With Week 2 in the history books it’s time to update all of you on my progress.
Ouch. This system is definitely not the breeze I originally thought it would be. I find myself looking forward to my yoga day just so I can give my lower body a bit of a rest. One thing I must note about this program is that it is meant to increase athleticism. Most guys start getting into weight training to put on size. This is not that system. This will not give you Mr. Universe pectorals. This will not prepare you for a body building competition. However, the things it will do greatly outweigh the things it won’t. It will foster an atmosphere that, provided you stay with a proper diet as well as continual training, will give you a great body. It will make you more athletic. It will give you a better understanding of workout philosophy which is the greatest gift anyone can give you when it comes to working out.
As the workout wears on I have noticed that Mr. Tony Horton isn’t doing anything that is truly special. This will not be your “magic pill” that will instantly grant you great success in fitness. It is a tool, like all other tools, that get you to where you want to be, depending on how you use them. P90X is designed much like a typical workout regimen would be if you were to incorporate cardio into weight lifting (I’ll do a post on the advantages of “Super-setting” later). This program provides exercises I have done countless times, but arranges them in such a way so as to give your muscles ample recovery time. That is the brilliance in this system. The arrangement of all of these exercises including the use of both Isometric and Isotonic workouts are a work of art. We all know Isotonic workouts to be the standard, but the variation between the two really shocks the body in a very good way.
I’ve also realized where this program comes up short. I am the kind of guy that, if needed, could hurl a piano full of molten lead up three stories (slight exaggeration, but I’m certain Superman would still be jealous). I’m not the guy that can hold a pail of water straight out for minutes on end. To this effect, I’ve noticed that the musculature of my body is changing from many white-headed muscle fibers (quick twitch/explosive) to a more athletic blend of red-headed and white headed muscle fibers. I cannot bench press as much as I used to, but I can do more push-ups in a minute. I believe that, if you are not looking for absolute size in your chest (specifically) or back, then this is an amazing workout. However, if your goal is to bulk up in order to be the Hulk for next Halloween, stay in the weight room. I will eventually be devising a way to blend both the P90X workout and weight room workout in order to find a happy medium for myself, once this trial is over. Until then, I’m off to week 3!
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