Avoid the beachbody/ p90x/ insanity scam...

[lvsteven]

Hey.
posting this to help other "weaklings" like me make a proper
choice. These guys are brain wash artists

So last summer I started to hear of "OMFG P90x!" at work.
Basically I work with other 30 something guys who do sales and
everyone seemed to have gotten a bootleg copy that they were going to
start.

we are all the average guy out there. Sorta pudgy but definitely not fat.
I am a 34-36 depending on waist but I wear it well.
We were all brainwashed but I decided to look it up.

first of all, forget before and after pics

I'll explain later but don't go and trust a damn thing you see on
YouTube nor in any review anywhere.... These people mostly have a good
reason to show you they're ripped outta their minds, but there is a
good reason for that.

They are likely trying to sell you something.

Does it work?

Well the big huge promise is that you will get ripped in 90 days.

Most of the people you see that get the good results already have a
physique and not huge levels of fat.

Fatty guy like me at 25-30% bodyfat will see clothing fit better but
no plan can change you from flab to sparticus in mere months.

So it works, but better for some than others...

why do their videos hawk product so much. Recovery drink is just
dextrose/glucose, protein (Amino acid) and creatine (optional)?

Ah well... See, they aren't exactly just p90x. They are a big old
network of products that they relentlessly push, most of them not very
advanced at all...

How does this really work?

Simple.

If you call a toll free number or you order online to get the program,
your information is harvested and then given to a "coach" who makes
personal contact with you.

This coach has your info. All of it besides credit card #.
Home address.
Phone number
Email address.
First and last name...

Sounds creepy but great. I need a coach and it's free!

Yep however that coach? They make 25% off any future purchases you
make from beachbody (who sells the p90x) and so guess what they do?

Convince you to buy shakes and bars? Resistance bands and pull up
bars? Heck yea!

THIS IS WHY MOST P90x TRANSFORMSTIONS CANNOT BE TRUSTED. they are
often times already ripped guys claiming bullish** to sell you p90x

Coach and answer questions? Maybe, if you are lucky.

oh, well I needed protein and meal replacement bars...

Yep but you don't need the $30 tub when you are a goddamned begginner
ordering p90x!

Go buy a $15 tub from walmart and save the shipping.
Oh yea.. Eat well. That's 90% of it.
But these coaches go further and push hone delivery for a revolving
credit/debit card purchase.

They make more money that way because it's harder for you to cancel it.

well it comes with a meal guide, so I can eat well

Haha.

"bullocks" as they say in the UK.
the meal guide is lacking.

They do their best but fail basics like "eat 1g protein for every lb
of lean mass" and vitamins are key.

Instead they try and sell you shakeology which is a good produce but
$135 a month (!) which a great quality 90 day supply of vitamins could
actually help far more.

but they say I can get mass or get lean!

Anyone can get mass when they are not a regular at a gym. It's gonna happen.

Eat less, burn more calories and you will lose fat sitting on the couch.

Facts. Wear a special arm band to measure heart rate and calories
burned in a day. It's old science.

what is the big deal. Why are all p90x reviews ending in a link to
buy and why can't I trust before/after shots.

The coaches is why. When people see results they run to ******** to
get more support or wowy .com (the beachbody forum) and they will see
all these people shouting about being a "coach"

They market coaching. It's bullish** they actually say things like:

bowflex offered to buy us out but we decided to market via
coaching!

But really it's multi level marketing.
You, as a coach pay $40 to sign up. You are almost always recruited by
another coach because:

Coach #1

A. hires 3 coaches who have x ammount of "personal volume" (product
sales) they also pay one time $40 fee and $14.95 a month

B. Beachbody then gives the first coach leads from infomercials and
Internet sales, meaning more clients to push product to! Yay!

But if you have any weak links you stop getting both leads AND sales
bonuses so you buy product yourself and push your coaches to order the
$135 shakes on home delivery each month.

This pyramid means them coaches hire their own coaches and beachbody
markets like no other company, ever!

but everyone has heard of it, it must be easy!

Go to teambeachbodysucks dot wordpress dot com and watch all the videos.

Since there are like, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COACHES - some of which are
marketing gurus who don't workout ever but push the program for the
"real" money you are at a severe disadvantage!

Look, last December (2 months after I got suckered into paying $40 to
sing up) they let ANYONE SIGN UP FREE.
that's 8,000 coaches now, all trying to get attention.

You cannot sell on eBay, or craigslist. Cannot buy advertising using
p90x or any variation on google adwords.

There are so many other things you can't do.
It's crazy.

WHO CARES, ARE THE WORKOUTS GOOD!?

Okay well yes. But long.
And there is no "cardio day" but only kenpo (punching the air and it
works at first till you adapt) that is real low impact and also
plyometrics that many will simply NOT complete due to fitness level.

so why you writing this?

Well about a week ago I decided to take my heavy duty 90lb resistance
bands i bought for p90x and my chin up bar, and my gyms (condo gym, no
freeweights) and workout super intensely while watching my diet.

My body exploded so far with creatine supplements and clean (super
clean) eating and I made more progress in eight days than in 15 days
of p90x

It also pissed me off that I couldn't look up resistance bands vs
freeweights on google without the modifier -p90x as all I got were
p90x reviews going to a sales page.

Selling bands and p90x

So I suppose that bodybuilding dot com has a better reputation online than
these spam sites and thusly this may get indexed for future people to
find via google.

So there it is.
Whew that wasn't easy to type on iphone.

Hope it helps.

-Steven

[SuicideGripMe]

Cliffs?

[VIsland]

Fratville

[UngeneticAzn]

Good post. Quite good. :b

[lordxar]

Nothing wrong with p90x. No I'm not a coach or paid in any way. I've used the product for two cycles and I did get in dam good shape. Yes the coaches are kind of a joke and yes their supps are prob overpriced and lower quality. After being on this site for a few months I've learned the diet guide is based on decade old thinking, but the workouts are solid. You won't be massive, but in 90 days, you will be fit.

Right off the bat the workout guide says you should be somewhat fit to attempt the program. It's there to lean you out and that it does well.

So you only did 15 days of a 90 day program?

What's the difference between a p90x coach and a trainer at the gym? Not a dam thing. Both want you to a monthly fee for their experience. I tried a gym once and hated the many follow up calls begging me to join. So I love my p90x at home and since finding this site, I am now loving my weight bench that sat idle during p90x.

Not trying to troll or flame here, just saying both sides have their pluses and minuses.

[CoachDF]

I'm new to this forum and I'll admit it that some of the coach's are quite pushy but some have good intentions. As far as their programs and supplements, Ive lost 80 pounds with P90x, Insanity Asylum and their shakes. So YES it works.

Before that I was a 300 pound powerlifter with joint pain out the wazooo. Im a happier and healthier person because of the programs and my determination.

So whats your problem again with the bands? Maybe I or ^^^^ could help since we both do it and enjoy it...?!

[screwedgenetics]

I'm new to this forum and I'll admit it that some of the coach's are quite pushy but some have good intentions. As far as their programs and supplements, Ive lost 80 pounds with P90x, Insanity Asylum and their shakes. So YES it works.

Your effort is what worked. P90x, insanity, and the diet plans are just expensive ways of showing a solid path to your goals, but w/o your commitment they are crap. Good job BTW.

[lvsteven]

Nothing wrong with p90x. No I'm not a coach or paid in any way. I've used the product for two cycles and I did get in dam good shape. Yes the coaches are kind of a joke and yes their supps are prob overpriced and lower quality. After being on this site for a few months I've learned the diet guide is based on decade old thinking, but the workouts are solid. You won't be massive, but in 90 days, you will be fit.

Right off the bat the workout guide says you should be somewhat fit to attempt the program. It's there to lean you out and that it does well.

So you only did 15 days of a 90 day program?

What's the difference between a p90x coach and a trainer at the gym? Not a dam thing. Both want you to a monthly fee for their experience. I tried a gym once and hated the many follow up calls begging me to join. So I love my p90x at home and since finding this site, I am now loving my weight bench that sat idle during p90x.

Not trying to troll or flame here, just saying both sides have their pluses and minuses.

no, i did 90 days of it. i just point out that i notice more changes in a week than in the first 15 days of p90x.

i also did sixty days of insanity but an injury with lateral movements had me force a stop to that program..

both work, but they are done in a way that i think misreps the final results. Thats my opinion on it.

unless you are john stone from johnstonefitness dot com you arent losing that much body fat in sixty or ninety days unless you do crazy dieting, HIIT and mad weights.

These programs do work, but again are set up to SELL you stuff for life.

That isnt fitness, its marketing.

and a real trainer would in my opinion actually care if you achieved your goals as opposed to buy whatever is up at the front check in desk because he makes a 25% commission.

that trainer at the gym? he also isnt trying to convince you to get clients to coach because it gives him a bigger paycheck each month, in turn making you a little sales machine, and that is what coaches with beachbody do.

they inevitably plant the bug. "you can save yourself 25% if you become a coach. its only $14.95 a month, and you save like, $30 on the shakes i have you buying, its a no brainer!"

thats a big difference man... its a way different culture, i am afraid.

[lvsteven]

I'm new to this forum and I'll admit it that some of the coach's are quite pushy but some have good intentions. As far as their programs and supplements, Ive lost 80 pounds with P90x, Insanity Asylum and their shakes. So YES it works.

Before that I was a 300 pound powerlifter with joint pain out the wazooo. Im a happier and healthier person because of the programs and my determination.

So whats your problem again with the bands? Maybe I or ^^^^ could help since we both do it and enjoy it...?!

my issue isnt with the bands.

me, i am one of these guys who is always starting over, so the bands work well. i believe in them, and since major joint problems run in both sides of my family i prefer them in some ways.

maybe when i can see a six pack in 9-12 months i will go with free weights, but they work well now.

I am using a 90lb set, and as long as i work them HARD for 8 or so reps and failure on the last, they work wonders.

So thats my point. p90x isnt magical, and they really push this other lifestyle many never know about until they spend their hard earned money on it.

Schwarzenegger said he lifted cement filled buckets when he lived in Austria... so resistance is resistance for beginners.

[CoachDF]

I dont think anyone claims P90x to be magical. Its a program afterall, a DVD that you push play to. The "magical" part in my case was due to all the hard work and sheer determination with my diet and doing a different style of working out, one that I hadnt done 10 years prior.
People are going to spend their hard earned money on anything, fitness or otherwise. But it was my choice to spend $120 on the program and quit the gym, my decision to spend the money on the Shakes, my money to buy the club membership for their diet planner. No one "convinced" me as you said they do. I did my research and with a little faith purchased the products and did awesome with it. People can choose Beachbody, Bodybuilding.com, or whatever else, its their prerogative right?
I find your first post quite cynical and it was all because you didnt get what you wanted with a Google search of "free weights vs bands".
Use whatever you want, what is right for you. DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST! Sound familiar?

-D

[lvsteven]

I dont think anyone claims P90x to be magical. Its a program afterall, a DVD that you push play to. The "magical" part in my case was due to all the hard work and sheer determination with my diet and doing a different style of working out, one that I hadnt done 10 years prior.
People are going to spend their hard earned money on anything, fitness or otherwise. But it was my choice to spend $120 on the program and quit the gym, my decision to spend the money on the Shakes, my money to buy the club membership for their diet planner. No one "convinced" me as you said they do. I did my research and with a little faith purchased the products and did awesome with it. People can choose Beachbody, Bodybuilding.com, or whatever else, its their prerogative right?
I find your first post quite cynical and it was all because you didnt get what you wanted with a Google search of "free weights vs bands".
Use whatever you want, what is right for you. DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST! Sound familiar?

-D

Of course.
But did you spending the money on wowy really help you diet any more than googling for free information?

Was shakeology really "the best meal of the day?" and did you really need to worship at the altar of Carl Daikler who had "made it all possible?"

That is what they build, this brand that people embrace that leads them into the coaching. That is the main issue.

If you couldn't do the workout in front of a DVD player or had no bands and only weights, or couldn't access the internet to plan meals, could you get by?

The basic principles of caloric deficit isn't even touched upon in the nutrition guide. Never.
They don't talk about anything but how to eat different styles based on phases.

Not really discussing what to do if you miss a meal, other that DRINK OUR PRODUCT CALLED SHAKEOLOGY.

And that entire pushing of product is the most disconcerting of all.
The idea of you to buy buy buy when you do not need to. To buy that and not this, to get the NEWEST version of p90x (one on one, right?) and insanity (asylum, yes?)

If you learned anything from these programs, wouldnt you be able to move on AFTER these to something that wasnt on a tv screen?

I believe learning is not just dictating back what you were programmed to repeat. It is a building process on top of a foundation, which you do not get from their program.

So cynical? No...

[lvsteven]

btw... coachdf is a beachbody coach... go figure.

hey are you 18 star triple platinum diamond yet?

www . bringit-fitness . com/

from:
twitter . com / CoachDF

Husband, Father, Public Servant, Fitness Fanatic, P90Xer, Beachbody Coach in my spare time.

and OMG... ALL YOUR TWEETS ARE ABOUT PEOPLE BUYING P90X.

"@HauteNsaucy Thats great to hear. Just think, you could turn those compliments into something bigger. Ever considered working for Beachbody?"

and signing up to coach.

just shows that every single thing i said in the OP was right...

[CoachDF]

Of course.
But did you spending the money on wowy really help you diet any more than googling for free information?

Was shakeology really "the best meal of the day?" and did you really need to worship at the altar of Carl Daikler who had "made it all possible?"

That is what they build, this brand that people embrace that leads them into the coaching. That is the main issue.

If you couldn't do the workout in front of a DVD player or had no bands and only weights, or couldn't access the internet to plan meals, could you get by?

The basic principles of caloric deficit isn't even touched upon in the nutrition guide. Never.
They don't talk about anything but how to eat different styles based on phases.

Not really discussing what to do if you miss a meal, other that DRINK OUR PRODUCT CALLED SHAKEOLOGY.

And that entire pushing of product is the most disconcerting of all.
The idea of you to buy buy buy when you do not need to. To buy that and not this, to get the NEWEST version of p90x (one on one, right?) and insanity (asylum, yes?)

If you learned anything from these programs, wouldnt you be able to move on AFTER these to something that wasnt on a tv screen?

I believe learning is not just dictating back what you were programmed to repeat. It is a building process on top of a foundation, which you do not get from their program.

So cynical? No...

Worshiping Carl Daikler..thats pretty funny. But buying this and buying that is only your business if we are talking about your money..not mine. What do you think BB.com is doing with their ads they have posted everywhere? Same concept. It's retail, and the fitness industry is a billion dollar business. Of course they are going to suggest products to you, because while they may not be necessary, they do work, and they are here like every other fitness-related business, to make MONEY. However as consumers we have a choice to buy or not to buy.

And since completing it, I have moved on..to a hybrid workout with P90x. Why, because I enjoy working out with my wife at our home where its convenient. My choice. Carl Daikler, Tony Horton or whomever are not holding a gun to my head making me. (although that is pretty funny to think about)

The point Im trying to make without rambling is that if its my choice and thousands of others choice to spend our money on whatever fitness product we want, how can you disagree with that?

[lvsteven]

my point is that before defending it, you might want to let people know you are a "coach" and earn money from what i described - which whether you want to admit it, you know is true.

glad you could move on. maybe you are like me, a coach who was helping others, not just selling milkshakes.

[shffl]

You can do p90x consistently for 90 days and see some results.

You can also train consistently for 90 days with proper diet for 90 days.

The difference? The latter is free and yield greater result.

[schnitzer31]

ive done p90x for 90 days without paying a penny and followed my own diet.i did get results as I would have got from ANY solid workout plan.its not as good as they make it out to be but you can still achieve some level of fitness.

P90X is way overrated, costs too much but DOES get you results if you follow it and eat super clean.it wont get you ripped or pack you loads of muscle but it will help you lose some fat.it does work better for people over 25% bf (if they are fit enough to finish the workouts).

ive done it once only out of curiosity and never doing it again.if i want to cut there are plenty of better ways in doing so.

[lordxar]

Training still costs. Ive got a few thousand $'s in my home gym, people around here drop $80 a month on the gym which is about a grand a year. P90x with all accessories (not from them) runs about $500. Just saying.

[lordxar]

One more thing. There are plenty of hyped marketing companies out there. In fact I'm thinking of a supplement company I bought a membership to, then found this website a month later. Needless to say I'm a little unhappy about the premium I paid on my supps.

Just remember one thing about every product in existence, it's out to make money. The thing I wish people would get pist at is cell phone bills, lousy nickel and diming phone companies, but I digress. Anywho happy weight training!

[EnglishTC]

btw... coachdf is a beachbody coach... go figure.

hey are you 18 star triple platinum diamond yet?

www . bringit-fitness . com/

from:
twitter . com / CoachDF



and OMG... ALL YOUR TWEETS ARE ABOUT PEOPLE BUYING P90X.

"@HauteNsaucy Thats great to hear. Just think, you could turn those compliments into something bigger. Ever considered working for Beachbody?"

and signing up to coach.

just shows that every single thing i said in the OP was right...

I knew he was a coach as soon as I saw his first post LOL.

[eduardmc]

i did p90x for about 2 month. I felt great doing it since my fitness level went up. i started doing 12 pushup and ended up doing 50. Pull-ups i started with 1 now i can do 6-8. This is all in cutting process with calories deficient.

With that said, i rather do a routine like ALL-PRO beginners (which i'm doing now). 3 times per week and other days TRUE CARDIO and abs. ABS ripper X is the only Video i still use and consider one of the best abs workout ever. P90X cardio is a joke, a mix with yoga with karate kicks (kempo).

I did not pay for p90X and did not follow their diet. I rather spend 2 week becoming knowledgeable about nutrition and excersice routines in this site (which is what i did).

[PeterGibbons316]

If you think you can go from "pudgy" to ripped in just 90 days you are delusional anyway. Honestly though, P90X is going to get you a lot closer than anything else you try for just 90 days. It isn't succesful because it's some well conceived scam, it's so popular because it actually works pretty well for what most people are trying to get out of it.

[golfwolf]

Disclaimer – I am a Beachbody coach.


Steve – I originally typed up a lengthy response and then deleted it because it was too long, no one would read it, and I figured I could do a better and more succinct job responding.

EDIT – Yes this is actually shorter LOL.


I think the issue at hand isn’t/shouldn’t be with the merit of P90X, Insanity or any of Beachbody’s programs. It should be with Beachbody’s decision to go MLM and enter into the world of direct sales and the conduct of their coaches/distributors. Beachbody could have gone retail, but decided to use product advocates to help drive their business. I’m not looking to debate whether that was the right or wrong thing to do. I believe there are close to 60,000 active coaches these days, and people handle their business many different ways. You’re always going to come across those with questionable practices and intentions.

Beachbody’s programs are geared towards overall fitness/weight loss, and they have multiple products to cater to different needs. One thing they all have in common is they include exercise, nutrition, and can be done in home. Neither P90X, nor Insanity are mass bodybuilding programs. Sure they can be modified, but this website is far from their target market. What I’ve noticed is people will do P90X, and if they’re researching nutrition, supplements, or want to change up the way they train they come here. I’ve seen coaches come here to promote the products, but they don’t stick around long as they quickly learn this is a pretty savvy and educated group of people.

Two third of the US is overweight and that is Beachbody’s primary target market and their products cater to different needs, exercise preferences, and trainer styles. I think they do a good job marketing their products and getting people to react and decide to make a change. Everything has a price. It’s either time or money. Most out of shape people don’t have the knowledge or motivation to spend time researching and learn this on their own. The decision to make a change and get off their couch is hard enough, so they pay for a well packaged easy to follow system that takes all the guess work out. Say what you want about Beachbody, but they never say there’s a secret, short cut, or magic gadget. Look at all the other health and fitness crap out there. Everyone advertises 10-20 minutes three times a week. Beachbody (P90X & Insanity specifically) say workout hard six days a week, and eat right to get results.

I still do P90X and Insanity, but not exclusively. I like hitting the gym, but due to my work and commute schedule I have to workout around 5:30 am. I can’t spare early morning driving time to and from the gym, so it’s weekends for me. Eventually I’d like to get a power rack and 300+ in weights for my basement, but I have young kids and the basement is theirs. I can’t risk them getting hurt on my equipment so that will have to wait until they get older.

For the record, my original P90X transformation was before Shakeology was in the market and I am upfront and tell that to anyone that asks. All you need is a structured program and a healthy diet.

[hardyy]

i did p90x on and off for a month and some and lost 15-20 pounds of going hard and doing the whole dvd no breaks without taking suppplements and eating right salads and healthy choice meals from walmart lol and no more suggary things like Soda only drank water.

[bigbill117]

I am not a Beachbody Coach!!!

I have completed P90X and Insanity. I have never bought any supplements from Beachbody. I think their coach system is total BS 95% of the coaches aren't qualified in any way to advise on fitness or diet. People on their message board have no idea about bodybuilding principals. That being said I love the workouts. P90X and TH 1on1 that is. I think Insanity is crap by itself no resistance training I lost half an inch of my biceps last year doing it.

In my eyes there are a few main advantages for me with the P90X workouts and I will list them here.

1. A good program layout with solid fundamental exercises.
2. Great sense of community on the message boards. Groups of people start each week so you have people holding you accountable for your workouts.
3. Workout at home. (I love this part and have a small home gym with dumbbells, med balls, pullup bar no waiting on people no overcrowded machines.)
4. Gives beginners who are intimated from coming to bodybuilding.com a good starting point.
5. Flexibility to use the same program layout but make your own workouts. I don't even use the lifting DVD's, kenpo or yoga anymore. I make my own lifting workouts using similarly set counts and gymbuddy for iphone with its builtin rest timer to keep myself on the pace I want.

These are the reasons why I will probably never have a gym membership again.

Could you make the same or better program yourself. Absolutely!!! The only advantages it has over that option is numbers 2 and 4 above. In the end I am happy with the money I spent on P90X and P90X+.

Just my .02 I think both sides of the argument are valid and the reality is somewhere in the middle.

[lordxar]

Just my .02 I think both sides of the argument are valid and the reality is somewhere in the middle.

^^^
This is the answer to almost all arguments.

[OV2MI]

I recently completed the 60 days of Insanity (it's actually like 63 days, though). Anyways, I feel like I can add some input. First, I am not a beachbody coach, nor do I want to sell anything. I was contacted at least 3214780234841387209 times during Insanity from a beachbody coach and 10 more times afterwards. I didn't need someone to send me emails about shakeology- simply, they are coaches because they get paid to sell you stuff. I was already taking Jack3d and AMP Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60, so I had not interest in any supplements from beachbody.

I weighed 202.7 on Day 1 and on Day 60 I weighed 176.2. I lost weight and got into incredible shape. I was and still am not a freak of nature and I didn't get ripped. I think it is, however, a great starting tool for any workouts you will do in the future. Since then I have joined a gym and have never looked back. I will probably never do Insanity again, but I do recommend it to anyone who is currently not in shape and overweight, or slightly overweight. I used to wrestle, so I do like to workout hard and feel completely obliterated afterwards. In fact, lifting weights and is very different from what I am used to and I have to force myself to leave the gym because sometimes I am disappointed when I do not reach failure.

Good luck to everyone!

[JustinKS]

I think its a good tool for those who need structure, like my self. I use it as part of my regular routine. I got my DVDs second hand so I haven't had to deal with the pushy coaches. If you can get past the BS I think this would be useful for anyone.

[ZenPhysicist]

I WAS a coach in the past for a few months. Never made any $$$ tho


I have done P90X and Insanity. P90X put solid muscle on me and I became much stronger. Insanity was a killer and my body hurt badly after 60 days - but I did lose weight and size.

P.S. I would recommend P90X to anyone - its a solid program and not at all over priced. Insanity is different. My personal experience was that it was just too hard on the body with not enough rest. You just cant sprint 5-6 days per week for 30-60 minutes per day for 2 whole months and expect not to have lots of people injured or hurt

[UltimateAeroSSC]

Perhaps it's a more fun way to lose weight. Beyond that, it certainly isn't "necessary." For those who used it and got results, congrats. Truth is, you could have lost the weight without it, but I know it can be hard to feel motivated without something interesting.

Diet and cardio would do the same thing. What you can't do is build on great muscle. Resistance will only get you so far.

[sni2pal]

Calling them a scam is too harsh. A scam would be selling something that doesn't work.

They work, but there are much more effective and efficient ways of getting jacked. Starting strength is more effective at gaining or retaining muscle than a superset workout and dieting is more efficient than working out every day. People swear by P90X because it is the first and only way they have ever done a cut.

And yes, the main job of the "coach" is to sell you the dvds and the supplements. That is how they make their money.

Edit: I wanted to add "to sell you the overpriced dvds and supplements that you don't need."