5pts I've done p90x, insanity, & asylum volume 1. I tried crossfit. First workout for me was "Barbara". 20 butterfly pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 40 sit-ups, 50 air squats for 5 rounds with 3 min rest between each round. I got the fastest time of anyone that day at 18:01. This wasn't the fastest time ever for this specific "box" (16:01), but pretty damn good for my first crossfit workout. Second day was strength (dead lift). I maxed at 440#s. I'm 6' 190#s. not sure what the heaviest lift was that day but I know what I hit is respectable considering I'm not a power lifter. The point is p90x, insanity, etc obviously works. I'm not downing crossfit. I just don't like how crossfitters claim crossfit is the best. Different strokes for different folks 5pts This sounds a bit biased, though you did make some good points. I've never tried Crossfit, but many people are almost religious about it. And P90X is always fun, though a lot of the moves feel a bit silly. Good article. 5pts Thanks coach---adding calories is by far my biggest hurdle---I'm very cautious about calories and having them all hit the mid section--but, I know I need to increase to gain---I am way under 2000 a day. Great point about muscle groups---I will keep it in mind when choosing a cf wod--I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Class act... 5pts Coach---I've decided to go back and do another round of p90x (sort of). I went back and looked at my previous rounds and realized I could add weight in almost every exercise. So, I going from 12 reps to 8. I am replacing some Plyo (not all),Yoga and Kempo with crossfit WOD's and some battle rope workouts. Any thoughts on that approach? Also-I was going to get a weight vest-do you find that a useful tool to build size or will that give me the opposite results? 5pts I'm not arguing at all---Insanity,P90x, P90x+, and P90x2 completely transformed me, and have opened my eyes to a new world of fitness. I'm 42-I spent the past 20 years worrying about my max bench,squat and dead lift---Beachbody changed that mentality. I'm a huge fan. But, as Tony H says--variety is the spice of life--I think that's my main point...Maybe TRX or Battle ropes or Crossfit--or a hybrid of them all---will spice it up.. 5pts Wow---I take back my last post----this is a thread where we insult each other. Doing so is as dumb as me punching someone in the face because they are a Red Sox fan. The fact is,---whether you do P90x/P90x2,Insanity, TRX, or Crossfit---you are doing something positive for yourself. I take an mma class once a week, but, I am not going to sit here and say MMA classes are better than boxing classes---who cares? Thats not the point--we are just all trying to keep it fresh, keep it fun, keep it ever changing and to continue to show results---I just want to stay clear of any "plateu-ing". My goal is to integrate P90x,Insanity,TRX, and Crossfit into the utopian workout. I may never get there, but, I will try--- and will learn from others programs, instead of insulting. Man that felt like a Jerry McGuire (sp?) moment. 5pts This is one of the first threads I've read that doesnt turn into a battle between what is better--p90x or crossfit. I have finished many rounds of both p90x and p90x2. I am now doing a lot of battle ropes and have started the crossfit Hero WODs. All of these programs are awesome. My take (for whatever it's worth). There is a great hybrid workout between these programs, and probably TRX as well that is screaming to come out---but, we are spending too much time insulting the other programs. You cant do one program forever,even if it works, you will get bored. I'd love to hear any ideas of how anyone has integrated these programs. 5pts Hey Jim I incorporate a compound exercise before my lifts on p90x. I find it helps pre exhaust the target muscles. For example I do incline. Barbell bench, no more than a few sets working up to 225 for 10-15 reps; and strict heavy barbell or dumbell rows on chest on back day before I jump into the p90x chest and back routine. I do dead lifts and leg presses on leg day. Standing barbell overhead press with 155 lbs for no more than 12 reps on shoulders and arms day. 5pts I have taken part in workouts from both programs, and I find both of them to be excellent. If there were one thing that would give an edge to either program it would be that P90X is a one time payment of about 140 dollars when purchased from Beachbody, whereas a Crossfit membership is roughly 150 per month. Crossfit can be done outside of a "box", but that's when the techniques can hurt an inexperienced person. There is also a much greater need for equipment when doing Crossfit. There are many Crossfit gyms with websites that share their programming, and include scaled down versions also. If I were just starting out, was on a budget, or simply didn't want to spend 150 per month I would certainly go with P90X over Crossfit. The workouts are certainly both strong though. 5pts Wayne, What do you think about adding 3-5 sets of heavy, Olympic style power building lifts into p90x? I.e. dead lift with back, cleans with shoulders, box squat with legs? 5pts i do 70% beachbody 30% gym, right now. any time i dont want to go to the gym and i want a more efficient workout, i use a beachbody disc. we have a crossfit gym in town and they seem to do well with the introductions and program. i know a couple members who enjoy it. it's unfortunate that some programs out there stray off a path. i think our local one does well because they are under good management. i will say that i have seen a friend hit a plateau. she's simply not losing the weight there anymore. she's been preached the paleo diet which is junk. i do not know what she is doing now, but i told her you have to track your nutrition to get results and you should avoid fad diets. i was doing a class the other day and they had tons of barbell moves. two moves in particular were the clean and press and a deadlift. there was one other olympic style move integrated into the routines. i knew my clean and press had to be off because it was like my second time ever doing this move and itfeels unnatural. an instructor later said that i was bringing the bar up too far past my chest (as if i had boobs ha!) and that she wanted to work with me (this is what gyms do, they offer you 'personal training' because they make cash off that). i just politely say no thanks. i didn't know the form really and you only watched the instructor do it twice then you just went into it so you were trying to keep in rhythm (especially when they put you right up front!). the move was demonstrated by a female so technically i was just simulating what i saw, right? ;) my traps are not sore in the same manner as i would get sore on other shoulder routines and my rotator cuff seems to be paying a price today. done correctly i suppose i can get a lot out of this move, but #1 i can't do it when i workout at home which is 70% of my routine and #2 i just flat out enjoy dumbbells more. with dumbbells it's easier to modify a movement if i went too heavy or too light and i've never been injured withthem. i've never been injured doing p90x. i've been injured twice at the gym now. if you are going to do these moves or programs please listen to your body and never compromise form. most importantly if you are going to do these programs and want the max results possible you owe it to yourself to follow a nutrition guide. i want to say that i work with someone who does crossfit and we do not get competitive at all about our different programs. it's just fun to talk to someone who is also interested in keeping himself fit. it keeps us both accountable. we could care less who can do this or that, we care about staying healthy! 5pts I do them both and shuffle between them once in a while. Variety... Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Sometime I can't afford the time to go to the box. On the other hand, sometimes I need a shorter but more intense workout. It's not a competition you know... the programs are just different. 5pts I felt compelled to comment because I wanted to share my Crossfit experience (in case anyone is interested in trying it out) and also pose some questions for everyone on here that seems to be super committed to P90x. I agree with some of the earlier posters that some of the problems some people may have with Crossfit is not really the actual program but the gym (box). Any gym (or box, as we like to call it) that makes you feel like you are walking into a cult (but in a bad way) is not a good representation of what Crossfit is all about. My advice is to find another one! I love the box I go to for the following reasons and feel as if all boxes should be like this: 1) Every gym session includes a 10-15 minute warm up that involves plyo, running, stretching, etc. 2) Almost every gym session includes a 15 minutes when you work on form, technique, and try to obtain your personal best for a certain skill. Yes, the actual WOD (Workout of the Day) is only about 20 minutes, but when youcount the technique session and the warm up, you end up doing about 45 minutes to an hour of physical work. 3) The WOD's posted for our gym are different than the ones on the national website. The same two people always post the workouts and specifically plan them so that you are not overtraining one specific area or skill. 4) My coaches are awesome. They motivate me and encourage me without being too harsh and demanding. They always ask how I physically feel and modify accordingly. Of course the goal is to do the workouts Rx (or prescribed), however they encourage all members to be realistic. 5) Although there is a certain competitive atmosphere with seeing everyone else's times and scores, I am always encouraged to focus on my personal best, not the personal best of someone who has been Crossfitting for years (I've been doing it for about 6 months). 6) The other people that go to my gym are amazing. There is not one person that I feel like judges me, or other people that are nonCross-fitters. My boyfriend is a health enthusiast as well but has decided that Crossfit is not for him. However, he goes to many of the events with me and although some members and coaches have encouraged to try it out, they never pressure him further when he politely says no. I have never heard anyone from my gym judge another person for not doing Crossfit. In fact, many of our members also take Zumba classes, do Yoga, etc. Everyone encourages all fitness of all kinds! We also are all friends and support each other. Our coaches encourage us to befriend and talk to new members. When I feel like I can't do one more deadlift, the other members of my gym are there to cheer me on. Many of us now "hang out" once a month and we all range from high school students to grandparents. The atmosphere is very family oriented. 7) My gym offers a yoga class that emphasizes mobility and stretching. We also have recently added a power yoga class. These classes are included in the gym membership. 8) Mygym networks like crazy and has new events at least once a month. These events include signing up as a team for a 5k, paleo (the caveman diet) cooking classes, and fat loss clinics. All of these events have been free of charge or inexpensive. The owners of the gym have even reached out to local restaurants to created special paleo items on their menus. We also have parties to celebrate each other's achievements. 9) My gym offers open gym sessions where a Crossfit Coach will be on hand to monitor safety and give advice, but you are open to work on whatever skill or lift you want. 10) When you first start Crossfit, my gym has you participate in our "On Ramp" program, which is included in the membership and focuses on proper form and technique. The program lasts two weeks and meets 3 times a week. The On Ramp classes are small (less than 4 people a class), and you really feel like you get 6 personal training sessions. The On Ramp classes make sure that new members know how to startreasonably and can do the exercises with the least amount of potential injury. There are a ton of people at my gym that had never lifted a weight before, and On Ramp ensures that when they work out with all the members, they can comfortably without feeling intimidated. 11) All members have the opportunity to compete in the Crossfit Games, which has been an amazing experience. It has encouraged me to push myself a bit harder than I might normally, and cheer on my friends. 12) Working out is never boring. In the 6 months I've been doing this, I have never repeated a workout. You even get a special unique workout on your birthday that the coaches create and everyone does. 13) My gym is always looking for new and exciting ways to "spice things up" and offers clinics, guest speakers, seminars, and we even have teamed up with a physical therapist. For me, Crossfit has become not just a mundane workout but a lifestyle. All these reasons (and more) have kept me coming back day after day, weekafter week. When I started I had never lifted a weight or done a pull up or a push up - I had only been a runner. Although I still love running, Crossfit has made me feel powerful. I am not only stronger and faster, but I have become pretty attached to my coaches and the other members. Yes, the gym membership is a bit pricey (at least 100 dollars a month), but with so many extras and fun things that mine throws in, I feel like it's totally worth it. If you feel like your gym isn't measuring up, I encourage you to not judge the Crossfit program based on an unfriendly atmosphere or bad coaching. I truly feel the way my gym does it is the way it was intended (aside from some of the appalling comments that Greg Glassman has made). All that being said, I will be honest - when I started Crossfit I wanted to tone up and lose fat. Although I have definitely developed a ton of muscle that I never had before, I have actually gained ten pounds because the muscle developed but the fat never left -even with sticking to a healthy diet. After doing a little research I have concluded that this is probably because I am not burning quite as many calories as I did when I would run six miles a day. You do get a significant amount of cardio work doing Crossfit, but it's usually in shorter bursts with a bit of rest in between. I think this is why a lot of P90x advocates have criticized Crossfit. Which brings me to this website. I have absolutely no intention of quitting Crossfit, but I wanted to somehow integrate P90x in, because it seems like that program has a bigger focus on fat loss than Crossfit does. Has anyone tried this? It seems like most people have done both, but not in combination on a consistent basis. I tried Shaun T's Insanity last year, and it would be nice to also work that in somehow. I want to make sure if I spring for the P90x purchase, it will fit in with my lifestyle. 5pts LOL I LOVE that pic of the founders!! I got ragged on be a crossfit guy the other day. I do not understand some of their arrogance. Personally I think some their techniques are dangerous. Also some crossfit gyms really abuse the program and deviate way off track. This was an excellent article. I agree so much. Thanks for the site coach Wayne. Looking forward to starting another round Sunday! 5pts Hey guys, I did a youtube video on Crossfit vs P90X. Hopefully this will sum up the argument. Please comment and subscribe. Thanks Coach Wayne. 5pts I have NO idea how someone can come on here and talk bad about P90X when all you have to do is click on a simple tab at the top called "before/after pics" and wala there is REAL proof that it works, and though my pics are not on there yet i am one week away from completing my P90X journey and i can tell you ive had a life changing experience (started at 225 now 179) and im not done yet!! Also i played 4 years of high school football, worked out 5 days a week and my results NEVER came close to the results ive had so far from doing P90X! Furthermore (i can go on and on believe me) i work at a vitamin store so i have customers all the time come in and tell me about crossfit and how i should come join them because its helped them so much but the funny thing is, is that every single one of them are still overweight no muscular definition at all and whats even funnier is that one of them has been doing crossfit for 2 years lol. Theres just no way crossfit compares to P90X not evenclose. Like Coach Wayne said do what works for you but if you want a real challenge come join us we will be here working our butts off and loving every second of it! ps. You should look at a comparison pic of Tony Horton vs the creator of crossfit, idk about anyone else but if both walked up to me i think id put my trust in Mr. Horton lol 5pts Perhaps you misread my post. Not one time did I mention using crappy form. If you're sure P90X is advanced, where is the research to validate "muscle confusion?" Perhaps Tony Horton isn't able to explain about this because of his nagging injury---> as well as his atrocious pushup/dip/pull-up form. As P90x produces a leaner "muscular" frame, it appears no efforts are spent instructing/teaching muscular full-range-0f-motion movements. If a person has never worked out before, would he benefit from developing a tighter stomach (and less strength on his larger muscle groups), or from concentrating on developing the muscles in both the lower region and upper region through movements? If a high school football team did P90X as their primary workout routine, would this help them prepare to deal with the upcoming season? The mere thought of that happening is quite laughable... 5pts As a science teacher (and one who has been involved in crossfit programming for over 3 years) let's look at this from a different perspective. If you use the laws of PHYSICS to validate the argument, crossfit is what functional fitness should be (and PX90 isn't even close to that level) Using the hanging pullup-vs-kipping pullup as 1 example: WORK= Force x Distance POWER= Work/Time hanging pullups use isolated upper body movements to perform each rep. kipping pullups require a total body muscular movement to perform each rep. So, we can conclude that (by using more muscles to complete 1 full range of motion repetition), a person who performs kipping pullups will be exerting more FORCE over the same amount of distance (compared to a person who simply uses their upper body to do this. That being said: 2. POWER= WORK/TIME Kipping pullups increase the speed of the pullup and will enable a person to do more repetitions in less time (as opposed to a hanging pullup). If two people wereto compete to see who could perform more pullups in 1 minute, the person who uses the "kipping" technique will be able to do more pullups over 1 minute than a person doing pullups from a dead hang position (given that the person using the kipping technique is using a greater amount of being used) it can be concluded that kipping pullups allow a person to perform each rep with greater efficiency SO, based on POWER= WORK/TIME: We can be concluded that pullups (using the kipping technqiue) enable a person to do greater amounts of work than a person using the dead hang technique (due to the increased amount of repeitions). By increasing the amount of work done over a given time, one's performance is completed using a greater amount of power. Efficiency is the key. In can also be concluded, if performance the same amount of repetitions can be performed with a greater amount of efficiency, there's no comparison when it comes to which exercise program agrees with the laws of physics, as wellas allows the person to do a greater amount of work in a shorter amount of time. Efficiency is the key... Muscle isolation is clearly a part of the philosophy that became P90X, one can (hypothecically) make the argument that performances based on muscle isolation do not bring better functional total body fitness than using greater amounts of muscles with each completed repetition. NEVER have I ever heard a P90X user logically argue that it is better than CROSSFIT. I know 5 people who do P90X and they quote "muscle confusion" like they breathe oxygen. Using the word "confusion" to advertise what happens when performing the workout has no place in the fitness community. The body should come into agreement with the mind during a workout. Trying to "confuse the muscles" will only confuse the person. Better to work on challenging your body through what the physics of the body support, than to spend more time showing off one's muscles by uploading videos of himself flexing for the camera.... 5pts I enjoyed reading the exchange of opinions. I'll chime in on the P90X side. I don't care to debate which program is better overall because I know which program works for me according to my priorities. 1. I am highly self motivated, so working out intensely at home is no problem for me. I don't need people cheering me on. 2. I'm interested in functional fitness. Not looking to lift the heaviest weights, just looking to achieve a high level of fitness so that life's physical challenges become nonfactors. 3. I don't want to pay gym dues. This is a HUGE deal to me because I think it's stupid to pay monthly fees in order to work out. 4. I don't want to work out at a gym. I want to be able to work out ANYWHERE. Although I work out at home most of the time, I can do my P90X, P90X2, Insanity, One-one-One workouts anywhere. I don't even need a DVD player because the workouts can be stored on my iPhone. I have worked out many times using the monkey bars at a park while my children areplaying. Anytime, anywhere, baby. Talk about freedom. 5. I don't need anyone spotting me while I work out because the movements are not technical. It's unlikely that I'll get hurt unless I do something really stupid. Proper form is a good thing, but functional fitness is about gross movements, not perfect form. 6. I don't want to use a lot of equipment to work out. I only need a set of dumbbells, a pullup bar, and some resistance bands and my bodyweight. Who the hell wants to invest in olympic bars and plates? Where can I put all that stuff if I live in an apartment? Like I said, I have rocked out a workout that would make many people puke at a park. 7. I like the fact that the P90X community is INCLUSIVE. People want to welcome you into the fold. P90X has democratized working out because it allows anyone to follow the program and get great results. There's no elitism. Many people's lives have been transformed, and that's a great thing in my book. 8. What's the deal with kippingpullups? Kipping has been bannned in the Marine Corps for many years now. A proper pullup is dead hang--drop all the way down until your arms are completely extended and pull yourself up from that position. You cannot use your legs or momentum to push yourself up. I can do 25 of these with a 20 lb. weight vest. Intense enough for you? 5pts Very interesting reading all of the comments. I'm a CrossFitter who has only been at it for going on three months, and I love it. It works for me and my goals. Here's what I've learned about comparing P90x with CrossFit though....it doesn't make much sense. The huge difference has nothing to do with length of workout, complexity of movement, etc. For me, and really for everybody, the real difference is the group dynamic. If you are able to pop a DVD in your machine in your basement and consistently workout and it helps you achieve your goals, that is awesome. I can't see any reason to criticize that if it gets an individual the results he or she desires. But for me, I've tried the workout-at-home thing, and every time I've failed miserably. I'm easily distracted by my kids, hobbies, wife, household chores, etc. So there are always a ton of excuses at home to get me out of working out. For me, having that tight community feel of a CrossFit gym there to push and support one anotheris vital to my results. The only thing I'll correct that seems to be a common theme from the P90xers in terms of criticizing Xfit, yes, the "WOD" is typically (not always) 20 minutes or so. But that's not the entire workout. At my Xfit gym, before we do the WOD, we first spend 10 minutes or so doing a structured warm up that is sometimes nearly as intense as the WOD itself. Then, after a short break, we spend another 15 minutes or so focusing on a strength and/or skill. This can also sometimes be as difficult as the WOD, because many times this is when we do heavy or complex movements. And yes, there is a coach there in the flesh ensuring that our form is correct and safe. Sometimes, by the time we get to the WOD, I'm already pretty exhausted. We also spend time on mobility and stretching within parts of the workout, and we have a mobility specialist who teaches clinics as well as an endurance coach who teaches longer, slightly less intense hour-long courses to build endurance. Also,for those who aren't quite ready for the Olympic lifting and other highly complex and intense parts of CrossFit, there are also LiteFit courses that are more like what I imagine P90x to be - all body weight stuff. All that said, again, if you are able to achieve the results you want doing P90x at home, it probably doesn't make sense to spend the extra money or commute to a CrossFit box. That's just common sense, really. Bottom line - just keep finding what works best for you as an individual and don't criticize somebody else's methods if it works for THEM. 5pts Crossfit's founder, Greg Glassman is a poor representative of the program. He said in a New York Times article in 2005 that he has not done Crossfit in many years because he is too busy running the business. LOL. What a joke? Tony Horton would beat Greg Glassman at his own Crossfit games by a mile. I have done several Crossfit routines and 1) They are intense but very short so the endurance level is inferior 2) They don't do real pullups and cant hang with a regular P90Xer with pullups 3)Injury seems imminent because you are trying to beat other people at any cost 4)You don't see many tranformation videos like you do with P90X (just an observation) 5) The workout of the day are random and have no logical workout plan 6) They are great at barbell olympic lifts but dumbells are better because with dumbells (p90x) you are using your stability muscles throughout your body to balance them. 5pts Hi all, First off I would like to say that I've done P90X, Insanity and currently I am following Gym Jones (endurance based Crossfit) I love working out and keep an open mind to whatever program seems promising. Before I had done any of those programs I did alot of research and put together my own program, because quite frankly I was out of shape and I wanted to be fit. It consisted mostly of bodybuilding, plus running and swimming. Since I was in the military I based my target goals on pushups, situps and 1.5 mile. In 3 months I gained about 15 pounds of muscle and dropped my bodyfat from 12% to 7%. I was doin 100pushups, 130situps in 2mins each and ran my 1.5 mile in 8:46mins. After I had accomplished my goals. I wanted a new program and someone recommended P90X to me, so I did it and found the same thing everyone else did. Great nutrition plan and some hard workouts. A short while later found out about Insanity and that was a REALLY hard program, but both lacked something thatI needed in my workouts and it was bothering me... I really missed benching, squats, deadlifts. My one of my friends introduced me to Gym Jones. So I have been doin that for 6 months and havent looked back since Being that Gym Jones is basically an elitist version of Crossfit, I will chime in and say that both Crossfit and P90X work. The only bad thing to both programs IMO is that 1 there are ALOT of Crossfit people that bash any program that doesn't follow their methods and will say that their workouts are superior to every program out there and 2 P90X doesnt have anything to build running endurance. With those aside, Crossfit and P90X are great programs. Both acheive the results that they say they will. Crossfit will get you stronger in many areas including oly lift, power lift, gymnastics endurance ect... P90X will get you ripped in 90 days using bodybuilding, plyo, yoga and cardio. For an at home program, I think that Tony Horton knows how to make a great system, using onlydumbbells, pullup bar, and your body. With the P90X2, I would be glad to try it out and see what new stuff Tony has to offer. I've only seen what's on youtube, but it looks pretty hard. @Coach Wayne, I saw you're before and after pics and must say that I am truely amazed at such incredible results! Good job! Also, you did very good at trying to keep an unbiased opinion. Unfortunatly some Crossfitters feel that they need to be the Crossfit idiots and tell you how P90X is lacking and how much better Crossfit is 5pts Hi all, First off I would like to say that I've done P90X, Insanity and currently I am following Gym Jones (endurance based Crossfit) I love working out and keep an open mind to whatever program seems promising. Before I had done any of those programs I did alot of research and put together my own program, because quite frankly I was out of shape and I wanted to be fit. It consisted mostly of bodybuilding, plus running and swimming. Since I was in the military I based my target goals on pushups, situps and 1.5 mile. In 3 months I gained about 15 pounds of muscle and dropped my bodyfat from 12% to 7%. I was doin 100pushups, 130situps in 2mins each and ran my 1.5 mile in 8:46mins. After I had accomplished my goals. I wanted a new program and someone recommended P90X to me, so I did it and found the same thing everyone else did. Great nutrition plan and some hard workouts. A short while later found out about Insanity and that was a REALLY hard program, but both lacked something thatI needed in my workouts and it was bothering me... I really missed benching, squats, deadlifts. My one of my friends introduced me to Gym Jones. So I have been doin that for 6 months and havent looked back since Being that Gym Jones is basically an elitist version of Crossfit, I will chime in and say that both Crossfit and P90X work. The only bad thing to both programs IMO is that 1 there are ALOT of Crossfit people that bash any program that doesn't follow their methods and will say that their workouts are superior to every program out there and 2 P90X doesnt have anything to build running endurance. With those aside, Crossfit and P90X are great programs. Both acheive the results that they say they will. Crossfit will get you stronger in many areas including oly lift, power lift, gymnastics endurance ect... P90X will get you ripped 5pts 1. If you need testimony (hint Google: "crossfit before after") there are several stories if you look. One story: It works 2. Every program has it's extremists that will defend it to the death. P90X works and Crossfit works, they just have different overall goals. We will never be able to agree to disagree because people will always want to argue. At my gym, Derby City Crossfit, our trainers teach the proper technique for each lift, and make sure to scale each workout to the individual's skill level. I increased my deadlift/squat/bench/press from #145/#205/#135/#85 at 195lb bodyweight to #370/#290/#225/#170 at #185lb bodyweight in 6 months. That wasn't necessarily the fastest progress, but I also increased my ability to run, the number of push and pull ups I can do, and have abs without ever having done an "ab program." I would not have been able to improve my lifts without proper technique, without injuring myself, if I just "lifted what was in front of me." Lastly, google anystudy on olympic weightlifting and its physical benefits. Personally, the sense of accomplishment I had (and have seen in others) from passing a #225 weight through the clean and jerk over my head is amazing. Yes, it is technical and difficult, but the rewards are physically and mentally worth it. If all you want is to lose some bodyfat % every now and then, do p90x, be happy. Crossfit and other programs that include weightlifting (not bodybuilding) are a lifestyle change that some people will thrive on, and others will hate. To each his own, thumbs up for not sitting on the couch though. 5pts There is no comparison between P90x(or a good fitness program) and crossfit. A good fitness program will focus on flexibility, joint support, endurance, strength, and dexterity. Crossfit has only one focus, 1. lift the weight in front of me with very little focus on anything else. That is why people who do a fitness program look lean, strong and ripped, while CFer look fat and bulky. Oh and to Aaron, CFer hate on fitness guys becuase they wish they could look as good as we do! 5pts I know this post is old, but I still feel this topic is hotter then ever. . . why do CF people hate on the people who enjoy p90x by bashing, hating, go with name-calling, etc. I don't get it! Everybody has different goals, so why does it matter if I want to do p90x and you want to do CrossFit. All that matters is you stay moving and keep it that way. If p90x isn't what you want then great, don't do it, but don't force me into doing CF if it's not what I want. Idk. . . i've been reading a lot and there is just TONS of hate on people who do p90x by these people who do CrossFit. . . 5pts The whole debate between "CrossFit vs. p90x" is really a bad argument mainly because the programs are total opposite of each other. That being said, I do have some things I'd like to throw in. I can not STAND Greg Glassman. Coach Wayne made a post comparing the two trainers, and the "reason" why Greg looks like that is because he injured his back or something. . . ok? Tony has shattered a knee and recently just tore his bicep tendon and STILL will be working out. HOWEVER, I saw an interview yesterday with GG saying that whoever does p90x is an a**hole. . . um, what? Isn't our whole goal to get people in shape? To get them active? To get people to where they don't die prematurely? Calling me an asshole for doing p90x is DEFINITELY not going to make me want to do your exercise program. I have no issue with CrossFitters. I think, just like CrossFitters, we p90x-ers have our "cult-like" users. But like Tony Horton has mentioned a thousand times, p90x MAY NOT BE THE PROGRAM FOR YOU.Staying active and living a healthy lifestyle is what will do it for you. I'm telling you right now i have never done CrossFit, but I have seen CrossFit exercises. A lot of the speed/agility stuff looks VERY similar to what Shaun T's Asylum is all about. . . everything from the jump roping to the ladder exercises! My thing is this. . . CrossFit seems like a great tool to use for athletes training and getting/staying into great shape in the offseason. . . but a lot of p90x/Insanity users aren't trying to become some "elite" athletes. . . they just want their lives back and they want to be healthy. And to Ian, the guy who says that "YOU WILL NOT LIVE LIFE UNTIL YOU DO CROSSFIT YEAH!!!!!" . . . tell that to Cammie Lusk, who was diagnosed with MS. She was active her whole life, and it just hit her. Guess what, she did p90x, and saw AMAZING results. . . so that's not life changing? Go read up on her at www.cammielusk.com. Tell me, ANY CROSSFITTER. . . what do you do for people who sufferfrom multiple sclerosis? Who suffer from any type of ailment that keeps people "unfit?" Again, I am not saying CrossFit doesn't work, but to claim that p90x doesn't do anything is just ridiculous. Our goal is to get people in shape, and to knock on another program that gets people in shape is laughable. Me personally, I like exercising to a trainer (Tony) that can cut jokes and keep things mellow. I don't like somebody telling me that people who use p90x can't compete and we are a**hole #1 and a**hole #2. . . 5pts I have enjoyed reading your comments on both p90x and crossfit. I am a new crossfitter, tried the p90x first but decided to go another direction. Reasons are P90x, like any other at home work out is easy to skip, put off to another day or simplpy not do. Crossfit on the other hand offers you a group enviroment to workout in. The group consist of everyone form the fundamentalist to the ones training for a competition. Just incase you are wondering the fumdamentalist are the newbies going through orentation, and learning how to properly execute the so called difficult lifts. You go through this so that you do not get hurt and are able to perform the lifts the proper way, so that you can get the maximum benefit out of it. I am sure when I tried p90X I didnt see anyone ther in person demostrateing exercises and guideing me through it so that I may be succesful at it. Thank you for reading my comments and hope that anyone reading this finds a workout that fits there lifestyle. Becausewhen its all said and done as long as you are doing something to improve your health you are a winner. 5pts Greg Glassman, founder of Crossfit, age 53, next to Tony Horton, founder of P90X, age 52. Who do you want to look like in your 50's?? LOL! 5pts Ian. Could you please share a video of you doing whatever it is that you do "in everyday life" that you are so much better at than everyone who doesn't do crossfit? Or just let us know where to find the proof that you are what you say you are. Because as I read your statements, it leads me to believe that you must be some kind of elite athlete and I am really curious to see what kind of results I must be missing out on. And since you apparently are quite the researcher, tell me how much higher the level of intensity is in your most intense 20 minute workouts. Are you reaching a HR of 250 or something that is allowing you to be in "twice as good of shape" as me who can maintain an HR of 180 for an hour? Please share. It is very hard for me to understand the reasoning behind your condescending comments to people who have had obvious success with a program and are willing to share it with other people to help them out. And if you are involved in such a superior comprehensive program,then why are you even bothering looking at this website? 5pts Haha see? I told you they were cult-like ;) 5pts ...next to ultimate. 5pts They may do some cool things with P90X2, but until people start training with barbells they'll limit their potential for improvement. Having said that...you can get in REALLY awesome shape with body weight exercises. You'll just hit a ceiling at some point without adding weight to things like squats and dead lifts. There's also the benefit of ratcheting up intensity with Crossfit. Say I do the plyometric workout in P90x...well...it's gonna take me the same amount of time every time I do it with roughly the same amount of rest time. So what if you completed that workout faster and with no rest time? That would be a more intense workout right? and then the next time you did the workout you could shoot for a faster time, and a faster time after that. With Crossfit, you have unlimited room for improvement. With P90X you'll peak and enter maintenance mode at some point. On the other hand...I'd much rather see people peaking with p90X than sinking into a pit of obesity, and variouslevels of disrepair by sitting on the couch. Carry on P90Xers..but don't write off Crossfit until you've done the research...experienced it, and evaluated it with an open mind. 5pts Wayne: You make some valid points. I feel like there is a different focus between P90x folks and crossfit folks. With P90x the focus is on "getting ripped." In crossfit the focus is on increasing work capacity across broad time and modal domains...In plain English...Crossfit makes you better at every day life. I've done workouts with people who spend 2 hours a day at the gym, and and look REALLY buff but when it comes to performing some of the simplest tasks at high intensity, they are about to puke after only a couple minutes. My point is this...you can work really hard and spend a lot of time to LOOK fit, or you can work really hard for less time, and BE fit (and look like your fit too). I don't know how many times I've suffered through the "ab ripper x" routine and garnered moderate results. Now with no specific "ab routine" my abs are finally showing up BIG TIME...and it feels good because it's not out of vanity...they are just getting more developed as part of my overallfunctional fitness. I will however say that if I had to pick 2 programs for the American public to choose from, and mind you I HAD to pick...I would pick Crossfit, and P90X. P90X would be a distant second, but it would be in the top two. P90X users are miles ahead of the average American in terms of fitness, but Crossfit can take you MUCH further...don't take my word for it though...Do the research....Decide for yourself. 5pts Hah...Just reading your criticism of the shorter workouts...Please explain why after p90x i had some OK definition and after a few months on Crossfit I am absolutely shredded. Also...Please explain why you choose to ignore the fact that nutrition is considered the most important building block of the entire Crossfit program. Have you even spent any time on the Crossfit main site? Your criticisms are coming from a place of ignorance...Please do more research. As I said before p90x is better than sitting on the couch, but it pales in comparison to a training program like Crossfit. Oh...And there is an open invitation to compete in the Crossfit games...Any of you p90x folks want to show up and embarrass yourselves in an all out fitness war...no? I didn't think so. 5pts Hey guys...I have tried both these programs and the results are night and day. Don't get me wrong, P90x does a lot of really great stuff, but at the end of the day, they also do some really silly stuff. I am AT LEAST twice as fit on crossfit than I ever was doing p90x. Is p90x better than sitting on the couch? Absolutely. Will a crossfit athlete trounce a p90x user in any real life fitness test every time...yes. Besides...The longest crossfit workout I've EVER done took an hour...most of the time I'm done in around 20 min. If you want to be fit...you want to get results fast, and you don't want to dance around your living room, crossfit is the way to go. If you want to listen to the same lame jokes day after day, waste hours of your precious time, and LOOK LIKE YOU'RE Fit...Do p90x. 5pts I also did crossfit for about 5 months. While i noticed some good results i couldnt keep it up. The gym was a 25 min drive, the session was 1 hr long, and the fees were way too much. Its good if you can get setup at home but that would require money (i love the rowing machines). Another negative imo is the people are cult-like and can make you feel unwelcome/unworthy. 5pts I 100% agree with Jon's last post. I did P90x...one round so far and lost a ton of weight and got in great shape. I am now trying Crossfit and its a fair comparison but they are in different leagues. Im not sure what Crossfit's people are going to but mine has a beginner class and customize the routines for the ability of the people in the class. They also teach nutrition and supplementation like P90x. Both programs use bodyweight exerecises but Crossfit incorporates alot more free weight and olympic style lifting. You get a TON more variety in Crossfit then in P90x. P90x you repeat the same workout all the time and the last month is just the first 2 months repeated. In crossfit the workouts are always changing. I think its good to do P90x first then try Crossfit for variety. I mean even Tony Horton says you need to change your program not to plateau. Why repeat the same P90x exerecises round after round ...why not try some periodization and try something new and different. Iveworn a HR rate monitor and both burn the SAME amount of calories. So you can get the same results from both. Actually you can probably become much stronger from Crossfit due to the heavier lifting. All im saying is this both are great programs and have an open mind. 5pts Ant, just watch your muscle groups. Make sure you are giving them enough time to recover. Weight vests are great for adding size, but the most important element is eating! You have to eat to gain. 5pts Definitely Ant! Keep pushing. 5pts Ant, exercise is always good, but the points I listed in the post are my opinions and experiences. As a system, I feel you get more out of Beachbody products. 5pts Jim, I have always stuck to one workout a day from P90X, X2, Insanity. Those lifts would fit on those days, but I never felt the need to add anything to the programs. Bring it!! 5pts Hey Kristin, thanks for sharing your experience with Crossfit. I'm glad it's worked for you! The point of all this is to find something to get passionate about and that takes you from where you are to where you want to be. However, since you've GAINED 10 lbs since starting Crossfit and not accomplished your goal of losing any fat, that's one of the things I think you would appreciate about a complete program like P90X, which has a nutrition plan to help assist your goals and go along with the workouts. I know Crossfit piggy backs on the Paleo diet but it's not much of a plan to get you from point A to point B ... it's just something to follow instead of fast food :-). And you clearly thrive off the community atmosphere of your class, your teacher, and you gym (those seem to be your favorite parts of Crossfit). That's what we have attempted to create (virtually) with teamRIPPED -- community support. Feel free to ask questions, look at my nutrition advice, and decide if a homeworkout is something you can fit into your routine. I think you'd love the results, and you might end up deciding it makes a lot more sense, saves you time, and saves you a drive and a monthly membership fee. 5pts Great video Glasone! Thanks for sharing! 5pts Hey Thcott, I thought it was an agreed upon fact that kipping IS crappy form. It's basically throwing form out the window and getting your chin above a bar at all costs, despite the risk of injury and undo stress on your joints. And it's funny you mention the high school football team that you think is hilarious that they did P90X for offseason training. Actually you'd be surprised how many COLLEGE and PROFESSIONAL athletes use P90X for offseason training. And you don't even want to know how many professional athletes are lined up to be spokesmen for P90X2, as it's built off the current olympic and professional training done by the world's best athletes. If Crossfit works for you, that's great. Stick with it! Get healthy, stay healthy, and try not to get hurt! 5pts LOL Thcott. Using physics formulas doesn't validate the argument that crappy form is better than proper technique simply because you can do more reps using crappy form (that's what you said in a nutshell, right?). 5pts Hey Newbie! Whether or not they are "cult-like" is not for me to decide -- but you aren't the first to feel that way! I do, however, feel like the Crossfitters alienate other workout folks (like P90Xers for instance) with their berating of our methods. And they clearly alienate people who aren't already fit because they offer no way for a "newbie" to integrate into their system other than to just show up and try to figure out the complicated lifts (snatches, overhead squats) and "tricks" (kipping pullups) to keep up with them on the timed workouts. That's why P90X and Insanity are so enormously popular. We SHOW that these programs work (not just talk about it). We SHOW how people who are out of shape can use them to get in shape. Ultimately the proof is in the pudding. We can all debate all day long, but results don't lie. I've got more results on display in just our teamRIPPED Hall of fame from the last 6 months than I've EVER seen from the sum total of Crossfit results fromevery Crossfit gym in the country. Put up or shut up! LOL! 5pts Hey Ian, maintenance mode? NEVER!! That's what increasing weight, switching workouts, adding in 1-on-1's, doing new moves and exercises, etc. is for. P90X-ers are the ultimate plateau crushers :-). 5pts Hey Ian, my abs are showing pretty well in case you haven't seen my videos :-). All P90X! And I bet you'd like the Asylum and the upcoming P90X2 -- they are going to a whole new level with elite athletic performance by tapping the expertise of the top researchers from professional and olympic sports -- folks whose job it is to make the human body perform at it's very best and withstand injury. 5pts Hey Ian, I know we could go back and forth all day about why our way of working out is better than any other, but at the end of the day, the point is that we are on the same team. We all have found a way to get fit and a way to stay passionate about it. It's not a war between Crossfit and P90X. It's a war between people who are dying from obesity and those of us who have found a way to be healthy. And ultimately, the proof is in the pudding. I can speak from my experience. I made a New Year's resolution on Jan 1, 2010, to get in shape. I spent 2 months doing Crossfit, didn't lose any weight, and what I looked like after 2 months of Crossfit is forever immortalized in my "Day 1" pics. I spent the next 3 months doing P90X, and my results from those 3 months are pretty popular now (infomercial, Beachbody's main website, etc.). We can all talk until we are blue in the face, but evidence is what counts. P90X-ers do a great job of showing results, posting YouTube videos (just do asearch for P90X results or P90X transformations and you'll see hundreds of thousands). I wish Crossfitters would show more results (do a YouTube search for Crossfit results or changes or transformations and there's barely any!). Unless a person is already fit, has lots of military training, or is an athlete in excellent shape, what reason would they have to try Crossfit? The only people on Crossfit videos are already in great shape, and they are using Crossfit to maintain their fitness. Crossfit as a whole would really help themselves if they could show people how their workout system can help someone get in shape, not just help already fit people compete against each other. I respect what you have to say Ian. You are a class act. I can agree to disagree. Let's keep Bringing It in our own way!! 5pts Hey Frank! I think everyone's experience with CrossFit depends on the local gym you are using. And you are right, that if you don't mind the gym membership and driving back and forth, CrossFit will provide you with a lot of variety. It sounds like the CrossFit gym you have found is doing things different (better) than any in my area. None in my area do any training or coaching on nutrition. And none in my area develop workout routines that would burn nearly the amount of calories as a P90X workout, as they are usually completed in less than 20 minutes by fit individuals. A 20 minute CrossFit workout can't burn as many calories as a 55 minute P90X workout, no matter how hard you are pushing. But it sounds like the gym you are using is taking some ques about what works and developing the nutrition side of fitness as well as lengthening the workouts to burn more calories and give a harder workout. That's cool! Oh, and I should mention, that for the price of my old gym membership, Ihave bought 1-on-1's, P90X Plus, and Insanity Workout and have enough workouts to do a different workout every day of the week for 2 months without ever repeating a single workout if I want to. That's a lot of variety!
