The P90X training program is made up of three independent workouts. You choose where you want to start based on your physical condition and then just hit play. The three options are divided into Classic, Lean, and Doubles. I’ll give you a breakdown of each P90X workout program for those who don’t get it.
P90X training program options:
“Classic”
This is where most people seem to start, including myself: the classic training program is straightforward and offers the best combination or those that are ready to build muscle and burn fat as you go.
The classic training program does not require more than 1 hour and a half in a day: the longest training in the entire program is Yoga X.
I chose to go classic in my first round of the P90X and it seemed to get very good results sticking almost 100% to the workouts. My diet was not organized at all and I did not follow the P90X meal plan. However, I did eat healthy and clean, that is, without soft drinks, sweets, ice cream, red meat, sugars, etc. I still consume sugar, but at a very low level, practically only in my coffee, that is my only evil in the diet.
The Classic P90X workout program will work you out 6 days a week just like Lean and Doubles will, except you tend to focus on a combination of cardio and resistance training, almost 50/50. Does it look like this:
- Monday: Resistance + Abs
- Tuesday: Cardio
- Wednesday: Resistance + Abs
- Thursday: Stretching / Balancing (Yoga)
- Friday: Resistance + Abs
- Saturday: Cardio
- Sunday: Off
P90X Classic is ideal for those who are ready to start from scratch and are not looking to lose a ton of fat before building muscle. The example above stays true through each phase with some resistance videos changing to add Muscle Confusion. Let’s take a look at Lean now.
“Bend down”
The Lean training program will allow you to focus on cardio much more than resistance. This is a great place to start for those who want to focus on weight loss first and then maybe work on building muscle later. With Lean you will be doing many more cardio options which in turn will burn more calories and help you lose fat faster.
I haven’t tried the slim approach option myself, but I think it would be ideal if you wanted to condition and don’t think you’re ready to jump into Classic. You will need to reserve up to 1 hour and 30 minutes for your Lean routine; the longest workout is Yoga X.
A Lean P90X training program would look like this:
- Monday: Core / Cardio
- Tuesday: Cardio
- Wednesday: Resistance + Abs
- Thursday: Stretching / Balancing (Yoga)
- Friday: Resistance + Abs
- Saturday: Cardio
- Sunday: Off
See how Monday differs from the Classic P90X workout program – add an extra cardio / core workout to maximize fat burning and core strengthening.
Now, the interesting thing is that in phase 3 of Lean you do training similar to Phase 1 of the Classic. With that being said, you can see how Lean is designed as a move towards Classic and then Classic is integrated into what we will see next.
“Double”
Alright this is the best P90X workout program and for those already in shape or already doing Classic but ready for more. You’ll see why in a moment. Now with Doubles you will need much more dedication and time, you will need to reserve up to 2 hours and 20 minutes some days. In most cases you will wake up and do cardio, then a couple of hours later or at night you will do resistance + sit-ups.
Let’s take a look at what the P90X Doubles looks like. (Now note that in Phase 1 the Doubles appear to be exactly the same as the Classics: in phase 2 this changes by adding 3 cardio workouts each week and in phase 3 there is a significant change by adding 4 cardio workouts)
The example below is based on the P90X doubles training program – Phase 3. I want you to see how serious this really gets!
- Monday: AM – Cardio / PM – Resistance + Abs
- Tuesday: AM – Cardio / PM – Cardio
- Wednesday: Resistance + Abs
- Thursday: AM – Cardio / PM – Stretching and balancing (Yoga)
- Friday: AM – Cardio / PM – Resistance + Abs
- Saturday: Cardio
- Sunday: Off
Do you realize how extreme it gets? The biggest difference between Classic and Doubles is the addition of all Cardio. The best way to compare is this: In doubles phase 3, you are basically doing Classic with 4 additional cardio workouts a week. Pretty intense huh – believe me, it is!
Well that was a quick look at the P90X training program and the variations that occur. This is a general description, but hopefully informative. Keep in mind that with P90X and Muscle Confusion your endurance days will change to continually bring intensity and challenge so that you never fully adapt. This is the power of the P90X training program – choose yours.
- If you are new and want to lose weight fast, do Lean.
- If you are experienced and want a challenge in addition to gaining muscle, do Classic
- If you are a pro and the classic is not a challenge, get extreme: do doubles
The choice is yours and the P90X workout allows for so many variations that there is no reason why you shouldn’t push play today – take responsibility for yourself and your health, take action today!