Read the disclaimer from the first post. You, and only you, are responsible for what you do.

If you’re mostly desk-bound like me, the following tips may help you get the most out of P90X.

The Forums

Join the BeachBody forums. If for nothing else, browse around and find more tips. Don’t be afraid to join into the conversation if you have questions on anything. You’re pretty sure to get an answer or two. But remember, that this is a community based service so you should remember to talk to a professional if necessary (and that’s the advice you’ll often see).

The forums are also great for motivation. Join or monitor a group that starts P90X the same time you do. You’ll find that others are experiencing the same pains and gains you are. There are also tons of pictures from real people that can motivate you to “keep pushing play”.

Progress

Track your progress. Just like writing great software and websites, if you don’t have metrics, you can’t measure performance or success. Take the pictures and measurements as instructed before, during and after.

Don’t use weight as your only or primary metric. Consider a scale that takes a body fat measurement, such as the Omron HBF-500.

Just remember that these scales are notoriously inaccurate. So why recommend one? Well, while these will probably give you a percentage that is anywhere from 10-20% off the real body fat percentage, you can still use one to track the change in your body fat percentage. So while the number might not be the true value, you’ll still be able to monitor progress as long as you weigh yourself at the same time of day consistently. Taking an average over several days will give you an even better result. Another thing that will throw these types of devices off is your hydration level, or if you’re wet or sweaty. Keep it consistent.

(Lower) Back

The rest week can take a heavy toll on your lower back – be careful. When you go into phase 2, you should start out easy as you might notice that your back is a little tender from all the core work from the previous week. You might even consider not using weights during the first core (rest) week’s exercises. The phase 2 exercises also seem to require more control over your core muscles. You may also be lifting heavier weights in your second month and if you should take care to lift them up properly off the floor (a stand for your weights might help).

Workout Tips

In addition to the tips on the DVDs:

• The DVDs have great chapter markers. This means you can move about in the workout between each exercise (except warmup and cooldown) with ease.
• When it feels “too hard” (and I don’t mean that you’re about to pass out or injure yourself)
  • Push through it. This is when you’ll actually be making progress.
  • It’s probably mostly mental, the rest is the fact that your body got used to something and now is complaining about having to get results.
• Go deeper
  • Get down in that squat. Go lower in Yoga. But keep that back straight.
• Concentrate on your form
  • Sometimes you’ll just have lower energy. Maybe you haven’t eaten enough that day. Make this an opportunity to improve your form instead of pushing for more reps or trying to keep up with the DVD.
• Don’t expect miracles, especially if you’re not working hard.
• Get some variety into your routine
  • Put on your own music and use the “No music” option from the DVD menu. This is especially great for the cardio workouts.
  • Use a portable DVD player or laptop to play the exercises while watching TV or while traveling.