Workout and Nutrition plan

By Mizpah Matus B.Hlth.Sc(Hons)

The P90X Nutrition Plan is a 13-week program that is designed to assist dieters to lose weight and build muscle.

It is used in conjunction with the P90X Workout Program that includes intensive resistance training routines.

Recently P90X revamped their whole program and it’s now called P90X2.

P90X2 Diet Basics

The P90X2 Nutrition Plan includes three phases:

Phase 1: Fat Shredder

This phase is the lowest in calories to help kick start weight loss and is followed for the first four weeks.

Phase 2: Energy Booster

Dieters are permitted to eat three serves of complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, pasta or oatmeal as well as one piece of low glycemic index fruit daily.

Protein intake also remains high so as to aid in muscle recovery.

You can stick with this phase as long as it is working for you and only need to progress to phase 3 if you want to increase muscular endurance and gain more muscle.

Phase 3: Endurance Maximizer

Carbohydrates are increased further to give you the stamina necessary to get through the high-intensity workouts of this phase.

In All Phases

In all of the phases eating frequent small meals and drinking lots of water are emphasized.

Dieters have two options for each phase; either follow the meal plan or the portion plan. The meal plan includes sample menus with recipes.

With the portion plan, you are given a list of how many serves of each food type you are allowed so you can devise your own meal plans.

Recommended Foods

Lean meat, eggs, low-fat milk and cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, flax seeds, wholegrain bread and pasta, dried fruit, soy nuts, protein bars, mustard, salsa, fat-free salad dressing.

Sample P90X Meal Plan

Breakfast Oatmeal

Morning Snack Scrambled eggs

Lunch Chicken breast Green salad

Afternoon Snack Protein bar 1 apple

Dinner Grilled fish Steamed vegetables

Evening Snack Protein shake

Exercise Recommendations

Exercise is the foundation of the P90X2 plan and the program includes 12 DVD’s that demonstrate weight training, cardio, and yoga exercise routines.

Costs and Expenses

The P90X2 Program is available in three levels; for

• 3 payments of .50 for the basic version.
• 3 payments of .90 for the deluxe.
• 3 payments of $109.85 for the ultimate kit.

It’s available on Blu-ray disc and in Spanish also.

iPhone App

P90X2 also has an iPhone app available to assist people who are working through the program.

It shows you how to perform the exercises as well as allows you to keep track of your nutrition and record your progress.

This is handy because you can easily take your smartphone to the gym and still have access to the P90X system with the ability to record your progress on the go. There are several other apps available that go into the development of each muscle group more extensively as well.

Pros

• Less expensive than a gym membership or hiring a personal trainer.
• Does not require the purchase of expensive home exercise equipment.
• Includes recipes with nutritional information.
• Online support has been shown to increase the likelihood of success.
• Comes with a 90-day money back guarantee.

Cons

• Very restrictive and difficult to eat out.
• Limits the intake of fresh fruits.
• The high level of physical activity will not be suitable for all dieters.
• Requires meal planning and preparation in advance.

Intense But Can Produce Results

Dieters may struggle with low energy levels during the first phase of P90X2 due to the very low intake of carbohydrates and calories.

It may be necessary to adjust your daily routines and limit physical activity other than the prescribed workouts. Once dieters reach phase two it will generally be much easier to maintain energy levels.

P90X will most appeal to the highly motivated dieter who enjoys intense physical activity. It will require a lot of discipline to stick to the program, however, dieters will likely be rewarded with positive results.

References

• Rosenkilde, M., Auerbach, P., Reichkendler, M. H., Ploug, T., Stallknecht, B. M., & Sjödin, A. (2012). Body fat loss and compensatory mechanisms in response to different doses of aerobic exercise—a randomized controlled trial in overweight sedentary males. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 303(6), R571-R579. link