For any of you who may doubt this fitness routine, it is for real. Iam in my 6th week(phase 2) and I have never felt of looked better. I was fit before p90x (ran 4-5 miles, kayaked, weight training etc), but this program has allowed me to break through the wall. We all have those trouble spots and no matter how hard we try they are still there. The routines from this extreme workout has challenged those areas and so the problem areas are now showing real results. It is not an easy program but WOW it works.
P90x
by megaflower 12 Replies latest social physical
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Markfromcali
For those interested but not familiar with CrossFit there's a good article of their integrated model of fitness here. The only concern I have is there's not much aerobic stuff and from what I've read that's what's helpful for brain fitness.
Oh the way they describe it in a nutshell is "constantly varied, functional movements performed at high capacity."
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SweetBabyCheezits
Sorry to divert from P90x but....
Mark: Crossfit.... there's not much aerobic stuff
Say again?
Over the last few years I've mixed in Crossfit style workouts (see the Benchmarks) for maybe 6-12 week periods to mix things up from traditional weightlifting/cardio routines. I can assure you, there's a tremendous aspect of aerobic conditioning, considering that you're pushing yourself to beat a previous record on a timed WOD (that should be the goal).
Try the workout called "Cindy" at the above link. It looks easy on paper, but if you 'bring it', I doubt you'll worry about getting enough aerobic exercise.
That said, Crossfit has evolved so much they've left me in the dust. I'm not looking to be an elitist in stats or physique. I just wanna be healthy and fit and have fun doing it. That's why I liked the workouts from 2-3 years ago.
I've heard good things about P90x but never tried it since CF is free.
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Shrek
I have done P90X three times, it is a very good program. We have the 'insanity' dvds now, they live up to their name! Even after P90X, they still kick my a$$ every day. Great cardio
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Jadeen
Ohh, I've been thinking about trying this out. Maybe I'll get it as a Christmas gift to myself!
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Markfromcali
SBC: Exactly, because of the intensity it ends up being pretty much anaerobic across the board - I don't know how to do CrossFit at an intensity that falls in the endurance/aerobic zone and my guess is the vast majority of people will not be able to with most of the CrossFit workouts, and besides the point IS to push yourself that much. It seems to me they favor anaerobic zones and basically figure it'll raise your thresholds for all three so it''ll translate into your aerobic endurance over long distances, which is probably true. Like they said in this article:
Anaerobic activity also benefits cardiovascular function and decreases body
fat! In fact, anaerobic exercise is superior to aerobic exercise for fat loss! (http:
//www.cbass.com/FATBURN.HTM) Anaerobic activity is, however, unique in its
capacity to dramatically improve power, speed, strength, and muscle mass. Anaero-
bic conditioning allows us to exert tremendous forces over brief time intervals. One
aspect of anaerobic conditioning that bears great consideration is that anaerobic
conditioning will not adversely affect aerobic capacity. In fact, properly structured,
anaerobic activity can be used to develop a very high level of aerobic fitness without
the muscle wasting consistent with high volumes of aerobic exercise!!And again, what I've read is the research shows improved brain function with aerobic workouts, not anaerobic workouts. So it's a matter of physical fitness vs. mental fitness. I've found that by pushing that much your body is in a perpetual state of recovery when not working out, and I'm too tired to even read anything.
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SweetBabyCheezits
I get what you're saying, Mark, but my point was simply that their method of training does not neglect aerobic conditioning.
From Wiki:
Muscles trained using anaerobic exercise develop differently compared to aerobic exercise, leading to greater performance in short duration, high intensity activities, which last from mere seconds up to about 2 minutes. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Any activity after about two minutes will have a large aerobic metabolic component.
Many CF workouts are in the neighborhood of 20 minutes (though it can vary greatly by WOD). Twenty continuous minutes of intense activity. While it's true CF isn't an endurance-focused program, if you perform it (or similar training) for an 8-12 week period and you don't achieve a significantly higher level of aerobic conditioning than a typical weight-lifting program (pure anaerobic), there's something amiss.
Give one of those 20 min workouts a shot. Granted, if you have to take a break every 30 seconds because the arms or legs fail first, then it clearly changes the whole dynamic of the workout. But once you build up the strength/endurance to keep moving continuously through the whole WOD, your respiratory system and cardiovascular system will be taxed the full 20 minutes.
I'm not saying CF is for everyone and I'm not saying it's the most effective way to prepare for a marathon or ... raise IQ. But it certainly doesn't neglect "aerobic stuff" either.
Plus it raised my IQ eight points over three months. Now I'm a 79!
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Markfromcali
One thing I should clarify, I wasn't saying that there's no research in anaerobic exercise and brain function - there is, and there's no benefit measured. If that wasn't the case I'd trust that doing something like Crossfit would in principle help, but they've looked at that.
I've done CrossFit classes, at some places they even put us in teams to include the sport element and of course you're pushing pretty good then, especially with weird stuff like flipping monster truck tires. One of the places here is run by the guy that developed their gymnastics program, Roger .. Harrell I think, smart guy and he did mention that they'll even teach you how to juggle which apparently helps raise the IQ a few points. As far as the brain benefit, it no doubt deserves more study. Intensity aside the "constantly varied" aspect would be interesting to look at, especially if you involve stuff that requires a fairly high level of kinesthetic intelligence- which might be where the juggling comes in. Unfortunately in practice it seems weights are usually favored over the gymnastics stuff even though external object control is supposed to come after gymnastics, with the metcon as a first foundation. Of course their idea of gymnastics is this broad idea of body control, although as it is traditional gymnastic stuff like the muscle up is not exactly something most of the population is ready for anyway.
By the way I think P90X uses some of the same principles, that's why this is relevant. So we're not really hijacking. :)
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PSacramento
Good to see that those programs are working for you guys, keep up the good work !
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SweetBabyCheezits
I wasn't saying that there's no research in anaerobic exercise and brain function - there is, and there's no benefit measured. If that wasn't the case I'd trust that doing something like Crossfit would in principle help, but they've looked at that.
Mark, buddy... you're still implying that CF (or the like) is only anaerobic and I don't believe that's the case.
- Most CF workouts are timed and last much longer than 2 minutes, with many prescribed at 20 minutes or until you complete X rounds. These workouts require continuous work.
- Supporting statement in my last post shows that a longer duration (>2min) of intense exercise can cause it to have a "large aerobic metabolic component."
- Therefore, it follows that most CF workouts also have a "large aerobic metabolic component." (If x=y and y=z then x=z.)
I just wanted to clear up the misconception that "there's not much aerobic stuff." A few WODs are anaerobic only but the vast majority are not. For example, today's WOD is a 5k run for time.
If it's not for you, that's totally cool. Not everyone has the same goals. Folks should follow a routine that suits their primary objectives. I have no doubt that there are easier, less taxing ways to achieve "brain fitness" than CF or similar.