11 of P90X Lean. I am 34 years old. So far I have noticed increased endurance and some tone, especially in the legs. I have been sore (in a good way) everyday since I started. The only soreness I do not like is some lower back pain but I hope that subsides as my abs get stronger. After reading the posts above I am now doubting whether I should be doing the Lean. I have always been thin and am not looking for weight loss, but rather overall tone and some definition in the arms and abs. Would you recommend the Lean program at all and if so to whom would you recommend it? I guess I should switch to the Classic next week (Week 3) then? I am not worried about getting bulky (I know women aren’t meant to) but I do like that the Lean has more cardio. I have been doing kickboxing for years on and off but am now doing P90X exclusively of course.
I also am wondering if I should buy the recovery drink. I am skeptical to buy it because of the creatine in in it. If you don’t recommend it, what do you use for the extra protein that is required? It’s hard for me because I have never been a big eater but I completely understand the need for the protein and I know it is an absolute requirement. The posts above have been helpful! Thanks for your help!
Carrie
Hi Carrie,
I recommend Classic because it creates the most change for women (as well as men). I’m not against cardio – I like cardio myself but what cardio does is help your cardio vascular system work better and burns calories while you do it. At its best, it makes you a smaller version of your self but doesn’t do a lot to reshape you. High Impact Interval Training is an offshoot of cardio that can do more but it tends to be hard on the system so you need to limit it.
Resistance training surprisingly does the same thing (most people are unaware of the studies that show that resistance (strength) training also helps the caridio vascular system, burns calories while you do it but does more! If done properly it sparks the body to add lean muscle which burns more calories 24 hours a day and reshapes your body. It also raises your metabolism for more than a day while cardio’s metabolism impact only lasts an hour or 2 after you stop.
The best program, IMO, has both strength training and HIIT with the emphasis being on strength training. The Lean version of P90X shifts the focus off of resistance training and onto cardio. Don’t get me wrong, doing P90X Lean is better than most programs out there but it won’t produce as big a change as Classic will. If you read the Beachbody forums you’ll see that the biggest female transformations have come from women doing Classic.
As for the recovery drink, I love the taste but it’s best for guys who want to put on muscle. It’s a 4 to 1 carb/protein ratio so it will stop fat burning rapidly after you consume it. I don’t have a problem with the creatine, I take creatine myself – it’s the carbs that I don’t think you want.
You are right to look to protein shakes for added protein. It’s not only convenient, most protein shakes are low carb and low fat. That way you can control your overall diet better. I have a list of the protein powders I like over in the forums at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm.
Nancy
Coach Nancy,
I am very frustrated! I started menopause and had a few other health problems and gained 20 lbs in approx 3 weeksso my main goal was to lose weight. I bought P90x and am starting the 3d month of doing the lean program. I have firmed up a bit but have not lost ANY weight and wear the same size clothes that I did when I started this plan. I have a very clean diet and have been following the p90x meal suggestions faithfully- help what can I do. I am 4′11 and prior to my recent health problems consistantly weighted 115-118. I am not comfortable with my new weight and feel terrible- how can I get this weight off? should I now changed to the classic program or finish this month with the lean program? This is the first time that I have seen your site and am impressed with what you have had to say- hope you are able to help me..
Michelle
Hi Michelle – thanks for stopping by!
If you read what I just wrote this morning to Carrie, you should have a better idea why Lean isn’t the best choice. And never is it harder to lose weight – especially accumulating ab fat – than when you move into menopause. I know – I’m there. Before P90X, I had resigned myself to just having to live with extra weight and tummy fat.
Now a couple of thoughts. First, there is no point in finishing Lean if you are not seeing the results. Go Classic now. Start at the beginning because the extra upper body workouts are tough for everybody at first. It’s important to lift as heavy as you can while still maintaining good form. If you are not feeling a burn after 10 reps, your weights are TOO LIGHT. A lot of women also have trouble pushing themselves on the push ups and pull ups but you really need to go all out. If you need to do push ups from your knees at first that’s OK – I did. But as soon as you can, start doing a few from your toes and then go to your knees to finish up.
Secondly, diet is very important. The P90X diet tends to calculate too many calories for women. If you’ve read through this thread you know what I’m going to recommend – 10x your body weight. So if you are now aroung 135 – 140 that’s 1350 – 1400 calories per day. This is less than what P90X will calculate. Also you need to eat in a 40/40/20 ratio (carbs/protein/fat). It is VERY hard to get enough lean protein in for this ratio unless you are consuming some high quality protein drinks. As I told Carrie above you, I have a list of protein powders I really like at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm.
Make these changes and you’ll start to see real progress. Also please feel free to join over at the forums and post questions there.
Nancy
Hey Nancy!
Thanks for sharing your experience!! I’m in my second week of P90X and well haha everything hurts but even if it hurts so much it’s really FUN to actutally feel my muscles!! I already feel my body changing and I lost 5 lbs – in the first week! I’ve been working out a lot since the last 1 1/2 years – but I hit my weight loss plateau and didn’t lose anything within the last 3 months. I worked out even more, minimized my daily intake and tried everything to break it. But it didn’t work – until I started this amazing workout. It’s tough, and the workouts for the first week took me like 3 hours every single day because I had to take breaks every other min but I took my body to the maximum and it just feels sooo good!! I’m excited about the journey I have ahead of me and I can’t wait to see how much my body is capable to change withing the next 81 days!
Corinna
Hi Corinna,
You Go Girl! I am really proud of you but I expect you are even prouder. Keep it up but try to shave some time off of the workouts just so you don’t get burnt out. Also feel free to stop by our members forums at http://www.PressPlayFitness.com/members/ to get help when you need it.
Nancy
Hi Nancy!
I just started the P90X program and I’m actually on Day 4. My body has never ached this much in my life but I have already dedicated my time to doing this program. My question is I keep reading about how women just aren’t getting results from this and trust me, that is the only reason I’m doing this! I’m 20 years old, almost 21 and the moment I weigh 126 and my goal weight is somewhere between 110-115. Is this realisitic? I really just want to tone up, so actually weight doesn’t matter as long as I can achieve the toning up that I want.
I already have changed my diet. I am pretty much following the Suzanne Somners recipes and rules of level 2. That is how I dropped weight before was taking out sugar and seperating carbs, fats, and fruits. So I guess I am just wondering if you think I can acheive what I want from this program?
I am doing the classic p90x too, incase that matters. Anyways any thoughts would be great. I am just getting worried reading all of these articles about how women aren’t seeing results and its frustrating. A lot of these women are saying drop the weight and then do the program. Well ideally I think I need to drop at least 10 lbs in order to become fit..
Anyways thanks for any adivce
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for stopping by. Let’s get to your questions.
Does P90X work for women? YES – if you do it right. Here’s the thing, I am constantly struggling to get women to do the Classic routine rather than the Lean. I usually find that those who complain the most about lack of progress are doing Lean. If they are doing Classic they aren’t lifting very hard (like with 2lb or 5lb weights). A bunch of cardio or lifting light weights just won’t produce the changes they are looking for. If you want to lean up and get curves where you want them you need to do real (heavy) resistance training. Moreover, resistance training takes longer to produce the deep changes within you. So you have to give it a real chance before you check out and start complaining about lack of progress.
Resistance training lifts your metabolism for 24 hours or more compared to cardio which only raises your metabolism for about 2 hours after you stop doing it. Moreover, you build muscle with resistance training which raises your baseline metabolism 24 hours a day. Real resistance training requires you to lift heavy enough to produce micro tears in your muscle. You need to feel a burn after about 10 reps (even sooner is good). So you lift as heavy as you can while still maintaining good form.
I get so many women saying they are afraid they are going to get bulky. I ask them if I’m too bulky. I am actually more muscular than most women will ever get because I lift really heavy for a woman. I keep pointing out that you are always in control of your results. It’s not like you wake up one morning with this ‘OMG’ moment and suddenly see a ton of muscle, it’s a gradual process. So when you look exactly like you want to, all you need to do is slow down the progression of moving up in weight and start increasing repetitions.
As for diet, I am not really familiar with Suzanne Sommers program. I do know she’s a low carb advocate and overall so am I. But do realize that you do need some carb on this program. I tell my clients to limit their bread or other grain consumption to only 1 serving a day and to make sure it has fiber that’s at least 20% of total carbs to limit the impact on their insulin levels. I also like certain fruits that have low sugar and low glycemic impact. Apples, pears, peaches apricots, grapefruit, and any kind of berry are great choices. But only eat fresh and eat organic fruits. Limit dairy as well to one serving a day.
You are young so that’s a huge advantage. If you’ve not had any kids that’s another advantage. You should do amazingly well. And I commend you with putting the focus on how you look, not on a specific weight. I started thinking I’d take off more total weight than I have so far. I am working on a few more final pounds but I’ll end up weighing more than I thought I would and still look better than I ever have. Also realize that the results are cumulative. Most people, including myself, have seen the biggest changes in the 3rd month.
Nancy
P.S. take measurements every week and pictures at the beginning and every 30 days. This will tell you more about your transformation than weighing yourself ever will.
Hi Nancy,
I’m 19, about 5′6 and weigh 155. I started p90x 3 weeks ago, and I’m doing the lean version (I was planning on doing the classic after I finish with this 90 days). I have a busy weekend schedule and sometimes it interferes with my workouts because I’m up late and wake up early and so when I get to my workout for the day, I’m extremely tired. Is it bad to skip a day? The same goes for the diet plan. I follow it to a T during the week, but on the weekends it’s hard to do the same. Any suggestions? I just feel like I’m not doing the program to the fullest and I really want to get great results.
Paige
HI. I am 23 years old female and i weight currently 178 at 5′0 so i am very short and i know that’s way too much weight for my height. I have tried p90x before for one month, i started at 198 then to the weight i am now. I tried the lean version first and i did see the results on the scale and i felt it, but after that weight loss on the scale i still wasn’t satistifed with the results so i tried the classic version for a week. I saw results a lot quicker during the classic version but why? I saw the most results on my arms they were staring to define but i didn’t see any results on my stomach. My thing is since i am short (and i have a stocky build) that i will build muscle and be bulky. Which is not what i want to do, i want to be lean and a bit muscular picture for example janet jackson’s abs lol. but smaller. Should i do p90x again and finish the program with p90x or should i go back to lean? (also i still can’t do any pullups not with the chair and especially without it how long will it actually take for me to do at least one, during that part of the video i usually have to sit it out because either im tired from trying and my shoulders hurt from the strain from trying to lift me up or i just skip it all together)
Hi Quavia,
I’ve responded in several placed on my blog why Classic is so much better than Lean. The thing about cardio is that the metabolic impact from doing cardio is limited to 1 – 2 hours post workout. The impact from a resistance training set is 24+ hours (can go all the way up to 48 hours) so you get more metabolic raise from doing resistance training. On top of that, you build more muscle which will burn more calories 24 hours a day – every day. Classic has more resistance training so it produces more impact.
As for getting worried about bulking up, it’s not like you wake up one morning and have this “OMG I turned into the Incredible Hulk” moment. Can’t happen for even guys much less women. We women have limited testosterone. If you diet carefully while you workout, you’ll burn fat while you increase muscle but it will be lean muscle. You are always in control of your figure! When you get to the point where you are happy with the way your arms and other body parts look, just start doing more reps at the same weight.
I can’t imagine why you’d quit after just 1 week of Classic. That’s not a fair test of the program and it doesn’t make any sense when you admit that you were getting results quicker. Give Classic a fair try. I had to work at my pull ups a full month before I got my first unassisted pull up out. But it was worth it. I sure didn’t give up after a week – if I had, I would not have had the transformation I had. Give the pull ups a good month. Or switch to bands to use in lieu of the pull ups but don’t skip doing any exercise.
Nancy
Hi Paige,
I don’t know if you are going to college but I see a lot of similarity here. Sure going to college and working for a ‘C’ average is better than not going to college but the job you are going to get at the end sure won’t be the one that you’d get offered as an ‘A’ student. If you want to get great results with P90X, you need to give this an ‘A’ effort. That means no skipping workouts.
You don’t explain why you are up late on the weekends. But unless it’s work, then you can control it which means you are not making your workouts your top priority. Review your workout schedule and work it so you do the routine you like the best on Saturday and make Sunday’s your 1 day off. Then get at it Monday through Friday – no excuses.
As for your diet, eat clean 6 days a week. Take your calorie count down about 100 calories a day from what you’d eat otherwise. Then 1 of the 2 weekend days declare a ‘cheat’ day. On your cheat day you can eat whatever you want, as much as you want. In fact you need to eat significantly more calories on cheat day. This not only makes sticking to your diet easier during the week, it keeps your metabolism from shutting down or getting too efficient. The 100 calorie a day deficit you create during the other 6 days will offset anything you eat during cheat day – even if you end up eating more than 600 calories more on your cheat day.
Nancy
Hello, I am 5′7 and 244 lbs female. I have been think for some time about buying P90x, I am very out of shape. Would an out of shape overweight woman benefit from this workout plan? It seems all the people shown doing the execises are already fit., or pretty close to fit. I have determination and stamina, I just want to be able to complete the exercise routine.
Hi Wafula,
It’s very rare that I tell anyone that P90X isn’t for them but you may be a bit out of shape for it. I’d prefer to see you take off 20 – 40lbs first. Rather than P90X, I truly believe that Slim in 6 would be more of a challenge you could master, lose weight on and then decide if you want to ‘go extreme’ with P90X. Here’s my acid test. Try doing 10 or more push ups from your knees. If you can’t get 10 out from your knees with good form, then you need to start with Slim in 6. If you can get the 10 out, let me know and we’ll explore together whether you are ready for P90X.
Nancy
Hi Nancy!
Way to go girl:)
I am a 29 year old female , 5.4″ and 120 Ib. I’m not looking to lose any weight. I just want to get rid of the flab and get toned, defined arms, lifted butt and…without bulking up. I am fairly ative and hit the gym at least 4 times a week. But I’m not getting the results I want.
Do you think the P90x program will be a better choice for me or the Insanity program?
Thanks alot.
Azi
Hi Nancy,
My Mom saw my working out with P90X and wants to start doing it with me. But she and I are both a little concerned about whether or not she’ll be to do it. She is 5′1, I’m guessing about 120-125 lbs, but the biggest concern is she has rheumatoid arthritis. Can she do the classic version with me? What do you recommend? Oh and she is also 49 years old, incase that matters.
thanks
Hi Sarah,
What joints does the arthritis affect? If it’s the hands, she’d need to make some accomodations. I do want to make it clear I’m not a physician so she should have a quick conversation with him/her to make sure they don’t have a problem with the workout. But what I’m thinking is that if the issue is in her hands, using a light band would give her some toning benefits and allow her to do it with you. I can’t answer on whether push ups would be an issue but if she started from her knees and used yoga blocks (they will provide a bit of give) she may be able to get them out. I actually have problems with my right wrist (one of my old injuries where I shattered my wrist & arm in 7 places and have a plate in me now) and the yoga blocks help me when my wrist is feeling stiff and achey.
If the arthritis is elsewhere or more widespread, let me know and I’ll give this more thought.
Nancy
Hi Azi!
When you say you are hitting the gym 4x per week, what are you doing when you are there? If you can tell me that, I can better recommend between the two programs. But in a nutshell, P90X is the better all round routine in my opinion. It’s got it all, strength training, plyometrics, kick boxing/karate, yoga and more. While I enjoy all three P90X, Insanity and Brazil Butt Lift, hands down if I could only pick one, it would be P90X.
Now if you are actually pretty fit (consider yourself an athlete) Insanity is a kick-a**, heart pumping workout that will at first totally kick your butt and then either kill you or get you totally addicted to it. What I warn everyone about Insanity is that it’s not only high intensity, it’s really high impact. So if you have any joint issues from your hips downward, don’t get Insanity. Also it won’t build much muscle. I like to do an Insanity workout now and then but can’t see doing only Insanity. But then again, I’m 51 and you are 29 and youth is so much more forgiving in high intensity, high impact workout recovery.
Brazil Butt Lift is my newest acquisition and I was surprised. After all that P90X and Insanity I thought my butt was already in mighty fine condition for a woman of any age. But BBL in basically a week and a half has made a visible difference. I do it a couple times a week as a ‘doubles’ to my P90X routine. But it won’t provide you any upper body conditioning. (The cardio on it – Cardio Axe – is a bit too dance like for me but the other workouts are great).
Hopefully that gives you something to think about. If you do get a program, I would ask that you buy from a link on my site so I get the credit (that’s how I get compensated for coaching others) and do feel free to come over to our members forum (www.pressplayfitness.com/members/) and ask questions there too. Good luck!
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I started my workouts last week and i’m doing the lean approach. I see that you recommend the Classic so I’m thinking of changing for week 2.
How many calories do we burn during the workouts I wear a heart monitor and I wanted to make sure it was accurate so that I can eat enough calories. Also… I really feel that the meal plan has me eating too much food. I like that I have to eat protein but I’m in the level III and i find that it’s a lot of protein to eat… I never can eat it all. I’m happy that it makes me mindful to keep my protein up but I can’t eat that much food in one day. What do you suggest?
Thanks for your help
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
How many calories you burn is going to vary depending on your weight and intensity of exercise. If you are following the P90X nutrition guide for calorie calculation, you are eating too many calories. For weight loss with some lean muscle gain, eat 10x your weight in pounds and eat those calories in a 40/40/20 ratio of carb/protein/fat.
You’ll find my diet recommendations will also have you eat a lot of protein. You need protein to both add lean muscle and burn fat. I strongly suggest to all doing P90X that you add 2 protein shakes a day to your diet. You can make one of them Shakeology if you are looking to curb calories while keeping your diet super healthy. But there are other good proteins I use in addition to Shakeology and you can find my whole list at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm.
I do strongly recommend Classic. You’ll actually burn more calories over time. In part this is because the increase in your metabolic burn rate stays much higher for a longer period with resistance training than it will with cardio. Also as you add more lean muscle mass, your metabolic baseline goes up. And with more lean muscle, you’ll look more curvier in all the right places.
Keep at it you’ll see great results!
Nancy,
I am so glad I happened upon your webpage. My name is Linda and I am 41, I have been doing P90X Lean, and have had pretty good results. When I started I weighed in at 178.4 by the end of Phase 1 I was 170. I am now 167 but have been here for the last month. Though my physical apperance from Day 30 pictures to now (end of Phase 2) is HUGE!!! So I am trying not to stress about the weight. I have gone from a 37.5 fat percentage to a 35.2 fat percentage also.
My question is, I want to see more definition in my arms and legs, can I switch to Classic now, or should I finish the lean and then begin the Classic? Any advice would be welcomed. I was taking in an average of 1600 calories a day, but was just too tired at the end of the day to do anything (I workout in the AM). Which is not good since we have 5 children at home. So I upped my calories to 1850 and only 1739 for the recovery week. I thought maybe that would get me out of the plataue but it did not. I am going to try your way now.
Also I don’t see the recovery drink as a part of your calorie intake, do you count that?
Hi Linda,
Thanks for stopping by!
If I understand your questions, you want to know
1) what can you do to re-ignite the weight loss
2) should you switch to Classic now or finish Lean first
The second question is easy. Switch now. Just start at the beginning with Classic because it’s really hard. Now I hope you see P90X as a lifestyle change, not a project. After you finish P90X, you can make some adjustments to it if you need to based on time (it is a very time consuming workout). What I do now is make sure I do all three resistance workouts and then 2x a week I do a short but intense cardio warm up (the warm up from Insanity which is a workout all its own) and follow that with Ab Ripper X plus some additional ab work. I do some running or Brazil Butt Lift in an afternoon session but in total, I’m putting in no more than 6 hours a week working out.
On the weight issue, I commend you for looking most at your physical appearance. I mean does it really matter what you weigh if you fit in the size you want? Calories should be about 10x your weight so you have moved just a bit higher than I’d have you at. What you must do is eat 5 or 6 meals a day and get your calories in a 40/40/20 ratio of carb/protein/fat. Unless you are drinking 2 shakes a day, you are probably not hitting the protein requirement and/or you are eating too much fat.
I do not take the P90X Results and Recovery drink now. It’s just too many carbs. It can help your recovery but it will immediately shut down your body’s fat burning. (Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s yummy and my hubby and older son take it but they are having trouble now keeping weight on.) What I do now is take an amino acid product called Xtend which provides my body an alternate route to recovery. (Click here to learn more about Xtend.) It costs about the same as P90X R&R drink on a per serving basis. Not only does this really help my recovery, I’ve gotten leaner just by taking it.
One last thought is whether you’ve tried Shakeology. If you are running low on energy this super nutritious shake not only can help you keep your calories managed while providing high quality whey protein, it really increases my energy levels. (Click here to learn more about Shakeology.)
Thank you Nancy!!! This sounds great.
Since day 1 of Phase 3 lean and Phase 3 Classic are the same I am already on my way. I will be doing Plyo for the first time tomorrow so that will be a big challenge. I really do look at this as new way of life. I can’t tell you how much I LOVE IT!!!!
Would it be okay to do 40/30/30? I have tried 40/40/20 and it kicks my butt, plus with a family of 7 and a smaller budget it is harder to do the latter. I can’t afford the supplements, so I have been using the good ole chocolate milk as my recovery drink. I will modify my calories to 1670 which will be perfect for me, because it was a pain trying to get all those other calories in.
I was wondering what your thoughts on Calorie Zig Zaggin were?
Again, thank you!
I re-read your post, and will start at Week 1 for Classic.
Hey Nancy! i ordered my copy of p90x and will be getting it by wed. hopefully.
I’m 19 years old and weight about 126. I dont want to lose any weight just tone up my abs, butt, and legs and define my arms.
From what i am reading i should start off with classic……..the only thing i need help with is what to eat. I would like to knowif you have any schedules with meals already planned out?
Hi Linda,
You’ll do whatever you decide to do on your diet but I’m not going to say that you can get as good of results once you start deviating from the plan I recommended. I fully understand a limited budget but you don’t have to buy Shakeology which is more expensive to get to the macro nutrient targets I’ve recommended. Adding more fat if it’s not good fats (which end up also being expensive to add to your diet) won’t help. The goal with any good exercise/eating program is to add more lean mass and burn fat. The protein will help you do that.
When you consider that a high quality protein shake with just a half cup of low fat organic milk (you buy that just for you – not the kids) will cost less than $1.00 per shake and it replaces other food you are eating, I cannot see a huge impact on budget. My top 2 recommendations are 1) Myfusion Protein which you do have to buy online for best price (mixes up thick and is best tasting) or 2) Body Fortress Brand Super Whey Protein which you can get at Walmart. Read more about these at my write up on protein at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm.
As for ‘calorie zig zaggin’, not sure what you mean by that. What I do is add 1 cheat day per week to my eating regimen which lets me get any cravings I’ve had during the week out of my system and it spikes my calorie intake once a week which keeps my metabolism from getting too efficient at a lower level.
Hi Nancy!
You really are a great motivation. I am so happy that i came across this site! I am wondering what you think i should do. I have been on the lean version my sixtieth day will be tomorrow. I have noticed a change but of course not much weight loss and no change in clothing size. Should i switch to the classic version or hold off finish the lean version and go another round but classic style. I also take birth control which i think also makes it harder to loose the weight because i am sooo strict!! I haven’t missed a single workout i stick to the meal plans for the most part and sometimes i think i am not consuming enough calories. I feel like giving up but i won’t i love the program i really do.
And a lot of your suggestions are great, just wondering if you have heard the same thing also from other women on birth control?
Thanks
Hi Nikky,
Congratulations on moving ahead with P90X. Now as far as your diet goes, P90X does provide a 100 page nutrition guide. I’d start with that but set your caloric intake (given that you don’t want to lose weight) at about 1600 calories a day. Also eat your calories in a 40/40/20 ratio. If you find you are starting to lose a little weight, you can add another 100 – 150 calories a day but add them in added carb and fat.
I work closely with those clients that make me their Beachbody coach. You can sign up here for that but if you have a coach already, you’ll have to get me assigned as your coach. For that, you should send me a quick email at pressplayfitness@gmail.com.
Nancy
Hi Dreya,
Why continue down the lesser result path of Lean when you can switch to Classic now? Go classic and start at the beginning because Classic is harder than Lean.
Birth control really isn’t a huge factor in weight loss. It’s only a very minor obstacle. Trust me, having been there and going through menopause, menopause is a much tougher place to lose weight from. So what I’m trying to say is that you can lose weight no matter what. Now once you make the switch to Classic that will be a big help. But if you are eating according to the P90X nutrition guidelines you are probably eating too many calories, not too few. If you want weight loss, set your daily caloric intake to 10x your weight in pounds. Eat those calories in a 40/40/20 ratio of carb/protein/fat.
Nancy
Thank you so much!
I am gonna do classic so excited!
Hey Dreya – You go girl!
Also I should have added that when you eat at 10x your weight, you can take 1 day a week as a cheat day. That helps keep you sane since you can get all your cravings out that day. I urge people to really go for it on cheat day (I do) because one goal is to eat enough bad stuff that you end up feeling sluggish and bloated by the end of it and you’ll find you actually want to eat clean the next couple days. It also keeps your metabolism fired up because if you eat low calorie for too long your metabolism will get real efficient at the lower caloric level and your weight loss will slow or stop.
Nancy
Thank you Nancy. I will look into the 40/40/20 and give it a try. If I added extra fats, they would only be the good kind. I try to keep my saturated fats to very little. I am going to read your post about the protein also.
Calorie Zig Zaggin or Cycling goes like this: Say I want average 1670 calories a day, but don’t want my body to to plateau. I would have a week that looks like this.
M:
T:
W:
Th:
F:
Sa
Su
Oops hit submit sorry.
It would look like this.
Monday 1670
Tuesday 1500
Wednesday 1800
Thursday 1670
Friday 2000
Saturday 1600
Sunday 1450
That way the calories are different each day, but averages out to 1670 per week.
Hi Linda,
Yes that works but changing calorie totals every day is tough for most people to master. I get complaints from people who don’t want to carefully read labels and measure their food (which I do recommend in the beginning so you learn what portion sizes really need to be for you). So to change up every day offers more chances to ‘get it wrong’. That said, if you are a very organized and disaplined person (probably are with 5 kids and time to do P90X) and that’s appealing for you, go for it.
The reason why I keep the totals constant during the week but permit 1 cheat day is that on cheat day, you just eat whatever you want and as much as you want. That still keeps the metabolism from getting to efficient but is easier for most people to handle.
Nancy
I just wanted you to know that I kept my calories to 1 cal to 1 lb of weight. I had only 1 cheat meal and started the classic exercises.
My plataeu has been demolished. I am now 163.2 and feel fantastic.
Thank you for your help.
Fantastic Linda! You go girl!
Nancy
Okay it looks like I may be pregnant. I test on Tuesday, but had the tell tale sign of spotting yesterday. So I will have to put P90X on hold. I had toyed with the idea of modifing P90X for pregnancy, but decided against it. I will however keep exercising at a moderate level. I will also up my calories to a maintenance level. I do have to let you know that I have gotten down to 161 though. This will be our 6th baby and I am starting out this pregnancy more fit and healthy than ever.
Okay Nancy here’s my story. Currently 5′9 140 lbs. I have been an athlete my entire life, I played Division I soccer in college, graduated about a year ago, and have continued to work out everyday since whether its running, weights, hot yoga, or group classes at the gym. Heard about p90x so I had to try it. Started the classic on monday but I have a few questions. 1. After each workout and ab ripper I find myself wanting more of a sweat, and I am working out very hard. Do I just need to be patient and wait for results or should I add cardio to my workouts? 2. Ive learned to love muscle milk bc of college (our strength and conditioning coaches used to hand them out like candy after lifting). But is it beneficial for me to be drinking muscle milk LIGHT after the lifting workouts 3 times a week OR am I hurting my progress instead of helping it? Should I get another drink that wont make me bulk up? 3. I feel like overall there is more attention paid to arms than legs. Dont get me wrong, I love having toned arms, but I wanna make sure my butt and legs are getting enough attention too. Can I add an extra leg workout a week somehow or am I messing too much with the system if I start designing my own schedule? 4. I would like to lose around 10 lbs (give or take) and get very defined, but as a athlete Ive been told so many different ways to eat in order to get specific results so Im all confused. What kind of diet (amount of calories per day and what kind of foods) should I be on in order to drop 10 and get defined? I just want to make sure Im doing this right so I get the best results. By the way, congrats on the transformation! That is something to be very proud of. Hopefully I can be that proud soon. Thanks for your time, talk to you soon!
Hi Linda,
Let me know if #6 is truly on his/her way. Sounds like you have a good plan and it is great to know you are going into this healthy and much more fit than you were a few short months ago.
Nancy
Hi Allison,
You are young and far more fit than most starting P90X. What I do find perplexing is how you got through Chest and Back routine and not break a sweat if you actually did 20 – 30 push ups each time and 10 or more unassisted pull ups. If you are not hitting those totals (most women can’t – it took me 2 rounds of P90X to get close and I’m still struggling to hit 10 pull ups on every pull up exercise when you get to round 2 of Chest and Back). The workout is done at a fairly fast pace so you should be sweating. So my 1st question is… you are actually hitting those targets doing your push ups from your toes and real pull ups without any assist? If you aren’t doing that level, you need to be working harder until you do and then you will be sweating.
On the body focus, the thing is that most women overlook their proper upper body development. When you look closely the focus is heavy on the back. You only work your chest, shoulders and arms once per week. Trust me, putting the time into your back will be well worth it. And, yes, the legs are only worked with weights once per week but you also have both Plyometrics and Kempo Karate for some leg work. For most women that will shape them up nicely. However, in your case with the prior running and soccer, you may be capable of doing a bit more. My general rule is not to suggest doubles work until month 3 so you can actually build some lean mass first. But you probably have more of that than 99% of the people I work with. So if you love to run, go have a run after your weight training workouts (so 3x per week). Don’t run first and then lift weights.
Finally, while my general guideline is 10x your weight as a caloric total with a 40/40/20 ratio of carb/protein/fat, you may have to change that slightly. If you want to run at all, eat a solid 1600 calories a day and you can do that in a 40/35/25 carb/protein/fat ratio.
Thanks for the kind works on my transformation, I am proof you can make a big change no matter what your age.
Nancy
Okay well first of all the chest and back workout was the one that kicked my butt. The other workouts were the ones I found I had some more energy after. I forgot to clarify that bc the pullups and pushup workout was definitely a challenge for me, as Im sure it is for many women. Thank you so much Nancy, Im going to take your advice and get moving! I will keep you posted on my progress!
Hi Allison,
The first 2 days are the hardest. First that chest and back workout is tough and then plyo is a pretty mean workout also. Although for you, the plyo was probably not that difficult. But keep with it because with your youth and conditioning, you are sure to make amazing progress.
Also I realized I never addressed your ‘muscle milk light’ question. It’s good to consume a high protein, low carb, low fat drink after working out – especially after the weight workouts. I do. If you are referring to the product made by Cytosport, that’s a good one.
Nancy
Nancy we are expecting #6, in January. So I will take it easy for 9 months (but still be healthy) then I will pick P90X back up!!
Great! Stop by now and then and certainly when you are ready to get back into it!
Nancy
Hi Nancy, I am getting ready to start the program soon and don’t have the pullup bar. I read from one of your earlier posts that I could get resistance bands with an accessory for the door. Can you tell me exactly what I should be looking for? Also, any tips for the diet?
Hi Richelle,
The best band set I’ve found (best price and most in it) is the Traveling Trainer resistance band set. It’s under $40 (about $42 with shipping to your door) and has 3 bands, the door attachment and a travel case.
As far as diet, use 10x your body weight to set your calories except you must eat at least 1,400 calories a day and no more than 2,000 calories a day. Eat your calories in a 40/40/20 ratio of carb/protein/fat. You will likely find this to be very low fat and lower carb than you have been eating. And the protein will be much higher. The only way I can hit my protein requirement for the day and not blow it on carbs and fat is to use a high quality protein powder. I take 2, sometimes 3 protein drinks a day. My list of really good protein powders that I use is at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm.
Be sure to stop by our forums at http://www.pressplayfitness.com to ask questions and get support as you do the program!
Hey Nancy,
I just finished the first month of P90X, but I chose to do the lean routine because I was concerned about getting bigger, less feminine arms from too much upper body resistance training. While I am seeing results, I am thinking of switching to the classic program here in month 2. Would that be horrible to do? Should I just finish out the lean routine and then switch in a couple months? While I enjoy cardio, I feel like I can do that on my own outside of this program. Thanks for your help.
Hi Kirsten,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story.
I’m always surprised about women who are worried about ‘bulking’ up on the Classic version of P90X. Surprised, because it’s not like one day you suddenly wake up looking like the Incredible Hulk, you are always in complete control of how you look. If you feel that you are getting too muscular in your arms, all you need to do is step down a weight level and add more repetitions. To be honest, not only do I have more muscular tendencies than most women, I push myself hard with as heavy weights as I can. It’s only been in the last 2 weeks that I decided to step back in weight in a few bicep moves and add more reps. While I’ve done P90X, I have lost 3″ off of each upper arm. So while I have more muscular definition than I did when I was all flabby armed before P90X, I’m smaller, not bigger.
If you want to switch to Classic, then by all means do so – it’s my top recommendation for women who want to see significant change in their bodies. Why wait? But don’t jump to the 2nd month of workouts without doing the first month first. There is a reason why the program is laid out the way it is. Sure, that technically ‘adds’ a month to your first round, but isn’t this a lifestyle change?
Nancy
Thanks for the helpful tips!
Nancy,
Well it was a “false” positive on my pregnancy test. So I will be starting back into P90X today. I have been on a emotional rollercoaster this last week and a half, so I feel like I am starting all over again. I gained some weight back, but I still fit all my clothes. I am pretty sure the weight has to do with water retention and gain from my period.
I did figure something out though through all of this. It doesn’t matter. The weight I mean. I am making a lifestyle change and “not until I weigh this amount change.” These are my new goals.
1) Weigh in once a week.
2) Measure once a week
3) Keep closer eye on my macro-nutrients.
4) Stop being so annal!
Hi Linda,
I’m sure you had some very mixed emotions about your false positive reading. So take it easy for a week and then dive back into it. I am happy to hear that you have broken through the weight barriers. When you keep your eye on the measurements you know you are making real progress whereas weight can fluctuate so much with water retention given our hormone movements.
Let me know how you are doing as you go along!
Hi Coach Nancy,
You are a true inspiration – you look awesome!!!
Not only that but the information you’ve provided on this site is awesome!
I just received my P90X (if I’d known about your site, I would have purchased from you rather than beachbody – sorry) and am going to start this coming Monday with my husband!
I was all set to start with Lean as I weigh 200 pounds but after reading your insights on Lean vs. Classic, I am convinced I need to begin the program with Classic.
Here are my stats:
W = 200
Estimated BF% = 38
Estimated BMR = 2524
In order to prepare for P90X, I’ve been doing the P90 Fat Burning Express (cardio and plyo) and 3 – 4 days of 60 to 90 minutes of hot yoga. I’ve been able to do the FBX in totality with little modification and proper form and I’ve been doing yoga for a month now. The good news is between the two, I’ve seen a lot of inches lost but not pounds.
My questions to you are:
1. Will you be my coach? If so, how do I go about doing this? (Sorry to waste your time on this ? but I can’t seem to find how to do this)
2. As for calories, the P90X levels has me at III bc of my weight – there is NO WAY I am going to consume 3000 calories a day. Suggestions on this?
3. Classic is the way to go correct? I am pear shaped with very heavy triceps – I need a good allover to help even out my physique and I do agree that Classic will do the trick but I’d like your final word on this.
4. I’ve never really trained with weights – can I start with as little as 2 – 3 Ib. weights?
Thank you so much for your time!
Hi Veena,
Thanks for stopping by and all your kind words. Now first things first. Let’s make me your coach. I’m guessing that when you signed up to buy P90X you got a ‘coach’ assigned to you. The way to tell is to click on this link (https://teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free/31305) and see if it takes you to a sign up page to make FitGirl1958 your coach. If it doesn’t, you already have a coach and you’ll need to send an email to coachrelations@beachbody.com. Provide them your full name and email you used when you signed up and then ask that they reassign Nancy Andrews as your coach. You MUST also give them my coach ID which is 31305 and my Beachbody email which is PressPlayFitness@gmail.com.
Secondly, the P90X nutrition guide doesn’t work for women. Instead eat a diet of 1800 calories in a 40/40/20 ratio of carb/protein/fat. This is really low fat and pretty high protein. Also the carbs you do eat should be mostly fresh fruit (organic if you can find and afford it) and veggies. Only 1 high fiber grain serving a day. Also it will be hard to get in all the protein which is why I recommend protein shakes. I have a complete list of all the shakes I take at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm.
Go Classic. You will lose more weight and a LOT more inches with Classic. It’s hard – I won’t tell you it isn’t. But do your best and just work to improve over time. I had to do all the push ups from my knees and even then I didn’t do anywhere near what they did in the video when I started. And pull ups are REAL hard for women. It took me a good month just to get 1 unassisted pull up done. You are fairly heavy and it may be best if you do the first round with resistance bands with a door mount to do pull downs instead of pull ups. Tony has 1 person using resistance bands doing pull downs every time the rest of the group is doing pull ups.
Even though you’ve never trained with weights, 2 – 3lbs is too light to produce the changes you need for dramatic change. I mentioned in the paragraph above about using resistance bands. If you don’t have any, I recommend this Travel Resistance Band Set. It’s about the best price I can find, gives you several bands so you don’t outgrow the set and has the door attachment. Someone is always doing every exercise with bands.
Remember to ‘do your best and forget the rest’ as Tony says. It’s hard but it’s worth it. Trust me you’ll be a different woman in 90 days.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for all the input.
I was able to add you as my coach – yay!
I will follow your calorie and macros breakdown.
I am going to do Classic with my husband and I cannot wait.
What weights do you recommend to start with? I do have a bunch of bands but am going to purchase the travel ones you mentioned.
I am going to take my time and modify as needed but giving up is NOT AN OPTION.
Look forward to this journey with you!
Veena
I ama 29 year old healthy but overweight – I weight 230 pds and I am curious if I will be able to do this program or if I need to slim down first? what do u recommend?
HI Nancy,
My husband and I have been doing the P90X. While it is very difficult, it is extremely rewarding. Of course my husband has lost over 20 lbs, while I am still just at about 5lbs lost, but I still feel great and can feel my body transforming. While I am sure that this is largley due to not sticky very closely to the diet plan. We have changed out eating habits, it is so hard to measure out everything for every meal. Do you have any tips for us that will make it easier to stick to the meal plan?
Also, my husband very much dislikes the yoga (I think it doesnt make him feel very manly), is there a different workout that we can subsitute the yoga out with so we can still stay on track?
Thanks
Hi Jessica,
At 230lbs you are too heavy for Insanity and even P90X would be a great challenge. However, I’m no advocate of diet only – you need a workout program coupled with a diet for best results. Take a look at Slim in 6 as a great starter program.
Nancy
Hi Traci,
Thanks for stopping by. First, congratulations on the weight loss even though it may not be as much as you’d like, it’s still a very good start. The diet is important and actually I recommend far less calories for women than the P90X nutrition plan recommends (it works far better for men than it does for women). The thing about diets is that if you will make the commitment to really track everything you eat for about 2 weeks and measure so you know what correct serving sizes of different foods are for you, you’ll be able to start just eyeballing it and eating more naturally after that 2 week period. I keep forums over at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/ and I have more info there including many of the foods I buy and some of what I’ll eat so be sure to check that out.
As far as the Yoga goes, a lot of people dislike it. But the balance and stretching parts are important. If he really doesn’t want to do yoga, try X-stretch. It’s no more ‘manly’ but it’s shorter and that’s a good thing.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I have a wedding in August 2011 and I am about 80 pounds overweight. I currently sit at about 225 and I am 5′5″. I’m wondering if the p90x system (workout and diet) will help me shed this unwanted weight. I know all it takes is commitment and dedication…but is 90 pounds by that time an unrealistic goal? Also, after reading some questions on here, I see alot of people discussing protein shakes. This is also part of the plan?
Hi Addisyn,
Sorry to take a day to respond, I was off enjoying Memorial Day and the start of summer! If you have more than a year, certainly you could take off 90lbs but let’s focus on the first 25 then the next 25 and so on. It makes it easier.
You do need to be careful with your diet to get maximum results. And what you really want to do is build some lean muscle while you lose fat. What I would have you do is to follow a diet of 1600 – 1800 calories a day to start the program with and eat those calories in a 40/40/20 ratio of carbs/protein/fat. This diet is far more protein and far less fat than what you have been eating – I guarantee it. So with 160 – 180 grams of protein you need to eat, this can be a challenge. The reason why I discuss protein shakes so often is that with this diet, you need a lot of lean protein and unless you want to eat mounds of super lean turkey every day, you’ll need to take some protein shakes to hit the total. A good protein shake can provide 15 – 30 grams of protein. So 2 shakes can get you up to 1/3 of your daily protein needs and many of the shakes are tasty! I use 2 or 3 protein drinks a day and my whole family uses protein shakes. We go through a lot so I keep a list of the ones I buy at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm.
If you do decide to go ahead and purchase P90X, I would greatly appreciate it if you bought through me at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?page_id=138 because the way I benefit from being your coach is that I earn a commission from any Beachbody products that you purchase from my site – it helps with the amount of time I spend answering your questions and helping you out. Thanks!
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I am in my first round of P90X and am having trouble getting my calories right. I am 5′8″ and 245 pounds. I have been playing with calories from 1800 to 2000 to 2400. I have not lost any weight. I have also started an hour of extra cardio every day and have not been able to lose any weight. I am on Phase 3, week 11 and would really like to get a handle on my calories before I start another round.
Also, how do I add you as a coach on the Beach Body website?
Nancy, I read some of the post above and found out how to add you as my coach.
I have been reading about carb cycling. I need help with figuring out how many calories to eat. The P90X Nutrition Guide suggested that I eat 3000 cals/ day, along with a lot of the other websites that I went to. I have been reading the BFFM book and am thinking of following the program.
My goal is to lose fat and gain muscle. When I look at my 30 and 60 day photos, I can see a difference. I can see my body changing. I’m getting frustrated because I’m ready for the scale to move down. I am at the same weight I was when I started.
Hi Cassandra,
I’m very vocal about how the P90X nutrition guide doesn’t work well for women. It treats men and women the same but a man at 5′8″ and 245 has a lot more lean mass than a woman. So 3,000 calories is WAY too many. Reduce your diet down to 1,800 calories a day and take 1 day a week as a cheat day. Then you need to watch what you eat and spread those calories into 5 or 6 meals a day. Your calories need to be consumed in a ratio of 40/40/20 of carb/protein/fat. This is very low fat.
Next, you need to consume most of your carb as veggies first, then fruit, then dairy. You may have only 1 grain/starch serving a day and even that should be a high fiber serving. I keep a list of breads that meet my requirements at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Bread.htm.
Finally, at 1,800 calories a day and the ratios I’ve perscribed, you need to consume 180 grams of protein a day. You won’t be able to do that unless you are incorporating low fat, low carb protein shakes. I keep a list of the protein powders I buy at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm and of all of them I believe the Gaspari Myofusion is best suited for you.
I am assuming you are doing the Classic version? If you are not, start immediately. You’ll need to start that at the beginning if you are just starting Classic because it is much harder than Lean. Don’t add any more cardio too much cardio will just stress your systems which will both erode some of the muscle mass you are trying to build and, cause your body to store fat – especially around the middle. If you have been doing Classic, you need to really push yourself on every resistance workout. By now you should be doing at least some push ups from your toes and you need to have been increasing your weight lifted on other exercises.
Make these changes and get back to me on how you do over the next week.
Nancy
I’m 5″2 and I weight 150 pounds – my age – 48 years old. My shape is like a pear or spoon. How can loose the fat and gain musle specially on my lower abdomen area. Thank you.
Hi Nancy,
I just got the P90X and after reading the materials I feel the supplements are more geared toward men and also very costly. What supplements would a 50 year old woman need to maintain energy and recovery after a workout? I do currently drink FitSmart Protein shakes as meal replacements and take multivitamins and calcium supplements. So what is really needed to keep energy up and body recovering? I read through some of the other comments and learned so much. Thank you for posting all this!
Hi Miriam,
Thanks for stopping by! Let’s step back for just a moment and address why you got the pear shape and extra fat – not to be mean – but so you can understand the correct way to reverse it. The surface reason is you ate more calories than your body needs to maintain a healthy weight. And I’m guessing that if I watched you eat for a day or two, even though you probably feel you are not eating all that much, I would tell you that your diet is full of simple carbs which are quickly turned into sugar and fat. A diet rich in sugar and fat is a surefire way to add fat to your body. But that’s just half the problem. The other problem is that you have been losing muscle mass for the last 15 years. Losing that muscle mass means you need fewer and fewer calories to maintain your weight. So even if your diet was relatively healthy, eating the same amount of calories each day over the last 15 years would slowly add fat to your physique. Now add in the onset of menopause (at 48 most women are peri-menopausal) and the cards are stacked way against you.
However, there is no reason to give up hope. I was where you are now and yet today at 51 I’m not only close to the best shape of my life, I’m amazed at how good I look. Trust me, I’d put my body up against any 25 year old and know that 95% or more of the time, I’m going to look better in a bikini.
The answer is in modifying your diet and adding back the lean mass you lost. Yes, I’m telling you it’s good old fashioned diet and exercise but the diet has to be carefully structured and the exercise has to be at least 50% resistance training (a.k.a. weight lifting). For your height and weight and age, you need to eat no more than 1500 calories a day and actually I’d recommend lowering that to 1,400. The daily calories should be eaten in a 40/40/20 ratio of carb/protein/fat. Now I’ll guarantee you that this is way less fat and way more protein than you have been eating. And the carbs you do eat need to be mostly veggies (steamed or fresh), fresh fruit, a bit of organic dairy, and only 1 serving of starch/grains a day (until you hit your desired weight and then you can have 2 starch/grain servings a day).
As for which exercise program I’d recommend, I am a big fan of P90X but it’s not for everyone because it is very tough. If you can’t stand the thought of a lot of push ups and pull ups then consider Chalean Extreme which is a great program and has the right balance of resistance training and cardio. If you have not exercised in the last 20 years, then you may want to start with Slim in 6. But I feel Chalean Extreme delivers faster results.
If you want me to be your coach through any of these programs, just click on the links above and purchase by clicking on a ‘buy now’ link from this site. I’d appreciate that as it’s how I get compensated for the time I put in helping you and others.
Nancy
Hi Diane,
From your email, I’d guess you live in Nebraska somewhere. Don’t know if you picked up on this but I live in Omaha.
I’d add an omega three supplement to your routine. These are readily available in fish oil form and not expensive. Omega 3 fatty acids will help your body burn fat, help keep your joints healthy and is also good for your eyes, brain, and more! The FitSmart protein looks pretty good. It’s more expensive than the Gaspari Myofusion protein I prefer (this is not a Beachbody product). It is also a bit heavier in carbs (I did see it has a lot of fiber) than I prefer. To really take the weight off, you need to keep the protein consumption and your carbs in balance and when you drink your carbs, it makes that difficult.
Other than that, I take a supplement called Xtend (I know that sounds like a men’s product but it’s not). It’s a recovery product that is composed of branched chain amino acids, glutamine and citruline-malate plus a bit of vitamin B6 for improved uptake. This gives your body exactly what it needs to recover quickly. Because it’s amino acids, the body absorbs it almost instantly which means you don’t have to add a bunch of sugars like what’s in the P90X results and recovery product (I like the results & recovery product for men but it’s too much for women). So immediate recovery and zero calories. It’s an orange tasting product which I think tastes pretty good but I will say that it can be a bit gritty at the last swallow or two. That doesn’t bother me but I thought I’d mention it.
These days after I have my two big glasses of water when I get up in the morning (hydration is very important) I also take a scoop of Xtend to get my body immediately out of a catabolic state. It helps to wake me up.
You don’t tell me how much you weigh but I tend to recommend 10x your body weight with a minimum of 1400 calories and a maximum of 1900 calories. And eat those calories in a 40/40/20 carb/protein/fat ratio.
Good luck with P90X. I STRONGLY recommend the Classic version even though it’s really tough. It will take more fat off of you than the Lean version will.
Nancy
Thank you so much! And yes…we are neighbors! I’m northwest of you. I do take flaxseed oil capsules which contain Omega 3-6-9. I am definitely going to start with the classic and the 40/40/20. I weigh around 140 and am trying to get down to 128-130. This winter was the first time I’ve ever had a problem with fat around my gut, (I’m mostly pear shaped) so I’m anxious to get rid of it. All you’ve said makes great sense. I will switch my protein out and also start with the Xtend. Thanks for this website. I was feeling kind of lost. By the way, you look fantastic! Thanks for the guidance and encouragement!
~Diane
Hello fellow neighbors…from Iowa myself! I was a couple of weeks into P90X before I learned that I was pregnant. Now that I’ve had the baby, I’m ready to start working out again. I did have a c-section and it is recommended that I not do any exercising for 6-8 weeks (I’m at 3 1/2 weeks post delivery). I have zero pain, only numbness, on my ab area and feel no pain whatsoever. In fact, the first week out of the hospital I was doing laundry, cleaning and picking up a 3 year old, so my pain tolerance is pretty good. I’m DYING to do P90X again, ecspecially with it being swimsuit season! Should I brush off what I’ve been told about exercising after a c-section and start P90X again? I was going to give it a good try, not going overboard of course, until I can gradually build up my strength and endurance. Or, should I stick to a low maintenance workout like walking on the treadmill until the 6-8 Dr. preferred waiting period is expiring?
THANK YOU!!!
Hi Rebecca,
I’m always going to tell you to follow the doctor’s advice.
At 6 weeks, I’d start with P90X but without Ab Ripper X (ARX) in the mix. Give that another week before you start adding in the ARX. In the interim, the x-stretch is a good way to start priming your muscles. Maybe by week 5 you could do Kempo once or twice. But in the long run, waiting another couple of weeks isn’t going to be something you’ll even remember but an injury would be. Be careful and be prudent and know that we are all waiting here for you when you are green lighted for going all in!
Nancy
Thanks Diane!
You’ll do very well to lose those 10lbs or so. Just ‘bring it’ as hard as you can and the results will come.
Come back with updates and/or just post over at our forums at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/.
I am on day 25 of the P90X Lean version and I have not lost 1 pound yet. I am 44 years old, 5′6″ and weigh 161 pounds. I am not following the P90X diet 100% of the time because it just seems like too much food for me and I do eat pretty wisely. I workout as hard as I can, but I have not seen my weight drop at all. I think I have lost an inch or so off my waist and maybe an inch off my hips, but everywhere else has stayed the same. I’m frustrated and wondering if I should switch to the Classic version, as you have recommended to other women? Help!!
Thanks, Lorelei
Hi Nancy,
I had a question about the order in which the workouts are done. I have done p90x before and was planning on starting the classic routine for this time around. I am currently between two apartments and I have one pull-up bar. I was trying to avoid carting the pull-up bar back and forth. Do you think that it is ok to switch the shoulders and arms workout with the legs and back workout?
Thanks,
Melissa
Hi Lorelei,
Yes, I would recommend a switch to Classic. Why continue with Lean when you have not gotten the results you were execting? But if you go with Classic, you really need to begin at the beginning. The Classic version is much harder than Lean and you need to build up to month 2.
You are right to think that the P90X nutrition plan is too much food. Because the nutrition guide does not make distinctions between men and women, it calculates way too high. For your weight, it would have you eat just over 2500 calories a day. Moreover, the calculations would only have you maintain weight, not lose it.
My recommendation is to revise your caloric intake down to 1600 per day. Eat those calories in a 40/40/20 ratio of carb/protein/fat. Your carbs need to be mostly veggies (steamed or raw), fresh fruit, a smidge of dairy and only 1 serving of starch/grains a day. This diet is lower carb, higher protein and lower fat than what most people actually eat. If you want really good results, you need to follow this diet. Eating wisely can mean a lot of different things to different people so I don’t want to try to wade through what you may have been eating, just follow my guidelines and you’ll do well.
Because you need to eat a lot of protein, I find most people cannot hit the protein targets and stay within their fat and carb limits without using protein shakes. I keep a list of the protein powders I buy and recommend at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Protein-Powders.htm. I also have some other threads discussing what I buy for bread products, nutrition bars and fruit over at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#forum/Nancy-s-Pantry-0.htm.
Nancy
Hi Melissa,
If you mean can you change the days on which you do those exercises, yes you can. I actually do that for the Phase 2 workouts. For best results, I recommend that you try to give a day between each resistance workout. So M,W,F (for example) is better than M,Tu, Th.
If you meant something different, let me know.
Nancy
Thanks Nancy! I guess that was a little confusing. For example for the first three weeks is it ok to do the videos in the following order:
Chest/Back
Plyo
Legs/Back
Yoga
Shoulders/Arms
Kenpo
Stretch
I would think that it would be ok since I am only switching two resistance workouts, but I just wanted to check with you because you seem like the expert.
Melissa
Hi Coach Nancy,
First, I wanted to thank you for your advice to Wafula, as I am of comparable size/weight/fitness level. I’ve made the purchase of Slim in 6, and I’m hoping that will get me back into the shape I once was.
Thank you for giving me hope again.
-AMIE
Dear coach Nancy,
Is it necessary to use the pull up bar for women? I’m a bit confused with the diet receipes, during phase 1 for instance, they give you a week’s worth of menus, does that mean you have to repeat that menu for a month? What if you go on vacation, do you eat consciously and resume work outs after vacation?
Thanks Nancy for your reply. I will finish up my recovery week and start on Phase 1 of the Classic Version on Saturday, June 12th. I’m taking a hard look at my foods, and yes, I do consume too many carbs in a day. I’m going to start tracking my food on a daily basis, starting today. I know I don’t get enough protein in my diet, so I’m going to start using protein shakes as you suggested and see how I do.
Thanks again, and I will report my progress in a couple of weeks! Wish me luck!
Hi Amie,
First, thanks for purchasing through my site – I really appreciate that! And as your coach, I’m here to help. Remember that diet is half (or more of the battle) so if you need any help in that area, let me know.
Nancy
Sure that will work fine. Legs/Back after Plyo could be a bit challenging at first but as you get more fit, it will get easier.
Nancy
Hi Erika,
You can use resistance bands and do pull downs in lieu of pull ups. Tony Horton has someone doing pull downs every time the rest of the group is doing pull ups.
Regarding the diet, think of that as a guide. Sure you can follow that for a week or two but it will get boring if that’s all you do. I mix things up and just record what I’m eating so I know where I’m at.
As for vacations, that’s a personal choice. My suggestion is that you try to include some activities that will burn calories and eat clean every other day on vacation. Then when you get back, realize that you will have to ‘work off’ over time the vacation. I’m at a point now where I don’t like to eat a lot of fatty foods or even a bunch of starches so it’s easier for me to say on course even if I’m not at home. I guess my high level counsel is that this is a lifestyle change, not a project. You have to live your life and not feel deprived but you don’t want to seriously indulge all the time on vacation. Think balance and long term and you’ll make the right choices for you.
Nancy
GOOD LUCK!
But really you don’t need luck just consistency. Remember you are making a lifestyle change and if 80%+ you do the right things, you’ll see big improvements over time.
Nancy
Hi Coach Nancy:
I’ll undoubtedly need help with diet. That’s been a big part of my problem – I’ve been eating ‘wrong’ for so long I’m not even sure where to start to eat ‘right’! But I need to change my lifestyle, to be the person I once was. I don’t want to be a statistic, an obese person who died young…
-Amie
Hi again Nancy,
Questions regarding supplements…..I’m reading a lot about creatine. Is it something that would be helpful? My goal is firming/toning and weight loss, I don’t want to build a lot of muscle mass.
This is what I am currently taking:
Opti-women multi
Calcium 1260 mg 2x daily
Flaxseed oil 1000 mg 2x daily
Biotin 10,000 mcg (hair & nails)
I should be receiving the whey protein and Xtend today. When and how much should I take of these?
Should I add creatine anywhere? What scares me is the possible increased HR with creatin. I already have some anxiety issues. (not about the program, just life in general)
What is best way to get energy before this intense work-out and I’m guessing the Xtend is what will help with immediate recovery?
Thank you for all your help.
Diana
Hi Amie,
I’m going to email you directly.
Nancy
Hi Diana,
I’d skip the creatine. Here’s why, for the body to properly absorb it you need to take it with fruit juices or other easily absorbed carb and that just uses up some of your carb allowance for the day. Moreover, even if you do get an energy boost (I don’t find creatine alone produces much of a noticeable energy change in me – I’ve tried it from time to time), you’ll end up storing water in your muscles which will confuse you as to where you really are in your weight loss and will make you look more muscular than you may really want to look.
You can use the Xtend pre and post workout. I do. It doesn’t give me a ‘rush’ but I find it easier to workout. I actually take 1 scoop in the mornings right after I drink my water upon waking to take my body out of a catabolic state and wake up. And it takes away any muscle soreness I may have (that’s due to the citruline malate in it). My schedule is to workout in the morning so I work out about an hour after taking it but you need not wait more than a few minutes.
In the afternoons that I fit in another workout (usually about 4x per week) I take 1 scoop immediately before working out (no need to wait more than about 5 minutes with Xtend) and then if I’m not going to have a protein shake after a workout, I’ll take anywhere between 1/2 – 1 scoop after depending on how intense the workout was. In fact you could even have a little (1/2 scoop) mixed into the water you drink while you work out as there is some research indicating that athletes who sip on amino acids while working out workout more intensely and longer.
Don’t bother with Xtend post workout if you are going to drink a protein shake as the shake will have sufficient amino acids in it so you’d be using the Xtend unnecessarily.
I take 2 protein drinks a day which with the Myofusion will get me 50 grams of protein. I take one after my morning workout and one after 10PM about 1/2 before I go to bed. The protein then makes sure that my body has plenty of amino acids over an extended period to facilitate muscle repair and growth.
Nancy
Hi Coach Nancy:
Can you let me know what e-mail address any message would be coming from? I didn’t see any messages from you, and want to make sure I didn’t accidentally tag you as spam.
-Amie
Haven’t sent anything yet.
I’d prefer not to have my email in a thread it’s too easily copied by spammers. I’ll let you know when I send something. I’ve got some things I need complete first so it won’t be until later this afternoon.
Nancy
Amie,
I just sent my email to you.
Nancy
Hi Nancy. So glad I found your site. I have enjoyed reading other women’s questions and your thoughful answers. I just got the P90X program. I am 32, 5ft and 100 pounds. I’m pretty fit cardio wise, but on the weak side as far as strength goes. I would love to build lean muscle and good definition overall- I want to be strong. Do you think P90X is a good choice for me? Can you recommend what size dumbells I should start with? Is 5 or 8lbs too low to see any results?
Thanks so much!
Hi Catherine,
Yes, P90X will challenge you and put on lean muscle. The think about P90X is for those who are overweight and out of shape, you can modify the positions and do less reps, But for someone like you, it will still provide a challenge because you’ll start out with fewer modifications and a few more reps. Trust me, I’m still doing P90X and I’ve not outgrown it. Don’t think I ever will. My husband and 25 year old son feel the same way.
As for what weights to pick, go to the store and start with the 8’s and just stand there and do 12 reps. If you can do those easily without any muscle burn, then you need to have something heavier so pick up the 10’s and do the same thing. Now you will want a pair of light weights for smaller muscles. So a set of 5lbs would be a starting point for shoulders and triceps for someone like you.
We started with about 3 sets of dumbbells. I think I used 8lbs for some bicep moves and 10lbs for others when I started. But over time we’ve added more. That’s what’s nice is that as you find that you are getting stronger you make a small investment in bit more weight but you don’t need to do that up front.
Nancy
Hi,
I started P90X a week ago and I loveit! My question is can I do a bit of extra cardio (30-40 min twice a week on non-cardio days)?
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Unless you are relatively fit, don’t add in extra cardio yet. Do at least a month (I like to see 2 months for people who are out of shape when they start). Realize that exercise places stress on the body, stress creates cortisol and too much cortisol will have your body hold on to ab fat and keep you from adding the lean muscle mass you really want.
Nancy
Nancy,
I am 46 and about 60 pounds overweight. I have been doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred for about a month about 3 or 4 days a week. I am most interested in weight loss, what beach body workout would you recommend.
Robin
Hi Nancy,
Gal…You ROCK. Woow. You are so inspiring.
Ok , here is my question. I am 134lbs 5ft 4 young lady. I intend to start P90X on Monday morning so i have Sunday off. i am a runner and want to shed some gut fat, and tone overall. I normally run 3 times a week for an hr and if i dont i get very ratty almost like pmt. You recommend not to do any additional cardio when doing the classic so i am kind of worried. What do you recommend i do?
Again you rock..
Louise
Hi Robin,
Sorry I missed this. If you can do Jillian Michaels, you can step up to a more intense program. If you’ve read what I have here on my site, you already know I am a big fan of P90X. This program produces huge changes. But I’m also struggling with the fact that most women just hate weightlifting. So if you want the biggest change, go with P90X and do the Classic version but realize you’ll have to lift weights and do pull ups and push ups.
Now many women like to go with Insanity which is another bootcamp style workout but no real resistance training. What bothers me about Insanity is that it is very intense and very high impact. The high intensity cycle is not optimal to burn fat. It’s not a real high intensity interval training (HIIT) because the cycles are all wrong. And without any significant resistance training, you won’t build muscle which not only puts curves where you want them it raises your body’s metabolism 24 hours a day.
The great news is that just this week Beachbody released Turbo Fire. This is done right with one minute on, one minute off cycles in the 3 HIIT routines. Plus it has a resistance training module and even a longer moderate intensity aerobic workout. I’ve got mine ordered (coaches don’t get access to the products any sooner than regular customers unfortunately) but have seen demonstrations and I’m hugely excited.
Now half the battle is diet. You need a good diet for optimal success. If you choose to go with TurboFire, what I’d do is sign up on this link to become a club member and you’ll get a meal planner tool that I’m finding totally invaluable. I’ve lost a lot of weight and I’m down to my last 5 but it was my last 10lbs until I started using the meal planner (it was recently totally redone). As a club member you would get 10% off your purchase of TurboFire which pays for your first month of club membership.
Hi Louise,
Thank you for your kind words!
For your first 3 weeks if you are doing Classic, don’t do any extra running. What you can do though is substitute running for the Kempo workout. That will get you at least 1 run in a week. The issue is that even though you are fit from running, your body will be really challenged from the resistance training, plyo and yoga. Let it accomodate. Also realize that all exercise stresses the body. Now some stress is good because it will initiate the metabolic changes that you are looking for. But too much stress in the form of excessive cardio just unwinds much of your forward progress because your body will produce too much of the hormone cortisol and that will actually ‘feed’ on muscle mass. It will also place your body in a fat storage mode and worse yet the fat will be stored around your abs!
Week 4 is a recovery week and I would encourage you to substitute running for any (even all) of the workouts during that week. Then in month 2, start adding short runs of no more than 25 minutes if you feel like you want it and your body is responding well.
Nancy
Thanks Nancy.,
I was really hoping you would not say that, but i will stop running for the first 3 weeks because i want my body to respond properly to the workout. Running in week 4 will be a good idea because my body will almost “forgotten” this workout and respond to it again.Does this make sense?
Will have to warn everyone around me now….
Thanks
Louise
Louise
Hahahahaha! One recommendation is that when you do the resistance workouts really push yourself. If you do, I think you’ll find that you get much of the same physical response you do when running.
And yes, I do think your body will have somewhat ‘forgotten’ the running by week 4.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I am 16 years old and I play basketball for my highschool team… We practice for two hours everyday but even though I get that workout I’m still not happy with the way I look…. I’m 5″5 1/2 and weigh 160. I want to loose weight but not sure if I just need to start eating healthier… Or if I can do this P90X to loose weight. But I’m not sure if it will be too much with what I’m already doing!!…… I don’t know I’m just really confused… All I want is to feel comfortable in a swim suit….. Help please?
Hi Lydia,
Start with your diet. If you are really exercising 2 hours a day, you are getting enough exercise in so you need to look at what you eat as the root of your problem. I have an article up at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?p=2105 that might help you.
Once you are out of basketball season, often high school teams take a break. On your break would be a great time to do a round of P90X. It will shape you up in places you need it, accelerate your weight loss and actually get you in even better condition for when basketball start up again.
Nancy
Hey Nancy
thanks sooo much! The web site really helped me with the diet issue….. It targeted the belly fat which is basically what I wanted to get rid of because everything else is basically toned up. I’m just gonna have a hard time committing because I love eating sweets and breads!! But I will definately try my hardest and thanks again for your help!!
Lydia
You are very welcome, Lydia!
Nancy
Hi Nancy:
Your story is very inspiring! It demonstrates that age doesn’t have to be an obstacle to transforming one’s body, that’s for sure.
I’ve read most of your comments in this thread, so I think I have a handle in your diet/exercise philosophy. I have a couple of questions, though: 1.) If too much exercise produces too much cortisol (and therefore causes one’s body to hold onto fat), why is it that dancers (or other athletes who work out many hours per day) don’t have that issue? (Or “exercise bulimics,” for that matter?) 2.) Assuming one is not going to extremes, what are your thoughts on approaching weight loss as a mathematical formula (i.e., the more calories one burns beyond what one consumes, the more weight one will lose)?
Hi Suzanne,
Thank you for your kind words!
You ask good questions. Let’s start with the first one. You know the saying that ‘there’s always an exception to every rule’? Here’s the exception – elite athletes. Top dancers fall into this category. The thing is that the amount of stress that elite athletes can sustain before cortisol levels increase beyond what’s normal is a LOT more than the people here looking for weight loss assistance. Elite athletes already have a lot of lean mass and little bodyfat relative to the general population. And they train their bodies over years to get that way and, this is important, start at a young age.
When you are over 30, overweight, lacking any intense workout routine (many start out couch potatoes) what their bodies can take is very limited. So push too hard and the cortisol levels go way up. As for your reference to ‘exercise bulimics’ I’ve yet to meet one. I don’t believe you’ll find most bulimics in very good shape – certainly not one anybody really wants to emulate as a way of life. But if we take a step back, you can starve your body and the weight will come off. We can see that in large quantities, unfortunately, if we look at the Holocaust victims of WWII. Sure they lost weight – both fat and muscle. But again, none of them were building healthy lean bodies. Moreover, as they starved their bodies did adjust by requiring less and less calories to support it. Had they gone back to eating a ‘normal’ diet right away, they would have gotten fat.
On your second question, it would be great to see a mathematical formula that worked. While in theory it does, the problem is knowing the values for each variable for each individual. Each person has a unique composition of lean mass and fat as well as a unique level of energy expenditure. You cannot know what that is for yourself exactly even with the most precise body mass measuring equipment available. So what any prudent person does is set conservative guidelines. I know that for women, the 10x your bodyweight calorie target, if consumed in the macro nutrient targets I recommend, and partnered with the P90X exercise routine will work. Could someone get by with more calories and still lose weight? Probably but I can’t tell that even if I met with them in person.
If the question is by creating a bigger calorie deficit will you lose more weight, the answer is yes for the short run and no for the long run. Again too much starvation will result in the body feeding on muscle mass in order to preserve itself. Lower body mass and extreme exercise will raise cortisol too much and the body will seek to hang onto whatever calories you do consume just like the Holocaust victims bodies did. I suppose the one exception is if you were to walk for hours at an optimal heart rate zone (40% – 50% of your specific heart rate max) so that the body was primarily tapping into fat for fuel while you worked out, you could conceivably push the boundaries out in terms of your calorie deficit for a longer period than doing an hours worth of intense exercise. However, even then the best you’d do is extend the amount of time before the cortisol balance would get out of whack and you sure would not be adding lean muscle mass while you exercised for hours at a time.
At the end of the day, it just is more prudent and certainly simpler to exercise at a higher intensity for a shorter time frame in way to produce lean mass and to eat an intelligent amount of calories to sustain your body for the years to come. I know that being over 50 as I am, I need to be prudent in my workout/diet approach to have had the success I have. BTW, did you see my new pics at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?p=2128? They were some sample pics I took while getting ready for my real photo shoot this upcoming weekend. Proof that the results do just keep coming!
Thanks for stopping by and participating – I appreciate it!
Nancy
I’m sitting at home watching the infomercial and it looks like something I really want to try. I am 29 years old and weigh 200lbs. I also have a double D chest size. Will I lose my chest with this workout?
Hi Tina,
As you burn fat off your body, it comes off from every part. But not necessarily at the same rate. So you will lose some of your chest but not as much as you’ll lose off of your gut and other areas. If you decide to move forward, I’d appreciate it if you’d purchase through me at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?page_id=138. That way I’ll be your coach.
Nancy
Hi Coach Nancy,
I have just purchased the PX90 DVDs and will be starting as soon as they arrive. Now I am more than just over weight, I am from what my doctor says… morbidly obese. I was 10 lbs away from getting gastric bypass surgury but chickened out. I am 47 yrs old and tired of being tired and out-of-shape. Of course my main goal is to lose weight and tone up…any suggestions about what to start with? I want so bad to be able to eventually have enough energy to play with my grandkids. I
Hi Diane,
Start with the Classic routine. You will have to make modifcations and you won’t be able to do all the reps and that is fine. It’s a matter of showing up and doing your best that counts. You may want to skip over the plyometrics for the first week or two because that’s a lot of high intensity exercise. Go for a long, brisk walk instead. You also won’t be able to do the pull ups so you’ll need to do pull downs with a resistance band.
Diet is equally important. I have a write up on diet at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?p=2105. If you are overweight, you are eating not just too many calories relative to what you burn each day but you are eating the wrong calories. My article should help you eat the right amount and the right kind.
Go slow and as you’ll hear Tony Horton say over and over ‘do your best and forget the rest’.
Hi Nancy…….well I have now officially started P90X THREE times. I volunteer with Red Cross and we had all the flooding in Northeast Nebraska which kept me really busy for awhile. So, every time I thing I’ll get through a week without problems, something happens. My question is this….should I pick up where I left off or start over like I have been? I’m not too discouraged though, I did TWICE as many pushup as the first time I did the program. Man did that pump me up! I also love the Mycodex and Xtend. Good recommendations. What is this meal planner tool you’re talking about? Thanks for being YOU and helping the rest of us!
~Diana
One other thing I wanted to mention…..I have been using sparkpeople.com to monitor my intake of calories. The program shows me pretty accurately the amount of carbs, fats, and protein I’m using. I’m still trying to get that 40/40/20 ratio. It seems hard to do..especially carbs. Can you give me an example of what you might consume in a day? Thanks again.
Hi Diana,
If you miss a day or two, then I’d just finish up the week as best as you can and then continue on with the program as though nothing happened. But if you miss a whole week or more, I’d start over at the beginning of the nearest phase. So if you got through 1 or 2 weeks and then stopped, for a week or more, I’d start over from the beginning. But if you were on week 5 before you missed a week, I’d go back to week 5 and continue on from that point.
As for diet ideas, I do keep forums over at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/ and I do have a post at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Sample-eating-plans.htm where I talk about what I eat. There are some other posts over in that general area that might be helpful as well.
I really want to start P90x to get toned and specifically to lose inches off of my thighs and to work on my abs. Currently I am very thin but somewhat athletic so I do not want to lose weight which i tend to do easily. My only hesitation with doing P90X is that I will lose my chest and turn it into muscle, which appears to be the common result on all videos of the transformations for women. I feel as though my chest will be the first thing to go , as that is where most of the fat on my body is, aside from my thighs. Would it be a safer idea to forget about the upper body workouts and just perform the lower body ones and ab ripper? It seems pointless to do the program if I am going to walk away from it toned but flat chested.
Hi HG,
Good news is that how you lose weight doesn’t work based on which body part you exercise. Do incorporate the upper body workout as that isn’t what would reduce your chest. Upper body workouts will make your chest look better (lifted).
What you do want to do is severely limit how much cardio you do and/or keep your calories up. Long bouts of cardio burns off fat which seems to come off your chest first. Shorter high intensity resistance workouts will induce fat loss but more from the midsection (abs), not chest. But you don’t need to lose weight so I would move the Ab Ripper X workouts to the 2 cardio days and take plyo and Kempo out of your workout routine.
BTW, I’m not sure of which pictures you are looking at as I’ve seen many female P90X ‘afters’ that didn’t have a big loss of chest. I have seem more chest loss with Insanity which is much more cardio based and has little resistance training. I will say that I lost some of my chest but I still have plenty and I lost proportionately much more off of my waist, hips, thighs and arms (my arms were very flabby). So overall I’m more curvy (in the right places) than I was before.
Good Luck!
Nancy
hi im gonna start p90x on this weekend im 185 p. and im 25 i want to lose weight and have muscle what do you recomend ..
Hi Almah,
Do the Classic version of P90X to start. Remember to work as hard as you can (lift heavy, not light but with good form). The program works best when you really challenge your muscles that’s how you spark metabolic changes that will get your body to burn fat. And remember that diet is just as important if you really want to burn fat and add lean muscle. I have an article about the diet I use and recommend at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?p=2105. If you are a woman (sorry – I was not sure by reading your name), the P90X nutrition plan calculates far too many calories. It’s even a bit heavy for men so use my recommendations you’ll find in the article instead.
Nancy
HI NANCY
STARTED P90X ABOUT 18 DAYS AGO, WENT GOOD THE FIRST 2 WEEKS BUT THEN I STARTED READING ALL THE FORUMS AND EVERYTHING YOU WROTE ABOUT THE CALORIES THATS TO MUCH> I AM 32 AND ABOUT 5.4 TALL, WEIGHT IS 167 POUNDS. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS IT REALLY NECESSARY FOR A RECOVERY DRINK AFTER A WORKOUT? I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF CARBS IN, AND ALREADY EAT MY LIMIT CARBS AT LUNCH TIME BEFORE I EXERCISE. ALSO I REALLY DONT LIKE THE YOGA SO I DO THE KENPO IN THE PLACE OF YOGA WILL THAT BE A PROBLEM
THANX FOR YOUR HELP
Hi Anzel,
I apologize for taking a couple days to respond. For women, the P90X Results and Recovery is too many calories (a lot of sugary carbs) that immediately shut down fat burning. Instead I like the Xtend product (click here to learn more). It has zero calories and is just branched chain amino acids and glutamine to help you recover and build lean mass. It also has citruline malate which really helps muscle recovery. I actually take this when I get up in the morning to bring my body out of a catabolic state (your body is in a muscle wasting state since you have not eaten for 6 to 8 hours).
Eat about 1600 calories a day and see how you feel. I have my full set of diet recommendations at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/?p=2105.
As for replacing yoga, I really like to see people try to stick with it for the 1st round but if you cannot bring yourself to do it, then substitute X-stretch for it.
Hi Nancy,
I am 36 and on day 43 of my first round of P90x, I have seen changes in my strength and fitness, but I am not seeing ANY changes on the scale. I have been trying to keep my calories at about 1500 in the percents: 45 protein/35 carb/ 20 fat range, using whey protein supplements two times a day. After reading your other posts, I see that you recommend 40/40/20- do you think that would make a difference for me? I am 5′5″ and weigh 150 and can not budge that number. I know my body fat percent is not real high (around 23 when I started) but I haven’t had it professionally measured since last fall.
I am wondering what you think about my nutrition ratios. I want to lean up and lose that last bit of fat- for my build I have always thought 140 would be the perfect weight- any suggestions?
Hi Nicole,
I’m not sure if you are telling me that you’ve plateaued after losing some weight or that you’ve lost no weight at all. If it is the latter, then if you are certain about the calories you are eating and the ratios, I’d look to the workout for insight. I’m assuming you are doing Classic and you are lifting as heavy as you can while maintaining good form. If you aren’t doing Classic or you aren’t lifting heavy, that’s where to make changes.
Now if you lost weight in the beginning and you just stalled out, that’s a different matter. The difference in what you are eating and what I recommend from a macro nutrient basis isn’t enough to cause a stall out but I would shift to my ratios. What carbs you eat are important as well. Only 1 serving of grain and/or starch a day, only 1 serving of dairy a day and no fruit juice. The grain serving should be whole grain with a lot of fiber. I keep a list of bread products I’ll eat at http://www.pressplayfitness.com/members/forum/#topic/Bread.htm.
One strategy you might want to try is to decrease your calories to 1400 per day and then include a cheat day once a week. Cheat days not only make it easier to stick with your diet for a long time, they prevent your body’s metabolism from getting too efficient on a lower calorie base.
Nancy
hi nancy
thanx for replying about the recovery drink of p90x. unfortunately i am staying in south africa and we dont have scivation xtend here. i phoned a couple of places and they recommend that i use ssn cyto gard its about 410 kilojoules per serving with almost no carbs and with amino acids and glutamine and cromium. i hope that wil do. can i eat a protein bar as well? i discovered nutrimax, carbs only 2.8 per bar with hydroxyacid fat burner or green tea in each bar, protein about 10 grams per bar. should i leave the bar and just stick to my recovery drink?
Hi Anzel,
SSN’s CytoGuard looks pretty good. You may only need a half scoop which would save you some calories. Play around with it and see what you think. As far as protein bars go, that’s fine as a mini meal or snack but not as good pre workout or immediately post workout. The advantage of amino acids is how fast they are absorbed by the body so you can maximize the results of your workout.
Nancy