Hello everybody, I've recently started p90x. I'm beginning week 2 this week. Let me tell you after the first week alone I feel great. I've lost around 8-9 pounds and I also have quite a bit more strength than I thought I would. I'm not a big fan of the gym as I feel everyone's watching me or laughing.

But anyways.... What are some of your exercise routines? Also if you've tried the P90X workouts; what are your results and opinions on it?

I haven't tried it myself, but I know several people who have, and they're thoroughly unsatisfied with the experience. I personally use the http://athleanx.com/ program. I absolutely love it and the results are out of this world. I used to be really fat, but now I'm fit as a fiddle. I'd show pics (and I already have to the people here which I know already), but shirtless pics are indecent, and I'm not that kinda guy.

Huh, I've been wondering about doing some routines myself, since I basically just do jumping jacks, jogging in place, pushups, etc. I'd like to know about more, since I'm in pretty crappy shape. I could look them up, but hearing about other people's results and such would be better.

Indecent behavior is only for your friends, not strangers.

Which is exactly why I'm not sharing anything with you creeps.

You feel like everyone is laughing at you at the gym? Please, please tell me you are not one of those planet fitness type people, those people are a plague. You really can't worry about what people think if you want results man up and lift. All that being said I haven't tried p90x it seems like it could work to a degree, meaning it'll work for awhile and then you'll have to move on to something else plus it looked very gimmicky and if I recall they do a lot of dumbbell work in that routine where as barbell work is much more important. I just started getting enough food to really see a strength increase and mass increase. Here is what I do

Day 1: back/bi's
Day 2: chest/tri's
Day 3: off
Day 4: legs
Day 5: shoulders
Day 6: off
Day 7: off

Set 1 - Back and Bis Note I would do a set of chin-ups but I don't have a chin-up bar.
Barbell Row
Deadlift
EZ Bar curls standing with weight bent on to minimize use of my back while I'm curling and to force better form
Hammer curls seated on a sturdy chair

Set 2 - Chest and Tris

inclined Bench press
flat DB press
declined DB flies
close grip tricep extension with EZ bar in a seated position.

Set 3 - Legs

Front Squats
calf raises
Leg Raises


Set 4 - Shoulders
Db Shoulder Press
scaptions
one arm lateral raises
rear delt flies
shrugs

I want to get "ripped" or toned, but that'll come later I'm more worried about strength right now. Plus think about it what is more impressive a guy with a defined six pack, or a guy with a gut that can lift someone up and slam them?

Oh yeah and most importantly EAT and when I say eat I mean eat.

All of my sisters do P90X, and they swear by it... personally I just stick to arabic folk dance and belly dancing combined with low carbing and it keeps me in great shape! I prefer being slim with soft curves rather than the completely muscular toned look...but then I'm a woman.

Toned chicks can be sixy too lol, just not the women that get so big they no longer have boobs.

Too true. Hit it hard and smart, and soon people in the gym will look up to you and respect you. I get mad props in the gym for my deep, heavy squats which aren't really that good, it's just that so few people have the balls to do them.

Anyway, Derick... is your program based on Wendler 5/3/1? Also, why incline bench, no back squats, and no barbell overhead press? Just curious.

If you're doing it to "impress" others, then I'm afraid that it's for the wrong reason. Either way, unless you're a WWE wrestler, there are going to be far more opportunities to show off a defined six pack than lifting and slamming people. Strength is always a plus, but it also depends on what your goal is. My goal is physical fitness and well being, though it would be nice to be toned as well.

Gah. I used to be in great shape a couple of years ago, but now I'm a bit flabby 'round the mid-section. I could blame a new office job, a long commute and a buch of other things, but in reality it's because I've gotten lazy. I miss being able to see my abs.

I have started running again a few months ago, which has helped somewhat. I've lost a few kilos and I feel a hell of a lot better overall. My plan is, once I lose about 3 or 4 more kilos, to start hitting the weights again. I've recently joined a gym near where I work and I've been going a couple of evenings a week after work. Just the threadmill and machines for the time being, but in a few weeks I'm going to start hitting the free weights again.

I'd love to give a program like P90X a go, but it's such a big commitment, and to be honest, I'm working unholy hours lately, and on top of that, studying for a business diploma at night. It's tough enough just to go for a short run in the evenings these days.

No it's really based on what others have told me and I've been getting success with the exceptions of curls, but that's only because I didn't have good form so I switched to the ez bar and made sure my back was straight with my weight belt on to minimize any movement of the back while curling. I switched to incline bench, because I got stuck on the flat bench idk if that had to do with my body getting used to it or for the simple fact I wasn't getting enough food. I am planning on going back to back squats and alternating back and front squats each week. I had a muscle imbalance in my shoulders, so because of that lack of flexibility I couldn't do back squats. Now I can do them, but I need to get used to them again and I can only seem to back squat with the bar in the high bar position. As for the over head press, I just have not been able to do it successful, it feel uncomfortable and I can't get my elbows forward at all in the starting position, I actually have to move the bar close to my chin. I have slight scoliosis this may be why. I do want to start the overhead press soon though. I want to get to the point where I can lift people up and slam them lol. For now I'm doing dumbbell shoulder presses.

Why not just start hitting the free weights now? Increasing your muscle mass will increase your metabolism, helping you burn fat. Also, having some extra weight on you is more of a challenge to cardio type activities than it is to lifting, so I'd say jump right in! As far as P90X goes, I have never heard anything verifying the validity of the whole "muscle confusion" concept which is the basis of the entire program. I have no doubt it's better than couch-riding, but I do seriously doubt it being the most effective approach to strength and conditioning training.

Personally I find all of these exercise routes to be cheesy to the absurd really. Only thing I will admit people need are a set of weights with a bar to put the weights on, but that's about it. If I need to do crunches I stick my feet under the couch, if I need to do curls I get a weight, if I need to do squats I just do squats, etc... .

Because free weights are only really beneficially if you're backing it up with a decent calorie intake. I'm about five kilos heavier than I'd like to be (most of it held around my mid-section) and I'd like to shift that first before starting on the weights. I don't see the benefit in properly committing to weight training while on a low-calorie diet (which I am now). I am doing moderate weight training at the moment, simply to conserve muscle mass while losing the fat.

As stated before strength is my main goal, not that I don't want to tone out but I'm more concerned with building up strength right now. I'll do a "cut" later on. Also WWE svcks. TNA is way better.

I see your point, but what you're looking at here is calories in vs. calories out. You can afford to eat more if you're training harder, and assuming you don't go overboard with your calorie intake, you shouldn't get fat, and may indeed gain weight while still lowering your bodyfat percentage.

I am also heavier and fatter than I'd like to be right now, so I've been dropping calories here and there making sure I don't drop so many that my lifts fall off. I also am gonna add in some conditioning; I don't really like slow cardio (though it is nice to go for a walk sometimes), so I'm probably gonna go do some sprints on this killer hill near my house and hope I don't puke!

Haha, I finally managed to lift my little brother overhead a couple of times, but he only weighs like 125-130. As far as your shoulder flexibility goes, do you include any mobility work to address those issues?

I do shoulder stretches and dislocations, well I don't dislocate my shoulder but that's what the stretch is called. Also I do scaptions.

Yeah, I know about shoulder dislocations. I do them too sometimes

I've lost 10 pounds within the first week about. So overall I would have to say it's doing some wonders. Started at 185, just weighed in at 175 today.




Edit: If I did say that I do feel like everyone is laughing at me I'm sorry for phrasing it incorrectly.

I don't go to a gym. I just wouldn't wanna get that look from people. A preplanned exercise I felt would set me better off. Believe it or not... The routines really do leave you feeling worked in the proper areas as long as you have the right form. If the p90x doesn't EXACTLY get me where i'd LIKE to be. I'll talk to a friend of mine who has what appears to be a great routine set up. My only "problem" is that I don't have any supplements or anything that helps build a little muscle legitimately. Which I know I SHOULD be looking into with these kinds of workouts.

The only supplements you really need right now is fish oil, a multivitamin and some whey protein powder. Diet is much more important than supplements.

which one is better P90X or Insanity?