Our P90X3 Journey Begins!

This post was originally written in 2014 when I changed my life with P90X but I am still a Beachbody Coach! I host challenge groups monthly and am growing my team – please reach out if you’d like to join an accountability group or learn more about this incredible career opportunity. www.beachbodycoach.com/nicoledobransky or email me at fitnessfataleblog at gmail.com. 

The whole reason this blog exists is because back in January 2011 Mike and I decided to “push play” on our first P90X workout DVD. We completed all 90 days of the program while also following the fairly strict nutrition plan and training for our first marathon (the marathon was 6 weeks after we finished). I am dead serious when I tell people that P90X changed my life. It elevated my interest in health and fitness from moderate to extreme and it changed my body, attitude, and overall health for the better. The strength I gained from P90X gave me courage to dream big and sign up for my first Ironman and the belief that I can qualify for Boston one day.

It’s hard to believe that it has been over 3 years since then. Our lives have changed in so many ways yet stayed the same in so many others. Instead of dating less than a year, we’re now married. I weigh 15 pounds less than the day I started P90X in 2011, have run 4 marathons and am now an Ironman. During P90X, particularly Phase 1, we consumed turkey, chicken, fish and dairy in mass quantities. Now, we follow a mostly plant based diet and I haven’t eaten chicken in nearly two years. But, we still live in our tiny apartment steps from the beach and we still attempt to workout in our living room despite the tight quarters. Mike and I still love and support each other and we are still passionate about fitness.

Although strength has definitely still been a part of my fitness routine since Day 90 of that first round of P90X, there has never been a commitment to it as intense as then. After the marathon, I set my sights on the Ironman and then qualifying for Boston. Strength has always been extremely important to me and I’ve dabbled in various ways of maintaining it but never more than two or three days a week. I’m happy with how my body looks now but I miss the strength that I had during P90X. I was able to bust out over 30 push-ups and now I grow tired quickly after 10. My legs were stronger and hills were easier to climb. I could do an unassisted pull up!

When Beachbody came out with P90X3, I knew it was the perfect program for me right now. I really want to continue the foundation I’ve built in running and I love to do a triathlon or two in the summer but I also want my strong, more muscular body back. I made serious gains in endurance in 2011 due to the strength I gained during P90X and I think that I can make more gains in running with P90X3.

The reason I knew P90X3 was the best move is that it’s only 30 minutes a day. A total of 3 hours of strength a week spread out over manageable 30 minute workouts. The workout can be done in the morning with a run at night (or vice versa) or if a dual morning/evening workout isn’t possible, I could do two P90X3 workouts in one day or add on one P90X3 workout at the end of a run or spin. P90X is an amazing program but the number one criticism is how long it is (on average 1 hour 15 min a day) and P90X3 has the solution. Another great aspect of P90X3 is that it requires the same equipment as P90X – simply a pull up bar, dumbbells or bands, and a yoga mat.

On Monday I took my “before” photos and my measurements. Despite weighing less than I did on day 90 of P90X, my measurements showed me that I’ve lost some muscle, which I definitely expected. My advice to anyone doing any Beachbody program is to be sure to take before and after photos and take measurements! So many people email me (I’m a Beachbody Coach) lamenting their lack of weight loss in the beginning of these programs even though they say they feel better and look better. Weight isn’t everything! Measurements and a before photo will tell you way more about your results than your weight ever will (case in point that I weigh 3-4 lbs less than my 2011 P90X “after” photos yet my waist is nearly an inch bigger).

Monday was also Day 1 of the workouts and now we’re on Day 3. We also watched the intro DVD “How to Accelerate” and even spotted ME making a cameo appearance!!! After I submitted my P90X results to a contest on Beachbody, they contacted me about adding me to the infomercial. Apparently they’ve also used some of the footage for this video!

So far we’re really liking the program. It is 90 days with 3 phases with varying workouts, just like P90X. The workouts go by super fast and have very little warm-up and cool-down (sometimes the countdown on the video stops at 30 min and then continues with a cool-down) and there is no rest between moves. You basically are working your entire body hard for the full 30 minutes. The moves are a little more complex than P90X (in order to get multiple muscle groups working at once) but not so much that it’s impossible to do them. I’m not able to do any pull-ups yet I can still get a great workout in using a chair or the pull-up assist. The yoga is super rushed and definitely NOT zen, but I actually really liked it. You have to just take it as it is – a workout, not a yoga practice. P90X yoga was 90 minutes and it was the chief complaint of most P90Xers. And…I know it’s working because I’m SORE!!!

If you’d like to join me in completing P90X3 you can purchase here: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/fitnessfatale (click Shop Team Beachbody and find it under fitness programs).

Do you like the idea of home fitness or do you prefer to work out at the gym or outdoors?