P90X Workout Program: Really the Best for Burning Fat, Building Muscles?

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Hi - I am definitely happy to discover this. great job!

#hartson23[IPIIGIIPIIII] of AL 5:38AM June 02, 2011

I like bodybuilding and gaining the muscles. Thank you for this great post !

impaxossisice of AL 10:03AM April 30, 2011

This article seems like one big ad to me. You all need to understand that people write articles like this, featuring bits of information, and links leading to where people can buy, for a living. Check out T Nation. I like that website, as well as Fitness RX.

jillian of TX 10:31PM April 03, 2011

There's nothing new and great about the PX90 or any other of the new exercise programs. They are just like a diet, if you do them consistently you will get results. Being consistent in your exercise program and eating a healthy balanced diet is what's really key.

Darvis Simms of NC 11:51AM December 14, 2010

Muscle confusion is nothing new. If you are a real gym rat, you know that you have to change up your workout every two weeks to prevent from plateau.
I have done it before and I am doing it now for the P90X. The good thing about p90x is that they lay out a workout for you to follow, but you can create your own.

Kenneth Welles 6:14PM December 07, 2010

You must be kidding! This is old news and a very old training technique which has been around at LEAST since the 1970's and probably much earlier than that. The fact is that some people respond well to this kind of training and others respond well to the same weight routine they've been doing for years. God I hate when old crap gets recycled, especially by know-nothing reporters.

Joe of LA 8:39AM December 06, 2010

I agree with Allan of FL. Most trainers have no more knowledge than the average gym member. I've come across trainers who don't know how many calories are in a gram of protein, carbohydrate, fat and alcohol. I've seen trainers who can't even teach a proper squat.
P90X is a program that pushes you to your limit. Most people don't want to be uncomfortable, so if you can force yourself to do this program, it could possibly work for you. Most of the clients that I train, usually don't like to be uncomfortable and I'm the person that forces them to exercise.
Most of my clients have movement pattern deficiencies or have had injuries in their past that keep them from doing certain exercises. I've never watched P90X but, I'm sure they don't address these problems.
And who gives a crap about who came up with muscle confusion! Yes, Joe Weider was a fitness icon and yes, Arnold was the probably the best bodybuilder ever, but the goals of a bodybuilder are completely different than the goals of the general American. P90X is not the same thing as CrossFit. As a trainer, I use the idea of "muscle confusion" to keep my clients burning fat and building muscle and sometimes I use CrossFit to give them a gut wrenching workout, but no one type of workout is the end all be all way to get in shape.
As far as the best workout device I've ever used, I would have to say it is the TRX Suspension Trainer. I've trained clients with Multiple Sclerosis, I've trained MMA Fighters, and I have trained children and teenagers with it. TRX (Total-Body Resistance Exercise) is all about bodyweight exercise. It's fantastic because you can train in all three planes of motion, lower and upper body, and you are training your abdominals (core) the whole time. Why would you do hundreds, if not thousands of crunches if you are out of overweight and out of shape? You can't see your abs if you have fat covering them. Train your core, and reduce or eliminate your low back pain and burn fat at the same time.
Losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise. You CAN'T out train a bad diet! You can't! You can lose weight by changing your diet and eating right, but if you don't exercise by doing resistance training you will not achieve the lean muscular look most people are looking to achieve.
If you want to be successful at getting in shape and staying in shape, hire a qualified personal trainer.

Tyler Cappel of MO 4:46PM December 05, 2010

My hope is that 'health and fitness' writers such as Chelsea actually read the comments on their stories, if not we're all just barking at the wind. I continually read in the press or see local and national news programs touting some "new and exciting" fitness concept, which is merely a rehash/remix by somebody with admittedly admirable marketing skills. It's not necessarily that the concepts utilized are erroneous or harmful. The damage occurs when unsuspecting 'fitness searchers' chase these "new and exciting" concepts which usually involves dishing out their hard earned money believing they have found the latest and greatest. I would echo the earlier comments that those of you who choose to place yourself in the position of disseminating information to the public should be comprehensive in your research before publishing. Be sure you are not 'falling prey' to the shrewd marketer as well!
I would also address "James Dean of FL" who claims to be a fitness trainer. If you actually needed this 'program' to incorporate training concepts that have been around longer than I've been a fitness professional (over 25 years), I would constructively suggest you enhance your study. You would also not suggest that following some program "in your living room" in any way resembled what a properly educated fitness training professional could accomplish! If a client can receive the same benefit alone in their living room as they can with your guidance, I would suggest either going back to school or finding a new career path.
Unfortunately, as a fellow Floridian, I am acutely aware of this state's problem concerning undereducated, under-trained 'fitness professionals'. A few years back FAU conducted a study in Florida regarding the level of knowledge in the exercise sciences of the average certified trainer in the State. The conclusion was the average person titling themselves as a certified fitness trainer had no more knowledge than the average gym member. If trainers have the proper qualifications they would be designing and customizing the programs needed for each of their clients, not mimicking another program. Merely because you have a 'sparkling personality' and can get somebody to try what you're regurgitating doesn't make you a well educated professional.

Allan of FL 10:45AM December 05, 2010

Hello,
As with the other comments posted in response to this article, I would like to say that this technique is not new at all. Bodybuilders long before Arnold Schwarzeneggar used this technique, there have been hundreds of articles written about it in dozens of magazines since the 1960s, and anybody who has ever worked out in a gym for any length of time knows about this technique.
Chelsea, this is a well written article, but I wish you had done some cross referencing before publishing it.
Glen

Glen 8:05AM December 05, 2010

I have been doing P90X for 2 years now and have seen AWESOME results! The muscle confusion technique WORKS. I am also a trainer at a local gym and incorporate the P90x moves in my classes. I am seeing results in my students as well. It is well worth the money. It will give you direction while you work out, rather than " I think I will do biceps today" mentality. It's like having a personal trainer in your living room.

James Dean of FL 7:10AM December 05, 2010