February’s P90X2 Experiment [Barre Experiment Results Are In!]

One day into our P90X2 Experiment and I am unimpressed. The reason: I have the stomach flu* and therefore permission to watch as much crap television as I want without feeling (too) guilty and instead of getting cozy with Project Runway All-stars (How much does this show suck without Tim Gunn and Heidi?!) I’m sitting here listening to Tony Horton and taking notes like a school girl in detention. Albeit a really pale, shivery school girl with a fever. (Although I’m not as bad off as Gym Buddy Allison who puked so much last night she fainted and had to go to the ER. Bad week for Gym Buddies: we be dropping like flies.)

Anyhow, it’s making me a wee bit resentful. The reason? P90X2 doesn’t come with an instruction booklet like the first P90X did. For people who do the program at home with constant access to a DVD player it’s no big deal but for those of us who need to use a gym for the equipment and childcare then it’s, dare I say it, nearly a deal breaker. Because this means I have to watch all FOURTEEN videos and write down every move, a description of how to do it because he makes up some weirdly awesome stuff, sets, reps and rest periods. Instead of the super-helpful booklet (it also had a place to write down your weights so you could track your progress), now I have a 20-page glossy book that the Gym Buddies and I have dubbed “Tony Porn” because it’s just page after page of pictures of his admittedly very impressive physique sprinkled with a few words.

But, aside from the pencil purgatory I’m in at the moment, P90X2 looks pretty awesome. It’s definitely not a repeat of the first version and just judging on this, I think I’m going to like #2 better than the first. Which is saying a lot since I was a huge fangirl the first time around. This time Tony is focusing more on the newest fitness research and streamlining the workouts which is a huge plus since one of the biggest complaints against the first version was how time consuming it was. He is also making it simpler to follow the plan. The kickboxing is totally gone but there’s several new workout formats built around active rest and recovery, presumably to circumvent the injuries for which P90X is also famous for.

Anyhow, despite all my whining, the workouts look solid and I’m really excited to get started on this one. We all really enjoyed the challenge of P90X and it looks like this one will live up to that legacy. There are three phases, just like the original (hence the “90”) but this time he recommends spending 3-6 weeks in each phase plus one week of recovery in the middle. We’ll be doing each phase for three weeks unless we get into it and realize we need more time and then we’ll take it.

There is a nutrition guide that comes with it which is much more comprehensive than the old one and even allows for several different tracks based on your goals and different meal preferences within those tracks – like say you’re a vegetarian who wants to get ripped, Tony has a whole food plan customized just for you. Since I am no longer doing food Experiments however, I’ll just be doing the workouts.

Barre Experiment Results

Honestly this workout was just “meh” for me. It was a good burn – anyone who thinks ballerinas are wimps needs to try this immediately – but the workouts were incredibly long. If I’m going to spend that much time, I’d expect to see some kind of difference in my body from it but I didn’t. All measurements stayed exactly the same. So given that end, I’d rather lift heavy for 30 minutes and reap all the metabolic benefits of that rather than burn out 100 reps with 5-lb ‘bells for an hour and a half.

That said, my ennui could be attributed to the fact we only did the workouts with videos – hah, you should have seen us all crowded around Allison’s tiny 7″ portable DVD player in the middle of the stretching area! – and books. Given what I’ve heard from some of you, taking it in a Barre studio is a totally different and much more fun experience.

And now I think I need to hurl again. Gah. Please forgive my whininess – it’s been A Day. I feel asleep on the floor only to wake up to Jelly Bean screeching “Mommy PWETTY!!!” as she decorated me with my new lipstick. After she’d used up most of the tube on herself.

Any of you trying P90X2 yet??

*AGAIN. I KNOW. I never get sick and now stomach flu twice this season!

24 Comments

  1. I’m going to be really interested in your review. I am not liking P90X2 very much so far, even though I loved the first P90X. When I searched for critical reviews online, all I could find was a thread on the BeachBody message boards, and there were only a few critical voices. I felt like everyone was drinking the P90X2 Kool-Aid and I somehow was immune!

    Ahem. Anyway, I will see what the rest of the videos bring, but thus far it’s way to gimmicky and product placement-y (yes, it’s a term) for me. The workouts in the first phase hardly made me break a sweat, but maybe it’s because I’m used to lifting heavier and I do ‘balance moves’ all the time in yoga?? I don’t know. I shall reserve final judgment until I am completely done, and look forward to your review!

  2. How long are the videos now? I like P90x a lot, so I’m really interested to hear about this. Won’t be able to get it until some PT puts it on Craigslist though….
    Anyway, my biggest complaint of the original version is that you have to do the same legs/back video throughout. Also, if you add the abs workout on to the regular hour video, it’s too long for an at-home routine. I think staring at your tv for longer than an hour at home is just too long.

    Hope you get to feeling better!

  3. Hope you feel better soon. I’m curious how you guys like this version. With my knee I stayed away from the old version. I’m hoping this one might have more for me…

  4. I can’t wait for this review — and I hope you feel better really soon!

    I keep thinking about trying P90X, but the injury thing turned me off (I am capable of injuring myself without any external stimuli). So P90X2 might be a good fit if I have enough equipment to do it all at home.

  5. Charlotte,

    I look forwrad to some updates on how the P90X goes. Will you be following the nutrition plan at all as you tend to stick with what you know works foryou and keeps you in balance? I have done the original P90X, but found it hard to stick to as I prefer a group class to keep me motivated. I am goinbg to be trying a Ballet Barre class on Mondays (its a drop in) over Feb and March when I can.

  6. I was so on the P90X bandwagon that I was chomping at the bit for this version!! I was also thinking about Insanity Asylum, but since then I’ve regained my…ahem…sanity.

    It sounds like this is going to be AWESOME!! I can’t wait to hear more, and as soon as my gym membership expires in a couple months, I’m already planning on starting it! I bet you’d be able to find some worksheets like the ones that came with the first version online. Or maybe its too soon? Also, no kickboxing makes me sad. I liked that one. Is there a plyo video again?

  7. Oh Charlotte, I hope you’re feeling better soon!
    I don’t know WHAT’S up with stomach flu this year! They had to close a school in San Francisco yesterday because 90 kids got sick and were hurling in the hallways!

    I was one of those folks who kept getting injured doing the original P90X, so I’m interested but cautious about the sequel. I’ll be very interested in your opinion!

    Feel better!

  8. I had my concerns about trying the P90X because of the lack of recovery but if you say the new version has fixed those problems I may try it. Stay concious, children are incredibly dangerous.

  9. I can’t wait to hear how this goes. I bought p90x waaaaaay back in ’04 and have done it multiple times over the years. I’ve checked out X2, but it seems like it requires a lot of gear. Half of which I already have, but… Not willing to spend the cash right now. I’m also race training right now and I think I I were going to spend that much money, it’d have to be when I could follow it by the book.

  10. I so wanted to see a pic of PWETTY mommy! So sorry you are ill – feel better soon!!!

    I love weights cause your body does change! 🙂

  11. Hope you feel better soon! Bad bugs going around this year, it’s been a rotating circus of sick in our house since Christmas.

  12. 1- I really really hope that you feel better soon! And that your kidlets don’t catch what you have!

    2- I love the word ennui, and I think it is totally under-used. I think it is so befitting for so many situations, and people just don’t use it, so snaps to you for the “ennui”.

  13. IT’S REALLY WONDERFUL BLOG ALSO ” I LIKE IT ”

    THANKS FOR SHARING VERY GOOD INFO.

  14. Good to hear the number of exercise days has gone down. I actually started P90X just a couple weeks ago, but I’ve ended up stretching out the usual weekly rota to a few days longer (and may have replaced the occasional workout with some quick and dirty tabata!) so that I have occasional days off in between the workouts. Even with a little extra time on my hands at the moment, I *still* don’t want to be doing over an hour of exercise 6 days in a row.

    Also, has he stopped doing all those static stretches before the workouts yet?

  15. Hope you’re feeling much better, Charlotte!

  16. I caint lie.
    I saw your picture on Facebook and regretted regretted saying no to the P90!!

  17. So sorry you’re sick, that sucks! Can’t believe you’re putting out great blog posts from your sick bed, though– I’d so be puking just to think of intense workouts if I were in your position.

    I’m very curious about the whole P90X thing, and like Miz, regret not having jumped on the bandwagon yet… though between injuries and a noise-sensitive downstairs neighbor it hasn’t been a great time for a home-workout jump around dvd experiment.

    Thanks for the review, this definitely makes me want to check it out! And lets hope Tony reads it and adds a REAL instruction book.

  18. Poor Charlotte!

    🙁

    Man, that sucks.

    I’m thinking of throwing some P90X moves into our Crossfit in the Park nights…
    Just to keep those groans a-comin’.

    *evil laugh*

  19. I don’t know if it was just at the wrong point in my life, but I feel like P90X robbed all of the joy I had in working out. I don’t know if it was the music (really important for me), or the slow pace, but I stuck with it, and lost all motivation to work out – after 5 years of faithfully working out 4-7 days/week. There were some exercises I liked, and I really admire Tony Horton’s calling to help people reach for their best, but P90X just isn’t for some people (PS – my husband loves it). I wound up quitting 6 days before the end of the program because I just couldn’t face it anymore.

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  21. Just ordered P90x2, hope to get it by this weekend to start on Monday. Maybe gonna try to blog about it for some accontability since I dont have workout buddies. Im excited!

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