Tony Horton spent years speaking not only with the best and most cutting edge experts in the field of sports science—but also with the most knowledgeable and advanced nutritionists out there. Why? Because he knew that we are what we are made of, and no amount of brilliant technique or punishing routines could ever make you any better than what you were putting on your plate.
Why Follow the P90X2 Nutrition Plan?
P90X2 is all about maximizing your athletic performance, and as a result it doesn’t focus exclusively on losing weight. While you will lose weight, this will happen simply because you are becoming healthy, and your healthy body will adjust to a healthy weight. Thus the nutrition plan is designed to help you move through each of the three P90X2 Plans with maximum energy, staying power, and nutritional support so that you can excel from day 1 all the way through day 90.
If you’ve already done a round or two of P90X and the Insanity Workout, then you already have a good idea as to how much you should be eating and when. However, the P90X2 Nutrition Plan is the latest in cutting edge nutrition, and as such it will help you achieve maximum performance by feeding your body exactly what it needs. Further, many people have asked for a vegan or even grain-free option, and the P90X2 nutrition plan accommodates those desires by giving you those alternatives.
So why should you follow the P90X2 nutrition plan? Simply because doing so will allow you to excel at the change in each Plan that this program will throw at you, allowing you to flush your body of toxins, build lean muscle, shred fat and develop the kind of physique and energy levels that you’ve always wanted. Further, aren’t you even just a little curious as to what the latest and best research on nutrition has to offer? Tony has combed the minds of the very best experts out there to create this guide for you, and thus if you really want the very best results, then there’s no reason you shouldn’t listen to the very best minds in the business.
Nutrition During P90X2
From Day 1 you are going to need to ensure that you are eating correctly, that you are eating frequently enough, that you are consuming enough calories, and that you are enjoying your meal plan so as to be sure to stick to it. What exactly should you expect, then? Let’s run through the three plans that Tony has created to match the three phases of P90X2, and show you what’s coming down the road.
Odds are that you don’t have much fat to burn by the time you begin this program, but it’s possible you’ve let things slide a little and want to shred some fat upfront. That’s why the program begins with the Fat Shredder 2.0 plan, which will have you eating about 50% protein and 25% carbs and fat. This should not be sustained for more than 6 weeks tops, but will help you get lean fast if that’s your goal.
Then you move in the Energy Booster 2.0 plan, which is composed of 40% carbs, and 30% protein and fat. This is a balanced approach to nutrition, and will ensure that you are eating enough of each food type to ensure maximum energy as you power through the middle of the P90X2 workouts.
Finally you enter the performance zone with the Endurance Maximizer 2.0 which is composed of a whopping 50% carbs, and 25% protein and fat. Worried about the sheer amount of carbs you’ll be eating? Don’t be. This level reflects a true athlete’s diet, and is what pro athletes consume each day, However, if you’re eating this much than you definitely need to be giving the P90X2 workout your all, because if you don’t those carbs will catch up with you.
The brilliant aspect of all this is that you decide when to shift between each plan, allowing you to customize your approach to P90X2 Nutrition by simply listening to your body, and allowing it to tell you what you need.
How the P90X2 Meal Plan Works
The most fundamental aspect of P90X2 is that it is an eminently customizable and flexible plan that allows you to adapt and change at your own pace and by listening to your own body. How exactly then will you know what to do?
First, you should move between each plan when you reach certain goals. The goal of the Fat Shredder is to help you burn out all the carb reserves in your body by exhausting your glycogen stores and helping you mobilize fat as an energy source. When you start to run dry and out of energy, shift to the Energy Booster Plan to once again appreciate the benefits of carbs and ramp up your fitness level. Finally, when you feel really ready to give it your all, go to the Endurance Maximizer. This requires that you be burning a phenomenal amount of energy, and that you be incredibly active all the time. If that’s not the case, then switch back to the Energy Booster on occasion.
Bottom line: if you run out of energy or hit a workout plateau, then it’s time to change your meal plan.
This also holds true for your caloric needs. As you become more active and develop more lean body mass, your body will require more calories to function at an optimal level. At that point you will need to start eating more so as to continue to work at the same intensity level, which strangely enough will allow you to continue burning fat at an increased level. So when you run out of energy or hit a plateau, try adding 300 calories to your meal plan to see if this doesn’t help you take things to the next level. Just find which P90X2 Caloric Level you should be at, and then prepare for incredible results!