Gym or p90x

[j0n024]

I started going to the gym last july and still go 3 times a week and probably wont stop anytime soon. My cousin got into working out and he himself said he lost 47 pounds , but one day he saw an infomercial and now all he says is

"I dont feel like I'm getting stronger, I've PLATEAUED."

Now this is coming from a guy that only went for 2 months and all he really did was cardio.

Now he just got his p90x in the mail and all the information in the booklets that they sent him is like the bible to him its the end all be all of weight training, and listing him give ME advice about weight training is getting annoying.

Now I got two questions...

1. I've looked up some stuff for this and it DOES seem legitimate but would I be much better off staying at the gym? I am having mixed feelings about this.

Now I am not saying I am going to stop going to the gym but I was wondering if doing p90x would be a good idea.

2. I do 11 minutes of bike (1 minute rest, 1 minute fast basically hiit) ...but I've reread the vault and it seems that bike is bad for you.....is bike REALLY that bad even for that short amount of time?

 

[j0n024]

I agree.

I have read and searched before I posted and it does seem that most people did see results and am happy but I guess it's just my jealousy getting the best at me.....I've been going to the gym for awhile and I still have fat even though I am doing (hiit,weights, doing better on diet) and I still have fat .....guess just getting frustrated that it takes so long.

 

[kdnash82]

I wouldn't recommend P90X for guys who don't go to the gym often. I heard they have a pretty intense workout, but then again, I've heard that it comes with a workout dvd that you can use until you're ready for the hard core stuff.

So in the end, I'd say go for it. Only thing bad that I've heard about P90 or P90X is that Tony is a douche and the music is lame. Because of that, the DVD has an option to turn off the music. It's only 3 months, so I'm sure you can put up with him being a douche for that amount of time.

Good luck with your transformation.

 

[j0n024]

Ya I agree that it's mostly my diet that is really the problem and right now the only thing I indluge myself with that I KNOW is bad is spaghetti. I dont know about the chinese though (I eat from the grill so I THINK it's not bad since it's lean meat and veggies)

Guess i have to keep going chugging along even though I LOVE it.

 

[Quiksilver]

What does your diet look like? you know the drill, everything you ate in the past few days.

It could just be your diet that needs a little tweaking or cleaning up. If the only 'bad' food you eat is spaghetti then you're doing pretty well, but your macros might be a little off.

Also what does your workout program look like?

 

[j0n024]

hmm ok I will try to get everything...
Mon,Wed,Fri (Work out) I dont have a regime yet nor am I at the point where I think I need it yet.

Mon(Back)
11 minutes of hit 1 rest/1full
I do the rows and a machine to warm up and I have incorporated some pull up's as well , then I go to decline bench , then legpress , deadlift , something for legs again , then shoulders and finally arms.

Wed

Same thing except incline bench , no deadlift , and incline dumbell.

Friday

Same except regular bench , dumbell and squats .

Throughout the whole thing I do some jump roping as well , before I go I take a Myoplex lite protien drink and mri black powder ...oh and eat a little cereal ....I get home and mri protien and soup.

Then I make something to eat usually I am stocked up on Tuna-fish, Grilled chicken, some chunky soup and other random stuff....oh and throughout the day I eat a couple of apples.

Other then that it's pretty good I think except on weekends when I go eat the chinese thing or make spaghetti or something along those lines.

 

[Captain Harlock]

Drop the leg press and other machines, they're just stupid. Secondly, look up a proper training routine like Rippetoe's Starting Strength on the web. It's meant for beginners and there's no reason you shouldn't use it.

 

[The Bat]

Drop the leg press and other machines, they're just stupid. Secondly, look up a proper training routine like Rippetoe's Starting Strength on the web. It's meant for beginners and there's no reason you shouldn't use it.

LOL another advertisement bot...

Keep the leg press. It's fine.

Regarding P90x, if you watch all the testimonials, they are all coming from people who are ex-athletes, ex-military, or ex-amateur bodybuilders. I.E. They all used to go to the gym, do the traditional routines and exercises, and were actually in a good shape. But due to some circumstances, they stopped working out and getting back into P90x was equivalent to going to the gym for them.

Bottom line: P90x might be good for you IF you used to be fit and used to work out on a regular basis. For complete beginners/newbies, going to the gym is the answer.

You can't oak sized legs and bulging chest by doing karate-cardio and changing grip position on the push up. :crackup:

 

[WC2]

It really depends on your body composition.

P90x is more geared towards people who have excess fat they want to lose. It's not really a muscle builder as much as it is a fat burner program. The logic of the program works well, however I wouldn't pay whatever insane amount of money they charge (you can get it for free online)

If you already have decent body composition then I'd just stick with the gym. Like one of the previous posters said, pick out a program that you're going to stick to.

A lot people believe that if you have a lot of excess fat, cardio alone is going to solve your problem. It's not. I've seen before and afters of dudes who are fat and lose tons of weight from cardio; instead of untoned fat lards, they look like untoned skinny homeless dudes.

The key is to combine the cardio and weights. For someone like me, I keep the cardio to a minimum, because I don't really have much fat to burn after all.

What's also notable is that the more muscle you obtain, the faster your body burns fat cells. So if you're in decent shape with let's say 5-10lbs of excess fat, then lifting with minimum cardio can benefit you very well.

Either way, you can replicate the P90x program in the gym if you really wanted to. It's all about switching up your routine and 'shocking' your muscles, which is found in plenty other workout plans.

Check out bodybuilding.com forums under excercise routines. You'll find endless amounts of them. And they're free.

 

[PhatE1vis]

I do P90x and whole-heartedly recommend it. I was a gym rat in much the same boat as you - needed something to take me to the next level, and this did it for me.

I understand that value of the big three (squat, bench, deads) and it seems that P90x does as well. Lots of compound movements. And the amount of weight you use is up to you, so you can definitely push yourself to failure.

If you're already built like a brick house, then you probably won't gain much from P90x. But if you're on the cusp of reaching your goals, this just might do it for you. I gained some noticeable muscle and strength.

The best part for me is that the program takes the guesswork out. Just pop in the DVD and follow along, stick to the diet guide they give you, and you can't lose.

 

[Captain Harlock]

where'd my other post disappear?

 

[Quiksilver]

Nothing happened to your post man, at least not to any one you posted.

--

Don't bother with the P90X. It's just a fancy spin on getting you into the gym and getting active. Depending on your goals, there's plenty of programs(homemade and otherwise) that'll net you great results.

The P90 is a good conditioning program for your upper body but 3-5-10 years down the road you'll wish you went on a more well rounded strength based program.

On the other hand, if the P90 gets you into the gym and working out consistently as well as focusing on good nutrition, then who are we to bash it?

 

[j0n024]

Hmm....

I see what you mean now that I look at the infomercial again (Cuz actually recorded it on his dvr lol) they do say they were already fix and had a background in some form of lifting or other.

It seems my cousin is making up excuses NOT to do p90x now lol, I asked him how his workout was today (When I was at the gym ) and he said that he was going to start on his diet first (He started on monday).

I am thinking about going on a cutting phase due to the jealousy of seeing all these people at 6-8% while I am in my teens .

I was wondering what is good to eat to cut, I know (Beef,veggies) but I would like something more specific then just Beef,veggies.

Thanks guys and I am probably going to start a log soon if I get some good info on the cutting phase ....and YES I have read the vault NUMEROUS times.

 

[Captain Harlock]

you should look up a site like www.t-nation.com or forums.bodybuilding.com for information about that, there's a lot to find. I dunno if starting to cut now seems a very good idea. It's still like 6 months until it's beach weather, cutting shouldn't take more than like 2-3 months.

 

[I-tallionStallion]

A couple things for us posters on here to have a better idea of what were working with.

Weight:
Height:

Exact Diet everyday:

meal by meal please - ending macronutrient numbers would also be good if you know them. Telling us your cutting out bad foods does not help and does not help you lose weight

Routine:

give us the FULL routine of everything you do in the gym

Cardio:

What kind and when do you do it and have you eaten anything before cardio



If you want good advice...fill in these answers. Limit words and give the information. That will allow us to give you a clear answer

Screw P-90 unless that's the only way we can get you in the gym.

 

[j0n024]

I already SAID I WAS going to the gym.....guess people didnt see that in all of my posts above..hmm.

Height: around 5"11 6" )Dont know exact(
Weight: 196

Diet: My diet isnt the same everyday but I usually eat.....2cans chunky tuna (Water) with very little light mayo on white bread.
2. 2 grilled chicken patties with nothing for sides.
3. Chunky soup

Cheat-pizza,chinese,spaghetti

Throughout the day I eat apples

Other then that I dont keep a close eye.

Routine...(I'll give you what i did today)

Get to gym
Stretch
bike 11 minutes hiit...1 minute rest, 1 minute sprint
Back exercise.....row's , pullups (and another machine)
Chest....bench press (horizontal)
(In between each set I jump rope)
Leg press
(In between each set I jump rope)
Dumbell bench press and pullups
Squat
tricep pulldown/preach bar
Stretch
Leave.

Carido: I do it before everything and I eat a little bit of cereal and drink a myoplex lite shake before I get to the gym.

 

[Captain Harlock]

Your diet could use a lot of improvement. First of all you need to eat 6 regular meals a day. Secondly, it's not exactly what I'd call a diet for someone who trains a lot in the gym. Have you calculated your daily calorie and micronutrition (protein, fat, carbs?) intake.

A list of nutritious food: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/nutrient.htm

 

[j0n024]

I didnt say but I DO eat or at least try to eat 6 meals a day, I just didnt put it that's why I have like 12cans of tuna and 2 bags of frozen grilled chicken with 24 patties in each...I was just saying what I eat usually....and NO I dont count cal's.

 

[Captain Harlock]

You should. It's useful to know whether you eat too little or too much so if you're not making progress or becoming too fat you can immediatly see the cause of it.

 

[Quiksilver]

I am thinking about going on a cutting phase due to the jealousy of seeing all these people at 6-8% while I am in my teens

That's a very bad idea man... If you're a novice lifter, then take the high road and pack on 20-40lbs of muscle first.

--

About counting calories, I'd say do it for a week, then forget about it. I don't count calories either.. not because I don't care, but because I already did my time with the measuring cup and reading the labels. I know roughly how many calories I take in a day now without even thinking about it, so while I don't feel like being anal anymore, I'm not ignorant either.

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And about the beef/veggies thing, it really can't get more speciifc than that. Here's exactly what I used to eat in my final HS year.

Every night I'd cook up 400g of ground beef, and make 4 different servings of vegetables(1 carrots, 1 green pepper, 1 large handful of spinach, 1 tomato). Divide the 400g of beef into 4 equal portions and toss each portion into a ziplock baggie. Same with the veggies, each vegetable went into different baggie(sometimes i mixed them).

Then, I put all 8 baggies(4 meat/4 veggie) into a big lunch box and put it in refrigerator. Next morning I threw an icepack in it and toss it in trunk of car. Go to school, and between each class I ate 1 baggie of meat and 1 baggie of veggies.
At breakfast I ate 6 eggs, 1 cup of oats, mug of green tea, and 1L of water.
At dinner I ate chicken, oats, and veggies.

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These days I cook for 4 days at a time. I buy 2kg of ground beef and 1kg of diced meats. 36 eggs. 10 tomatoes, 2 onions, and 3 other random vegetables. A jar of tomato paste.

Make two trays of chili with it all, and refrigerate it. Each day I eat half a tray of it, so thats 2-3 meals. Other meals I eat the eggs, oats, and some fruit.

--

That's about as specific as I care to get about my diet Hopefully u understand that while it looks complicated, it isn't once you get started on it. Keep in mind though that I have put in the nitty-gritty paper work for all of it so I know exactly how many calories each meal is, and how many calories I'm getting daily. If I'm looking a little smooth and could lose a couple kgs, I tweak my cardio and lower my calories a little bit, and that sorts everything out.

I think the key is that I'm not scrambling around in the dark, I know myself now and what needs tweaking to get results. So a good start for you would be to get to know yourself by busting ass in the gym for a long time, counting calories for a few weeks, and putting in your time on the treadmill(or other form of cardio). Once you get to know your body, it'll be really easy to achieve your goals.

cheers