In the late 2000s, a revolutionary new workout program called P90x swept the nation.

P90x Plyometrics
P90x Instructors

P90X leans heavily on a concept called “muscle confusion,” where you constantly hit the body’s muscle groups with new and different stimuli to avoid adaption. The idea is to continually get stronger and stronger while eliminating plateaus. It’s also important to note that P90X is known as a more advanced home workout system. P90X or Power 90 Extreme is a 90-day Beachbody home fitness program led by personal trainer Tony Horton. The P90X Base Kit is delivered on 12 DVDs and streaming online, and customers get satisfaction guarantees. Horton’s P90X exercises focus mainly on strength but also athletic performance, weight management, flexibility and cardiovascular.

Today, it’s still one of the most popular and extreme workouts for people who are ready to get serious about their fitness.

Designed by Tony Horton and the Beachbody Fitness team, P90X is a 90 day workout program that blends elements from a ton of different disciplines, similar to cross training.

You’ll do weighted strength training, cardio, yoga, plyometrics, calisthenics, and more in order to burn fat, build muscle, and get in incredible shape.

It’s also one of the most comprehensive at-home workout solutions available. You can do the entire thing from the comfort of your own home with pretty minimal equipment.

If you’re ready to get going, here’s all the equipment for P90X (and P90X2 and P90X3) you’re going to need (plus where to buy and all the extra details you’ll need to get started!)

Adjustable dumbbell set (Amazon)and my favorite backup set if those are out of stock
Chin up bar (Amazon) – and here’s a good backup option on Amazon as well
Push up stands (Amazon) or push up bars

You’ll need a few more things for P90X2 and P90X3, but we’ll dive into that at the very end!

Plus, use my link above and try it free for 14 days.

(I’ve updated this article to include some backup options if any of the products I’ve listed are out of stock on Amazon. Hope it helps!)

What is P90X? (Program Overview)

P90X is a high-intensity, at-home workout system that pushes your body to the brink in just 90 days time.

You’ll work out at home, usually 6 or 7 days per week, with each workout lasting around an hour or maybe a little more.

P90X blends different disciplines: traditional strength training, calisthenics (or body weight strength), cardio, HIIT, yoga, kickboxing, stretching, plyometrics (explosive/jumping movements), and more.

Throughout the 90 days, you’ll rotate through all different kinds of workouts that target different areas of your body (chest/back, arms, legs, etc.), in a variety of different ways.

P90X leans heavily on a concept called “muscle confusion,” where you constantly hit the body’s muscle groups with new and different stimuli to avoid adaption.

The idea is to continually get stronger and stronger while eliminating plateaus.

It’s also important to note that P90X is known as a more advanced home workout system… If you’re really out of shape, you might want to start with something a little less intense as you ease into things.

P90X hits you with a super high-intensity workout every single day, nearly, for three months straight.

That’s a lot for a beginner!

So that’s the run-down. Now let’s take a look at what you actually need to get started with this program.

The full workout program or base kit

Probably the best and simplest way to get access to the full P90X program is by joining the Beachbody on Demand streaming service.

It comes out to just a couple of bucks per month, and you’ll get on-demand streaming access to the entire P90X program and over 60+ others (including all the P90X “sequels”), on your TV, laptop, or phone.

It’s a pretty great value!

Click my link to get 14 days of Beachbody on Demand free and see if you like it.

If you’re old-school, you can grab P90X in DVD form from Amazon.

Think of it as P90X in a box!

You won’t get the workout equipment you need with this set, but it includes all of the informational materials you’ll need to carry you through the entire system.

The kit includes:

12 DVD workouts
- Chest & Back (push & pull movements)
- Plyometrics (explosive jumping!)
- Shoulders & Arms (muscle isolation work)
- Yoga X (strength yoga)
- Legs & Back (squats, lunges, and pulls)
- Kenpo X (high-intensity cardio kickboxing)
- X Stretch (mobility and injury prevention)
- Core Synergistics (strengthen your lumbar spine and trunk muscles)
- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps (compounds and isolation moves)
- Back & Biceps (Curls and pulling movements)
- Cardio X (low-impact conditioning)
- Ab Ripper X (get that six pack!)
Full nutrition plan (you can’t get lean or build muscle without this)
- Three-phase eating plan
Workout calendar (for tracking your progress and workouts over the 90 days)
P90X fitness guide
- Tips on how to get the most out of the program

There’s a LOT of value packed in this program. It may only last 30 days but there’s plenty of content and more than enough challenging work in here to keep you busy for multiple run-throughs.

(I highly recommend joining the BOD streaming service, however, because it’s a way better value. For more details, check out my Beachbody on Demand review.)

Adjustable dumbbell set

One of the core elements of P90X is, believe it or not, traditional strength training using dumbbells.

(Of course, right after curl day you’ll be doing advance plyometrics or cardio kickboxing… so this sure isn’t your typical weightlifting program!)

So what size dumbbells do you need for P90X?

That’s really up to your fitness level and strength levels. P90X recommends you have weights available in the 5-70lbs range. Only you’ll know if you need to be on the lower end or higher end of the range.

(You’ll be doing movements like presses, curls, and flys, if that helps you gauge at all.)

A really great idea would be to buy an adjustable dumbbell set so you can start low and give yourself room to grow without spending an absolute fortune (not to mention living room space) on a gazillion different sized dumbbells.

The SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbell set from Bowflex is top of the line and goes from 5 to 52.5 pounds per hand with extraordinary ease. It also comes from one of the most trusted brands in fitness and comes with thousands of rave user reviews.

This would be an awesome set to get you through P90X and beyond, wherever your fitness journey takes you.

(If those are out of stock, you’ll do great with the PowerBlock Adjustable Dumbbells also on Amazon. They look funky and can feel a little weird in your hand, but they’re fantastic quality and value.)

Resistance bands

Resistance bands, like weights, offer… well, resistance.

In some cases, you’ll be able to use a good set of resistance bands in place of dumbbells. This is a good option if your budget is lower or if your overall strength is lower. Bands are great for beginners in strength training.

Much like any workout with dumbbells, you can progress and gain strength with bands: Adding more reps, less rest, or progressing to heavier band tensions are all good signs that you’re gaining strength.

P90X is no different, and you could do the program much the same way with a good set of bands.

Or, if you’d like, you could get a great dumbbell set and some bands to go along with it, and give yourself even more flexibility.

(Speaking of flexibility, the resistance bands may help you during some of the stretching portions of the program.)

For the best resistance bands for P90X, just look for a solid overall set that includes bands with different tensions or strength levels.

This set of 5 from Fit Simplify is a top choice and comes recommended by thousands of users over at Amazon. It’ll be great for your run through P90X and comes at a pretty friendly price.

Pull up / Chin up bar

Pull ups and chin ups are a key component of building strength on P90X!

And it’s no wonder they’re included in the program… they’re one of th