P90x3: Is Weight Lifting for girls?

Okay, I'm here to answer the questions that I have had about P90X3.  I'll give a general overview of the program, as well as my 40 year old female perspective.  Ugh.  Did I REALLY just put my age in there?

General Description

P90X3 is a 90-day extreme fitness program designed to get you ripped in just 30 minutes a day.  Each one of the workouts have been designed to be efficient while still getting results.  The variety in workouts keeps you from getting bored with the program and helps you to break that plateau that tends to occur after getting into a workout routine.  This program focuses on strength, but you will burn calories in the process.

So, is weight lifting for girls?  ABSOLUTELY!  Read on to find out why this program is staying in my workout rotation.

The Workouts (each one only 30 minutes)

Total Synergistics:  Push-ups, balance poses, flip flop crunches and more!  This is a fun and challenging workout.

Agility X:  This is a cardio workout that keeps you moving in short intervals.  I was a bit curious about a workout that had me put two lines of painter's tape on my floor, but it is one of my favorites.  You use the xs drawn on the tape in order to get correct foot and hand placement during your workout.  Okay....I DID feel a bit silly running around in circles in my living room, but it is a fun workout.

X3 Yoga:  The first few times I did this workout, it was HARD!  It is a yoga routine and I was not even close to being as flexible as the crew in this video.  Tony's humor really does help you get through it, though, and improve, you will!  I've gone back to do this video after completing most of PiYo and it actually seems EASY (Okay...I have NOT attempted the little add-ons that Ted does, hoisting himself up into crazy positions, but someday, I will).

The Challenge:  When Tony says to choose your numbers wisely, he isn't kidding.  You are choosing numbers of push-ups and numbers of pull-ups to complete throughout the entire workout.  I cannot actually complete ONE pull-up, so I used a set of bands on my door instead.  The first time I did this challenge, I couldn't do more than 2 push-ups on my toes at a time.  By the end of the program, I was doing 13 push-ups for EACH exercise in the workout (8 sets) and 20 "pull-ups" using the bands for each of the 8 sets.

CVX:  Absolutely one of my favorite workouts!  You get a cardio workout WHILE holding a weight.  It is so much fun and DEFINITELY burns calories.  During the program, I was able to hold a five pound weight and get a GREAT workout.  I recently did this workout again (while in the middle of another program) and I had to drop down some weight.  That was SO upsetting!  But it is STILL one of my FAVORITE workouts!

The Warrior:  Great cardio, boot camp-style workout.

Dynamix:  This workout is scheduled to be done on your rest day, but don't let that fool you.  It is not an intense workout, but it isn't necessarily easy.  I did not use it until it was scheduled into my recovery week, then I wished I had put it in more often.

Isometrix:  This workout involves a lot of balance and core work.  It is not cardio, but it still works up a sweat.

Pilates X:  This is one challenging pilates routine.  I, personally, have a hard time getting the breathing right, but like anything else, it got better the more I did it.  Tony's humor definitely helps you along the way!

Eccentric Upper:  Okay....this routine involves more pull-ups, so I had to use my bands, but those bands STILL did a lot to help my upper body strength.  As well as these moves, there are upper body moves with weights, as well as those darn push-ups.

Triometrics:  HOLY LOWER BODY WORKOUT!  This is 30 minutes at 3 different levels of intensity.  You'll go through 14 different moves, each starting at a low intensity and building up.  I'll be honest....at first, I was good at stopping at the second level of a few of these moves (like kablam!), and still got a great workout, but eventually, it DOES get easier.

Eccentric Lower:  Similar to Eccentric Upper, but now we are focusing on the lower body.  You get to choose your weights to use while doing things like sumo squats and lunges.  It took me a couple rounds to get the right weights for me, but the tracking sheets provided were very helpful for me to mark up with up arrows, down arrows, and check marks.

Incinerator:  This workout is a combination of push-ups, pull-ups and weight training moves that BURN.  Incinerator is an appropriate name.

MMX:  This is a routine where you will kick and punch while burning calories.  Being the uncoordinated person that I am, I think I just WATCHED most of this video the first time through (and maybe even the second...), because some of those combinations...well, it took me a while to get it.  It is fun, however, and I did improve as time went on.

Decelerator:  These moves are CRAZY!  Crane cracker push-ups, crawly plyo push-ups, and big brother burpees were torture!  Although I think this was my most difficult workout in the series, I still saw progress.  Did I EVER get through the entire 30 minutes following Tony....ummmm...no...but I still pushed as far as I could and saw results.

Overall:

This is absolutely a great workout for men and women who want to build strength and stability.  This has great core work and strengthens your entire body.  Having NO upper body strength, like I did going into the is program, is NOT an excuse to not do this program...in fact, it is the number one reason TO do this program.  The gradual progression that you see yourself go through is amazing!  And the more muscle that you can build on your body, the more fat you will burn!

If you want more information on the P90X3 Challenge pack, click here.  If you want more information on the P90X3 base program, click here.