Let me start by saying, if you’re really ready to make a physical transformation and get into tremendous physical condition, you’ll find a way to make time for P90X. Okay, that being said, I realize that most people today follow a schedule that barely leaves time for sleep, much less a workout plan. So, to start, take a hard look at your schedule and figure out where you can squeeze in about an hour a day to complete the P90X program.
P90X is a home workout program. That means you get to save yourself some time by avoiding the commute to the gym. Additionally, you can workout anytime of day and you don’t even have to look good doing it! So, where can you best fit the P90X workout into your overloaded schedule?
Can you get up an hour earlier every morning? Consider setting your alarm 70 minutes earlier than you usually do. This will give you 10 minutes to open your eyes, throw on some workout shoes and put in the P90X DVD. A hard workout like those offered by P90X is usually best done in the morning anyway because it increases your metabolism, which gives you more energy to face your day. Additionally, you won’t have the whole day to make excuses for avoiding your P90X workout that evening.
Okay, so you’re not a morning person and you’d rather be out of shape for the rest of your life than get up early to do P90X. So, would it be possible to do the workout immediately following work? Consider coming home everyday, dropping everything and putting in P90X immediately to complete your workout. If you choose to do P90X immediately following work or school, you’ll need to make it a priority, as this tends to be a busy time in most people’s days. Your family, friends and even your pets will have to agree to give you that hour for P90X before bombarding you with their needs and demands.
No way, you’re too busy right after school or work. Your next consideration will be to fit your P90X workout in at night, after the kids are in bed and the dinner dishes are done. The only problem with scheduling evening as P90X time is that this is usually the time of day when most people want to relax. P90X won’t allow for that. However, if you devote 1 hour of each evening to P90X, you’ll likely find that you begin to look forward to that time throughout your day.
Other things you may consider to free some time for P90X during the week is to do most of your cooking, cleaning and laundry on the weekends. Prepare the weeks meals in advance and freeze them for the week. This can save you at least an hour a day in meal preparation time that can now be devoted to P90X. You may also consider delegating household commitments to your spouse or your kids. Figure out which times of the day you’ll feel the most motivated to do the P90X program. Then, organize your agenda to push some of your weekday chores to the weekend or to someone else altogether. Make P90X a priority and before you know it, you’ll be wondering how you ever got through a day without your P90X workouts to keep you energized!
Nov 25, 2010 @ 19:39:36
Hi, could you help me fit in time for my work out. I have been doing it after work, but with the tendency to be off and on. Just a note: It takes an hour to get to and from work, I have sleep apnea so I feel sleepy all day, I have a hard time working out in morning ( I crash during workout), I eat a dinner sized meal during lunch and just a small snack when i get home (bowl of cereal).
Wake up-630a
shower breakfast then leave by 745a
at work at 9a
lunch@ 1230p
@home 600p
So when I get home I feel like a zombie, could be the sleep apnea or my diet, idk. Suppose what I really need your help with is how to make sure I have the energy to workout.
Hi Jeffrey,
your schedule is really tough. Is there any way you can wake up at 5:00? I know that probably sounds horrible to you, but working out at the end of your day is probably out of the question! If you get up at 5, have something really small to eat just so your stomach isn’t empty for your workout, like maybe a banana or some toast, then do your workout and eat breakfast after. Perhaps on your way to work in the car to save on time. This way you can come home, eat your dinner and relax until you go to bed. I’m sure you don’t stay up late!!!
Make sure you are eating 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. This way if you are still crashing during your workout, it might be the sleep apnea.
-Mike
Nov 25, 2010 @ 22:26:40
I just started P90x and love it! I had to miss a workout already due to a very crazy day, but I was able to do a 30 minute cardio workout during my lunch hour. I don’t foresee having to miss a day very often, but can you tell me how much of an impact this will have on my progress? Also, I do tend to go the gym over my lunch hour and do cardio on weekdays. Thanks.
Helly Barb,
missing one workout isn’t going to kill your results, especially if you are making up for it in the gym. If it becomes a regular occurrence, then you do run the risk of compromising your results.
-Mike
Jan 10, 2011 @ 19:27:18
hey..i just starded with p90x..but im having a huge dilemma with the schedule(the diet)..i get up at 6.20 am for work..and my job is after disaster cleaning!!..so is kind of working out…i do p90x at 5.00 or 6.00 pm……when should i eat during the day??…and i got a bunch of GNC shakes,spot pills, and recovery drinks…are they the same??…please i really need a help on this!!
Hi Alanzo,
if you can with your schedule, try and eat every 3 or 4 hours. You might have to eat dinner an hour after you work out, which is ok if you make sure you wait at least 3 hours after you eat to go to bed. Not all supplements are created equally, but the best way to compare is to check the ingredients. Recovery drinks, vitamins and protein shakes are all a part of the P90X program, so you would just have to check the website and read the labels:
http://www.extremebodyworkout.com/p90x-products.php#P90X%20NUTRITION
-Mike
Jan 26, 2011 @ 16:48:38
Hey i have a few questions, i’ve been doing p90x and i’ve been wondering what if i do p90x in the morning and swimming at night. Will that improve my results?
Hello Ali,
adding swimming will not only allow you to burn more calories per day, it will also help your cardiovascular system which will help improve your performance while doing your workouts. Your “wind” will improve and your stamina should also improve. Swimming is my favorite exercise because I am not a runner! Some people add running to their P90X regimen, but if you hate running or have bad joints, swimming is a great alternative.
-Mike
Feb 14, 2011 @ 21:27:52
Hi P90x
I have some questions about the diet. I am a teenager in moderate shape, and I have been doing the fat burner meal plan. It seems to have negatively impacted my health during the day, namely dizziness and even passing out twice in two weeks. I have continued to stick with the fat burner, and I have lost some weight. But I’m wondering if you can answer my question about the dieting. Also, does p90x provide for a little snack before bed? e.g 15 bite size pretzel pieces? Thanks for your time! It’s a great program.
Hello John,
you probably aren’t eating enough of the right foods if you are feeling dizzy after working out. This is sometimes called “crashing.” If you don’t follow it exactly, use the Nutrition plan as a guideline to what you should be eating and how much. This program can burn up to 600 calories per workout and you need to be sure you are eating enough to get trough the exercise and you day, but not eating too much to where your not losing any weight.
If you have to have a snack at night, have a dairy, fruit or vegetable type snack, and it should be really light.
-Mike
Feb 19, 2011 @ 00:30:37
Hi P90x,
I’m planning on starting P90x on Sunday but I have a couple of questions. I’m 24 5’7 and 135 lbs. I have a feeling that I will have trouble following the nutrition plan. As an example I don’t think I can eat 5 meals a day. As of now I only eat 2-3 times a day. Will P90x still work for me? My goal is to get in shape, and develop/gain some muscle. I’m generally skinny and I think I eat pretty healthy. Also I bought a recovery drink with whey protein in it. Do I still have to buy 100% whey protein?.
Hello JChan,
you don’t have to eat 5 meals per day, just 3 meals and two small snacks. This snack could be a protein bar, a cup of yogurt, something to prevent you from being too hungry when it’s time to eat your full meal. People tend to over eat or go for the quick satisfaction of sweets when they are really hungry. If you don’t follow the nutrition plan, you results might not be as great. At the very least, you should use the nutrition plan as a guideline when choosing what foods you eat and how much.
You don’t have to take whey protein unless you want to. The recovery drink is essential to muscle recovery and it does contain some whey, so it’s up to you if you want the extra protein. You could use a protein shake as a snack as well.
-Mike
Feb 22, 2011 @ 00:26:12
Hi, ok so here is how this goes, im 16 years old been working out for about 3 years, im in very good physique since ive done the p90x already, but it was last year when i didnt have to work and stuff like that. this year i want to do the p90x again with a diet this time. the only prob is i dont know when i can do my workout if i wake up at 5:30, leave the house at 6:30, come back from school at 3:00 exactly, everyday, and on Mondays and wednesdays i work 4-8, and on friday i work 4-1 am. (its a part time job for a bit of extra cash)..i was thinking maybe i could wake up at about 4:30ish or 5:00, eat half a p90x bar, wait about 15-20 mins, workout then really quickly take a short shower, get dressed and head to school or do you think the best time for me would be at night, i really have no clue, it would be nice to get some help, thank you
Hello Omar,
the morning would be the best time, so if you could get up at 5 and workout until 6 then get ready for school, that would be ideal. Of course, 5 am is early and you do have to concentrate in school and focus at work. Try it out for a week and see how you feel during the day. If that schedule doesn’t work, try working out after work (except fridays). You could even use friday as your rest day so you can workout on saturday and sunday.
-Mike
Feb 26, 2011 @ 12:19:10
How detrimental is it if you skip a workout and double up the next day? I am a nurse and work 12 hour shifts, 3 days a week. On my days off, I have no problem getting my workout done. However, the days I work…I get home and am completely exhausted. I know you say to try and get up early…I already get up at 4:45 a.m. so I can be at work by 6:45 a.m. And usually, I am not home until 8 -8:30 p.m. My friend let me borrow the workout DVDs but did not include the diet. So…I am trying to watch what I eat, but am not following the P90X diet. Any suggestions, hints, or help would be much appreciated! Thanks
Hello Julie,
in some cases, people can’t follow the schedule exactly or the nutrition plan exactly as it says. You might not get the same results as someone who follows the plan rigidly, but you will get results. If you skip a workout, the best thing would be to make up for it the following day, if you can.
It’s tough for me to say how you should go about the diet because you have to calculate your nutritional level which determines how much you eat. Limiting your carbs to 1 or 2 servings per day and getting 5 servings per day of protein would just be a start.
-Mike
Feb 27, 2011 @ 12:11:13
Hi
I’ve been trying to decide what workout should i do,if start with Lean or go with Classics. What is the difference between the both of them? And what work out would be the best to start with?
Also if i can’t afford the p90x recovery drinks or the protein bars, what can i use to substitute them?
Thanks!
Josue
Hello Josue,
P90X classic is more of an all around approach. You will not only lose weight, burn fat and gain muscle, you will also improve your overall athletic ability. The P90X Lean approach is more focused on weight loss. You will have more cardio workouts in your schedule than the classic approach and less resistance.
If you can’t afford the recovery formula, look for an over the counter whey protein shake with similar ingredients. You can find the ingredient right on our site:
http://www.extremebodyworkout.com/p90x-products/p90x-peak-recovery-formula.php
-Mike
Apr 02, 2011 @ 11:50:14
Hello!
I need help! I am a 40+woman who is physically healthy and cleared to exercise but need to lose 25-30 lbs. I know muscle weighs more than fat, so I understand I may not lose as many pounds as I lose fat and gain muscle.
I have many Beachbody products: Slim-in-6, P90X, Turbo Jam, Chalean Extreme, and Hip Hop Abs. It is proven fact that men lose weight faster than women, and P90X seems geared more for men. What video program would you recommend for me to lose weight and tone my muscles?
Thanks!
Hello Michelle,
if you are up for the challenge, I would go all out and do P90X. Building lean muscles help to burn fat even when you aren’t working out. But you don’t think you can do a program that intense and you would like something that you can gradually work your way up with, I would choose the Slim in 6 program. Hip Hop Abs and Turbo Jam are really fun cardio workouts if you like to dance and Chalean Extreme has a lot of weight lifting. They are all great programs, but have different ways to approach fitness. It’s all about what you think you can stick to and have fun with.
-Mike
Apr 06, 2011 @ 15:47:35
I am using the P90X as a supplement to my every day workout. On my off day from the gym I like to use the plyometrics disc for an INTENSE cardio workout. I also use the exercises from AbRipper at the gym. Do you think this is an okay way to go about it. I find it hard to watch the TV and do my pull ups (the bar is in another room) at the same time. This way I take care of the core muscles each day at the gym and do my AbRipper and Plyo using the discs.
I am eating approx. 1400-1800 calories a day while including TONS of protein and small amounts of carbs.
I am 26yrs old 5’11″ and currently 188 lbs. Started 1 month ago at 201lbs.
Good or no good?
Hello Jon,
P90X is a great program that will deliver great results. If you already have a routine and just use P90X to supplement, you will most likely see an improvement. It’s hard to predict how your results be because the program was made to be the main part of your workout. But the good thing about having a home workout program that is so effective is that you can use it how ever you want to use it, but results will vary. What you have going on sounds like a good plan, but I can’t say that you will get the same results that you would if you did P90X as a whole program.
-Mike
Apr 10, 2011 @ 09:44:16
Could I just eat wheaties for breakfast in the mornings. P.S. I’m a highschooler who doesn’t know how to cook very well.
Apr 11, 2011 @ 12:23:18
Hello Zach,
a whole grain cereal would be ok to have for breakfast, yes. This might be your only servings of carbs for the rest of the day, depending on your nutritional level. Be sure to check that in the nutrition plan.
-Mike
May 16, 2011 @ 16:50:56
Hi…I’m considering in using this program and I’m also a vegetarian. Do you have some sort of list of what I,should eat, when I,should eat during the whole program? Much appreciated.
Hello Maricela,
the nutrition plan that comes with the p90x will tell you exactly what you need to eat and how often. There is also a section with substitutions for vegetarians.
-Mike
Jun 02, 2011 @ 16:59:25
If i drink milk after will that help me put on some muscle?
Hello Alex,
any beverage with a good source of protein will help repair and build muscles after a workout. It’s the other ingredients in what ever you drink containing protein you have to be careful of.
-Mike
Jan 27, 2012 @ 21:10:35
I just started P90X this week. I start my workout after dinner is done and the kids are in bed around 7:30-8:00 pm, so I am finishing around 8:30-9:00 pm or later. I have been using the recovery drink afterwards and then going to bed within an hour. Is the recovery drink enough after the workout or do I need another small snack. During the day I follow the nutrition plan and have 3 meals and 2 snacks.
Jan 28, 2012 @ 17:56:20
I just started P90X this week. I start my workout after dinner is done and the kids are in bed around 7:30-8:00 pm, so I am finishing around 8:30-9:00 pm or later. I have been using the recovery drink afterwards and then going to bed within an hour. Is the recovery drink enough after the workout or do I need another small snack. During the day I follow the nutrition plan and have 3 meals and 2 snacks.