Glen Gosch Fitness – Creating a Healthy Lifestyle

Most know I am a huge proponent of the P90X workout program – it got me from being overweight to great shape in no time at all. Since becoming a Coach and working with other people going through the program, I often hear excuses for people skipping workouts or not seeing the program through. I think the number one excuse is time – or something centered around time. “I didn’t have time today”, “I ran out of time today”, “I don’t have time right now” – these are some of the lines I have heard. Heck, they are some of the lines I used on my first failed attempt at the 90 day program.

If time seems to be an issue for you, I have 5 tips that can help you with the program:

1. Shorten the warm up time – Most of the P90X workouts are about an hour long with about 10 minutes of warm ups and stretches on each video to start off. Instead of doing the entire warm up try jumping rope for 1 – 2 minutes, then stretching for another minute or two. After that, hop right in to the core of the workout.
2. Invest in a shorter yoga video – I think most of us pop in Yoga X and say “90 minutes? Really Tony Horton? Really?” Listen, I have grown to like Yoga X – it is one of my favorite workouts. But, let’s say that you woke up late, or something came up to where you don’t have those 90 minutes. One of the P90X One on One DVDs may be able to help. I have one called “Patience Hummingbird” Yoga that is under 40 minutes and uses a lot of the same poses in Yoga X. It is great for the days when 40 minutes of yoga is enough.
3. Cut the video short – Go to the cool down early. Don’t make this a regular practice, but if time is of the essence, working out for 30 or 45 minutes is a heck of a lot better than working out for 0 minutes.
4. Cut out Ab Ripper X – Sometimes. During the 3 phases of P90X we are working our abs 4 times per week (Ab Ripper X 3 times, and “Yoga Belly 7” in Yoga X). Do what it takes to work abs at least twice a week. You might do Abs in the morning and your main workout in the evening. You might just end up skipping Ab Ripper one day. Again, don’t accept this as the best solution, but if an ab workout gets missed here and there throughout the 90 days it will not make that big of a difference.
5. Become more efficient with your time – Often times our lack of time is all perception; we think we don’t have the time. If your day feels cluttered and you are really struggling with finding the time to be consistent with your workouts, I suggest picking up the book “Eat that Frog” by Brian Tracy. In the book Tracy gives 21 steps to better manage your time to line up with your goals. The book is an easy read. Try picking 5 steps in the book that apply most to your life. You might find that you actually do have the time to get any P90X workout in – even Yoga X.

Following the P90X fitness plan the way it suggests is the best way to get the best results, BUT, on those days where time becomes an issue you can still work out! Do what you have to do to get it done. Again, try not to make these time saving practices the norm; strive for committing fully for the entire 90 days.