P90X (Power 90 Extreme) is a 90-day home fitness program developed by Tony Horton and released by Beachbody. Known for its intense and varied workouts, P90X has helped millions of people achieve their fitness goals. This guide will walk you through the P90X schedule, providing you with all the information you need to get started, including the cost, where to buy, and more.
P90X Schedule Overview
The P90X schedule is meticulously designed to ensure balanced and comprehensive fitness development. It is divided into three phases, each lasting 30 days, and it incorporates a mix of strength training, cardio, core work, and flexibility exercises. This approach helps to prevent plateaus and keeps the body constantly challenged.
Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1-30) of P90X
The first phase of the P90X program, known as the Foundation Phase, is designed to build a solid base of strength, endurance, and flexibility. This phase introduces you to the intensity and variety of the P90X workouts, setting the stage for more advanced training in the later phases. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the workouts and schedule for Phase 1:
Weeks 1-3: Core Strength and Conditioning
Day 1: Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X
- Chest & Back: Focuses on upper body strength with exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and various dumbbell exercises. This workout targets the pectoral muscles, latissimus dorsi, and biceps.
- Ab Ripper X: A 15-minute core workout designed to sculpt the abdominal muscles. It includes exercises like in-and-outs, bicycles, and leg climbs.
Day 2: Plyometrics
- Known as “jump training,” this high-intensity cardio workout involves explosive movements to build power, speed, and endurance. Exercises include jump squats, lunges, and hops.
Day 3: Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
- Shoulders & Arms: Focuses on sculpting the shoulders, biceps, and triceps with various dumbbell exercises such as shoulder presses, bicep curls, and tricep kickbacks.
- Ab Ripper X: Same as Day 1.
Day 4: Yoga X
- A 90-minute yoga session that combines strength, balance, flexibility, and relaxation. This workout helps improve overall fitness and reduce stress.
Day 5: Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
- Legs & Back: Targets the lower body and back with exercises like squats, lunges, and pull-ups. This workout builds strength and endurance in the legs and back.
- Ab Ripper X: Same as Day 1.
Day 6: Kenpo X
- A cardio workout inspired by martial arts, Kenpo X includes punches, kicks, and blocks to improve cardiovascular fitness, coordination, and agility.
Day 7: Rest or X Stretch
- A day for recovery, where you can either rest or perform the X Stretch routine to enhance flexibility and prevent injuries.
Week 4: Recovery Week
The recovery week is designed to give your muscles a break from the intense strength training while still maintaining your fitness levels. It includes lower-intensity workouts that focus on core strength, flexibility, and cardio.
Day 1: Yoga X
- Same as in Weeks 1-3, focusing on flexibility, balance, and relaxation.
Day 2: Core Synergistics
- A full-body workout that targets the core muscles through compound movements, improving functional strength and stability.
Day 3: Kenpo X
- Same as in Weeks 1-3, providing a fun and engaging cardio workout.
Day 4: X Stretch
- A dedicated stretching routine to improve flexibility and aid recovery.
Day 5: Core Synergistics
- Same as Day 2.
Day 6: Yoga X
- Same as in Weeks 1-3.
Day 7: Rest or X Stretch
A day for rest or optional stretching to prepare for the next phase of the program.
Phase 2: Growth (Days 31-60) of P90X
Phase 2 of the P90X program is all about building on the foundation established in Phase 1. This phase focuses on increasing strength and muscle growth while continuing to burn fat and improve cardiovascular fitness. The workouts are intense and designed to push your body to new limits.
Weeks 5-7: Muscle Building and Endurance
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Ab Ripper X
- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps: This workout targets the upper body with a variety of push-ups, flys, and presses, emphasizing muscle growth and definition.
- Ab Ripper X: A 16-minute core workout that focuses on the abs, obliques, and lower back with exercises like sit-ups, leg raises, and oblique V-ups.
Day 2: Plyometrics
- Plyometrics: A high-intensity cardio workout involving jump training exercises to improve explosive power, agility, and overall cardiovascular endurance.
Day 3: Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X
- Back & Biceps: This workout targets the upper back and biceps with pull-ups, chin-ups, and various curls to build strength and muscle definition.
- Ab Ripper X: The same core workout as Day 1 to ensure continuous improvement in abdominal strength.
Day 4: Yoga X
- Yoga X: A 90-minute yoga session focusing on flexibility, balance, and mental relaxation. It incorporates a mix of yoga poses, stretching, and breathing exercises to promote overall wellness.
Day 5: Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
- Legs & Back: This workout combines lower body exercises such as squats and lunges with pull-ups and other back exercises to build strength and endurance in the legs and back.
- Ab Ripper X: The same core workout to maintain abdominal strength and stability.
Day 6: Kenpo X
- Kenpo X: A cardio workout inspired by martial arts, incorporating punches, kicks, and other moves to improve cardiovascular fitness, coordination, and overall agility.
Day 7: Rest or X Stretch
- Rest or X Stretch: A day to rest and recover or an optional stretching routine to improve flexibility and prevent injury.
Week 8: Recovery Week
Day 1: Yoga X
- Yoga X: Focus on flexibility, balance, and relaxation to aid in recovery and prepare the body for the next phase of intense workouts.
Day 2: Core Synergistics
- Core Synergistics: A full-body workout that emphasizes core strength and stability, incorporating exercises that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
Day 3: Kenpo X
- Kenpo X: The same martial arts-inspired cardio workout as in Weeks 5-7, helping maintain cardiovascular fitness while giving muscles a break from heavy lifting.
Day 4: X Stretch
- X Stretch: A dedicated stretching routine to enhance flexibility, reduce muscle tightness, and promote recovery.
Day 5: Core Synergistics
- Core Synergistics: Repeat of Day 2, focusing on building core strength and stability.
Day 6: Yoga X
- Yoga X: Another session to promote flexibility and mental relaxation, aiding in recovery and overall wellness.
Day 7: Rest or X Stretch
- Rest or X Stretch: A final day to rest and recover or an optional stretching session to prepare for the next phase.
P90X Phase 3: Peak (Days 61-90)
The third phase of the P90X program, known as the Peak Phase, is designed to maximize your fitness results by combining the intensity of the previous phases with additional variety and challenge. This phase focuses on pushing your body to its limits to achieve peak physical condition. Here’s a detailed breakdown of Phase 3:
Weeks 9 & 11: Intensity and Variety
Day 1: Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X
- Chest & Back: This workout includes a series of push-ups, pull-ups, and weight exercises that target the chest and back muscles. You’ll perform multiple sets of each exercise to build strength and endurance.
- Ab Ripper X: A 15-minute ab workout focusing on various core exercises to sculpt and strengthen the abdominal muscles.
Day 2: Plyometrics
- Plyometrics: A high-intensity cardio workout that involves jump training to improve explosive power, agility, and overall cardiovascular fitness.
Day 3: Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
- Shoulders & Arms: This session includes exercises targeting the shoulders, biceps, and triceps using dumbbells or resistance bands.
- Ab Ripper X: Another round of the intense core workout to further develop abdominal strength.
Day 4: Yoga X
- Yoga X: A 90-minute yoga session that combines strength, flexibility, balance, and relaxation. This workout helps improve flexibility, reduce stress, and promote recovery.
Day 5: Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
- Legs & Back: Focuses on lower body strength with exercises such as squats, lunges, and pull-ups to target the legs and back muscles.
- Ab Ripper X: Core workout to maintain abdominal strength and definition.
Day 6: Kenpo X
- Kenpo X: A cardio workout inspired by martial arts. It includes a series of punches, kicks, and combinations to boost cardiovascular fitness and coordination.
Day 7: Rest or X Stretch
- Rest: Take a day off to allow your body to recover.
- X Stretch: Optional stretching routine to improve flexibility and reduce muscle soreness.
Weeks 10 & 12: Maximum Effort
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Ab Ripper X
- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps: An intense upper body workout focusing on push-ups, flys, presses, and dips to target the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
- Ab Ripper X: Core workout to enhance abdominal strength and endurance.
Day 2: Plyometrics
- Plyometrics: Another session of high-intensity jump training to improve explosive power and cardiovascular fitness.
Day 3: Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X
- Back & Biceps: This workout focuses on pull-ups, chin-ups, and bicep curls to build upper body strength.
- Ab Ripper X: Core workout to maintain abdominal definition.
Day 4: Yoga X
- Yoga X: A 90-minute yoga session to enhance flexibility, balance, and relaxation.
Day 5: Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
- Legs & Back: Lower body workout combined with pull-ups to target the legs and back muscles.
- Ab Ripper X: Core workout for abdominal strength and tone.
Day 6: Kenpo X
- Kenpo X: Martial arts-inspired cardio workout to improve cardiovascular fitness and coordination.
Day 7: Rest or X Stretch
- Rest: Take a day off to allow your body to recover.
- X Stretch: Optional stretching routine to enhance flexibility and reduce muscle soreness.
Final Week: Recovery and Transition
Day 1: Yoga X
- Yoga X: A 90-minute yoga session focusing on strength, flexibility, balance, and relaxation.
Day 2: Core Synergistics
- Core Synergistics: A workout targeting the core muscles, integrating strength, balance, and stability exercises.
Day 3: Kenpo X
- Kenpo X: Martial arts-inspired cardio workout to improve cardiovascular fitness and coordination.
Day 4: X Stretch
- X Stretch: A full-body stretching routine to improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension.
Day 5: Core Synergistics
- Core Synergistics: Another session focusing on the core muscles with a combination of strength and stability exercises.
Day 6: Yoga X
- Yoga X: A final yoga session to enhance flexibility, balance, and relaxation.
Day 7: Rest or X Stretch
- Rest: Take a day off to allow your body to recover.
- X Stretch: Optional stretching routine to promote flexibility and reduce muscle soreness.
Where to Buy
You can purchase P90X directly from:
Conclusion
The P90X schedule is designed to provide a balanced approach to fitness, combining strength training, cardio, core work, and flexibility exercises. With endorsements from celebrities, appearances on popular TV shows, and a strong online community, P90X continues to be a top choice for fitness enthusiasts looking for real results. Ready to take the P90X challenge? Get started today and join the millions who have transformed their lives with this incredible program.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Beachbody or P90X. This review is based on personal research and opinions. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new fitness program.
