I figured it was about time that I told everybody about how much I enjoy doing the P90X Yoga X workout. When I first started doing P90X I had never done Yoga before.
I have stretched before playing sports but nothing like Yoga. It had never dawned on me to ever do Yoga. It looked silly to begin with and I wondered if I was going to get anything from it.
Rewind back to when I first started doing P90X some and the P90X workout guide said there was going to be Yoga day. Staying true to the P90X workout program I put the P90X DVD in and begun. If you took a quick look at my P90X results you will see that I was pretty skinny to begin with.
Even though I am in better shape now then when I was in high school I was still pretty flexible back then. The “V-Stretch” was the only thing I could pass with flying colors in the “Presidential Fitness Test.” If I remember correctly I could stretch out some 13 inches past my heels.
Going back to my first experience with P90X Yoga X. The first thing that shocked me was how long P90X Yoga X is. The little counter on the bottom said 1 hour and 20 minutes. I guess it is about the same as the other workouts if you add P90X Ab Ripper X to the original workout.
What Poses Do You Do With P90X Yoga X?
I was intrigued at first with all of the different poses. What weirded me out though was that I did P90X Yoga X with one of my friends and it was his first time too. Definitely awkward but funny too. After going through the first sequence of poses which included the “Runners Pose,” “Crescent Pose,” and all of the variations of the “Warrior Poses” I could definitely feel my body stretching out. I started to enjoy the transitioning between the poses. It made for a very fluid routine.
When the “Warrior Poses” were over it was time to move into “Triangle Pose” and “Twisting Triangle.” The hardest yoga moves are next. “Standing Splits” and “Half Moon to Twisting Half Moon” are by far the hardest poses you will do in P90X Yoga X.
You are bending over at the waist with one hand up in the air, one foot straight out pointing backwards, and one hand touching the ground while holding this for about 30 seconds. This move is working on all of those connector muscles through out your whole body. When Tony Horton talks about “Yoga Strength” he is really talking about those two moves. So much emphasis is put on balancing your body which in turns builds your whole body strength.
Its interesting how Tony Horton makes you do these moves first. I believe it is because they are the hardest ones to do in P90X Yoga X and you might as well get them over with first. You then bust out a couple balance postures called “Tree, Royal Dancer, and Standing Leg Extension.” All are pretty tricky postures because you are standing on one leg while holding your ankle or toe straight out for 30 seconds.
After the balance postures it is time to hit the floor. The one stretch I have trouble with is “Crane.” This involves putting your legs on your elbows and trying to keep your toes above the ground. This takes a lot of upper body and ab strength. Even after doing Yoga X for 9 months I can barely keep my toes off the ground for 7 seconds. Its hard. “Frog” is up next. First time I did this it felt like my groin was going to rip out of my leg. It still hurts and occasionally I get a popping sound from that area.
My favorite P90X Yoga X move is the “Plough into Shoulder Stand.” This involves getting your lower body in the air and resting on your shoulders while supporting with your hands. You then take your legs and move them in every direction finishing by bringing them down around your head. Picture bringing your legs all the way up and over your head while your knees are touching your ears. Talk about a back stretch that looks funny as hell.
The “Yoga Belly” part is a quick ab workout. It is very similar to the “Ab Ripper X” routine with a couple more exercises. I still get a burn doing the “Touch The Sky” move. The last couple of stretches are more of a cool down period. My favorite is “Happy Baby”. This is when you grab your ankles or feet and rock back and forth like a baby. This really works on the legs. Tony Horton does do some “Ohhmmms” at the end but for the most part I skip them. By that time my “Chi” has not been interrupted and I am ready to be finished.
What Results Did You Get From P90X Yoga X?
Even after being flexible to begin with I can see that improvements my body has had from doing P90X Yoga X. My golf and softball swing are a lot more fluid. I just feel better all around after doing. My body feels loose and stretched out. All of those in between muscles really got a workout. Its all of those connector muscles that really get worked.
Picture the shoulders, the hamstrings, lower back muscles, groin (don’t want to rip that thing), and abs. I now look forward to P90X Yoga X day. Its like starting over and getting the body ready for the very next intense workout. I felt sore the day after doing Yoga for about a month. Now it just helps me get refreshed mentally and physically.
“I can’t do a lot of pull ups and push ups because I workout on a pull up bar all day. I can do a lot of pull ups and push ups because I do Yoga.” – Tony Horton
Do I Need A Exercise Or Yoga Mat For P90X Yoga X?
The answer to if you need one is up to you and your comfort level. If you workout on hard wood floors then you are probably going to want an exercise mat. No need injuring yourself while trying to do yoga or ab ripper if you do not need too.
I have carpeting in my house so I don’t really need either but I do use an exercise mat when doing P90X Yoga X as I slide a little bit on the carpet. This is due to me building up a sweat and drifting when I am doing the “Warrior Poses.” The exercise mats give me a little bit better friction so I do not slide anywhere. Beachbody’s Jump Mat is what I have and use for yoga along with P90X Plyometrics.
I have a yoga mat and an exercise mat and I prefer using the exercise mat when doing P90X Yoga X. Its heavier which keeps it from moving around. The yoga mats I own are flimsy and started to fray after a dozen uses. For me, the exercise mat works best in my house.
What About Yoga Blocks?
During my first couple rounds of P90X I did not use yoga blocks. Decided to buy them after many of the moves in P90X Yoga X became a little too easy to do.
There are only a couple of poses where you can use them and in most cases its about helping you balance. Those poses include “half moon”, “reverse half moon”, “single hamstring stretch”, and “double hamstring stretch”.
Yoga blocks are not necessary for P90X Yoga and are really only needed if you need some help with the balance poses or wanting to get a deeper stretch.
Doing P90X Yoga X And Other Workouts On The Same Day?
There have been a few times where I have done P90X Yoga X and another workout. Typically I do non Beachbody workouts like swimming, mountain biking, or going for a run. Something about staring at the TV or computer screen for another hour does not really do it for me.
Doing another workout on the same day as yoga was entirely dependent on how much energy I had after yoga. Was not going to do another workout just to workout or to catch up with a program. Scheduling P90X Yoga X in the mornings on days I had softball at night seemed to work out. Enough to get a workout in but not too much to tire me out.
In Summary:
Yoga is great for people with back problems and for athletes. Many professional athletes do Yoga to add years to their playing careers. Yoga is also a great way for older people to stay fit. Many senior citizens muscles are so tight that there bodies start hunching. Yoga keeps this from happening. I highly suggest to anybody looking for a great workout to incorporate P90X Yoga X into their lives.
I think his quote is: “I can do things at 45 not because I can do a bunch of pullups, but because I do yoga.”
@ Drew
Ha. Your right!
i just finished day 2 of my p90x. im starting with a decent figure, but i have had years of improper stretching and workout habits. My yogax is in 2 days, will it help my terrible flexibility?
@ Mitch
Yes, Yoga X will help with your flexibility. Its one of my favorite workouts now. It might be a little weird at first but it is very rewarding.
I love your comment regarding the awkward tension in the air. I felt the same thing when doing the yoga by myself!
Yoga X is 1:32 min not 1:20 min, perhaps if you skip past the Sun Salutations… Good write-up though.
@ Charles
You’re right. I usually stop before the “child pose.”
Today was Yoga day, agh! I know Tony says this is the one
workout he would do if he had to choose only one but MAN!
I am getting better but it’s interesting how much more coordinated
I am on one side as opposed to the other.
Bring It!
i’m on day 4 & it was yoga day. i went all the way until the 59 minute mark, pretty sad i know. i was slipping all on my carpet and just gave up. is that okay since it was my first time? i feel so pathetic for giving up but i knew it was impossible to continue without damaging my form
@ Charm
There is nothing sad about that. Take breaks when you need to and do better next time.
Im having a really hard time, it is my first yoga and i keep stopping out of frustration. I can’t focus on my breathing and i cant balance enough.
I did arms and shoulders yesterday and my shoulder has been really sore because i have Tendonitis and no amount of physical therapy has been able to get rid of it.
So i’m thinking about quiting P90X all together…
Cale
That’s why you need to stick with it. Yoga will work on all the things that you are not good at right now. I think you’ll find out that the more you stick with yoga that it might help out your shoulder too as most of yoga is body weight training. This way you don’t put any extra weight on it. “Do your best and forget the rest.”
I’m super pumped for yoga x! I just started my P90X 4 days ago and I have been looking forward to try yoga. I hope my expectations are reached.
Im on my last week of p90X, I have lost over 35lbs and have the body of a true stud. Arms, legs, 12 pack, back, shoulders, triceps, biceps, you name it!! I have never looked and felt so great. My wife wants sex all the time now. Yoga X has allowed me to become more flexiable and it helps you with the rest of the workouts. I use to work out for years on my own but I got the best results of my life in 90 days using p90X. I want to meet Tony Horton one day and ask if I can be in one of his videos. If ou are trying p90x for the first time stick with it, afer the first month you will get better and better just don’t give up and you will have result. AAA+++ p90X!
Thanks
Nice work. Time for you to turn that passion for P90X into helping others as a Beachbody Coach.
Hey, you got Tony’s quote wrong. It’s, “I can do things at my age not because I can do a bunch of pushups, it’s because I do yoga.”
Thanks for the correction.
I am probably the least flexible person in the world.. When I lay down and straighten my legs out in front of me I al ready feel an incredible stretch. I can’t sit with my back straight and legs out in front of me, I can’t go into flatback,… Yoga X is a nightmare to me so I usually skip it, but I really want to be able to do that workout 🙁
Roy – You have to “Do your best and forget the rest”. Do not skip P90X Yoga X. This is probably one of the most important P90X workouts and is why its never taken off the P90X calendar during all 90 days.
I friggin love the P90X yoga, and if I could devote an hour to working out each day, I would have no problem doing it every single day. I would love to know where I can get a supplemental yoga dvd that’s a little shorter for daily use, that is similar in style (gentle lead-ins to difficult poses, no philosophical ramblings to go along with the routine, nice balance of both vinyasa and balance poses). If it were about 30 minutes long that would be amazing. Do you know of any dvds that are similar? Thanks!
Nikki – Go to the Beachbody Store and click on where it says P90X One on One. There are 2 different yoga workouts in there between the two different volumes. I have done the Fountain Of Youth Yoga and its about 45 minutes long. You still get the Tony Horton humor but its not as long.
yoga x is to hard and long for me is it ok to cut the workout in half or atleast only do a 3rd of the workout? if it means not getting the same results after 90 days then let me know please.
I did P90X yoga some 5 times following the DVD. After that I typed all steps in sequence and took the print out. Now I dont have to watch the dvd.
I do 5 breaths in each step and thus get done with this long workout in much lesser time. And guess what, now I dont even need that sheet of steps because I remember all the steps alongwith the sequence now.
The best thing of P90X yoga is that it takes away all the fatigue when done after coming back home. 🙂
P90X Yoga X might seem a little long but its supposed to be that way.
It is ok to cut it in half. Its always better to do something then nothing. I’m not sure if you won’t get the same results if you do half. Add 5 push ups for every vinyasa to get the most out of it.
I just started week 9, and am loving the program. I think Yoga X might be my favorite. While I like the pump I get from the lifting workouts, I just feel energized and happy after yoga. My form has steadily improved, and I can now do a full 60-second Crane, 5-breath Wheel (could only do Bridge before), and am getting better at Half-Moon/Twisting Half-Moon. I sweat like a maniac during Yoga, so I’ve had to wear socks and gloves to keep from slipping all over the place during Downward Dog- I recommend that to anyone who finds themselves sliding around and damaging their form. Anyway, stick with Yoga X and you’ll be happy you did! I was already lean before, but I’m getting ripped now, and feel extra fit!
60 second crane is very impressive. I can barely do it for 10 seconds. I think its my form.
Even though I did Yoga X on one day, Legs and Back was the next day, so all of those pullups made my shoulder even more sore the next day. Luckily, Kempo X was next. The punches and jacks cured my shoulder pain for the week, and weeks to come.
I am almost done with my first month of P90X and I was just wondering when I would start to see results? And if it is worth it to continue all the way through even if you skipped a workout or two? I usually don’t do the stretch x is that a major part of p90x? Also I was wondering if I skipped a workout but made it up the next day along with the one that you have to do on that day is that ok?
Are your reps and weights going up? Thats one way to measure results. Most of the visible results start to show in month two but it really depends on how you’re doing with the meal plan. Continue all the way through even if you skipped a workout. Do you have the P90X workout guide that tells you what days to do X Stretch?