Your First Week of P90X

So, are you ready to BRING IT? Your first week of P90X is one of the most important. You want to make sure you get off to a good start!

Here are some tips:

–P90X is a 6 day program, so figure out what you want your rest day to be and work backwards. Personally, I like having Sunday as my rest day but you should pick whatever day is best for your schedule.

–You will need a pull-up bar, weights (or resistance bands) and a yoga mat. Check Craigslist for people selling fitness equipment in your area! A heartrate monitor is nice to have but not necessary. I also recommend purchasing the THICKEST yoga mat that you can find. It really makes a difference! I found a really good one at Target. My husband purchased the P90X pull-up bar and it really is a sturdy piece of equipment. However, depending on where you live, a rafter-mounted pull-up bar may work better.

–Plan on 75 minutes for resistance days (strength training workout + Ab Ripper X), 3 days a week; 90 minutes for Yoga X and 60 minutes for the other two cardio days (Plyo and Kenpo).

–Do NOT skip yoga! I believe it is THE MOST important P90X workout! You’ll probably want to substitute it for another workout but you won’t get the same results! If 90 minutes is too long for your schedule that day, do the first 45 minutes of moving exercises, fast forward through the balance and stretching portion and then do the ab workout (Yoga Belly 7) at the very end. OR, you can do Tony Horton’s Fountain of Youth One on One DVD. To learn why yoga is sooo important and why it shouldn’t be skipped or substituted READ THIS.

–READ the NUTRITION guide!! And follow it to the best of your ability! The more changes you can make over time the better your results will be. If you can’t change everything right away no big deal, but pick a few things and adjust your habits! If you can’t follow it completely right off the bat that is ok, but DO YOUR BEST! Remember that P90X was NOT originally designed to be a weight loss program so the nutrition guide will most likely calculate TOO MANY calories if your goal is to lose weight. Each person is going to be a little different, but as a general rule of thumb you want to create enough of a calorie deficit during the week so that you still have enough energy to get through your workouts but are still shredding fat. For more info check out this post:  The Best Fat Shredding Foods for P90x

–Take measurements and photos! I wish I had done this better when I started. And make sure to take 0, 30, 60 and 90 day pics to really see improvement. Remember it isn’t just about the number on the scale!

–Make sure there isn’t anything major coming up in your life in the next few weeks that will get in the way of your workouts: friends in town, travel, weddings, etc. Make sure you can commit to 90 days! Of course life happens, but the better prepared you are the better your success will be!!

–Make sure you get plenty of SLEEP. A good night’s rest is just as important as pushing play and eating right EVERYDAY! It makes a difference!

–If you don’t have a Team Beachbody account, SIGN-UP FOR ONE. There are two options: FREE and CLUB. See what both have to offer and pick which one you like. Either way, Beachbody will assign ME as your coach! 🙂

–Keep a food and exercise journal. Print out the exercise logs from the Team Beachbody page and use those to make sure you know what weights to use and how many reps to aim for! To view and print out more P90X worksheets CLICK HERE.

–Read the exercise guide as well to determine what routine you want to do. I highly recommend the Classic or Doubles plan. For my first round I did Classic for the first 60 days and then did Doubles for the last 30 days. THIS POST may also be helpful. Ladies, PLEASE do not be afraid of doing the Classic plan. You will NOT get big and bulky. Unless you have more than 20 pounds to lose, the Lean program simply does not have enough strength training to give you the body that you REALLY want.

–You will see “commercials” for the Results and Recovery Drink. I didn’t start drinking it until Round 2 but it DOES help your muscles recover after a brutal workout! It actually tastes pretty good too! I like to mix mine with almond milk, banana and ice (the same way I drink my Shakeology). Women only need 1/2 serving (which is one scoop). Low fat chocolate milk is good too but it doesn’t contain the same balance of nutrients as the recovery drink.

–The Ab Ripper X workout automatically plays at the end of the strength training workouts. No need to eject and switch disks unless you want to do them in reverse order! And yes, it’s OK to do ARX at a different time of the day than your main workout if you’re pressed for time.

–Share your journey with friends and family on Facebook! It’s a great way to stay motivated and accountable. Eventually, it might even turn into a way for you to earn some extra income if you ever decide to become a Beachbody coach. It’s how I got started! If you think you might be interested in becoming a coach (you get 25% off all Beachbody products!) contact me and I can help you get started. You DON’T have to be in PEAK physical condition to be a Beachbody coach. All you need is a strong desire to succeed and help others do the same. It’s all about helping others help themselves. I absolutely LOVE sharing what I do with others! You can see our latest Team Dynamus success story here: https://www.amandakjones.com/carries-transformation.php

Additional advice and words of wisdom:

–Expect your peak to hit around Week 12. The first couple of weeks will be really exciting as you feel and see your body changing. You won’t notice huge changes, but enough to get you psyched up. For example, at first I noticed a big improvement in my flexibility and I found myself sitting up straighter. I had never been made conscience of my posture before. I just felt stronger. However, during days 30-60 or so, you’ll enter the P90X “doldrums” where it feels like nothing is happening. The excitement is over, and you wonder if all this hard work is worth it. By the time I got to Phase 3 I was really bored with my progress and I decided to start Doubles. By Week 11 those excited feelings and changes started to come back and by the time Day 90 came around I didn’t want it to end! I felt INVINCIBLE!

–Have faith in the program. A lot of people like to get freaked out and analyze every nit-picky thing. Really, all you have to do is follow the schedule and press play. It’s a beautiful thing.

–Ladies, don’t be afraid to lift heavy weights. You’re not going to turn into a beast. Huge muscles require testosterone and luckily in our bodies that hormone is in short supply. Shoot for 8-12 reps with good form. Seriously. Let’s all ditch the Barbie weights. If you don’t believe me, read this book: The New Rules of Lifting for Women.

–Ignore the scale! I know this is a difficult one but after while you’ll discover that number really doesn’t mean much. The best indicator of your progress is how you feel, how you look in the mirror, and how your clothes fit. Oh yeah, another good indicator is simply keeping track of your reps and weights! Too many people get frustrated because the scale doesn’t move when in fact their body is making enormous changes!

–Find a workout buddy or support system to help keep you motivated! If you have a Facebook account send me a friend request (http://facebook.com/amandakjones) and I will add you to my fitness support group!

Have any questions? Please post in the comments below or use my contact form!