Let me start with a question: Does anyone besides me have difficulty actually scheduling a P90X Fit Test? I mean, it’s not the same as a regular workout. There are pictures (which I sadly never take), there are real pull ups (which I can only do at one inconvenient location in my house), there are jumps and measurements (which are also difficult to do early in the morning, when everyone else is sleeping). Yes, of course, I could do this on a Saturday or Sunday, but my weekends have been crazy lately! OK, I will stop whining now, and give you the results of my post-P90X2 Fit Test, just a couple of weeks later. Close enough, right?
Resting Heart Rate
Honestly, I don’t care too much about this one. My resting heart rate has been quite low for a while now (in the mid-50s). As a matter of fact, I requested a 24 hour Halter Monitor test, to make sure it wasn’t too low, and that my heart is beating properly. It’s fine. It’s one of the positive benefits of exercise, which can seem unusual and scary when so much of the population is out of shape.
Pull Ups
Before: 3-4 “real” pull ups, using the door frame pull up bar. At my house, the door frame isn’t high enough for me to keep my feet off the floor, so I bend my knees to make it more difficult. I was a little disappointed that I could only muster this many after so much time with P90X. That’s why I like the Bodylastics resistance bands and the printed resistance weights. I’ve been pulling harder since I bought them!
After: 7 real pull ups! It wasn’t just a fluke, either. I went to a nearby park, where they recently installed a whole circuit of exercise equipment, including pull up bars. I did several sets of 7 pull ups (with breaks). I’m still not ready to take on Tony and Drea, but I can do a few more than before!
Vertical Leap
About the same before and after, at 86 inches. By the way, I am 5′ 10″ for comparison.
Jump with Step
Improved by two inches, from 93 to 95 inches. This is 7 inches higher than my vertical leap (before), then 9 inches (after).
Push Ups
Before: One set of 25
After: One set of 35, with better form
P90X2 has finally drilled into my head that when you do push ups, your heels should be pushed back, the back of your knees pushing up, so that your butt is tight! All those Sphinx Plank warm ups paid off, I guess.
Toe Touch
No improvement that I could see. I can reach past my toes up to the middle of my fingers (2 1/2-3 inches).
Wall Squat
Before: Just over 60 seconds, then my shoes started slipping on the floor. Oops!
After: 69 seconds. Maybe I could have held out a little more.
Bicep Curls
Before: 12 reps, 30 lb resistance bands (See how handy that is?)
After: 11 reps (barely), 39 lbs (as close as I could get to 40 lbs by combining bands)
This is an increase of 10 lbs, more or less. I’ll take it.
In & Outs
Before: 45
After: 45
These are my nemesis. Well, it’s one of several exercises that are difficult for me. I suspect the cause is tight hip flexors. That’s why I like Ab Ripper X2, which does not require use of the hip flexors as much as the original Ab Ripper.
Heart Rate Maximizer
Before: Completed 2 minutes. Maximum heart rate 150 bpm, down to 84 beats in 4 minutes.
After: Completed 2 minutes. Maximum heart rate 135 bpm, down to 82 beats in 4 minutes.
Statistically, it’s not that big of a change. As I said at the beginning, I’m not as concerned about my heart rate as I am about those pull ups and push ups (and maybe the In & Outs).
Weight and Waist Size
I’ve lost about three pounds since I started P90X2. My waist size is about the same, at 32.5 inches, which is fine with me. I like the way my abs are improving, slowly but surely. Clearly, I could make quicker progress by committing to the P90X2 Nutrition Guide, rather than my own calorie-based food log, which keeps me accountable, but does not match up in terms of protein/carbs/fat. Maybe next time around?
Did I Really Improve?
I can say with certainty that P90X2 has helped me to become more sure-footed, with improvements to my balance and stability, on one foot or both. I have mentioned how my push ups are better, which is surprising after all this time, and my pull ups are, too. What I’ve learned about P.A.P., and the variations on familiar exercises, will be helpful for any future workouts. And of course, it was great to see Tony in 2011 with some new “kids.” Oh, did I forget to mention all the new toys? Stability ball, medicine balls, foam roller…
I’ve been following this thread on the Team Beachbody message boards, in which someone was asking for help after not seeing the desired results in her physical appearance after 10 weeks of P90X2. She has received several replies from people with similar results, as well as suggestions of what she can change. It will be interesting to see how people benefit from, or struggle with, their P90X2 experience.
