These Elite Workouts (ARX3, Complex Upper, and Complex Lower) are TOUGH! They are NOT part of the base kit, and they are NOT necessary for doing the entire 90 days of P90X3. The complex workouts are a lot like the PAP workouts from phase 3 of P90X2 for those of you who are familiar with that, but I’ll give a more detailed review of each workout in just a minute.
First off, let me start by saying that I agree with everyone who says the Elite DVD workouts are overpriced. They retail for $89. Compare this to $45 for the Insanity Deluxe DVD workouts, or $60 for the T25 Gamma workouts.
So is $89 “worth it” for 3 extra workouts? That’s up to you. If you aren’t sure, definitely pass on getting the Elite workouts …. at least for starters. You can do the entire 90 days of P90X3 with the base kit. You DON’T need these bonus workouts to get a full X3 experience. The Elite kit gives you 3 extra workouts that you can do as an extra Elite Block (lasting one month) after finishing 90 days of the base calendar.
If you have $89 (now $59.85 as of 5/7/14) to spend on workouts, I think a much better bang for your buck would be something like Body Beast, where you get the entire workout program for $89 (that would make a KILLER hybrid with X3 after you go through a round with your X3 base kit). But ultimately that’s up to you. Obviously I paid the $89 to get these, cuz I simply wanted them :-). And I definitely don’t regret it, as I really like these workouts. But if you are on a tight budget, you’ll be just fine without them.
Now on to my review of the workouts you’ll get with the Elite DVD:
X3 Ab Ripper (ARX3) — first off, let me explain why ARX3 is NOT included in the base kit = Tony and the team putting this program together wanted to be sure that all P90X3 workouts are 30 minutes per day. If an Ab Ripper workout were added AFTER the lift days, that would lead to 45 minute workouts and undermine the selling point of X3 being an extreme 30 minute program. So it was determined that the ARX3 would be included as a bonus workout, but would NOT be part of the regular 90 day program. That makes sense to me. And rest assured, they made sure your abs and core will get PLENTY of work in the base kit workouts, within the 30 minute daily time frame. You’ve seen the test group results, right? Those were all accomplished with just the base kit, just 30 minutes per day for 90 days. You aren’t neglecting anything by missing ARX3.
So what is ARX3 like? For those of you who have P90X2, the style will feel a lot like ARX2 — fewer moves than the original ARX, slower controlled movements, isolation in the contracted position, and an intense burn. I’d describe the original P90X ARX as high volume, high reps, and fast. This is slower paced and more varied in where it targets your abs, obliques, and core. You’ll spend time in plank, doing rotations, and holding isometric poses.
I found some of the moves quite tame, and others quite brutal. The most brutal move for me was one where you go from Banana – to the Boat position – to a Russian twist move, then back to banana, and so on. OUCH!!!
The whole workout is 15 minutes long, so it makes a good add-on for those who have the time to supplement after one of the 30 minute X3 main workouts. But then again, there are lots of good 15 minute ab workouts out there for those of you wanting to add extra ab work that you might already have in your library, and those would be just fine.
X3 Complex Upper — Wow! This one is a 30 minute butt kicking!!!
- Slow motion chin ups
- Plyometric pushups
- Weighted thrusters
- W-pullups
- A killer pushup/core combo move called the pushup bird dog crunch.
Those 5 moves make up the “complex”, and you do that complex 4 times through. So yes, that’s 20 intense full body moves in 30 minutes. …. But wait, there’s more!! You’ll find a nice little bonus BURNOUT set at the end, making this workout 25 brutal moves in 30 minutes. KILLER!!
My heart rate was at it’s max during this bad boy. Some of you may be familiar with my buddy Sean Callahan, who is in this video (he’s also been in the X2 videos and some of these X3 videos as well). He’s about the fittest guy I know, and this workout leaves him laying flat on his back on the floor at the end. So just be warned — this will put you to the test! Thank heavens it’s “only” 30 minutes long. The first time I did it, I think I wore out my pause button LOL! It left me humble and realizing there is always a LOT of room for improvement.
X3 Complex Lower — This one reminds me A LOT of PAP Lower from P90X2. There are 5 moves in this complex (just like Complex Upper), with 2 weighted strength moves, 2 explosive speed moves, and 1 stabilizing/balance/core isolation move. It was a difficult workout, but didn’t destroy me like Complex Upper did. Overall, this is a nice addition to your routine, especially if athletic performance is one of your goals. If you already have X2 PAP Lower in your library, this doesn’t offer anything particularly new (the moves are different but the feel is the same).
P90X3 Recovery Week Workouts
In the Recovery weeks for P90X3, you will hit up Isometrix, Dynamix, Accelerator, Pilates X, and CVX.
I’ve given you my thoughts on Pilates X, CVX, and X3 Yoga already. Let’s look at Isometrix, Dynamix, and Accelerator.
Isometrix – Alternates between a plank-style move and a leg balance move. It’s the intense isometric holds from Yoga, all put together to burn and strengthen your core and stabilizers. I hate yoga, but I really like this workout. There is a good flow, lots of variety, and lots of intensity. Spoiler alert — during the balance move where Tony says to keep your eyes closed, you gotta peek and see what he’s doing on screen. Gotta love Tony :-)
Dynamix – This is a fast paced stretching routine. I must admit, I went into Dynamix with some low expectations. Man was I wrong! I loved it! I think it’s safe to say it was my favorite stretching routine I’ve ever done. I broke a good sweat LOL! Dynamic stretching kept me moving and I wasn’t bored at all. Another unique workout that I know will find a place in my future hybrids.
Acceletor – Cardio at two speeds… Fast and a whole lot faster! You gear it up and slow it down. To modify, just slow it down a bit, but if you want MORE… turn up the volume and give it all you’ve got! You’ll need some towels to jump over and mop up your sweat. I think this a great cardio option. Nothing outrageous, just good ol’ hard cardio work. Again, you get out of it what you put into it. Strap up your HRM and see how many calories you can burn.
Need a coach?
My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
