P90X Extreme Home Fitness Workout Program

The Issue: You're serious about finally getting fit and toned, but your gym routine isn't cutting it and a personal trainer is super expensive.

The Fix: With the P90X Extreme Home Fitness Workout Program, you won't have to leave the house to get amazing fitness results. Our expert, Ocala, Florida certified personal trainer Katie Humphrey swears by P90X, calling it a "one-of-a-kind workout that combines strength training with cardio, core workouts, and yoga. So you literally become stronger, more flexible and extremely lean."

This is a get-down-to-business, comprehensive fitness regimen that is not for the faint of heart. The program consists of 12 DVDs covering strength training (targeting every major muscle group, including chest, back, legs, biceps, triceps and abdominals), cardio and core and flexibility training. Each day, you switch off between a strength training, cardio or yoga DVD, each of which is roughly 50 to 60 minutes (except yoga, which is 90). The program recommends that you perform six DVDs a week and take one day off to rest. The program also comes with a three-phase nutritional plan and fitness guide full of great workout tips.

The whole program is designed to last 90 days, but you should start to feel like a new person by day 30, when you'll really start to see more muscle tone, weight loss and feel more energetic overall.

Humphrey calls P90X a "high-quality workout with nothing else like it on the market." One of the keys to what makes it successful--and keeps you engaged and challenged--is that the program is designed to create muscle confusion, meaning that they constantly switch the order of the routines to ensure that "your body is never able to adapt or plateau...forcing it to continually make amazing changes," Humphrey explains.

We know the packaging looks frighteningly masculine and intense, but don't let it scare you off. We love the program because it can be modified for everyone from beginners to advanced athletes. Most of the program's strength training workouts involve body weight movements, such as pushups, pull-ups and lunges, and the rest of the exercises give you the option to use free weights or resistant bands to adjust the difficulty level.

Not gonna lie, though, initially the workout is exhausting, especially if you're not used to exercising this intensely or for this many days in a row. So if you feel you need to, Humphrey suggests you take it slower and work your way up to the full 90-day program.

Why would we like something that admittedly sounds a little torturous? Because it freakin' pays off. Humphrey raves, "This workout program makes you stronger and more fit than you've ever been in your life; it increases your...energy levels, self-confidence, strength and vitality." And, she notes, "the results last long after you finish, as long as you're still exercising in some way."

At $120 for the entire P90X program, you'll get personal trainer quality results for a fraction of the price. Of course, as with any new exercise regime, Humphrey reminds that before you consider buying or trying out P90X, make sure to consult your physician to ensure that this exercise program is suitable for you.

So for the ladies out there who are willing and able to put in the effort, P90X can whip your butt (and everything else) into shape in no time.

In Chicks' Picks, we present health-related, non-prescription products that address a common problem and that relevant professionals like. This is not a product endorsement or recommendation on behalf of ChickRx. Please use your own judgment and consult your physician before using any new product.