Looking to reduce that belly fat? Do you want to get rid of those love handles? Looking for exercises to lose back fat? If your goal is to decrease the size of your waist and reveal your abdominal muscles, then P90X is for you! In just 30 days, at the end of the first phase of the program, you will see your waistline begin to shrink. I have been there and can attest to the fact that this program works. I have tried everything to get rid of belly fat for the last 10 years. Sit-ups, diets, contraptions, I’ve had them all and none of them worked. P90X was the first time I saw a real improvement.
One thing I didn’t understand prior to my success with P90X is the importance of a full body workout. There is no such thing as spot training. You need a full-body workout, including exercises that will work your entire core. Crunches alone won’t do the job. The core muscle group is often referred to as the “trunk” and involves all of the muscles that surround the trunk area. P90X is a full body workout and all routines work your “trunk” in some way. However, the program includes two videos that focus specifically on basic exercises.
Ab Ripper X is a 15 minute video that takes place 3 days a week on the classic version of the program and 2 days a week on the lean version. Ab Ripper X isn’t done every day because, as Tony Horton advises, “You don’t work your abs every day.” It is usually done after strength training routines, however the 15 minutes are not easy and I found it best to separate the two. This way I was able to give it my all in both routines. I do Ab Ripper X in the morning and complete the strength training videos at night. The workout includes 11 moves and most require 25 repetitions. There is only a 5 second rest period between each exercise, so it goes by pretty quickly. Don’t be discouraged if you have problems at first. I started out doing just 5 reps of each exercise and slowly worked my way up until I completed most of the reps. I still can’t complete 25 reps of all the exercises!
The other core workout is Core Synergistic. This is done only during recovery week in the classic version and once a week in the lean version. I actually modified my program where I did the classic version, but replaced Kenpo X with Core Synergistic. This was because belly fat, love handles, and back fat were key problem areas for me, but I wanted to benefit from the strength training and intensity of the classic version. Core Synergistic includes a variety of exercises that work your core from every angle. From push-ups done with your feet stacked on top of each other and your hands wobbly, to superman-banana where you switch from superman to banana pose every 10 seconds, to steam machine that essentially involves performing sit-ups from a standing position. You will never get bored with this video.
The best thing about these two routines is that they produce results while keeping you entertained. You’ll never get the abs you’ve been dreaming of if you start an exercise regimen and then quit out of boredom. This is not a problem with P90X. This program keeps your muscles confused by working them in different ways while keeping you engaged at the same time. Also, the fact that the workouts produce results quickly is a big plus. Seeing my core getting stronger and more toned at the end of each phase, including the lower abdominal fat issue, helped keep me motivated. Nothing trimmed my belly like this program. My goal before I started was to be in a bikini by the time I was done and reached my goal. It was definitely worth the effort!