V-90X

V90X – Team Viggity Approved
(P90X – Transformed for Gym Use)

The P90X is a great program for people looking to get into shape and do it without thinking or planning, because this program does all of that for you. It requires very little equipment and can be done pretty much anywhere, which is one of the main selling points. To summarize, the P90X is merely another fitness gimmick. There is nothing special or unique to it that makes it different, other than it’s a 90-day plan with progression worked into it. The principal of muscle confusion is a huge selling point because it promises that you’ll never get bored and the muscles will continuously need to adapt, which is a good thing.

There are actually 3 versions of the program. The P90X Classic (which I’ll be evaluating and modifying) is the version most suitable for traditional exercisers who are fairly adept at training. It is difficult, but if you’re in somewhat decent shape, you should be able to handle much of it, even the first time through. The P90X Lean is better suited for beginners and women who are more interested in a cardio based training program. Finally, the P90X Double is designed for the hardcore athlete or extreme fitness enthusiast.

There are 3 parts to the total P90X program: Training, Diet, and Supplements. They obviously want you to use their version of a diet program, and of course buy their supplements. This is completely up to you. I would recommend buying supplements from another source as what they recommend seems to be overpriced and the website doesn’t tell you what is in the products. However, the site is www.beachbody.com and they plug that a lot.

In my version, I’ll give a summary of the training program and my opinion, write out what the actual workout entails, and give you modifications and suggestions. Some of the names they use are odd.

Intro Disc – How To Bring It
Skip this disc. If you read the above paragraphs, you already know everything. It’s basically a promo disc to get you pumped up. They tell you to take before photos, and what equipment you’ll need (pull up bar, resistance bands, dumbbells, and a mat). If you’re reading this, I’m going to teach you how to apply this program to a gym setting.

Disc 1 – Chest and Back
If you’re not a fan of Pull Ups or Pushups, then this is not for you. This is nothing fancy and filled with a lot of pushing and pulling movements. There are 2 rounds with 12 exercises per round performed in basically a large circuit. The goal is to perform the exercise either to maximum reps or if you’re using dumbbell (DB) resistance, then a rep range of 15-25. All of these moves are fairly easily modified using a resistance band. I’ll describe some of the more vague movements. Rest when you need it, but if you’re feeling good, just keep plowing through. Rests are built in when switching movements.

Round 1
1) Pushup – Max reps
2) Pull Up – Max reps
3) Military Pushup – Max reps, keep your elbows tucked into your sides
4) Chin Up – Max reps, underhand grip (this is the easiest version of any Pull Up)
5) Wide Pushup – Max reps
6) Close-Grip Pull Up – Max reps
7) Decline Pushup – Max reps, elevate your legs on a chair or bench about 18 inches high
8 ) 2 Arm DB Row – 20 reps, with your back parallel to the floor and a DB in each hand, “pull up your pants” in a rowing movement, and keep your elbows tight to your sides
* 30 second break, stretch your shoulders
9) Diamond Pushup – Max Reps, with hands making a diamond, lower your chest to your hands, or “heart to heart”
10) 1 Arm DB Row – 20 reps, same movement as the 2 Arm Row, but do the right arm then the left, and try for a heavier weight
11) Diving Pushup – Max reps, stand with your legs wide and dive your head to the floor and up into a stomach stretch called the cobra in yoga. Imagine diving under a fence. Lower yourself in the order of head, chest, and hips, and into a pushup with your hips down (cobra). Then, reverse the order back to the start with your hands still on the ground often called the down dog yoga pose. That’s one rep. It’s a rocking motion.
12) Back DB Fly – 20, sit on the edge of a bench with a DB in each hand, lean forward to parallel and raise the DB to shoulder height, but be sure to squeeze your shoulder blades backwards and together.
* End of Round 1, 1:00 minute rest

Round 2 – Do the same exact movements but in reverse pair order. Instead of movement 1 then 2, do 2 then 1. Pull up then pushup. Next, perform movement 4 then 3. Keep the reverse order pairing all the way through and keep the breaks to a minimum.

P90X Free Weight Machine Other
Pushup Bench Press Chest Press DB Chest Press
Pull Up Lat Pull Down (high cable) Hammer Machine Pull Down Assisted Pull Up
Military Pushup Close-Grip Bench Press Close-Grip Chest Press Machine Smith Machine Close Grip-Press
Chin Up Underhand Grip Lat Pull Down Hammer Machine Pull Down Assisted Chin Up
Wide Pushup DB Flat Fly Hammer Machine Wide Chest Press Cable Crossover
Close-Grip Pull Up Close-Grip Lat Pull Down (high cable) Row Handle on High Cable Lat Pull Assisted Close-Grip Pull Up
Decline Pushup Incline Bench Press (think about it) Hammer Machine Incline Press DB Incline Chest Press
2-Arm DB Row Bent-Over Bar Row Hammer Machine Low Row T-Bar Row

Diamond Pushup
Cambered Bar Close Grip Press
Close-Grip Chest Press Machine
Leaning Forward Narrow Grip Dip or Assisted Dip
1-Arm DB Row 1-Arm Seated Low Cable Row (D Handle) 1-Arm Hammer Machine Low Row 1-Arm Row Machine
Diving Pushup DB Laying Pullover High Cable Straight Arm Pull Down 2 Hand Bar Raise Front to Overhead
Back DB Fly Seated Low Cable with Rope Wide High Row Low Cable Cross Bent-Over Fly Reverse Fly Machine

Disc 2 – Plyometrics
This is a hybrid of plyometrics (jump training) and aerobics. The tip of the day is to jump quietly like a ninja. This is not high quality plyometric training, nor is it intense aerobics, but it’s a nice mix. There are a lot very similar movements with goofy names. It’s a decent attempt at a cardiovascular / athletic workout, but it’s not that difficult. It starts with 3 warm up movements then stretching. Then it goes into the workout where there are 5 groups of 4 movements. Each of the first 3 movements is performed for 30 seconds, and the last movement is performed for 1:00 minute. Each group of movements is performed two times through. There is only one time where you need a chair, so you really only need a little bit of space. This program is basically as hard as you make it.

Warm Up
Skip Lunge – Skip to the side and lunge back and forth
Walking Lunges – Lunge 3 forward and 3 back, keep going for 90 seconds
Deep Prayer Squats – With your legs wide and toes pointed out, put your hands into a prayer position and gently squat up and down for 30 seconds
Stretch

Group 1
Jump Squat – Toes barely leave the ground
Run Stance Squat – Like you’re about to start a race standing, squat 3 then jump switch to other side
Heisman – High leg jump to the side and raise your inside leg, pause, and jump to the other side
Swing Kicks – Swing your left leg over the chair, then the right, then back to the other side, right then left

Group 2
Squat Reach Jump – Squat, jump, and reach, but feet barely leave the ground
Run Stance Squat Switch – Switch every jump
Double Heisman – 2 high leg jumps to the side, raise inside leg, pause, and go the other way
Circle Run – As if you’re running around a tire, but keep your head and upper body facing forward

Group 3
Jump Knee Tuck – Self-explanatory
Jumping Lunge – Jump into a lunge position and switch
Leap Frog Squat – In a wide “frog” stance, take 2 short hops forward, and 2 back
Twist Combo – Feet together, then from center jump 90 degrees right, back to center, 90 degrees left, back to center and repeat for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, jump from center 180 degrees to backwards and back to front

Group 4
2 Leg Butt Kicks – Jump and kick your heels into your butt
Gap Jump – Jump back and forth off one leg like you’re trying to jump over a gap
Squat Jack – With your hands on your head, do a squat then jump your legs in and out like a jumping jack
Military March – Straight leg march in place, kick as high as possible

Group 5
Run Stance Squat – This time jump higher
Lateral Leap Frog – Same thing as before but jump 2 left then 2 right, and repeat
Monster Truck Tires – Like you’re doing a tires course but with monster truck tires
Hot Foot – On one foot, jump in a plus sign. Jump front, back, left, right, and repeat for 30 seconds on each leg

Disc 3 – Shoulder and Arms
You must own DB’s and probably quite a broad range to get an effective workout. Again, there is nothing special about this program except he tries to make it fancy by using a lot of different grips and angles. There are 5 groups of 3 exercises and each group is performed twice. The movements in the groupings are always in this order: Shoulder, Bicep, Triceps. He recommends using either a weight that will allow 8-10 reps or 12-15 reps depending on your personal goal. I don’t know what happened to rep 11. Perform all the movements in a group moving quickly in a circuit, rest a bit, then do it again. Almost all moves are performed standing.

Group 1
Alternate DB Shoulder Press – Overhead DB Shoulder Press, just alternate arms
In and Out Curl – Curl straight up for one rep, then out to the side for the second rep, and alternate each rep
2-Arm DB Kickback – Bent over parallel to the floor, elbows bent at 90 degrees tight to the side, extend both arms to parallel

Group 2
Arnold Press – This is an Overhead DB Shoulder Press but the starting position is with the weights in front of you, palms toward your face, pronate the wrists as you press the DB up
Alternate DB Curl with full Supination – Standard 2-Arm DB Curl, but keep your palms up (supine) the whole time; fancy name, simple move
Chair Dip – With your hands behind you on a chair and your feet on the floor, dip

Group 3
DB Upright Row – Keep the weight tight to your body as you pull your elbows high
Static DB Curl – While holding one DB at 90 degrees (mid curl), perform 4 curls with the other arm, then switch; do mini sets of 4 reps
Flip Grip Twist DB Kickback – This is just a standard 1-Arm DB Kickback, but with each rep flip your wrist from up to down instead of keeping it neutral

Group 4
Seated DB Shoulder Fly – With arms bent at 90 degrees, do a DB side raise, then lean forward so your body is at 45 degrees and do another rep; alternate between these positions
Crouching Curl – Bent over parallel to the floor, place your elbows inside of your knees and perform DB Curls
Lying DB Triceps Extension – This is often called a Skull Crusher, but you’re using DBs; lying on your back, elbows up, lower the weights to your head and extend your arms

Group 5
Front / Side DB Raise – Alternate Front DB Raise with Side DB Raise
DB Curl Up / Hammer Down – Curl it up normal, then with a hammer grip, lower it
Side Triceps Pushup – Lie on your side, put your right hand flat on the ground, left hand on your right shoulder, and do a 1-Arm pushup with your right arm

P90X Free Weight Machine Other
Alternate DB Shoulder Press Seated Bar Shoulder Press Smith Machine Shoulder Press Hammer Machine Shoulder Press
In and Out Curl Seated Incline DB Curl Low Cable Cross Curl Band In and Out Curl
2-Arm DB Kickback Rope Pushdown Pushdown Machine Low Cable 1-Arm Kickback
Arnold Shoulder Press Seated Bar Shoulder Press alternate in front and behind neck (light weight) Reverse Grip Smith Machine Shoulder Press Band Arnold Shoulder Press
Alternate DB Curl with full Supination 1-Arm Machine Curl
Chair Dip Dip Dip Machine Assisted Dip
DB Upright Row Bar Upright Row Smith Machine Upright Row Low Cable Upright Row
Static DB Curl Static Bar Curl Static Machine Curl Static Cable Curl
Flip Grip Twist DB Kickback 1-Arm Rope Pushdown 1-Arm Pushdown Machine D-Cable Reverse Grip Pushdown

Seated DB Shoulder Fly
Seated Side DB Row
Superset Rear Deltoid Machine and Side Raise Machine
Low Cable Cross
Shoulder Fly
Crouching Curl Bar Preacher Curl Preacher Curl Machine Low Cable Curl
Lying DB Triceps Extension Bar Skull Crusher V-Grip Pushdown Overhead Rope Pushdown
Front / Side DB Raise Low Cable Front / Side DB Raise Superset Rear Deltoid Machine and Side Raise Machine Band Front / Side DB Raise
DB Curl Up / Hammer Down Cross Arm DB Hammer Curl Overhand-Grip Low Cable Curl DB Concentration Curl
Side Triceps Pushup 1-Arm Overhead DB Extension 1-Arm Dip Machine Diamond Pushup

Disc 4 – Yoga
This is a very basic yoga program, but it is difficult mostly because it’s over 80 minutes. I’m not going to describe the moves because they’re intricate, but if you’ve ever done yoga in any form, you’ll recognize many. I’d suggest looking up images on the Internet. He performs a series of moves called the sun salutation a lot in the first part.

Poses / Series (in order they appear): mountain, wide bent torso twist, split leg hamstring stretch, standing side stretch, sun salutation series (swan dive, plank, cobra, down dog), runners pose, crescent pose, warrior 1, warrior 2, reverse warrior, triangle, twisting triangle, chair pose, twisting chair pose ***Break*** down dog with leg raise, right angle, prayer twist, side arm balance, warrior 3, standing split, half moon, twisting half moon

Balance Postures: tree, royal dancer, standing leg extension, crane, seated spine stretch, cat, frog, bridge, wheel, plough to shoulder stand, table, cobbler

Yoga Belly (abdominal moves): touch the sky, boat, ½ boat, scissor, torso twist hold, torso twist deep hold, 3 part touch the sky

Relaxation: side twist, gluteus stretch, happy baby, child’s pose, corpse, fetus, lotus

Disc 5 – Legs and Back
This workout uses many variations on the lunge and pull up. That’s about it. You can use DB’s but it’s very challenging even without them, simply because there are 22 movements. Perform each exercise one time with limited rest. The reps listed are for each leg, not total. I’ve listed alternate movements for back above, so I’ll only list alternate leg movements.

Single Leg Balance Lunges – 20 reps per leg, back foot up on a chair
Calf Raise Squat – 20 reps, squat then a calf raise
Reverse Grip Chin Up – Max reps
Super Skater – 25 reps, step back lunge like you’re speed skating, keep back lunge foot off the ground
Wall Sit – 90 seconds, quads parallel to the ground, back against a wall, and hold
Wide Pull Up – Max reps
Step Back Lunge – 15 reps
Alternate Side Lunge – 12 reps
Close Grip Pull Up – Max reps
Single Leg Wall Sit – 30 seconds each leg
Single Leg Squat – 20 reps
Switch Grip Pull Up – Max reps, 2 regular, switch to underhand grip while staying off the floor, and do 2 more
3 Way Lunge – 5 each direction, front, back, side
Sneaky Lunge – 20 reps, long lunge reaching forward
Reverse Grip Chin Up – Max reps again
Chair Sit – 30 seconds, as if you’re sitting in a chair, keep hands up above head
Toe Roll Isolation Lunge – 20 reps, In a full lunge, roll up onto your back toe and do a calf raise; hold the same lunge position for all the reps
Wide Pull Up – Max reps again
Sumo Walk – In a wide stance with toes pointed out, walk 20 steps forward and 20 steps backward
Calf Raise – 25 reps, first 15 slow then 10 fast
Speed Squat – 30 reps, in a modified running stance squat as fast as possible, then switch legs
Switch Grip Pull Up – Max reps again

P90X Free Weight Machine Other
Single Leg Balance Lunge DB Single Leg Lunge Smith Machine Split Squat Gluteus Extender Machine
Calf Raise Squat Bar Squat Calf Raise Leg Press Calf Raise DB Jump Squat
Super Skater Box Step Up Close Stance Leg Press Hack Squat
Wall Sit Squat Hold Leg Extension Machine Hold Leg Curl Machine Hold
Step Back Lunge DB Step Back Lunge DB Backward Walk Smith Machine Step Back Lunge
Alternate Side Lunge Bar Side Lunge Plea Squat Band Alternate Side Lunge
Single Leg Squat Box Step Up Leg Extension Band Single Leg Squat
3 Way Lunge DB 3 Way Lunge Leg Press Narrow, Regular, Wide Stance Band 3 Way Lunge
Sneaky Lunge Deep Hack Squat Deep Leg Press Band Sneaky Lunge
Chair Sit Squat Hold Leg Extension Machine Hold Leg Curl Machine Hold
Toe Roll Isolation Donkey Calf Raise Seated Calf Raise Single Leg Calf Raise
Sumo Walk Wide Stance Squat Plea Squat Wide Stance Leg Press
Calf Raise Bar Calf Raise Machine Calf Raise Seated Calf Raise
Speed Squat Speed Bar Squat Smith Machine Speed Squat Speed Leg Press

Disc 6 – Kenpo X
Kenpo X is essentially any cardio kickboxing class you’ve ever seen or taken. It will teach you about as much skill as Billy Blanks Tai-Bo garbage. It’s a lot of reps of punching and kicking and constant movement for an hour. My suggestion is to shadow box doing however you think a kickboxer would do it. Go for 3 minute rounds, with 30 seconds in between, and do as many rounds as you feel like. I’m

Disc 7 – Stretch
Disc 8 – Core Synergistics

Disc 9 – Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Back to the pushups, and many of the same moves you’ve learned about in Discs 1 and 3. Again, a ton of different grips attempt to make these moves seem new. There are 23 movements done in succession with limited rest between. Only one set per movement, and if the move is a pushup attempt max reps. If the move involves weight, use a weight that will either be challenging at 8-10 or 12-15. Again, I’ll list all the moves, but only describe the ones that are new to this disc.

Slow Motion 3 in 1 Pushup: 12 reps using a very slow cadence, 4 wide, 4 regular, 4 military
In / Out Shoulder Fly – 8 / 8 reps, DB Front Raise / DB Side Raise
Chair Dip – Max reps
Plange Pushup – Max reps, military style pushup with your hands closer to your waist
Pike Press – Max reps, from a down dog position, perform shoulder pushups
Side Triceps Rise – Max reps
Floor Fly – Weights, lying on the floor, perform DB fly
Scarecrow – Weights, with your elbows parallel to the floor and hands hanging forward and holding a DB, rotate the shoulders to bring the weight up ear height
Overhear Triceps Extension – Weights, holding a DB with 2 hands, place the weight behind your head and extend the arms
2 Twitch Max Speed Pushups – Max reps, 4 fast then 3 slow
Y Press – Weights, same as a DB Shoulder Press but keep the arms pointing out in a “Y”
Lying Triceps Extension – Weights
Side to Side Pushup – Max reps, go down to one hand, push up, then go down to the other
Pour Fly – Weights, DB Side raise with a pouring motion at the top
Seated Side Leaning Triceps Extension – Weights, perform a 1-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension but lean to the side for more support
Weighted Circles – Weights, perform small arm circles, use a very light weight
Throw the Bomb – Weights, mimic throwing a football with a weight (stupid move)
Clap Pushup – Max reps, do a pushup and try to clap at the top
Front to Back Triceps Extension – Weights, just like the 1-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension but alternate in front of the head and behind
1-Arm Balance Pushup – Max reps, 1-Arm pushup then switch hands, put your legs wide
Fly Row Press – Weight, perform 3 moves in a row: DB Side Raise, DB Upright Row, then DB Shoulder Press with the same weight
DB Cross Body Blows – Weights, act like you’re punching

Many of the moves described above are repetitive and similar. I’ll only give alternatives for moves that are new and possibly would warrant one that is different from the suggestions I made in Discs 1 and 3

P90X Free Weight Machine Other
Plange Pushup Bench Press using shoulder width grip bringing bar to the upper abdomen Machine Chest Press with a high setting on the seat Smith Machine Bench Press with bench slid up
Pike Press High Incline Bench Press Seated Bar Shoulder Press Angled Smith Machine Shoulder Press
Floor Fly DB Bench Fly Cable Crossover DB Fly on Stability Ball
Scarecrow Cable Cross In and Out Rotation Low Cable Scarecrow Straight Bar Front Raise to overhead
Side to Side Pushup Smith Machine Side to Side Bench Press Side to Side Dips Alternate Arm Cable Crossover Press
Weighted Circles Cable Crossover Circles Machine Side Raise and hold Bar “Pot Stir”

Disc 10 – Back and Biceps
Way fewer Pull Ups than the Disc 1, but also a lot of back work in the form of rows. The amount of curl movements is too many for any regular lifter. I will describe the moves not used in previous workouts. All Pull Up moves use max reps, and the same DB range is used for weight movements. This program is the same as Disc 9 with one set of each movement, performed relatively quickly.

Wide Pull Up – Max reps
21’s – Weights, 7 top half DB curls, 7 bottom half DB curls, 7 full DB curls
1-Arm Cross Body Curls – Weights, regular DB curl but tweak your elbow out wide
Switch Grip Pull Up – Max reps
Elbow Out 1-Arm DB Row – Weights, perform a DB row but try to keep your elbow wider and shoulder height
Standing DB Bicep Curl – Weights
1-Arm Concentration Curl – Weights, seated on the edge of a bench, place your elbow of the working arm inside of your knee and curl with strict form
Corn Cob Pull Up – Max reps, Pull up, slide left, slide right, back to center, lean out and lean in, and that’s one rep
Reverse Grip Bent Rows – Weights, with a curl grip perform 2-Arm DB Rows
Open Arm DB Curl – Weights, curl out to your sides
Static Arm Curl – Weights
*Break
Towel Pull Up – Max reps, wrap a towel over one side of the pull up bar and grab it with one hand while the other hand grabs the regular bar; do 3 reps then switch sides
Locomotive – Weights, Alternating 2-Arm Row with a rapid pace
Crouching Curl – Weights
Corkscrew Curl – Weights, regular curl with an outward wrist twist at the top
Chin Up – Max reps
Seated Bent Over Back Fly – Weights
Curl Up / Hammer Down – Weights
Pull Up – Max reps, your choice
Superman – 1:00 minute
In / Out Curl – Weights
Strip Set Curl – Weights, shoot for 4 sets of 8 reps, starting with a heavy weight and dropping the weight with each successive set

P90X Free Weight Machine Other
Elbow Out 1-Arm DB Row Incline Bench Facedown DB Side Raise Reverse Deltoid Machine Seated Low Cable Rope High Row
Corn Cob Pull Up Smith Machine Inverted Corn Cob Pull Up Side to Side Low Cable Handle Pull Up 2-Hand 1 DB Bent Row, side to side movement
Towel Pull Up Towel High Cable Lat Pull Down 1-Arm High Cable Lat Pull Down
Superman Hyperextension Hyperextension Machine Dead Lift
Strip Set Curl (a.k.a. drop set) Standing Curl Drop Set Machine Curl Drop Set Low Cable Curl Drop Set

Disc 11 – Cardio X
This is a combination of the Plyometrics, Yoga X, Kenpo X, and Core / Synergistics X
Programs. As always, it lasts about an hour. Pick some of all four workouts and go for it, or just go for a jog.