P90X

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A good pull up bar will rack up more mileage with P90X than other piece of work-out gear. Using your own body weight instead of relying on workout machines is at the core of the system.

First off, many of the generic chin-up bars out there are absolute junk. Both the Iron Gym Extreme and 90X bar have an extensive track record with enthusiasts. So these two bars are the only obvious choices out there. It’s highly possible there are some obscure workout bars out there that are just as good, but there’s no reason to seek a needle in a haystack.

Not every door frame is a worthy choice. Consider the fact that supporting the entire body weight of a person is no easy task. You need to carefully measure your doorway and compare it with the dimensions of the pull up bar. The 90X bar works with doorways up to 32 inches wide. The Iron Gym claims to go up to 34 inches but in practice it is more like 32 inches. Ideally you want a few inches to spare for extra support, so if your door is 30 inches wide or less, you are among the lucky ones.

The P90X bar touts its ability to support up to 12 different grip positions. The Iron Gym is identical in this respect. The grips are all placed in the same way. Beside minor cosmetic differences, the design of these bars is close to identical. The all-black P90X does look a little slicker and more refined.

One major difference between the P90X chin-up bar and the Iron Gym Extreme is price. Currently the P90X bar by Beachbody sells for a touch over double what the Iron Gym costs.

Both bars have a good solid feel once mounted. Components tend to loosen up over time so you’ll need to tighten screws here and there if you want to retain the sturdiest feel possible. The screws on the P90X model were inclined to loosen quicker as they are undersized compared to the Iron Gym.

One common complaint with the Iron Gym is the low quality of the screws, bolts and nuts. If you are above 200 lbs. this may start to become as issue as there are reports of the screws snapping. So are you in the clear with the more expensive P90X? Not quite. The hardware might break with this model as well. Either way, you’ll want to have some backup hardware on hand in case something snaps. Replacements are cheap and readily available at any hardware store so this isn’t a biggie.

The Verdict

It’s hard to find any obvious differences in quality between these pull-up bars as both are incredibly similar. Neither product is perfect as screws tend to loosen over time and have a chance of snapping – this is simply the nature of the beast. Some simple maintenance is required.

The price factor makes the choice obvious. The Iron Gym Extreme is just as good and sells for less than half the price.

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p90x-recoveryP90X is no joke. It takes persistence and perseverance to get the most out of the program. People flock to P90X when they see the quick results of others but fail to think about the sacrifices those people made to get there. The problem is that the routine takes a lot out of you.

As a man with a physically demanding job I need to be at my best post-workout just as much as pre-workout. Dealing with a sore body at work due to an overzealous workout hampered with my day too often. That was until I decided to do something about it.

First off you should know that I’m not a supplement head. Typically all I take during the course of a day is whey protein powder, a multi-vitamin and fish oil.

Eating a balanced, high-protein diet is of course paramount to success with P90X. I was eating as well as my schedule would allow but still felt like a needed an extra bump post-workout. For this reason I decided to give the Results and Recovery Formula a spin.

The formula comes in either packets or a tub. Personally I went with the tub as I work out at home. You get a 30-day supply based on a 5-6 day/week workout schedule. Serving size is two scoops of powder per 12 oz. of water. A blender isn’t necessary. You can use either a drink mixer or a spoon to make a serving for yourself.

Before the formula was changed the drink tasted like an orange Creamsicle. The current version tastes more like Tang orange drink. I found the older version to be a little tastier. Then again flavour isn’t a priority to me when it comes to health supplements. I wasn’t drinking the stuff on the merit of its great taste from the start. It’s for quicker recoveries and bulking up.

Here’s how it works.

After an intense workout your muscles are depleted of glycogen. In order to encourage your muscles to repair themselves as quickly as possible Results and Recovery Formula replenishes the glycogen. Both simple and complex carbs are used to achieve the optimum balance.

A high Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) blend then provides the protein and amino acids needed to rebuild muscle tissue. On top of that, the formula includes the right balance of vitamins and anti-oxidants to reduce soreness and speed up recovery.

Is it Worth the Price?

After working out with the recovery formula for several weeks I can confirm that delivers what it promises. I don’t tend to feel spent after workouts like I used to. Although there is no way to tell it isn’t just a placebo effect, somehow I doubt it. The formula is backed by scientific studies mentioned here. It is a little hard now to relate to how I felt before because I’m now accustomed to the energy bump and now it seems “normal.”

P90X Results and Recovery Formula is well worth it if you are eating well and have the extra cash to guarantee the best results. Now that I’ve experienced its benefits, it would be hard to go back to pumping iron without it.