When it comes to workout programs people gravitate towards the ones that yield quick results.
P90X promises a ripped body in only 90 days. Of course, everyone is convinced that they’ll be able to keep up the rigorous workouts every day before they get it. However, living up to the commitment is tougher than it seems on paper.
At the end of the day, P90X is a system for people that are already highly active. If you’re like many people, you’re looking to level up your body but aren’t aiming to practically take on the lifestyle of an athlete either. The good news for this group is most P90X alternatives aren’t as physically demanding and they don’t take as much time. Once you master any of these you can always step it up a notch and reach for P90X.
Note that although P90X has been popular for quite some time, it hasn’t quite been replicated yet. Its workouts are not only intense but thorough. It requires 60 to 90 minutes of your time, six days a week.
LIIFT4
If you’re interested in incorporating weight lifting into your cardio workouts, LIIFT4 by instructor Joel Freeman is worth a look. You’ll get a level of strength gains you won’t experience with P90X.
People that want the high intensity of P90X/X2/X3 but not the time commitment will appreciate that this is a four days per week program. The workouts are shorter too. A wide variety of exercises are covered in 30 to 40 minutes.
Power 90
If you are a beginner or over 40 years old you may want to consider the other system offered by Beachbody called Power 90. Think of it as a scaled-back version of P90X.
Like its cousin, it comes with access to fitness and dieting tips. Instead of 13 videos, there are six videos dedicated to cardio and abs. You’ll learn how to tone, firm, and sculpt your body as well as lose weight. Cardio exercises pioneered by Tony Horton are included along with kickboxing and Pilates.
Jillian Michaels
Jillian Michaels is the TV trainer on the hit show “The Biggest Loser.” As the name implies, she is geared towards big results – namely in the realm of weight loss. If you can commit to 20 minutes per day for a month you can improve your fitness level considerably.
You won’t need fitness balls, rubber bands, and door clamps to get into cardio with Jillian Michaels. All it takes is a thirst for a high-intensity, high-impact cardio workout to get started.
Be warned that DVD videos like 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30 will kick your butt if you are out of shape. Even the advanced crowd may find level 2 in 30 Day Shred a challenge.
Fitness Video Games
Video games are a blast but the traditional kind locks us into sloth-like behavior.
Nintendo’s Wii aimed to change all that with motion controls. PS3 and Xbox 360 followed suit with Kinect and Move. And currently, Nintendo Switch and VR headsets offer games that increase your fitness level while providing entertainment.
Ring Fit Adventure brings fitness to the domain of adventure games. It gets you out of the gym environment and puts you in a fantastical fantasy world. If the thought of defeating minions with overhead shoulder presses excites you. this is your game.
Wii Fit Plus comes with a balance board and as the name implies it is more concerned with balance and stretching games and not so much with breaking a sweat. The balance board doubles as a smart scale so you can track your weight loss with Wii Fit and other workout programs.
EA Sports Active addressed the need for a game with an emphasis on Western-style fitness. It delivers a fairly intense cardio workout that nicely changes up routines according to a dynamic program created by a top personal trainer. It you can track down a complete copy, everything you need is in the box.
Get Eclectic
Variety is the name of the game in workout systems today. This is what maximizes muscle confusion so you get the biggest possible gains for the work you put in.
If you already have a few workout DVDs lying around you may want to build upon that and create your own system. Granted it might not be quite as streamlined as the pre-made systems but the goal here is to go with what inspires you.
Sometimes the top P90X alternative is to combine P90X/X2/X3 with another high-intensity program such as LIIFT4, T25, or Insanity.
You may want to do martial arts one day, yoga the next day, Pilates the next, then toss in some R&B dance lessons. The best way to keep active is to follow your unique passions.