P90X3 Review – Day 4, The Challenge

P90X3, The Challenge

Nothing like non-stop push-ups and pull-ups right after an invigorating day of Yoga X3…am I right, or am I right?  Well my friends, that’s exactly what you get with X3’s The Challenge.

If you’re already familiar with the original P90X you might be wondering why Tony waits until Day 4 of P90X3 to start working the chest and back…but remember, Tony’s always got a plan.

X3 starts off, as P90X2 did, with a total body workout but, unlike X2, X3 doesn’t really get into “typical body building” moves (i.e., simple good ol’ fashion pushing and pulling) until halfway through Week 1.

And to be honest, it is timed perfectly!

 

X3’s 1st Three Days Are A Set Up For….

P90X3 kicks off the program with a total body workout (Total Synergistics) that gets your mind and body ready for (and/or fearful of) X3.

Day 2 (Agility) is yet another shock to the system and a bit more foreshadowing of what Tony expects from you, your body, and your commitment…yeah you can modify, but if your modifying intensity it’s still pretty tough.

Then, after two very tough days, comes X3 Yoga with a very nice olive branch…or more like a Trojan Horse if you ask me.

 

…The Trojan Horse

After two surprisingly tough 30 minute sessions, X3 Yoga brings a much needed 30 minutes of breathing, focusing, and calmness…but that’s exactly what it is – the calm(ness) before the storm.

The very next day, after allowing you to catch your breath, Tony releases his surprise via The Challenge.

 

The Challenge – It’s Just Push-Ups and Pull-Ups Right?

The Challenge is really quite simple, it is only push-ups and pull-ups…but Tony, as you might know by now, has got a trick to everything.

“Yeah, it’s all only push-ups and pull-ups, but pick a number.”

“Okay, 35 push ups and 15 pull ups.”

“Good, now stick to those numbers the entire workout!”

“Wait…what?!”

 

It’s All About Numbers

You see, you might be able to do 35 push-ups and 15 pull-ups no problem, but do 30 minutes of back-to-back pull-ups and push-ups and see how long you can keep hitting those numbers (or stick anywhere near them for that matter).

Yeah, there may be a few of us out there thinking, “I could do it,” and I am sure you could, but even so you’d still be getting a hell of a workout.

I personally picked 35 push-ups /15 pull-ups and hit 15 pull-ups only twice the entire workout.

By the end of the workout I was able to stick to my push-up count but had pulled-back my pull-ups to 6 reps.  And, even with the less than stiller pull-up performance, the next three days were horrible!

 

Even Guys Might Need A Sports Bra…

If Tony had me thinking the first three days of P90X3 were tough, Day 4 had me wishing for a sports bra. Seriously, there is no other way of explaining it – I couldn’t walk without my chest feeling as if I had a pair of Double D’s wanting to rip off my body.

I am no stranger to a tender/sore chest.  As a matter of fact, from my highschool days straight through college I was quite proud of my chest and worked it out religiously via all forms of bench press and flies.  Though I worked out my chest regularly, I never really worked it out with only push-up sessions…which is all the P90X family does for chest development.

As stated a few other times on this site, I used to believe no one could get a well developed chest without hitting the bench or flies, but P90X completely shattered that mentality and X3 is continuing the tradition right off the bat with Week 1’s The Challenge.

 

The Key – Sticking To Your Numbers

Trust me my friends, if you follow Tony’s advice, and stick to your numbers every time, man or woman, you’ll be hoping for some type of chest support the following two or three days.