How to Modify P90X to Get Great Results


P90X is no doubt one of the hardest at home fitness programs on the market.  The name alone scares people away.  After completing Insanity I decided to take on P90X.  To be honest, it was a walk in the park compared to Insanity.  The Cardio and Plyometric workouts I barely broke a sweat.  But, I was so sore that I could hardly lift my arms above my head from the lifting.  While P90X wasn't taxing on my cardio endurance because I had already gained that from Insanity it was improving my strength.  I chose to do P90X  because I still had about 19 lbs to lose and I felt flabby and soft.  I started drinking Shakeology for lunch and pretty much had the clean eating down to a science.  I felt pretty good about taking on P90X.
Insanity Before and After

When I did P90X I did not have a lot of space.  We had converted our tiny little basement of our townhouse into our home gym.  We didn't have a pull up bar and the weight selection was limited.  I was able to find adjustable weights that went to 25lbs at a garage sale.

When doing P90X you can choose from 3 different options.  There is the Classic, Lean or Doubles. 

Classic is your traditional weight training program with 3 days of lifting, 2 days of cardio, 1 day of yoga and the final day is rest or xstretch. 
With the Lean Version you have an extra cardio day which is Core Synergistics, which is still to this day my absolute favorite P90X workout.  Who doesn't want to work their core!!!
Then there is doubles, that means that you literally do 2 workouts a day.  As a busy stay at home mom that was not an option that even sounded remotely exciting.

When I did P90X I chose to do the lean version.  When you get P90X it comes with a program guide that tells you exactly what workout to do on what days.  It also comes with a nutrition guide that lays out exactly what to eat as well.  Although, I found that quite confusing so I stuck with clean eating!

P90X Tracking Sheets
The one thing that is not in the program guide is the tracking sheets.  You will hear Tony talking about writing it down during every workout.  You want to track your progress!  This is key!  How will you know if you are getting stronger, doing more reps than last week?  It's next to impossible to remember it all.  So if you go to my site, www.teambeachbody.com/melaniemitro2 and click the get fit tab then click the workout sheets tab you can download and print the pdf file with all of the tracking sheets.  I kept this in my workout space and wrote every thing down.

For example, 1 handed push ups.  I wrote 0 for at least 4 weeks.  Then one day by an act of God I eeked out 1 rep!  I did a little happy dance because I could finally write 1 down.  Also, when I noticed that I was lifting the same weight and the same reps for 2 weeks in a row the third week I would up my weights and do fewer reps.  This kept my body from getting comfortable and I was always getting stronger.    Because I really tracked my progress I was able to constantly push myself and get great results.

My second tip is for pull ups.  Everyone literally FREAKS out and shuts down when they hear that word.  Me too!  I had never ever done a pull up in my life.  In the back video when you do pull ups they have a guy who is doing pull ups and using a band.  So I went to the store (Target, Dicks, Walmart) and got a resistance band that had an over the door attachment.
P90X pull up bar
Then as you get stronger you can either increase the resistance band strength or you can move back further when doing the pull ups. 

When I did my second round of P90X I decided to get a pull up bar.  I was still not strong enough to do pull ups unassisted so I took the band and looped it around the ends of my pull up bar and stood on it.  It created resistance and helped me to do pull ups.  Over time I needed it less and less until I got stronger.

Here is my video that explains the pull up assist and the bands a little better!!!



So, I tell you this.  When there is a Will there is a WAY!  If you want to say you CRUSHED and EARNED that P90X shirt then go for it!  You have nothing to lose but inches and rolls.  I must say that while P90X was not as intense as Insanity physically.  It got me the best results of my life!!!  It brought me to my goal weight and made me finally feel confident again after having kids. 
After P90X at goal weight

If you really want to take on P90X then let me coach you!  I would love to be your Coach and have you in my next challenge group.  I am P90X certified which gives me greater knowledge of the principles of P90X, the mechanics and how to help you get the best results possible. 

My next group begins on April 15th and is all done through an online closed accountability group.  In the group I teach you how to set goals for yourself, how to plan out your meals, create meal plans, I give you recipes, provide you with accountability and motivation to achieve your health and fitness goals.  In return, you get in the best shape of your life!  Think about where you could be in 90 days if you decide today to COMMIT to changing your life!


Do you want more information on how you can receive support just like this?  Email me or send me a friend request on facebook at melaniejmitro and I would be glad to chat with you about the types of support you can get from me as your coach!

I hope to hear from you soon and good luck!!!


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