p90x to make BMQ PT a bit easier. Good/Bad Idea.

[Ascendant]

:brickwall:

Hey...fitness god.....weren't you going to stop posting in this ?

I already called myself on my lie.

I don't think I've ever made claim to knowing everything.

Some things are basic, though.

Kat, you can't be strong and fit at the same time? Again, look at my post on the first page of a member of the US Air Force. I'm assuming he'd have to pass fitness tests, right? Or do some people get an exemption? You can't be strong and be able to do a lot of push ups or run?

Have any of you people attempting to call me out done anything other than pass the military fitness standards, do push ups and run? Are any of you strong?

Sometimes, "the proof is in the pudding" hold true.

The guy asked how to get strong, named a sub par method. I pointed this out.

 

[Kat Stevens]

The tone of the original question was if P90X was a good idea to prepare for BMQ.  It is.  Of course you can be strong and fit, but fit is what you need for basic training.  I had a guy on my basic training who could have rag dolled Lou Ferigno around, he was not overly successful at what BMQ requires.  Plenty of time to shotgun pig placenta shakes and run around shruggin D9 Cat blades later, if that's your bag, as apparently it's yours.

 

[Teeps74]

Just a nit picking point... But I have seen and witnessed many people who are not "strong" but could fight, and lots who were strong, and could not fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

Military fitness is more then 12% body fat and bench pressing large cars. Not everyone has the physiology to be huge, and not every can run a marathon. But... Almost everyone can be trained to fight.

 

[Ascendant]

Lol at you guys taking things to extremes.

 

[Nostix]

Wow, Kratos.

If you think he'll get more out of heavy barbell training, say so, then go tell him to do Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5.  They're not some big secret. Don't sit here and dance around the subject because you like to hear yourself talk.

 

[Ascendant]

Wow, Kratos.

If you think he'll get more out of heavy barbell training, say so, then go tell him to do Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5.  They're not some big secret. Don't sit here and dance around the subject because you like to hear yourself talk.

I mentioned SS in one of my posts.

But yes, I do think he should do SS.

I doubt he'll look into it, though, so I wish him all the best in achieving his beach body by way of Muscle Confusion™.

 

[tree hugger]

I've completed p90x and I've also used other video's of Tony Horton.  For me I improved dramatically in strength and definately improved my cardio, flexibility and overall fitness.  Tony clearly states over and over if you are going for strength/size lower your reps, for lean muscle increase your reps. 

@Kratos - have you completed this program?  I doubt it.  I have and I think it's fantastic!

 

[Chilme]

Well this thread really got out of control fast.

Searyn,

As a fitness staff for the CF, I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with P90X to get your body going for BMQ.  It is much better than nothing.  P90X focuses mostly on the aerobic and muscular endurance components of fitness.  Lucky for you, that is the main focus of the CF fitness evaluation you will conuct in your BMQ.

If you are looking for something more specific to the military, you can try the Canadian Army Fitness Manual.

http://canadianmilitaryandefence.blogspot.com/2010/09/canadian-army-fitness-manual.html

It has all kinds of information and a number of training programs designed to get you in military/deployment shape.  I would highly recommend it.  It was developed by the experts who train the CF.

If you are looking for something a little bit more challenging, you  may want to try the Canadian Special Operations 12 week training program.  It is a step up from the Army Fitness Manual.

http://canadianmilitaryandefence.blogspot.com/2010/09/canadian-special-operations-regiment.html

For specific information on the fitness evaulation used by the CF check the below link

http://canadianmilitaryandefence.blogspot.com/2010/09/canadian-forces-expres-operations.html

For informtion on all other CF fitness evaluations go here:

http://canadianmilitaryandefence.blogspot.com/p/fitness-and-physical-training-in.html

 

[Ascendant]

I've completed p90x and I've also used other video's of Tony Horton.  For me I improved dramatically in strength and definately improved my cardio, flexibility and overall fitness.  Tony clearly states over and over if you are going for strength/size lower your reps, for lean muscle increase your reps. 

@Kratos - have you completed this program?  I doubt it.  I have and I think it's fantastic!

Higher reps do not produce "lean muscle increase". Higher reps induce sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and even higher reps train muscular endurance.

Why would I complete the program? My goal is not to get smaller and/or weaker.

 

[tree hugger]

I was completing 10-12 reps per exercise (except those requiring to failure) and definately did not get weaker.  Bottom line is almost any fitness routine would help the OP if includes both strength and cardio prior to BMQ start. 

No one who follows this program as directed, would get less fit.  Kratos - you don't have enough info for an informed opinion of this program.  I recommend that you stand down.

 

[2010newbie]

- You're right, you are skinny, all the more reason not to do P90X, where one of the main goals is to lose weight.

From this statement it is obvious that you are not familiar with the program. The first sentence of the P90X fitness guide states "This program is for YOU, if you have acheived a respectable level of fitness.*" It continues to state "*If you're unsure whether or not you are in good enough condition to take on this extreme fitness program, see the minimum suggested requirements in the Fit Test section of this guidebook."

Here's the breakdown of the Fit Test requirements for men:

Pull-ups - 3
Vertical leap - 5 inches
Push-ups - 15
Toe Touch - at least 6 inches from your toes
Wall squat - hold for one minute
Bicep Curls - minimum 10 w/ 20 lbs
In and outs - 25
Jumping jacks - 2 minutes nonstop

These are by no means extraordinary or difficult, but they want to make sure you are in some semblance of shape prior to starting.

I have P90X and I have completed half of it. I found it great for all-around strength, flexibility, and endurance. I felt I needed to supplement it with a running regime as well, but other than that it was what I was looking for. As for your mention of using only body weight exercises and light dumbbells, that isn't entirely correct. Yes, there are a lot of body weight exercises, but they don't suggest to use only "light" dumbbells either. They stress to use the weight that will ensure you're last reps are difficult and to steadily increase weights. I'm 6'1" and 230 lbs and I have no desire to become "bigger", just stronger and with more endurance. I think everyone's definition of stronger is different as well. Maybe for you stronger means being able to benchpress 400 lbs and squat 1000 lbs. For me, stronger means that I can complete 50 push-ups with relative ease, 20 pull-ups, and be able to haul butt up flights of stairs with a weighted ruck on. 

 

[Container]

You described muscular endurance not strength.

 

[tree hugger]

Not when you're upping your weights as you go, or progressing to a harder technique (girly push-ups to regular requires increase of strength).  Being able to do higher reps is musclar endurance, but both improve with this program.

 

[Container]

Maybe for you stronger means being able to benchpress 400 lbs and squat 1000 lbs. For me, stronger means that I can complete 50 push-ups with relative ease, 20 pull-ups, and be able to haul butt up flights of stairs with a weighted ruck on.

Thats endurance. Not strength. Although they arent exclusive and do overlap they are different things.

Anyways Im not going to fight the forum like Kratos! But I did try P90X and it was good for fitness. I went back to my powerlifting workouts afterwards though because I had lost significant strength (in my tradtional lifts- not "curls")

I did like it and it was popular around my detachment.

 

[Ascendant]

Strength and endurance aren't mutually exclusive, which some people in this thread seem to think they are.

I will concede that relatively or completely untrained individuals may see increases in strength from P90x, but I mentioned that before. There is a limit to body weight exercises and a few dumbell movements increasing strength.

What dumbbell exercises are included in P90X? The only website I can find describes "back and biceps" day (lol). Eleven curl variations. Eleven. Curl. Variations. Please tell me this is either wrong, or you guys aren't serious.

 

[Searyn]

Kratos, while i can appreciate different points of views and different opinions I was asking specifically about p90x because that's the program I've chosen. I'm hoping to, but not expecting to, get onto a BMQ sometime this summer if i can get a job offer come April. so I have plenty of time to finish p90x. If that hasn't got me the results I was hoping for then I'll try something different. (probably SS)

I was asking if anyone had actually finished the program and then BMQ or vice versa. Not what you thought of the program without completing it based on how much you like/know about the program you are doing.

Thank you Container, Tree Hugger and 2010newbie for your on topic replies.

(Again Kratos I'm not saying your input isn't welcome, but it's not exactly on topic either)

EDIT: for typo
EDIT2: more typos. I should wake up before typing

 

[tree hugger]

Please tell me this is either wrong, or you guys aren't serious.

Ok, you're wrong. 

Of the 12 videos, at least 6 use dumbells.  Honestly from your fitness background, you should know that you can do more than bicep curls with dumbells.  Tony uses dumbells for biceps, tris, shoulders, back and as resistance in core moves.  And I wouldn't discount body weight exercises - variations of push-up and chin-ups can work all sorts of lovely muscles!

Just stop typing for crying out loud!  The OP made his choice, and it will assist him in his prep for basic.  Good luck Searyn!

 

[Ascendant]

Ok, you're wrong. 

Of the 12 videos, at least 6 use dumbells.  Honestly from your fitness background, you should know that you can do more than bicep curls with dumbells.  Tony uses dumbells for biceps, tris, shoulders, back and as resistance in core moves.  And I wouldn't discount body weight exercises - variations of push-up and chin-ups can work all sorts of lovely muscles!

Just stop typing for crying out loud!  The OP made his choice, and it will assist him in his prep for basic.  Good luck Searyn!

And in one workout, there were eleven curl variations.

How do you justify that? How is that even remotely useful for any improvement in athletic performance?

 

[tree hugger]

Back & Biceps is just one of the videos.  In the classic version of p90x, this video is done at grand total of 5 days out of the 90 days.  How is this bad?

How does all your bench pressing relate to athletic performance?  It's all indirect, and in basic, athletic performance does not matter.  There were no performance checks on how well I played basketball or how far I could hit a baseball....

Biceps is one part of the body.  Believe me that p90X covers other parts too.  :

 

[Brutus]

I have used the p90x program and found it to be very effective for what it's intended for. It will help you with power, strength, conditioning and cardio (although you should augment the cardio, it's not enough). Of all of the home work-out programs out there in pop culture, it is easily the best (not including crossfit in this assessment). It is very demanding, especially the plyometrics, and is adjustable for you (they give you a range of reps and different exercises depending on your fitness level).

My recommendation is to hit it moderately to start (so you don't kill your muscles) and ramp it up as much and as quickly as you can to get the most benefit possible prior to BMQ. Also, don't skip the yoga - I have never sweat more standing still in my life.

I used this prior to BIQ, at 34, and I found it helped significantly.