My “Must Have” List


I wanted to provide you with a list of the equipment and supplement that I consider my ‘MUST HAVES” if you want to maximize your results with P90X. Now I am not saying that you cant get great results using other items, but these are what worked for me and I would highly recommend them to anyone just getting into the program in order to see the quickest results. I hope this helps you decide what will work best for you and what will work best for your budget.  Please dont feel like I am trying to sell you anything because Im not…I want you too succeed, and these items are simply what worked for me and my budget and that I feel you will get the most bang for your buck out of all that hard work you put in!

#1 – P90X Chin-Up Bar: One of the primary strengthening exercises in the P90X program are the variety of pull-ups.  Having a decent 10-grip pull-up bar is going to help you maximize this aspect of the program.  Bands work okay, but me personally, I just couldnt get enough tension on the bands to make it difficult. Plus, you are going to be using this a lot, so it is well worth the investment. I ordered mine from Beachbody with my P90X dvd set. I know its a little more expensive ($59) than the ones you can get off eBay or something, but the construction is much more durable than the knockoffs.  This bar can hold up to 300lbs!!!

#2 – Adjustable Dumbells: Almost all of the strength training exercises can be performed with bands, but free weight are definitely going to maximize your results. I used bands for my first two rounds of P90X and they work great, but you just can get the same intensity that comes from the heavier free weights.  I opted for a pair of the LifeSmart adjustable dumbbells from Academy Sports. This was the cheapest place I could find them for $199 for the pair which is way cheaper than the Bowflex dumbbells.  They adjust from 5-55 pounds so you can definitely expect to feel the burn no matter what your fitness level!

#3 – PowerStands: These are one of my favorite pieces of equipment! They are a little more expensive ($39) than the cheap push-up bars you buy at sporting goods stores, but these are heavy duty! They have a giant base and when I am pumping out my last few reps of wide-fly push-ups, I never feel weary of them tipping over. They are made of super high density plastic, so they will last forever. They have a rubber gasket on the bottom, so they never slip. And they greatest part is that they put your wrists in the correct position to prevent joint issues. You can also go way deeper during your push-ups which absolutely RIPS the center of your pecs!

#4 – Yoga Mat: Beachbody provides an awesome mat called The Black Mat by Manduka. I would love to have this mat, but it simply didnt fit into my budget ($89). If you are doing Ab Ripper-X, you are going to want some sort of mat so that your tailbone is not directly on the floor.  I actually bruised my tailbone by not using a mat…not fun. You can pick one up at Target or some similar outfit for pretty cheap.

#5 – Shakeology: If I was forced to give up all supplements except for one, Shakeology would hand down be the one supplement I would use.  I didnt start using Shakeology until my 2nd round of P90X. I was pretty skeptical at first since you see these “health shakes” all the time, but I broke down and gave it a try for 30 days since Beachbody had a “bottom of the bag” guarantee, where you can return the bag empty for a full refund. After that first month man, there was no looking back. I drink it EVERY SINGLE DAY now and it never get old. It is bar far the most amazing tasting shake I have ever had and its the healthy shake that has ever probably existed, lol. I got on Home Direct and now have it shipped to my house every month automatically to make sure I never run out! There seem to be two types of people when it comes to Shakeology; those who have never tried it and are skeptical over the price, and then there are those who have tried it and cant stop talking about it how amazing it is. The price does seem steep when you compare it to other drink supplements, but it would be an unfair comparison considering that a regular old protein shake doesnt have the hundreds of whole food nutrients that Shakeology has. It really is a TOTAL HEALTH shake, not just some protein shake. You will have to decide if it fits in your budget or not, but it is well worth the money to me. If you want to learn more about it just CLICK HERE.

#6 – Whey Protein: It is absolutely essential if you want to gain muscle and lose fat to take in a lot of protein. If you have some weight to lose, then it is likely that you will be following the fat shredder diet plan from the P90X nutrition guide where 50% of your calories should be coming from protein. A decent protein whey powder is a great way of giving your muscles what they need to recover and grow unless you want to eat 5 pounds of chicken per day, lol! Protein whey powder is a simple way to get all the protein your body needs, plus it absorbs quickly so your body can use it right away. Beachbody has a Protein powder, but its kind of expensive so I go with either Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard or Cytosport Muscle Milk 100% Whey. Each of these are a good buy.

#7 – Protein Bars: These are also a great way to get all the protein you need throughout the day, especially if you are super busy and on the go all the time. You can pack a protein bar with you wherever you go to make sure you dont go too long without some sort of fuel for your body. I have started making my own protein bars at home, but there are some great options out there. Just stay away from the ones that have lots of sugar!

#8 – Calorie Counter: This is key in hitting your target intake each day for protein/carbs/fats. I still enter everything that goes into my mouth into my nutrition tracking app on my smart phone. There are lots of apps out there that are great, but I personally like MyFitnessPal. You can enter your own recipes, store common meals that you eat everyday, and it helps me to make sure I am ON TRACK to meat my goals! If you dont have a smart phone, write it down and keep track! The reason I like MyFitnessPal is because I can enter the info on my phone or on the internet…so you dont need a smart phone to be on the path to success.

#9 – Creatine: Creatine naturally occurs in our bodies and helps volumize your muscles with water to help draw in more nutrients to aid in muscle recovery and muscle building. Creatine also comes from meats, but you would need about a 1/2lb of meat to get 1g of creatine, hence the reason to add a creatine supplement. I have found that the best place to purchase any creatine product is from Amazon.com. There is always a less expensive option it seems on Amazon compared to the local vitamin store chains.

#10 – Glutamine: This supplement is also naturally occurring in our bodies, and during intense exercise our glutamine stores are depleted, so replacing glutamine is important to giving our muscles what they need to repair themselves.  I also get this off of Amazon.com.