If you’re wondering who uses P90X, it’s not just athletes that want to get into shape again. P90X users come from all walks of life, and their success stories tell their tale.
We looked at some P90X Testimonials from women, so let’s take a look at what some men are doing with the program.
These are real testimonials from real people who have succeeded with P90X. Some of them used other BeachBody products, but have used P90X at some point. Also, some people go through multiple cycles of P90X because they want to reach goals that can’t be done in just one cycle.
Dixon Mathews, Male, Age 32
Prior to discovering Hip Hop Abs®, Dixon was a self-proclaimed lazy, beer-drinking fast food and cigarette addict. Without a care in the world, he ate whatever he could stuff into his mouth. Thanks to a diet based largely around fried foods, Dixon ballooned up to 300 pounds. He was in such bad shape that he says he was out of breath when running in his own nightmares!
On a trip to Hawaii Dixon had a wake-up call when he almost drowned while merely floating in the ocean. This caused him to try every fad diet he could get his hands on but, not surprisingly, they never seemed to work.
About a year later, his father passed away at 74. Dixon says this was a huge shock to him as his father had previously won the New York State Arm Wrestling Championship at 63 years of age. Dixon says that he never expected his hero to die but that when he did, he began to see things in a different light. He started working out and quickly went from a size 44 down to a 40. But then, thinking he had reached his goal, he became complacent and the weight came pouring back on.
It was when his old size 42 pants started feeling tight again that Dixon was turned on to Power 90 by a friend. The program worked but he didn’t use the Message Boards or log on to WOWY, and he soon became discouraged. That’s when fate stepped in. One night, at a local pub, Dixon ran into his friend who had originally introduced him to Power 90.
She asked him if he was interested in losing weight by participating in a Hip Hop Abs test group. Of course he said yes and the rest is history. Since then he’s been very active in the online community and he’s lost an amazing 60 pounds! After Hip Hop Abs, Dixon continued on with P90X. In the last year he’s run six marathons and completed two bicycle tours. Looking back at his old self, Dixon often wonders how he ever let himself go so far. But now that’s behind him and the future looks brighter than ever.
James Evanski, Male, Age 21
Before he began his healthy lifestyle, James’ life was similar to that of most overweight college students. He stayed inside playing video games and never really did a whole lot of intense cardio-related activities. James grew up on a farm and was a pretty active kid. He bailed hay, worked the land, and only came in the house to eat and sleep. But, as he entered high school, things started to change.
As a freshman, James sprouted up from 5′8″ to 6′5″. He was always the kid whom no one wanted to mess with; because of this, he was never really teased too badly about his weight. When college came along, his eating habits only got worse, and the weight kept packing on. Then, one day, his dad—who was also his best friend—got really sick from stress-induced diabetes. He was admitted to the hospital, and that’s when James realized that if he kept on the same unhealthy path as his dad, then he would soon suffer the same fate. He immediately decided to stop eating junk food and start getting healthy.
One night, James came across an infomercial for P90X and knew instantly that he wanted to look like Tony Horton. He started with Power 90, moved up to the Power 90 Master Series, and began P90X in September 2007. Since committing to working out every day, James has lost an amazing 101 pounds! Nowadays, James isn’t embarrassed by his looks; in fact, he’s proud of them.
Pedro Rodriguez, Male, Age 44
Sitting one night eating junk food and watching TV, Pedro came across an infomercial for Power 90. However, it gathered dust on Pedro’s shelf until some time later when he finally became fed up with being overweight and out of shape. After completing Power 90, Pedro went on to the Power 90 Master Series to prepare for P90X.
Losing almost 40 pounds, he now has the endurance and energy to play with his children. Kicking it up a notch with P90X, he cannot believe the strength he now has.
Rod Martin, Male, Age 40
Last Christmas, Rod found himself in the worst shape of his life. He and his wife saw the P90X infomercial over the holiday break and were inspired to embrace a healthy lifestyle. They had worked out in the past, but as the years went on, they settled into bad eating habits and put on extra weight.
Rod had two goals in mind when he started P90X in January, 2007: to be in the shape he was in as a young Army Platoon Leader by his birthday, and to set a good example for his children. Being aware of the national childhood obesity problem, Rod felt it was important for his children to live healthy and fit lifestyles. Every day, Rod and his wife worked out together and followed the nutritional plan. With his wife motivating him, he was able to lose 19 pounds and 10 percent body fat!
Darrick Smith, Male, Age 25
When Darrick Smith stepped on a scale, it read well over 400 pounds. He was dangerously obese with a body fat percentage three times higher than healthy levels. He hated looking at himself in a mirror and became more and more anti-social.
“Most of my days were spent at the computer playing video games, MRPGs—anything, you know, just to pass the time. If I wasn’t playing a video game, I was probably sleeping … anywhere between 15 to 18 hours of sleep, depending on the day.”
Darrick wanted to lose weight, but everywhere he turned people told him that it was in his genes, and he would always be overweight-including his doctor.
“He told me that because of my genetics, I’d have high blood pressure, I’d probably get diabetes. I’m at a great risk for cancer and that the only thing he could help me with is medicine or an overpriced cardiologist ….It made me angry. It made me mad.”
Then Darrick saw his brother, Ramall, lose well over 100 pounds using Power 90, and that gave him hope and inspiration to give the program a try.
“When I first started working out, I was always out of breath in the first 15 minutes. Heart was pounding in my ears. It was insanely difficult, but it was worth it. I knew each time I Pushed Play, I would be making myself better in some way.”
Darrick had to modify Power 90 tremendously when he first started, but that’s what he loved about the workout. He could do it at his own pace, in his own home. What he had trouble modifying was his bad eating habits. Everywhere he turned he was confronted with bad food choices. But Darrick overcame those struggles with his immense desire to live a healthy life.
“It was a lifestyle change that actually worked. It wasn’t something that was going to yo-yo where you lose 5 pounds and gain back 15. It was a foundation of fitness. That’s what I found. That’s the difference.”
By staying committed to Power 90, Darrick has dropped an amazing 161 pounds-161! He says that his friends and family almost don’t recognize him.
Todd Ryther, Male, Age 29
Twenty-nine-year-old Todd was a far cry from the in-shape high-school football player of his youth. Now weighing 333 pounds, he could barely keep up with his 2-year-old daughter.
“We’d play for a few minutes, and I’d have to take a break and tell her well maybe tomorrow we’ll play again or maybe in a little while because I’d be out of breath.”
His day consisted of sitting in front of a computer at work, watching TV when he got home, and eating whatever he could get his hands on, but with a second child on the way he kept thinking he should do something about his weight.
“My wife was pregnant with our second child, and I just wanted to be around for them for a long time so that I could play with them and do the things they wanted to do.”
Over and over again, Todd told himself that he needed to make a change for his family. Then he finally realized he had to make a change for himself. He didn’t want to be the fat guy anymore. He wanted to live an active, healthy life.
“I also realized that I had to do it because I wanted to do it.”
Todd felt like he had watched a hundred infomercials for P90X. The program looked great. It wasn’t a gimmick, just good old-fashioned diet and exercise-just like he used to do when he was on the high-school football team. While researching P90X on the Beachbody Web site, he thought he wasn’t quite ready for the X, but he was ready for Power 90.
“I was reading through some of the Message Boards. I realized I probably wasn’t ready for P90X. That’s when I stumbled upon Power 90. One of the forum members had a lot of success so I said, okay I’ll start that.”
But before starting the workout, he went through the meal plan. Following the nutrition guide, he cleaned out his cupboard and threw away all the junk food. Then he began day one. It wasn’t easy at his size, but he kept Pushing Play despite sore knees and an aching body.
“The Beachbody programs make it so easy. They give you the nutritional information. They give you easy-to-follow programs, and they’re there for you every step of the way with the Message Boards and with all the tools that they have.”
After 90 days of Power 90, Todd dropped 63 pounds and was ready to bring it with P90X. Two rounds later, he has shed a total of 133 pounds. One-hundred thirty-three! He no longer gets winded when playing with his kids, and his healthy lifestyle has caught on with everyone in the family. Todd’s wife is eating healthier and exercising. His oldest daughter is making smart snack choices without being reminded.
Dale Bramall, Male, Age 42
Before his total body transformation, Dale felt uncomfortable in his own body. Every once in a while, he would find the motivation to lose weight only to fall back into old habits. Dale was rarely active – unless eating counts as an activity. Dale once ordered 12 tacos and an extra-large soda from a drive-thru, ate everything, and then proceeded to drive a few miles down the road to a different drive-thru for another 12 tacos. Ordering only 12 tacos seemed less embarrassing at the time. A typical day in Dale’s life consisted of eating, going to work, eating, watching TV, and sleeping.
The turning point came 2 years ago when Dale heard the results from his physical; at 278 pounds, he had 44 percent body fat and elevated blood pressure. Dale’s daughter was – and still is – the most precious part of his life. It was time to make a change. Dale wanted to live a long life, but more importantly, he needed to show his daughter how to grow up healthy and active.
Dale found himself watching an infomercial for P90X over and over again. This looks brutal, Dale thought, and Tony really knows what he’s talking about. It has to work. Maybe Dale was afraid, but deep down inside, he knew that if he bought the program, then he would use it, and once he got started, then he would finish it. As soon Dale ordered the DVDs, he was excited and ready to go.
The biggest obstacle Dale faced was simply his overeating. Combine that with the difficulties of raising a family, and it was hard to “Bring It” from day one. At first, Dale would take days off, but as soon as he saw his abs coming back, he was hooked. This was all the motivation he needed to Push Play every day and stick to a better diet. In 2-1/2 years, Dale has lost 85 pounds, and he’s down to just 15 percent body fat.
Altaf Rahamatulla, Male, Age 46
In 2001, Altaf was involved in a car accident that left him in severe pain. He required cervical spine surgery, which left him physically disabled and in even more pain than before. Oxycontin and Ultram worked to ease the pain, but the extensive damage to Altaf’s body affected him mentally, as well. He was diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety, and panic disorder, for which he took Paxil, Xanax, Wellbutrin, and Ambien.
What’s more, Altaf also suffered from sleep apnea, a disorder that is characterized by stoppages in breathing during sleep. He had to use a CPAP machine just to sleep through the night. And that’s not even all of it.
Altaf also battled diabetes, reflux disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. In total, he was taking 12 different medications each day.
Prior to the accident, Altaf was a vice president at a major financial institution, and he had been studying martial arts for more than 20 years, earning black belts in three different styles. It was par for the course for the former high school athlete. After the accident, though, Altaf could no longer practice martial arts, or play any sports for that matter, and he was forced to go on medical leave from his job. There were times when the pain or depression got so bad that Altaf would stay in bed for weeks. He couldn’t visit his kids or spend any quality time with them, and the side effects of the medications made it difficult to have meaningful communication with anyone. Altaf’s life was in disarray.
Altaf felt like he had hit rock bottom. Then one day when he saw an infomercial for P90X. He was intrigued by the difficulty and intensity of the workout. Right then and there, Altaf made a commitment to himself to try the program. He thought of it as the last chance to take his life back. Altaf knew it would be a difficult challenge, and there was a strong possibility that his injuries would prevent him from succeeding.
By the end his first 90 days, Altaf lost 40 pounds, cut his body fat by nearly 12 percent, and gained muscle in his arms, chest, and legs. Altaf’s wingspan increased, too. More importantly, he no longer has to take most of his sleep and depression medication. The physical and mental strength Altaf gained from P90X allowed him to take control of his life. He’s no longer depressed or anxious, his diabetes is under control, and his cholesterol and blood pressure are back down to normal levels. Altaf still has to use pain medication as needed, although the pain in his back has substantially decreased.
Now, Altaf has more energy than his kids. Friends and family members are extremely proud of his accomplishment, and a bunch of them are looking into P90X for themselves. He’s back and loving it! Every aspect of Altaf’s life has changed for the better. It was a long three months of sacrifice and hard work, but the rewards are immense.
Kellend Brookover, Male, Age 19
Kellend was a heavy kid growing up. Faced with constant ostracism from peers, his parents assured him that it was perfectly natural – as he was growing, he was gaining weight. When that explanation was no longer good enough for Kellend, he became a vegetarian, although he added fish to his diet for more protein after several years. A diet rich in fish sounds exceptionally healthy; however, seeing the way Kellend was eating, his diet was anything but healthy. Besides fish, ice cream, chips, cheese, and empty carbohydrates made frequent appearances on Kellend’s plate. In high school, he started drinking alcohol regularly to fit in.
Kellend honestly thought that he could reverse the effects of a drunken night out in the weight room the next day. It was clear that he had a serious problem when he couldn’t look at himself in the mirror without feeling disgusted.
Initially, Kellend looked toward weight training to change his lifestyle, and he slowly became obsessed with how much weight he could lift. That dangerously misguided approach led Kellend to reach 268 pounds. His football and wrestling coaches were thrilled, but Kellend saw the error of his ways.
Eating correctly became his new focus, and Kellend quickly lost an enormous amount of weight.
Unfortunately, the weight loss left him feeling weak, causing him to relapse. Finally, late one night, Kellend found the answer.
While flipping channels, Kellend saw a guy twice his age doing pull-ups, making them look virtually effortless. Kellend continued to watch in awe. It was an infomercial for P90X. Kellend understood the importance of variety, and not only did this program have variety, everything was so intense and organized. Kellend saved up his money, bought the required equipment, and ordered P90X. From day one, he couldn’t believe how much Tony could do without breaking a sweat. It almost felt like Tony was rubbing it in, but Kellend didn’t care. He had to keep up. He had to “Bring It.”
Today, Kellend is 35 pounds lighter, and for the first time in his life, he’s comfortable with his body. In fact, he’s more confident than ever before, and he has no problem taking risks or meeting new people. Even talking to girls is easy now. Kellend hasn’t reached his goals just yet, though. He’s going to keep “Pushing Play,” so watch out, Tony!
Kellend wants to get in even better shape than you are. Kellend loves how it feels to live a healthy lifestyle, and he wants to pay it forward. Currently a dietetics major in college, Kellend plans to become a nutritionist to help others change their bodies and change their lives.
Nick Baker, Male, Age 26
Nicknamed “The Lunchbox” in grade school, Nick was always a big guy. He was renowned among friends for being willing to eat massive quantities of food. Even though Nick was overweight, he was active – competing in high school track and field events and playing football in college until injuries sidelined him. After football, Nick turned to martial arts for a disciplined workout. From there, he began competing as a 260- to 280-pound heavyweight in mixed martial arts.
After starting a full-time job, Nick began making excuses for why he couldn’t get to the gym. As the months went by, he spent more time on the couch and less time with his wife. Nick’s diet was another key problem. Eating fast food and quick fixes never truly filled him up.
As Nick’s weight climbed up toward 300 pounds, he started to think about his future. Nick wanted to live a long, healthy life and raise a family. He knew that, with his inactive, overindulgent lifestyle, he has headed down the wrong path. Enough was enough. Nick wanted to look and feel good again. That’s when he saw an infomercial for Power 90.
The program caught Nick’s eye because of the unique exercises and the real-life success stories. Exercising to a DVD was especially suitable for him, since he would be able to squeeze in workouts early in the morning, at lunchtime, or after work. At this point, Nick was not only busy with a full-time job, he was also working toward his MBA degree, so he needed the accountability he got from the WOWY community and his Coach to stay on track.
The workouts were tough at first. Nick didn’t have nearly the stamina he once had, but he loved how challenging Power 90 was. Besides, Nick couldn’t let an old guy like Tony Horton beat him, so he had to work as hard as he could to finish every workout. More than simply being out of shape, Nick didn’t really know how to eat in moderation or even eat the right foods in the first place. He used advice from the program, recipes from Thin Kitchen, and Beachbody supplements to change his diet.
After 350 days of Pushing Play, the new Nick looks more like “The Washboard” than “The Lunchbox.” He has lost 71 pounds since day one. Many of his old acquaintances hardly recognize him anymore. Nick’s wife certainly thinks he looks amazing. Nick has since moved on to challenge himself with P90X, and after seeing how his life has changed, Nick’s wife has started Yoga Booty Ballet. If he could do this with his busy schedule, then anyone could. Nick is living proof that we all have the time to work out and transform our lives.
Derek Wheatley, Male, Age 26
Derek always wanted to have a flat stomach and to feel confident while being shirtless. Derek was in good shape for years when he competed in motocross races until injuries sidelined him, forcing him to take a desk job. That’s when things started to go downhill. He would come home exhausted after a long commute, and all he wanted to do was sit down on the couch. He barely had the energy to play when his son came roaring into the living room.
When Derek finally thought about it, he realized that he was drained, yet he didn’t do anything physical all day. From that point, Derek started to notice that his clothes were fitting too tightly, and his weight reached the 200-pound mark -25 pounds heavier than his competition/riding weight. Derek knew he had a problem, and he was afraid of where it could lead him.
An Ab Ripper X video was sitting on the kitchen counter when Derek got home one night. After watching the P90X infomercial, he told his wife all about the program. Unlike other workout programs on TV, these were real people doing real exercises, working hard, and seeing amazing results. She had borrowed it from a neighbor for Derek to try.
After his first workout, he was stunned to find out that he couldn’t complete more than a few of the exercises. It was time to get back in shape, so Derek ordered a P90X program for himself. It would prove to be one of the best decisions he ever made.
Starting the program was a bit of a roller-coaster ride. Initially, Derek was overwhelmed by the length and intensity of the workouts. He found himself giving up before he even finished half of each workout, and he was on the verge of quitting entirely. That was until he found the motivation he needed from his Beachbody Coach, Josh. He told Derek to forget the excuses and leave them behind. Full of renewed motivation, Derek jumped in headfirst and decided to prove to himself that he had what it took to eat right, keep Pushing Play, and complete P90X.
Losing 25 pounds is fantastic by itself, but Derek’s total body transformation came with even more benefits. Now, when the alarm goes off in the morning, Derek jumps out of bed instead of reaching for the snooze button, and he comes home ready to play with his son. Derek always wanted a flat stomach, and, after P90X, his stomach is ripped. He even looks great without a shirt on and feels better now than when he was racing motocross. Eager to help others transform their bodies and lives, Derek has become a Beachbody Coach. If you need motivation, Derek is ready to get you in gear.
June 9th, 2010 at 7:04 am
P90X is really wonderful
I have been using it and it changed me a lot