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Below, is an excellent review I found on Amazon.com regarding the differences between P90X and P90X2. I couldn’t agree more. Read on!
P90X vs P90X2
1. P90X2 focuses more on balance throughout the program.
2. P90X2 doesn’t have a cardio specific workout.
3. P90X2 has two rest days per week.
4. P90X2 requires more equipment.
5. P90X2 has more technically difficult exercises.
6. P90X2 there are bigger differences in the phases.
7. P90X has more structured phases.
8. P90X has a better yoga video.
Misc.
1. Doing P90X before P90X2 is not required but you would deffinitly bennifit from doing P90X
Pros:
1. Structured program so that you know what exercise to do every day.
2. Flexible schedule with two rest days per week.
3. Minimal equipment required.
4. Get in the best shape of your life.
5. Scientifically researched training methods.
6. No time spent driving to the health club, waiting for machines.
7. Challenging.
8. Includes Yoga, for many people it’s the only place they would try it.
9. Modifications for your ability (easy – medium – hard) are part of every video.
10. Modifications without equipment are part of every video.
11. No boring cardio specific workouts, but you will sweat and get your heart rate up.
12. Each 3-week phases prepares you for the next 3-week phase so you do not start with the difficult stuff until you’re ready.
13. Fitness guide to explain the reasoning behind the program. Take a minute to read this!
14. You only need about a 10 x 10 area in your home.
Cons:
1. Sometimes Tony talks too much.
In this review, I am attempting to: (1) Review P90X2 and (2) compare P90X2 to the original P90X. I am not a Beachbody coach and I am in no way associated with Beachbody. Throughout the review, I refer to a guy named Tony. Tony Horton created the program and he is the lead trainer.
WHAT P90X2 IS NOT? When I purchased it, I assumed it was another P90X with better music. I was wrong. P90X left me sore every day for 90 days; P90X2 didn’t because of the gradual increase through the phases. Don’t get me wrong, I was sore but I remember limping around after Legs & Back and having trouble brushing my teeth the morning after doing the bicep workout. P90X2 is a more gradual approach that builds your core and muscular foundation for the next phase but it’s not easier. P90X2 is more technically difficult. Each exercise seems to engage more body parts.
CARDIO: There is no specific cardio workout in the entire program it is based on strength, balance and speed. You will get your heart rate up and sweat for sure but there are no real cardio specific workouts. For the most part the fitness guide (program documentation) says that if you need / want cardio to do it on your own time. Two scheduled rest days can be used for cardio.
THE SCHEDULE: P90X2′s schedule is definitely more flexible than P90X. The entire program has 3 phases. For the most part, you decide when you’re ready for the next phase. There are 2 rest days per week in P90X2.
TIME COMMITMENT: Just do the math. How long does it take you to get to the fitness club? How long do you wait for equipment? How long to stop and chat? Do you work out with the same intensity? Same numbers of reps, as many exercises, limit your breaks to about 30 seconds? Working out in the privacy of my home makes sense from a time perspective.
COST: The program and the equipment together is about $300 (at the very most). That’s 3 – 6 months at a health club. And even if you only do P90X2 for a year and get sick of it the popularity of Beachbody programs means that there is money to be made. I believe that the trend of at home fitness programs will continue into the future.
EQUIPMENT: When I started the original P90X I had no equipment. Nothing. No dumbbells. No bands. No pull up bar. If you don’t have the equipment don’t let that stop you from beginning the program. Buy the equipment when you can but you don’t need it to get started.
REQUIRMENTS: If you have never completed P90X, I would recommend that you do it first. Do you have to do P90X first? Not at all. However, some of the more technically difficult exercises are modifications of P90X exercises so it is helpful.
P90X2 FITNESS GUIDE: I started the program and even writing this lengthy review before I read the fitness guide because I wanted to be as objective as possible. The problem? I am not a doctor or fitness professional so I did not understand the reasoning or purpose for doing some of the exercises. I was ignorant to the science behind the program and it made me question the program. After reading the fitness guide, my commitment to the program became stronger and the program itself makes more sense. Take a few minutes and read it!
—–THE PHASES—–
(Completed in the order listed)
FOUNDATION PHASE (3 to 6 weeks): Strengthen your core, workouts focus on total body. This is perhaps one of the biggest differences between P90X and P90X2, because there P90X2 begins by building you a foundation, which you improve upon as you progress through the phases. The reason for phases in P90X was muscle confusion. While muscle confusion is used in P90X2 for improvement and overcoming plateaus, it is not the focus. After a few weeks in this phase I noticed an improvement in my golf game. I was compressing the ball on every drive. I think this was the result of a stronger core and the balance exercises.
STRENGTH PHASE (3 to 6 weeks): Build up individual muscle groups. For example, workouts focus on your back, chest, legs, arms…etc.
PERFORMANCE PHASE (2 to 4 weeks): The previous two phases are preparation for the Performance Phase. The workouts, called PAP Upper and PAP Lower. PAP stands for Post-Activation Potentiation. This is newish type of training. Researching this topic was not easy because I do not understand all the terms and principals associated with biomechanics. An example of this type of exercise that P90X graduates will remember is the Plyometric Push-up. The Plyometric Push-up is done similar to a regular push-up but instead of finishing in plank position, the person exerts enough force going up that he or she leaves the ground with both feet and both hands. Often, the person doing the push up will clap their hands together while in the air.
—–REVIEW OF WORKOUTS—–
X2 CORE: (Entire Video: 57 minutes, Warm up: 19 minutes, Cool Down: 5 minutes, Workout: 34 minutes)
This workout has some great stretches in it. There are however, 6 minutes dedicated to Tony and the kids using foam rollers for stretching. The basic workout uses isometric exercises that build muscle endurance and strength. Most of these exercise focus on your core and the big muscles in your legs. After a few weeks, I got better at this video but instead of increasing the number of repetitions, I feel that I got a better workout by just having better form.
BALANCE AND POWER: (Entire Video: 61 minutes, Warm up: 11 minutes, Cool Down: 10 minutes Workout: 40 minutes) Simply lifting weights is one form of exercise that anyone reading this review is probably familiar with. Balance and Power is a combination of balance postures and weight lifting. For example, one exercise combines the yoga pose warrior three with a row press. My entire body was engaged while I struggled to keep my balance. The benefits to this type of exercise are something that I have completely overlooked as an avid golfer. I think it’s a great workout because in almost any sport as power increases balance usually decreases.
PLYOCIDE: (Entire Video: 57 minutes, Warm up: 15 minutes, Cool Down: 12 minutes, Workout: 30 minutes) I usually push myself to the point where I am about to throw up in plyometric workouts but that wasn’t the case with Plyocide. However the moves are technically difficult. In other word you need to have, certain muscles developed enough to be able to get the full benefit from the exercise. If you have those muscles developed, you will be able to benefit more from the workout. If you don’t you’ll certainly progress throughout the program and get stronger in ways you didn’t know possible. I guess I expected more cardio from this workout.
X2 AB RIPPER: (Entire video 24 minutes, Warm up: 2, Workout: 12, Commercial: 10 minutes (end of video) Tony delivers another great ab workout! It is very tough to make it through all the reps of all the exercises. The exercises use your body weight as resistance and the video requires no additional equipment.
X2 RECOVERY + MOBILITY: (Entire Video: 58 minutes)
This is optional on one of two given rest days. Mostly it is stretching, a little yoga and a lot of foam roller. I think I get all the stretching I need doing the yoga video. On rest days that I feel good on, I throw in Pure Cardio from the Insanity series. If you struggle with flexibility then you should definitely do it to avoid injury. I am not really super flexible but I have maintained decent flexibility gained by doing Yoga from P90X.
X2 YOGA: Entire Video: (68 minutes) X2 Yoga is a good yoga workout and not very difficult for beginners. X2 Yoga contains variations on moves for beginners and advanced moves for very flexible experts.
X2 TOTAL BODY: (60 Minutes) I would have called this X2 Total Body + Balance. This video contains the most advanced exercises found in the foundation phase. It covers back, biceps, triceps, legs and chest. The reason I would say it is advanced is that there is an element of balance associated with every exercise. For example, triceps kickbacks and curls in warrior three.
—–P90X VS P90X2—–
X2 RECOVERY + MOBILITY VS. X STRETCH: Do it if (or when) you need it to avoid injury or to work out tightness. The difference X2 Recovery + Mobility and X Stretch is the heavy use of the foam roller. Although like all the other videos there is a person doing the exercises without the foam roller.
X2 YOGA VS. YOGA X (P90X): I could not get through Yoga X the first few times I did the workout. I was sweating a lot and my legs were on fire. This was not the case with X2 Yoga. Some of the same moves are done at a faster pace. There is nothing new except for a few variations to old moves. Yoga X had 45 minutes of solid Yoga and 45 minutes of balance postures. Seeing as though this video is 30 minutes shorter, I think it does a good job. However, I definitely think that Yoga X was more difficult and more rewarding in terms of gained flexibility and increased balanced. If you have Yoga X (the original) and can spend the extra 30 minutes, I think it is the obvious choice.
X2 CORE + BALANCE AND POWER VS. CORE SYNERGISTICS (P90X): You have to combine both videos to compare them to Core Synergistics because Core 2 alone does not come close to the workout that Core Synergistics is. Mostly the exercises are different from Core Synergistics. A few are the same or slightly modified. The biggest difference though is the added equipment used in X2 Core. Core Synergistics did required a dumbbell for a few exercises if I remember correctly but X2 Core frequently uses a medicine ball and a stability ball (large blown up rubber ball). There is one person in the video that shows you how to do the exercises without a medicine ball or stability ball; sometimes he uses a towel or resistance band in their place. P90X2 focuses on your core more than P90X. This is the proof, two entire videos dedicated to your core strength.
X2 AB RIPPER VS. AB RIPPER X (P90X): The original and X2 are comparable. There are some new exercises and modifications to old exercises. X2 is more technically difficult but still a great workout.
PLYOCIDE VS. PLYOMETRICS (P90X): Plyocide is more technically difficult but over all its easier in terms of having the endurance to make it through the work out. Plyometrics from P90X was a punishing workout. I do not think that I even made it all the way through the video until week six. Does anyone remember “Rock Star Hops”? By the time i did that the second time I was lying on the floor. Some of the Plyocide exercises are variations from P90X and even Shaun T’s Insanity.
Related articles
- Here is what Know With regards to P90X (uclaislamicstudies.com)
- P90X2 Review! (bleilerfitness.com)
- Tony Horton Previews His New P90X Workout (self.com)
- Could P90X or TRX Turn You Into Captain America, First Avenger? (savings.com)
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