Curious to hear more about p90x2...how do you like it? What's it like in comparison with the first? I, personally, think it is a very well rounded program covering all grounds of training. Great detail for us on supps and meals. Looks good. Let me know about the p90x2 though
P90X2 is fantastic! I only have good things to say about it and it really does seem to stem from P90X and enhance what was already in place from the original. There have been some slight changes and I will list the big ones.
P90X was originally a 90 day program with the following setup:
Mon: CHEST/BACK
Tues: PLYOMETRICS
Wed: SHOULDERS/ARMS
Thurs: YOGA
Fri: BACK/BICEPS
Sat: KENPO
Sun: REST or RECOVERY
That typical week took up the first 3 weeks of training, which was then followed by an off week that was mainly composed of the same Plyo/Yoga/Kenpo but instead of the strength days it was CORE SYNERGISTICS which helped ready your body for the next three weeks. This was to help with the "plateau" factor and "muscle confusion."
The next three weeks looked the same as the first three, but the arrangement of the strength days were composed differently. You'd do that for three week, take a rest week, and then the final 4 weeks were a combination of all...
I did P90X for 90 days straight to get myself in shape for a buddy's beach wedding and it paid off in dividends. My fiance told me it was the best shape that she had ever seen me in. I totally stuck to the program and tried to not skip ANY days and really tried eating healthy only allowing myself one cheat day a week (the rest day). After it was over I took two week off and then restarted the program, but instead of their cardio days (plyo which is a biiiiitch, kenpo, yoga) I switched over to running/jogging. I didn't really see any improvements but just held on to what I already had.
Well now P90X2 has come out and it has definitely changed some things up.
1) It is no longer in 3 alternating weight days/cardio day phases. It is separated into:
a) Foundation
b) Strength
c) Performance
2) It is no longer 90 days. Yea, that sounds strange, but they tweaked things to allow you to tailor the workout to your owns specific needs. Instead of 3 weeks on, 1 week off, its 3-6 weeks on...
3)... and only taking a rest week AS NEEDED
4) KENPO is gone!
5) PLYO is still here (called PLYOCIDE... lol) and its less about standing in one spot and jumping and more about movement in general while maintaining balance in motion. Still wicked though.
6) YOGA is down to an hour and SHOULD NOT BE SKIPPED! No more crazy standing postures either.
So now you no longer HAVE to take a break before switching to the next phase. If you think you need 6 weeks in the foundation phase then go for it. Or perhaps you've gotten the hang of it in 3 weeks but need a rest week before moving into the strength fair. Thats OK too. It's really up to you.
I am currently in the beginning of the 4th week of Foundation and I'm planning on moving directly into Strength starting next week. I'll break down the phases the best I can...
- Foundation: This is essentially CORE SYNGERGISTICS from P90X split out over 3 separate workouts. It really focuses on your balance and ENGAGEMENT (of the core) rather than MOMENTUM of movements. This is not just 3-6 weeks straight of AB RIPPER. It envelops all parts of the body from head to toe and makes you use them in ways that really cements your body for the upcoming Strength/Performance phases. In fact, the workout week for the foundation phase only has one day that tacks on AB RIPPER 2 at the end of it. And it shifts focus from regular lifting to lifting that requires balance and stabilizer muscles. Can you bicep curl 50s 10 times? I bet you can standing up. Trying doing in the Warrior 3 pose with a leg out. Makes your body work harder because its not used to that type of weight+balance+constant core engagement.
- Strength: Not much to say here. These weeks look like the weeks from P90X with different tweaks and new exercises to change it up. I could tell you more but I haven't gotten there yet
- Performance: Focuses on working with what you've built and taking it to the next level via Post-Activation Potentiation. I'll let you google that one. Essentially its doing a heavy workout set followed by explosive sets of that engages the same muscle group. Supposedly unlocks greater muscle building/athletic potential.
So far its been a blast. This week (week 4 of foundation) is the easiest yet. I think I'm adjusting and my body is ready to change it up. Plyo seems easier but I'm still sweating buckets. Yoga is a fantastic stretch and I look forward to it. With P90X I used the chair a lot during pull ups. I made my goal to not use it once the time and so far its working! Some of the moves I've never seen before and I love them, especially on the X2 Core day... stuff to do with your abs I've never dreamed of! Very well rounded and much recommended if you are a graduate of the first program.
DJBP
