So I Actually Did P90X!!!!! (Guest post)

If you were checking up on Jennifer’s blog and you were confused by the title, have no fear-this is a guest blog entry!

My name is Karen Bridgman and I am a friend of Jennifer and as luck would have it, neighbors too.  About four months ago I had a little chat with Jennifer at Publix that changed my life and my husband’s life too!  Yes, life-altering conversations at a grocery store.  I will start by saying that I had considered myself to be in pretty decent shape.  I faithfully walked on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes each day, but I had noticed that I seemed to be putting on a few extra pounds that I wasn’t able to shed. My husband had a desire to lose some weight too but no desire to get on the treadmill.  So, we began to have some talks about what we could do.  I am 37 and he is 39 so we figured if were going to get in shape it better be NOW.  We talked about doing something like P90X but we figured we couldn’t really do it.  You’ve seen those infomercials before.  Those people are ripped.

So, one day on Facebook I noticed Jeff Corvin had posted something about Jennifer’s blog and I thought I would check it out.  I had no idea I lived across the street from a fitness guru.  So literally, the next day I saw Jennifer at Publix and we talked about P90X and I made up my mind to do it.  I called my husband and he said sure so I bought it that afternoon and we started the very next day.  I allowed us NO time to change our minds.

Happy and sweaty after my workout

At first, when we started, I’m pretty sure we thought we might die but it got better and a bit easier.  The program consists of three days of cardio or yoga and three days of weights.  Turns out we probably like the weights the best.  The program is great because each person in the video is doing some variation of each move.  If you need to modify, there is someone you can watch.  If you are a fitness machine, there is someone to watch.  If you don’t want to use weights, you can use bands.  I feel like this is a great program to kick off a new fitness routine.  Plus, Tony Horton is hilarious!  But really the best part is the results…I lost 10 pounds and 8 inches overall and my husband lost 20 pounds and 12 inches overall.   WOW!!! Even better, we have made a commitment to working out.  

A few months ago I never thought any of this was possible.  I doubted my own ability to do a challenging workout.  I figured I would never lose those extra pounds.  Now I feel like I can do anything!  In fact, we started Insanity the week after we finished P90X.  Insane right???  My whole mindset has changed about working out.  I want to stay in shape. I want to be more fit.  I want to be healthier- FOREVER!

And yes, all this happened following one conversation at the grocery store.  Funny how life works…

P90X Review

People will occasionally ask me about the workouts I do. I use several Beachbody programs for my workouts, but it all started with P90X.

What is P90X? It is a 90-day training program created by fitness expert Tony Horton that promises to transform your body. It certainly did that for me. More than that though, it started me on a whole new fitness journey that changed the way I look at taking care of my body.

The Workouts

P90X includes 12 intense workouts that use resistance and body-weight training, cardio, plyometrics (you're gonna be jumping!), ab work, martial arts and yoga. Most of the workouts are 50 - 60 minutes for 6 days per week. For a closer look at what each workout consists of, you can go here. These workouts are tough. I was definitely a "beginner" when I started using this program. I had to make a lot of modifications at first. I couldn't do a pushup on my toes, for example. It took weeks for me to get there.

Several of the videos contain pull-ups as well. When I first learned this, I was immediately taken back to my elementary school days when we had to do pull-ups for the President's Fitness Test. I could never do them then, and I certainly didn't expect to be able to do them now. So I modified. 

This move is what got me ready for the *real* pull-up bar. Throughout the program, Tony demonstrates modifications for many of the exercises, which is a huge help. As the 90 days progressed, I found that I didn't need many of the modifications I had used in the beginning.

The program is designed around the concept of muscle confusion and is broken down into 3 phases. You'll never "plateau"—which means your body will never get used to the routines because they are changing every few weeks. This is the key to continually transforming your body throughout the entire 90 days.

Equipment

Unlike many of the other Beachbody programs, some equipment is required for P90X. You're going to want some dumbbells and/or a band like the one pictured above. I started out with 3 sets of dumbbells - 5's, 8's and 10's. You'll also need a chair close by. And eventually you're probably going to want a pull-up bar. My husband and I workout in our basement, so he installed pull-up bars in the beams on the ceiling. One of those pressure bars that can be used in a doorway would work just as well.

Final Thoughts

When I started P90X, I honestly did it as a favor to my husband. He was looking for a way to stay accountable, and he needed me to make sure he got up every morning. As I began doing the program, however, I started noticing changes to my body that were really exciting! I also learned a great deal about muscle and how important it is for us to do resistance training as we age. 

As adults, we lose 5 - 7 lbs. of muscle every decade if we don't do any form of strength training. This not only slows down our metabolism, but it also puts us at greater risk of injury and can lead to loss of mobility. The good news is it's never to late to start reversing the negative effects of muscle loss! 

If you would like more information about P90X or have any questions about my experience, feel free to leave me a comment below or contact me at corvincrew@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!