P90X2 in review (The Science Behind P90X2)
Complete Overview of P90X2
(The Science Behind P90X2)
by
Jarrod Ames
Independent Beachbody Coach and Founder of GetBeachReadyNow.com
The Science Behind P90X2
- The New Periodized Schedule
The new schedule allows for more individuality. P90X2 allows you to arrange each Phase (3 total phases like P90X) the way you feel you need the most work/improvement. You may also choose to extend a particular Phase if you do not feel comfortable moving on. However, if you are starting to feel fatigued during the workouts and during the days, you could be over training and therefore should move to the recovery week.
- Phase One – Foundation (3 to 6 weeks)
This is the base for the entire program (and a serious wake up call). The Foundation period is focuses on complex movements and multiple muscle groups worked at the same time. Much like Core Synergistics, the entire phase is dedicated to building a stronger core or “foundation” to help prevent injury in the real world and in the following to phases of the program. DVD’s are arranged as follows –
- X2 Core
- Plyocide
- Rest/Recovery+Mobility
- X2 Total Body with AB X2
- X2 Yoga
- Balance and Power
- Rest/Recovery+Mobility
Now the next phase will look more like the classic P90X arrangement.
- Phase 2 – Strength (3 to 6 weeks)
In this phase of P90X2 you will be introduced to new workout routines designed to not only build muscle but strengthen you muscles to improve performance. The movements in these routines takes the addition of instability learned from phase one and implies those principles to challenge your muscles with already familiar exercises. So instead of just doing push ups, now you’ll do push ups on medicine balls. This helps continue to build and strengthen your core muscles like phase one but at the same time challenges, builds and strengthens your other muscles to form a rock solid body! The DVD’s in this phase are arranged as follows:
- Chest, Back + Balance with AB X2
- Plyocide
- Rest/Recovery+Mobility
- X2 Shoulder’s and Arms with AB X2
- X2 Yoga
- Base + Back with AB X2 (Also known as Legs & Back)
- Rest/Recovery+Mobility
If you purchase or have purchase the Deluxe kit or Ultimate Kit you will receive the bonus workouts which may be substituted in for workouts 1 and 4. So instead of doing Chest, Back + Balance you would do Chest, Shoulder’s & Tri’s. Same for Shoulder’s and Arms would be switched out for V-Sculpt. You may also change the order by deciding to do V-Sculpt first instead, the choices are yours!
- Phase 3 – Performance (3 to 4 weeks)
This next phase is where P90X2 separates itself from P90X and introduces the new form of functional training called P.A.P. (Post-Activation, Potentiation). This is the next evolution of full functional training and it is scientifically backed! Lots of research has been done since P90X’s release several years ago. There have been several new ideas and applications for training and conditioning the body. This form of training P.A.P. is currently being used by our U.S. Olympic athletes and developed for top athletes in the P3 training facility. This form of complex training focuses on specific muscle movements like weighted exercises that pre-fatigued a muscle or muscle group before performing an explosive exercise. The results is that you body induces a higher degree of nervous system stimulation, thereby increasing the amount of muscle fiber recruitment to perform the exercise. This leads to more muscle fibers being worked, leading to faster, stronger and denser muscles.
Also new with P90X2 is the addition of Recovery and Mobility and Neuro-Intergrated Stretching or N.I.S. for short. With hard training like what P90X2 offers your body will need some recovery. Each week features 2 rest days or days to use the Recovery+Mobility DVD to help prevent your body from injury. The Recovery DVD features a new piece of equipment which is in every DVD(except Yoga X2), the foam roller. The addition of the foam roller is a tool to Myofascial release your muscles. This is a form of self massage that allows you to release those knots we’ve built up for years and reshape the muscles back to how they should be. Foam Rolling is considered to be the most important therapeutic movement a person can do for themselves. N.I.S. is stretching that is done after a workout. Instead of traditional after stretching P90X2 uses N.I.S. to help recovery after a workout by contracting muscles one way and stretching an opposite muscle or muscle group the other way.
All information was provided by Beachbody, and some of my own opinion. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the program. If you are interested in this program please contact me for details and special offers.
My next post of the series will be a brief post on the fitness equipment needed for P90X2 as well as some optional equipment. Thank you for reading.
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