TurboFire Day 41 Results and Review
Day 41. TurboFire still rocks! Weeks 5-8 have workout schedules that do not include high intensity interval (HIIT) workouts. I never thought I would say this, but I miss those crazy heart pounding workouts!
I did sneak in one HIIT 15 workout this week for a friend. I had talked to her about the HIIT workouts so much that she wanted to try one. It was kind of special because this friend has asthma.
She has trouble doing cardio workouts because of her physical condition. Let me paint you a better picture. This is a person who would live at the gym if she could. She is an avid weight lifter and makes sure she gets in some form of cardio a coiuple of times per week.
I remember going for a walk with my friend some ten odd years ago. She had trouble making it around a two mile track because of her asthma. Over the years, she has increased her cardio endurance and can now go about 30 minutes on a trail or teadmill.
I challenged her to try the HIIT 15 workout for two reasons. First, she has a little layer of belly fat that she cannot seem to lose. She works hard to get the muscles she has – stored fat just hides her hard work. It is a frustration felt by many gym rats who know how to pump iron but seem to struggle on the cardio side.
The second reason I wanted her to try it is the way HIIT workouts are designed. I told her that she would learn a sequence of drills like you would see on an athletic field or high school gym. The trainer, Chalene Johnson, would go through them slowly. Then, she would hear a siren and perform the sequence of exercises with as much intensity as she could push out.
The catch? The drills only last for about a minute. Then, she would get a one minute break. This pattern would continue until the cool down period. The whole workout is only 15 minutes.
It worked! Because of the short duration of the high intensity cardio, my friend was able to push herself and then, recovery in the minute that followed. HIIT workouts are supposed to burn up to 9X more fat than the traditional cardio she was trying to do despite her asthmatic condition. Maybe this is the answer to shredding out the belly fat for my friend? Maybe I can give you an update in the months to come. She is a new fan of Chalene Johnson’s TurboFire HIIT workouts.
I am sharing this experience because I am thrilled to see one of my friends benefiting from the Beachbody workouts I love so much. I must advise each and every reader to check with their doctor before starting this or any workout program. This article is not intended to suggest that if you have asthma or a similar condition that HIIT workouts are suitable for you.
Are You Doing the XP90?
I was recently asked if I was doing the XP90 because I was sporting my gray P90X shirt. It’s amazing to me that someone can read P90X right off your shirt and ask if you are doing the XP90. I was amused by it. I amused even more by the number of people who know about this awesome Beachbody home fitness workout program. I think part of this is due to Beachbody’s incredible advertising online and through their national infomercials. The other part is from word of mouth because P90X is like no other workout ever put on the planet.
I wore my shirt on a “poker run” one weekend and started up a lot of conversations. (By the way, a poker run is motorcycle ride event to raise money for a non-profit.) At one of our stops, I got into a conversation with a young couple who was doing P90X together. They had some friends that were also getting fit with 90PX. They were so excited that I felt like we were family in a way – fellow P90Xers.
I have seen other reactions to P90X as well. We walked into a restuarant at the end of the day and had a young waiter who was fairly tall and overwieght. He said he tried P90X for about a week and quit. All he had to say about the program was negative. I wanted to ask him if he had bought bootleg dvds and just tinkled with the workouts. I wondered if he had the exercise guide and the nutrition guide, if he listened to the get started dvd. I doubted it. This man was not committed. In my basic training, we called this type of person a SIE – self initiated elimination. He gave up on himself, not the program.
I have a friend who loves doing the P90X Yoga X workout from her husband’s program but dispises the rest of the P90X. This is a fit woman, but she just thinks Tony Horton is too quirky. He is a little goofy but obviously, this keeps thousands of people pressing play and pressing hard for results.
I know a few people at work who mention the program every once in a while. I think they might be intriqued but intimidated by the boot camp style exercises. These are usually overweight, middle aged guys who dream of their high school days. They usually know someone who has gotten results from P90X but just have not made the commitment themselves, yet.
I guess there are at least three other groups I could talk about. We cannot forget about what I call the lifers. These are Xers who have done more than one “round” of P90X. They may supplement their X workout with other extreme programs such as Insanity or TurboFire, but their main program is P90X. P90X+ and P90X One on Ones probably compliment their workout libraries. They are all about Tony Horton and the “X”.
Then, there are the folks who go through P90X one time. They may or may not get through the whole program. They see results but do not make the necessary lifestyle changes to keep their results and continue to improve and maintain good health. Their P90X sits on a shelf collecting dust. They might not have even done one workout yet even though they think about it often.
I guess I would be included in the last group. I started on Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Fitness Training System. I now mix in P90X with other Beachbody programs in my workout schedule. P90X helped me get on track. It was a great foundational program for me that I highly recommend for anyone who is motivated by athletic, boot camp style training.
Sign up for your FREE Beachbody Account to access Free Fitness Tools and Tips such as how many calories you need to eat to lose weight.
TurboFire Day 17 Results and Review
Hi again! This is day 17 of my TurboFire program. It is week three, and today is my “rest” day. I guess this is actually week four if I include the 5 Day Inferno Plan week. Anyway, time is flying by because I abosolutely love doing the Turbo Fire workouts. This is one of the best Beachbody home fitness dvd workout programs, yet!
I knew TurboFire would be good because of how much I loved Chalene Johnson’s training methods in ChaLean Extreme. She is a “turbo” charged trainer who’s personal mission is to coach other people to live fuller lives.
The Fire 45EZ program this week was a totally different routine from the Fire 45. The only thing “easy” about this routine if anything is it does not have any fire drills. It is an invigorating cardio program that is non-stop from beginning to end. My heart rate was high and stayed that way. In a six second count, I was counting twenty beats. That is high for me.
By the end of the full routine, my legs were extremely fatigued. I could tell my intensity was decreasing because I was running out of juice. I had maxed out. Hmmm. Have I ever done this in a workout?
Tuesday’s class was another new routine. It was a HIIT 25 which sounded overwhelming to me when I say it on my workout schedule. The HIIT 15 is challenging. The HIIT 20 was just five more minutes, but something about twenty-five minutes just sounded impossible to me. Guess what? It is not as intimidating once you show up for class and just keep doing what Chalene asks you to do.
I think one of the successful things Chalene does is she changes the moves enough to forego boredom. You do not have time to realize you are tired. The breaks are frequent and just long enough to recover. Before you know it, you are in another fire drill and then, another break. Twenty-five minutes of HIIT seems much shorter than twenty-ve minutes on the elliptical.
Chalene always has encouraging words whether you are listening to her during class, following her on Twitter or Facebook, or reading a snipet in the TurboFire Tracker. The tip she talked about at the end of HIIT 25 was about the importance of wearing good shoes.
I workout in running shoes right now, but I want to get a good pair of cross-trainers. I think I would do better with a pair of court sport shoes (like those made for basketball, volleyball, or tennis) with all the plyometric jumping and quick lateral movements in TurboFire.
I do find that using floor mats helps absorb the shock of jumping. Before I used mats, doing knee lifts made my left knee hurt. I think it was because of the stress of the lateral movement. Anyway, it has been my experience that foam floor mats are a great investment whether you are doing TurboFire, Insanity, or P90X Plyometrics.
If you already have TurboFire, I would love to hear your progress on Twitter. Look me up. My screen name in Twitter is JustGetMeFit. By the way, if you are doing TurboFire but you have not signed up for your Free Beachbody account, yet what are you waiting for? There really are some cool fitness calculators as well as fitness and nutrition tips. Let’s get healthy together. Order TurboFire if you want to get started on this awesome program. And, sign up for your Free Beachbody account if you already have Turbo Fire or another Beachbody program.
Five Steps to Figuring Out How Many Calories You Can Eat and Still Lose Weight
Beachbody gives you tools you can understand to help you lose weight and get into shape. Most people think they have to eat 1200 calories or less to lose weight. Then, they put the weight back on even faster than they took it off. Most people actually need to eat more than 1200 calories per day to continue to lose weight. That’s right. Eat more!
Eating less than 1200 calories in a day may lead to nutrient deficiencies and affect your health. You can follow a 1200 calorie per day diet for about a week, but after that, you need a smarter eating plan. Follow this short formula to determine how many calories you can eat each day and still lose weight: RMR + DAB + DE – CD.
RMR stands for resting metabolic rate. This represents approxiamately how many calories your body burns naturally while you are at rest to maintain body functions such as breathing, circulation, and digestion. To calculate your RMR, multiply your body weight times ten. So, if you are a 160 pound woman, your RMR is 160 x 10 which is 1600.
Next determine your daily activity burn or DAB. This number depends on whether you consider yourself sedentary, moderately active, or very active in your daily routine outside of an exercising program. Now, most of us probably project too high here, so let us assume we are the sedentary type. To get your DAB, multiply your RMR by ten percent. 1600 x 10% is 160.
The third step is to calculate the calories you will burn in your daily exercise or DE. According to Beachbody, an average TurboFire workout burns about 650 calories. So, if this same person used the TurboFire program, her DE would be 650.
The fourth step is to determine your caloric deficit or CD. Since one pound is 3500 calories, you need to have a CD of 500 calories per day to lose one pound per week. If you wanted to lose two pounds, you would need a deficit of 7000 calories per week or 1000 calories per day. This number depends somewhat on your current weight. Again, you do not want go below 1200 calories per day nor do you want to stay on a 1200 calorie per day diet more than one week.
Finally, plug all the numbers into the formula RMR + DAB + DE – CD to determine the number of calories to eat each day and still lose weight. Let’s plug in the numbers for our example of a 160 pound woman using the TurboFire program and having a goal of losing one pound per week. RMR (1600) + DAB (160) + DE (650) – CD (500) = 1910 calories per day to lose one pound per week. Nice!
While you are trying to lose weight, you should periodically go through this formula again to adjust your caloric needs. Let’s say this woman has lost ten pounds and is recalculating her eating plan. She now needs 1800 calories per day to continue to lose one pound per week. (RMR 1500 + DAB 150 + DE 650 – CD 500 = 1800)
If you do not know how many calories you are burning with an exercise program, you may be able to find a chart online or in a book to help you estimate how many calories per hour you burn with a particular activity. You can also get a calorie monitoring device based on your heartrate such as the Bodybugg from 24 Hour Fitness (retails at $199). Or, you can use the free tools from your free Beachbody account.
The Caloric Needs calculator is easy to use and will estimate the number of calories you will burn with various Beachbody workout programs. It also has a few other exercising activities such as aerobics and cycling. All you do is answer a few basic questions such as how many times a week you will be exercising and what activity you plan on doing.
The cool thing about this calculator is it will tell you not only how many calories you should eat to lose weight but also how many you should eat each day to maintain your current weight. To use this caluculator as well as a few other helpful weight loss tools, all you need to do is sign up for a free Beachbody account.
Once you have your account, go to the Eat Smart tab of the Teambeachbody website. Click on Nutrition Tools. Then, click on Caloric Needs and fill in your answers. Ok, so you can do the math with the five steps above or just answer a few questions and let the online caloric needs calculator work for you! I hope you have found this article useful. Keep pressing play!
New P90X Coming Soon? Sneak Peek at P90XMC2
P90X Extreme Home Fitness is getting ready to get even more extreme. All you PX90 grauduates, fans, and future Xers beware! P90XMC2 won’t be for the uncommitted. The new program is a sequel to P90X. – a complete new set of 12 dvds designed to keep you mind challenged and your muscles confused. And, Tony Horton is giving you a sneak peek.
The new P90X (sometimes referred to as P90nXt) is still a year away, but there’s good news! If you are a One on One subscriber, you will get sneak peaks and a look behind the scenes as Tony tries out some of the new moves with YOU. The Tony Horton One on One series is now called P90X One on One. The workouts are 50-60 minutes in length just like in P90X.
P90X One on One works like a magazine subscription. You get a new copy (dvd workout) automatically sent to you each month. Unlike a magazine subscription, however, you pay as you go and can cancel at any time. If you are a PX90 nut, you will probably get hooked on the anticipation of something new and challenging every month. You also get free unexpected gifts sent to you as a subscriber. Last month’s One on One subscribers received a preview dvd of Chalene Johnson’s new TurboFire weeks before it was released for sale.
Just browse the One on One Volume I and Volume II libraries to get an idea of the crazy things Tony brings. Workouts such as Diamond Delts, Core Ball Sandwhich, 10 Minute Crusher Pack, Plyo Legs, Killer Abs, and Patience Hummingbird. Again, the Volume III One on One has been renamed P90X One on One. The first P90X One on One workout is called “Chest, Back, and Balls”…plyo pushup while balancing your hands and feet on stability balls? Now that’s crazy!
Subscribe for P90X One on Ones for a full year and Beachbody will email you a 50% off discount code for P90X:MC2 as soon as it become available. Yep, Beachbody is providing you half off pricing on Tony’s new workout program if you are one of his gym pals in P90X One on One for twelve months. If you miss a month, you can still get the discount by purchasing your missing Volume III dvds. Now that’s crazy!
Turbo Fire vs. Shaun T’s Insanity Workout Review
I know there are questions out there about the differences between Shaun T’s Insanity home fitness workout program and Chalene Johnson’s new Turbo Fire which is scheduled for release in June. Afterall, both of these Beachbody workouts are based on the science of HIIT (high intensity interval training).
I decided not to take on Insanity when it was released last year. Insanity was developed as an extreme cardio program to challenge top athletes. I did not feel that my fitness level was quite where it should be to take on Shaun T’s class. I always say you should determine your current fitness goals and take on an activity that helps you reach your goals.
This summer, I plan on taking on Chalene Johnson in Turbo Fire. Insanity is a 60 day extreme program that should be followed by a break to allow the body to recover. Turbo Fire on the other hand, is designed to be used alone or in conjunction with a strength training program such as P90X or ChaLean Extreme.
Chalene included a “modifier” in Turbo Fire to allow all fitness levels to enjoy the benefits of her HIIT cardio program. If you cannot do what Chalene is doing in the class, that is ok. Just follow the “modifier” who will show you how to modify the exercise.
The basic Turbo Fire program is designed as a 90 program. The Deluxe version will take the fitness schedule out 120 days. And, if you combine Turbo Fire with a strength training program, you will actually have a year long workout schedule planned out for you. How cool is that?
I look forward to adding Turbo Fire variety into my workouts. After you work out with P90X for a while, the limited cardio routines (Plyometrics, Kenpo X or Cardio X) start to get just that…routine! When I started working out with ChaLean Extreme, I found the same problem. I needed more variety with cardio workouts.
The basic program had two cardio workouts (Burn Intervals and Burn It Off). I ordered the seven extra workouts for ChaLean Extreme just so I could have the added variety. That added three new cardio workouts (Fat-Burn Challenge, Get-Lean Intervals, and Exteme Intervals) to the mix, but now I want more.
What I love about the promise of Turbo Fire is it is purely Chalene Johnson but without the “dancy” choreograpy found in some of her earlier programs such as Turbo Jam. This is the athlete. This is the coach. This is the personal trainer. This is Chalene Johnson.
Turbo Fire vs. P90X Home Fitness Training Workout Review
So, Turbo Fire is coming and you are caught between lure of a cardio intense home workout program and the challenge of P90X. I cannot guide you one way or another because you are the one who will ultimately have to decide what fitness goals have a higher priority for you and which program will help get you there. My goal in this post is to help you compare Chalene Johnson’s new Turbo Fire program with Tony Horton’s P90X.
P90X is primarily a strength training program designed for athletes. Although modifications can be done with most of the exercises, you will get the most out of P90X if you actually take the fit test and pass it before taking on the grueling routine of boot camp style fitness training.
P90X has a lot of push ups and pull ups. You will do a variety of each one of them and develop a love/hate relationship with them over the course of 90 days. Ab Ripper X and Yoga X are probably the two most talked about workouts.
Ab Ripper X is a challenging ab routine while P90X Yoga X is a 92 minute power yoga workout. Both of these workouts are difficult to complete even as you near your 90 day mark. Is it the suttle challenge of finishing that keeps you motivated to keep pushing play day after day? Afterall, each workout is about 55 minutes in length and you are working out six days per week.
P90X is divided into three possible combinations. Most people choose the classic version and then, wonder why they did not lose a lot of weight. The “doubles” version follows the classic version but adds more cardio. The “lean” version on the other hand, takes out some of the strength training workouts and replaces them with more cardio. If you are doing P90X and want to lose weight, I recommend doing either the doubles or lean version. The added cardio will help you lose weight.
If you are trying to lose weight for the summer, I think you will find your fastest results with a cardio intensive program such as Turbo Fire. Turbo Fire will be released on June 18th. I plan on starting the program myself on the first Monday after I receive it which will probably be the last week in June or first week in July.
Strength training builds muscle and muscle burns more calories. Unfortunately, it is a slow process. If you want to see faster results as far as weight loss, cardio is essential. (Your nutrition plan is also critical, but that is another conversation.)
When a person lifts weights, muscle tissue is damaged. The body tries to protect the muscle from further damage and to help it repair by surrounding the damaged tissue with fluid. This is a necessary process that may actually cause you to gain a little weight when you first start lifting. So many people get discouraged and say a program is not working because they do not understand the process their body is undergoing.
When you feel discouraged, don’t give up. Please use the Beachbody message boards and take advantage of the free coaching and fitness tools that are available to you. Remember that as you change, your goals may change.
I am currently working out with ChaLean Extreme and absolutely love the program. I have cuts in my arms and shoulders now. I can see ab muscles. My legs are not where I would like them yet, but I am even starting to see muscle definition there. Now, it is time for me to lean down. To peel off a layer and see what is hiding underneath that last layer of stubborn fat that seems to stay with me no matter what I do.
I am looking forward to Chalene’s High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I know it will feel like boot camp or athletic drills. I hear some of the classes are only about twelve minutes long. I also understand that this type of training is actually nine times more effective than traditional cardio workouts.
I know I will struggle to get through each workout but completely elated when I do. I know more positive changes are around the corner for me. I am ready for a cardio intensive workout program for the summer. What about you? I can hardly wait to write my reviews as I work through my first Turbo Fire program.
Turbo Jam vs. Turbo Fire Review – Chalene Johnson Turns Up the Heat with HIIT
Turbo Jam fans will not be disappointed with Chalene Johnson’s new Turbo Fire. Think it is just another Turbo Jam program? Think again. Chalene Johnson really turns up the heat in Turbo Fire with the science of HIIT (high intensity interval training).
Chalene created Turbo Jam with the intention of making workouts fun. With a total of seven fat-burning workouts ranging from twenty to fifty minutes, she choreographs eleven signature moves she calls the Elite 11 to dance music.
Turbo Jam is a combination of kickboxing and body-sculpting. It comes complete with a fitness and nutrition guide, exercise flash cards, weighted gloves and one of the most upbeat, motivational trainers in the fitness industry.
I had a little difficulty with Turbo Jam though because it is dancy. I am not too coordinated with dance. Sometimes, I found my focus on how to do a move and keep up with the class rather than on form and burning calories. If you love dancing, Turbo Jam is probably the program for you. If you are like me, Turbo Fire promises to deliver an butt-kicking cardio workoug.
Turbo Fire incorporates the science of high intensity interval training. Chalene puts you in an aerobics class atmosphere. Her personality alone would “bring the party” but Chalene created the music mixes for this program that will keep you pushes harder.
HIIT classes are shorter in length than traditional cardio workouts. According to research, high intensity interval training burns up to 9 times more calories than classic cardio workouts such as running on a treadmill. That is because your body is called on to exert as much energy as possible in a very short period. A short recovery period follows before another high intensity cardio interval is done.
I will not go into detail about what is included in the Turbo Fire program (see previous Turbo Fire posts), but I will say that you are getting an incredible program compared to what comes with Turbo Jam. By the way, did I mention that Turbo Fire is not dancy?
Expect to see some kickboxing moves (that girl loves boxing) and some exercises that have a hint of the Elite 11, but it will not be a choreographed dance sequence. There will be new moves in Turbo Fire and some cardio drills similar to those in Chalene Extreme.
While Turbo Jam is a program suited for those just starting out, Turbo Fire is more like an advanced cardio program. It can be used by all fitness levels thanks to the use of an exercise modifier in every class; however, it is designed to take your cardio workouts to an athlete’s level. For this reason, P90X and ChaLean Extreme owners will want to add Turbo Fire to their Beachbody workouts as a way to increase their cardio routines and create a hybrid program substituting Turbo Fire in on cardio days.
Turbo Fire Ignites Excitement As Countdown Continues for Turbo Fire Release
Do you hear the excitement and anticipation of Chalene Johnson’s latest fitness program? It is a 90 day extreme cardio workout that incorporates the science of HIIT – high intensity interval training. Turbo Fire is scheduled for release on June 18, 2010.
If you are not familiar with Chalene Johnson, she is a Beachbody trainer who has taught fitness classes for over twenty years. She is the creator of Turbo Jam and my favorite home workout program, ChaLean Extreme. I like the interval training she does in ChaLean Extreme and hope to see more of the same.
What makes Turbo Fire different from any other workout is Chalene herself. She mixed the music for these workouts to ensure the music was unique, upbeat, and motivating. Chalene keeps you focused on your workout and form. If you do not get a good workout and results from following one of her programs, you are probably not fully following the program. She incorporates her personal style and the most modern fitness science available into her signature training programs.
Chalene wants everyone to get results. That is why Turbo Fire has a modifier. A modifier is someone working out in the class that is modifying the workout to keep it low intensity. This is important for beginners and those with physical limitations. If you are following the modifier and getting a great workout, awesome! If you are getting stronger, you can increase your intensity by watching Chalene and the other participants in the class.
Oh…the class. Turbo Fire takes a unique perspective with the camera crew. Normally, a workout video is filmed so you are watching the class and instructor facing you as if looking in a mirror. Turbo Fire does something different. Your camera view is actually in the front and center of the room, right at the stage where Chalene teaches a live (ok, it’s recorded now) cardio class. You will have the same perspective of other participants in the class.
Turbo Fire consists of twelve classes on ten dvds. You will workout about thirty minutes per day. Because of the science of HIIT, you will get the benefits burning up to nine times the calories and fat you would burn on a treadmill or doing some other form of cardio. HIIT uses short burst of cardio drills – less than one minute in length – to maximize your after burn and totally ignite your metabolism.
The Turbo Fire programaaaa also has a Get Fired Up DVD where Chalene teaches you how to correctly perform each exercise, so you feel comfortable the first time you attend one of her fitness classes. In keeping with all Beachbody workouts, you will also get a Nutrition Guide to help you properly fuel your body.
Turb Up the Burn is a Fitness Guide that explains the science of HIIT. It also guides you in how to use the program. The Turbo Fire Class Schedule lays out a fitness plan that helps you know what workout to do and when.
You will also get a lower body band to give you a little more resistance. And, if you really want to kick start your Turbo Fire experience, Chalene has included a 5-Day Inferno Plan.
The Deluxe kit will include five advanced classes on four dvds, resistance bands, a food and fitness journal and other advanced resources. The Deluxe increases the Turbo Fire program from 90 days (three months) to twenty weeks (five months).
Get Ready to Get Lean! Turbo Fire is Approaching…
You are starting to hear whispers of a new Beachbody workout program called Turbo Fire. It is a twelve week intensive cardio program put together by Chalene Johnson, creator of both Turbo Jam and ChaLean Extreme. You guys know how much I love ChaLean Extreme. I am counting the days until Turbo Fire is released.
Turbo Fire is officially scheduled for release on June 18, 2010. In the meantime, I plan on writing a series of articles to tell you as much as I can about the program before actually being able to write about my own experiences.
What are my thoughts so far? I am excited. Turbo Fire focuses on cardio. It incorporates the science of HIIT (high intensity interval training). P90X had limited cardio. It focused primarily on military style strength training. Insanity was on the extreme side as far as cardio. I thought it was a bit too much cardio for me. Turbo Fire is less intense than Insanity from what I understand but will deliver Chalene’s mix of music, fun and cardio drills.
I love the ChaLean Extreme workouts. One of my favorite workouts is the Extreme Intervals dvd which is one of the upgrade workouts. The basic ChaLean Extreme program comes with two cardio workouts. Over time, I think you start looking for a change. That is one of the reasons I am so excited about Turbo Fire. I will have a whole lot more of Chalene’s cardio training.
As you know, I would not choose Turbo Jam as my favorite program to do over and over again. The reason for this is because of the dance moves. My workout focus is lost on trying to keep up with choreography. From what I understand, Turbo Fire is not a dancy program. The similarity with Turbo Jam is probably in the DJ flair of Chalene. New music, mixes made just for Turbo Fire, keep your mind off exercising and on having fun while you are taking care of your body.
For the Turbo Fire program, Chalene used a live cardio class. She mixed her own music and put the camera in the front of the class. This means we will have a front and center perspective of the class just as if we were actually right there with her.
Again, Turbo Fire is scheduled for release on June 18, 2010. I plan on beginning my journey on July 1st. Will you join me? Keep checking back for more information on TurboFire. This could end up being one of the best home fitness workout videos ever made!
What is Your Favorite P90X Workout?
What is your favorite PX90 workout? Is it the killer Ab Ripper X dvd, Plyometrics workout or challenging 92 minutes of P90X Yoga X? Ok, I am kind of laughing now because I just listed what I believe are the most challenging, extreme workouts in the P90X program.
I am P90X graduate, and I have read quite a few PX90 reviews. The favorite P90X workout seems to be the Kenpo X. It was probably my favorite as well. I mean, how could I not like a fun workout where you are punching and kicking. How could I not love a P90X workout that is only about 45 minutes long? How could I not love the fact I made it through the whole Kenpo X dvd the first time.
If you are a P90X affiliate, you know what I am talking about. The words of Tony Horton (”do your best…forget the rest) helped me get through many challenging fitness routines that I might have given up on in the past.
P90X was the beginning of my journey. It has been almost a year now since I since I joined the Beachbody team. I am now a big fan of Chalene Extreme and continue to be a big fan of Tony Horton’s One on One dvds. What can I say? I love Beachbody workouts.
Free Turbo Fire Preview with One on One Subscription
Ok P90X graduates, if you are not currently subscribing to Tony Horton’s One on One’s, this is the time bring it! One on One is a monthly workout brought to you by Tony Horton. Tony works out in his gym in his own crazy style and brings you along as a workout partner. Enjoy this One on One video to learn more about Tony’s workouts.
You can purchase individual One on One workouts, but subscribers get a few surprises now and then. This past year, I received a preview dvd of the Rev Abs series. I also received a refrigerator magnet with Tony Horton and his quote “abs are made in the kitchen.” I think I received a bonus One on One dvd to pass along as a freebie to someone else. I also received a jump rope to add to my gym stuff.
The cool thing about a subscription though is a new dvd comes to you every month to keep your routines anything but routine. Signing up for the One on One series anytime between now and June 2, 2010 will also allow you to get a free preveiw dvd of Chalene Johnson’s Turbo Fire.
Turbo Fire is a highly anticipated high intensity interval training (HIIT) program that is due for release at the end of June. Shaun T’s Insanity is also a HIIT program, but it looked like it was too advanced for me. After training at home with my Tony Horton and Chalene Johnson dvds, I think Turbo Fire is going to compliment Tony Horton’s strength training routineds with some awesome cardio.
I like the interval cardio workouts in ChaLean Extreme. They are different from the workouts she does with Turbo Jam which is a dance based program. I am predicting a combination of Chalene’s best moves plus a number of new moves. Beachbody says that Turbo Fire can burn up to NINE times more fat and calories than in a traditional cardio workout. Great news for me because I am not a cardio nut.
HIIT workouts help you set your metabolism fire ablaze and keep it burning in the hours following your workout. Yeah baby! Turbo Fire will have 12 cardio classes. Chalene is on stage and your spot is front and center! You will feel like you are right there in class with the program’s participants. After your workout, you can go to the chat room in the online supergym and talk to others live.
Ok, so you can wait until the end of June to get turned on to Turbo Fire…. or you can sign up for Tony Horton’s One on One before June 2, 2010 and get a preview of Turbo Fire for F R E E.
P90X vs ChaLean Extreme
I keep hearing people ask which program is better, P90X or ChaLean Extreme? That’s like asking which parent is more influential in a child’s life. Which parent is more influential and which program is better depends on an individual’s unique experiences and views.
I personally believe that any fitness regimen will help you lose weight and improve health, so what you must do is find something that you will do consistently. After over 25 years of gym memberships and putting together a home gym second to none, I finally discovered Beachbody fitness workout programs actually do more to keep me motivated, accountable and consistent (see my story).
I am a P90X graduate and appreciate the discipline it takes to dedicate an average of one hour per day, six days a week to a strenuous fitness routine and follow an eating plan that is almost alien to most American families. Although I have heard people say that Tony Horton’s quirky comments grate on their nerves after a while, I found them to be motivating. By the way, if Tony’s antics get on your nerves, you can turn off his voice prompts. You can even turn off the music and play your own tunes.
As a woman, I think ChaLean Extreme is bringing me better results. With an average of around 35 minutes per workout, Chalene’s routines are easier to fit into a busy lifestyle. The workout schedule is set up for five days out of the week instead of six. That worked better for me. Unlike Turbo Jam, ChaLean Extreme is based on strength training with three days of weight lifting and two days of cardio.
By the end of my second month of P90X, I was starting to get bored. At the 60 day mark of ChaLean Extreme, I was looking forward to starting the Lean Phase. I was already starting to think of how I would continue working out with ChaLean Extreme after my first round was completed.
P90X involves a countless number of pushups and pull ups. I was starting to get good at most of the variations of pushups (even on my toes) but I was only able to get my chin above the bar one time by the end of my P90X journey.
There are no pull ups (zero) in the ChaLean Extreme program. Chalene uses rows and core exercises to strengthen the back muscles. I can see a difference in the definition of my back muscles since using Chalene’s program.
As far as pushups? Yes, you will do push ups in the ChaLean Extreme program, but it is a reasonable amount. The most you will do at one time is twelve. You do them pretty slow, so do not be surprised if you find yourself doing most of them from your knees.
I love talking about the P90X Extreme Home Fitness System and ChaLean Extreme exercise programs. I want you to choose a program that will keep you motivated and working out. If you need a boot camp, train with P90X. That is what I needed to get my butt in gear. If you do not like push ups and pull ups, train with ChaLean Extreme. You questions and comments on either of these programs are welcome.
What Is Your Favorite ChaLean Extreme Home Fitness Workout?
I am considering the question of what ChaLean Extreme home fitness workout I like the best. I like the feeling of power I get when I am done working my biceps in Push Ciruit 1. I like the relaxed, fully stretched feeling I enjoyed after Dynamic Flow Yoga. I even like the burn in my butt after Push Ciruit 3 but only because I know this home workout program is working!
Since I started using Beachbody fitness programs, I enjoy my workout at home more than ever. I have a lot of workout equipment and machines in our house as we have built a solid home gym over the course of 10+ years. I thought equipment was the answer to my distaste for gyms and lack of results I experienced…primarily due to my own inconsistency and lack of knowledge.
ChaLean Extreme is a great women workout. As a woman, I am seeing better results with ChaLean Extreme than I did with P90X. I struggled with pull ups all the way through P90X. My back looks great now, thanks to Chalene Johnson.
My workout schedule is only five days in length rather than six. The
workout routines are only about thirty five minutes in length rather than about an hour. Sure, I modify my schedule to fit “life”, but I have find I stick to the general essence of the program. I am seeing results and will post a pic sometime around the end of May when I officially complete the whole program.
Oh, by the way, I really like Get Lean Intervals. That could actually be my favorite Chalene Extreme Home fitness workout. I guess I like any routine that challenges me, makes me feel like I am getting closer to my goals, and does not totally tear me up.
I finished Push Circuit 1 just before starting this post. My biceps still have a slight burn. I wonder if my biceps and triceps will be a little sore tomorrow.
Have you started ChaLean Extreme? If you are researching this home exercise video program, I can honestly give it two thumbs up. Contact me with your questions. Save 10% as a club member. Save 25% as a coach. Free account for free fitness tools and a coach to help you along.
Workouts Mar 28 – Apr 3
I am a little late in posting my workout routine from last week. I guess this is because I had just recently decided to post each workout to keep myself accountable and to show my readers that workout schedules can be modified to fit into your lifestyle. We are not a 9-5 society anymore. Most of either work some sort of shift work or have some in the family who does. Here is what I did last week:
Sunday – ChaLean Extreame Burn Circuit 3 and Tony Horton’s One on One Cardio Confusion: Mason’s Choice
Wednesday – Yard work and ChaLean Extreme Push Circuit 1
Thursday – ChaLean Extreme Get Lean Intervals and Recharge
I started writing my workouts on a wall calendar. I like seeing what I have done so far for the week. It pushes me not to let too many rest days bump into each other.
This past week, I started doing the Push Circuits and moved away from the Burn Circuits. I have thought lately about trying out the cardio intensive Insanity program. I guess I might just like to do it to have that accomplishment under my belt. I guess each challenge becomes like earning a new girl scout badge!
I am waiting to hear more about a new Beachbody workout program with Chalene Johnson as the trainer. It is called Turbo Fire. I have seen a short video clip. I would like to see a little bit more about how she designed the program.
In Turbo Jam, Chalene uses seven signature moves. She combines a little Hip Hop and Kickboxing. As you know, anything that takes coordination in the way of dance is hard for me. If the cardio is more like the Get Lean or Burn Interval workouts in ChaLean Extreme, then bring it! I am ready for the challenge.
I hope you sign up as a coach before you get hooked on Beachbody programs so you can enjoy a 25% discount on all products and programs. I paid full price for my first program. I wish I would have known about the discount ahead of time. I also wish someone would have told me about the Showcase Pack that only coaches can purchase.
It is a complete package of six of Beachbody’s most popular programs. P90X, Power 90, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs, Slim in 6, and Yoga Booty Ballet. A coach can get all this for $200. The price for P90X or ChaLean Extreme alone is $119.85.
Insanity from Shaun T
Are you using Shaun T’s Insanity? If you read my blog, you may wonder why I do not write much about this program. What you have heard me say over and over again is the most important thing you can do for your fitness is find something you like and will stick with. Insanity does not seem like the right fit for me, but it may be an incredibly awesome program for you.
Insanity is a high intensity interval training program that pushes your endurance and cardio capacity as far as you can get them. I do not like running, elipticals, treadmills, stairclimbers, rowing machines or anything else that makes me drip with sweat for any length of time. Yes, I do cardio workouts but I cannot see myself staying motivated enough to stay with a 60 day cardio intensive program. I would not try out for the high school football team, so why would I be compelled to train like a football player?
Now guys, I know this could be the perfect fit for you. If you think back to your high school days and doing all those push ups and three point drills. Well, Insanity can take you back to the fit days on the field but may even take you to the highest fitness level you have ever experienced.
I do see a lot of guys who finish P90X go on to Insanity. They usually add Insanity to their routine though. P90X or some other form of grueling strength training continues to challenge these Insanity athletes. If you are using Insanity, feel free to share your comments. If you have questions about this program, I can help find answers for you through our team of Beachbody experts as well as my coach who uses a hybrid workout that includes P90X and Insanity.
Modifying Beachbody Workouts
In every Beachbody workout program, you will hear the trainers tell you to modify your workouts to fit your current fitness level. You may be able to carry out perfect form and keep up with the trainer for one exercise, but have to work slower or do less reps with another exercise. You might have to use bands if you do no have weights or even do the exercise without weights to compensate for your fitness level or to accommodate an injury.
Fitness is about listening to your body. It is about properly fueling your body and getting the most out of your strength, endurance, aerobic capacity, and flexibility. Improvements in these areas are proven to improve your health and quality of life as well as help prevent future injuries and illness.
You will always hear me say that you need to find an activity you like and will do consistently. Consistency was my mountain. You can read about my story to learn more about my personal struggle with consistency.
I am writing today to tell you about another type of modification. You have probably noticed that some Beachbody coaches do “hybrid” workouts. All this means is they are mixing up different workouts. I do this as well to keep things interesting. Variety helps keep muscle confusion working on your behalf.
If you are new to Beachbody workouts, I highly recommend going through the entire program as written in your guide. Follow the eating plan as well as the fitness calendar. It may be hard, but you will learn how to eat like an athlete to fuel your body for a fit and healthy lifestlye. You will also gain consistent habits and learn how to incorporate all aspects of fitness into your life, including cardio, strength training, core, and flexibility.
Once you have finished a program like Tony Horton’s P90X or Power 90, Chalene Johnson’s ChaLean Extreme or Turbo Jam, Debbie Sieber’s Slim in 6 or Shaun T’s Insanity…you may be ready to mix up your own hybrid. I highly recommend subscribing to Tony Horton’s One on One workouts if you are a P90X fanatic. Many people like to combine P90X for strength training and Insanity for the cardio challenge.
I like mixing up ChaLean Extreme with One on One or Brazil Butt Lift workouts. I still like throwing in one of the P90X dvds and getting a little crazy with the crazy man himself. What am I doing right now?
I am generally following the ChaLean program but I am working it around my work schedule. Not everyone has a 9-5 Monday – Friday job, so the standard schedule is harder for me. I thought I would start including a weekly snapshot of what workouts I did for the week, since I generally do not write a new review of a workout I have already written about.
This will give you a good idea of what I am doing to stay fit. As always, it will help me stay accountable and consistent. This is what I did this past week:
Sunday – Rest day. Spent the day riding motorcyles with friends.
Monday – Yard work. This is not my favorite form of exercise. I would have to put it at the top of the list for my mother though. She stopped gardening after six hours in the yard only because she ran out of daylight. Arrrrgggh!
Tuesday – ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 2
Wednesday – ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 3
Thursday – Rest day. Chicken pizza.
Friday – ChaLean Extreme Burn It Off! and Burn Circuit 1
Saturday – Today’s plan is ChaLean Extreme Recharge and I’ve Got Abs in the morning. In the evening, I plan on pressing play with ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 2.
Sunday – Sunday’s plan is ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 3 in the morning and ChaLean Extreme Burn Intervals in the evening.
Stay fit. Fuel your body. Keep pressing play. Ask questions. Share your experiences.
ChaLean Extreme Ab Burner & Recharge
I had a slower workout tonight. I needed it following the brutal leg routines I did yesterday. I started with ChaLean Extreme’s Ab Burner and followed up with the Recharge routine.
I expected Chalene Johnson, also know as Chalene the Machine at my house, to be a little more challenging in her ab routine. Maybe…just maybe, my abdominal muscles are getting stronger in my quest for flatter abs. I have not tried any of her more advanced ab workouts, yet.
Prior to Beachbody, I tried just about every ab exerciser, machine and piece of equipment I could find in the gym. I have found that the variety of ab exercises in Beachbody workouts simply amazes me and I don’t need to go to the gym or buy any extra home gym stuff.
I think I would probabaly compare Ab Burner to either Ab Ripper 100 or Ab Ripper 200 in Power 90. It is not in the same burn level as the P90X Ab Ripper X. This a beginner level ab routine that lasts just over ten minutes. The next time I do abs, I think I will switch to Extreme Abs or I’ve Got Abs. Maybe I will alternate these two workouts with Extreme Core. I think Chalene has some challenging moves coming up in these workouts. I guess I should be happy that it is time for me to move on to a harder ab program.
Recharge was a short (less than 21 minutes) stretching and yoga combination. How could you not love that? This workout gave a lot of attention to stretching your back and hamstrings. I really enjoyed the stretch. It reminded me somewhat of P90X X Stretch. You know, that day when it just feels so good to work out? (I am not referencing the 92 minute P90X Yoga X. Now, that’s torture! A true love/hate relationship.)
The next time I do a stretching routine with ChaLean Extreme, I may try the Dynamic Flow Yoga. I can see myself staying with this one for a while though. It felt so good to have a nice slow full body stretch. The short duration of the workout also allowed me to fit in abs tonight.
The Recharge workout could be done by any fitness level, including beginner. Chalene does a great job demonstrating how to modify different moves and positions to make the stretch either more challenging or less intensive to fit your current capabilities. I enjoyed the stretch. I think you will, too!
Brazil Butt Lift High and Tight
The High and Tight workout in Leandro Carvalho’s Brazil Butt Lift program is about 38 minutes in length including the warm up and cool down periods. This Beachbody workout put a burn in my glutes and inner and outer thigh muscles without making me want to just fall over like many butt intensive routines.
I think the secret is in keeping the muscle groups working at different angles without too much time spent in a single exercise. Sounds a little like Tony Horton’s muscle confusion principle in P90X, huh? Well, when I pressed play for my first workout, I wondered how I would possibly make it through almost 38 minutes of sculpting my backside. The time actually seemed to pass quickly.
This fitness program is divided into three sections. The first section is a series of standing band exercises. The second segment moves to a series of floor movements using a band. (By the way, a band comes with the program.) The final section uses ankle weights with floor exercises.
You do not have to use a band or ankle weights to get an effective workout. I used the band for the first two sessions, but I did not have ankle weights for the last session…didn’t miss them either! I feel like I got a nice booty workout without a billion lunges and squats.
Although the workout has three sections, you can do them separately or all together. The menu allows you to select which of the three sessions you would like to play. Or, you can select the option for playing them sequentially, including the warm up and cool down.
I know my leg muscles are firmer than they were before I started working out with Beachbody videos. Sometime after I am “high and tight” from exercising with Brazil Butt Lift, I will pull out my Slim in 6 program to see how the floor routine feels. When I did Slim in 6, I could not do all the reps for leg work on the floor. That was the most challenging part of Slim in 6 for me.
If you have finished P90X, and you are thinking about designing your own hybrid program, this is a great addition for working your butt. Add it to your P90X Leg routine. Then, your glutes will hurt as much as your quads! Why do we love Beachbody workouts? Because they work…as long as you work! Keep pressing play. Get fit. Stay fit.
Brazil Butt Lift Cardio Axe
Leandro Carvalho’s Brazil Butt Lift from Beachbody introduces you to Brazilian dance moves with the Cardio Axe (ah-shay) workout. This workout is about 30 minutes in length.
I am not too coordinated when it comes to any dance moves, so this workout was a struggle for me as far as staying focused. I could get the moves when we went through the learning segments, but I stumbled a lot with me two left feet when we put moves together into a combination in the form of dance.
I kept telling myself to just keep doing my best. I knew I was getting something out of it by the fact that my body was moving. I struggled with Turbo Jamthe first few times I did those workouts, too. For some, dance comes easy. For people like me, it’s a good thing the DVD player is in my living room and I am the only one around to watch me shake my booty!
I really believe that I got a much better (more intense) cardio workout from the Bum Bum workout. I have high hopes that the more I do the Cardio Axe, the more I will like it and feel like I am getting a good cardio workout from it.
I think back to my first car. It was so cool to have my own car. The only problem I had to overcome is I did not know how to drive it because it had a manual transmission. It was parked on the street for the first two months I owned it. Finally, I decided that I would learn how to drive a manual transmission. That was 25 years ago! Do you know what I drive now? A manual transmission!
This is my point…sometimes, I am slow to change. I have to do things a few times to find a comfort level. I am not comfortable with dance. I feel like I work against the music rather than with it. I also know that if I practice, I will get better.
Oh, let me add an interesting tid bit about this Beachbody workout program. You can set it up in either the English or Spanish language. You can also choose to use subtitles if you want to read what is being said. I thought those were interesting options and wanted to share them with you.
Who knows, maybe when I get the moves down in English, I will mix it up with Spanish. By then, I will have Leandro’s moves and instructions fine tuned. I might as well learn a few Spanish words in the morning while getting my butt high and tight!
