I have seen this a few times already, and I wanted to post one reply to those who have asked it before as well as those that will ask it in the future. I'm not being smart-assed, but I thought one answer would help.

No, X-Stretch cannot take the place of yoga, nor can Cardio X or another workout. Yes, it is really necessary...it wouldn't be in the package if it weren't important. Yes, it IS and hour and a half long, and yes, it is tough and boring the first few times, but with time, it will get easier and you will actually look forward to it. I found this bit of info on a yoga site, so maybe it will answer some questions as to why yoga is included with P90x. Hope this info helps:

Yoga is extremely effective in:
Increasing Flexibility – yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that are never really on the ‘radar screen’ let alone exercised.

Increasing lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons – likewise, the well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.

Surprisingly it has been found that the body which may have been quite rigid starts experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously work upon. Why? It is here that the remarkable research behind yoga positions proves its mettle. Seemingly unrelated “non strenuous” yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an interrelated manner. When done together, they work in harmony to create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively easily.

Massaging of ALL Organs of the Body – Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner, including those – such as the prostate - that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of disease or disorder.



One of the far-reaching benefits of yoga is the uncanny sense of awareness that it develops in the practitioner of an impending health disorder or infection. This in turn enables the person to take pre-emptive corrective action



Complete Detoxification – By gently stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny as well as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life.

Excellent toning of the muscles – Muscles that have become flaccid, weak or slothy are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity.

Excellent post, RJ!! Thanks for the info!

Ditto what BigHurt1972 said.

Yoga has helped me immensely and I've found my other workouts are far more productive because of it.

Ditto what Lady_Stealth said.

While I do think the yoga is a bit longwinded at 1.5 hours compared to the other workouts, I just love it. My husband is your typical bodybuilder-type who's always just lifted weights and never stretched or done cardio. He's done the yoga DVD probably 6 or 7 times now (even though yesterday was only officially yoga day for week 2, we both did it before starting P90 full force) and yesterday he was standing and bent over and touch his toes. He said "look at this! i've never been this flexible" and was so proud of himself.

It makes me feel so good to do all that stretching while relaxing and some of the poses are still a challenge, which I like.

Good post runningjunkie!

So can X-Stretch take the place of Yoga or not? Hehehe...

Only for you...lol.

**BUMPED**

Sigh - yoga.

I did my third round of it today - and was resolved before the end that I was going to start replacing it with Cardio.

Yoga makes me frustrated and brings down my morale with my workouts. Very counter to how it's supposed to relax you! I know this isn't all yoga's fault, more mine, but still.

Also, I feel like there's not enough cardio in the program -- 2 days cardio to 4 days strength training. I don't think it's enough -- I started pretty in shape (24y/o, 5'5", 123lbs) and feel like I need more cardio to really cut the fat and not have "mushy muscles." I've completely transformed my diet since I started, following the plan strictly - and weigh the exact same I did when I started three weeks ago. Yes I'm sure I've traded some muscle for fat -- but I'd still like to actually see some of the work I do in ab ripper! I just think It takes more cardio to cut fat, no?

Thoughts?

No, there isn't a whole lot of cardio in the program. The goal of the program is mainly strength and resistance training. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, so as you increase your muscle mass, you are still burning fat simply for having muscle. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that for every pound of muscle you have, your body burns an extra 100 calories per day.
It's been said over and over again...you have to stop using the scale as a measure of your success. It's hard to stay away from it and it's harder still when you don't see it move, but it is just a number. According to my weight, I am considered obese. How many truly obese people do you know wearing a size 8? That alone should tell you that the scale is not an accurate tool for measuring your progress. My advice is to stay away from the scale for a month. Rely on your clothes, how they fit, how you look in the mirror. Did you take measurements before you started? Take them again after 30 days...that will tell you more clearly how you are doing than the scale.
Now, yoga...do not replace it with CardioX or anything else. It is not supposed to be easy, especially the first 45 min. The more you do it, the more you will be used to the poses and the easier it will get. It is a critical part of P90x and any other workout regimin you do. Athletes do yoga quite a bit...there is a saying amongst runners that yoga is good for your running, but running is not good for your yoga. Yoga is beneficial for all the reasons I listed above and I advise you to stick with it.

runningjunkie,

Thanks for pulling us back on topic!

Regarding the "gain muscle mass and burn more calories" issue...we've actually addressed it here in the forum previously. In short, the consensus is that at the beginning of the program you'll burn an extra 20-50 calories for each pound of lean muscle you gain.

We could easily stretch it past the point of credulity...if I gain 100 pounds of lean muscle I will NOT burn an extra 5000 calories! So, the general feeling is that it applies to the first few pounds of lean muscle you gain. Your body will improve its efficiency with increased exercise as well, which means (ouch!) that it takes fewer calories of energy to accomplish a task. This is probably why there's a breakover point for everyone. It will vary from person to person.

Agree with your thoughts on yoga...many of us, myself included, grumble about it. But when you see the benefits down the line you'll be glad you did it! Also, everybody please remember that you're going for proficiency at the start. Mastery comes with time. Yoga was a pain my first trip through. After my third trip, I looked forward to the workout. And I still can't do crane so I substitute something else. I can't do royal dancer, so I substitute something else. I can't do plough due to a fat roll, so I do my best and then do something else. Modify if you need to, because modifying is a lot better than standing there and watching the video (been there, done that).

Hope this helps...

Kevin

Thanks for correcting me on the muscle mas/calorie burn, Kevin! I can't stress enough how important yoga is. I have difficulty with some of the poses, even though I've done yoga in the past. Crane is a tough one, and while I can't hold it for more than a second or 2 (my longest was about 4 or 5 sec), I try. Wheel is a tough one too, since I have wrist issues, but I still hold it as long as I can. I will admit that P90 yoga is vastly different from Rodney Yee, and by the time I hit the 45 min mark, I feel that if I have to do one more vinyasa I'm going to kick my tv. After that, I absolutely love it. The balance poses are my favorites, but nothing can beat the feeling I get when I'm transitioning from plank to downward dog or from crescent to warrior 2. I feel strong, powerful and totally grounded. It's a great feeling, one I wouldn't trade for the world.

I second the "don't trust the scale" comments. I gained 5lb over 90 days, but I went down a size, and lost 4% body fat. Although some people have immediate results, others don't feel like they see results until week 4, 5, 8. In fact, if you look at some of the picture posts, the rest of us can see changes the original poster doesn't see themselves. Patience! Focus on strength and fitness in the beginning. You can always do some doubles starting Phase II if you like, but those routines are IN ADDITION to the regular workouts, not instead of them.

Yep, I agree totally.

For the martial artists in the group, you won't believe how much better your stances become after doing Yoga for awhile! My forward stance was always a bit rickety. After a few months of Yoga-X I can get as deep into the stance as my 21 year old son. Now that I have a new knee (I've detailed it elsewhere in the forums) I think Yoga will help me get the flexibility back more quickly and will get me back to the martial arts patterns I love.

And I agree with the "don't trust the scale" thoughts as well. Go by your clothes and you'll get a better sense. You can get more accurate anthropomorphic measurements if you like and you're willing to pay, but clothing is probably the least expensive tool you can use.

Well, maybe clothing and your mirror.

Kevin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv7_iQdxeT0&feature=related

P90x yoga is explained with this and others...

BUMPED-Can we make this a sticky?

runningjunkie, can yoga take the place of stretch X or rest day? Assuming the yoga includes stretching asanas?

Hey guys, I am so looking forward to starting P90x on Monday with my sister. Know I now you've mentioned that yoga is a crucial part to this program, I am an Orthodox Christian and it's against my faith to practice yoga, lot's of reasons, though this is not the time or place to discuss them.

What would you recommend? That I substitute it for another cardio or kenpo session?

Thanks in advance!

Hi cats,

Welcome to the forums! First, let me say that I understand exactly where you're coming from regarding Yoga...I concur for the same reasons as you!

When I initially previewed P90X, I did so on the recommendation of another evangelical Christian for whom I have great respect. I previewed the Yoga video before I made a decision. I don't do the Corpse pose or the "ommms" at the end. You can PM me if you'd like and I can elaborate as to why I've chosen not to do them.

Other than this, I haven't found anything that would violate my sincerely held Christian beliefs. My suggestion to you is to consider previewing the video yourself and, if you find something that runs counter to your personal faith, then doing X-stretch or Cardio-X would allow you to still do the P90X system and not violate your personal beliefs.

Hope this helps...

Kevin

Thanks so much Kevin for your feedback!

Will do so...and let you know what I think.

cats....