(Part 2) Best products from r/P90X

Hey there, P90X and Insanity grad who lost his body about two years ago after work/marriage/children. I've made it a mission to get my weight/health back on track since the beginning of the year, and like you, only have 30 minutes a day. Unlike you, I'm much more cardio focused, but lifting has been a huge help for me. So that said, I've been doing Max:30 since the beginning of the year, along with the lifting workouts from P90X3, and a few other programs sprinkled in as well.

Anyways, that's my backstory. I have sort of a ramble of thoughts that I figured would give you some food for thought on all of this. Also I've added headers, because this got super out of control.

Thoughts on T25 and Max:30

First, I've done T25 (just individual workouts, not the whole program) and Max:30, and I've gotta say, I was super disappointed with T25. This is actually the one I dreaded, which is a word I saw mentioned, it was truly painful to want to hit play because it's not a very intense program at all. On the flip side, of every BeachBody program I've done (I've done a lot of them) Max:30 is truly the best one I've ever done. Like, it's absolutely perfect. It's 30 minutes, no frills, you get straight to business and after 30 minutes you're done.

Like you're thinking, though, 80%+ of Max:30 is cardio. The remaining 20% is a lot of body exercises, and those are mainly bundled into the Tuesday/Thursday workouts from the program. Ironically, those were my least favorite workouts in the whole program (and a few other Max:30 grads I've spoken with have agreed).

For that final reason, on my second round of Max:30 (currently on Week 2 of that program) I've completely swapped out the Max:30 body-weight routines for P90X3 lifting ones. So far I'm super happy with the switch.

The best program to gain muscle mass

As far as gaining mass goes, the single best program is Body Beast. There's just no comparison. I did this one back in 2012 and my upper body has never looked better. It's a truly amazing program. This is the program I want to do the most, I'm super itching to get back into it, but I need to focus on cardio for another 30 lbs and don't want to start that program until I've hit the weight goal.

The problem with Body Beast is the DVD lengths. They're all over the place as far as time goes. All under an hour, but in the first block just barely. BUT, in the second block, the bulking block, which is actually the longest of the three blocks, all of the DVDs are around 30 minutes (the longest is Bulk Legs at 38 minutes).

My approach to 30 minutes

So, looking at all of that info, and a ton of info I haven't mentioned about many other home workout programs, I decided a while back that I just need to write my own programs using combinations of BB programs. Between the Insanity, P90X, P90X3, and Body Beast workout schedules, you can start to see a symmetry to them, and from there it's pretty easy to figure out how to write your own programs based on the outlines of these programs and your specific goals. Mainly I stick to P90X (M, W, F are lifting, one day of stretch in the middle, one of rest at the end, and the rest cardio) outline, but right now I'm doing a modification based on the Max:30 schedule.

I swear I'm getting to a point here

Anyways, after this long ass ramble, I wanted to let you know I wrote out a mass gaining program for myself that I'm planning to start in June. I'm basically using the Body Beast schedule, but I've swapped out the cardio workouts for Max:30 workouts, and for the lifting workouts that are excessively longer than 30 minutes I'm using P90X3 substitutes (ie. Body Beast Chest/Back is close to an hour, so I'm using P90X3 The Challenge on that day). If you have BB On Demand, or just happen to have a ton of BB DVDs lying around, you can easily put together a program like this on your own.

Bonus thought

Alright, one final thing because I love to preach about it. Kenpo X and MMX get a lot of flack because they may or may not be intense enough for people. I'll leave my comments as to why that is aside, but I like to share my only non-BeachBody program: The Bas Rutten CDs (Amazon Link for those interested). I found these on an MMA training forum many years ago when I was trying to spice up Kenpo X. Basically, this is Bas Rutten (old MMA fighter) calling out combos, and you deliver them. That's it. He does 10 2 minutes rounds or 7 3 minutes rounds, and the set includes CDs for Boxing, Kickboxing and MMA. Hands down, this is the single best marital arts cardio workout I've done. I come out soaked every single time, even when I shadow box it (it can be done on a bag or shadow boxed, your choice). Here's a video of a guy doing the MMA CD on a bag, to give you some idea of what I'm talking about. For those unsure, 1 = jab, 2 = jab/cross, 3 = jab/cross/hook, and 4 = jab/cross/hook/cross (or uppercut on the fourth). And Defense (only seen in the MMA one) is a sprawl or burpee.

I cannot express my love for these CDs enough. And especially, I love that the boxing one (though all of them, really) is a cardio workout that uses arms, not legs. This is an excellent way to get some extra shoulder work in while also getting cardio.

Anyways, that's my ridiculous ramble. Good luck out there fellow dad!

I recently graduated, and was living in a dorm room with one other guy. We didn't have much space or walls between us. I asked him if he'd mind if I worked out in the room and he said he was okay with it, so I did.

I always tried to do it when he wasn't around (largely for myself, but also for him), but sometimes he'd be there. Did it feel weird the first time he came home early and saw me doing P90X? Yes, very. But we basically both pretended like the other person wasn't there, and that was good. It felt less weird surprisingly quickly.

At some point I told him that he was welcome to use my equipment to do P90X if he ever wanted (but didn't invite him to do it alongside me because I just wanted to do it by myself to be honest), and eventually, he actually did get started! Huge surprise for me when he did. And that was actually pretty great for both of us.

So, I say go for it after you check with your roommies, and extend the offer to let them use your P90X stuff if they want to give the program a try. And if you're worried about odors, then the easiest thing would be to pick up some Febreze. Or better yet, may I suggest picking up a cheap electric oil warmer? This way you can get whatever scents you like most, make it as strong/weak as you like, and do it all for very cheap. For example, I happen to like eucalyptus, frankincense, and citrusy oils. I happen to really like good smells, so I had one of those before I got started with P90X anyway. (But you should also check with you roommates about this too so that you don't end up with any smells they don't like. Maybe let them help pick the oils.)

Good luck!

Medicine balls: I used two med balls when I did P90X2 -- one for each hand. Both are the 8-pound versions of these. You could use up to 4 but that was way more money than I wanted to spend. When you use them, you're usually balancing on them anyway so the weight of the ball isn't much of an issue. I don't recall whether there were any exercises done with using them as actual weights...

Foam roller: I bought this one in 36" full round. Worked just fine.

I used X2 as a way to just become more fit in general. I lost about 15 pounds and gained some muscle for sure, but I didn't get massive -- I got bigger but it was more in a slim and fit-looking way if you know what I mean. I looked at the Body Beast stuff but couldn't stand the bro vibe.

P90X3 requires less equipment than X2 (no med balls, no foam roller), but does require a good range of dumbbells and I can recommend that program as well for all-around improvement. I am 2 days away from starting the third block of X3. It's challenging but fun. Shorter workouts does NOT mean easier in this case. Very few breaks and they are miniscule. A friend of mine did P90X and is now in love with X3 because of the massive time savings it provided.

Good luck!

So, yes, shakeology is expensive. Whey protein technically could be expensive, but when you realize its benefits (ex. adding needed protein to your diet), and what the true underlying price is, you might see it as a huge advantage.

First off, whey protein shakes can (and are) considered to be meal replacements. So, let us hold that as true. If we assume that typical home-cooked meals (unless you are on /r/cheap_meals) are $5.93 and when eating out $12.28 (http://retailfeedback.com/component/k2/item/6-home-cooked-meals.html).

And, we go to a big box store (Sam's Club, Costco, etc.) and price their 5 lbs bag of whey at $34.98 (http://www.samsclub.com/sams/muscletech-premium-whey-protein-chocolate-5-lbs/prod3890134.ip?navAction=). Take the $34.98 and divide it by 70 servings = $0.499/per serving. Or, if you are like me, I do two servings after a workout, so $34.98 divided by 35 servings = $0.999/per serving. So either 70 meals at the price of $0.499 each or 35 meals at the price of $0.999 each.

Then also keep in mind that this may only half fill you, so maybe it is just a half a meal replacement. That still would only be $1 to $2 for a meal.

You are still paying less per how much it is filling you. Also, keep in mind certain vitamins and minerals that fruits and veggies etc. may not be in these bags. However, it includes the necessary protein, carbs, and essential amino acids in quantities needed whilst keeping other things sort of low (fat, sodium).

So (With help from /u/BigBabyGiant) we will then add in the price of macro greens and miracle reds supplements to add to the shake. Each can be found for a cost of $51.50 (Miracle Reds and Macro Greens) on amazon. Each are a 90 day supply. So $51.50 + $51.50 divided by 90 = $1.14 per serving.

Add this to the above and you get $1.643 a meal with 20g protein or $2.143 a meal with 40g protein. Still a winning situation.

Source: I work out, I am lean with much muscle mass, I take whey protein, BigBabyGiant, I write verbosely

PS: someone above linked you to Higdon's website, but I can't recommend this book enough: http://www.amazon.com/Marathon-The-Ultimate-Training-Guide/dp/1594861994 --This was my training bible in the time leading up to the race (and after the race, too). He has chapters on every little thing including nutrition, injuries, what to expect in the race, how to prepare yourself mentally, what to expect from your body while you're training, etc. Love love love that book. It also has the added benefit of making you feel really excited about running as you read it :o)

If you're dedicated enough to do the program (which means working out an hour a day 6 days a week), at least get a set of resistance bands. If you want to do it on the cheap I'd get a nice set, just with fewer bands. This is under $30. Maybe you can find a used set even cheaper on ebay/craigslist/etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Bodylastics-Resistance-STACKABLE-anti-snap-components/dp/B006NY7PVO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334235970&sr=8-2

You'll be able to do all the strength exercises as well as pullups if you have a door or something to mount to. If there's not enough resistance for pullups, just keep doubling up bands or moving farther away. Maybe you'll find you want to improve more and get dedicated enough for some sort of pullup bar. At least it will be better than no weights.

Realistically you could do the program with just that. Other stuff you can add if you think you'd need it. If you decide you want a mat (either for yoga or just floor exercises like ab ripper), you can certainly make do with a cheap one.

If you're just dedicated enough to think about starting, not work out every day and then give up in a week or to, then don't worry about it.

So I'm in month 3 of the p90x/Insanity hybrid workout with added cardio thrown in for good measure. While it's a super tough regimen, it is do-able and you'll get better results than your standard p90x routine. A couple of things though:

• Look into getting a dumbbell set. You can get one at walmart or amazon for pretty cheap here's a set from amazon
  
  here's a cheaper set from walmart that I use with addition weights thrown on (Also if you decide to get these, use a pair of gloves or some kind of hand protection when using them because they're kind of small and gave me blisters after extensive use)
  
  I used to use bands when I first started out because I didn't have dumbbells, and while they're useful to an extent if you don't have much of a physical base to start out with, you're not gonna get the results you want.
  
  
• Before you start the hybrid, make sure you can handle it physically. I'm not going to sit here and tell you what you can and can't do, but use your best judgement because it's not gonna be easy, especially around month 3. Know what you can do, set the bar higher than that, but don't set yourself up to fail
  
  
• Honestly, scheduling has always been the hardest part for me with these p90x style workouts. You have to devote anywhere from 45-90 minutes per workout every day for 3 months (granted you could substitute the yoga day with a rest day like I did, but that's personal preference) and it's tough if you have an already busy schedule with school, work, or social obligations. Again, use your best discretion.
  
  here's a link the the hybrid worksheet

I'm pretty familiar with fitness, and I agree with what you said. p90x worked for me initially because I like when I don't have to think about what I'm going to do when I workout. I don't think I'm "beast" but it is pretty cool that I can do pullups now. I managed to find a lifting buddy at my gym who is actually beast and she agreed to teach me how to lift properly, so I imagine we will work on a SS-type workout.

I saw on xxfitness the book the new rules of lifting for women, are you familiar with it? I was thinking about buying to to get more informed. I'm not interested in bulking, I feel I put on muscle easily enough without pushing it, my main interest is in just getting as strong as I can.

Price of ultimate plan: $370

P90X base plan: $140


Pull Up Bar: $30


Push Up Bars: $10


Chin Up Assist $35. This is a handy tool but a chair will suffice.


The recovery drink, while not a total waste of money, can be replaced with much cheaper supplements. I do stuff like protein powder and a frozen banana in a blender. Equivalent cost $40.


The real issue with ultimate package is the bands. You're going to want real weights. I went to a second hand sports equipment store and got a set of free weights at $.50 a pound. A nice full set will be in the $150 range.


Total: Around $400.


So for around $30 more, you can buy a much better set up than what's offered in the ultimate package. If you stick with it, you're going to replace the bands anyway.

The thing is, I'm currently at my parents' house for a few months and we have these European / German door frames. I looked through all of the door frame pull up bars (similar to this one) on Amazon and none of them fits. Each one of them has something that doesn't work for my current situation.
There are pull up bars like this one, but I'm really skeptical as to if they will hold my weight of over 90kg.

On top of that, my father isn't that excited about drilling holes in to the wall or the ceiling or even into the door frame.

I'm okay with the resistance bands for now I think and if I'm done and the results are good then I can put one on the wall - if I haven't move out until then anyways. ;)

Thanks for your help! :)

definitely p90x if you have the time. if you're pressed for time or can't commit to an hour and 15 minutes (abs!) every day, then p90x3 is a great second best. As for bands, i have tried several types, and the one i got from beachbody (when ordering p90x3) is by far the best band i have used. (good tension to length ratio). Make sure you get a door anchor for doing bands instead of pullups- and not the door anchor beachbody sends you. use the kind that goes over the top of the door like the one that comes with this: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Mountain-Products-Resistance-45-50-Pound/dp/B00DCX31OY/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1467647140&sr=8-15&keywords=door+band+anchor

I invested in a Blendtec about 3 years ago and I've absolutely been loving it...I'd love to try Shakeology but I feel like it's just too expensive for me in the long term. This is what I've been making every morning, it comes out to 4 cups so I typically will drink 2 cups for breakfast and 2 cups for lunch:

• 1 cup of almond milk
  
  
• 1 large apple, chopped into pieces and 1 whole banana
  
  
• 1/2 a cup of oats soaked overnight
  
  
• 30 g of whey protein and 30 g of plant protein (since I'm vegetarian and my diet is limited, I try to mix up my protein sources throughout the day so I've added a plant protein powder into my diet)
  
  
• 1 scoop of Maximum Vibrance which I buy off of Amazon (this is basically my multivitamin for the day and gives me about 12 g of protein per scoop)
  
  
• A few stalks of celery
  
  
• Big handful of greens (I try to alternate between spinach/kale and some other type of green everyday due to the high oxalates in spinach and kale which increases kidney stone risk, so some days I'll use lettuce, watercress or arugula instead)
  
  
• Quarter cup of nuts of some sort (usually either walnuts or almonds)
  
  This usually comes out to about 900 calories which is why I split it into two meals, it's not Shakeology but I figure it's healthy enough and gives me a pretty decent serving of protein to help me hit my macros and provide me with most of the vitamins and nutrients I need for the day :)

Here's what I'm doing right now and it's keeping my weight steady with positive muscle gains after only 3 weeks of P90X (I've got some fat and am trying to burn it without losing weight):

Syntha 6 (slower digesting protein)

• 1 scoop 3 times a day
  
  Protein isolate
  
  
• 1 scoop (around 20g protein) with breakfast
  
• 1 scoop 30 minutes before workout
  
• 1 scoop right after workout
  
  Creatine Ethyl Ester (no loading time for ethyl ester)
  
  
• 30 minutes before workout
  
• right after workout
  
  Force Factor (nitric oxide, I got myself a trial bottle)
  
  
• 30 minutes before workout
  
  Water
  
  
• Drinks lots of water throughout the day
  
  Along with my normal protein-based diet (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, beans), this takes my protein intake to 225g-300g per day. I think 300g would get you around the point of bulking up
  
  Also, for all the weight lifting exercises, I choose a heavy enough weight to where I can't do more than 10 reps. If you're doing more than ten then get more weight. Try modifying the high-rep weight routines in the video to ones that are 8-10 reps.
  
  By the way, I'm just a normal dude, not an expert. I'm curious to see what your results are and I might borrow your routine when I'm done with P90X because I prefer working out at home myself. Good luck!

I borrowed a set of the Bowflex adjustables and found that I didn't like them. The handles have a comfortable grip but the weights really stick out, making them awkward for many exercises.

My solution was to get one set of these 52.5 lb adjustables and 2 extra sets of handles. They do take longer to change weights than the Bowflex, but I find their shape easier to wield. Every once in awhile, I wish I had more plates, but they can be purchased easily enough.

You could also do a build-your-own rack with only the weights you use. Depending on your strength, you might only need, say, 5-50 lbs for P90X.

Regarding the bands, look around amazon or similar alternative find the highest strength band that you can find at a reasonable price. Best option?

Buy 2+ of those (double, triple, etc. up on the bands), sit on your backside to increase the length of resistance, and well, keep adding bands/depth to your starting position until you get the desired difficulty/resistance that you are looking for. Similarly, increase the amount of time that you hold each pull of the bands and, as you release your hold, try to do so at a slower, more controlled pace.

Good luck!

I bought a folding pull up bar from Amazon, which works well enough as long as it is placed on a non-slip surface.

http://www.amazon.com/All---one-Stand-Alone-Pull/dp/B001KUURTS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457987164&sr=8-1&keywords=pull+up+bar+folding

It might look flimsy but it is made of lightweight and extremely strong aluminum.

I switched to this unit because it could accommodate bench and squat presses:

http://www.amazon.com/Barbell-Power-Rack-Exercise-Stand/dp/B00HYQP72O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457987226&sr=8-1&keywords=cap+exercise+stand

It is not portable, of course, but I have a permanent gym downstairs and it saves on space.

I'm leaning towards Power Blocks. I see two options here and I'm slightly confused.

The PowerBlock Elite seems like it can be expandable and it is more compact. Its also cheaper. Amazon link

The PowerBlock Personal Trainer doesnt look like it can expand and that it is slightly larger. ITs also slightly more expensive. Amazon link

Why/how are the two models different? The Elite seems like the better choice here right? Is one model newer than the other? I feel like I'm missing something here.

I used this.

You can either screw it on the sides, which you said you DONT want to do, or you can just pressure it against the door frame. Its built in such a way that you twist the bar and it extends to the sides and you keep twisting until it has built enough pressure to the sides that it can hold itself there.

It surely works well enough, Its what I use every day and it even managed to stay put with the weight of a friend of mine (200+ lbs).

powerblocks for the win! I've been doing P90X on and off for years but it is a different beast when you actually get free weights to use. I've felt more change in the last three weeks using powerblocks than I have ever felt doing P90X with bands. My GF even got the sport versions and it's helped alot. Seriously, if you are serious about consistent exercise there's nothing better than having a set of real weights to use.

https://www.amazon.com/PowerBlock-Elite-Dumbell-50-Pound-pair/dp/B00G7RHGNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496783458&sr=8-1&keywords=powerblocks

These are the ones I bought. Planning on buying more weight for them in the not too distant future.

http://www.amazon.com/PowerBlock-Elite-Dumbell-Black-50-Pound/dp/B00G7RHGNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1414452966&sr=1-1&keywords=powerblock+elite

Just so y'all know, the 50 lb power block set is also on sale for about $300. I have them. They're great, and I appreciate how little chance of mechanical error or failure there is in them.

Also, if you get more swole as time goes on, you can buy additional weight (up to 70 or 90 lbs) to fit your power block sets. Can't do that with the Bowflex.