OUTSIDE: Why release another version of the same product?
HORTON: P90X is a combination of a lot of things, but it’s mainly conditioning. P90X2 ($120; beachbody.com) is performance-based training for athletes. It’s indoor training for the outside world.
How will the program make outdoor athletes better at their sports?
We get into more functional, balanced-core, and stability work. In P90X, you’re sitting and doing biceps curls. In P90X2, we’ve got you in a Warrior III yoga pose doing biceps curls. We’ve got you doing push-ups on four medicine balls.
The programs are structured on the idea of muscle confusion. Isn’t that just a smart marketing term?
Muscle confusion and periodization training—they’re just variety in fitness. For P90X, I spent a year talking to experts and came away thinking that people struggle because they’re doing these quasi-myopic exercise routines. Weights are great, but they’re just weights. Pilates is phenomenal, but it’s just Pilates. Same with yoga. They’re all great, but you’re missing out on other aspects of fitness if you do just one.
And variety in training will lead to better performance?
If you’re skiing down a couloir and the pitch is 40 degrees, and you get kicked off because you hit some slough, you need balance and power to pull it back in and save your ass. That’s why the yoga is in there, along with strength moves.
You preach a lot about attacking your weaknesses. What’s yours?
I’m a 53-year-old skier, so I’m always working on strength, flexibility, and balance, because typically all of those things go south in guys my age. I’m jumping off 15-foot cliffs and not landing on my back or stomping on my feet. If it wasn’t for my fitness techniques, I couldn’t do that.
Comments
The new product goes way beyond my needs. I'm a 49 yr youn, Differently-Abled woman with Multiple Sclerosis. In the past 40 months I've lost over 70 pounds just by watching my diet & exercising every day. I mostly do stretching exercises using Therabands and "dodge" balls, but I also stay active and walk alot.
Flag ThisThe new product goes way beyond my needs. I'm a 49 yr youn, Differently-Abled woman with Multiple Sclerosis. In the past 40 months I've lost over 70 pounds just by watching my diet & exercising every day. I mostly do stretching exercises using Therabands and "dodge" balls, but I also stay active and walk alot.
Flag ThisI just want to know if Tony says, "Modify, modify, modify" which is what some of us with a few more miles on us have to do! Thanks for the interview. Tony Horton is a great motivator!
Flag ThisI am 55. I got thru 60 days of P90X and started on the P90X Plus routines. The switch has been great, because I was reaching plateaus. I am at 90 days now and plan to mix P90X and P90X Plus routines for variety during the week. I've seen videos of the P90X2 routines, and they look harder than I need, but my P90X Plus experience leads me to believe there will be some moves in the X2 that I'll want to do, so I'll likely get the X2 and take out of them what I need. The key for anyone is to find the workout regimen that you enjoy and that works for you, because if you like it, you're more likely to stick with it.
Flag ThisI'm 46 and have been doing yoga for the last 5 or so months. I also have been doing p90x sparingly but have been doing it. My problem is i don't have a pull-up bar and i'm a big guy 6'4" 280 pounds. I purchased a bar for the door but had to replace my door frame[ to big]. I see these guys on the inframercials my age or older and they look great.I've used the straps in the door for pull-ups but don't feel a thing any suggestions?
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