Patience Hummingbird – More Yoga from Tony Horton
Patience Hummingbird is a 36 minute yoga workout with Tony Horton in this month’s One On One. It was a good workout that left me both sweaty and very relaxed. This workout wasn’t as grueling as the P90X Yoga X routine, but it had its own challenges. The length of dvd was perfect. I think Beachbody listened to the practioners of P90X Yoga X when they talked in the message boards about the length of Yoga X.
Patience Hummingbird provided me with an excellent hamstring stretch. It also seemed to work my core muscles very well. I find that adding yoga to my fitness program once per week leaves me invigorated and aides in muscle strength and flexibility.
I subscribe to the Tony Horton One on One fitness series. I get a new Tony Horton workout shipped to my doorstep every month. I like it because I have a new challenge every month, and I know it will be a challenge because Tony designed this series for P90X graduates.
You don’t have to subscribe to the home direct automatic shipment program to get this dvd. You can actually order as a single workout. So, if the P90X Yoga X is too difficult right now or you’d like a shorter version than the 92 minutes in Yoga X, Patience Hummingbird might be your solution. This is definitely a good addition to the lineup of Beachbody workouts.
P90X Yoga X – More Calm, More Storm
P90X Yoga X made it to my dvd player today. I hesitated before pushing play because I haven’t done this 92 minute power yoga workout in about two months. I looked forward to the workout, yet I dreaded some of the poses. I wondered if the workout would be as difficult this time around. I decided that I would commit to the first 45 minutes of the routine. I pushed play and set out to do my best.
Guess what? It’s still a difficult workout, but it’s better in the second round of P90X. I’m stronger now, and I know what’s coming. I used to shake a lot in upward dog and side plank. My core muscles are much stronger now. These yoga poses are no longer mastering me and kicking my butt.
On the other hand, the half moon sequence still causes a lot of shaking! At least I’m not stumbling, losing my balance, and falling to the floor in the half moon series any longer. So, the good news is I’m stronger and more flexible. The bad news is that to gain more calm….I’ve got to experience more storm.
I tell everyone that there’s nothing easy about the P90X Extrme Home Fitness program. You’ve got to really commit yourself and work all aspects of the program. You have to remain accountable to yourself and above all esle, be willing to fail and try again. That’s been my experience with P90X Yoga X. I commit to do my best. I struggle. I fall. I try again. I get stronger. I gain flexibility and balance. I master one move and still struggle with another. Calm. Storm.
I’m waiting on this month’s Tony Horton One on One to arrive. It’s his new yoga routine named “Patience Hummingbird”. It’s only about half the length of Yoga X. I know it will have it’s own challenges as Tony’s One on One program was designed to keep P90X graduates motivated with new extreme fitness workouts. I’ll write a review this week after I get a chance to experience the new calm and storm.
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.
Yoga Booty Ballet – Hip Hop Abs
I pushed play for the first time today on a funky Beachbody workout with Teigh McDonough and Gillian Marloth. The name of the program is Yoga Booty Ballet Live – Hip Hop Abs, and it’s from their Yoga Booty Ballet series. I wasn’t sure what if I’d like it or not. Like other workout programs, I watched the video before trying to participate in the routine. It looked like they were dancing and having fun. The fun part I get, but let me tell you….I can’t dance!
Teigh and Gillian team up to deliver easy to learn dance moves that keep your body moving. You can let loose and have fun because you’re in the privacy of your own home. It’s not all about learning Hip Hop dance moves though. The workout starts and ends with some yoga moves. Don’t get scared about the word “ballet” in the title. Other Yoga Booty Ballet (YBB) workouts incorporate some ballet stretching, but this routine does not… (Read more.)
Struggling with Pull Ups: Part 2
It’s been two months since I wrote an article on struggling with pull ups. That seemed to be my one life long fitness challenge that I just couldn’t seem to meet. I’ve run miles, jumped off towers, climbed walls, and even survived several rounds of the 92 minute P90X Yoga X in all of its glory, but I just couldn’t seem to pull myself unassisted to the top of a chin up bar.
I found every reason why I couldn’t do it. I was carrying a little extra weight. Hmmm. I wasn’t overweight in the Air Force but couldn’t do them then. I’m a woman, and we don’t have natural upper body strength. In addition, unlike our male counterparts, we’re weighted on the bottom like a bouy! Everytime I did a P90X workout that had pull ups in the workout, I wanted to do one…just one little pull up. I wanted to be strong enough, determined enough.
I started visualizing myself pulling my body closer to the bar. Then, I’d try it and fail. I’d try visualizing myself over the bar. I’d try it and fail. I kept trying because I knew from great scientists, athletes, and leaders that success comes from many failures.
I’m writing this article as a follow up to my struggles with pull ups back in May. I let go of the struggle for a few weeks, but I kept seeing myself above the bar in my mind’s eye. I kept strengthening my core and upper body through Slim in 6. Then, I tried a chin up last week. I made it half way to the bar….another failure. It was a failure for sure, but it was a success in my struggle.
I made it half way to the bar. My arms were at a 90 degree angle as they held me suspended in mid-air. I walked away knowing that the next time I tried, I’d see the top of the bar. Today was the day. I passed by the doorway that holds my chin up bar. I knew today was the day. I grasped the bar and pulled myself past the half way point to the top and over the bar. The thrill I felt was incredible.
It was incredible because I’d set a goal for myself. I visualized the end result, took action and achieved what I’d previously thought impossible. Now, I know that there’s a difference between a pull up and a chin up. Afterall, aren’t chin ups the easy version of pull ups? My answer to that is you’ve got to start somewhere. I learned to crawl and stand before I learned to walk or run.
My new goal is to do two chin ups, then three, then four….until I reach seven or eight or ten. Then, I’m going to turn my hands the other way and do standard pull ups, narrow grip pull ups, and wide grip pull ups. I’m doing this for myself. It’s not just about fitness. It’s about seeing where you want to go and finding a way to get there.
What’s your fitness challenge? Set a small goal and celebrate small successes that get you closer to that goal. Never lose sight of your goal. Create a vision of the end result. Take action. Step away from it when you need a break. Go back to it when you catch your breath.
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…read more
P90X Yoga X – Storm & Calm
What is it that keeps me coming back to Yoga X, a grueling 92 minutes of P90X extreme training? Is it the sweat that pours from my forehead and drips from my chin? Is it the challenge of completing a push up before going into each downward facing dog? Maybe it’s the thrill of making it through the first 45 minutes of the routine which seems more like cardio than any yoga I’ve ever done.
Yoga X is based on hatha yoga. If you think yoga is easy, you better be prepared to sweat! The first time I did this routine, I was wiped out after about the first 20 minutes. I followed the mantra of trainer Tony Horton who reminds us in each session of P90X to do our best and forget the rest.
This is one of the love/hate routines of P90X. As you focus on each breath and try to work through the discomfort of the pose, you’re secretly trying to watch the timer to see how much time is left in the strenuous pose. When you’ve completed the full routine, however, your whole body is transformed into a relaxed, fully stretched and peaceful state. Oh, it feels so good.
I look forward to Yoga X the day after I do a weight lifting routine because I know I’ll get a good stretch on the muscle tears I formed doing strength training exercised. It’s better than a hot tub for relieving back aches or a massage chair for relaxing the body.
I still struggle with pull ups, and I still struggle with a couple of the poses in Yoga X. That’s ok – I do my best, forget the rest. Over time, I get stronger, more flexible and better able to hold difficult yoga poses.
As with all the P90X workouts, the basic form is demonstrated and then, variations of the exercise are introduced so you can modify to better fit your fitness level. I like the fact that I can always relate to someone in the video. It’s nice to see a super athletic fitness professional float through the moves like there’s no struggle at all, but I relate more to the guy in the gray shorts who shakes in almost every move. He’s my hero. If he can do, I can keep on trying.
So what yoga moves are difficult for me? I’d have to say that the hardest two moves for me are the half moon and crane. I keep trying the half moon sequence. I can feel the stretch in my hamstrings, back, and glutes. I stumble. I fall. I try again. As for the crane, I’m not ashamed to say I do child’s pose in place of crane. I take a mini break rather than fighting against gravity to hold my body up on my elbows.
My favorite part of this Beachbody workout is the “Yoga Belly Seven”. It comes at the end of the routine right before the cool down series. Maybe knowing that the end is near is what keeps me looking forward to reaching this point? It’s not because it feels exhilarating while you’re doing these seven yoga exercises for the abs. My abs burn more during and after doing yoga abs exercises than working them at the gym on abdominal machines, using an ab roller, ab rocker, medicine ball or just doing crunches.
Like most people, I’ve tried a lot of ab exercise machines. I’d take Yoga Belly Seven over those machines any day. And if you really want to work your abs, try the P90X Ab Ripper X. It takes your abs to a new level. Of course you wouldn’t want to do Ab Ripper on the same day you’re doing Yoga X. Once you do P90X Yoga X, I don’t think you’ll want to try Ab Ripper in the same day anyway.
You’ll want to sit back and enjoy the accomplishment of making it through this challenge extreme training routine. You’ll be doing a cardiovascular, strength training, muscle toning, lean gaining, flexibility, core and ab burning, calming exercise routine. You’ll come to love those 92 minutes even if you don’t make it through the workout the first time you push play. Yoga X is definitely one of those routines you’ll want to rant and rave about on the community message boards.
Oh by the way, you can join our Beachbody community and use the message forums for free. It’s a great way to meet people who are doing the same routines as you. We encourage each other and listen to each other as we’re having a hard time. The message boards help you have accountability to stick with your program even when “life” tries to get in the way.
I found a forum that was starting for P90X at about the same time I was starting. This was set up for women in particular. I personally enjoy the understanding and support that comes from other women. We sure talked about Yoga X. We complained about the length of the routine and that it was too hard. Slowly, we worked through our rants and started posting raves…made it through Yoga X, it’s getting better. I truly believe that the message boards set Beachbody workouts apart from any other program available.
If you’re ready to start the P90X Extreme Training System and challenge yourself with Yoga X, I’m ready to help you define and meet your fitness goals as your personal coach. You can get your 13 DVD set here, but if you want to save 10% on your purchase, join the club. And, if you have an interest in helping other achieve their fitness goals, you might be interested in becoming a Beachbody coach yourself and saving 25% on all Beachbody products. Namaste.
Still Struggling with Pull Ups
What a beautiful day! It was sunny in Virginia – one of those days where you just want to get out and do something. So, I got out of bed early and ate a bowl of oatmeal with walnuts. I’ve found that to be one of the best combinations for giving me sustained energy in the morning. After discussing a few options with my partner over a cup of coffee, we decided to take our dogs for a walk and then, ride our motorcycles over to the gym for a workout.
Today was supposed to be my Beachbody P90X Chest and Back workout. I wanted to do a varied version of it at the YMCA though because I still cannot do pull ups. I used the assisted pull up station at the gym and was able to get a good burn throughout my back. Tony Horton, the trainer in the P90X Extreme Home Fitness DVDs program, demonstrates how to use resistance bands to simulate pull ups and how to use a chair for assisted pull ups. I’ve been working on these techniques, but many women just have trouble getting up over the bar.
I found an interesting article last month in Women’s Health Magazine. It was a four step article on how to do a pull up by doing things like increasing the amount of time you can keep your chin above the bar in a static hold and doing pull up negatives. Negatives are when you start above the bar and slowly lower your body down to keep tension on your back muscles. I tried these techniques, but I think I get the most work on my back when I use the assisted pull up machine at the gym.
Why is it that women have such difficulty with pull ups? Even as our upper body strength increases, we still seem to struggle with pulling our body weight above the bar. I’ve theorized that it is because most of us store our body weight between our knees and our belly button. This centers our weight at the bottom and may affect our lifting leverage. Ok, that’s my theory. Someday, I hope to conquer this thing called pull ups…even if it’s just one.
After the gym, we were incredibly hungry. We stopped at a local restaurant to have a delicious dish – Mango Talpia. If you haven’t tried it – wow! It was nice to have a healthy meal out. We spent the rest of the day riding along the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg, Virginia. It’s really pretty this time of year.
Tonight, I plan on doing P90X Yoga X. I feel like I need a good stretch after the chest and back workout, especially after spending so much time working on pull ups. I can do most of the Yoga X routine, but I still struggle with the advanced moves. It’s really cool to see how far I’ve come in 60 days though. In the beginning, I never dreamed I’d be able to complete P90X Yoga X Dvd. The first time I did it, I had to turn it off after about thirty minutes. Now, it’s one of my favorite programs because I kept pressing play.
Oh, I’ve got to squeeze in P90X Ab Ripper X sometime this evening. I saved this one for home because I knew there was no way I could get the abs burn at the gym like I get using my Ab Ripper X Dvd.
