As a veteran of P90X many times over I have a learned a few tips and tricks that aren't mentioned in the DVD's. The trainer/instructor for P90X is Tony Horton. He does a great job and I really do feel that he covers the major points, cues and cautions. However, there's only so much that can be covered before you're getting more lecture than exercise. With that said, in this article I'll share with you some of my tips for getting the most out of the stretches in P90X. I'll cover strength and cardio tips another time. Please note that some of the information given may not make sense to you unless you are familiar with the workouts in P90X.
The hip and glute stretch is a stretch where you are lying on your back, ankle of the leg onecrossed at the knee of leg two. As you pull your legs toward your chest you will feel a stretch in the hip/glute on leg one. The "advanced" version is to straighten leg two to add a hamstring stretch. Don't bother. All this does is take away from the hip stretch on leg one. One thing I commend P90X for is including plenty of stretching. There are more than enough hamstring stretches. This one is a waste of time.
The "advanced" version of the Kenpo quad stretch is not really advanced. The advanced version of this stretch involves leaning forward so that you are resting on your elbow or even laying your torso nearly flat on the floor instead of the front arm being straight and resting on your hand. The problem is that the so called advanced version tends to cause you to bend at the hip. When you bend at the hip you take away from the quad stretch. I recommend keeping your torso up high, extending through the front of the hip as much as you can and working to get your heel to touch your glute.
I suggest a minor adjustment on the frog stretch that is not ever mentioned on the DVDs. The frog stretch is a killer stretch for the inner thighs. My tip is once you get into position to do a forward pelvic tilt which is when you arch the lower back. Don't go make this a big move just a little bit of a pelvic tilt forward will not take away from the strech. It will actually help you go a little deeper and you should find that you're slightly more comfortable.
I hope this information has been helpful. Remember, form is important no matter what exercise program you do.
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