Customers Give Their P90X Reviews - Does P90X work? Should you buy it?

In This Article:

- What's included in P90X

- Pros & Cons

- Reasons some people don't like it

- P90X customer reviews

Does P90X work? Should you buy it? You will be able to answer those questions after reading what's on this page.

I have read dozens of P90X reviews by real customers, many of which I will share with you shortly.

If I had to summarize what I’ve read about Tony Horton’s Power 90 Extreme program, I would say this: it’s hard, it's not for everybody, and the workouts are long but most importantly you will get great results if you follow through.

I was standing in line at a Starbucks one day when I overheard a woman behind me mention P90X. I turned to ask her what she thinks of it. She said "I love P90X. I've lost 40 pounds, and I couldn't do one pull up when I first started. Now I can do 10."

And let me tell ya, she looked great!

So What's In The Package?

P90X is a set of home exercise dvd videos developed by Tony Horton in conjunction with Beachbody.

Beachbody markets other successful programs such as the Insanity Workout, Hip Hop Abs and Turbo Jam.

P90X consists of

• 12 workout routines (a series of DVDs),
• nutrition plan,
• unique supplement choices,
• a fitness guide,
• a calendar for tracking progress,
• online peer support,

I really like the nutrition guide. It has a really solid nutritional foundation.

Tony Horton is your “Personal Trainer” throughout the 90 day program.

The so called “secret” behind the P90X system is what’s referred to as Muscle Confusion™. You are constantly introduced to new moves and routines to prevent weight loss plateaus. This also keeps you from getting bored!

No matter how fancy this may sound, "muscle confusion" is not a revolutionary new concept. It’s pretty well known that you need to change your routine every so often so that you and your body don’t get bored.

Pros

The workouts are intense - This is good or bad depending on the person. It's good because intense workouts help you lose weight quickly. It may be too intense for some though.

You won’t get bored – I used to be a Trainer, and even I learned some new moves from the videos. There’s plenty of variety. This is important because it helps you keep doing the workouts.

No need for the gym – You can take some of the money that a gym membership would cost and invest in P90X. If you already have a membership, most gyms offer a freeze option in case you can’t or won’t be going to the gym for awhile.

Tony Horton – Some customers say Tony talks too much, but for the most part people find him motivational and even funny. Like him or not, he will keep you engaged. He's also a great role model. I mean the guy is over 50 years old and look at him!

Cons

You need some space - If you don't have decent space to move around some you won't be able to get the maximum benefit from the workouts

The workouts are long - You need to be willing to set aside 1 hour a day, 6 days a week for P90X. I think it's worth it if you end up with better health and a better body. But that's just my opinion...

Prepare to spend a little dough – You will need to invest a little money to buy some equipment. The three main things you need are a yoga mat, a pull up bar, and either a set of dumbbells or resistance bands.

Resistance bands would be cheaper. If you can, buy sets of dumbbells. Start as low as say 5 to 8 pounds and go up to around 25-30 pounds. Of course this depends on your level of strength. You can always start the program with bands and get your dumbbells later.

Pull up bar - The videos do show you how to use bands instead of a pull up bar, but the bar will give you better results. You can buy a basic pull up bar or a real nice one such as the Iron Gym pull up bar

Supplements, protein bars, and drinks - These aren't necessary, but they may help you avoid skipping meals. The protein bars and drinks can be added to your current food budget.

Yoga block - This will come in handy. The Hugger Mugger Cork Yoga Block is a good one.

Push up bars - Not necessary but may be useful. They allow you to get better range of motion and they're also easier on your wrists. The TKO Extreme Training Push-up Bars are plastic but real sturdy and work well. P90X does make their own brand called Power Stands.

A little jumping required – If you live in an apartment, your neighbors downstairs may have a problem with some of the jumping around you’ll have to do in some workout segments. I hope your floor is pretty sturdy. If this is a problem you may have to modify some of the moves.

Tony Horton - Yes, I listed Tony as a "pro" also. Some customers don't like Tony's style. They say he talks too much.

The workouts are intense - Yep, I listed this is a pro and a con. There are people from all fitness backgrounds that say P90X is tough! It's so tough that many people quit before finishing the program.

Many people feel that intense exercise is too uncomfortable.

You'll either embrace that challenge or you'll say "forget it, it's too hard."

You do need to be in reasonably good health to try the workouts. If you have any conditions or joint issues, talk to the doc first.

Before I get to the customer reviews, here's the bottom line...

Does P90x work? Yep, if you “bring it” as Tony likes to say.

If you like a challenge, if you are willing to make the time commitment for the 90 day program, you should buy it. If you consistently do the workouts and eat right, P90x won’t let you down.

You’ll lose body fat quickly and you will be in much better shape.

Customer Reviews

Below you'll find snippets of customer reviews. If you would rather read the reviews in their entirety you can click here.

Customer Review #1
"1. The workouts are HARD. Unless you've have an Olympian type body (which 99% of us dont), these workouts will kick your butt. If it doesn't, you're obviously not trying hard enough or doing something wrong.

2. No matter what level of fitness or what sport you love to play, you'll benefit from these routines. Tony covers everything to improve flexibility, strength, endurance, and stamina. Any athlete will become an even better one after 90 days.

3. Not repetitive. You can go for almost 2 weeks without doing the same workout twice. In the regular Power 90, you only tasted some of the things that P90X has. This expands on EVERYTHING you learn in Power 90; things like Yoga, Strength training, Cardio, High/Low impact movements, Flexibility, etc."

Customer Review #2
"I ended up not being able to use this product and had to send it back. There is a fitness test in it because it is so extreme. They recommend that if you can't pass the test to start with something lighter."

Customer Review #3
"There's so many positive things to say about this product it's hard to know where to begin.

It absolutely works. What's great about this program is that it addresses ALL your fitness needs. Whereas most workout videos/programs tend to focus on either strength training or cardio or flexibility or target specific areas, P90X does it all.

Just be aware that you'll have to invest in a pull up bar (although alternatives are given for substituting power bands, but nothing beats the bar), some dumbells or power bands (the bands work fine if you're looking to tone up or travel with them, but for people really looking to do some work and get their Bruce Lee on, dumbells are a must), a yoga mat, possibly some push-up stands (they're worth it, or you can just use your dumbells if you have the kind shaped like a hex or a square), and a heart-rate monitor isn't bad either.

I'm 30 and I've been an avid gym rat since I was 15. This thing beat me up the first time through. Plus, I'm flexible like I've never been before which makes life so much better getting out of bed not being stiff. Best of all, my abs are chiseled better than when I was 20. Tough to argue with that."

Customer Review #4
"This is an advanced workout system. I had been working out in a gym for 6 years and was in excellent shape, but had hit a plateau and was looking for something to take me to the next level fitness wise. This has exceeded my expectations in that regard. Despite my good level of fitness to begin with, I still found the program to be very, very challenging! This is not for beginners."

Customer Review #5
"A great aspect of this workout program is the fact that you need very little to actually use it. A few dumbbells you can find at Wal-Mart, a 10 dollar door frame chin-up bar and a good, strong chunk of willpower is just about all you need. If you're like me and wanted to get something to use on the road while you're away from your basement gym, this is perfect."

Customer Review #6
"But for some reason this one caught my attention and has held it. I am in my second round of this workout and using the food plan this time. The first time I lost 8 inches around my chest and waist and a good deal of weight, and that was without the food plan. i did not eat nachos everynight but I did follow the workouts...

Let me say this, I was overweight and way out of shape, and found it hard to get started, but with motivation and determination that this place provides I am almost a year into my weight loss and I have kept it off."

Customer Review #7
"The first time I did P90X the scale said I lost a measly 7 pounds my first month, but my body changed drastically. I dropped down 2 inches off my waist and put on a lot more muscle.

I check my weight and body fat percentage every two weeks, and my measurements every 4. Use your measurements and body fat, along with how well your clothes fit to measure progress, not weight.

I have found that rapid weight loss usually occurs with many people between 3-4 weeks after starting the program."

Customer Review #8
"It will radically transform you if you "bring it" as they repeat frequently. It's a 90 day program, about an hour a day (an hour and a half for the yoga), six days a week. It is time consuming and requires a commitment.

But if you do this for those 90 days, even just one cycle, you will transform not only your body but your overall level of fitness and your mental state will be greatly improved by pushing you beyond what you thought you could accomplish."

Customer Review #9
"I am surprised that people are so ultimately motivated by this program. I find Tony to be relatively annoying and basicly a show-off. It is difficult to keep up with the program, and Tony doesn't really offer a motivational tone. It seems that he is saying "I can do this, why can't you?"

The program immediately makes you feel obligated to by the P90X supplements, P90X protein bars, P90x nutrition shake, pull-up bar, and push-up bars, and hand weights. In my own home, there is no doorway that I could possibly put the pull-up bar and still see the workout."

Customer Review #10
"If (and this is a big if) you give all you have to p90x you will see amazing results. You must stop eating junk food, fast food, and all that other garbage that just bogs your body down, and start treating yourself right.

I am not saying you can never have a potato chip again, but you at least shouldn't have any for 90 days. Use this time to learn proper portions, get used to a exercise regimen, and realize how great you could feel if you just put the time into exercising and eating right.

On monday (today is 2/19/10) I will be starting phase two (aka my second 30 days). I have already lost 20 pounds (that 20 pounds by a scale, and I know I have gained a decent bit of muscle so my fat loss is probably a bit higher)."

Customer Review #11
"In 90 days I lost 17 lbs and gained a lot of strength. I went from size 34 pants being tight to size 32 being loose. When I started I could do 5 pullups(I thought that was pretty good at the time), now I can do 12. The workouts are tough, you have to adopt their motto that they start every DVD with "BRING IT".

Customer Review #12
"I have only lost nine pounds in the 90 days, but I've lost 8 inches off my waist and 7 inches off my hips. I also fit into clothes I never thought I would fit into again.

I'm not worried about the scale anymore, because I have so much muscle now, that it would be ridiculous for me to think it didn't weigh anything.

I was worried in the beginning that doing all these weights would make me look bulky or masculine, but that's not the case at all. I stuck to the lean program and my arms look shapely, but very feminine and my legs are muscular, but not too bulky."

Customer Review #13
"That first 90 days was tough. There were many times I wanted to sue Tony Horton for attempted murder. But, I stuck with it. And, before I knew it, the 90 days was over, I had lost 12 pounds of fat, and my body looked better than it ever did."

Customer Review #14
"My roommate, on the other hand was about 40 lbs overweight when he started the program. He was fairly athletic, so he could do most of the moves, but still, he had quite a mountain to climb. He lost 25lbs, while still not in perfect shape, looks good and his athletic performance has skyrocketed."

Customer Review #15
"WOW! I thought that most workout DVDs were for pansies...boy was I wrong. If you think I am imbelishing, do the plyometrics workout beginning to end and it will smash you. I did it 4 days ago and I am still sore. The workouts are fun and I have yet to get bored with any of them."

Customer Review #16
"It took a couple of weeks of lighter workouts to "work up" to being able to do these - but maybe that was more my courage working up than my fitness level.

And even now that I've fully completed all 90 days I still have to "press pause" through many of them to take an extra 30 second break. But I am in the best shape of my life and am VERY excited to be starting the program again for a second round.

I've lost 35 pounds so far (let's just say I was vary round before this - and very out of shape)."

Customer Review #17
"I lost about 10lbs in the first six weeks and my entire body looks different."

Customer Review #18
"Even training in the gym for an hour everyday would not do the same as this routine. Within the first 3 weeks my body transformed. I even lost my love handles that I could not completely get rid of no matter how fit I got."

Customer Review #19
"I lost 30 lbs and decreased 2 inches in my waist. I feel so much better mentally and physically. I have never really been athletic and I can't believe I made it through the workouts."

Want more reviews? You can see a whole lot more here.

Hopefully this was a helpful P90x review. The program gets thumbs up from me. If you wanna give it a try click here for ordering information.

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