I had just a general question regarding weights. I'm just starting out on Power 90 and am using 3lb. weights at the moment. I do not want to bulk up but I do want to gain lean muscle. What is the maximum weight that I should use, if any?

[This message was edited by Advice Staff on 07-11-03 at 11:40 AM.]

There is no maximum weight. It's entirely based on reps and failure. Since I don't know what your fitness level is I cannot give you a suggested weight. I can say, for certain, that 3lbs is too light for some of the exercises and that by the time you finish P90 you will, at least be up to 15-20lbs on some of the exercises, and most likely more. However, you might still only be on 3 or 5 lbs for some others. So, your first step is to get some more available weight options. A 50lb adjustable dumbell set will most likely last you for a long long time.

Starting with three is okay until you get the moments down because you don't want to push yourself until you are comfortable that you are doing all the exercises correctly. Then you should add weight so that you start to fail around 10-12 reps. When you can finish 15 reps (or a few more)with that weight than it's time to add weight to that particular movement. This means that you'll use heavier wieght in the beginning (back exercises) than at the end (with things like triceps). Later on in the program you'll want to use even heavy weights, so that you start failing at around 10 reps.

Won't that large of weights (15-20 lbs) bulk a person up?

Not likely, and it would be more accurate to say that it would be almost impossible, though that could depend on the definition of bulky. Those women you see in bodybuilding magazines could probalby do these back exercises with more than 100 pounds. Back muscles are quite large. Working them with 15-20 pounds is in no way excessive given their size. A properly developed back should be able to lift this much. Most women have to work excessively in order to get bulk, at least muscular bulky. Now, some women may look bulky because they have some muscle and a lot of fat, sort of the female equivalent to the male ex-athlete turned beer-drinking-couch-potato athlete that still has some muscle tone but also a lot of excessive body weight from over eating/drinking and restricted caloric burnoff. But this is not the type of body you will build by exercising with weights and eating right. Instead, you will build solid muscles that are still normal sized but the increase in muscle will burn off stored body fat by raising your metabolism. If your diet is under control you will not gain size overall. Instead, your body will shrink at the same weight, plus you may lose some weight as well.

Using a somewhat extreme example, I know a woman that by lifting weights and changing her body type gained 20lbs and droped from a size 16 to a size 6.

Unless you are taking some kind of steroid or have some predisposition to looking like the Incredible Hulk, you'll never really bulk up.

Take a look at all of the P90 members on the member pages and with VERY FEW exceptions no one looks like a muscle maniac and I've found 0 (zero) ladies who look like a shemale...

The key to P90 is the larger number of reps. The folks you see who look like the Hulk use VERY HIGH weights and fail after 5-8 reps and they do this over and over and over and over... With P90, you do most exercises at once and you do lots of reps before failure. This has more of a toning effect for your muscles. You'll get a long lean look and not the bulk.

As a matter of fact, I've been trying to bulk up and purposely pushing my weights up and up, eating more, etc and while I have increased some muscle mass, its clear I'll never get to the Hulk like look (not my goal) and it will take me quite a while to get to Steve and Tony's physique. may never get all the way, but its fun trying.

One thing I've learned is slow and steady is the right pace.

Regarding Steve's comments about the weights... I;ll give you my experience. I started with 10LBs on everything. When I felt I could complete the entire sculpt workout (whethere it was 1/2 or 3/4) I moved up 5lbs on all exercises. This didn't last long. I learned I was babying some muscle groups and killing others. Once I decided to push to 10-15 reps at unique weights for each exercise, I started seeing much more rapid results. I was able to advance my back (needed for proper posture and support for all of the other exercises) and arms faster than shoulders and wrists... That's ok. I also learned that if you can do curls with 20lbs in round 1, by round 3 you may be back to 10 or even 5lb weights to hit the 10-15 rep mark. The idea is to do the max weight and reach 10-15 reps for each round AND it changes from round to round. For example, I can do 25lb curls in round 1 and I'm down to 10 lb by the end of sculpt 3/4. Technically the workout in P90 is circuit training and isn't designed for bulk. It is designed to maximize fat burning and developing definition/tone.

So, take a look at some of the member pages and I think your worries will go away. Also look for "Cindy and Pixies really hard program" forum in the SI6 (at least I think that's where it is) bulletin board. Those folks have been pushing the envelope (I mean kicking butt and taking names) and you can go look at their pictures to see if they look like the big green monster.

Trust Steve. He won't lead you down the wrong path. Get the form right, start increasing the weights on each exercise to get the most out of each and you'll be fine.

Hope this helps.

Brice

Well that sounds good. I will be going out to purchase heavier weights. Thanks so much for your time & expert advice!

My wife and I are starting P90 - we're using the ProBell system. I'm getting the 30 lb system and she chose the 18 lb. Me -6'5" 205 her 5'2" 125. In moderate (she's better - former dancer) shape looking for great. The question is should we both get the two bell - 30lb system or should she stay with the 18lb?

It's quite possible that your wife will eventually need more weight (espeically on back exercises), so I'd say get the 30lb sets for both of you.

Hi, I have just recently ordered the P90 program, patiently waiting for it to arrive. I need to lose around 85 IBS due to pregnancy and lots and lots of fertility drugs to get pregnant to start with. Anyway, my husband has the opposite problem. First off, let me say he has been a United States Marine for 10 years so he is in good shape, BUT he is 5'8" and 130 IBS and hates it. He has a very low fat %, I believe it is like 4%!?! Not sure if that is right. Anyway, he has been this way his whole life and would like to put some weight on and bulk up. He was going to do this program with me. Could you give me some ideas on supplements and size weight he should be using to gain and bulk up? Should he be doing the cardio at all? Please help me with a solid program with him, I dont know what it is like to be to skinny! I have always had the opposite problem. Thank you.

It's really just a matter of how you eat. You'll be eating the same foods, the difference is that he'll be eating much more of it. He should do cardio, he can still gain weight. And it will be important for him to keep pushing up his weight. When he can do 15 reps he should add so much weight that he can only do 7-8 reps. Then when he can do 12 reps with that weight he should add more weight and follow this throughout the program. This will maximize the hypertrophic aspect of the program and if he eats, he'll gain muscle mass.

You should also check out this issue of the newsletter:

http://www.beachbody.com/jump.jsp?itemID=42&itemType=NEWSLETTER_ISSUES

I like to work out first thing in the morning. I can't wait 1/2 hour to eat something first. Is it ok to workout on a completely empty stomach? I read where you should eat like a 1/3 of a balance bar first so your blood sugar doesn't drop. Is this true or will that put me in a carb burning state insted of a fat burning state?