P90X3 is Different, and that’s a Good Thing
P90x3 cuts out the flab and gets to the meat of the routines, but is it everything it’s cracked up to be?
The P90x series has been wildly successful selling millions of copies. So what’s the secret behind the ever-popular P90X?
The secret is simple – Get the body you want in only 90 days. It’s a time limit in other words.
But there’s an even greater secret that has propelled the new P90x3 to the forefront.
The secret to the P90X3 success is the other time limit – Only 30 minutes.
It’s the 30 minute time limit on the workouts in P90X3 that has so many people excited they’re bowling over each other trying to buy it. Okay, maybe a little exaggeration there, but you get the picture.
I’ve been punching air and chatarangering (it’s a yoga thing) with Tony Horton since Power90, and I have to say that P90X3 is my favorite exercise package that Tony has released.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty:
Advantages:
The Workouts Start Faster – Little to no Downtime
Tons of time is saved by making the warm up fast.
If you’re really starting on a January morning and it’s 2 below outside and you’re in your garage, then use the Cold Start option at the beginning of each DVD.
Otherwise, you’re off to a quick start with P90X3 which is a big improvement over other and even past P90X workouts.
Down Time is Minimized
The workouts pack a punch and break times are reduced. You’re break is when the workout is done.
That’s not to say it’s 30 minutes of 100%, because that’s not good for you.
The workouts do it right by giving a good sense of interval training. You switch muscle groups by switching exercises.
A change is as good as a break.
I love the various workouts in P90X3. Each one is a separate 30 minute workout:
Resistance Workouts
- Total Synergistics
- The Challenge
- Incinerator
- The Warrior
- Eccentric Upper
- Eccentric Lower
Power Workouts
- Agility X
- Triometrics
- Decelerator
Cardio Workouts
- CVX
- MMX
- Accelerator
Core, Flexibility & Balance Workouts
- X3 Yoga
- Pilates X
- Isometrix
- Dynamix
That’s a lot more variety than good ol’ P90 and still a lot more variety than P90x. Hello, Pilates, Isometrix and Dynamix to name a few.
With the P90x, P90X3 opens up a whole new world (cue song) of possibilities.
I had an injury (not p90x related, I stubbed and broke 3, yes 3 toes in two different instances), and I made use of the P90X3 variety of workouts during my “recovery” time.
Does P90x3 Work? Check Results that you will not Believe
P90x3 is the the secret to getting results. So what’s the secret?
The Secret Sauce, Only 30 Minutes per Workout
P90X and P90X2 workouts were awesome, I loved them, and I plan to go back to some original P90X workouts for the jokes (I mean the added variety since I still have my P90X DVDs.)
However, the secret sauce of P90X3 is really that the workouts are fast. There are a couple of minutes of cool down after the 30 minutes FYI, and it’s a welcomed couple of minutes.
You might think, but yeah, you don’t get as good of a workout, well, you can judge for yourself, but I’ve felt that the difficulty and cardio benefits of P90X3 outmatch the previous workout regimes.
You really feel it with P90X3 because the intensity it turned out, the down time is turned down, and the movements have been refined.
Yoga, while great in P90X, was super long. In P90X3, it’s packed in thirty minutes.
Tony has had a lot of time to refine, refine, refine these workouts, and P90X3 is the culmination of those efforts.
Drawbacks of P90X3
Now, there are a couple drawbacks of P90X3.
Ab Workout
The base kit doesn’t come with an ab routine.
Yep, you heard that right. The base P90X3 kit does not include an ab routine (notice routine vs workout).
Your abs do get worked as part of the whole fitness regime of P90X3.
But if you want the separate ab workout, you have to buy the Deluxe or Ultimate kits.
Complex Upper, Complex Lower and X3 Ab Ripper Workouts are three workouts that come with the Deluxe and Ultimate kits.
You can buy the Elite Block (as it is called) separate, but if you need the equipment and options of the Deluxe or Ultimate kits, buy it together.
I got the P90X3 Base Kit, and have loved it. My wife bought it for me (a sweet gift bytheway).
I later bought the separate Ab Ripper workout, and love it.
Here are your options. Get the Base Kit, and Just Buy the Elite Block with Ab Ripper Disc to go a long with it. This works great if you don’t need the equipment that comes with the other two kits.
If you need the equipment, then it makes much more sense to get the Ultimate or Deluxe kits which include the Ab Ripper workout disc.
You can get the Ab Ripper as part of the Deluxe kit, or if you need the equipment too, go with the Ultimate.
Which brings us to…
Your Equipment Needs
Yes you do need some equipment.
I tried doing P90X with just the exercise bands, but you really want a pull-up bar for maximum results.
Base Kit: Comes with not equipment (and doesn’t have the Ab Ripper)
Deluxe Kit: Comes with Ab Ripper and Exercise bands that can double as weights/pull-up)
Ultimate Kit: Comes with everything in the Deluxe kit plus the pull-up bar (and other goodies). Everything you need in one package.
I already owned a pull-up bar, so I didn’t need the Ultimate Kit, but if you don’t have a pull-up bar, I highly recommend getting one whether with the Ultimate Kit or separately.
Is the extra equipment required? Absolutely not. But I decided to get a pull-up bar and saw tons better results.
The pull-up bar locks into a standard-sized door frame. You do your pull-ups and then easily take it down. It’s not a permanent fixture.
Workout Rotation
The last drawback is not really a drawback, but it bears mentioning.
With such good variety in the workouts, you may find one that you really like, but it’s only repeated for a few weeks to make room for the other workouts. So if there’s one or two workouts that you’d like to do more often, modify your schedule or double up one day every once and a while. For example, CVX doesn’t go past week 8.
So if you find one you really like, don’t be a afraid to modify the schedule to fit your needs.
P90x3 vs …
A gym membership?
Tried that, didn’t work. P90X3 is easy to get into the habit.
It’s just 30 minutes a day. There’s no commute to the gym on a cold morning.
There’s no waiting around for an exercise machine.
Other Workout Regimes?
Tony is 55 in P90X3. Yep that’s right, 55 years old!
Is Tony too old to be an effective instructor?
Are you kidding?
As Tony says, aging is for those who do not know better. Even in his fifties, Tony looks great.
His energy is high, and his mind is sharp. His workouts have stood the test of time as shown by the man himself. I’d rather have someone like Tony who’s been doing the real deal and keeping the results.
He’s also refined the workouts and added the newest techniques. You know he’s tried out what works and what doesn’t and has presented you with the very best.
No time, or haven’t worked out in years?
P90X3 is the best workout routine of the P90X series hands down.
It’s only 30 minutes which makes it snap to fit into any schedule.
You can follow at your own pace, and work your way up in terms of reps, sets, or depth of stretches. Having done the earlier workouts, p90x3 is the best set, and most challenging set of the workouts. Intensity, my friends. You put into it…well you know the rest.
Bring it!
Tony’s workouts have made a difference in the lives of countless people across the world.
The exercises make use of your body and mother earth.
P90x3 is top notch that gives you the workout of your life without undue stress on the joints (and lots of jumping like other workouts). It’s dynamic, varied, and knocks the competition out of the park. Tony’s been doing this for years, and each workout set has gotten better and better. p90x3 is an awesome pick.
Check out what other people are saying on Amazon about it:
“I work my butt off in 30 minutes doing these workouts. I’ve also lost weight and see a noticeable difference in only 4 short weeks.”
“Perfect Workout”
“fabulous! t25 vs. p90x3 vs p90x vs insanity – if i had only one, would be p90x3”
Check out the reviews on Amazon and start the Tony Horton’s P90X3 Base Kit – DVD Workout
