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Is this "current research" from the side of the P90x video cover?
lol I do apologize for this snarky response I just find it funny on a thread where the OP has acknowledged issues with the long term benefits of p90x that there is a post about how P90x style of exercise is better for long term weight management. In my opinion exercising at this intensity will result in one of two things, either quitting or injury. How many spinners do you know who are spinners one year later?
Low intensity is just the start - it should be interspersed with resistance training and sprints - but it should be manageable and not overbearing. Something that can easily be worked into the weekly routine as part as a general lifestyle change.
lol I do apologize for this snarky response I just find it funny on a thread where the OP has acknowledged issues with the long term benefits of p90x that there is a post about how P90x style of exercise is better for long term weight management. In my opinion exercising at this intensity will result in one of two things, either quitting or injury. How many spinners do you know who are spinners one year later?
Low intensity is just the start - it should be interspersed with resistance training and sprints - but it should be manageable and not overbearing. Something that can easily be worked into the weekly routine as part as a general lifestyle change.
He did not acknowledge issues with long term benefits of P90x. He admitted that he stopped working out and eating healthy. What post were you reading?
P90x absolutely works and it is sustainable. Please comment on things you actually know.
No need to get defensive RSGW - apparently you are a big P90x supporter. I have no doubts in its short term effectiveness. Sustainable? I'd love to see a little analysis comparing drop out and injury rates of P90X to other programs. Do you know? Probably not - do I? No -- what I know comes from comments on various threads about P90X which range from the rabid to the injured to the done. Bottom line is that the OP quit the program and that IS WHAT I READ and what you didn't in my post.
before anyone starts to flame me or call me fatty, heres my issue..
I was always active in high school , I as never "overweight" on the bmi scale. after that and a bit of college, the pounds racked up, and I got up to 185 (I'm 5'6.5, male) anyways that was in 2008, aged 22 then, still wanting to look good in front of people, so I did P90x for 3 months, and I dropped to 135 (50 pounds).
anyways, 4 years later, I regained it all back, Im at 185 again, I have been working out here and there, but its just that my metabolism has gotten worse, and its really sad for me to think that all my efforts went to waste, I would say that I regained 20 pounds within the first few months after p90x, while the other 30 is more gradual. I know how to loose it again, I know what to do and eat, but I just feel sad that I have to go through the program again, its boring watching the same stuff over and over again, and on top of that, as im am older, my friends are fatter too, I dont care about how girls look at me, and I built up some confidence that I never had that i dont care about how people view me. thanks
I have a couple thoughts:
Large appetite = shoot for a higher healthy weight. You can eat more. Try maintaining 145-150 since its what you body shot up to quickly
Your metabolism = may seem a bit slower because you are higher fat now. Metabolism is a flexible thing and you can change that so don't worry about what you did, just worry about what you are GOING to do.
PX90 = this is not your workout anymore. Its not sustainable. If you like it and want to do it, thats cool. But you have to stick to it. IF you stop doing a physical activity of any sort you must adjust your intake to a lower level too.
If I were you this would be what I would do:
- Learn how to eat properly for whatever activity level you have
- start lifting as heavy as it is safe for you. Put some muscle on to help jump your metabolism
- keep your cardio to a minimum until you get your body fat lower. Cardio can take fat and lean tissue. Especially when its intense. Someone mentioned HIIT in this thread and that is an excellent way to shed fat too if you can handle the intensity. If not, stick to low intensity cardio 20 minutes everyday. (walking is a good option- low injury rate, high amt of fat gone for calories burned, can cram it into your day easily)
^^^^
Use that site. It will help guide you to eat properly for whatever activity level and weight you are. It adjusts as you lose. There are free workout plans in it too. Good luck!
I think it really depends on what people hope to get out of PX90. If its a vehicle to just lose weight then people will probably quit after they reach their goal weight. If it is to get into optimal shape, health, strength and looks-wise, people will more than likely stick with it. I have not done it, but I do some similar stuff and I am always looking to up my intensity. Its an ongoing process that I enjoy and do not plan on ending.
What is going to work for the OP however is something that he enjoys doing and the realization that losing weight is not the end game, it is actually just the beginning.
Now that I have a little more time on the weekend I thought I'd expand a little on why I feel low intensity endurance building exercises are the way to go at least over P90X:
First off P90X is a brilliant program and certainly delivers on its promises - done correctly it will give that trim low fat% body - but in the manner it does this fails in the long term and in my opinion its these popular notions that high intensity regiments are necessary to lose weights that are partly to blame for the increase in obesity trends in this country.
To understand why it comes down to understanding how our muscles work. So first - why does P90X work? P90X is a program that primarily focuses on activities that utilize fast twitch muscle fibers (push-ups, curls, squats, ect - here is a list found online: P90X Workout list). Energy utilization proceeds as follows - as you do each exercise cellular ATP energy is used up and the muscle begins to utilize glucose (glycolysis) and then glycogen as a fuel source. P90X is great because it burns up glycogen stores in a multitude of different muscle groups. Following the exercise the body will convert consumed foods to recover blood glucose and glycogen reserves - as there is a caloric deficit the liver will begin to break down fats (gluconeogenesis), stored in adipose tissue, into glucose to begin to restore these reserves - which over time leads to a leaner body.
Additionally, on the muscle side, as you first begin the program the intensity of the workout is beyond what your muscles are prepared to do resulting in microtears. These make the person very sore in the first stages but promote myofibrillar development of the muscles - building strength. However, as the program progresses the muscles are adequate to handle the intensity so at this point sarcoplasmic development of the muscles occurs. This is an increase in the size of each muscle cell allowing the storage of more glucose and glycogen - resulting in greater muscle endurance and ultimately more fat burning power. Ultimately this swelling and the loss of adipose tissue gives the "sculpted" look that makes P90X so popular.
So why does it fail? In the end the intensity of the workouts will typically result in an injury or quitting because of reaching desired results, tired of the program, lifestyle complications, ect. This leaves a person with an abundance of fast twitch muscle fibers. The problem here is these fibers only burn glucose (and thus calories) when they are active - the gains on resting metabolism are minimal. As inactivity sets in the caloric imbalance begins again. Glucose and glycogen levels are high in the muscles and other tissues - thus glucose from food is converted into triglycerides for fat storage - the decline into obesity begins again.
So why low intensity workouts? Low intensity workouts primarily focus on the slow and intermediate twitch fibers of muscles and here energy usage is different. In fast twitch fibers, as glucose is broken down to energy the byproducts of this reaction are converted into lactic acid. However, in slow and intermediate twitch fibers the presence of mitochondria (and adequate supply of oxygen) allow these byproducts to be further utilized for energy. This allows for the usage of these muscle fibers to proceed for longer periods of time and as you do so – endurance exercise promotes activation of signaling pathways to produce more mitochondria. Here is the key point – mitochondria are always active so whether you are exercising or not they are constantly breaking down glucose into energy – this is where resting metabolism comes from. Inactivity has its effects too – obesity works to slow down metabolism by preventing further mitochondrial biogenesis. It also works to limit the efficiency of mitochondria. Still the decline of the body into obesity will be much slower for a person who is predominately slow and intermediate twitch fiber compared to one who is predominately fast twitch.
In summary, the battlefield in the war between fat gain and fat loss happens in the diversity of muscle fiber type. Biopsies from muscle tissue of obese participants show that they are predominately fast twitch. Studies also show shifts from predominately fast twitch to slow twitch through exercise results in better glucose sensitivity in animals. Although glucose utilization while exercising (and subsequent recovery) is higher in predominately fast twitch muscles this is only effective if these muscles are under constant use and the price for inactivity is high.
Now that I have a little more time on the weekend I thought I'd expand a little on why I feel low intensity endurance building exercises are the way to go at least over P90X:
First off P90X is a brilliant program and certainly delivers on its promises - done correctly it will give that trim low fat% body - but in the manner it does this fails in the long term and in my opinion its these popular notions that high intensity regiments are necessary to lose weights that are partly to blame for the increase in obesity trends in this country.
To understand why it comes down to understanding how our muscles work. So first - why does P90X work? P90X is a program that primarily focuses on activities that utilize fast twitch muscle fibers (push-ups, curls, squats, ect - here is a list found online: P90X Workout list). Energy utilization proceeds as follows - as you do each exercise cellular ATP energy is used up and the muscle begins to utilize glucose (glycolysis) and then glycogen as a fuel source. P90X is great because it burns up glycogen stores in a multitude of different muscle groups. Following the exercise the body will convert consumed foods to recover blood glucose and glycogen reserves - as there is a caloric deficit the liver will begin to break down fats (gluconeogenesis), stored in adipose tissue, into glucose to begin to restore these reserves - which over time leads to a leaner body.
Additionally, on the muscle side, as you first begin the program the intensity of the workout is beyond what your muscles are prepared to do resulting in microtears. These make the person very sore in the first stages but promote myofibrillar development of the muscles - building strength. However, as the program progresses the muscles are adequate to handle the intensity so at this point sarcoplasmic development of the muscles occurs. This is an increase in the size of each muscle cell allowing the storage of more glucose and glycogen - resulting in greater muscle endurance and ultimately more fat burning power. Ultimately this swelling and the loss of adipose tissue gives the "sculpted" look that makes P90X so popular.
So why does it fail? In the end the intensity of the workouts will typically result in an injury or quitting because of reaching desired results, tired of the program, lifestyle complications, ect. This leaves a person with an abundance of fast twitch muscle fibers. The problem here is these fibers only burn glucose (and thus calories) when they are active - the gains on resting metabolism are minimal. As inactivity sets in the caloric imbalance begins again. Glucose and glycogen levels are high in the muscles and other tissues - thus glucose from food is converted into triglycerides for fat storage - the decline into obesity begins again.
So why low intensity workouts? Low intensity workouts primarily focus on the slow and intermediate twitch fibers of muscles and here energy usage is different. In fast twitch fibers, as glucose is broken down to energy the byproducts of this reaction are converted into lactic acid. However, in slow and intermediate twitch fibers the presence of mitochondria (and adequate supply of oxygen) allow these byproducts to be further utilized for energy. This allows for the usage of these muscle fibers to proceed for longer periods of time and as you do so – endurance exercise promotes activation of signaling pathways to produce more mitochondria. Here is the key point – mitochondria are always active so whether you are exercising or not they are constantly breaking down glucose into energy – this is where resting metabolism comes from. Inactivity has its effects too – obesity works to slow down metabolism by preventing further mitochondrial biogenesis. It also works to limit the efficiency of mitochondria. Still the decline of the body into obesity will be much slower for a person who is predominately slow and intermediate twitch fiber compared to one who is predominately fast twitch.
In summary, the battlefield in the war between fat gain and fat loss happens in the diversity of muscle fiber type. Biopsies from muscle tissue of obese participants show that they are predominately fast twitch. Studies also show shifts from predominately fast twitch to slow twitch through exercise results in better glucose sensitivity in animals. Although glucose utilization while exercising (and subsequent recovery) is higher in predominately fast twitch muscles this is only effective if these muscles are under constant use and the price for inactivity is high.
I am glad to see a well considered response and will have to admit that it was not what I expected following your original post, which seemed (like so many city-data posts) to be based on personal observation/opinion.
The points I bolded in your text are exactly why I argue for HIIT style training. I also would take exception to your statement that fast twitch fibers only burn calories when active. While slow twitch do have much higher concentrations of mitochondria, ALL muscle fiber does have mitochondria and ALL muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat tissue.
I don't believe HIIT training has to necessarily lead to burn out or injury. I believe one of the appeals of HIIT training is that, because it burns calories at a much more rapid rate (and leaves the metabolism elevated longer post workout) it is more time efficient. To burn equivalent calories in a low intensity, endurance based program, the workout would have to last two to three times as long. Most people don't have the time, or aerobic capacity, to go for hour long runs or two hour bike rides.
While developing slow twitch muscle through lower intensity endurance training may raise resting metabolism compared to to someone with more fast twitch muscle (I haven't seen / am not familiar with the research to support this), I feel strongly that the most important factor is finding things people can do to stay active / maintain an active lifestyle. If you stop exercising, the endurance athlete may have his resting metabolism stay higher a little longer, but ultimately, their inactive muscle will atrophy as well. "Tired of the program, lifestyle complications", etc, can just as easily be a problem for a participant in endurance based exercise programs as HIIT programs.
Lastly, without a heart rate monitor (and the above stated time commitment), it is my experience as a trainer that most people who think they're training for endurance / slow twitch muscle development aren't actually pushing themselves hard enough to produce much of ANY response or adaptation. Their same 20 min / day on the treadmill isn't actually driving their body to increase it's aerobic capacity (ie - make more mitochondria).
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I don't believe HIIT training has to necessarily lead to burn out or injury. I believe one of the appeals of HIIT training is that, because it burns calories at a much more rapid rate (and leaves the metabolism elevated longer post workout) it is more time efficient. To burn equivalent calories in a low intensity, endurance based program, the workout would have to last two to three times as long. Most people don't have the time, or aerobic capacity, to go for hour long runs or two hour bike rides.
While developing slow twitch muscle through lower intensity endurance training may raise resting metabolism compared to to someone with more fast twitch muscle (I haven't seen / am not familiar with the research to support this), I feel strongly that the most important factor is finding things people can do to stay active / maintain an active lifestyle. If you stop exercising, the endurance athlete may have his resting metabolism stay higher a little longer, but ultimately, their inactive muscle will atrophy as well. "Tired of the program, lifestyle complications", etc, can just as easily be a problem for a participant in endurance based exercise programs as HIIT programs.
Lastly, without a heart rate monitor (and the above stated time commitment), it is my experience as a trainer that most people who think they're training for endurance / slow twitch muscle development aren't actually pushing themselves hard enough to produce much of ANY response or adaptation. Their same 20 min / day on the treadmill isn't actually driving their body to increase it's aerobic capacity (ie - make more mitochondria).
I would argue that an endurance athlete would probably have greater resistance to weight gain - but we don't have a counterpart to this guy (Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit | Personal Trainer | Weight Loss) - man this guy has courage - still after just 8 weeks of a high fat diet he seems to have lost a lot of his muscle tone.
I bolded a section I totally agree with - the body is constantly adapting in anticipation of what is needed. If you use the same aerobic routine and your body becomes accustomed to it then there will be no need to produce new mitochondria and you won't make any metabolic gains. Perhaps as with everything else - the perfect routine is a mix of high and low intensity.
Not everyone is able to do HIIT or high-impact aerobic exercise, or even quick-paced cross-fit training.
When I've joined one of those interval training classes at the gym, I've watched my heart rate go from 100 (my casual walking heart rate) to 190 in 15 minutes. I'm not doing anything "wrong," in fact I'm not doing anything differently from anyone else in the class. I'm just hardwired differently.
My resting heart rate is only around 80. When I do arc training at a comfortable but brisk pace and reistance level, I can maintain a 155 heart rate, which is just about right for my age, body type, and weight.
I can ride a bicycle around the neighborhood for 1/2 hour without having to breathe heavy, and I live near low-grade hills, and the "neighborhood" is really around 5 miles round trip if I just went around in circles.
But the whole stand/sit/squat/lift/stand some more/squat some more/jog in place/lift/planks/roll over and donkey kick/stand/squat with 10 pound weights in each hand/stand some more/do some step stuff with more weights... nah. Can't do it. I don't have the stamina. I can do it at my own pace, which is fairly slow. But if I even -attempt- to go at the pace of the rest of the class, my heart rate zooms up to "call the paramedics."
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