P90X Vs. The Gym

While I’m not here to say that going to the gym instead of investing in an extreme home fitness program like P90X is a bad idea, I would like to talk about the pro’s of doing P90X rather than going to the gym. While many people have had great results going to the gym, there’s also many people out there without the proper workout and nutrition knowledge who commit to a gym, get frustrated because their results plateau, and either stay frustrated or give up working out entirely. I used to be one of those “gym people” with little knowledge and who’s results simply never took off because I had no solid workout routines or guidance. So here’s my take on why investing and committing to P90X may be the best choice over a gym membership.

Financials

I did a little research online and found that the average gym membership costs 30 to 50 dollars a month and when including the initial membership fee the yearly cost would average between $400 to $800. So we’ll take the middle road and say that the average person who invests in the average gym spends about $600 a year on their gym membership. Mind you, this doesn’t include the cost of driving to the gym because everyone’s distance between their home and gym varies, as does gas prices, but keep that extra cost in mind.

Now for the total investment in P90X. The program itself costs $119.99. Mind you that includes 12 different workouts, a nutrition guide, and workout calendar (most gyms I know of don’t include a nutrition guide or workout calendar in their gym memberships…you would have to invest in a trainer to give you that knowledge which would cost a lot more money). Then you would need the weights. Unless you have a set already, the adjustable kind is the best way to go, as it will save space and money. You can find decent prices all over the internet or stores. I got mine at $300.00, so we’ll use that number (you can also use resistance bands, which are a lot cheaper, but we’ll stick with weights since that’s what most people use for the workouts). The other staple product you’ll need is a pull up bar. The P90X pullup bar is the best on the market and costs $60. Finally, if you want the best results possible from your pushups, investing in Tony’s Powerstands costs another $40. Those are the basic essentials; you can buy yoga mats, resistance bands, etc, but we’ll keep to the basics. So in all, the total investment in P90X will cost you on average $520. That’s $80 less than an average $600 gym membership. And to be truthful, a lot more of the information I found online weighted more towards quality gyms costing $800 a year, so if you use that figure, you’re saving $280 a year. Again, keep in mind that you don’t have to drive because you’re working out in your own home, so you’re saving additional gas money.

Now think about this. If you stay at the average $600 gym for two years, you’re now spending $1,200 in two years. With P90X, it’s a one time investment. So if you keep doing the program for over two years, you’re now saving $680 over a two year span! Those $680 could be used to by 5 months of Shakeology!

Nutrition

Now the eating part. Remember, P90X comes with a nutrition guide, detailing different plans on what to eat based on your goals. You don’t get a nutrition plan with your gym membership, which is why people who go to the gym don’t always get the great results they expect to see from going to the gym so much because they don’t know how to eat correctly. And if the P90X guide is too complex or has food too difficult to cook (I was in this boat, as I’m not a great cook to begin with!), if you become a Club member at www.teambeachbody.com, you can get your own, simple customizable meal plan each week. The membership only costs $2.99 per week. Not only that, but as a club member you get 10% discounts on beachbody products, so you could spend less on all the P90X investments mentioned above and save even more money rather than going to the gym.

Motivation

Here are some other cons I found personally with gyms that can hurt our motivation to workout.

1)     

            Waiting in Line: In college, my gym would get so busy it would sometimes take 20-30 minutes of standing in line to even get into the gym. And then you waste even more time waiting in line for certain exercise machines. How can you get into a constant flow and in the zone when you have to wait another 5 minutes to use the leg press machine? Not only that, you run into the problem of injuring yourself because of how many times you keep stopping your workouts. You’re also not burning as many calories if you run into the “line” problem.

2)      

      Intimidation: I’m not going to lie, it was sometimes intimidating to see other huge, bulky guys in the gym benchpressing double what you were bench pressing. Not only that, it was soooo annoying to have what I called “screamers” in the gym, usually big guys screaming at the top of their lungs during every bench press to get everyone’s attention on how much they were lifting (note: if you are one of these people, please stop, many girls have testified it’s a big turn off J). However, with P90X, you’re in the safe confines of your own home, and don’t have to worry about screamers, or anyone watching and judging you.

3)      

       Workout Routine: I almost laugh when I think about my workout routines at the gym. There was no muscle confusion or change in workouts. I worked out three times a week and did the same exact workouts everyday…and I worked each body part everyday. No wonder I hit a plateau. I had no idea what I was doing. But P90X basically lays it all out for you, giving you a set schedule each week, different muscles to work out each day, and what to eat each day. It doesn’t get simpler, and that guidance has given people 10x the results they were getting at the gym, lost and confused as to why they weren’t seeing results.

4)      

       The Drive: Most people have to drive to their gym, which can also cause motivational problems. If you’re coming home from a long day of work and see your comfy couch and big screen TV in the living room, a lot of people will use that as an excuse to not make the drive to the gym and get their daily exercise. But with P90X, you’re gym is in your home, which reduces the excuses.

5
      Free World Class Trainer: Finally, you get a world class motivational trainer for FREE in Tony Horton. During workouts he will make you laugh, keep you motivated, and keep you coming back for more

         I hope I was able to convince you that P90X can be a lot more beneficial than going to the gym by saving you money and keeping you motivated. I could never imagine going back to a gym now. If you have any questions about making me your FREE coach or about Beachbody products and fitness in general, don’t be afraid to e-mail me at jpfeiff9@gmail.com