Real Consumer Reviews and Ratings
Power 90X (P90X) Reviews and Ratings
Consumer Ratings - Page 2 of 2
A Rare Factual Infomercial
2/2/2008 - Sam of Texas, USA writes:
I work from home, and I'm at my best at night, so I end up seeing bits of many infomercials when I finally turn on the TV for some R&R. I am stunned at the number of flagrantly false infomercials: stock trade secrets, health manuals, colon cleaners, and, invariably, great-body-with-no-effort gadgets. Why the FCC and local TV stations have not been held accountable for such latter-day snake oil pitches is beyond me, but thank heaven for this web site and its brethren for bringing the fraudsters to light... and to organizations like Public Citizen for defending their right to do so. OK, enough editorializing, except to state I have no affiliation with any of the organizations mentioned here, including Beachbody (P90X distributors). So here's the deal: the P90X system is... well, I'm trying to come up with a metaphor for a good thing in a quagmire of bad. It is the only product of the hundreds advertised through infomercials that I have found to be legitimate and not stuffed with come-ons for additional expensive "upsells". P90X is an "extreme" method of taking a reasonably fit body and toning it into "wow" shape. It is not for everyone, or ANYONE who is highly out of shape - as they say so themselves in the introductory video. If you can honestly describe yourself as "in pretty good shape" then you should be able to take on this program and succeed. But be warned... it ain't easy! Three years ago, I was 60 pounds heavier and getting virtually no exercise. Undoubtedly P90X would have been impossible for me then. I am now 53, have run many distance runs including a couple of marathons, and I work out regularly with weights and do some ab work. So I'm "in pretty good shape", with a little too much "looseness" around the chest and abdomen... and fairly confident that I'm in better physical shape than about 90% of my age group. I've dreamed of having "six pack" abs at least once in my life. I've got an "Ab Lounge", which really isn't bad although it's more for inspiration than gritty exercising. So I sprang for P90X after a 4:00 AM infomercial that featured ripped abs, and figured I'd sail through it. About $140 and a few days later, I got a heavy package with a bunch of DVDs and manuals. First kudo: good quality materials and packaging, which gives you a good feeling. I watched the introductory DVD and I squirmed a little... this is like boot camp, not a jaunt to a beauty spa. There's a whole regimen involved, including the regular exercises, proper diet, and nutritional supplements. A word about upselling: to their credit, Beachbody did not use high pressure sales tactics. They DO sell peripheral items, like a chin-up bar, exercise bands, and supplements - and you're made well aware of them - but it's not hard core. Tony Horton even makes a point that most items can be obtained from any good sporting goods store. You will need some equipment: the chin up bar, a full set of dumbbells, exercise mat, etc. The bands (from Beachbody or elsewhere) can save a substantial amount over the dumbbells, not to mention the space. And you will need space. If we all had a gym in our homes, that would be perfect. Short of that, you'll need enough space near your TV to do push ups, pull ups, stretches, weight lifting, etc. And you will need commitment. Diet, exercise, and supplements are all interrelated, of course, and you'll need to have the mindset that nothing gets in the way of your program. Avoid all "health burglars" who would infringe on your workout time or your diet! After taking the included test to see if I was ready for P90X... which I passed... I started the program. Wow! Had I been kidding myself? I was not in these people's league. Tony says to "Bring it" (their oft-repeated catchphrase), but softens a bit, recommending the pause button if it's needed. I used mine often the first week or so. And then... hey! I did the full set! I actually built up to where I could keep up with the program, albeit using lighter weights and perhaps a few less reps. The key to P90X, and perhaps all true bodybuilding techniques, is to go one step beyond where your body thinks it can go today. That's much easier to say than it is to do, but if you're going to make the commitment to this program, you might as well push yourself. Tomorrow, today's effort won't seem so bad. The program covers a lot of ground, with a recommended 6 days of work per week, at about 1 hour per day. Tony Horton is the kind of coach you'd love to have working with you one-on-one, as he pushes you to do "bonus" reps beyond what you commit to. Yes, you burn. And you will be hungry following the diet if you haven't been strict about your diet in the past. But it's all good, because you do see results surprisingly quickly. No, you're not going to look like Tony after 90 days, but you'll be much closer than you'd think. And guess what? My "keg" has turned into a six pack! Not quite ready for a magazine cover but I did indulge a bit over the holidays. I feel great, which is the best part of the whole program. The DVDs were all very nicely done, with options to turn off the annoying music and even Tony's between-set chatter. There's a time bar display always onscreen that shows the total time of the program (and where you are now), and the time remaining for this specific set. Good production values (multi-camera videos, reasonably good editing). One quick program note: Ab Ripper X. This is a 16 minute ab program that follows the main program on the DVDs. One word: killer. I watched it without doing it the first time, figuring my previous ab work would dovetail into this with no problem. WRONG! This is graduate school from "Ab Lounge" kindergarten. Be prepared to laugh at yourself a lot as you collapse onto the floor mid-reps. The guys and girl onscreen are machines. Do the work and you'll think this is the best money you've ever spent. Keep it in a drawer, and like with all your other exercise gizmos gathering dust, you'll have wasted your money.
Excellent program
1/27/2008 - Matt of Florida, USA writes:
In short, excellent program. Honestly, my results have been about 50% of the results shown in the commercial, but that's probably because I've been doing the program only about 3 day a week instead of the recommended 6. Instead of doing 6 days a week for 3 months, I've averaged 3 days a week for 6 months. I was already in decent shape when I started, and with the program I lost 10 pounds and gained strength and definition. I'm convinced that if I could dedicate 6 days a week I would get much better results. I think the program is designed to provide maximum results in a short period of time, but I'm using it as a long-term program instead and I'm very happy with it. Also, the intensity and variety has really helped me, maybe psychologically, through a difficult separation. I highly recommend it, 6 days a week if you can, or modified if you can't.
Effective, difficult, money saving
1/8/2008 - Matt of Missouri, USA writes:
I bought this product at the beginning of the summer for my roommate and i to get in great shape. I ran track in college and was already slim, but my roommate was about 50 lbs. overweight. We both committed to the diet (as best we could, we still drank beer and ate chick-fil-a, but other than that...) and worked out with the p90x workouts. As a fit person, my results were dramatic. I built a much bigger, wider back, added size and definition to my bis and tris and rounded out my pecs. I eventually quit doing some of the workouts (i focused on the upper body and got cardio elsewhere) but even 6 months later, i still do two upper body per week and save on a gym membership. my roommate lost some weight but did not turn into a ripped machine. i think this workout really is best for people who are already in shape but want to look and feel amazing. i did protein and creatine in conjunction, and for the 90 days when i was super committed, I looked absolutely jacked. so its good, if you're committed, if you're in shape.
Tried just from Infomercial
10/24/2007 - Denise of Ohio, USA writes:
I tried the parts of the routines that they show on the infomercial. Just from the that, I saw what it could do for me. Most notably it pepped up my stamina and increased my ability to do deep cleansing breathing exercises; I'm asthmatic. I'm going to recommend it to my son because he needs it. I have several pieces of equipment and like them all because I can vary my routine. I'm 55+ and in decent shape. I would like a firm, trim, cut body, but am not going to work that hard. I would suggest to start as I did, try it from the infomercial. If you will commit to the 90 days, buy it.
This is real, with real results.
7/31/2007 - William of South Carolina, USA writes:
I am a sucker for Infomercials. They show you a product and make you wonder how you ever lived without it before. When I saw the P90X workout I was blown away but at the same time I was very skeptical, I have tried other workouts in the past and either lose motivation quickly or just don't see results. This was not the case with P90X though. There is no secret workout that will give you a great body with only a short workout 3 times a week, but those products sell, same with stupid pieces of equipment that promises you flat sexy abs. The bottom line is that everyone wants a better body but is too lazy to actually work for it. That is what you do with P90X, you have to work, you only get out of the tapes what you put into it. I have just started the 2nd phase and I am sore. I thought Phase one was intense but this is a whole new level. Every workout is roughly an hour long. You alternate between days, one day you do muscle building and the next you do cardio and so forth. It also has a three part nutrition plan that you should follow. There are no bells and whistle, no promises of a miracle pill that will give you a body without doing anything. You work for it, an hour each day. This is the most hard-core workout I have ever done and you have to get in the mindset that you can do it, or that you will at least try to do as much as you can. I am turning 30 this year. The body I had when I was a teen and through most of my 20's is now flabby and covered in hair. I have never been a gym rat. I have never had a sculpted body and have always lacked upper body strength. I am already seeing results though. My arms are more defined, my chest is bigger, my back is very defined and I can see my abs starting to peak through the little belly I have always had. When I started doing this I could do 8 push-ups. I can now do 30 in a set easy, but guess what, the program knows that after a month of doing push-ups and pull-ups and other workouts you will get stronger, so the 2nd phase makes it harder. I had to do one arm push-ups last night for the first day of phase 2. I honestly laughed when Tony said, "Ok next we are going to do one arm push-ups." I was like, umm..yeah right, but I was actually able to do it, I only did 4 with my right arm and 3 with my left before I crashed into the floor, but I did it. That is a great feeling. Bottom line is that this product works, but you have to work it. You have to actually dedicate an hour of your day to doing this, seven days a week. This product is made for people who are already fit or used to be fit and want to regain that. If you are very out of shape and over weight it would be impossible to do most of these workouts. If you want to increase your flexability, strength and muscle tone then this is a product you have to try.
Results before 90 days and after
7/22/2007 - Eric of California, USA writes:
To use P90X, you need a pull up bar (I know of one person who uses their kids' swingset) and either resistence bands or hand weights. For me, I used the resistance bands that beachbody.com sells, as they offer the heavier resistence that I need for bicep curls. The cost of the resistance bands is much cheaper than the cost of purchasing dumbbells (which are usually around $1 per pound, but you have two arms, so $2 per pound...a pair of $40 lb weights is $80; beachbody sells a trio of bands (30 lb, 35, 40) for around $35). You can buy a cheap pullup bar with brackets at a sporting goods store for around $20. If you're interested in doing P90X, be committed to changing your diet. That means drinking more water, focusing on the amount of protein grams and carb grams that the P90X nutrition guide follows, and keep your P90X workout appointments as if you're keeping a doctor's appointment. I am a P90X graduate, and my results were such that at a beach party with several co-workers, when they saw me in my bathing suit, nearly every one of them wanted copies of my P90X DVDs (that sounds hokey, but I wear a shirt and tie to work, and the only thing they'd noticed is that I had lost weight; they didn't notice that I also got cut). My body shape went from a block shape to a nice triangular shape, with a smaller waist (4" smaller), nice wide lats, a wider, defined chest, and a six pack. Before P90X, I had a bowflex. Problem with the bowflex is that I didn't maintain a consistent schedule with it, I hated working out on it, and I'd quit after 20 or 25 minutes of weightlifting. With P90X, you're working out for an hour (or more), you're following their warmup routine, and you're doing cooldown stretching afterward. Stretching was a big thing I did not do with Bowflex, and that cost me quite a bit in soreness. With P90X, I get intense weightlifting with the bands as well as pushing and pulling my own weight with a variety of push ups and pull ups, and I get the stretching. When you're not weightlifting, your 7th day exercise is stretching, and the third day exercise routine is Yoga. Between your pre-workout and post workout stretches, the stretching at the end of the week, and Yoga (the toughest working IMO), your body is getting some good stretching in. As for Tony Horton, he makes the DVD's fantastic. He's been training people for years, and that type of training comes out on the videos, because he anticipates the type of form mistakes you're going to make. "Drop down into Warrior 2, Mr Hass. This is Yoga X, My brother". Damn, look at me, I could go lower myself. You see the workouts, the close ups that the cameras give you are important closeups, not closeups for the sake of moving the camera, and Tony shows you proper techniques for these exercises. Use the chapter advance and back buttons on your remote to advance to the previous or the upcoming exercise, in case you need to see it again. That's pretty nice. And the thing about Tony is, he makes the workout fun. He's enthusiastic about the workouts without being plastic. He's funny, he's quotable, and he doesn't give you that stupid perma-grin that you'll see from other exercise videos. He knows it's hard. He knows you'll fail when you start. But you can't help but get into it. By the end of a workout, you should be in a flop sweat, you'll be proud of yourself for working your butt off, and there'll come a time when you'll find the exercises easier and the time it'll take to reach that 90th day will come sooner than expected. One of the P90X books tells you to take some pictures of yourself before you start, and then take them every month. They tell you which poses to do for your pictures. I took them, and honestly, I couldn't believe the difference when I looked back. After 9 days, I looked at my measurements (a couple inches on my arms, 4 inches off my waist, etc) and I wasn't overly impressed by the numbers. Then I looked at the before and after pictures. Before the before pictures, I weighed 175 lbs, having lost around 30 lbs by way of a better diet and treadmill walking/jogging/running. I was pretty athletic, but you couldn't tell by my body. No chest, love handles, no arm definition. Those were my before pictures. My after pictures showed a guy who lost 15 more pounds (5'11", 160 lbs) with a wider chest, lats, obvious tricep definition and bicep definition while standing still, no love handles, those little side belly "pockets" that you see on really fit people, and my back even looked pretty ripped. When I started P90X, I could do 3 pullups. Now, I can do 25 in a set. The most I did in a workout was 171 pullups. When I started P90X, I couldn't do a single diamond pushup (I could do plenty of regular pushups). Now I can do 20-30 diamond pushups. I didn't eat whatever I wanted (though even at 36 years old, my matabolism is at such a place where I pretty much could eat anything I want, but I choose to eat healthy, because I don't want to put food in my body that's going to counteract my gains from weight lifting. The P90X Nutrition guide even says if you're not going to commit to changing your diet, you might as well not do the workouts. As for the workouts themselves, they are very tough and very rewarding. When I did the first workout, Chest and Back, I thought about quitting because I was so out of shape compared to the guys on the video. Couldn't do a diamond pushup. Struggled with other pushups, etc. Very upset and frustrated. Tony Horton, on the DVD, suggested that could happen, to not worry about the reps, and to just keep going. Best advice I could've gotten. Never in my life have people looked at my body and wanted to follow in my footsteps. Never. It's one of the greatest feelings in the world. The weighlifting/pull up/pushup workouts are fantastic. The Plyometrics workout isn't what I expected from plyo, but your legs gets one helluva workout, and you will sweat your butt off. Yoga, to me, is the toughest workout. An hour and a half, and the first half is grueling moving poses, and the last 7 minutes, Yoga Belly 7, is a major ab crusher. Ab Ripper X is still very tough for me to get through, but at least it's only about 16 minutes. Ab Ripper X relies a lot on good flexibility, which I don't have, but you will get an awesome ab workout with this. The workout I sweat the most on, though, is Core Synergistics, which you only do once every four weeks. Absolutely rigorous. Keep a towel close by unless you like watching yourself drain a bucket of sweat onto your carpet while you're trying to move back and forth in plank. If you are willing to commit to this program, you WILL succeed. Think of it this way: For the next 90 days, you can sit on your ass, or you can bust your ass. You're still going to see the end of those 90 days, and you'll never regret the days of exercise you did. It's impossible not to succeed at this. You work your body too damn hard.
No secrets revealed, just hard work!
7/21/2007 - Larry of Arizona, USA writes:
I've been athletic and followed a healthy lifestyle since being a competitive athlete in highschool and college. No that I'm in my late 30's, it has gotten harder to get that tone and defined look I had in my 20's. The program works, bottom line! It's all stuff that anyone who is familiar with fitness and exercise should be familiar with. The nice thing is, it puts it all together. I have seen and done most of the various elements in the past, but now that I'm older and have a family, it's harder to be strict with my training to get in the shape I want. The program does a great job at that. Follow the diet and the workouts, and you will see results, bottom line! I'm in week 7 and I have gone from a 33" waist to my old 32" in jeans. I have lost most of the little love handles I had, and I can see a 4 pack, and I'm working on the other two to complete the 6 pack.
P90X Rocks!!!
7/10/2007 - Karen of New York, USA writes:
I am in phase 2 of P90X and I have to say it is fantastic! I am following the classic program and I have been adhering to the diet plan and I am amazed! I have lost a total of 13 3/4" off my body with 5" off my mid-section! I feel this program is very effective in doing what it says it will, as long as you are willing to give it your all. I will continue to use P90X as long as I am able to!
Serious, Well-Balanced, and Tough
7/9/2007 - Tim of California, USA writes:
This workout system is a great value. Each video is a challenging workout. What I liked the most is that this system addresses strength, cardio, and flexibility equally. Working out 60-90 minutes a day, six days a week for 13 weeks was very tough but rewarding. The way the different workouts cycle keeps strength gains coming without overtraining, and simultaneously increases flexibility (greatly in my case), as well as cardio fitness. I gained visible muscle mass and simultaneously lost significant fat around my waistline and that was without following the diet plan at all! If I had also followed the diet I think my gains would have been spectacular.
Hard work with real results
7/9/2007 - Jonathan of Ohio, USA writes:
I've never been one to stick to an exercise program. I found P90X to be "enjoyable" enough and varied enough to stick to. I'm on day 60 and I have many noticeable improvements. I have not, however, followed the diet so I haven't lost any weight. I have lost 3 inches on my waist, gained considerable arm/chest/back strength. I now do somewhere around 90 pullups in the Legs & Back routine. (They are spread out over many sets). Bottom line, this is a 1 hour / day exercise routine. It works because you work. It isn't making instant promises its just saying if you eat right and do this exercise, you will see results. Do I look like the models on the website? No, not even close. But I'm more tone than I've ever been and I couldn't be happier.
This isn't a joke
5/18/2007 - Subin of Missouri, USA writes:
This isn't something that doesn't fool people by saying you lose weight by doing nothing. This thing actually requires determination to get into the best shape. I am on the first week and already lost 4 so far. So far this is tough, not easy. But it works.
Great Exercise Program
5/9/2007 - John of Tennessee, USA writes:
I bought P90X in January 2007 and worked the program. I've lost about 15 pounds and about 4 inches of the waist. I have greater toned muscle mass in areas that I've always been flabby. It is a hard, extreme program so be certain to take the fitness test detailed on the company's website. The company does not recommend this product if you're not in good shape. There is a starter program called Power 90, which helps a person get into condition.
This program rocks!
2/23/2007 - Christopher of Louisiana, USA writes:
The P90X program is a definite winner! Having 10+ years of experience in exercise and nutrition, I know when a program is solid. P90X is more than solid. Variety, good mix of cardio and strength training, sensible nutrition plan that works, and few equipment requirements make P90 and P90X good choices for most. I love the product so much that I actually created a website about P90X and tips to maximize results. This program is great for general conditioning and strength. It's a good primer if you seek functional fitness and general health. If you are interested in bodybuilding or powerlifting, then you'll need to do something else because the P90X program is not designed for large muscle or strength gains. However, for those that seek balance in their fitness goals, P90X is the best option out there. C.
Awesome Workout
2/17/2007 - Mark of Pennsylvania, USA writes:
I love P90X! I have had the workout of my life every day this week. I have been running 4 miles a day for six years, and these workouts have made me sweat far more than running ever has. I thought I was in shape until I tried this workout. This is not a plan for beginners though, you have to have a good foundation before attempting this workout. Kicks Butt!!
It's Tough and It Works!
2/13/2007 - Nicolletta of Washington DC, USA writes:
I'm starting Week 3 of the P90X and I'm seeing results! My pants fit better, I'm starting to see some definition in my arms, and I'm lifting heavier weights. This program is tough--6 days a week for at least an hour a day, and it's definately not for beginners. The results I've seen have made me want to stick with it. I'm very pleased so far.
It's pretty cool!
1/21/2007 - Kallie of Ontario, Canada writes:
I’ve been doing some of the P90X workouts here and there just to try it out a little before going right into the 90 day program. I will start P90X tomorrow and in 30 or 60 days I’ll write back to let you all know how it’s working so far. I’m female, in pretty good shape, youngish(25+ but under30 years old)and my goals with 90X are to get leaner and more defined-- I would recommend this program to people who have that goal in mind. I would not recommend this program to anyone who has a lot of weight to lose or is not already in decent shape. Here is what you can expect because this program is definitely not for everyone out there. These workouts are grueling, a little repetitive and boring so it’s not for people who need their workouts to be fun or “dancy/aerobicy” at all. I have Yoga Booty Ballet and Windsor Pilates which I love and used forever but this isn’t dance or Pilates or fun-- this is a mean program! Each workout is about 1 hour and you are expected to workout 6 days a week. On your day “off” they recommend StretchX or YogaX which is not an easy light workout—it’s 1.5 hours of power yoga! The diet plan is pretty strict as most really effective diet plans tend to be. You have to follow the diet plan with these workouts otherwise it just won’t work! Fortunately the low carb phase is only 30 days, and by the last 30 days you do go up to 60% carb but of course all three phases of the diet are low fat. I’ll let you all know how it worked out for me, and hopefully I’ll be able to stick to the diet and workouts for a whole 90 days! :)
Super Product for Super Fit
10/9/2006 - Dave of Florida, USA writes:
I'm still looking for the infomercial! I want to see it because I know the Program Rocks! However this program is not for everyone. This is extreme stuff! It's 6 days of rotating workouts a week for 90 days! It has a well thought out Diet plan that you follow! Every workout last aprox. 60 minutes Including the Stretch DVD! If you are a person that likes Exercise DVD's and you want to work out at the highest level then I recommend this Program! Oh the price is 150 bucks not the 49.95 they list here! Worth every Penny though!
Most effective home workout I've tried
11/20/2005 - Liane of Oregon, USA writes:
Today I completed 90 days of the P90X program. The results I received amazed me. I saw visible, dramatic results by week three. I now have abs I never knew were there, and I dropped from 20% body fat to 17%. P90X makes use of a chinup bar and dumbbells. I wasn't totally sold on the idea of having to do a bunch of pull-ups, but was also intrigued by the challenge. They show you modification so you can improve even if you can't do any at first, which was the case for me. By the end of the 90 days, I can now do five. This isn't a particularly "fun" program. I didn't get excited by the idea of working out. I relied mostly on my own motivation, the goal I had set for myself to see through the 90 days, and the results I was getting. This program is no walk in the park. These are the hardest home workouts I've ever done. The true beauty of P90X for me was the specified rotation that took the guesswork out of which workout to do on any particular day. All that said, if you're motivated and ready to really commit to the 90 days there is absolutely no doubt in my mind you will see incredible results.
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