Yesterday I posted pictures and body stats showing the starting point of my journey to transform my body.

Today, I’d like to introduce the P90X Extreme Home Fitness program that I am going to be utilizing over the next 90 days to jump-start my path towards a much more fit and healthy body.  The P90X system is basically a complete “training” and “nutrition” program that does all the setup work for you so that all you have to do is just follow the system to get results.

As some of you already know, I have a diploma in advanced nutrition and with the studies that I’ve done in the field of nutrition and sports nutrition, I was taught how to put together a complete diet and nutrition plan for people engaging in a specific activity or exercise regime.  So why would someone like me need a system like P90X to tell me what I should be eating?

Well, the reason I am going to be following this system is because I wanted something that was already complete and all the thinking and research was already done for me, instead of spending the next four months of my time procrastinating figuring out my own plan.  By using this plan as a model, I can simply use it for the next 90 days and tweak it if I’m not getting results.

Prior to hearing about P90X, I didn’t even know such a program existed.  I thought that the only way to get a complete home-based exercise program and nutrition plan done for you was to hire a personal trainer and a nutritionist to figure those things out for you.  That’s why when I heard about this system I was super excited, because it’s exactly what I was looking for!

Here’s the criteria of what I was looking for:

For the DIET / NUTRITION plan part I wanted:

• A way to cut through all the information I have in all my nutrition books and the thousands of recipes I have and to simply narrow down my choices to a few recipes that are proven to deliver results.  I don’t want 10,000 options for dinner tomorrow.  Just give me what I’m cooking for dinner tomorrow, give me the recipe for it, and make it simple.
• The recipes and nutrition plan must not require me to spend 80 hours a week searching for exotic ingredients.  My supermarket has tens of thousands of products on it’s shelves, and I’m well aware that 95% of them are crap.  Give me a nutrition plan that offers me healthy meals made out of the other 5% that are good. Don’t send me on a 5 hour wild goose chase for something only available in one store.
• If the program requires a PhD to figure out, forget about it.  If it requires me to be a Master Chef, forget about it.  Make it so simple *I* can cook the stuff myself even when my wife isn’t home.
• Don’t give me some FAD diet filled with crappy ingredients that might show quick results in the short term, but cause damage to your internal organs in the long term.  I want a nutrition / diet plan that doesn’t conflict with my training as a Nutritionist.
• Make the nutrition / diet plan customized to the level of activity I’ll be performing on the exercise program, AND customized to my body size and type.  Don’t give me (an overweight 212lbs male) the same plan that you’d recommend to a 120lbs female.  The plan has to be customizable to different people in an easy way.
• Give me some suggestions on any supplements I may need to take during the program (multi-vitamin for example etc.) and customize those supplements to the exercise program itself.
• Center the whole diet/nutrition plan completely around the exercise program. The two of them have to work together just like if I hired a nutritionist and a personal trainer and they worked together to come up with the perfect plan for me.

For the EXERCISE / FITNESS plan part I wanted:

• Show me something that will deliver results *IF* I follow the program. I know that there is no program out there that can guarantee results if you’re not willing to do the work, but if I’m willing to do the work, to be disciplined and to work-out based on whatever you recommend, I expect to see some results.
• Yes, I’m currently in the worst shape I’ve ever been.  But, I’m not a complete beginner at this.  Give me something that will challenge me and kick my butt, but don’t make it “easy” just because other people run away from the pain of sore muscles etc.  I’m not afraid of sore muscles, so give me something that I’ll be able to “survive” through now and thrive on later.
• In the same token, don’t give me a program that requires that I can bench-press my car to get started on.
• Make it fun, not boring.
• Don’t require me to have to spend $1,000 on any new machinery or exercise equipment.  Show me how to get an amazing workout with inexpensive, simple tools like dumbbells, not a $5,000 machine.
• Tie the whole exercise program in with the nutrition/diet plan I’m following.  In other words, talk to the nutrition guy.
• I want to see YOU doing the program and I want to see what your body looks like. If your love handles are bigger than mine, then I’m not interested in any “scientific” evidence you may have about your workout being the best one out there.
• Show me proven results from other people who’ve followed your program. I’m not talking about the 5 paid examples you hired and paid money to lose weight and gain muscle on your program, I’m talking about “Normal” people who bought the program and have gotten results.  Can you show me…oh…let’s say….100 different people just like me who succeeded on this program?
• The program has to have a cool name.

That was basically the criteria I was looking for in a plan.  Up until last week I honestly thought that the only way to get something like this is to invest in a personal trainer.  I’ve never heard of a program that combines everything I outlined above until I was told about P90X.

So far the program looks very promising to be able to deliver on everything I outlined above.  Obviously I won’t know for sure until my 90 days are up, but so far I’m very excited.  I officially start the program tomorrow (February 09), and there is a forum group online full of other people who are starting the program tomorrow too so it’s going to be fun doing it all together with other people.  There are new groups starting on this program all the time.

So, what does the program come with?  Here’s a short video I made just quickly going over what’s in the box when you buy the P90X program.

What does this program cost?  If you’re in the United States, the program retails for $129 and you can order it online.  In Canada, you can find the program at retail stores like Sears, but I actually picked up my copy at Fitness Town in Port Coquitlam.  The sales clerk there was super nice, so if you live in the area I recommend you check them out.  Outside of North America, I think you might be able to just order it from P90X’s official site.