P90x Plus... what do you think?

Lynn M.

Cathlete
Hi there-

I was curious to hear your thoughts on the new P90x plus.. I did p90x and loved the results that I got on my upper body, esp. back, tris and bis. The rest of the workout in the series for me were just OK. ( although I do enjoy PlyoX and Kenpo on occasion.)

Is P90X Plus worth it? I previewed some of the clips on YouTube and I have to admit I was intrigued. Would you say its comparable? Also, what bodyparts do you think they really do a great job on focusing on?

Thanks in advance, for any info you can share.

Take care, Lynn M.
 
Hi Lynn.

I did 1 round of the original X with some tweaks in it to suit me better and got awesome results. When it was announced that the X+ was coming out I knew I was buying it. No question. I am nearing the end of week 3 of an X+ rotation and have not been disappointed at all! The work outs are short and to the point. I don't think any of them are more then 45 minutes in length but don't let that fool you. They get the job done! Lots of pull ups and push ups as usual. Nice moves for the legs if you go heavy enough but you may still want to add a leg work out into the mix. I know I am. The cardio is fantastic. Interval X + kicks butt all over the place in just 30 minutes and Kenpo Cardio + is tons more intense then the original!

If you liked the original X, I don't think you can go wrong with the X+!!!

HTH!:)
 
I love them! I'm on week 8 now of using them along w/ the X. I'm kind of using the X+ Classic rotation but I'm also training for a half marathon and triathlon so adding in the run/ swims for now. They're a little shorter, most of them around 45 min which really appealed to me.

The upper plus does a variety of pushups, pullups, and core work. L-pullups, 7 point pullups, spiderman pushups, etc. Abs/ Core Plus is the BEST core workout!! I love it! It uses the pullup bar to do some hanging abs, then you do some standing, some laying, etc. It has some similar moves from Core Syn but a little different- banana masons are kind of like a banana roll with a mason twist. Total Body Plus is a really good workout too, your *warmup* starts with a set of squat thrust pushups. And then another variety of pushups, pullups. I love the 3 in 3's- 3 squats, 3 pushups, 3 pullups for 2 minutes.

The new Kenpo Plus is a LOT better than the original Kenpo and I really like the Interval+ also.

The music is better (Jason Scheff of Chicago did the soundtrack), and although I love the original X, the X+ has more of a *fun* factor for me.

They are a bit different from the X, it's more of a timed workout than going for reps. I've really seen some nice changes in my shoulders and back from them!!

Oh, and side note... thank you for posting about the Jarlsberg light swiss cheese at Sam's. I bought some the last time I was there & I LOVE it!!!

Hope that helps and let me know if you have any questions!!

Jess
 
Hey there-

Thanks for feedback so quickly, you guys have given me some great feedback. :)

Would you say that the strength workouts are more endurance based then, since you are putting so many exercises into one workout? Or would you categorize them as serious strength building like the original P90x?

PS.. Jess: So glad you liked the Jarlsberg Light.. I just picked up another pack of it today too. Also, I wanted to ask you when your tri was scheduled? Is this your first one? I've done 2, a sprint and an olympic. How are you liking all of the swimming and biking?


Take care, Lynn M.
 
In order to do the Upper Body and Total Body workouts you need quite a bit of strength first just to get through them, but because of the length and max reps on most exercises - i would say they are "fitness" oriented.

Not sure that makes sense.......but there is no way a beginner will get through the workout program without having built a good strength base first (imo).......and doing pushups and pullups with different variations is just plain tough - so I guess you get best of both worlds???

Athletic based!!!
 
I love P90X and think I might love P90X+ even more. Cathe is my hero & I can't wait for STS. In the mean time P90X+ is really fun & tough!!
 
I just received these the other day and tried interval x and ab core plus. I loved them. I was so winded with the interval x, I was actually surprised because plyo didnt get me as much. I viewed total body plus and that looked tough. I havent viewed the other workouts but am excited about them. I already feel the plus is better than the original p90x workouts and worth getting.
 
Love it.

The workouts are fun and they are tough. I think it's great for a cutting phase. A great compliment to the X. the workouts are shorter, but more efficient. I thought the cardio in X was just ok while the cardio in Plus is very good.

After 30 days of Plus, I did a week of X and was shocked at how much stronger I was and how much my endurance improved.
 
I would say they're more endurance & functional fitness based. But if you use them w/ the X, then I think you could use them for strength also. This week I'm back to the X workouts- chest & back, shoulders & arms and legs & back. It's been a nice change of pace too!

And yes, I love the Jarlsberg light cheese!! I made a *McMuffin* today w/ a light MG English muffin, slice of cheese, & ham slices. Yum!

It will be my first tri! I'm doing a sprint in June and possibly OLY in July. I'm loving the swimming, but haven't been biking yet until the weather clears up. I wish I had a bike trainer, but since it's only a 13 mile bike I'm not too worried about it. I'm training for a half in April also. Any words of wisdom??? ;-)
 
I agree! I like Interval Plus a lot better than Plyo and Kenpo Plus is a 100x better than the original Kenpo!
 
I always thought Plyo was a tough work out. It really burns my legs good and wears me out!

Kenpo isn't tough but I like it anyway with the exception of the section on blocks.

Lots of folks also disliked Cardio X saying it was too easy. I really like that one for something different when I don't want full-tilt cardio work out. It certainly made me sweat even though it may not be one of my tougher cardio choices.

Interval X+ rocks the house in only 30 minutes! I'm wiped out by the time I'm done!

Kenpo Cardio+ is much more intense then the orginal though at first I was frustrated because he doesn't "teach" the moves before doing them so that made the first time through a bit maddening for me.

All of this being said, I must confess that I often sub in a run for the X cardios. I am doing X+ cardios more then I did the orginal X cardios but for no specific reason really as I enjoy them all to some degree. I guess I just love running more! :)
 
Hey Jess-

In regard to the training for a tri.. it sounds like you are in good shape as far as your running, since you are already ahead of the game training for the 1/2. That is usually the hardest for people physically, but you'll be just fine esp. on the Sprint.

The swim was OK for me. I am comfortable in the water so mentally, I had no issue with it. I would suggest though if you are in a lake where you'll need a wetsuit, do your training w/ the wetsuit on. I made a huge mistake of not test driving my wetsuit when I did the olympic and it ended up totally messing up my rhythm which screwed up my time. Also, I had major friction rubs around my shoulders and those got infected and it was a mess. Also, if you can practice in open water that would be a good thing. Lake/Ocean swimming is such a completely different feel than a pool.. much harder and not having that nice little line to follow at the bottom takes some getting used to. :)

As far as the bike.. well I hated that part the most. On the sprint, I used a moutain bike with refurbished w/ lighter road tires. My time was bad, and people that had a road bike completely smoked me. If you have a road bike you should be just fine. If you don't, see if you can borrow one, esp if you do an OLY. The mountain bike is a heavier bike and you exert wayyy more energy trying to ride it. I had a road bike for the OLY and its much much less taxing on your legs.

Also, practice your transistions as much as you can... You can make or break your time in a big way here. Also practice your bricks.. your switches from swimming to bike, and more importantly your biking to running.. that bike to run is a killer on your legs and really takes some time getting used to.

I really enjoyed how I felt when training for the tris.. the 3 activities really complement each other nicely. I've trained for several 1/2 marathons, ( actually only did one, but that's another story) and felt sooo much better physically when training for the OLY than I did for a 1/2. Your body just doesn't feel as beat up tri training, so its a good thing!

Let me know if you have any other questions.. I love talking about this stuff!

Take care, Lynn M.
 
Yeah, I'm not worried about the 5K run. I do plan on practicing my transitions and have done a few BRICKs, your legs always feel crazy after the bike/ run!!

We do plan on doing some open water swims, I don't have a wetsuit and wasn't planning on getting one. My 2 buddies that I run with are even thinking of a half IM in September, I told them to let me see how I do for the sprint before I commit to that!! :eek:

I have a Trek Hybrid that I got last year that I'll use. It didn't make much sense for me to get a road bike, I ride a lot of gravel type roads and was afraid of having a lot of flat tires!

I'm looking forward to the training. I ran a full marathon and it was just so hard on my body (ended up w/ a bad case of IT band that took me 3 months to recover from!). So I know that running 3x a week is perfect for me, any more and I tend to get injured.

Anyway, thanks for the tips! I love talking it too, so feel free to email me anytime!

Jess
 

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