P90X Required Equipment List
Set Yourself Up For Success With Required P90X Equipment List
P90X, the most popular home workout system of all-time allows those dedicated enough to stick to the program for a full 90 days, a chance to vastly improve their fitness levels and see incredible results while working out at home. This highly effective home workout allows for some options as far as equipment goes. Let’s take a look at some P90X required equipment as well as some recommended and optional equipment. With the exception of dumbbells, all of this P90X required equipment can be purchased here.
P90X Required Equipment
★ The P90X program
This one is rather obvious but we are not just talking about the DVDs here. The fitness guide and the nutrition guide are VITAL to your success and are required reading. In addition to the 12 P90X DVDs, the fitness guide and the nutrition guide, as of January 2013, orders placed on this site also come with 7 additional workouts for free! These include the entire P90X+ workout system.
★ Dumbbells or Resistance Bands
The entire program is designed with variations in mind for those who would rather (or must) use resistance bands instead of dumbbells. Personally, I would recommend investing in some adjustable dumbbells such as the Bowflex SelectTechs or PowerBlocks. However, I realize that may not be an option for everyone and in such cases resistance bands or a combination of dumbbells and resistance bands will suffice. Dumbbells or resistance bands, or both, definitely are high on the list of P90X required equipment. Personally, I did my first round of P90X using resistance bands and was very satisfied. That said, I have always preferred dumbbells and ordered my Bowflex SelectTech adjustable dumbbells before my second round. I HIGHLY recommend these!
★ Pull Up Bar or Door Anchor With Resistance Bands
The pull up bar is by far the ideal choice here. Specifically, the official P90X Pull Up Bar. I’ve heard story after story of people trying to save money by getting a discount pull-up bar at a department store or even a drug store only to be disappointed. Mark my words, the P90X pull up bar is a worthy investment. One to keep in mind however is that there really is no such thing as a “standard” doorway. According to Beachbody the P90X pull up bar fits doorway up to 32″ wide (sturdy doorway with border trim required—minimum 5″ width, maximum 6.5″). My doorway is 36″ wide and I promise you it still works perfectly. The truth is though, a lot depends on your trim, how “deep” the frame is from front to back and how much room there is from the top of the door to the ceiling. In other words, chances are the P90X pull up will fit in your doorway, but you might not know until you actually try it.
Now for one of my P90X tips that very few people know about. If using a pull up bar is just not practical for you, using the resistance bands by anchoring them to the top of your door frame is an alternative. It’s pretty simple really. Just head over to eBay and search “resistance bands door anchor”. You should be able to pick one up for under $5. Using this simple strap you can simulate pull ups by using your resistance bands to do “pull downs” much like you will see cast members doing in the videos.
★ A Yoga Mat
A good yoga mat should be considered required P90X equipment just as yoga is a required workout ! I say this because many people have a hard time with the yoga workout in P90X. Do not skip it! Tony Horton himself has said yoga is the glue that holds the whole program together. Skipping yoga will only short-change yourself and hinder your results. If you absolutely cannot bring yourself to do the 90 minute Yoga X sessions, checkout these alternatives to P90X yoga from Tony Horton.
P90X comes with three P90X workout schedules: Classic, Lean and Doubles. Determining with P90X schedule suits you best really depends on your goals. Reading your P90X fitness guide will help you decide with P90X schedule is best for you. Your fitness guide comes with P90X schedules but most of my clients have found these printable P90X schedules in PDF form to be far more useful. Just follow this link to get your P90X schedule PDF for free.
Please note: If you created a new Team Beachbody account using the button above, you will NOT need to create a new account to get the schedules. Simply list the screen name you created above.
★ P90X Worksheets
These worksheets are great for tracking your progress with P90X. Like Tony says, “how do you know what to do if you don’t know what you did?” Get them free here.
Recommended P90X Equipment
★ A Free Coach
This is where I come in. I have been through the program five full times, plus I have done several “hybrid versions” where I combined select P90X workouts with other Beachbody programs. By registering for free using the button below, I will become your official Team Beachbody Coach and you will be able to rely on me as resource to guide you through the program or answer any questions you may have as you go through your transformation.
Tony Horton designed these Power Stands himself to allow for a more natural and neutral grip while doing push ups. Trust me, you will be doing a lot of push ups. I found these to be a worthy investment as they took the strain off my wrists and put the focus back on my muscles!
★ Results and Recovery Formula
Even more important than the workouts is your nutrition! As I said earlier, the nutrition part of the program is critical. What I love about the Results and Recovery Formula is that it is designed specifically for the P90X program and it takes the guesswork out of post-workout nutrition. Simple and effective. The last thing you will want to do after pushing your body to the limits is mess around in the kitchen measuring and estimating how many grams of protein and how many carbs you can ingest to maximize your results and recovery faster. Just mix one serving of the P90X Results and Recovery Formula with water and your post-workout nutrition is covered.
I’m not trying to belabor the point but it’s a pretty safe bet that as long as you push play with any consistency, your success will depend on your nutrition. Plain and simple. That is why so many P90Xers choose to fuel their body with Shakeology at least once per day. Shakeology is the most comprehensive and nutrient-dense supplement on the market and once again it takes the guesswork out of the equation for at least one meal or snack each day. At $4 per serving, some are hesitant to commit but let’s put that into perspective, where else will you be able to buy an ultra nutritious meal for $4? I found that I actually started saving money by using Shakeology based on the food and other supplements (protein, greens, multi-vitimans, probiotics) I was using prior. It wasn’t an additional cost for me. It was simply a reallocation of money I was spending on less healthy things and other supplements.
Optional P90X Equipment
Yoga blocks are just simple foam blocks that will help stabilize you and help you deepen your postures with yoga.
★ Heart Rate Monitor
Not only will a heart rate monitor help determine if you are in the proper “zone” for the cardio workouts, I found that helps gauge my intensity as well, especially when I look at calories burned. Sometimes you think you are “bringing it” but a heart rate monitor can be a dose of reality and remind you that you need to step it up even further. While the strapless ones are more convenient I recommend one with a strap for better accuracy and less”glitches”.
This is one tool I wish I had long ago! I finally got the chin up max when I started Body Beast. This thing is awesome! It gives you the right amount of adjustable support to help you strengthen and train your muscles as you do pull-ups and chin-ups. I have found it to be especially helpful toward the end of my workouts when my muscles are toast and I have trouble getting my chin above the bar. While this is under the optional category of the P90X Required Equipment List, I would almost consider it required. It is that helpful, especially for those who have trouble with pull-ups.
Even with all of the P90X required equipment and some of the optional equipment, your success will be determined by your ability to stay on track by pushing play every day and by staying disciplined with your nutrition. Remember, nobody can out-exercise a poor diet!
