Mixing up your workouts

One of the latest buzz terms in the fitness industry is muscle confusion. That means you mix up your workouts so you never plateau in strength or cardiovascular endurance. You keep working your muscles in different ways to achieve maximum results.

Some people might be able to make that happen on their own by alternating types of exercises. Others may need a little help, maybe a training program to follow.

Muscle confusion is the basis for P90X, an at-home workout program that has gained widespread popularity, even with the gym regulars.

I don't usually write about video exercise programs, mainly because there are so many and it's tough to figure out which ones are the most effective. But this program has people talking. At least once a week, someone recommends it to me.

So I had to check it out.

Fortunately, a neighbor who had already shelled out $120 for the 12 DVDs and training guide offered to let me borrow it. The P90X workouts, I found, are nothing out of the ordinary. Basic exercises, such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats and lunges, are sprinkled throughout the program. There also are some kickboxing, plyometric, yoga and Pilates moves.

But it's the way the schedule is set up that creates the challenge for the body. For 90 days -- that's the 90 in the program's name -- you follow a calendar that doesn't allow your muscles to get overly accustomed to any one routine. By the way, the P stands for power and the X is for extreme.

After three weeks of intense workouts, you follow a recovery schedule for one week that mandates less taxing workouts and allows the muscles to strengthen.

P90X isn't all about exercise, either. There are optional nutrition and supplement guidelines that go along with the program. At the very least, participants are encouraged to eat right.

Tony Horton, the exercise trainer who developed P90X, states in the introduction, "You can do thousands of crunches a day, but that eight-pack is not going to show up unless you start making the right food choices."

Mark Staples, a local investment adviser, jokes that he gave up health clubs about 10 years ago because the "dollars spent didn't equate to calories lost."

About a year ago, he bought the P90X program. Since then, he's lost about a dozen pounds and his body fat has dropped from 22 percent to 12 percent.

Eating right is a big part of it. But the "butt kicker" workouts have definitely helped as well, Staples said. "It's a great program. It's well thought out and well executed."

Horton's program is one that appeals to men as well as women. Of the people I know who do it, the split is about 50-50 between genders. I'd say that's a coup for the developers of the program in an industry dominated by female consumers since the days of Jane Fonda.

Of course, when you do the exercises and listen to Horton's instruction, it's obvious he's reaching out to the guy crowd. I was doing his Cardio X DVD, and I was entertained by the names he used to label the exercises. For instance, a fast-paced pendulum swing -- during which the legs are going side to side and the elbows are pulling into the waist to work the obliques -- is called a "wacky jack." Likewise, a plyometric jump side to side with a knee lift is an "airborne Heisman."

So, take heart, guys. This is no Jane Fonda routine.

The company that developed P90X is Beachbody, which produces a large line of home fitness programs. The company's promotional slogan on P90X is: "Go from regular to ripped in 90 days."

I'm not one to buy into promises like that, but I do know people who have seen tangible results in weight loss and toning. If you're interested in giving it a try, check out http://www.beachbody.com on the Internet. See what happens when you make your muscles confused.
Maria Howard is a group exercise instructor for the YMCA of Greater Richmond. Her column runs on alternate Sundays in Flair.