Fear not. You still get your money's worth. The new P90X
is just as daunting as the old one, if not more so. It's got exercises I can't even think about doing, let alone sustain as long as Horton and friends do. And I haven't even watched all the videos yet.
But it's also more concerned with flexibility, balance, and injury prevention, elements key to long-term fitness. The old bravado's still there, only this time, it's tempered by a greater regard for the effects of aging.
Not that you'd guess it from the outset. Every time you play one of the set's 13 DVDs, most of which take about an hour to complete, you're required to watch a lengthy warning steering anyone who isn't already somewhat fit to other, less demanding routines.Just as before, too, there's a fitness test to help new users assess their eligibility and benchmarks for the 90-day program.
There's also a recovery week, seven days of yoga and therapeutic exercise meant for insertion into the calendar as needed. Worth noting, too, is this program's generally lighter workload. Instead of one day of rest per week, here you get two.
Wherein arises the need for a piece of equipment absent from the original P90X: the foam roller. Every workout in this series begins with -- or, in the case of "Recovery and Mobility, features -- a decent amount of stretching and time spent rolling out or opening up tight muscles. Beachbody, the company behind P90X2, sells a knobby "Rumble Roller," but in truth, any foam roller will do the job.
That's not the only new gear involved. In addition to the pull-up bar, free weights, elastic bands and ample open space of the old series, you'll also need several medicine balls, a large, inflatable exercise ball and a box or stool stable enough for you to jump and stand on. You might also require a mat, push-up stands and yoga blocks.
As with just about every Beachbody series, P90X2
comes with a nutrition guide. I never followed the old plan, but the new one strikes me as more detailed, more customizable, and more interesting in terms of recipes. This being a for-profit enterprise, too, you're also encouraged to consume a range of bars, shakes and supplements.
One thing that hasn't changed: Horton's on-screen personality. He's still a pro when it comes to banter, and most of his old catchphrases are now in the midst of a second world tour. You'll also endure puns, macho pep talk, and a little bit of singing.
Overlap between the three training phases is minimal. All three include time for yoga and recovery work, but otherwise, they're completely different.
From the whole-body approach of "Foundation," Horton moves on to workouts targeting the chest, back, arms and legs. Then, in the last block, he switches from his beloved "muscle confusion" to an even fancier-sounding method called "Post-Activation Potentiation" (PAP).
Basically, PAP just means using high-intensity exercise of a specific muscle to improve athletic performance by that same muscle. For example, to run faster, prime the system by squatting with heavy weights.
Sounds great, but in practice, it's grueling. After completing several other workouts in succession, the upper-body PAP was something I was only able to observe: two exhausting sets of four exercises, each executed four times in a row. Included in the routines: lifting weights in a pushup pose, and pull-ups where instead of handles, you're gripping towels slung over the bar.
Battling my way through the series, I was surprised over and over by how many exercises tested not just my strength but also my balance, coordination and mental agility. Soon I began to see that if it were possible to perform a given move on one leg or a ball, that's exactly what Horton could be predicted to do.
Plyometrics, or exercise involving explosive leaps and pushes, again plays a central role. Only this time, it's got a grittier name, "Plyocide," and includes agility drills where, in addition to working extremely hard, listening and focusing are paramount.
Rounding out phase one are workouts called "Core," "Total Body," and "Balance and Power." Of those, I can only testify to the first, a killer hour combining all manner of static and dynamic abdominal moves with direct hits to the quadriceps, hamstrings and hips. No wonder I'm having trouble running these days.
Speaking of abs, included in P90X2 is a new "Ab Ripper," Horton's now infamous stomach routine. I'm pleased to report it's every bit as jagged as the old one, short and brutally intense. It'll be a while until I make it all the way through without cheating.
As for "Strength," the middle phase of P90X2, I've only waded in up to my ankles, completing one of three rounds of "Shoulders and Arms." But that was plenty. One time around this traditional weight-training circuit left my limbs trembling, such that it was hard to press "stop" on my remote control.
When I'll press "play" again and submit to the full series, I can't say. Maybe I'm getting old, but the notion of getting up at 4:30 a.m. five days a week for three months, only to ruin my legs for running, just isn't as appealing as it once was.
But that's not Horton's fault. It's mine. The gauntlet he's laid down is perfectly enticing. I just need to pick it up. No doubt I will someday. Maybe when I'm feeling a little crazier.