P90X3 Review – Day 5, CVX

P90X3 Review, CVX

Simply put, CVX is a not-as-intense-plyocide that is made that much more intense via weights!

Though the overall catalog of moves in CVX are not as tough as the moves in Plyometrics or Plyocide, the workout itself might just be a bit more intense than either P90X’s Plyometrics or P90X2’s Plyocide.

P90X3’s CVX is a heart-pumping-resistance-cardio session (i.e., a weighted cardio workout) that gets your heart racing from the get go!

 

WHO NEEDS A WARM UP?

In CVX you are off to the races from the moment the clock starts its count down from 30:00…and for the next 30 minutes your heart won’t stop!

I wore my heart rate monitor a few times during this workout to make sure I was getting an accurate reading and got the same results all 3 times – 450 calories per CVX session…not too shabby.

During CVX my heart rate averaged about 155 bpm with a max-out at around 172 bpm and a steady 150 bpm starting at minute 29:30…yes, that’s only 30 seconds in…so, when I say you hit the ground running that’s exactly what I mean.

 

THREE CVX CAVEATS!

Now, as awesome as it sounds to jump in head first we still need to remember to be careful!

In case you don’t already know, doing cardio and/or plyo with a dumbbell in your hands,  if not done correctly, can be asking for trouble.

So, before we all go crazy getting your first CVX session in, there are 3 main caveats I’d like to bring to everyone’s attention.

 

ONE | DON’T GET HURT!

As Tony will tell you before the clock starts, and as most experienced weight lifters already know, doing full-body moves using free weights as added resistance can lead to injury pretty quickly.

So – DON’T BE SUPERMAN because, first and foremost you’re not, and secondly you WILL get HURT!

If it’s your first time doing this type of workout start off with a basketball.  Then, with a session under your belt, grab a 5 lb. dumbbell.  And then, once you feel comfortable with the 5 pounder in your hands, jump up another 5 or so pounds…but you really shouldn’t be doing this workout with more than a 15 pound dumbbell (though Tony says not to use more than a 12 lb. dumbbell, I think there are plenty of experienced exercisers out there that could handle 15’s).

 

TWO | DON’T PASS OUT

I’ve seen it happen a number of times.

Some strong guy thinks he can go all out, feel light headed and just keep going all out…and he can…until he passes out.

So, if you do find yourself getting light headed, which you should slightly get if you’re going 110% during CVX, back off a bit.  Don’t be that guy!

Listen to your body and be smart because it’s more important to finish the workout than it is to push yourself to the point of stupidity.

 

THREE | DON’T THROW UP!

If you go at it 100% CVX may get you a bit light headed and, depending on your last meal and/or how weak a stomach you may have, feeling a bit nauseous.

Again, turn it down a few notches if this starts happening…don’t be my little brother who loves to throw up after any strenuous activity…the Pause Button is not meant to be a throw up break!

 

SO…MY OVERALL OPINION…?

In a word – AWESOME!