What’s the Difference Between P90X Classic, Doubles, and Lean?
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 commitment 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 workouts are omitted from P90X Lean: Plyometrics, Legs and Back
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.
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33 Responsesto “What’s the Difference Between P90X Classic, Doubles, and Lean?”
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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?
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.”
Hey Amanda-
I am starting classic p90x in the next week or so and I am confused by the diet plan. I want to follow the plan as closely as possible. So do you do the plan in 3 phases like you do the workout- so every month you switch to the next phase of the diet? Or do you pick a phase and just stick with that one. Can you please help? Also, how do you know if you should do level 1, 2 or 3 with the nutrition plan?
Thanks,
Donna
Hi Donna, I will be honest and say I do not follow the P90X nutrition plan, so I’m probably not the best person to ask for advice . . . However, on the bottom of page 2 it says, “While P90X is designed as a 90 day program, you might choose to alter your choice or timing of one or more of the phases.” I would interpret this to mean that you should follow the appropriate plan for each phase only if your body agrees with it. Even though I don’t follow the plan exactly as written, I more or less stick with a diet close to “Energy Booster” simply because it’s nice and balanced at 40-40-20. I don’t like depriving my body of either carbs or protein.
That being said, I do think the diet plan is useful to some degree. For the most part (95% of the time) I only eat the foods they have listed in the guide, so it’s helpful when making out your grocery list. I just don’t eat the exact portions listed.
I hope that makes sense!
What do I need to purchase for the P90X if I already have the DVD’s?
Hi Tiffany, I’m actually working on a post that covers all that soon, but you can watch the “Watch This First” DVD. They explain it all there. There is also lots of information in the P90X fitness guide!
I’m feeling so discouraged right now!! Thursday will make the beginning of week 5 in the lean programm for me. But from what i’ve read from previous post, you’re saying that i would have been better off doing the classic program as a female? i just figured since i wanted to slim down and tone at the same time, the lean program would have been best but i guess i was wrong!! so is it too late for me to switch up and do the classic program?? i’ve noticed that i weigh more on the scale and thats partly bc i havent been sticking to a diet plus i’ve noticed some toning in my arms and legs but my stomach still has that evil pouch!! lol but i would like to know if i should stick w/ the lean program being that i’ve already started it, start a diet and stick to it and also run on the threadmill could that help me w/ toning by body and also loosing that damn pouch?? what advice can you offer me bc i’m desperate and feeling a little discouraged right now
Motunrayo, I know it’s hard, but I wouldn’t get too discouraged at this point. If I had to venture a guess I would say that your diet is playing a significant role here. And if you think about it, you’re only 35 days into the program! I know about the evil pouch, and trust me, it’s going to take a lot of time and work to get rid of that thing. I’m on Round 2 and although it’s much smaller now, it’s still there.
If I were you, I would take the time to really work on your diet and stick with the Lean plan. Don’t worry, it’s still P90X. You will get results, as you’re already noticing. The majority of people see the most significant changes near the end of Phase 3, so stick with it. After that, you’ll be in great shape to tackle the Classic plan during Round 2.
Hi,I just got the p90x and I have a quiestion as a female,age 28, I wanted to know what resistan band should I use??I got 3 colors,the black is 50 pounds,green 40 and red 30pounds.
Which one would it be ok to start??
thanks
Hi Lizzy, I would probably start with the red band. If you end up doing too many reps you may need to switch to the green band. Don’t worry, Tony explains everything during the videos. You may notice you need a different color band depending on the individual exercise.
I will start the P90X regimen from 5/1-7/30, and would like to know if you can refer me to any sites that offer a good nutrition guide, as I’ve read that many ppl modify the p90x nutrition guide. Also, is there a certain time of day in which one should exercise to reap maximum benefits….what do you advise? ThanksDee
Hi Dee, there is so much individuality when it comes to nutrition that it’s hard to offer specific suggestions. The P90X nutrition guide is a good place to start though, as well as all the information you’ll find on the Beachbody website and message boards. The best advice I can give is to keep a journal/record of everything you eat and track your progress so you can adjust accordingly.
I prefer to workout early in the morning mostly because I like to get it over with and I already have an empty stomach but this is also personal preference that you will learn from experience. I think the most important thing is to be consistent with your workouts over time, because it’s really the big picture that matters. In other words, as long as you press play at least 6 days a week during the next 90 days, that’s all that matters. Not whether you do it in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Hope that makes sense.
Good luck!
I am 60lbs over weight and very unfit, will P90X be too hard for me?
Hi Tata, while it’s certainly not beyond the realm of possibilities (others have lost more than 60 pounds doing numerous rounds of P90X) you might want to ease yourself into P90X by doing another program first like Power 90 or Slim in 6. Another option is to work on good nutrition habits for a while before starting a workout program, which is what I did. Your body composition is determined about 85% from what you eat.
Congratulations though on deciding to do something to improve your health, that’s often the most difficult step! As long as you commit to making the change, either with P90X or something else, you will most definitely SUCCEED!
The most important thing to remember is not to rush the process. Time is your friend, especially if you want the transformation to be permanent!
I’m starting today!! But I’m having trouble trying to decide in between Classic and Lean, that’s how I ended up here…
Exercise isn’t new for me; I go to GYM, do mountain cycling and play racquetball; so you can say I have “some” condition, yet, I can’t do a push up and still have the pouch!!.. I follow the ZONE diet…
Which P90X would you recomend under these circumstances? LEAN vs CLASSIC!!??
Hi Scarlet, for sure you will get the most out of Classic! If you feel like you want to add some extra cardio 30 days in, go for Doubles.
I just got my P9x, I am at least 20lbs overweight, I am 5′6″ and weigh l48lbs. I want to loose weight and look great and ofcourse go down to size 6-8. what do I use, classic or lean.
I’m a big fan of the Classic plan. I think it does a better job of transforming your body. But you can always try Lean and see how you like it. If you get bored with Cardio X you can always substitute it for Plyo X. Either way, as long as you are consistent with the workouts and stick to a healthy diet for 90 days you WILL see changes.
Thank you for your posts. I just got my P90X program last week and after reading the book I still didnt know if I should go with classic or lean. I would like to lose 50 lbs but I am really interested in changing my body most of all rather than focusing on weight. I agree that diet has A LOT to do with it. I started working out at the gym 3 years ago and I lost 40 lbs in the first 3 months. Very exciting. I still weigh the same now and I am happy I have been able to maintain, but I am ready to finish the transformation I started a long time ago. I will definately go for the classic and eat healthy!
Yay Melanie! It sounds like you definitely have the right attitude about P90X. I know you’ll do great!
Hi
i started to do P90X Lean for a month and i was not losing anything. i change my diet, completely cut out sweets, soda. i would like to drop 30 pounds. which p90x workout would you recommend for weight lost. Im so frustrated help