I'm going to take my original reviews and expand on these as impressions change. This will help people see more effectively how progress and attitudes can change with time.
P90X3 Reviews:
Total Synergistics- this leads off the 90 day challenge schedule and I'm
fairly sure it's meant to weed out the undetermined. Starts off with
what I call "jiggle exercises" which I hate for the basic fact it
reminds me exactly where all the fat on my body is. It requires a
pull-up bar and weights or resistance bands, but I have neither except
for one pound weights so I modified the best I could, trying to engage
the same muscle groups at least. Some of the exercises I found
exhausting and difficult and while I did breathe hard, I didn't get as
much sweat going as I do with PiYo or a basic HIIT workout. I wouldn't
mind phasing this video out if I find ones that seem to challenge and
interest me more. With the sheer number of videos in this series, I am
positive I will find enough variety to weed out ones I don't feel are
effective for my goals. I didn't record reps or anything either, but
the first time I take the challenge, I want to focus more on what's
going on with my body than the "one more rep" mentality. I'm the sort
to push to my limits anyway, but I can see how this method might prove
effective for people who always just do the bare minimum. I have a
friend who swears by this series though so I do have faith that
something will appeal to me. I feel like this is a program that you can
tailor with experience so I look forward to seeing how I can make it
work best for me.
UPDATE: This workout was only a part of the Classic schedule and I swtiched to the Lean schedule. Admittedly, I never did get fond of this and often swapped it out with Warrior. I may come back to this at a later date, but I will tell you, for a chronic pain sufferer, it was not my favorite nor is it likely to grow on me.
Agility X- this one used floor tape marked to indicate foot positions
but I really just mimicked the moves. This one is not good in the
limited space I have. I also couldn't do some of the moves because
there were no modifications for high impact jumps. There was a lot of
jumping I had to avoid and running was something I had to do very
carefully. Because of the squat moves, my lower back is feeling the
ache after, but like the first one, there's still a good take away of
moves that are effective and challenging. Again, one to put off if
someone has iffy joints and doesn't quite have the strength or ability,
but it's not impossible. I got a good sweat even throwing in some
alternating HIIT moves to substitute jumps. I've heard this program
referred to as being the easiest P90x and I can only assume these people
are very healthy and already in great shape because this workout is no
joke. The guy on the left especially was gasping for air and he had
some good lean muscle at that. Always take the bravado in reviews with a
grain of salt. This may be too much for me right now, but I think an
'easier' P90x may still be too difficult for some people. I couldn't
have done this at all 8 weeks ago, but I think that this program is more
doable for people with chronic pain if they limber up with some lighter
workouts first. PiYo's first week of the challenge and a simple HIIT
routine were my precursors and while I can't nail everything, I still
think trying gets me closer to maybe doing so one day.
UPDATE: Only did this once since I don't have adequate room for it. I will tell you-- I researched and this is one of the highest calorie burners in the series so I wouldn't skip it unless you really can't handle the running and jumping at all. It was possible to modify this a bit, but I would love to be able to do this one at a later date.
3x Yoga- I love yoga based workouts so I was really excited for this
one going into it. Exceeded expectations! Having done PiYo before, I
was relieved to see a lot of familiar poses, however, Tony really wins
here. Not only did he walk you through poses smoothly, he didn't have
you hold things overly long (just to lock in form or extend a stretch)
and actually cued breathing too, which is a huge thing in yoga that PiYo
overlooked. The only two I absolutely couldn't connect were extended
toe bind and camel (although my plow was pretty mediocre) but my back is
still a bit sore from engaging little used lower back muscles on
Agility X the day before. Still, this has been far and away my favorite
and definitely makes it into my long term plan. Yoga uses such amazing
engagements with strength and flexibility, a good break from intense
cardio that still let's you know it counts. It's like leg day, guys--
don't skip it.
UPDATE: This one has consistently stayed my sentimental favorite. It does wonders for my joints and confidence and really gets the body ready for harder workouts. It may be some time before I can do Crow or any that ask me to balance on my arms, but I have really managed to nail most of the rest, including Camel and Plow, which were not happening at first. I really can't manage the Extended Leg Toe Bind either, but I am really nailing Bound Side Angle. I don't join my hands behind me but I do wrap my arm completely around my calf, which is where I feel the best stretch at this time.
The Challenge- this one lives up to the name but not more so than any of
the others. Like its name implies, it challenges you to 'pick your
numbers' (pull-up reps and push-up reps) then has you alternate between
types of pulls and pushes twice before giving you a one minute cool
down. Don't think this cheats you out of the thirty minutes because
you need to use that time to gently stretch the muscles you just pushed.
The cool down phase is just as important as the workout phase in HIIT
workouts and you can ruin your muscles if you don't limber up between
sets. It goes on like this until the last two and a half minutes, which
is a burnout phase (reps of 1 and 3 as fast as you can fire them off
with proper form) before the cool down. Since this was my first time
through, I did the pull-up phase without resistance or a bar, but I did
muscle flexing and holds to engage the muscles. Again, because of my
joints, I often opt out of anything but body weight or one pound
weights, at least until I can build up to it without sharp pain. It was
still kicking my ass because I was careful to follow form and movement.
Again, not one of my favorites but it was still worthy. Like the
others, it gives you something to work towards. Tony's a scary looking
dude on first glance but he's a joker that also gets down to business.
A lot of workout instructors will say a cheesy phrase that I roll my
eyes on every time I get to it, but this guy pals around with his group,
which I find I like more.
UPDATE: I miss doing this one. It really grew on me after a while but got swapped out for harder workouts in later phases. Still, I love how it encouraged you to always just go after your personal best each time.
CVX- the first 15 minutes were the hardest, but the combination of
cardio and weights was meant to really tire you and Tony is really
forgiving about dropping that weight and just hitting the right motion.
I didn't always get through the full minute without needing to catch my
breath but I felt every bit of it. I skipped the burnout phase, which I
catch myself doing a lot the first time through, but I didn't waste it
either, preferring to stretch. I'm finding I've developed a soreness in
the muscles just under the collarbone at the shoulder (the "fly"
muscles) but I did do push-ups yesterday. I have noticed that where I
am the most sore from a previous workout, they seem to get a rest with
the next day in the schedule or at the least a less vigorous warming up.
It was a rough start but I still like the rotation of moves, like with
The Challenge. I tend to have a better attitude towards the more
structured sets.
UPDATE: This is one of my favorites even though it's really love/hate. The first 15 minutes always piss me off but once it goes into the hops, my body starts to feel looser and I finish up strong. I still struggle to get through the full minute sometimes, but I never feel like I'm losing out because I always sweat and really feel the burn.
The Warrior- this one is a sort of high energy boot camp one that was
hell on my lower back the first time around but really gets you sweating
and focusing on targeting movement and muscle. I find that the pushup phases can be really hard on me, so I've taken to doing some of them on my knees so I don't put too much stress on my wrists. I'd love to get some of the powerstands eventually to really push through this issue. Still, I find this has become one I look forward to, despite not liking it at first. I still find myself not following through with sprawls since I don't have good shoes for it, but I do palm the floor instead so I can lightly stretch my lower back and legs.
Dynamix- this one kinda reminds me of a PiYo workout only more intense
than the first week of PiYo. It takes some yoga elements and focuses on
keeping it cardiovascular and moving. It can be a bit grueling at times
and I did need to make my own modifications since my hips don't allow
for forearm side planks with open hip (I crossed the leg that was
supposed to go up forward and used it to straighten out my hips to hold
the side plank less painfully) and if you have larger breasts like I do,
you might need to use your forearms to keep them from pressing into the
floor on glute lifts and scorpions. Again, some of my complaints
mainly come from struggling to overcome a pain condition so I do have
some hypersensitivities even larger women don't experience. Still, I do
enjoy the polka stretches and the way difficult moves seem to sandwich
in between less difficult ones to keep me from getting discouraged. I
find it hard to make it all the way through a minute on some videos, but
this one I find myself being able to get there more.
UPDATE: This is one I hate skipping so I often don't. Gives me one of the most sweaty workouts and the stretches are so crucial to ending the week before Monday hits you. You can get benefit out of all of these moves no matter how much you have to modify them. Sometimes I can go advanced, but I never feel guilty when I have to pull back because this workout is meant to prep muscles not exhaust them.
Accelerator- cardio hell. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad workout!
I feel like my lungs expanded a bit painfully at times and could very
rarely push beyond halfway to three quarters on my first try, but some
of these moves are a bit advanced for my level. The donkey kicks at the
end were a big hell no since I've just gotten to the point where I can
do planks on my toes instead of my knees. My wrists are much stronger
than they were two months ago but definitely not ready for supporting
all of my current body weight. Again, my main complaint would be that
some of the jumps and twists are really dangerous to even attempt for my
wrists and ankles but I'm not ruling out the possibility for the
future. I've come a long way on my path to good habits and good health
and I think this one will definitely be more valuable with time.
Isometrix- this one I recall was a tough power yoga sort of challenge.
It takes basic yoga poses to a harder level, asking you to isolate and
hold in very uncomfortable poses, challenging your balance, strength,
stamina and flexibility. It's not cardio, but it will have you
sweating. I wasn't able to really lock in a lot of them, but I didn't
feel like I was cheating when I had to modify them even more simply just
so I could still feel a challenge with my current limits. Definitely
one I have any iffy relationship with out of the gate but I still think
this is one I'll keep coming back to stubbornly, hoping I'll get a
little further each time.
Pilates X- This is one I always look forward to yet end up grunting through. The combination of pulsing breaths and precise motions is very yoga like and yet absolutely nothing like it in that you REALLY have to build strength and flexibility over balance here. I love doing Saw and Alphabet Soup the most, but V Rocker and the scissor moves are refreshing too. Some of the side planking moves are still way outside of my skill level; at this point, I drop onto my hip and just focus on strengthening the active leg, which is plenty challenging without trying to keep my hip and quad holding my body up. I always try to do at least one rep before dropping though. Like Yoga, this is definitely something that you don't want to skip if you want to avoid injury in strength and cardio routines. These kinds of workouts are deceptively tough when it comes to endurance of strength.
Triometrix- shit just got real. This one will take you through 3 levels in each one. Tony will tell you stick with Level 2 if you struggle there, but there were one or two where I had to hang at level 1. Again, this one is a gradual push to see where you're at. Nate, the modifier working on previous injuries, normally stayed at Level 2 but he had a couple sets that he excelled at, forcing the mid-level modifier to swap so he could show you. This one will put everyone at different skill levels. Men tend to rock the strength sets where women tend to take it on flexibility but that wasn't always the case and you could really see all the different benefits of listening to your own body. Tough cookie, to be sure, but I found it intriguing rather than frustrating and I always challenge myself.
MMX- This was the one I was really pumped about since I wanted to incorporate more martial arts in. Fair warning, being overzealous had me regretting it in my traps and shoulders. I corrected this on the next go, but isolate your punches and kicks until you understand where to extend a move and where to rein it in. If that doesn't make sense to you, it will. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. I wasn't able to really get the Superman Punch, Scrambles, Sprawls, or Gladiator Kicks down. Again, without proper shoes and being leery about jumpy at my current level, I do need to modify certain moves. Rest assured, everything else I can do absolutely kicked my ass. This one is fun regardless, but don't overdo it!
Eccentric Upper- very challenging. If you were feeling overconfident by the time this one shows up, this one will humble you. This one will really test your upper body strength with both weights and body weights moves. I still find this one oddly less difficult than Eccentric Lower, but then I have a hip bursitis to contend with. I tend to like the workouts that ask you to tailor your reps and weights to improve on a personal level. This one definitely hits the right spots.
Eccentric Lower- I was not a fan of this the first time around. It happened to fall on a week where an old hip issue reared its ugly head and the sidekicks especially were painful. Like Eccentric Upper, this one asks you to do a sort of interval isolation and hold style that focuses on the lower body instead. I did like the lunges where you put a leg behind you on a chair to dip down though. It was a very different approach to lunges and one that really added a challenge. This one really takes some getting used to but very worth the effort.
