P90X: How I learned of such a system

The Background

I got interested in weight lifting in general during my Sophomore year of college. I needed some outlet to channel my frustrations from studying, I thought throwing some weights around for an hour or two every day would suffice. Well, it became an obsession throughout the remainder of college with a minimum of 45 minutes in the gym, typically every day (don't get me started on overtraining for 3.5 hours a day during the summer).

Once out of college, I have been involved in weight lifting sporadically throughout the beginning of my career as an Auditor. There were sport bursts of motivation that would lead me to get back in relatively good shape only to fail a month or two into the program I was doing. For 3 years, I have lived with this frustration of no sense of physical fitness achievement. In comes P90X.

The Intrigue

I sat down on one dreary afternoon in search of some much needed answers. I wondered what I wanted from a workout system, a fitness system designed for one goal, to make me better. As I sat on the couch pondering this thought, an infomercial came on that I had never seen before. It was an infomercial for P90X and the amazing transformations that ordinary individuals such as you and me have gone through in only 90 days. I admit, I started to wonder if such promises were legitimate or was this a 'get rich quick' scheme for some young entrepreneur.

The Curiosity

A year or more have gone by since I saw my first P90X infomercial only to become re-energized with a youthful vigor to learn more about P90X. Does it work? How does it work? What do I need to get started? Is it a huge investment? How long do the workouts take to complete? I needed to know.

The Research

I began researching P90X. I got as much information on the topic that I could without actually purchasing the DVD's. I downloaded workout charts, guides, watch multiple youtube videos of the exercises being performed. I began practicing the exercises the best I knew how from the sources I had available.

The Equipment

I went to walmart the other day for groceries with my fiancee. I 'wandered' into the fitness section of the store to find a door frame mounted pull up bar along with some cheap weights to get started on the P90X program even before I had the program. I am putting full faith into a system that I do not own yet. I hear that is all the equipment you have to get.

1. Door mounted pullup bar
2. Set of weights (weight is dependent on goals)

After realizing the potential low cost of such equipment, I decided not to renew my gym membership and opt to invest in P90X.

The Program

From what I've read on Beachbody's Site,

"P90X® is a revolutionary system of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts, designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days."

This revolutionary system uses a term referred to as 'Muscle Confusion' so that you do not hit a plateau and stop gaining. It continually keeps the muscles guessing what activity is going to be done next. This uncertainty leads to continual muscle growth.

The Thoughts

It sounds like a solid system after seeing many results via youtube, blogs, and forums. The main concern I am going to have is sticking with the program. My short attention span accompanied with a will to be lazy and procrastinate along with the need to study countless hours in order to obtain licensure as a Certified Public Accountant challenge even my daily chores. How on Earth could I manage to complete such a dedicated system involving 1 to 1.5 hours per day working out.

The best advice I've been given regarding physical fitness and finding time to workout has been, "If you want to workout, you will find a way to get it done." I believe this to be true. After reading the stories of Arnold waking up at 4 am to workout before going to work at 5 am, I believe me workout for an hour a day would fall short in comparison.

The Next Step

The next step towards completing my 90 days is, of course, getting the program. Additionally, it would be advised by many to obtain the will, the motivation, to complete such a program. Without motivation, the program simply becomes a hamster wheel without the cheese. You need the cheese in order to keep running.

What will my motivation be for P90X? How will I get this program done?

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