Travis Hyde created a video documentary of his experience with the P90X workout program over 3 months. The program involves 12 DVDs with different exercise routines that target specific muscle groups. Travis found the program effective but too basic for an experienced athlete. During the first week, Travis injured his lower back while squatting and had to modify his leg exercises. Overall, Travis felt the program was well-organized but not necessary for someone already knowledgeable about different exercise types.

1. Hello, my name is Travis Hyde and for my senior project, I did a video
documentary on the commercial workout program P90X. I was interested in whether or
not the program was effective and to what degree, and I wanted to capture the three
month trial in video. I began the program the first week of December and ended it the
final week of February. I filmed myself exercising (both at home and at a local gym) and
talking to the camera about my feelings and opinions about the program.
I used medium level resistance bands, dumbbells, pullup bars, bench press and
back squat stations, a leg press machine, and a stool to perform the exercises needed. I
used an Insignia 720p 5 megapixel camcorder to film. All routine exercises of the
program were done at home. Extra strength training was done at the Anytime Fitness
center in Hickory Flat.
P90X is divided into 12 DVDs of different sets of exercises. Different weekly
combinations of these sets are dispersed over 3 months, each month divided into four
weeks. Set one (a set being one DVD) is an intense chest and back workout that employs
pushups and pullups throughout. Set two consists of a patented system of intense aerobics
called Plyometrics. This uses various jumps and lateral movements to provide a very
intense cardiovascular workout. Set three trains shoulder and arm muscles through curls
and other various pulls and presses. Yoga X, the fourth daily routine, involves stretching,
balancing, and breathing work, but in a much more rigorous fashion than typical yoga
routines. Set five involves squats and lunges in an effort to train the legs and back. Set
six, Kenpo X, utilizes a series of punches and kicks to achieve aerobic exercise in an
entirely different fashion. The following set is an optional series of stretches called X
Stretch. This day can be used to rest, but I often found myself jogging for around 20

2. minutes instead. Set eight, Core Synergistics, conditions and targets multiple muscle
groups. Set nine targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps to increase definition. Set ten
emphasizes working the back and biceps. Set eleven, Cardio X, is a more low impact
alternative to plyometrics that conditions aerobically. Set twelve is the infamous Ab
Ripper X which exercises all core muscles constantly for approximately 16 minutes. The
workout schedule is organized on the following page.
The frequent changes in workout routine are labeled as a system called Advanced
Muscle Confusion, a technique that attempts to “confuse” muscle groups by switching
exercise types over certain time periods. I found this technique to be effective – for
example, I would find different exercises to be much harder than repeated exercises even
when they both targeted the exact same muscle or muscle group. The only complaint I
have about this system is that Ab Ripper X is performed more times than any other set of
exercises but never changes.
Prior to beginning P90X, I had taken two years of weight training (the official
course at school) under my project facilitator, the football coach Mr. Nelson. I gained
about 20 pounds over these two years and my lifts went up by hundreds of pounds. I
wanted to continue to lift during the course of P90X, so I contacted Mr. Nelson and asked
his approval. He told me that lifting during this program would be perfectly fine (he has
done P90X himself) as long as I was careful.
The two lifts that I wanted to continue to do outside of P90X were the bench press
and back squat. These are the two key lifts to strengthening the upper and lower body,
respectively. For bench press, one lays on a bench parallel to the ground and presses a
free bar with weights attached upward multiple times. The weight is usually in the range

3. of the lifter’s own body weight. The second lift, the back squat, involves the lifter holding
a free bar with weights attached behind his shoulders and squatting until his thighs are
parallel to the ground, then pushing upward with the heels until the legs are straightened.
For a healthy athlete, the weight used in a squat is typically 50-100 pounds over the
lifter’s body weight. Despite being careful to use proper technique and appropriate
weight quantity, I injured myself during a squat routine during the first week of P90X.
In a proper squat, the weight of the body and the additional weight of the bar is
centered at the lifter’s heels. This requires the chest to be forward of the stomach during
the low point of the squat. However, I leaned forward much too far during one rep,
causing my spine to support more weight than the rest of my body. This pulled and nearly
tore a muscle in my lower back. Because of this injury, I had to stretch an extra amount
during leg exercise days, use less weight, and do leg presses instead of squats for the
extra strength training. In my particular leg press exercises, I sat at a 45 degree angle to
the ground and pushed a plate upward at the same angle. This worked, but was not nearly
as effective for my lower body strength as heavy squats. This injury took about 2 weeks
to recover from. After recovery, I would do squats, but only with a lifting partner.
I found P90X to be a very effective exercise program, but not worth the money
for me personally. It educates users on the value of changing exercise routines frequently,
but does nothing else other than provide an organizational plan and motivation. For
someone who is in poor shape but capable of these workouts, the program is perfect. For
an experienced athlete who wants to take his fitness level one step higher, this program is
extra baggage to an otherwise simple solution. If one knows and can perform various
types of exercises for multiple muscle groups and has the discipline and organizational

4. skills to do so, the purchase of this volume of DVDs is highly unnecessary. However, it is
well put together and highly effective overall.
The problems I encountered include missed days (as logged) and the injury to my
back. The injury, however, did not limit me from the program, but from the extra strength
training outside of the program.
This exercise routine applies not only to my life as an athlete, but to my career
path option of health and fitness. P90X encompasses exercises and stretches experienced
daily by health experts such as personal trainers, sports scientists, and physical therapists.