Ten Minute Crusher Pack
Since I knew October’s One on One training session came with a jump rope, I was expecting the 10 Minute Crusher Pack to use a jump rope to do cardio intervals. I didn’t expect the workout inside. Tony Horton is a crazy trainer who will keep you entertained, motivated, and pushing forward.
The 10 Minute Crusher Pack is actually divided in three 10 minute segments. The first segment is called 20-12 Abs and appropriately works your abdominal muscles. Tony put together a series of ab exercises that alternate between hanging from a chin up bar and work on the floor.
The ab routine is a nice variation to through into your P90X Extreme Home Training workout plan if you get tired of Ab Ripper X or just need a change. It is more challenging than Ab Ripper 100 and Ab Ripper 200 which are both ab routines from Power 90. The 20-12 Abs is more comparable with Ab Ripper X but you will be using the chin up bar a lot to isolate and work those tough abdominal muscles.
The second workout session packs ten minutes full of extreme exercises for legs. It is called Legs of Gold. If you know Tony, then you know that regular squats and lunges will never do. He likes to “mix it up” with any and every variation he sees or can dream up.
If you are new to fitness or to Tony Horton, this leg workout will give you a challenge and probably remind you that you worked legs a day or two later. I cannot compare the intensity of Legs of Gold with the P90X Legs and Back exercise routine. The P90X version is butt burner in my book.
The downside of the P90X Legs and Back workout is the length. You don’t always have an hour to exercise or you might want to just work legs or add them to something besides your back routine. That’s where I think Legs of Gold belongs in my fitness routine. I never thought I would ever be happy with a ten minute leg routine. I guess if you know how, you can get an effective workout in ten minutes.
The last exercise segment is Shadow Boxing. This is a cardio segment that uses the familiar jab, cross, hook, uppercut, kick, block…. It’s like graduating from P90X Kenpo X or Chalene Johnson’s Turbo Jam and then, putting it all together in a fun, playful way.
So, what’s the big deal about a jump rope? The jump rope is used as a warm up and for cardio intervals between segments. Jumping rope is an excellent aerobic activity. I never was very good at jumping rope as a kid. Now, I have a reason to practice. I know I don’t have to be perfect. I just have to do my best. All I have to do is keep my body moving. I can even “jump rope” without using a rope.
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!
Power 90 Ab Ripper 200
Ouch! Power 90’s Ab Ripper 200 is 200 ab ouchy reps! It uses the same ten abdominal exercises as Ab Ripper 100, but instead of ten reps for each exercise, you’re doing twenty. That makes a significant difference in the burn. It will take a while for me to master the Ab Ripper 200.
If I compare Ab Ripper 200 to the ab workouts in P90X, I’d have to say it feels more like the Yoga Belly 7 rather than the infamous Ab Ripper X. Ab Ripper X is still on top of the charts for the toughest ab routine I’ve ever done. I’m not sure how the new Rev Abs program will compare. I did the first Rev Abs workout when Beachbody sent it to me as a preview dvd.
I didn’t find that workout as extreme as Ab Ripper X, but I have to keep in mind that I was only doing the first routine of a 90 day program based on increasing your metabolism, buring fat, and focusing exercise movements on the core and abdominal muscles. I have a feeling that when Rev Abs is released that it will be a somewhat challenging ab program. (Get ready, it’s coming out this fall.)
Power 90 Ab Ripper 100
Ab Ripper 100 is one of the ab routines in Tony Horton’s Power 90 Fat Burning System. I had heard of Ab Ripper 100 from P90X. In Ab Ripper X from P90X, Tony says that this isn’t Ab Ripper 100 or Ab Ripper 200, this is Ab Ripper 336. After finally doing Ab Ripper 100, that statement made more sense.
Ab Ripper X is 16 minutes of hard ab work. Each exercise has 25 reps except for the massive amount of Mason Twists done at the end. Oh, and let’s not forget the “yoga belly seven” ab work on the Yoga X video. That’s P90X. Let’s get back to Power 90 and Ab Ripper 100.
Ab Ripper 100 consists of 10 ab exercises. Each exercise has 10 reps for a total of “100″ reps. Most of the exercises were not excruciating because we only had 10 reps to get through. The hardest one for me was the full body crunch done right at the end. There’s always at least one ab exercise that’s difficult for me!
Can’t wait to try out Ab Ripper 200! Do I dare press play on Tony Horton’s One on One Core Ball Sandwhich? Oh, I will. How about you? Bring it, Tony!
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.
