Hey fellas, I'd like to drop a little insight here.
In training, there are a great many misconceptions about the very act of training oneself, what to eat, what routines etc.
there is a million pages of good advice and twice that of bad, but I want to leave a simple message about what happens when:
1. You train hard for a year and then stop and relax.
This will cause adipose tissue to begin it's onset and for total body weight gain. Also, because you've tightened everything up, the elasticity is not retained and you will stretch back and it will not be pretty because it was tight and was grown. Be consistent and work at a level you can keep integrated to your lifestyle.
2. Stopped working out after a long time of moderate work.
This will see you deteriorate at a more normal level, but the losses of strength and stamina will be very noticeable after only a few years of sedate activity.
Be consistent and work at a level you can keep integrated to your lifestyle.
3. Moderately train effort wise, but practice daily.
This is the optimum regimen of practice. You will always keep what you have gained and continue to make gains although the law of diminishing returns will apply and you will peak. But then, it is about maintenance. It is this model that will afford you quality of life when older. Be consistent and you can't lose.
The quick fix workout routines are actually not that great for your body if you don't follow up with maintenance.
P90X is an awesome workout, but if you can't continue to give your day 30min-1hr of high intensity training, then you are going to lose the gains rapidly after doing this or programs like it. This goes for all the other abs in a box routines that people do for a quick fix so they don't look like a bag of crap when they hit the beach. I've done it, many others as well. I don't recommend these programs to anyone who will not follow up with consistent daily practice.
Bottom line is you MUST be consistent in your practice to achieve personal kung fu that has value. No shortcuts, no quick way to it, just effort and time.
Don't fall in the short timeline trap. It is a bandaid and not a solution.