Week One is done. Am I bringing it? So far so good.
I finished Insanity three weeks ago and have been doing Insanity Fast and Furious pretty regularly ever since (except for last week when I was doing Fast Draft) So, I admit, I started P90X feeling pretty confident about my ability to keep up.
Turns out, that confidence was justified, but that doesn’t mean P90X isn’t challenging in a completely different way. It’s hard not to compare the two programs. While I’d prefer to reserve my judgment till further along in the P90X, I can’t help sharing some initial thoughts about Shaun T’s sweat-fest versus Tony Horton’s extreme routine. First, though, the workouts for P90X:
Chest & Back: Lots of pushups, lots of pull-ups. You do have the option of using bands, which I chose because I don’t have a pull-up bar yet. It was probably for the best that I eased into this one. There was also so weight work like Lawnmowers, Heavy Pants, and Back Flys. (Yes, Heavy Pants. It’s a real thing.) I have to say I’ve missed lifting weights so much. It felt good not to be jumping around and I was impressed by how many pushups I could do without dropping to my knees. I liked this workout a lot and definitely felt it the next day. My actual pants felt like heavy pants, and closing the hatchback of my car brought tears to my eyes.
Ab Ripper X: This one kills. Eleven moves, 25 reps. Sounds straightforward enough, but it hurt to breathe the next day. Rolling over in bed? Not an option. Sneezing made me see stars. I definitely liked P90X’s ab workout better than Insanity’s, and no, not just because there were no power jumps. It’s just more fun and less convoluted. You do Ab Ripper X every day you do weights.
Plyo: I was looking forward to this one because Tony calls it the “mother of all X workouts.” The one everyone says is the hardest. The widow maker. If I hadn’t done two months of Insanity, I would agree. Plyo is tough, there’s no getting around that. But this Plyo was easier than the easiest Insanity workout, so I had no problem keeping up. HOWEVER, I had to do it like those River Dance performers who only move their legs, since my entire upper body was useless.
Arms and Shoulders: Another great weight workout. Tony says this is for the glamour muscles, the ones that make you look good in a tank top. I like the sound of that. I should have used more weights on almost every exercise, but after the Chest and Back day, I was a little gun shy. Get it? Gun shy…Moving on… Ab Ripper X was even harder this time around because I was still sore from Saturday.
Yoga X: This should be called the “mother of all X workouts.” So hard. And long? So long. An hour and a half of Chaturanga pushups, balance poses and core work? Yikes. After Arms and Shoulders day, I was hurting big time. I only made it through 49 minutes before I punked out. I’ll do better next time, I promise.
Legs and Back: I was also looking forward to this one because what girl doesn’t want to shape up her legs? Tony doesn’t care. The leg routine he put together was … meh… and we get it Tony, you can do a bazillion pull-ups. That’s not going to help me reach my Shorts without Shame goal. Lots of lunges in this workout, which I like, plus lots of pull-ups, which I again did with the band. I can’t even see my back, why do I need to work it out so much? Bring on the glamour muscles.
Kenpo X: A lot of people call this their favorite X workout. It’s cardio and martial arts, lots of kicks and punches. I wasn’t really into it. It was very easy and I’m so uncoordinated I was really just flailing around during a lot of the combos. I can’t imagine doing this one for three months and am already considering subbing in an Insanity workout. Don’t tell Tony.
Initial thoughts on P90X versus Insanity:
If it sounds like I prefer Insanity…well, I do. I think whichever of the two you do first automatically becomes your favorite. You’re already in good shape before you move on to the next program so that rush you get from truly conquering something isn’t quite there anymore.
I do feel Insanity is the more difficult of the two. If Plyo is the hardest of the P90X workouts and you’re doing a harder version of that five days a week, it just stands to reason. Plus there’s an edge of hysteria in each Insanity workout, a moment when your heart is racing and you can’t catch your breath and the black curtain is descending in front of your eyes that you just don’t get with P90X. (Thank God.)
That being said, I love to lift weights and feel great afterward. I even love being sore. So if you’re trying to decide between the two, one question ask yourself is whether you want to hurt during the workout (Insanity) or afterward (P90X).
So that’s my take on Week One. Let’s see if it (and my body) changes over the next 90 days. And if you have some advice for me or want to weigh in on your own experience with P90X or Insanity, as always, I’d love to hear from you.
