Power 90 Sweat! Cardio 3-4
Nice workout! With Beachbody’s Sweat! Cardio 3-4 workout of Power 90, I did just that – sweat. The workout was like the Cardio 1-2 workout; however, it was just a little longer and faster. Instead of doing three rounds of a group of exercises, Cardio 3-4 takes you through three rounds. The exception to three rounds is the kicking series which only has two rounds.
I think that most people can do Power 90 and get results if they are consistent in working out. It takes a lot of work to get the results you want. Finding the right exercise activity and then, staying motivated enough to do it is only part of the equation. You also have to get yourself educated about nutrition and then, eat to fuel your body and your goals.
If you’ve mastered Power 90 and would like to take your fitness to the next level, you’ll want to consider Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Home Fitness. P90X isn’t an easy program. There are 13 different workouts that consist of some tough strenth training, power yoga, stretching, balancing, and aerobics. Most of the P90X routines are an hour long. The Yoga X is 92 minutes long and will make you sweat as much as any aerobic program.
I started my journey with P90X. As I worked through the program, I realized that not everyone could start with such a challenging and extreme fitness workout program. That’s why I’m incorporating some of the less intense programs into my fitness reviews. I want to know first hand what programs to recommend to the people I coach based on my own experiences.
Of course I won’t be able to try out all the Beachbody workouts, but I will give a personal account whenever I can. My two favorite programs are P90X and Turbo Jam. I love P90X because of the intensity and challenge. It’s a well-written program that gives you a 90 day plan to keep you on track. I love Turbo Jam because it’s fun. You really forget that you’re working out. Power 90 will remain in my library as an alternative when I need a lower intensity workout on a rest day or a day when I’m not 100%.
Power 90 Sweat! Cardio 1-2
I wasn’t feeling well this past week, so I took it easy with my workout schedule. I tried to keep my eating fairly clean although I have to admit that I did enjoy an authentic Italian pizza with a few of my friends. I think it’s ok to back off from your exercise routine every once in a while and have a meal that isn’t as strict. What’s important is to remind yourself of the delicate balance between nutrition, food, and fuel for the body. If you have a day you don’t work out, adjust the amount of calories you’re eating that day to compensate for the reduced calorie expenditure.
I felt like doing something different today, so I pushed play on Tony Horton’s Power 90. Power 90 was produced by Beachbody prior to P90X and was the foundation used to design the P90X Etreme Home Training System. Power 90 consists of six workout routines – two cardio, two strength training, and two ab routines.
I started my workout with the Sweat 1-2 dvd. As you might’ve guessed by the name, it’s a cardio routine. The one and two refer to phase one and phase two of four phases in the Power 90 program. I think I like the three phase system (30 days for each phase) in the P90X program better than Power 90’s four phase system which relies on the participant to decide on when to move from one phase to the next. I’m more motivated by a program which has a beginning and end already set.
Sweat 1-2 is just under 36 minutes in length. I didn’t work up a lot of sweat, but the workout felt good as a transition back into working out after having a few days off. I think this program will be good for those new to exercise or those who need a slower pace due to weight or health. It’s an excellent preview to P90X.
Sweat 1-2 begins with stretching and then progresses to power yoga. The routine also pulls in some plyomtrics and kenpo karate. Tony uses a series of three exercises he calls a round. Once you go through the first round, you repeat the same exercises for a second round. After the second round, a new set of three exercises are introduced and repeated for a total of five exercise groupings.
This method allows you to feel the exercise the first time around and adjust your intensity up or down during the second round. It’s kind of nice knowing what’s coming in the second round, too. Tony uses this technique in his P90X program as well. Although P90X is a more intense exercise program (13 dvds & hour long workouts), Power 90 lays the foundation for the methodology and exercises.
I was familiar with front and side kicks, knee ups, punches, power yoga, and some of the other exercises in Power 90 because they were done in different variations in P90X. If you don’t know if you’re ready for P90X, you’re probably ready for Power 90. Try Power 90 for thee months. When you’re ready to go to the next level, P90X is your program.
I like mixing up different Beachbody workouts, and I like being able to tell you about these workouts because I’ve actually done them. I plan on doing all the Power 90 workouts and will write about them for you. Two last thoughts on Sweat 1-2…
I think this workout would be good for morning cardio. The stretching at the beginning and end is excellent. It’s only about 36 minutes long and gets your heart rate goind without putting you in overdrive. In other words, it will help me wake up while doing something good for my body.
My second thought is that it is such a good summary of P90X that it makes me want to do another round of P90X! Yes, that is in my future. I know I’m going to do another round of P90X because I just love that program. And, when I do press play on the X again, I just might do Power 90 on my rest day or on those occassional days when I need a less intense program. Click on Power 90 to learn more about what comes with this program and it’s 90 day money back guarantee.
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.
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.”
One on One: Cardio Intervals
I’m really hooked on Tony Horton and the P90X Extreme Training System. After going through this grueling 90 day program, I decided to take a break from building muscle and focus on losing a little weight. To accomplish this task, I turned to Debbie Siebers and her Slim in 6 workouts to burn fat.
I still have the P90X bug though, so when Beachbody offered the July DVD of Tony Horton’s One on One: Cardio Intervals for one penny, I had to get it! I figured that it was a cardio program so it would support my current fitness goal of dropping 15 pounds. I knew it would be good because it was Tony’s workout.
This is how the One on One program works. Each month a new workout is automatically sent to you. Previous programs have names such as Diamond Delts and Core Ball Sandwhich. The workouts are between 20 and 40 minutes in lenth. If you’ve ever worked out with a P90X video, you know that this is a short workout for Tony. The P90X workouts are about an hour long with the exception of Yoga X which is a heart-pounding 92 minutes. (Yes, you do sweat doing yoga with P90X.)
Anyway, I got the program and just stared at it with a grin. Welcome back Tony! Bring it! I put on my workout clothes, got out the mat and prepared myself for a 40 minute workout. The One on One workouts are also different from P90x because Tony Horton is the only one in the gym, so it’s like you getting a personal workout with Tony. Mason, the camera guy is quite entertaining as well.
So how is the One on One workout like P90X besides having one of the greatest trainers of all time? In almost all of Tony’s P90X workouts he reminds you that “you can do anything for 30 seconds”. He used interval training to keep you moving and motivated. Some of his P90X routines used a series of exercises that were repeated once you made it through the first round.
In Cardio Intervals, Tony uses a set of 20 exercises. Each exercise is 30 seconds in length. He actually holds a stop watch to keep us on pace. After the first round of 20 exercises is completed, the set is repeated for round two. The rest periods between exercises is really short, so you might have to hit pause or take quick small drinks to keep up with him. I sure got my heart rate up doing this routine.
The other thing you’ll notice is that many of the exercises are variations of P90X exercises…but with a twist or a jump or something else that makes it unique to Cardio Intervals. You’ll also find a lot of new moves to keep it interesting. Here’s a list of the exercises that Tony does in this One on One:
Plyo Lunge Punches
Press Lunge Moon
Hop Twists
Leap Kicks
Lateral Leap Twists
Whacky Tires
Heisman Hold
Plyo Lunge Twists
Swing Kicks
Lateral Squat Kicks
Super Twister
Traveling Speed Tires
Jumping Side Kicks
Block Punch Twist
Hook Uppercut Side Kicks
Pivot Punches
Brigg’s Ram
High Low Twist Pivot
Big Pivot Twists
As you can see, this workout builds on exercises from several P90X workout routines. If you’re a P90X graduate, you’ll recognize a combination of Core Synergistics, Plyometrics, Kenpo X, Cardio X moves. It’s a great way to wrap up your P90X program, revisit P90X or supplement your current fitness program.
By the way, my 1 cent July special also included a free DVD wallet that can hold twelve months of DVDs. I’m looking forward to shaking up one routine each month. Whether it’s focusing hard on my back, legs, shoulders or another muscle group, I plan on using One on One to supplement my fitness routines.
If you’re curious about the One on One program, now’s the time to try it. If you order it during the month of July, you’ll get the 1 cent deal, too. There’s a 30 day money back guarantee, so if you don’t like it just cancel your subscription. Otherwise, you’ll get a fresh Tony Horton routine every 30 days.
