P90X Series: Yoga X

YAWN! What a snoozer. I am not a yoga fan to begin with, but can tolerate about 45 minutes of it. This is 90 minutes long, yikes! And he repeats the same moves over, and over and OVER again. I did it 1.5 times as part of P90X, and now just completely skip it.

I have not done the full workout (yet), but I know others have been interested in what the sequence of the poses are. So, I thought I would write them down and post them here for others to refer to in the future. (I apologize if I missed something!) The workout is 1 hour and 33 minutes long. I have noted a couple of key time points for reference purposes.

Yoga X Sequences

5 breaths in mountain pose

Wide leg hamstring stretch

Wide leg bent over torso stretch

Split leg hamstring stretch

Standing side stretch

Astanga sun salutations (3)

Vinyasa into and between each of these exercises:

Runners pose

Crescent pose

Warrior one

Warrior two

Reverse warrior

Triangle pose

Twisting triangle pose

Chair pose

Twisting chair pose

You now have 59 minutes remaining:

Downward dog with leg raise

Vinyasa into this sequence:

Downward dog with leg raise

Warrior 1 then 2 then reverse warrior then 2

Right angle pose

Extended right angle pose and grab

Right angle pose

Warrior 2 then reverse, 2, 1 and out

= repeat series on other side =

Vinyasa to:

Runners pose

Prayer twist

Side arm balance to

Vinyasa… and repeat on other side

Vinyasa to:

Crescent

Warrior 3

Standing Splits

Half moon

Twisting half moon

Crescent

Runners pose to

Vinyasa… and repeat on other side

One final Vinyasa

You are now at the end of the moving asanas and have 43 minutes remaining.

Balancing postures begin:

Tree

Royal Dancer

Standing leg extensions with 3 variations

Crane (child’s pose is the alternative)

**brief water break**

Seated spinal stretch

Cat stretch

Frog

Bridge or wheel to knee hug to bridge or wheel

Plough to shoulder stand with leg variations

Table

Cobbler pose

One legged hamstring stretch

Two legged hamstring stretch

You have 17:30 remaining and move into Yoga Belly 7

Touch the sky

Boat

Half boat

Open scissors

Torso twist hold

Deep torso twist hold

Touch the sky - 3 parts

Coming into the home stretch with 9:30 remaining…

Side twist

Glute stretch

Happy baby

Child’s pose

Corpse shavasana

Fetus pose

Lotus pose

OVERVIEW

Yoga X is a LONG workout, clocking at an hour and a half, but it can be broken down into distinct sections in the following order: Vinyasa sequence integrated with a variety of yoga poses - involves strength and endurance/ major sweat factor (50 minutes), Balance postures (10 minutes), Flexibility/Stretching (10 minutes), Abdominal work (10 minutes) and Relaxation and meditation (10 minutes). I have always completed this workout from start to finish but as you can see it is really easy to pick out certain sections.

My exercise background BEFORE Yoga X: I had only been exposed to basic and short yoga stretches that usually occur in the final stretch in some video workouts. Some of these stretches include: downward dog, child’s pose and cobra. Stretching never played a pivotal role in my exercise regime but I still enjoyed some exercise disciplines that incorporate stretching such as pilates and lotte berk. The idea of spirituality talk and the intimidating yoga poses scared me. Surely the stretching workouts that I am doing are enough - I don’t need yoga.

PRESENTATION

The set has a warm tone as the lightening and flooring have changed from the other P90X workouts. The music is great! It is very different from other stretch type videos - it is one of my favorite soundtracks of the entire P90X series.

The varying yoga abilities exemplified by Tony and the crew make the environment more welcoming and reveals that anyone can do yoga. They also reveal what you can look forward to as you improve in this workout.

DIFFICULTY

YOGA X varies on a wide spectrum of difficulty that can be defined on multiple dimensions: overall endurance, strength, flexibility and balance. Although there are a few exercises that I cannot perform yet, I can see myself doing them in the near future - so I guess what I am trying to say is that Yoga X exercises are not as insane as some of the Yoga Poses I have seen floating around on the internet. This was a big relief to me and I think that is why I keep on reaching for Yoga X - it is challenging enough to keep my interest but it doesn't overwhelm me with impossible exercises.

As of now, there are 3 exercises I struggle with. 1) Half moon (don’t have the level of endurance or balance ability). 2) Crane (don’t have the upper body strength) 3) Wheel with leg raise (that exercise scares me).

Again, Yoga X is my first yoga workout so I have nothing to compare it to but if you have a fitness foundation in multiple disciplines: endurance, strength and flexibility, Yoga X is definitely doable for the Yoga beginner (with modifications) but not the beginner exerciser. I think beachbody and Tony Horton did an excellent job with this workout because it provides that bridge for us yoga newbies/intermediate to advanced exercisers but also provides plenty of room for growth.

LASTING APPEAL

The Yoga X routine is of AAA status. There is so much variety and this routine immerses you into so many functions of fitness. The first section is pure sweat and endurance with a combination of many different type of isometric yoga poses. Then you get balance postures, stretching, abdominal work and relaxation. The flow of this workout is wonderful - I feel empowered and graceful doing this routine.

My perspective after Yoga X: yoga is intense and can be for people at all levels of flexibility. In Yoga X, there is no spirituality talk or anything that would make me feel uncomfortable. Some people might feel awkward with the final meditation section but it is short and can be skipped.

Although I will never become a die-hard yoga fan, I have definitely developed a greater appreciation for yoga. I can see myself still reaching for Yoga X even after my P90X rotation ends because after all, as impossible as it seems now, I know I will be able to do the crane one day.

This is a long power-yoga practice (90min). The first 40-45 minutes are strenuous in terms of demands on both your upper and lower body. There are vinyasas between each pose, and Tony models a "second pushup" going from updog to down dog on almost each one. I don't have that many yoga tapes to compare it to, but I'd say the physical requirements are about equal to what you need for Sonic Yoga (Flow into Splits) or PY4H. I wouldn't say the individual poses are as "advanced", but taken as a whole this practice requires a high level of energy.

I won't go through descriptions of all of the poses, but I'll describe what's in each of the sections:

Warm-up-Moutain Pose, Foreward Bend,Split leg hamstring stretch, Standing side stretch, + 3 Sun salutations

Moving Asana portion-Runner's pose, to crescent lunge, warrior one, warrior two, reverse warrior, triangle pose, twisting triangle, chair to twisting chair, right angle post, extended right angle, prayer twist to side arm balance, warrior three to standing splits, half moon to twisting half moon.

He did a TON of vinyasas throughout!

Balance Postures-Tree, Royal Dancer, Standing Leg Extension, Crane (for 60 seconds!!)

Floor Work-seated Spinal Stretch,Cat Stretch, Cat Stretch, Frog, Bridge, Wheel, Plough into shoulder stand, table, cobbler pose, one legged hamstring stretch into 2 legged hamstring stretch

Yoga Belly-Tough the Scky, Boat, half boat, sicssor, torso twist hold, touch the sky again

More floor work-Glute stretch, Happy baby, childs' pose, corpse, fetal pose, meditation pose.

He held individual poses for a good long time. I personally enjoyed the music a great deal!

This is NOT a beginner's workout.

Grade A