The P90X home workout system was created by personal trainer Tony Horton. Horton designed the workouts to challenge every major muscle group in your body as well as provide flexibility and cardiovascular exercise. There are three methods to use the P90X program: Classic, Doubles and Lean. The P90X Lean program is designed with more cardio and less resistance for maximum weight loss. The Doubles program adds extra workouts for more calorie burning and weight loss than the other programs.
Description of P90X Doubles Program
In the first four weeks of the P90X Doubles program, you are doing one workout per day for six to seven days each week. Day seven is an optional rest or flexibility day. In weeks five through seven, you will do two workouts per day three days per week and one workout per day three to four days each week. Week eight is a recovery week with only one workout per day. In weeks nine through 12, you perform two workouts per day four days each week and one workout per day two to three days each week. Week 13 is the last week and is your recovery week with one workout per day.
Weight Loss Recommendations
For maximum weight loss, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends accumulating more than 250 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week. Your workouts should include cardio and strength training for long-term results. P90X Doubles does fall into these parameters. During the weeks you perform one workout per day, you accumulate over 300 minutes of exercise. When you go to two-a-days, or doubles, you will accumulate over 420 minutes each week.
Advantages/Concerns with Two-a-Days
Exercising twice a day even a few days per week may pose a challenge for your lifestyle, as most people have a full-time job and a family. However, if you are able to separate your workouts into cardio and resistance training segments, there are some advantages. You will be able to push yourself harder during your workouts, gaining increased cardiovascular fitness as well as muscular strength. This leads to increased calorie-burning and weight loss. But you are also at risk of overtraining and injury. Gradually add in two workouts per day and take at least one day off each week. Revert to one workout per day if you notice your fitness is regressing and you are not losing weight.
Considerations
P90X Classic on its own is a challenging workout regimen and does meet the time recommendations for weight loss. To progress to the Doubles program, you should be injury free and in good health. If you are extremely overweight, this may not be an appropriate program for you to start your weight loss journey. If you have never exercised regularly before, start walking three to five days per week for 30 minutes. Add in two days of resistance training. Once you have built some fitness, try the P90X Classic and progress to Doubles.
