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There have been plenty of advertising for Beachbody’s P90X on cable TV. This is yet another fitness program that has been pumped up as the magic solution to weight loss and muscle building. It boasts that a ripped body can be achieved in 90 days. However, this will cost you. The infomercials claim that all you need is the program to get started, which is not entirely true. The DVDs themselves cost a whooping $140, taking the P90X well into the premium exercise video category. However, on top of that, you will need resistance bands, perfect push ups (or an alternative), dumbbells and a chin up bar. By my calculation, this could cost about $250 on top of the DVDs. Not to mention installing the chin up bar will be a hard sell to many.
If you can get past the price tag, this is definitely a very reasonable fitness program. It is designed for those with an established fitness base however, those who are out of shape or lack muscle mass can struggle with many of the exercises (there are easier versions provided, but I feel you would be missing out on the intended workout). For those capable however, there are excellent routines that you will find in most gyms throughout the DVDs and I doubt any trainers would be complaining about them. There are exercises for every part of your body and a steadily rising difficulty curve that builds gradually. This is definitely not one of those exercise and relax DVDs, it is an intense workout and you will feel the ache the morning after. Another real positive is that Tony Horton (the trainer) is motivating and encouraging. I feel his style is one that would please most people, which is not something I could say for a huge number of fitness programs. If you are going to do this program for three months, it is really important that you like the trainer, which is an aspect that often gets lost among the discussion of routines. The written materials supplied are also excellent and pay special attention to the book about diet. As anyone that has tried to get fit before will know, diet is just as important as the exercise and I really emphasise this. Doing an hour of exercise a day before heading off to McDonalds will not produce any results. This leads into one of my annoyances with the package, which is that the DVDs often push Beachbody’s supplements. First of all there are truly no shortages of alternative products on the market and secondly when I pay a staggering $140 for a product, I don’t want to see any advertising whatsoever.
The bottom line is, if you are willing to spend the money upfront, this is a very good program with a greater focus on the eating plan than others. This is definitely a wise choice and too many ignore this aspect when attempting to lose weight or gain muscle. The P90x is a comprehensive package and I would recommend it as a gym replacement. Having written this review, this only applies to the people that actually scrupulously follow the program. For those with the willpower, there are definitely great rewards to be had but I really doubt a large percentage of people will follow through with the entire program. Three months is a long time and while this is as close to a real trainer as you can get, when there is no commitment required, I expect that most people will not experience the full 90 days. This is both a large financial and time commitment so think carefully beforehand.
