P90X is organized into training blocks designed to challenge your body with its unique muscle confusion technique. Each training block is four weeks long and consists of three weeks of intensity (including the adaptive and mastery phase) and one week of recovery. However, during the one week of “recovery” don’t expect to sit on the couch and watch re-runs of your favorite reality television show. During recovery week you can expect to take a well-deserved break from your strength training workouts, but instead you’ll be focusing on seldom-used muscles as well as cardio, core strength, balance, and flexibility. Have I mentioned how fun P90X is??
The complete P90X program consists of 12 different workouts:
Chest and Back
Plyometrics
Shoulders and Arms
Yoga X
Legs and Back
Kenpo X
X Stretch
Core Synergistics
Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
Back and Biceps
Cardio X
Ab Ripper X
(please stay tuned for an article that describes each individual workout)
Within the P90X program there are 3 different plans you can follow depending on your fitness goals: Classic, Doubles, and Lean. All 3 plans last for 90 days (13 weeks) and involve a committment to push play at least six days a week. On average each workout lasts for just under an hour. The two exceptions are Yoga X and Ab Ripper X. Yoga X lasts for 90 minutes and Ab Ripper X is a grueling 16 minutes long. However, this workout is always done in addition to another workout so there’s never a day when you just do Ab Ripper X.
Here’s an outline of the different plans:
1. P90X Classic
P90X Classic takes advantage of the full realm of P90X workouts. No muscle is left behind! The only workout you won’t encounter here is Cardio X. That being said, you can still incorporate Cardio X into the Classic plan without going totally insane with Doubles (see below). For example, on days when I feel like I have some extra time and energy, I will do Cardio X in the evening after doing my regular scheduled workout earlier in the day. The main thing is to only add Cardio X on days when you do the strength training workouts. On days when I feel a little guilty about what I’ve eaten I also like to add Cardio X. 
Weeks 1-3
Day 1 Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 Plyometrics
Day 3 Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 Yoga X
Day 5 Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 Kenpo X
Day 7 Rest or X Stretch
Week 4
Day 1 Yoga X
Day 2 Core Synergistics
Day 3 Kenpo X
Day 4 X Stretch
Day 5 Core Synergistics
Day 6 Yoga X
Day 7 Rest or X Stretch
Weeks 5-7
Day 1 Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 Plyometrics
Day 3 Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 Yoga X
Day 5 Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 Kenpo X
Day 7 Rest or X Stretch
Week 8 (repeat Week 4)
Weeks 9 and 11
Day 1 Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 Plyometrics
Day 3 Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 Yoga X
Day 5 Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 Kenpo X
Day 7 Rest or X Stretch
Weeks 10 and 12
Day 1 Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 2 Plyometrics
Day 3 Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
Day 4 Yoga X
Day 5 Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6 Kenpo X
Day 7 Rest or X Stretch
Week 13 (repeat Week 4)
2. P90X Doubles
The P90X Doubles plan kicks it up another notch. Doubles adds another cardio workout to the Classic plan three or four days a week. The Doubles plan is for those who want some extra cardiovascular exercise, either for performance or weight loss. If you plan on doing Doubles, you’ll definitely need to be careful while you plan out your diet, schedule and laundry! On certain days of the week you’ll be working out both in the morning and the afternoon or evening.
The P90X Fitness Guide states, “Those attempting Doubles should be completely injury free and have plenty of energy to add another workout to the schedule three or four days per week. The Cardio X workout is the least intense of the P90X series, but it’s still a serious calorie-burner.” BTW–when they say “plenty of energy” what they’re really saying is “plenty of calories”. And not those icky empty calories!
Even if you can’t do Cardio X three or four times a week like the Doubles plan has it laid out, you can still incorporate it into the Classic plan as described above.
Weeks 1-4, 8, 13 (same as the Classic Plan)
Weeks 5-7
Same as the Classic Plan but add Cardio X on Days 1, 3, and 5. You should do Cardio X in the morning on an empty stomach and the regular P90X workouts later in the day when you’ve got more glycogen for energy. Definitely plan on eating plenty of calories if you’re going to tackle Doubles!
Weeks 9-12
Same as the Classic Plan but add Cardio X on Days 1, 2, 4, and 5.
3. P90X Lean
The P90X Lean plan has more cardio and less resistance for those who for whatever reason don’t feel like they’re ready to tackle the Classic plan. I find that a lot of women like to flock to the Lean plan because they’re afraid of “bulking up” with the resistance workouts.
The truth is, it takes more than cardio to transform your body. Strength training is the ultimate key to losing fat. Don’t worry ladies, we don’t have enough testosterone to look like Arnold! I too, was once obsessed with burning calories with cardio, but then I read The New Rules of Lifting for Women and I saw the light. This book is a nice little companion to the P90X program and I would recommend it to any woman doing P90X because it fills in a lot of gaps, especially when it comes to the P90X nutrition plan which I’m not a huge fan of. You also gotta love the subtitle: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess. Woot!
The P90X Fitness guide says, “P90X Lean is for those who want a more cardio-based and slightly less intensive program. Make no mistake, this is the real deal and no picnic. In fact, you may sweat more than in P90X. What you sacrifice in overall gains in strength and speed, you’ll make up for with positive changes in lean body mass.”
The following workout is omitted from P90X Lean: Plyometrics
Remember, even if you’re a total muscle-phobic, instead of doing less reps with heavier weights, you can do more reps with lighter weights. And if you’re using resistance bands it works the same way. The general philosophy when performing exercises involving weights or bands is that 8 to 10 repetitions will build size, whereas 12 to 15 repetitions will create a slimmer/toned look. However, keep in mind that “toning” probably won’t make your muscles look any better than they do now, even if you manage to lose the layer of fat that sits on top of them.
At the end of the day, the great thing about P90X is that whether or not you follow the Classic, Doubles, or Lean plan, each individual workout and exercise can be adjusted according to your individual fitness goals. There is definitely not a “one size fits all” approach to P90X and that’s why it works. Tony frequently talks about variety throughout the different workouts which is essential to achieving success with the program.
In fact, the more variety you put into your workout, the better and faster your results will be. Again, it’s all about muscle confusion. By providing an extensive variety of different moves that take time to master, P90X is continually challenging the body’s muscles into new growth. The more you confuse the muscle, the harder your body has to work to keep up.
And no matter what you do, as long as you stick with it for 90 days you’ll be way better off than you were on Day 1!!
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.
14 Comments
I personally like the Classic routine the best, but for those looking to lose a lot of weight fast I suggest the lean program.
Very Helpful! Thank you so much!!
You’re welcome Jennifer! Good luck! Come back again and let me know how it all works out!
That’s true Brad–but losing a lot of weight fast isn’t always a good idea. Because P90X is a “fat loss” program as opposed to a “weight loss” program I prefer women to do the Classic plan because building lean muscle is the best way to get rid of fat for good!
Hi Amanda,
I have yet to start the P90X but am soon going to get on the ball! My Sister who is 25 got me interested in it. Last July I commited to losing 60 lbs. I did a diet and workout routine and dropped 50. it these last 10 plus getting tone in the mid section area that i need the help with. (thats where P90X is coming in). She suggested that i just do the cardio and ab ripper only. What do you think?
Hi Shane, I would really encourage you to follow the Classic plan exactly how it’s laid out. The Lean plan doesn’t have enough strength training for women who really want to change the way their body looks. That way you get the full benefit from both the strength training and cardio workouts. We need more than cardio to make our bodies look good!
You’ve done amazing so far! But just losing 10 more pounds is probably not going to give you the body shape you want. The only way to change your body shape is to add muscle–and don’t worry–you won’t end up looking like a beast! Women don’t produce enough testosterone to get those kind of results.
Doing just Cardio X and Ab Ripper X is certainly better than nothing . . . but I think you will get much better results following the classic plan.
Also, at this point be careful measuring your success just by using the scale. You might not lose 10 more pounds. Instead you will lose fat and gain muscle which will keep you at about the same weight. However, you will look awesome and continue to fit into smaller and smaller clothes!
I hope that helps!
Hi Amanda,
I am female, 60 lbs overweight, and 39 years old. I am currently seeing a weight-loss doctor and taking appetite suppressants and fat burners and eating a ketogenic diet.
My husband ordered p90x for himself recently and I am thinking of doing it also. How might it work for someone like me and which program should I use (note: I am highly doubtful about my ability to ever do a pull-up)?
Thanks,
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
I’m not familiar with the ketogenic diet but when doing P90X it’s generally recommended that women eat a balanced ratio of 40-30-30 carbs-fat-protein. In other words, your diet should consist of 40% carbs 30% fat 30% protein. You will require a lot of calories while doing P90X and you don’t want to starve yourself which concerns me with the appetite suppressants. If you eat the right kinds of foods to make yourself feel full (fiber and protein) you body (naturally) will not require appetite suppressants.
Granted, I’m not a doctor by any means, this is just my personal opinion based on the research I’ve done. You might want to talk it over with him/her.
The thing I love about P90X is that it’s not considered a “weight loss” program per se–but more like a “fat loss” program. As you gain more muscle your body will naturally become more efficient at burning calories–building lean muscle is really the best way to burn fat despite all the craziness you hear out there about cardio.
I would encourage every woman to do the Classic plan, as the Lean plan does not include enough resistance training. Don’t worry, I can’t do a pull-up either
and there are lots of ways to modify the different exercises if you’re just starting out.
I hope that helps. Good luck!
Amanda
Hey Amanda,
My friend got me into P90X about a week ago. I haven’t done the classic version of P90X. I’m not out of shape, and I’m not trying to lose weight. I would like to do the doubles because I love to work out, and love the intesity it will bring me. Would jumping straight to doubles be a good idea?
Hi Rosellen, I think the hardest part about doing Doubles is just finding time to fit it all in your schedule. That, and you really have to make sure you eat enough!
Now I actually look forward to doing Cardio X on the days I do Doubles because I think it’s so much easier than the other P90X workouts! I only do Doubles once or twice a week though (you basically add Cardio X on the days you do the strength training workouts).
Since the Doubles schedule doesn’t kick in until Week 5 that should give you enough time to get a feel for the program (Classic and Doubles are exactly the same for the first 5 weeks). You should be able to make a better decision by then but I think you would do fine!
Hi Amanda, I just finished my 1st week of P90X basic. I want to go from a 36 inch waist to a 32. Will the Basic accomplish this? Thanks, Bruce
Hi Bruce, I’m assuming when you say “basic” you mean the Classic plan. Of course, “individual results will vary” with any exercise program but my husband went from a 36 to a 32 when he did his first round of P90X Classic. Of course, in addition to “bringing it” you really have to be careful about what you eat–because according to the experts about 70% of our body composition is determined by what we eat. So, you can do P90X until the cows come home, but if you don’t feed your body right, you probably won’t get the results you want.
Hi!
Good read, but there’s just a few questions bothering me.
Okay firstly,
Lets just say I ONLY do the p90x diet, would I be losing weight?
I used to eat terribly, Like pizza and take away, and horrible things!
But now I’m stuck on the p90x diet and I actually love it.
Secondly,
If I do the Cardio x workout more often, and use it in place for other workouts, would this be beneficial in loosing weight?
I am in no way “fat” at all, my only problem is I have a little too much on my stomach area, so would doing a lot of cardio x help?
I understand that if I ONLY did this, I would get into the dreaded plateau, but I’m not so interested on building muscle on my arms/legs.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Mark,
Doing SOMETHING is always better than NOTHING. The experts say that our body composition is determined 70% by what we eat. So just changing your diet will definitely help. I’m a little confused though–you say you’re not fat–so why do you want to lose weight? The people who seem to benefit the most from P90X are those interested in fat loss–not weight loss. You can try just doing the Cardio X workout and see how that works out. But I think you’d see the most benefits from doing the whole program even if you’re not interested in getting “ripped.”
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