The online infomercial for fitness expert Tony Horton’s P90 workout is unsurprisingly dynamic. According to the fast-paced promo, this exercise routine can help build endurance and prep you for Horton’s more arduous P90X program.

So is the buzz bona fide? RH contributor and podiatrist Jeanette Pinnace, DPM, sweated through a 30-minute P90 workout one afternoon at a bare- basics gym in New York City’s busy midtown district. Although Pinnace regularly exercises, she agreed that no way could she just jump into Horton’s more extreme P90X workouts that shot him into prominence as a fitness guru. The P90 was perfect for her.

During this workout, Pinnace performed jump-kicks, pushups while moving sideways across the floor and squats just using her body weight. These modified movements define the P90 program.

Says Pinnace, “This is a good way to prepare for more intense exercises. When you’re ready, just kick it up a notch.”