P90X Yoga: Stop Whining and Just Do It
The reason why so many people hate yoga and P90X Yoga X in particular is because it’s hard. Guess what people, the reason why you’re doing P90X is to get into shape. If you’re already flexible and in shape then you don’t need yoga! If Yoga X doesn’t make you uncomfortable then guess what–you’re already a ripped, flexible beast and you don’t need to do P90X.
Is 90 minutes of yoga too much? Not quite ready for Yoga X yet? Check out Tony Horton’s One on One Fountain of Youth or Gillian Clark’s Pure and Simple Yoga. Neither workout will give you the same benefits that Yoga X provides, but it’s better than doing no yoga at all . . .
Sure, you can skip Yoga X and decide to do Cardio X, Kenpo X, or run on the treadmill instead. But none of these things come even close to doing what Yoga X can do for your body. Yoga X has attributes that you won’t find in any of the other P90X workouts. On the flip side, you’ll notice that many of the exercises in other workouts are based on yoga. Is this a coincidence? The beauty of it is that when you get better at yoga you’ll be able to do all the other workouts so much better. Do you think you get better at Plyo or Core by doing the workouts over and over and over again? No. That’s not how P90X works. You get better because you challenge your body with things its not quite used to doing.
If you leave yoga out of the equation all you’re going to do is sell yourself short and flush the money you spent on P90X down the toilet. That is–unless you got a pirated copy and in that case–why even bother at all? If you won’t pay $140 to learn how to get into the best shape of your life I doubt you’re going to follow through with the hard part of actually doing it! Go ahead–I dare you to prove me wrong! But seriously, be a man (or woman) and pony up the dough just like Ryan did.
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Without Yoga X you might as well keep working out at the gym and spinning your wheels on the treadmill if you’re not going to follow the program. You signed up for P90X, not step class! You either do it or you don’t. Start thinking like Yoda.
Do I know how to turn myself into a lean, mean muscle machine? Nope. That’s why I need P90X. If I take out Yoga X and substitute it with something else, guess what–it’s not P90X anymore. That’s all there is to it. Seriously–NO ONE CAN DO YOGA FOR THE FIRST TIME! Trust me, I’ve been there. I put in Yoga X for the first time, saw it was 90 minutes long and wanted to cry. I couldn’t do half the stuff they were doing . . . I felt wholly inadequate and wanted to quit. But I figured it’s gotta be here for a reason. Guess what. Now I look forward to that 90 minutes because I know it’s going to be productive time. Not a single minute is wasted sitting in front of the TV or computer! And it’s way better than being at work!
Now, the mind wandering and relaxation and OOOMMMS and whatever I’m not a huge fan of. But–the strength, balance, flexibility, and coordination you get from Yoga X is amazing. Besides increasing your strength and flexibility, the other main benefit of Yoga X is that it helps minimize the potential for injury and soreness from doing your other workouts. Yoga X is a complete muscle conditioning workout. If you think about it, Yoga X is probably the most important workout of the program no matter what your ultimate goal is at the end of 90 days.
The first few times you do Yoga X IT WILL BE HARD. But like Tony always says, “It’s supposed to be.” Just do what you can. DON’T LOOK AT HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT. Just live in the moment and concentrate on whatever exercise you’re doing. With every move think about how your body is changing and improving. A yoga block helps A TON and will improve your confidence. Instead of looking at the time bar and thinking to yourself, “I can’t wait to get this over with” live in the moment and concentrate on getting your form right for every move. After the third or fourth time you start to notice that it gets a little easier and you might even start liking it a bit. I’m at the end of Week 4 and now I look forward to doing Yoga X. I never thought I’d be saying that four weeks ago! I’m so glad I decided to stick with it.
If you currently hate Yoga X then you definitely need to do X Stretch on your rest day. You can even do X Stretch a couple days during the week in the morning (if you do your main workout in the evening) or the evening (if you do your main workout in the morning). X Stretch has helped me out a lot. The hardest part of Yoga X is the first 45 minutes. The rest is balance postures and more stretching. However, it does finish off with some nice ab exercises called the Yoga Belly 7 which will help you with Ab Ripper X.
To make your Yoga X experience as pleasant as possible, invest in a good quality yoga mat. The Beachbody folks recommend the Manduka Mat, which is high-quality, shock-absorbing and pretty expensive. But I’ve been pretty happy with my extra-thick Gaiam yoga mat so far. If you don’t have a good yoga mat and find yourself getting rug burn or slipping all over the place . . . you’ll hate Yoga X even more. A yoga block will also make life a little easier.
Just keep in mind–if a workout or exercise is difficult for you, there’s a reason. If Yoga X was easy, we wouldn’t need P90X! So please, stop whining and JUST DO IT. You’ll hate me now but thank me later. 
If you’re still tempted to replace yoga with something else, you might want to watch the video below. And if 90 minutes of Yoga X is still too much, you might want to check out Tony Horton’s One on One Yoga DVD: Fountain of Youth or Gillian Clark’s Pure and Simple Yoga. Neither workout will give you the same benefits that Yoga X provides, but it’s better than doing no yoga at all! The Fountain of Youth DVD is Tony Horton’s recommended Yoga X substitute.
Do you have more questions about P90X? Check out my archived list of P90X Articles as well as P90X Questions. If your question isn’t answered there, please submit it using the comments form below or use my contact page.
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38 Responsesto “P90X Yoga: Stop Whining and Just Do It”
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Hello, my name is Amanda Jones. I currently work full-time as a licensed veterinary technician in the state of Michigan. In my spare time I enjoy pursuing my interests which include blogging, working out, cooking, baking, reading, and watching as little television as possible. If you have any questions about anything you find on this website, please feel free to contact me anytime.Need Some Inspiration?
Thank you so much for your article. I’m on my 5th round of trying to get through p90x and one of the reasons i quit before was because of yogax (second week now). But its not simply hard its ridiculously boring. But your article made me realize how good it will be for me.
Hey Christin! I’m glad to help out! But are you sure you’re doing Yoga X right? Cuz I think it’s really hard!
Especially if you start to get really low in your lunges . . . you should feel the *BURN*! Yeah, Yoga X is really a mental game–and I’m determined not to let it win. Just focus on each individual moment and ignore the big picture. I really wish there was the option to turn the time bar off cuz I think that distracts a lot of people. Just stick with it–I think Yoga X has helped me more than any of the other workouts so far.
Thank you! I am SO TIRED of guys in particular WUSSING OUT on yoga! I love that they trust Tony to help them get ripped, but think when it comes to yoga, he doesn’t know better than they do. IF YOU DON’T DO YOGA X YOU DIDN’T ACTUALLY DO P90X. It’s that simple. If you’re not willing to do something that’s difficult, then P90X isn’t actually for you; it’s for people willing to work hard. I can’t do one pull-up. It makes me nuts. I did a full round of the X and STILL can’t do 1 pull-up. But I NEVER stop trying. You don’t get better at something by not doing it. & whatever is hardest for you is what you need to do the most. Thanks for plugging in for Yoga X.
Yah, I just had to vent a lil’ after hearing so many people say they substitute some other workout for Yoga X. It just isn’t the same. I admit, 90 minutes is a long time but GEEZ–if you’re committed to the program what’s another 30 minutes? Give it at least 90 days and then decide.
No worries Jennifer, I’m still waiting for that first elusive pull-up too but I’m definitely getting closer. Are you using the pull-up bar or the bands? I discovered that my body works a lot differently when I use the pull-up bar and a chair/stool instead of the bands. I started off using bands but dumped them during Phase 3. The only way your body is going to learn how to do a pull-up is if you try to do actual pull-ups. This post might help: http://www.amandakjones.com/my-p90x-experience-days-36-50.php
Thanks for this article. I’m in the middle of my second week of yoga, and am feeling very discouraged. I think part of the reason that I (and many others) don’t like Yoga X is because its a lot of hard work without what seems to be guarunteed results - when I do Cardio, I know that I’ve put in work for something, but when I do yoga, it doesnt often feel that way.
I actually paused Yoga and searched “p90x Yoga” and got to your page. I was going to stop and take a walk and think, but I’ve decided to go back and BRING IT.
Thanks a lot. I appreciate it
Awesome Jay! I’m so glad you found my article! I just started my second round of P90X and am still doing Yoga X every week! Some parts will always be harder than others but like Tony says, “It’s good for ya!”
Hi Amanda,
I substitute the Yoga x with Baron Babtise’s Yoga for Beginers or Rodney Yee’s Yoga for atletes. They are challenging workouts, but with a more calm energy. My main coplain about Yoga X is not that it’s hard, but that TOny talks to much. Yoga is about serenity balance and peace. Tony evens says he is yelling too much during the Yoga Belly 7. I just dont get that nice relaxsation or glow form yoga x. You need a calm and serene voice to guide you, and Im afraid that, as awsome as TH is, his energy is a bit to intense for Yoga…OTher than that BRING IT!
That’s a good point Carlos. For the majority of P90Xers Yoga X is our first exposure to yoga so we don’t have much to compare it to. After I’ve had enough of P90X and TH I look forward to exploring some other yoga options like the ones you mentioned!
Yoga X is sooooo boring and I usually dread these days. I don’t feel like I have worked out at all. I was going to run but came across this article. As much as I loath Yoga X I am headed to my living room after this post to just get it over with…I mean, bring it.
Way to go Sarah!!
I have Yoga X for the first time (again), tonight after a 6 month break. This is my 3rd time starting P90X. Made it to week 10 last time and was awed by the results but life happens. Was so not looking forward to Yoga X tonight but your insight has helped. Thank you very much. I WILL bring it thanks to your pep talk!
You’re welcome Otto! Way to BRING IT! Today is Yoga X day for me too! I’m looking forward to it after a couple weeks off!
Thanks Amanda, YogaX wasn’t as bad as I remember it. I think your stop whining and just do it motto really helped. That and helping me realize that the yoga is a good thing and a very much needed part of the program. I definitely felt less sore and looser than before the workout.
Cheers! Thanks again for the reality check and non-sugar coating. Otto
I love yoga- it is actually one of my favorite workouts. I especially love the last 30 mintues that includes all of the stretching. I usually feel great afterwards. It is a long workout, though.
Yoga X isnt hard for most people, its just too long, and too boring. I dont think you will miss much if you substitute it with Core Synergistics. I did the Yoga X for the first time, no problem, back to it again and its one of those days you loose motivation. I will probably go ahead and do it but week 4 will kill me with 2 yoga sessions. Again its not hard at all, to most people its just boring and you feel like your not even working out.
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your comments. I found that the more you do yoga and even Yoga X the less boring it becomes. Just my opinion! And when I do yoga it definitely feels like a workout! I think you get out of Yoga X what you put into it. If you go in with attitude that “this sucks” that’s exactly what you’re gonna get.
This is my second week on p90x and I have to say i did not plan on doing yoga x this week as last week I was almost completely unable to endure it and ended up just doing cardio x. Then today I found your article here and although I was still very disgruntled I decided to try it again. Well try I did and I am more than happy to say that except for a couple of the harder moves (crane anybody?) I did it and feel surprisingly better than I have after all of the other workouts. My body hasn’t felt this loose in years.
Awesome Matt! I’m so glad you decided to stick it out! I agree, your body just feels different after doing Yoga X than all the other workouts . . . it just can’t be substituted for anything else. I’ve found that yoga is more a mental challenge than anything else. Like Tony says you have to “get your mind right.”
Dear amanda. Do you like apples? Your words are encouraging cus god knows the yoga is boring. Got a little bone to pic however…”unless you got a pirated copy and in that case–why even bother at all? If you won’t pay $140 to learn how to get into the best shape of your life I doubt you’re going to follow through with the hard part of actually doing it! Go ahead–I dare you to prove me wrong!”. well i torented mine 83 days ago. Id say ur the fool for saying why bother cus im in the best shape of my life and 140 bucks richer. how do you like them apples.
sure, Mike. whatever floats your boat.
Thanks for the article. I am on Day 4 now and just read that today is Yoga day. My body is sore all over from the past 3 days so I was thinking of skipping the Yoga today and getting some rest, rationalizing to myself that Yoga was probably only thrown in the P90X program as a break in between the intense workouts anyway. Instead, I decided to google P90X Yoga to see what the general review of it is like and found this article, which has motivated me to BRING IT!!
I have to admit I’m still not looking forward to 1 1/2 hours of it. If it were compressed to 1/2 hour I would be much more inclined to do it!!
Hi Jake! I’m glad you decided to BRING IT! It may sound strange but yoga may be one of the most important P90X workouts! I know 90 minutes is a long time. Sometimes if I get in the “zone” it goes by fast for me but other days it doesn’t. You can always do the first 45 minutes and then incorporate the second half later on during the week. Tony’s Fountain of Youth and Patience Hummingbird are good alternatives too! Let me know how your first time with yoga goes!
I will be honest - I HATE yoga. I honestly don’t think 90 minutes is necessary. And like someone said above, Tony talks a lot … besides, there is about 10-15 minutes of yoga in the Cardio… Can’t that be enough? I get so bored out of my mind that I’m practically screaming in frustration. And WAY too many “Vinyasas” …
Hi Elizabeth, here’s some CHEESE to go with your WINE! seriously though . . . no, 10-15 minutes of yoga is NOT enough. is 10-15 minutes of strength training every week enough? what about 10-15 minutes of strength training? NO and NO. you certainly don’t HAVE to do Yoga X if you find it so frustrating. perhaps you should try another yoga instructor or DVD? I’m just saying that yoga does things for your body that no other type of workout can do. you can certainly leave it out of the P90X equation, but you’re much better WITH than WITHOUT it. kapeesh?
I just wished it wasnt that long. I’d prefer an hour of yoga that’s how long I do yoga x.
Hi Gabriel, I agree that some days 90 minutes seems like forever. Like you say the main point is that we stick with at least some form of yoga and don’t sub it out for another type of exercise like cardio. For something shorter you could try something like Fountain of Youth or Patience Hummingbird instead.
Thank you so much for posting this. I am doing P90X, and I have to say my first reaction was to skip the yoga and take it as a “day off” because yoga is hardly a “work out,” right? Well, I decided to NOT do that and follow P90X to the letter, and then I almost died when I saw it was 90 minutes and then I almost died a second time when I actually tried to do any of it. I actually sat and “watched” the whole thing, jumping in on the easier poses. Now that I know what I am getting into, I will give it my all next time. Now that I am a week into this, I really think that the yoga w/o is actually the heart of P90X, and by far the hardest of the workouts. So, this post encourages me to not give up so easily. Thank you for the tough talk, and thanks for the video.
Man yoga sucks. Not that its hard but its boring. But It does help a lot during p90x. Do not quit because of yoga x. If you quit yoga x you might as quit other things in life.
When I first started P90x I thought I hated Yoga x because it was hard. Now that I’m in Phase 2 I realize that the reason that I hate it is because it’s mind-numbingly boring. The Yoga X workout is still challenging but I no longer have difficulty performing any of the movements. The problem is that once I hit the 45 minute mark I’m praying that I slip and injure myself just so something breaks the monotony. Next time I’m going to try and do half the yoga x dvd and finish with the cardio x dvd
Jeff, boring is a state of mind.
However, if it’s still too mind-numbing for you I would recommend either Fountain of Youth or Patience Hummingbird.
Thank you for the post! I was so discouraged with Yoga X. I was looking into options to substitue Yoga X, but you are right it wouldn’t be p90x. My next investment will be a yoga block.
Way to go Lisa!
I just want to say that I’m in phase 1 of p90x, and I had yet to do yoga x because honestly I just didn’t want to, didn’t think it would help. Then I came across this article today and just completed yoga x and I must say that I have never felt better. I definetly regret not doing it sooner. Thanks for the article!
That’s great news Chelsea! I’m glad I could help! It does make a difference doesn’t it?
I just finished P90x yoga. I admit it’s boring as all hell, but I’ll stick with it. I still feel like I need to go for a run to burn off some energy! Notice how I’m trying to whine about it without actuall whining about it :p
well all i can say is u put up 1 hell of a persuasive argument i thought that yoga was a waste of time until i came across your article
I just started P90X and tonight is my first Yoga X session. Some mixed views on it here but as said its a vital part of the whole and looking forward to it. Lets see if MY views change after tonight…
p.s. BRING IT!
Way to go Kevin!!