90 Day Fitness Experiment – P90x

I take my health to heart, and am always looking for interesting and fun new ways go get and stay fit. Last week when my friend Joel told me about how using P90X could help P90X “eradicate every fat cell in the body” I decided it was time I try it out for myself.

So far P90X is fun, and intense. The video recommends taking “before” pictures when you start, so I did, and I have included them in this post.

P90X does not confuse the fact that fitness is part exercise, and part healthy eating, although it focuses on the former.  Due to this truism of fitness I will be fighting a battle to improve my health on two fronts over the next three months.

The Goal

My goal from this fitness experiment is to attain an undeniable six-pack.

Exercise Plan

My exercise plan for P90X is to use the videos, or hit the gym, at least 6 times a week. and stick to an entirely healthy diet, with no exceptions. If food does not advance my health I will not put it in my body.

Any day that I go to the gym I will not worry about completing a video. I’ll allow myself one day of rest a week. Although the P90X program is intense, I still feel that I get more from hitting the gym, and being surrounded by other people working out. When I do hit the gym, my plan is to do at least 30 minutes of cardio while I am there.

Healthy Eating Plan

P90X makes it quite clear that healthy eating is a part of a healthy exercise plan, and towards this initiative my goal is to eliminate sugar wherever possible (without substituting for aspartame) and to also eliminate fatty, fast, and junk foods altogether.

When eating on the go I plan to eat almost exclusively either a sub or a pita. Despite eating several of these a week already, I find that there is enough variety to keep me from getting bored. I love subs and have often considered going on a subway diet of sorts. It worked for Jared!

I am going to avoid soda with no exceptions. My plan is to drink mainly plain H2O, or vitamin water. I carry a stainless steel water canister so that I can stay hydrated wherever I am. I drink plenty of coffee and I recently bought a Mr. Coffee espresso maker for under $70. The best part of this machine is that is has a milk steamer on the side. Coffee with steamed milk is divine. Not only does adding steamed milk to coffee make it taste much better, it also removes the need for sugar!

Here are my before pictures. I’ll be posting again in 90 days (April 21st) with my after pictures, and my thoughts about the effectiveness of this P90X fitness experiment.

  • p90xresults
    Thanks for information. I really like this plan because this plan is very helpful for me. thanks for sharing fitness program!!
  • timfrick
    Hey Garin, after all was said and done (I think you're past the 90 day marke now, yes?) can I assume you give the P90X a rousing endorsement?
  • I sure do give #P90x a rousing endorsement! It has been more than 90 days now, I stuck with P90x almost every day, and I am very happy with the results. I'll be posting a P90x review soon on GarinKilpatrick.com. I'll let you know when it's up! Probably within the next week.

    Cheers
  • timfrick
    Awesome, it's on my list for when the weather gets colder. Thanks for the update.
  • A coffee maker for $70 looks pretty affordable.
  • Yeah I'm really happy with that thing. It's a solid little coffee maker, perfect for one cup at a time, which is a great way to moderate consumption.
  • timfrick
    I just saw the infomercial for this (while I was on the elliptical trainer at the gym, actually) and thought it looked interesting. I was watching it over someone else's shoulder so I couldn't hear the audio but from what I could tell it seemed like a good approach, different from the routine I've been using for too long at the gym. I'm considering a long bike ride through the mountains later this year and was thinking perhaps I needed something to kickstart the training. Maybe this is the ticket. Let me know how you like it and how the progress goes.
  • Hi Tim,

    P90x uses some really dynamic exercises, and is designed around the principle of "muscle confusion." The whole idea behind muscle confusion is keeping the muscles confused so that they are forced to adapt and grow. Each P90x video is just a series of short exercises, each usually just 30 seconds or a minute. For me this constant changing is what keeps it interesting, especially since I have never done most of the exercises before this program. A long bike ride through the mountains sounds like an intense challenge! There is a plyometrics video in P90x that would help you prepare. It involves plenty of lunging and jumping, and it's amazing how much burn you can get going on with just the body weight exercises that it uses!
  • timfrick
    Super cool. I've been doing some muscle confusion exercises at the gym but haven't really applied much of a science to it. Thanks for the info. I'll definitely check it out.

    Oh yeah, nice to meet you too. Just subscribed to your blog and followed you on Twitter. Word!
  • Awesome Tim. I'm following you on Twitter too. (Word! :) I hope to hear more about what you think about P90x if you try it out, and about how your mountain bike ride goes too. Cheers!
  • timfrick
    I did this a few years ago:

    http://www.ridetherockies.com/

    and it was awesome! Looking for something comparable.
  • A 532-mile trek?! Wow, that is one intense trek! Is this what you are doing again this year?
  • timfrick
    No plans for Ride the Rockies this year, but am definitely looking for something similar. Did Alaska (Fairbanks to Anchorage) some years back too. Really incredible experiences. If you come across anything that looks comparable or interesting, please let me know. I would imagine the P90X routine would prep you really well for something like that.
  • I will certainly let you know! A good friend of mine wants to take two weeks and bike across Canada. My mountain bike would not be able to handle such an epic ride, but I am going to put away some money to buy a really good bike because I know that both Canada and the US have some really beautiful scenery. An old teacher of mine biked with friends from Vancouver to Ontario and he said it was an incredible experience. P90X is great for staying fit in the winter, but but it really can't compare to a good trail run, or a long bike ride outdoors!
  • timfrick
    Heya Garin, I responded to this but I think the browser swallowed my response. A friend of mine biked from Seattle to Boston and it took him close to three months. My hunch is if you wanted to do same in Canada on a mountain bike it would be even longer than that. But it certainly would be super cool.
  • timfrick
    Hey Garin, how's the P90x training going?
  • Hey Tim, I got your comment and decided to write a quick update post on a new domain. P90x is going great, and here is the update post I just wrote: http://garinkilpatrick.com/2010/03/25/p90x-day-65/
  • Hey Tim, wow a three month bike ride is quite the admirable feat! I found a website of two guys (Jeff and Ian) who decided to bike across Canada. http://bikeacross.ca. It took them three and a half months, with 14 days and 13 hours of riding time. I'd really like to do this as well, and hopefully one day I will!
  • perrysjogren
    Hey Garin,

    Fun to read your post. I'm Day into it and pretty excited about it so far. I'll be checking in on your blog to see how it's going for you. Good luck!!
  • Thanks Perry,

    Glad to hear you are doing P90X too! It's quite the popular program I am finding out. It's going really great so far for me, I am already noticing progress. I hope you check back in here in a bit and let me know how it is going for you too. Best of luck!!
  • I'm 13 days into P90X at this point and going strong! I'm supplementing the Cardio video with actual jogging, and hitting the treadmill. I have already noticed a difference! I am doing the Ab Ripper every other day, sometimes every day. I hate it. But I love it. :)
  • I was thinking about checking in with you to see how things are going with the P90X. The one thing I like about "actual jogging" is you really can't quit or take it easy UNTIL you return home. Less distractions as well. However, the downside.....rotten weather, getting dressed for the outdoors, running low on hydration keep me from doing it.

    I'll be honest...."Ab Ripper" sounds painful. No pain no gain? LOL I would like to read your thoughts on PRO and CON with the system by the end of this month. Where you found yourself straying (if that) and why. As well as if this is something that you think you will do once a year or modify to suite your lifestyle and only "kick it back up" when you need to.
  • Hey Tim,

    Running is my favorite exercise. I enjoy running more than any other because it really gets my endorphins going (I love a runners high) and I find myself constantly pushing myself to the limit. I enjoy jogging but I find that with a treadmill I am more inclined to push myself until I hit a milestone; a certain number of calories burned, or a certain distance within a time frame. I am seriously considering purchasing the Nike + iPod setup, as that looks like plenty of fun! I am not a huge fan of outdoor jogging in the winter though.

    "Ab ripper X" is indeed painful, slightly. No pain, no gain, is an unfortunate fact. This program really makes the midsection burn, but it is the shortest exercise in the program (18 minutes). I find this a great alternative to traditional sit-ups and crunches, which I have read can be bad for the back.

    At this point in the program I am already familiar with most routines, so by the time day 90 rolls around I will probably want a break from the program, and look for something new. That way I can "kick it back up" in a few months and hopefully then it will still be as fun as it is now. But if it takes me more than 90 days to get the six-pack I am seeking so be it! That is my goal and I am not stopping until I get the stomach I want. :) Some people stick with the program for a year and achieve really impressive results, and I can see myself doing the ab ripper X on a regular basis for a long time.
  • I'll be honest with you.....I think most people would be happy to have their AFTER be equal to your BEFORE photos. :-) I've heard of P90x but was reluctant to do anything with it as I didn't know anyone who tried it. So....I guess I'll wait and see how you do.

    Good luck with it Garin. Since you are looking to get that undeniable sick-pack....I'm assuming you took a BEFORE photo of you head on without a shirt. Out of any BEFORE photos I would have thought that would be the one to feature.
  • Thanks for the compliment Tim. :)

    I certainly did take a before picture of me head on without a shirt. I am holding off on posting it until I have that undeniable "six-pack" I am looking for, which I can hopefully attain within 90 days. 86 days or so from now I will post the before and after, side by side.

    As far as the program is going so far I honestly do think I will get the results I am looking for if I persist as I am doing right now. I am feeling the burn on a daily basis. P90x keeps the intensity high, but remains fun, and I am really enjoying it so far.
  • techiediva
    You motivate me. I really need to start on my diet! Go Garin! I'll be following your progress, and cheering you along!
  • Thank you! :) I'm going to do my best to stick with it!
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