P90X Tips to Get You Started Right

By: , on July 23, 2013

P90X Tips I Wish I Knew When I Started.

One of the most common things I am asked to do as a Team Beachbody Coach is offer P90X tips to those who are starting the program. When I started my journey with P90X and Beachbody, I had no idea that it would have such a huge impact on my life. Consequently, I made many mistakes when starting P90X. Please, learn at my expense. Like so many people, I just wanted to dive right in, and I skipped a lot of these important steps. Do not make the same mistakes. Here are my P90X tips based on my experience and on what I didn’t do!

1. Join Team Beachbody

This is a no-brainer. By joining Team Beachbody for free you will instantly have access to a wide variety of health and fitness tools to help keep you on track including a fitness tracker, a measurement tracker, videos, fitness and nutrition tips and the online SuperGym that allows to log your workouts and possibly when some cash just for exercising. Plus, joining using the button below will provide you with your own personal coach, me, to help guide you on your journey.

2. Watch the “How to Bring It” DVD.

Committing to 90 days of P90X is not just a physical challenge but a mental one. This informational DVD will provide you with the answers to questions you don’t even have yet and most importantly, help you form the proper mindset to get in the best shape of your life. Get some P90X tips from the man himself, Tony Horton! I don’t care how experienced your are with fitness, you must watch this video. So many people skip this in their excitement to get started. Don’t!

3. Read the P90X Fitness Guide

The P90X fitness guide will layout in no uncertain terms what it will take to get maximum results out of the program. Plus it will answer many frequently asked questions about P90X including what to do after you finish your 90 day cycle.

Did you know? All of the P90X videos AND guides are available to Team Beachbody Premium Members from any device. No DVDs or books needed!

4. Read the P90X Nutrition Guide

One of the most important P90X tips period. It’s been said that up to 70% of your fitness progress comes from the kitchen. That is debatable, but the fact that fitness and nutrition work in concert to determine your success is not. The P90X nutrition guide not only tells you exactly what to eat, but equally as important, when to eat. Don’t worry, you don’t have to follow it meal for meal but you should follow the amount of calories, fat, protein and carbohydrates for each of three phases of the nutrition plan, as close as possible.

5. Take the Fit Test

This is a must. The fit test will determine whether or not you meet the minimum fitness level to start P90X. In addition, completing the fit test will also give you a baseline to compare your results to.

6. Take Your Measurements

Taking your measurements and doing it properly is another key to your success. The scale is NOT necessarily an accurate measuring tool of your success, especially in the beginning weeks. The tape measure is a much better tool to track your results. Be sure to read this post on how to take your body measurements.

7. Take Your “Before” Photos

Taking photos of your body before you start your P90X (or another program) journey is very important. This is the one mistake I regret the most! I only took one picture and wish I had more angles. Your “before” photos can be very motivating as you push toward your goals! These same pictures become even more valuable when you take your “after” photos and compare the two sets. Be sure to check out this post on how to take your photographs. It’s vital that you do it correctly! What makes this one of the more important P90X tips is that you can NEVER go back and take your before picture. Plus you might end up winning some money using your before and after photos when submitting your P90X results.

Your results from P90X tips 5-7 can be entered at http://teambeachbody.com to track your progress.

8. Choose the Proper P90X Schedule

P90X comes with three different schedules; classic, lean, and doubles. The classic schedule focuses on total fitness, placing equal attention on each component of fitness. The p90X lean schedule sacrifices a little bit of strength training in favor of more cardio , may be the best choice for those whose primary goal is shred fat or lose weight. The P90X doubles schedule is for people fit and crazy enough for two P90X workouts each day (starting in phase II). In addition to the schedules that are included with P90X, I created the P90X Mass schedule for those who want to gain mass with P90X. Whatever schedule you choose, make sure to take advantage of these printable P90X schedules I created. Print them and post them wherever you workout and cross out the days as you power through the program.

9. Workout With a Buddy

It never ceases to amaze me how much harder I push myself when I workout with a friend or in a group. Can’t find one? Your next best option to find a buddy from the Team Beachbody community and invite them to workout with you in WOWY Online Gym. Invite me! My Beachbody screen name is “zillafitness”. Agreeing to workout with a buddy, even in cyberspace is a great way to stay accountable.

10. Pace Yourself the First Week

P90X is an extreme program and you will be putting your body through moves you have likely never done before or at least not for a long time. This a marathon, not a sprint. Do not get caught up in the number of reps you can do and don’t worry if can’t keep up with the people in the video, especially in the first week or two. You are going to be sore. It will suck. Get over it, you are on a mission and your pain is part of the price you pay. Nothing worth doing is easy. The good news is that the soreness will decrease after the first week and can be further diminished by using the P90X Results and Recovery Formula.

11. Embrace the Yoga

It seems like the only complaint I ever hear about P90X is that “Yoga X” is too long and tedious. Let’s face it, most Americans don’t understand how to be calm while in an uncomfortable position. Well, I used to be one of them but after about three sessions, I felt the power and benefits of yoga and I honestly believe that of all the workouts included in P90X, yoga has made the biggest difference in my life. Don’t take it from me though, the man himself, Tony Horton says time and time again that yoga is the glue that holds everything together. Don’t skip the yoga! Fight through it! Embrace it! There are alternatives to the 90 minute marathon that is Yoga X. Here is a post I wrote about some alternatives to P90X yoga. In fact, if you ordered P90X through me or another Beachbody coach you received P90X One on One – Fountain of Youth yoga as a bonus DVD. This is a great 45 minute alternative to Yoga X. Whether you opt of a shorter version or you go for the the full yoga experience, do not neglect this vital piece of the puzzle. Of all the P90X tips on this page, I feel this one may be the most important.

12. Simplify Your Nutrition and Fuel Your Body

If you are going to workout intensely at least six days per week, you need to give your body the fuel it needs. Personally, I am not a big fan of “greens” or veggies. Nor do I enjoy spending any more time in the kitchen than I have to. That is why I use Shakeology to provide me with nutrients I need to push play every day and to fill in the gaps in my nutrition. Eventually, I replaced several supplements (whey protein, super greens, vitamins, amino acids, etc.) with Shakeology. After 7-10 days of using Shakeology, I not only noticed that I had more energy for my workouts, but I was sleeping better, feeling better and no longer had the sugar cravings that once plagued me. In addition, my eh-hem, plumbing started working much more efficiently.

13. Join a Challenge Group!

Join me and your Challenge Group to get in the best shape of your life! We are going to spend the next 13 weeks together, and many things will change for you—not just your body. This program and the friends you will make in it will be a very special experience. And when you get through it, you’ll be joining a very special community of P90X® graduates. This program is about getting YOU the results and the life you want. Now let’s get ready to BRING IT!® All interactions are done in a private Facebook group consisting of only 5-8 members. Accountability from your peers every day and no space to fall between the cracks. Joining a challenge group SIGNIFICANTLY increases your chance for success! To apply for my next challenge group or to join one in progress, fill out this form now! This is one of the most important P90X tips I can give you!

14. Download and Print my P90X Schedules

Marking the days off as you go will help focus on the finish line and seeing how far you have come will keep you motivated! You will know exactly what workout to do on what day and when to take your measurements and photos. You can download my printable PDF P90X Schedules here.