The Problem With P90X
The Problem With P90X
The Problem With P90X
Not a day goes by where I don't get get asked about P90X.
Recently, I had an opportunity to check out a bit of the program so here's my take on it:
I think P90X is a fine program for improving general conditioning and losing weight.
However, the program is also pitched as a great way to build muscle and unfortunately that's simply not possible.
Here's why:
The marketing minds behind P90X want you to believe that the reason P90X is so effective is due to the principle of "muscle confusion."
From a marketing standpoint, this is smart. Because "muscle confusion" sounds impressive.
The trouble is, muscle confusion simply doesn't work.
The Myth of Muscle Confusion.
If you want to get bigger and stronger, you need to harness the principle of adaptation. Beyond muscle gain, your body has other adaptive systems in place.
For example, getting a sun tan is an adaptive process. If you go out in the sun for 15 minutes on a hot summer day, your skin may get red. That's because the sun is damaging your skin.
So your body responds. To prevent future damage, your body will go through a series of complex reactions with the end result being darker skin. Or, a sun tan. This is your body's defense against sun burns.
Now, if you are only in the sun 15 minutes, your body will only respond by darkening your skin just enough to avoid a sun burn from 15 minutes of sun. But if you are in the sun 15 minutes on Monday, 20 minutes on Tuesday, 30 minutes on Wednesday, your body must continually adapt and continually darken your skin to avoid burning.
Makes sense right? To get a deep, dark sun tan you would simply try to be out in the sun a little bit longer each day. You would NOT try to confuse your skin by going out in the sun one day and staying locked in your basement for the next week. Because while that might "confuse" your skin, it certainly wouldn't be an effective way to get a tan.
Muscle growth works the same way. To get bigger and stronger muscles, you must consistently subject your muscles to a little more resistance each time. Because your body will adapt to try and avoid further damage. In this case, the damage is caused by resistance training which can cause microscopic damage to muscle cells. Your body will then repair the muscle and rebuild the muscle a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger to avoid future damage.
That's why if you want to get bigger and stronger it doesn't make sense to try and confuse your muscles. Your muscles don't respond to confusion. Muscles respond to progressive overload.
Muscle confusion as espoused by P90X won't get you anywhere if your goal is to get bigger and stronger.
And if that's your goal, you'd be best served by an organized system where you stick with basic exercises and increase the weight a few pounds at a time. It ain't sexy, but over the course of months and years it can turn you into a monster.
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