P90X: The Mindset For Success

We’re coming to a close of my first week back on the P90X wagon. Last night I finished Yoga X (I forgot how brutal that could be) and already in my journey I’ve realized something important for my other P90X-ers out there:

There is a special mindset for success in P90X.

And it’s important. If you’re head isn’t screwed on just right when you start this program, it’s almost impossible to see it through to the end.

So what’s this mindset all about?

Patience, Grasshopper.

P90X isn’t a program for people who think too far ahead. It takes a lot of dedication on a daily basis. It takes a mindset that lives in the present moment.

I figured the best way to approach P90X was to keep my eye on the prize. Just keep your eyes focused on the target and think about the end of the road.

In my experience, there is no faster way to fail.

You can’t think that far ahead with P90X. Why? Because it will psych you out. As soon as you start to realize what’s coming and everything you still have left to do, it seems daunting and impossible.

When you’re standing at Day 3 and realizing that you may not be able to eat your favorite food again for another 87 days, it can be hard not to want to call it quits. That’s when the excuses start coming.

Take the program in bite-sized chunks and you give yourself a much better chance of success.

The AA Mindset

They say in Alcoholics Anonymous (so I’m told) that your goal should simply be to get from the beginning of the day to the end of the day without having a drink. I believe the same mindset is true for P90X.

I remember in my first experience with P90X, I didn’t even think in terms of days but in terms of meals and workouts.

I told myself, all you have to do is follow the diet plan for one more meal. After that you can cheat if you want, but just choose to do it one more time. And I always did.

The same goes for the workouts. Just do the next workout. Just get through this one. Tomorrow you can skip it if you want, but choose to get through just one more workout.

When I broke my commitments into individual decisions, they were manageable. They were easy and I never slacked off on them. I never chose to skip the next workout. I never chose to cheat on my next meal.

That’s the P90X mindset for success. Consistent movements in the right direction.

I’ll bet the P90X mindset applies pretty well to all areas of life. What do you think?

P90X Journal Intro: At It Again!

All right, kids. It’s that time again. Dorian, Kevin and Ashley have convinced me to start P90X Extreme Home Fitness
again and document the whole thing.

By far the most popular article on Home Fitness Challenge is the P90X Mistakes post I originally wrote about three years back. That’s why Dorian asked me if I was ready to get back on the horse and fix my old mistakes.

So How’s This Going to Work?

I’m not going to be writing a daily journal. I learned last time that there are just so many times that I can actually write “Ahhh! My muscles are so sore! “ before it gets boring.

No, I’m only going to write about the important bits that are actually going to help you get through P90X yourself.

The way I see it, I’m doing the program for me. I’m documenting it for you. Nobody cares about my sore muscles, so I’m only going to write about my experiences if you guys can benefit from it.

The Nutritional Plan:

I’m rejecting the P90X recipes meal plan in favor of their “Portion Plan.” It allows a lot more freedom when you get right down to everyday eating.

Plus it’s cheaper.

Granted, you don’t eat as well . . . But you get used to eating the same things over and over again. If you’re wondering what a meal on this portion plan is like, you’re in luck.

I took a picture of my first P90X meal on day one:

That’s some black beans, scrambled eggs, a banana and unsweetened iced tea with lemon. Mmmm. Breakfast.

Or for those of you playing along at home: 1 portion of veges, 1.5 portions of protein, 1 portion of fruit and 1 portion of caffeine

So Stay Tuned . . .

Be sure to stay up to date on all of the P90X updates, I promise there will be some good stuff coming your way (including some videos). Best way to keep up with the progress is to subscribe to the RSS feed (in the box below) to receive all the great updates in your email inbox.

Wish me luck.
-Daniel

P90X Alternatives

I have a love / hate relationship with P90X, but I know it’s not a program for everyone. It’s intense and some people either aren’t ready for it, or are just looking for something that can get them into shape, not turn them into bulging “musclemonsters”.

Since P90X isn’t for everyone, I’ve compiled this list of P90X alternatives. This is a huge list and took a lot of time, but I think it’s full of the best P90X alternatives available. I made sure only to include those programs that have an average user rating of four to five stars.

Fat Burning Diets:

	Fat Loss4 Idiots Average User Rating: Website Blurb: “You are overweight for the most simple of reasons — because you’re eating the wrong foods, the wrong types of calories per meal, and you’re also eating meals in the wrong patterns each day.” Read Our Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review Visit the Fat Loss 4 Idiots Homepage
	Cheat Your Way Thin Average User Rating: Website Blurbs: Why cutting carbohydrates out of your diet is the biggest mistake How eating more foods in certain ways can increase your metabolism by 20% The secret to timing your meals to keep your body constantly burning fat stores The strategy for working out to double your weekly fat loss Read Our Cheat Your Way Thin Review Visit the Cheat Your Way Thin Homepage
	Strip That Fat Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Why you need to be eating more fat Why your last diet failed miserably What and how to eat to burn maximum fat How to manipulate your body into becoming a fat burning monster How to lose more weight by eating more food Read Our Strip That Fat Review Visit the Strip That Fat Homepage

Muscle Building Workouts:

	No Nonsense Muscle Building Average User Rating: Website Blurb: My closely guarded muscle building ingredient (Don’t tell anyone!) The 9 bed rock principles for getting ripped muscles A  sneaky “tip” that works new, untrained muscle fibers! 5 methods for naturally exploding your Testosterone levels Read our No Nonsense Muscle Building Review Visit The No Nonsense Hompage
	Muscle Gaining Secrets Average User Rating: Website Blurb: The Top 7 Essential Muscle Gaining Factors Top 10 techniques for a faster recovery between training days A rare technique that is proven to increase muscle growth over 267% How to trigger your muscle’s natural “grow or die off” instinct to put on massive muscle. Read Our Muscle Gaining Secrets Review Visit the Muscle Gaining Secrets Homepage
	The Truth About Building Muscle Average User Rating: Website Blurb: The shocking truth about muscle supplements (you will be pissed!) The nasty secret about working out the “Pros” won’t tell you The lie you tell your body that can produce massive growth The # 1 Non-traditional method for massive growth! Read Our Truth About Building Muscle Review Visit the Truth About Building Muscle Homepage

Fitness Programs

	Turbulence Training Average User Rating: Website Blurb: “Following the Turbulence Training plan requires only three 45-minute belly fat burning workouts per week, while giving you more days off to enjoy your life, spend with your family, or to take part in other hobbies and activities.” Read Our Turbulence Training Review Visit the Turbulence Training Homepage
	Fit Yummy Mummy Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Workout in only 15 minutes No gym membership -Workout At Home Forget boring, long cardio sessions Get more energized Read Our Fit Yummy Mummy Review Visit the Fit Yummy Mummy Homepage
	The Fitness Model Program Average User Rating: Website Blurb: • Train like a Fitness Model™- Get max results in minimum time from working out smarter, not harder! • Look like a Fitness Model™- Not only will you turn heads, but you will break necks! • Create a beauty regiment like a Fitness Model™ • Learn how to banish cellulite forever- it is possible! Read Our Fitness Model Program Review View the Fitness Model Program Homepage

Other Tony Horton Programs

	Power 90 Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Fat burning Total-body sculpting Focused on abs, thighs, and upper body Predecessor to Power 90 Read Our Power 90 Review Purchase the Power 90 Program
	Power Half-Hour Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Ab Burner Thigh Trimmer Bun Shaper Arm Toner Stretch Read Our Power Half-Hour Review Purchase the Power Half-Hour Program
	10 Minute Trainer Average User Rating: Website Blurb: Includes 5 Incredible 10 Minute Workouts Resistance Kit – Includes Resistance Band plus Power Cardio Belt Customized workout calendar Rapid Results Guidebook & Tony Horton’s 10-Minute Meals On-the-Go Workout Cards & 10-Day Lean Jean Plan Read Our 10 Minute Trainer Review Purchase the 10 Minute Trainer Program

P90X: The Mistakes

HFC Note: If you’d like to try P90X but are worried about it being too expensive, click here for Daniel’s recommendations for cheaper P90X Alternatives

My Experience (and Screw Ups) with P90X

The first phase of the program was rockin’. Those first 30 days had me down eight pounds and feeling like a million bucks. I hit the end of day 60 with less of a roar and more of a whimper. My changes have stalled. I’ve lost a few more pounds, but what the heck happened?! Why, suddenly, has the X stopped working? It took me a little while to figure out my mistakes, but I realized I can’t be the only person making them!

So I’m going to share with you my mistakes, so you can avoid them.

1. Don’t Use Adjustable Dumbbells!

   This is a good lesson for everyone thinking of attempting P90X:

   Buy real dumbbells—a full set of pre-made, standard dumbbells or elastic resistance bands. You will be glad you did.

   I can’t tell you how much time I spent trying to change the weights on the interchangeable dumbbells I have. Holy crap, I had to loosen the safety lock on one side of one dumbbell, change the weight, tighten the safety lock, then do the same thing on the other side, and then do both sides of the other dumbbell! The kicker is that I had to stop and do this after almost every move! Trust me, if you have interchangeable dumbbells, get rid of them.

   I  recommend the resistance bands. They are great if you have to make your workout portable and a great space saver. I used to recommend a real set of dumbbells, but over the last few months I’ve changed my mind. Real dumbbells are expensive and take up huge amounts of space. A full set of resistance bands costs less that $100 and you’ll never need anything else.  Get the resistance bands and you won’t even need the chin-up bar! That is a really nice perk.

2. Don’t Focus on Your Weight

   It doesn’t matter what you weight. Seriously, concentrate on how you look and feel.

   I was so excited that I had lost ten pounds after 30 days on the X, that I got way too caught up in what my weight was doing and less interested in the growth of my muscles. You will gain muscle, which will increase the number you see in the scale. Get over it! The more muscle you gain the more fat you’ll lose! You may weight the same, but you will look smaller.

3. Always Lift More

   In Phase Two I didn’t increase my weights as often as I needed to, which left me doing sub par workouts and of course getting sub par results. Had I upped the weights that I was using, I would’ve continued to push my muscles to grow larger. Sadly, that didn’t happen, so now my muscles are one phase behind.
   

4. Want Big Gains – Use Creatine

   When I started this workout plan, I went right out and bought myself some whey protein, but said “Eh, I don’t need creatine.” . . . Yeah, if you want big gains, get creatine. Nitric Oxide freaks me out and plasma boosters are for the serious guys, but creatine will make a difference. Not only will you notice big gains in your muscles, you’ll notice improved pump during your workout.

   Plus, Creatine is CHEAP! I buy Nature’s Best Powdered Creatine, one pound, for $30 – That much creatine, used every day, lasts me (I kid you not) 6 MONTHS!

5. Push Thyself Hard

   Finally, I ignored the golden rule ofP90X during Phase Two: I didn’t Bring It. I stopped before I should have, I didn’t push myself to the brink and force my muscles to adapt. I should have been testing myself mentally and physically during that second round of 30 days, but I didn’t. I coasted through the work outs, more concerned with getting them done than with doing them correctly. I’m paying for that now.

Learn from my mistakes, people.

I wanted to start putting the information out there for those folks who, like me, where ready to start making serious changes in their physical lives. I wanted to write about my experiences so you would know what to expect and (more importantly) what to avoid. I listed these mistakes so that I could tell you how not to make them. If you’re doing P90X and you need a hand, I hope you come here and to the message boards at Beachbody.com to find the answers and the support you need.

I know that home fitness can be hard. I’m in the same position with you right now. Any little opportunity for improvement you can find, take it! You will be glad you did once you start seeing those dramatic changes happening in your body.