Are You Struggling with P90X?

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If you’re struggling with P90X, you’re not alone. Maybe you saw the infomercial and the results that P90X graduates from all walks of life are achieving. Maybe you wanted to watch the fat melt off and the muscles turn from flab to ripped. Maybe, you even know someone who’s getting awesome results from the P90X Extreme Training System. I’m writing this article because I believe one of two things is probably contributing to your struggle.

The first reason you may be struggling with P90X is because it is an extreme fitness program designed for people who are already working out and need a challenging workout routine to take their fitness to the next level. Even if you passed the fitness test, you may not be ready for P90X. This doesn’t mean you’ll never be ready or that you can’t struggle through it. You can. You’ll just need to modify your program. Do your best and forget the rest. Set reasonable goals and expectations. Small steps add up to big results over time.

I had a friend who wanted to try the P90X program and soon learned that it was more advanced than her current fitness level. She didn’t want to let me down. You know what I told her? You’ve got to do it for yourself. You can’t do it for someone else. The desire and commitment must be yours. What I recommend for her (or for you if this fits your situation) is Tony Horton’s Power 90 or Debbie Siebers Slim in 6.

The Slim in 6 program is a six week program designed especially for weight loss. It teaches you about basic nutrition for health and fitness and gets you started on a daily regimen of fitness for beginners to mid-level exercisers. It’s also a great program to toss a few pounds and throw in a little variety for those who are serious fitness fanatics.

Power 90 is Tony Horton’s workout program that was used as the basis for P90X. It is not considered extreme fitness. It’s interval training that uses a lot of the same moves in P90X but at a lower intensity. It’s a great starting point to get you ready for P90X if you’re struggling with the advanced program right now.

Ok, what’s the second reason you might be struggling with P90X? It’s hard! It wasn’t meant to be easy. It was designed for you to be able to push yourself. You have a lot of control with the intensity and modifications you use in each exercise routine.

One great place to get help on a particular workout or routine is the message boards. I was having trouble with the Yoga X in my first thirty days. I spent a lot of time on the message boards chatting with other people who were doing the same program as me. We gave each other a lot of support. Some of us were at about the same level in the program while others had already been through it. We once received advice from someone who had done yoga for years. She advised that the routine would get easier with time and that it was actually just the first half of the routine that was so challenging. I found both of these statements to be true.

The second thing I recommend is joining the club. You’ll be able to get advice from expert trainers on exercise and nutrition. The nutritional tools in the club are very helpful in getting your diet planned right for the program you’re doing. Until I used this tool, I was getting stronger and my muscles were getting toned, but I was staying about the same weight. I wanted to lose a little more weight than I was and discovered that I needed to adjust my nutritional intake to gain muscle and lose weight at the same time.

I hope I’ve given you a little encouragement if you’re struggling with P90X. By the way, if you haven’t joined Beachbody yet, get your free account. I’d be happy to be your coach!