P90X2 Review, Results & Calendar [What You Need to Know]
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I’ll be the first to tell you P90X2 and Insanity Max 30 are the hardest at home workouts I’ve ever attempted. For me, I preferred P90X3 because the workouts were all 30-minutes and took the principles from the original P90X and P90X2.
However, if you’re in for an intense workout program and have an hour to workout this may be your perfect program!
P90X2 Workouts Focus on:
- balance
- agility
- core strength
- athleticism
Is P90X2 better than P90X?
P90X2 definitely is more extreme than the original P90X because it engages so many different muscle groups at the same time. Every workout you’ll be using your core and improving your balance. For those reasons, we really like P90X2, but if you’re just starting we recommend doing P90X first.
Just like the original, the P90X2 schedule is a 90-days, and it’s also broken down into three phases.
You can choose how long you want to stay in the first phase though – which I appreciated.
I struggled with some of the moves because I was building my upper muscle strength.
You can stay in Phase 1 (Foundation) for 3-6 weeks.
You can also add in a recovery week as needed. Since the program is designed for advanced exercisers, it’s more about getting the most out of each workout and listening to your body versus the “90 Day” mark like the original.
The workout program also includes a meal plan.
Tony Horton also explains the differences between the original and P90X2 in this video.
Other Differences:
- Shorter yoga workout than the original
- The cardio is woven into the workouts now now. I really like this because my heart rate is always up PLUS I am burning fat by gaining muscle.
- P90x is a 6 day a week program, but X2 is only 5 days a week. I love the extra day to recover from the long, intense workouts!
- They use a stability ball in this one, and they don’t in P90X. I really like stability ball moves because it leaves my entire core worked.
If you’re short on time…
If you only have a limited time to workout (like so many of us) you might like Tony’s P90X3 or 22 Minute Hard Corps.
While both are shorter, the workouts are still so challenging and effective.
They actually found X3’s test group had better results than the original test group from P90X – even though they worked out half the time!!
22 Minute Hard Corps is Tony’s newest program and is set up as a military workout. So while it’s 22 minutes, don’t expect it to be easy.
You can try ALL 3 programs on Beachbody on Demand.
You can learn more about Beachbody’s streaming service, Beachbody on Demand here.
If you’re not sure which workout is best for you, or you love a variety of workouts the streaming service may be your best bet.
Plus, it’s more affordable than buying a lot of different Beachbody workout programs.
Get BODi or BODI + Supplements
How Long are the P90X2 Workouts?
The P90X2 workouts are around the hour long mark. The shortest workout is 57, and the longest workout is 64 minutes.
The P90X2 Schedule
Here’s a look at the full P90X2 workout schedule!
Phase 1: Foundation
|
Day
|
Workout
|
Time |
|---|---|---|
|
Day 1 (Monday)
|
X2 Core
|
57 Minutes
|
|
Day 2 (Tuesday)
|
Plyocide
|
57 Minutes
|
|
Day 3 (Wednesday)
|
Rest or X2 Recovery and Mobility
|
58 Minutes
|
|
Day 4 (Thursday)
|
X2 Body + Ab Ripper
|
64 Minutes + 17 Minutes
|
|
Day 5 (Friday)
|
Yoga
|
68 Minutes
|
|
Day 6 (Saturday)
|
X2 Balance and Power
|
63 Minutes
|
|
Day 7 (Sunday)
|
Rest or X2 Recovery and Mobility
|
58 Minutes
|
The first phase focuses on your core and balance.
This phase can last 3-6 weeks depending on how strong you feel. The reason you might want to invest extra time in this phase is because you’re going to need a strong core for phase 2.
It’s important to be patient with yourself during this phase. Some of the moves might feel awkward if you’re not great at balancing or lack core strength.
Keep at it, and those moves will get easier.
P90X2 Schedule for Phase 2: Strength
|
Day
|
Workout
|
Time |
|---|---|---|
|
Day 1 (Monday)
|
Chest + Back + Balance & Abs
|
60 Minutes + 17 Minutes
|
|
Day 2 (Tuesday)
|
Plyocide
|
57 Minutes
|
|
Day 3 (Wednesday)
|
Rest or X2 Recovery and Mobility
|
58 Minutes
|
|
Day 4 (Thursday)
|
Shoulders + Arms & Abs
|
53 Minutes + 17 Minutes
|
|
Day 5 (Friday)
|
Yoga
|
68 Minutes
|
|
Day 6 (Saturday)
|
Base + Back & Abs
|
56 Minutes + 17 Minutes
|
|
Day 7 (Sunday)
|
Rest or X2 Recovery and Mobility
|
58 Minutes
|
The 2nd phase, Strength, is a lot like the original P90X workouts but on one leg. You are going be improving your stability during this 30 days to help improve your core strength. You’ll also start to add in heavier weights.
P90X2 Schedule for Phase 3: Performance
|
Day
|
Workout
|
Time
|
|---|---|---|
|
Day 1 (Monday)
|
P.A.P. Lower
|
63 Minutes
|
|
Day 2 (Tuesday)
|
P.A.P. Upper
|
53 Minutes
|
|
Day 3 (Wednesday)
|
X2 Yoga
|
68 Minutes
|
|
Day 4 (Thursday)
|
Rest or X2 Recovery & Mobility
|
58 Minutes
|
|
Day 5 (Friday)
|
P.A.P. Lower
|
63 Minutes
|
|
Day 6 (Saturday)
|
P.A.P. Upper
|
53 Minutes
|
|
Day 7 (Sunday)
|
Rest or X2 Recovery & Mobility
|
58 Minutes
|
The last phase, Performance, combines everything you’ve learned from phase 1 and 2.
So you’ll find yourself using weights and doing plyometrics to improve your power and strength.
You’ll also be introduced to P.A.P – Post-Activation Potentiation. Which is about adding in explosive movements after heavy resistance training to maximize your performance.
Print Your P90X2 Calendar
P90X2 Workouts
The 12 unique workouts fall include strength training, plyometrics, yoga, and agility drills.
The workouts included are:
- X2 Core
- Plyocide
- X2 Recovery + Mobility
- X2 Total Body
- X2 Yoga
- Balance + Power
- Chest + Back + Balance
- X2 Shoulders + Arms
- Base + Back
- P.A.P. Lower
- P.A.P. Upper
- X2 Ab Ripper
The bonus & deluxe workouts are:
- P90X One on One: 4 Legs
- P90X One on One: Upper Body Balance
- V Sculpt
- X2 Chest + Shoulders + Tris
You also get access to the How To Bring It Again Video, P90X2 Power Your Performance Fitness Guide, and Nutrition Guide.
What Equipment do I Need for P90X2 Workouts?
The first thing I highly recommend is the printable P90X2 Workout Sheets. They will help you track your progress.
You’ll of course also want to follow the meal plan and calendar provided with the program. (If you decide to stream P90X2 you can download all of those materials as well).
Other Equipment
- Variety of dumbbells or resistance bands (We love our bowflex selecttech dumbbells!)
- Pull Up Bar
- Foam Roller (optional)
- 2 – 8lb Medicine Balls (optional)
- Stability Ball (optional)
Is P90X2 on DVD?
The P90X2 workouts used to be sold on DVD; however, Beachbody is getting away from DVDs and focusing on their streaming service, Beachbody on Demand now.
You can stream all of P90X2 workouts with a Beachbody on Demand membership!
We did a full Beachbody on Demand review that may help you decide if streaming is right for you! With that said, we really think you’ll love it!
You can stream workouts from your phone, computer, or to your TV with a streaming device!
Plus, you’ll get access to over 1400 workouts for one price versus having to pay for individual programs!
So you could try the original P90X and P90X3, as well as, any other Beachbody workouts like 80 Day Obsession or 6 Weeks of the Work!
Get P90X2 on BODi or BODI + Supplements
Do you really need Shakeology or workout supplements?
With P90X2, we recommend Energize and Recover.
Energize is going to help you push harder in your workouts and has been shown to lead to better results.
Recover is going to help with muscle soreness and muscle building.
Shakeology is more optional in our minds with this program.
We personally drink it daily because it’s a quick and easy meal that tastes good and is nutrient dense. Our favorite flavor is Chocolate.
So if you’re not good with meal prep, you may like having this shake as an option!
What if P90X2 hard?
That’s the great thing about Beachbody on Demand. You could always do another workout to build up the P90X2 schedule.
Final Notes on P90X2 Review
The program is not easy, but it’s very effective. This is a program for experienced exercisers.
If you’re just starting your workout routine, you might check out P90 or 21 Day Fix.
Things I loved:
- Tony is really inspiring and motivating.
- Real people are doing the workouts on the DVDs too.
- The detail to proper form is great!
- I could never have created such variety if I had just gone to the gym.
Things I didn’t love:
- The are longer workouts.
- The music isn’t great. The focus is on instructing good form so the music is just barely in the background.
Have you tried P90X2 workouts yet?
If so – what did you think?
If you’re looking for a new challenge – check out the hybrids or Tony’s other workouts here.
