Ash Burton wrote:

SoldierHawk wrote: Hmmm this sounds interesting. I have actually been looking for a program to help me max the PT test. I'm only 10-15 points off max for each event, but those last points are the hardest to get, and I don't seem to be making the progress I want despite my best efforts. What are the costs of the program itself (in terms of actually ordering the discs and equipment and such?) Also, what is the diet like? I don't mind cooking and shopping, but four stores on shopping day is kinda out of the question. I'm glad this thread got bumped...never would have seen it otherwise! The PRT is what you take Hawk? This program should push you well beyond the max of that. My friend says that this workout is pretty tough, and this is coming from a Marine who scores a perfect PFT every time. DO NOT ONLY DOWNLOAD THE TORRENT. It costs around $140, but comes with meal planners, workout guides and everything. You do not need to shop around to 4 different stores, you should be able to get everything from 2. (Health and Grocery Stores). From my understanding, the diet is designed around the workout, so it gives you the food you need based on the work you getting out of the program. Do this program right and you will be laughing at Army PT and who knows, you may want to transfer over to my world here in the Corps.

Hawk, could you describe what the requirements of the PT test are?

As for the cost of the equipment. It is different for women and men due to the commonly desired results and starting strength points.

In general, men have stronger upper bodies. They tend to begin with much more strength for pull-ups, push-ups, and arm weight lifting. Women tend to have very strong upper legs and flexibility. Yoga, Plyo, and Legs & Back should be the easiest when you start. Most leg exercises do not require weights, but rather use depth and duration to gain strength. About half of the upper body does require weights.

If you start with needing heavy weights, expect to pay $1/lb. I currently have a set of 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50 lb weights. That is 476lb of weights so about $500. My wife only uses 5, 8, 10, 15. That is only 76lb, and honestly she could avoid the 8lb if she really needed to, so it could be done for around $50 in weights.
The pull up bar cost me $50, but my wife uses bands, they were $40.

A yoga mat is essential. Spend a few extra bucks and get one you like rather than some cheapo one. They max out at $30, so $20-30 should be good enough.

If you are working out in a basement on concrete, you will want some foam mats to do Plyo.

Costs:
$140 - DVD/Nutrition Plan - http://bit.ly/dqQY4E
$50 - 5, 8, 10lb Dumbbell Weights - (buy in a store, avoid shipping and get on sale)
$36 - Foam Mats - http://bit.ly/9MZEyA
$20 - Yoga Mat - http://bit.ly/czm5jz
$35 - Resistance Bands - http://bit.ly/9ncRhF
Total ~$280

That probably seems like a very large number. Remember that you own everything and you never have to buy it again. So for my wife and I, our second round of P90X has not included any of those above costs. I did get new weights because my goals are higher now, but it was a one time long term investment.

Now for the reality check. The startup cost is next to nothing for someone who has a full time job. It simply seems like a lot because most people spend their money doing other things. Well... when you do P90X you stop doing many other things because you pretty much eat, work, then sleep.

There are much larger cost considerations to consider though. The food change for most is extreme. Expect to eat at least $250 /month worth of food. You won't be eating out, so you can count that as a savings. In the end it evens out, but bulk grocery shopping for organic/natural food does feel expensive when you start.

The last major expense is supplements. Vitamins, protein supplements, bars, and any other selected options. Personally I use the following:
* $42/month - 5lb container per month of Optimum Nutrition 100% NATURAL Whey - http://bit.ly/aUksOu
* $80 (lasts whole program if you skip during rest days) - GNC Pro Performance® AMP Amplified Creatine 189™- http://bit.ly/cj1RXP
* $25 (2 per program) - GNC Pro Performance® Branched Chain Amino Acids 1800 - http://bit.ly/cybSvh
* $40 /month - multivitamin - I happen to get this for free due to a connection, but any good multi will do. There are men's and women's, so getting the correct one is important.
* $36/month - Cliff builders bars. Check local grocery stores for the best prices.

The supplements help, but are not necessary.

I hope that this posts helps put things in perspective and doesn't make it seem too complicated. The program is big, and it takes a lot of effort to make it work. The results are real, and your body will be physically happier.

While my short term goals are to look and feel better now, I know that by doing this I am increasing the chances of having a longer healthier life. That is the real goal.

SoldierHawk wrote:

GP, the APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) is very simple: Two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a two mile run. The standards are different based on gender and age and are really not all that hard. Like I said, its those last couple points in each event I've been trying to get for the last 4 or 5 months. For my gender and age, the standards are: Push-ups: 46 Sit-ups: 80 2 mile run: 15:36

In 2007 my wife was 26 years old and at the start of P90X was able to do 10 push-ups. At the end she was able to do 26. Now, that was in a row with no breaks and had nothing to do with timing. My guess is that she did that in about 26 seconds since it is a fast exercise. If she had 120 seconds and could rest, even at the top of her push-up, my guess is that she would have easily gotten to 46.

My stats for push-ups were starting at 30 and getting to 55. Once again, that is in a row pacing at about one per second.

The only sit-ups done during P90X are full core ones and V-Up Roll-ups, but after three months of Ab Ripper X (349 moves per round) you pretty much have insane strength in your core. Now how many she could do in two minutes is another question, but if you told her to rush, my guess is that it would be about 50 per minute. It would only be determined based on how dizzy she got, not how strong she was.

SoldierHawk wrote:

Now, here's the other big question: I can see this program does a ton for your strength, but will it help with cardio and running too? Running is actually my weakest event, and I need to shave a good 15-20 seconds off (consistently) to max. I can be completely evil to myself while doing push ups, but the run gets me every time--I can just never seem to find the wind for that final 200m sprint to the finish that can be the difference between, say, a 15:30 and a 15:45. (Consistency is actually my biggest problem with the run...I can never seem to fall into a pace and my time, while always "good" by the test standards, fluctuates a lot more than I feel it should.)

Hawk, I honestly don't know. I have stayed away from running because of some knee issues, but when I was in my early teens I used to do cross country and track. I haven't run a timed mile since then. I think that I need to give it a go and see just how far I can run now. I can tell you that I doubt I could have run a full mile without resting before I started P90X. I was just too out of shape.

Perhaps a different comparison would help though. Last year I went skiing up at Okemo. Going from the top of the mountain to the bottom would require me to stop about four to five times in the past to catch my breath. This year I went back and was 30 days into P90X. I could ski top to bottom with a huge burn, but no stops. In fact, I skied the whole day and ended without feeling too tired. On the last few runs the friend I was with really couldn't keep up. The best part is that I brought my own lunch and only bought a water while my friends spent about $20-$30 each on lodge food.

My guess is that the program would help with running, but I don't know by how much.




Hawk, try this out and see what type of results you get. It doesn't take long but it is a good way to measure how fit you are at any given point.
Fitness Test:
http://www.beachbody.com/text/products/programs/p90x/p90xFitTest.pdf

Ash Burton wrote:

On a side note, if you are going to order the P90x make sure to get a in-home pull-up bar. I use the Iron Gym Extreme and it is outstanding, nothing to screw in it just mounts on the door frame. You can pick one up on Ebay for around 30 bucks with shipping. http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-IRON-GYM-XTREME-IRONGYM-CHIN-UP-PULL-UP-BAR-EXTREME_W0QQitemZ280469577508QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414d4a1f24

Hawk, if you can do 3 pull-ups (not chin-ups/reverse grip) then it is worth getting the bar and using that instead of the bands. However, if you can't get 3, then the bands will give you a better workout for at least the first month.

I originally bought the P90X bar because there wasn't much for removable doorway bars out there 3 years ago, but now I'd say buy whatever is affordable. Ash's recommendation seems like enough for the Iron Gym one. Just make sure you have a door frame that has a frame. In my basement where I workout I had to rig my bar up.

Bar:


Bands:

Today was bicep and back for me. The most memorable exercise in this workout is the last one. It is called the Strip-Set Curl and it demands pain, intensity, and psycho craziness to make it through.

For those unfamiliar with this exercise, it is a combination of 32 bicep curls in a row with weight reduction between every eight.

For me, I started with 30lb weights, moved to 25, then 20, and finally 15.

If you want to see what P90X is all about, this exercise sums it up. For those who are on the fence about supplements like creatine, this is where you would see it really make a difference. Those last 8 even at a lower weight are just out of this world difficult if you are doing the correct amount for your body.

Ash Burton wrote:

GPFontaine wrote: Today was bicep and back for me. The most memorable exercise in this workout is the last one. It is called the Strip-Set Curl and it demands pain, intensity, and psycho craziness to make it through. For those unfamiliar with this exercise, it is a combination of 32 bicep curls in a row with weight reduction between every eight. For me, I started with 30lb weights, moved to 25, then 20, and finally 15. If you want to see what P90X is all about, this exercise sums it up. For those who are on the fence about supplements like creatine, this is where you would see it really make a difference. Those last 8 even at a lower weight are just out of this world difficult if you are doing the correct amount for your body. Creatine is overated in my book, I have gotten the same gains minus the water weight without. If you are taking it for recovery, then just use glutamine, its cheaper and works great at recovery.

Are you discussing creatine hydrochloride or creatine monohydrate. Recent developments have really made a huge difference in creatine. For me, I find that the ferocity at which I attack these workouts demands faster recovery for managing it 6 days a week.

This past weekend I took a trip down to Philly.

It was a nice time and I did the normal Philly stuff including visiting Pat's/Geno's (didn't eat it though, my friends did). I also saw the Liberty Bell, some other historical stuff, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the Rocky Steps.

My friends and I raced up the steps and while I was not the fastest, I did notice something amazing. Those 72 steps were a breeze. I have never been a fast sprinter, and my friend who was faster was bounding 4 steps at a time to finish 3 ahead of me. When we were done my heart rate wasn't even elevated while he was barely able to catch his breath.

I think it finally sank in. If I want to be faster at running, I need to run. If I want to be better at a specific sport, I need to do it. What P90X is doing for me is giving me the capability to pick whatever I want to do and not have any physical restrictions.

This goes back to Hawk's question about running faster. My guess is that I can't run faster than I used to, but I bet I could run further at the same speed. In three weeks when I am done I will run a mile and time it. I also plan to do some heavy weight bench lifting to see what types of numbers I can put up. I don't have any early reference but my guess is that I won't be able to lift very much more than I would have when I started, but I could probably do full sets rather than just one at a time. We'll see and time will tell.

joshwoodzy wrote:

GP, did Zuul take over your basement? Get that insulation enclosed, it ain't good for you.

Well played sir.

I have every intention of finishing the basement up... eventually. I only have so much money though and siding is the next home improvement. Do you know of any way to very inexpensively cover the insulation?

Blackout wrote:

So wait, you're building a sex swing in the basement?

Hmm... not a bad idea.

Today I took my final fitness test for this round of P90X.

I was more than satisfied with the results.

Measure	Day 1	Day 90
Body Fat %	16.7	6.5
Weight (lb)	153	145
Chest (in)	35.25	37
Waist (in)	34.5	31.5
Hips (in)	36.5	36
Left Thigh (in)	21.25	20
Right Thigh (in)	21.25	20
Left Arm (in)	13	13.75
Right Arm (in)	13	13.75
Resting Heart Rate (bpm)	78	58

Exercise	Day 1	Day 90
Pull ups (count)	9	33
Vertical Leap (in)	13	14.5
Push-Ups (count)	27	60
Toe Touch (Inches Past Toe)	4	7.5
Wall Squat (sec)	0:01:32	0:04:38
Bicep Curl (count) 30lb	9.5	20
In & Out (count)	29	133

I will share pictures soon.

Pictures:

Left is day 1, Right is Day 90

Arm Flexing:


Turning - Not forcing a flex (Twisting flexes naturally):


Facing Front - Flexing:


Sideways - No Flex

joshwoodzy wrote:

...when I get a little more free time after the spawn of joshwoodzy is born, I'll probably hit up some sort of structured program to gain a little more muscle mass.

First up, congratulations on your upcoming child.

As for the structured program, I can definitely tell you that the first day or two off of it feels like pure guilt. I grew to not only like the results, but accustomed to the comfort of knowing that there was a plan for my eating and training.

I plan to pick it up again in two weeks, but I suppose if an addiction has to be eating healthy and working out, there are much worse things.

A while back there was a question about being able to run after doing P90X.

Today I did my first timed run in 15 years. I ran ~1.1 miles over gradually sloping terrain on freshly paved asphalt. I would not have been able to complete that run prior to P90X, so a time would have been out of the question. I would have needed to walk at least 3/4.

Today's time was 8:38. That is roughly a 7:50 mile. Certainly isn't anything to brag about, but I felt good during it and could have run at least another full mile before being too tired to continue, the second one would definitely have been slower though.

During the next week or two I will continue to run this route to maintain some core fitness during my time away from the P90X routines. Once I open the pool, I'll be swimming instead since it is lower impact.

If I get the chance I'll do a timed run around an actual track. Since half of my run here is up a slight incline, I imagine that is really digging into my time.

Hawk it is great that you were able to reduce your time by so much. 2.5 minutes is significant beyond words but in case they help, great job!!!

I have planned to run more, but the weather hasn't allowed. I've been cooped up since I took a 4.5 mile walk along the beach trail on Saturday. A strong suggestion to all, don't walk on dirt/gravel/shells/sand etc. for 4+ miles while wearing flip flops.

I am looking forward to tomorrow evening. I plan to go over a friend's house and power lift a bit. I haven't done real weight lifting since I was about 15, so I have no idea how much I can and should be able to push. This is very much about establishing a benchmark for myself so that I can see how much progression I gain when I do the next cycle of P90X (starting in either 1-2 weeks).

So I did another timed run. I was able to get my time down from 8:38 to 8:07.

I also made a loop out of it using http://www.livestrong.com/loops
My run has an elevation gain of 78.74 ft. It's profile looks like this:

I think it is a little more smooth of a transition than this suggests, but it is pretty damn close.

I am noticing that my muscles aren't fatiguing at all. I could run faster if it was just limited to my legs. My chest is cramping like crazy after about half way. I think I just need to develop my breathing and the speed will really start to show through. I think that if I can address my breath, I will be able to get this time down a lot more. My hope is to around 6 minutes flat. Once I break into the low 7 minute area I'll consider doing a timed run around a regular track that has no elevation change.

Some new results.

I have not done typical weight training since I was about 15 years old on the hockey team for my high school. I had no idea what I could bench press, what I could squat, deadlift, etc.

A few friends of mine who knew I just finished P90X invited me to their regular lifting session to benchmark myself and see how I could do during a full body weight training day.

Results:
* Bench Press: I was able to push 165lb one time and do reps with 155.
* Squats: I was able to do reps at 225lb. I might have been able to do more, but was uncomfortable with the form, so I didn't want to press it.
* Deadlift: I was able to do reps at 225lb. I definitely could have done more weight, but most likely not for reps.
* Isolated Bicep Curls: I was able to do reps with 35, but they were sloppy, 30s were more appropriate for form.
* Leg extensions: they only have 100lb of weight that fit on that particular sized bar, so I maxed it out with 10 reps per set. I probably could have done another 25lb.
* Shoulder Presses: I was able to do 65lb and most likely could have done more, however this was the last exercise we did and my upper pecs were too tight for me to lock my arms out correctly. This lead to sloppiness.

When I say I went for reps, I was always aiming for 6-8. If I couldn't hit at least 5 then I wouldn't count it as adequate for reps.

Today I am not soar, but rather tight. P90X doesn't work all of the same muscles as hard, so it was a different thing and my body isn't sure what the hell to do, but being in good shape and eating well is allowing me to recover well.

I enjoyed this experience and I think I'll consider buying some home gym equipment after I cycle through P90X one more time. Either way, it will be great to see if another 90 days of insane workouts will make any real difference in how much I can lift in a traditional weight training routine.