P90X: Great Cross-Training For Runners

Any exercise program or equipment that uses “As Seen On TV” for marketing makes me extremely skeptical.  While the new P90X training program does use that promotional phrase, runners will benefit much more from this type of cross-training exercise than with normal weight lifting for four main reasons.     

1. Exercises in the P90X program will strengthen muscles that support lateral movement.  People just getting started running can especially benefit from improved balance and having proportionally strong legs.  The intense stretching workouts incorporated in P90X, coupled with exercises that strengthen your hips and outer leg, will improve your running form and help prevent common injuries like a strained IT Band. 
2. Circuit training in a gym is cumbersome and not always practical.  Everyone gets annoyed at the person trying to use multiple machines at once in the gym.  And, those machines could be on opposite sides of the gym.  With P90X you don’t need a bunch of equipment or free weights.  You’ll train in your living room with a few basic weights but most of the exercises use your body weight and most movements incorporate your core muscles in some aspect. 
3. P90X exercises build lean muscle as opposed to bulk.  Bulky muscles are as useful to runners as a beer belly.  Regular weight lifting movements tend to focus solely on one or two muscles at a time.  How many times have you heard someone say they are working “chest and tri’s” at the gym?  Although many P90X workouts also focus on a few muscles or muscle groups, the difference is the load you place on them.  Doing as many push ups as you can is much different than doing as many reps of your body weight on bench press as you can.  Your body responds to push ups by building stronger but leaner muscle versus stronger but larger muscles with bench press. 
4. Most important, P90X workouts keep your heart rate elevated for longer periods of time.  There are plenty of health benefits from lifting weights, just not the kind that will improve your running ability very much.  Your heart rate will spike during a set of squats or bench press, but it will quickly drop while you are spotting your partner or changing weight.  P90X is non-stop movement that doesn’t let your heart rate dip.  The main goal of any cross-training program for runners should be the ability to run the same distance and pace but at a lower heart rate.  Spikes during training in heart rate won’t do it.  Only training at a sustained high rate will help you achieve that goal.

P90X does have one big turnoff unrelated to the actual training.  It is very commercialized and they will try to sell you everything from $25 T-shirts to the most random supplements on the market.  But, they also have a ton of good information about nutrition and meal plans so don’t let their catalogue of unnecessary accessories deter you.  And you will be a better runner  training with P90X.