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!
10 Minute Trainer Cardio
My workout tonight consisted of a combination of Chalene Johnson and Tony Horton, two of my favorite Beachbody trainers. I started off with the ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 3 workout and followed it with Tony’s 10 Minute Trainer Cardio session.
I had really thought about doing some Brazil Butt Lift tonight but I guess I had forgotten how much the Burn Circuit 3 works your legs and butt. My lower body was wiped by the time I completed the ChaLean Extreme session. I was feeling pretty good though, so I turned to my 10 Minute Trainer series. This was one of Tony Horton’s programs in the years prior to P90X.
The basic 10 Minute Trainer series includes five workouts: Total Body, Lower Body, Abs, Cardio, and Yoga Flex. I knew Lower Body and Total Body were out! These ten minute workouts are good to have in your video collection for a many reasons. Here are some of my reasons:
1. You can use the 10 minute workouts individually if you are short on time. This is me in the morning before work! I like to do a little something to wake up, but I do not like doing a full workout in the morning.
2. You can use the workouts together to form a stand alone program to reach your fitness goals. In other words, you can do more than one workout in a day. Do them together or break them up throughout the day.
3. You can use a specific ten minute workout to supplement another workout which is what I did tonight.
4. If you are not feeling well physically or just can not seem to get yourself motivated, you can use a ten minute workout to brighten your attitude and promote well-being.
The girl in the Cardio workout uses a band fastened to a door to give her resistence in her running, jumping, and lunging moves. That looks like something interesting to try some time in the future, but I was a able to get a good cardio workout just using my own body’s resistence.
If you are not familiar with the 10 Minute Trainer series, it makes a good starter program for those new to fitness. I say this because each routine has a “trainer” track where Tony Horton talks a lot about form and how each exercise should be performed.
When you are not a novice any longer, keep the 10 Minute Trainer in your library. I think you will be surprised at how effective these workouts can be even though they are only ten minutes in length. Hey, we are talking about Tony Horton afterall. He would not dare let you out of the gym with a little sweat equity!
ChaLEAN Extreme Push Circuit 1
Hello phase II! ChaLEAN Extreme has three phases: Burn, Push, and Lean. In the Burn phase, we used a weight that put our muscles in failure at 10-12 reps. In the Push phase, we increase the weight and decrease the reps to a failure range of 6-8.
Push Circuit 1 focuses on biceps, triceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike the Burn phase, Push concentrates on one muscle group at a time rather than stepping through a compound exercise which engages the lower and upper body at the same time.
An example of this is the standard bicep curl. Bicep curls were also used in the Burn phase but they were joined with a variation of squat to work on the lower body at the same time. If you think this makes the Push phase easier, think again! My triceps and biceps were shaking and burning by the end of this routine.
Chalene continues with the breakdown reps we came to know in the Burn phase. This time, however, she adds more of them to the routine. Muscle fibers twitch, your mind gets really focused, and you accomplish more than you thought possible. Cool.
Tony Horton uses the 6-8 rep range in P90X. There are at least three key differences between the two training styles though. In P90X, Tony uses a superset series. He moves through a series of three muscles groups (biceps, triceps, shoulders), takes a short break and repeats the set. The reps are done in good form but at a faster rate.
Chalene puts your focus on one muscle group (i.e. biceps). The reps are super slow which keeps your muscle engaged and working for a longer period of time. Then, when your muscle seems exhausted, you take about a ten second break and somehow find the engery to do a breakdown set of three ultra slow reps.
I think both methods bring results. One of the things I love about Beachbody workouts is the variety of training techniques. It is important to have variety in your routines.
I have read over and over about getting bored after doing a certain workout program week after week. That makes sense. As much as I love pizza, if that is all I ate meal after meal…day after day…I wouldn’t like pizza so much anymore.
I recommend starting with a Beachbody workout that sparks an interest for you and will help you stay committed. Then, add in something like Tony Horton’s One on One or 10 Minute Trainer workouts which will add variety and keep pushing play. Please feel free to contact me if you need help choosing your first program or a supplemental program.
Keep pressing play!
ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Circuit 2
Burn Circuit 2 of Chalene Johnson’s ChaLEAN Extreme workout program burns through nine compoud strenght training exercises. Since this workout is in the “burn” phase of the program, Chalene asks you to use the heaviest weight you can to reach failure between 10 and 12 reps. If you can make it pass 12 repetitions in an exercise, you didn’t lift heavy enough. If you couldn’t make it to 10 reps, you lifted too heavy.
Burn Circuit 2 works the entire body with a concentrates on triceps, back, and biceps. You’ll also hit your legs pretty good with sumo and bowler squats, dead lifts and lunges worked in conjunction with the upper body moves. You naturally work core and abs with this type of a workout, too. And, just so we don’t miss anything….Chalene ends the routine with triple threat push ups.
Triple threat push ups are actually three different forms of push ups done in sequence and repeated until failure. The first push up is a tricep push up. The second one is a stand push up with the hands should width apart. The third and final push up in the sequence is a spider push up where the legs are spread wide.
Triple threat push ups work the triceps, shoulders, chest, abdominals and core muscles. If you do this routine enough, you’ll learn to love push ups. Don’t worry ladies. Chalene allows you to do them on your knees if you need to modify but asks you to keep good form and push through what you can.
I like using the Bowflex SelecTec dumbbells because they don’t take up as much room. They’re also easy to go from one weight another. I’ve found, however, that I like putting my ChaLEAN Extreme (CLX) dvd in my computer rather than watching it on my television set. This makes it easier for me to select pause when I needed to change weights.
I got my SelecTec weights used from someone selling them on Craigslist. I believe you should always buy the best you can afford. When it comes to weights and gym equipment in general, used equipment is perfectly functional and fine as long as it is a quality product in the first place.
I’ve used a generic set of selectable weights in the past. They’re not worth it. The Bowflex brand is definitely the way to go. I don’t make a penny on the new or used sale of any Bowflex products, so this is a from the heart testimonial.
ChaLEAN Extreme moves quickly from one exercise to the next. While I used a standard set of dumbbells when I was doing Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Fitness program, I like being able to adjust quickly in CLX.
I just watched an infomercial for Shaun T’s Insanity program. It looks amazing if you’re looking for high intensity cardio interval training. Let me tell you how you can save 25% on ChaLEAN Extreme, P90X, and Insanity. All you have to do is
Happy Holidays! Get in the best shape of your life in 2010. Shop at the Beachbody store to get started now.
ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Intervals
I’ve written about interval training in several articles on my website because all Beachbody fitness programs incorporate some form of interval training. Why? Because it’s effective at increasing your heart rate and metabolism and brings variety into your workout routine.
I was looking forward to the ChaLEAN Extreme Burn Intervals workout. I expected high intensity cardio intervals mixed with a lower intensity cardio interval to let me catch my breath and recover. Well, I was surprised…
Burn Intervals does use high intensity cardio intervals; however, the recovery interval is resistence training with a new twist. I’m used to doing either 6-8 repetitions with heavy weights or 10-12 with a slightly lighter (but still heavy) weight for resistence training. That’s the regimen for P90X and is the standard in most gyms.
Chalene’s Burn Circuit routines use a rep count of 10-12 with the heaviest weight you can use to get to failure in that range. The Burn Intervals takes you in the opposite direction. Chalene asks you to use a light weight. I used five pounders, and I’m glad I listened to her! My shoulders were screaming and my triceps were shaking because we did so many reps that we didn’t even count them.
By the time your muscles were really burning, it was time to go on to the next high intensity cardio interval. The cardio exercises are plyometric in nature and could easily fit into a P90X program. Both the P90X Extreme Home Fitness and ChaLEAN Extreme workouts put you in the mindset of training like an athlete.
One of the things I liked about Chalene’s program is only one round of each exercise is performed. Tony likes to do two rounds of each exercise, usually in a superset. I really like the variety, and I stay motivated to push a little harder because I know I’m only doing that exercise (no matter how difficult for the moment) one time. When it’s done, it’s done.
ChaLEAN is a positive trainer. Her attention to detail in form is very helpful. She is mindful of the need for proper nutrition and keeping your time, life, and emotional health in balance as well. I think most women will relate better to Chalene than Tony although both are champion trainers in my book.
ChaLEAN Extreme Burn It Off!
At the completion of week 1 of ChaLEAN Extreme, you’ll be introduced to a cardio workout called Burn It Off! Although the workout is only about 30 minutes long, it is comparable to the Plyometrics workout in P90X. Yes! It’s intense and involves jumping. You’ll be breathing hard and your heart will be pumping. I was sweating more than I thought I would with a 30 minute cardio session.
Chalene Johnson shows us a different type of aerobic conditioning with moves far different from her Turbo Jam series. You won’t see one punch, cross, jab, wheel, or kick in this workout. It’s different from the Cardio X and Kenpo X moves that Tony Horton uses in P90X. What is similar is the use of high intensity interval training to get your heart rate up in a short time.
This fitness workout starts with a warm up followed by five back to back exercises approxiamately two minutes each. At the end of the five exercises, you get a one minute break to rest and hydrate. Then, you’ll be back on the floor for six more exercises and a cool down.
This was an intense workout for me. I tried to push myself because I want to get the most out of my workouts. Chalene has two women in her group who perform modified versions of each exercise to demonstrate how to decrease the intensity or impact of a particular move. She also talks to you throughout the video and reminds you to push yourself but only to your level.
The best part about this workout was getting to the end! I mean that in a good way. This was a challenging workout for me. I made it to the end, so I’m thrilled about that. I know that I’m burning fat. I know I’m boosting my metabolism. I know that I made it a little closer to my goals today. Keep pushing play! It works.
Muscle Burns Fat ChaLEAN Extreme Day 1
As you’ve probably read in previous fitness articles in my Beachbody Workout reviews, I’ve been wanting to go throught the ChaLEAN Extreme program to compare the training differences between the two programs and trainers Chalene Johnson and Tony Horton. Last night, I started my 90 day fitness journey with ChaLEAN Extreme by pushing play on Burn Circuit 1.
Since I am a P90X graduate, I have high expectations for any program with the word “extreme” in its title or description. So far, I believe Chalene has earned the right to use that word. My posterior delts were burning by the time I got done with this 35 minute workout.
Chalene Johnson is a concerned trainer who keeps you inspired to keep pushing but reminds you of form throughout each exercise. Don’t be put off by the fact that this strength training routine is only 35 minutes while the P90X Extreme Home Fitness program averages an hour for each workout.
You can accomplish a lot in 35 minutes by using compound exercises, using slow reps, heavy weights, and a breakdown set. Each workout session consists of nine compound exercises that work 2-3 muscle groups at one time.
For P90X fans who love push ups, Chalene has her own version to add to all those varities Tony Horton punished us with. It’s a standard push up followed by a right leg raise from the plank pose. Then, you do another push up followed by a left leg raise from the plank pose. You continue until your form starts to falter. You’ll use your abs in this one!
I’ve also got to say that I love the warm up period because Chalene gets you moving and the blood pumping at a good pace before picking up weights. And, because she uses compound movements, the warm up doesn’t take up 15 minutes of the routine. As you know, if you’re going to do P90X, you’ve got to have a chunk of time available six days a week. With ChaLEAN Extreme, it looks like 35 minutes per workout and only five days a week.
Because I do like Tony Horton and the P90X exercises, I am a subscriber of Tony Horton’s One On One workouts. A new DVD comes to my door every month with Tony working out alone for 35-40 minutes. These routines are designed for P90X graduates. They’re not a break down of P90X sessions. They’re extreme workouts in Tony Horton style…and for a shorter duration than P90X.
I’m excited to take on the ChaLEAN Extreme challenge. Before I go, I want to point out one major difference between P90X and ChaLEAN Extreme (CLX)…CLX does not use a chin up bar ladies! You will not be struggling to do pull ups, but you will be working just as hard to get in the best shape of your life!
Burning Fat, Blasting Abs, Turbo Jam’s Ab Jam Workout
My abs were still burning from working out with Tony Horton’s a Core Ball Sandwich the other day, but I decided to put in Chalene Johnson’s 20 minute Ab Jam workout from her Turbo Jam series anyway. Half of this routine does standing ab exercises. The other half is performed on the floor.
What I really like about Beachbody workouts is each trainer has their own style for working out abs. I used to be one of those people who would go to the gym and walk by anything that looked like it might involve abs. I didn’t like working my abdominal muscles because it involved pain.
My neck and lower back always seemed to hurt when I did ab exercises. I didn’t know I needed a trainer to keep me motivated, correct my form, and give me options for getting my mid-section in shape.
The standing portion of Ab Jam feels a lot like the other Turbo Jam workouts. It’s a little bit punching and kicking combined with music and Chalene’s style of fun. It’s true that you forget you’re working out when you’ve got a Turbo Jam DVD playing.
Here’s a hint for Ab Jam…warm up with the 20 Minute Cardio session. You’ll get your cardio, have a great warm up and keep the fat burning while working your abs with Ab Jam.
I will say that when we moved to the floor session, I knew for sure we were focusing on abs! Some of the moves Chalene uses are killer on the obliques and not once did I feel pain in my neck or lower back.
She reminds you to lead with your shoulder (not your elbow) when you’re doing crunches to keep the pressure off your neck. When doing standing crunches, she’ll tell you to lift your “hip” not your knee when doing side crunches.
Form is everything folks! I can appreciate a trainer who knows the common mistakes we all make and gently educates us on how to make each move more effective while reducing the risk of injury.
I like to combine the 20 minute Turbo Jam cardio with the Ab Jam workout which is also 20 minutes in length. I think I need to give my abs some recovery time now. I feel like I just did Ab Ripper X or Yoga Belly from P90X. I think I need to go to the kitchen and refuel now. Mommy!
Turbo Jam: Ab Jam
When I first looked at this dvd, I thought twenty minutes was an incredibly long time to be working on my abs. I’ve got to tell you that the time just flew by. I’m not sure what it is about Turbo Jam or Chalene Johnson, but each workout is fun. Fun means you’ll keep doing it. Fun means you get through the workout before you realize you’re exercising…just kidding.
Keeping with the trademark of Beachbody workouts, Ab Jam uses cardio interval training to keep your heart pumping. You’re going to sweat, burn calories, melt fat, and pump up your metabolism.
The first half of the workout is standing. If you’re used to working your abs with crunches, a ball, or ab machines, you’ll be surprised at how many different ways you can work your abdominal muscles standing up.
You may not be comfortable doing standing ab exercises. Give it a chance and work through it. It’s probably just new to you. Some of the standing ab exercises are similar to those in Debbie Sieber’s Slim in 6. I also noticed some similarities with Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Fitness System.
The second half of the workout moves to ab exercises on the floor. I learned some new moves. I was expecting something in between Slim in 6 and P90X’s Ab Ripper X or Yoga Belly 7. My favorite floor exercise in Ab Jam involves sitting on the floor with your hands on the floor behind you. Your knees are bent…feet off the floor. You then lean back and touch your knees to the left until they hit the floor. Then, your bring them to the right until they hit the floor, etc. This works the lower abs really good!
I’ve got a few more ab routines to review for you, so you’ll have plenty of information on how to get yourself a tight, flat set of abs. Still coming up: Turbo Jam Booty Sculpt & Abs, Tony Horton’s One on One Core Ball Sandwhich, and Brett Hoebel’s new 90 day ab solution Rev Abs.
Rev Abs isn’t available, yet. This Beachbody workout won’t be released until the fall; however, I have a preview dvd. It’s the first dvd in program. Getting free preview dvds of upcoming releases is one of the benefits of being a Beachbody Coach. Speaking of previews, I have an extra Tony Horton One on One Cardio Intervals dvd.
Here’s all you have to do to get it. Click here to sign up for a free Beachbody account. When you sign up for your free account, Beachbody will let me know that you signed up from this website. I will then send you an email to make arrangements to get the dvd to you. If you’re not the first to sign up, don’t worry. I will personally make sure you get a dvd for free just for visiting my site and signing up for your free account. (Of course I won’t be able to extend this offer forever. You must act by August 31st, 2009.)
Do you know the benefits of getting your free Beachbody account? They’re amazing…
1. Access to the WOWY (workout with you) online supergym. Here, you’ll be able to schedule workouts and track your progress. You’ll also be able to connect with other people in the supergym with you and be eligible to win cash and prizes of up to $1000 per day.
2. You can compete for the $25,000 grand prize in the Million Dollar Body Game.
3. Your own personal coach (me) to help guide you to the support, tools, and motivation you need to reach your goals.
4. Workout buddies to help keep you motivated.
5. Access to the Beachbody message boards and cool down chat room.
6. Weekly Beachbody newsletters where you’ll learn about nutrition, exercise, and more.
Go ahead, sign up here! You’ve got nothing to lose except all those extra pounds.
Turbo Jam: Punch, Kick & Jam
Chalene’s style of keeping it fun and keeping your eyes off the clock held true in her 48 minute Punch, Kick & Jam workout in the Turbo Jam program. As the name suggests, this workout packs a lot of punches – jab, cross, hook, uppercut – kicks from all sides and lots of jamming to upbeat music.
I added the Beachbody weighted gloves with this workout to increase the intensity a little. It was enough (.75 pounds for each glove) to increase the intensity but still allow me to work aerobically without going to the point of exhaustion. You can certainly get a good workout without the weighted gloves though.
Now that the workout is over, I can really tell that I worked my abs. I can especially feel my upper abs and obliques. I was dripping with sweat at the end of the workout but felt energized and stretched out at the same time.
The hardest part of this workout for me was the cooling down period when we did a lot of capoeira. I think this will get easier for me as I learn the moves in this section better. What’s nice about the capoeira section is that your body is stretching after a lot of punching and kicking. P90X didn’t have any capoeira moves, so this is totally new to me.
I’m thinking about jumping back over to P90X Yoga X for a day just to see how that workout feels after doing all these Turbo Jam jabs and kicks. I’m guessing that it’s going to be a lot easier than when I was going through 90 days of P90X. I still have a few Turbo Jam workouts to enjoy before I do that. And, I’m expecting my new Tony Horton One on One workout to arrive this week. It’s so fun having variety in my exercising routine.
I always like to tell you when I see something new in a program that I like. Toward the end of the workout, Chalene had us to pull out a resistance band. I totally wasn’t expecting that. It reminded me of the toning portion of Slim in 6. I thought I’d see similar moves, but we only did three moves and they were all different from the one we did in Slim in 6. By the way, if you need resistance bands, you can get them from the Beachbody store or shop for gym stuff where I often do because of the quality, prices, and free shipping. (Update – This website is currently unavailable, so I removed the link. I should have it repaired soon.)
First, we used the band in conjunction with uppercut punches. Then, we used it to put resistance on on jabs in a side-lunge position. That was cook because I could really feel it working the anterior (front) shoulder muscle with each jab. The last thing we did with the band was a series of side kicks to work the outer thighs and glutes.
I don’t think I’ve ever used resistance bands to work my legs. I liked the way we formed a loop with one handle of the band to make a stirrup for the foot. I’ve worked out plenty using cables and ankle attachments. I’ve even used a fancy foot attachment with my Bowflex Revolution, but this simple technique was just as effective, more comfortable, and less expensive.
I’ve got two more workouts to move through in the Turbo Jam program before I repeat any of them. I still haven’t experienced Ab Jam or Booty Sculpt & Abs. You’ll see me going back to Yoga Booty Ballet on occassion as well. I’m mixing up a few programs right now to take a break from following just one trainer. When I reach my current weight goal, I think I’ll go back to P90X for 90 days or workout with Tony Horton for 90 days with Power 90.
What’s the difference in the programs I’m doing now vs. P90X and Power 90? I’m focusing primarily on cardio and toning right now. P90X and Power 90 put more emphasis on strength training. As I’ve said in previous articles, it’s important to define your current fitness goals and then, support your goals with appropriate fitness routines. What are your current fitness goals?
If you’d like free coaching, sign up for your free Beachbody account. My job as a coach is to help people define and reach their fitness goals through fitness programs such as P90X, Slim in 6, Turbo Jam, and Insanity. If you have a passion for fitness, you can sign up as a coach yourself and start your own business helping others get fit. As a bonus, you’ll save 25% on your Beachbody orders. Stay fit. Keep pressing play!
Turbo Jam: Cardio Party
Where did that 45 minutes go? Once again, Chalene kept my mind off working out and just having fun. I’m sitting here dripping in sweat after completing my first Cardio Party workout in the Turbo Jam program. I’m not a dancer, so trying to move like some of the gals wasn’t pretty. The important thing is to keep moving. Afterall, you are in your living room not under a spinning ball on the dance floor!
I noticed that in this routine, the Wheel reminded me of the low side crunches in Slim in 6. The difference here is the Wheel is a much wider and flowing exercise. It stretches the whole body while working the oblique abdominal muscles.
The kicking and punching in Cardio Party remind me of Tony Horton’s P90X Kenpo X workout. I was already familiar with the basic moves from P90X, so I was really comfortable with them. If you haven’t done kicks or punches, you’ll probably have a similar experience as I did when I first did the Kenpo X DVD. I was elated. Somehow, it was empowering and didn’t feel at all like exercising. Kicking, punching, and blocking help me focus my mind and relieve stress.
I think this workout is absolutely an ab ripping routine. Well, I’m beginning to think that all the Turbo Jam routines work the abs. Hmmm. Maybe that’s why Chalene has hard abs. Come to the party. Are you ready to lose weight, boost your metabolism, burn fat, increase your energy…and have fun doing it?
Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout
I did my first Turbo Jam workout tonight. Trainer Chalene Johnson combines kickboxing and dance moves to upbeat or shall I say jamming music.
Tonight, I went through the Learn & Burn segment to learn Chalene’s “Elite 11″ moves which form the foundation of all the Turbo Jam routines.
| 1. Turbo Kick 2. Pump 3. Zig Zag 4. Strike |
5. Twist 6. Row 7. “W” 8. 7 Step |
9. Shake and Shed 10. Capoeira Step 11. Wheel |
After going through the Learn & Burn, I moved on to the 20 Minute Workout. The 20 Minute Workout was enough to ease me into a new routine yet let me break a little sweat. This is a perfect workout for beginners. It’s also a good choice for a quick cardio workout when you’re short on time. It has some full body stretching type moves such as the Row, Wheel, and Capoeira Step. The combination of cardio, stretching, abs, and a shorter routine also makes it a great morning workout in my book… (Read more.)
Raising the Intensity of Slim in 6 & Other Beachbody Workouts
After doing 90 days of Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Training System, you’d think that I’d be ready to take a break. The fact of the matter is that once you start seeing your own results, you get hooked on Beachbody workouts. I’m in the middle of Debbie Sieber’s Slim in 6 slim training workout program for weight loss at the time of this writing.
Each new workout in the Slim in 6 program challenged me in the beginning, but I knew that if I wanted to continue seeing the results I wanted that I had to raise my intensity level. It’s important to keep your heart rate in a working zone throughout your workout. That’s where you burn fat and calories. So what did I do? I put on some kickboxing type of hand weights. You can get a pair right from the Beachbody store. Chalene Johnsons’s Turbo Jam workout comes with a pair of these weighted gloves. You’ve probably seen her use them in the Turbo Jam infomercial. The gloves help increase the intensity and increase the burn.
Other things you can do to increase the intensity of a workout if you have extra energy on a particular day or if you don’t feel like you’re working hard enough to get the results you want include adding movements that raise your legs or knees higher, going deeper into lunges and squats, and/or raising your arms above your head. You can also do more reps than they are doing on the video. For example, I can do far more push ups from my P90X experience than the number Debbie’s team does in Slim in 6.
What’s my point? Every workout program has to be personalized. And, you’re the only one who can do that. If you’ve read any of my articles on P90X, you’ll notice that I often had to modify the other way. Heck, I still can’t do even on pull up, but I’m still working on it. I did what I could with each P90X workout and kept it as intense as I could. I often had to modify until I got stronger or had more endurance. As I look back, it must’ve been a pitiful sight to watch me do my first couple of rounds with P90X Yoga X!
I like the intensity of the P90X training program and the personality of Mr. Tony Horton who is the fitness expert, trainer, and author of the program. To stay in touch with that energy, I subscribed to Tony Horton’s One on One program which allows me to get a new P90X level training program every month. Each workout focuses on one area such as cardio or abs or delts. The workouts are shorter (20-40 minutes on average) than they were in P90X. The P90X workouts were about an hour long….unless you did the Yoga X…a grueling 92 minutes!
If you’re a graduate of P90X, here are a few options for keeping your workouts new and challenging. Try the One on One automatic shipment or try P90X+ which was developed for P90X grads who just couldn’t get enough of the X. You can also try Tony’s 10 Minute Trainers which are intense short workouts that you can fit into those tight schedules. But, if you want to try an intense workout, and you’re up for a 60 day cardio challenge, you might be ready for Shaun T’s Insanity.
I’m not ready for a cardio program that intense, yet. My personal coach is doing this program and loving it though. I’m ok with not being right there at the starting line as Insanity takes its hold on the world. It was just released this month, so extreme fitness fanatics everywhere are ordering this program. Shaun T’s program has a unique offer with the program if you’re one of the few, the proud…oh, wait a minute – that’s the Marines…if you’re one of the insane, crazy people who think they can do this heart pumping, sweat pouring 60 day program. If you graduate the program, you’ll get a cool Insanity T-shirt if you send in your before and after pictures. How cool is that?
You know what’s really cool about Beachbody workouts? You’ve heard me say this before. There is a Beachbody workout that is right for everyone, every body, every fitness level. Beachbody’s philosophy is to get you moving and help you live a healthy and fit life. So, what are you waiting for? “Change your body. Change your life.”
Interval Training for Serious Fitness Results
You know what I love about the Beachbody workouts? They’re centered around “interval” training. I first learned about interval training in high school when our softball team would practice. Our workouts were interlaced with high intensity and low intensity cardio and strength training. Sometimes, I thought my coach was trying to eliminate the weak members. I wasn’t going to be weak! I didn’t understand at that time that she actually understood the performance progress you can make in a short period of time with this type of training.
The Air Force must’ve know this secret as well. Often times, we’d jog in a single file. The person at the end of the line would have to run to the front of the line until he/she caught up and overtook the leader. Then, that person would fall in line and bring it back to a jog as the new leader. The new person at the back of the line would begin running to the front and so the exercise progressed until a sufficient amount of real estate had been transversed. Sure did get your heart rate up!
Now, I find myself thinking about interval training again. The P90X Extreme Home Fitness program uses 13 DVDs to whip your body into shape. Each video incorporates a variety of exercises that moves you through high intensity, max rep exercises and then, to a lower intensity set. You move from one body part to another without much rest in between. Most exercises are 30 seconds in duration…and as Tony Horton says “you can do anything for 30 seconds”!
Beachbody will soon release a high intensity conditioning program that uses what they refer to as MAX Interval Training. The name of this program is INSANITY, and it is the product of professional trainer Shaun T who is well-known for his Hip Hop Abs and Rockin Body workouts. I’ve seen the previews for this program!! This is an advanced program that I predict will make some NFL players wonder if they can make it through. What am I talking about? It’s the insanity of the whole thing that will motivate NFL players and other serious fitness fanatics to both start and complete the program. As for me, well…I’m not ready for Insanity, yet.
Shaun T has just entered the ranks of the elite, the extreme, the drop and give me twenty, drill sergeant, challenge my body fitness training. Tony Horton and Chalene Johnson have a new partner in extreme fitness.
