Best Workout Program

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I often find myself wondering, “What’s the best workout program out there?”.

I’m a huge fan of Beachbody products (P90X, P90, TurboJam,Chalean Extreme, Insanity, Turbofire).  I’m NOT a Beachbody coach, so I will not try to sway you one way or another to only go this route.

For someone who is always on the go or doesn’t have a ton of time to drive across town and head to the gym to compete with everyone for workout machines/weights…. the DVD home plan is a great option!  But, there’s so many products out there!!  Ultimately, you have to find what works best for you and what goal you’re trying to meet.  If you want easy (meaning, you follow the nutrition plan and workout plan stated and can put a DVD into a DVD player), Beachbody products are the EASIEST, no-nonsense way to a great workout!!  If you’re one who wants bulk and definition, P90X is incredibly successful!  If you like dances and miss your cheerleader days, Turbo Jam and Turbofire are terrific!!  If you want pure cardio to build endurance, Insanity and Turbofire are your best bets.

Timeout!  There’s too many options already…. you’re giving me a headache!

Beachbody DVD workout breakdown:

For the beginner:

• P90.  This is one of the first videos in the Beachbody mega-workout library from Tony Horton.  It’s a low impact solid workout that alternates cardio andsculpting with ab work.  It’s relatively short 30-45min and will make you sweat.  The reason why it’s for beginners…it teaches you basic form and is low impact.  It’s a great way to get that initial calorie burn to be able to step up your workouts!
• TurboJam. This workout has positive energy and great dancing routines!  You’ll forget that you’re actually working out, but don’t worry…you will sweat and lose goo!  Chalene Johnson is the mastermind behind this workout.

Now to step up your game!!

Cardio:

• Turbofire: This is a killer CARDIO workout (there are a couple of sculpting DVDs as part of the deluxe set).  It has “routines” that you will need to learn first, but do not worry b/c Chalene does a great job of breaking down the set so you can get the moves.  If it’s still too fast, there’s an option on the DVD (New to Class) that will breakdown everything so learning the moves doesn’t get in the way of a great calorie burn.  This workout incorporates High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) where you keep your heart rate up for a maximal time and take smaller, shorter breaks for maximal benefits in a shorter time.  The DVD titles include the length of time for the workouts and range from 15 min to 1 hour.  It’s a high-impact great workout!
• Insanity.  This is the ultimate cardio workout that will knock you on your booty!  The warmup is incredibly challenging!!  This is not a workout for the faint of heart!  Shaun will bust you all throughout the workout if you’re not giving it your all.  You’ll notice that some of the participants in the DVD are struggling to keep up and give it 100%.  But, that’s the nature of this workout.  I think it’s kind of like a bootcamp (in a good way).  Shaun will push you past your limits… maybe it’s likened to a short marathon.  This is extremely high-impact and based on HIIT physiology.  Most of the workouts are 30-45minutes.

Weight-training:

• Chalean Extreme:  Chalene adds her positivity and great energy to this full body sculpting workout.  This is an outstanding workout!!  You will see results in as little as 2 weeks if you follow Chalene’s workout and nutrition guide.  The workouts are shorter (roughly 30 minutes) but incorporate upper and lower body combination exercises for maximal benefit.  One of my faves!
• P90X:  The ultimate workout.  Tony Horton did his homework when he created this workout plan.  It will get you in the most incredible shape of your life!  Just follow Tony’s eating plan and workout plan and you cannot go wrong!  Workouts are roughly 1 hour.  It includes both cardio and weight training that’s scheduled according to Tony’s workout guidebook.  If I was looking for something guaranteed to sculpt and lean me up…. this would be my go-to program.  Hands down.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

• P90X3: This has been my favorite workout yet!  It’s packed with total body cardio and weights all in a 30 minute session.  Tony pushes you through arms, legs, core, everything…from head to toe!!  He does a fantastic job of using all your muscles and cardio to get you great results.  The beautiful thing: it’s only 30 minutes.  But it’ll be a grueling, sweat-producing, bodyaching 30 minutes that will make you wonder how you could’ve ever spent more than an hour at the gym or studio.  It’s a beautiful thing that both yoga and pilates are incorporated as well.  This is my go-to morning workout bc I feel so much better when I’ve tackled my workout and can better tackle my day without the excuse of being tired or busy in the evening.

Sweat (Bikini Body Guide aka BBG) by Kayla Itsines

This program is incredible. I used it as wedding prep to get into shape! It is an easy to follow app on your phone that combines resistance, body weight, and cardio for a great workout with great results. It also includes a nutrition plan — all of this for $20/mo. That’s cheaper than any gym membership and is constantly rotating so you don’t get bored. It’s 30 minutes long — 4 cycles of 7 minute exercises. The first cycle of exercises repeats itself as cycle 2 and the 3rd cycle repeats itself as cycle #4. I highly recommend this program for usability, ease, and results.

Now that you have the breakdown of the DVDs that I enjoy, what is the best workout program?  The best workout program is one you will STICK WITH and continue to do!!  Everyone’s situation will be different.  Think about your situation and how you will get the most out of the time you have.  I’m extremely busy, so I need a workout that will give me the most in the shortest amount of time.  30min to 1hour is a doable time frame for me…but in that time, I want maximum sweat potential.

So, by doing these DVDs at home:

1. I can wear whatever I want
2. I remove the drive to and from the gym
3. I remove time wasted on waiting for equipment to become available
4. I actually decrease my germ-exposure (not everyone wipes down their gym equipment!).
5. I’m not spending $40-80/mo on a gym membership (these DVDs are fairly inexpensive compared to the annual expense of gym membership).

These are all terrific benefits…for me.  When I get bored of doing these workouts, I simply change up my routine by going for a run, yoga/pilates, golfing, or playing a round of tennis…just something different (Class Pass or Wild Fire)!

Key things to consider when starting a workout program:

1. Get the ok from your doctor that you’re ready for the increased activity
2. Have adequate equipment (shoes, towel, water, etc.)
3. Stick to the nutrition plan (this is key!)
4. Schedule your workout and do it (try an AM workout!)
5. If you fall off the wagon… don’t worry, get back on.  It’s never too late!
6. Find a workout buddy to hold each other accountable
7. Can’t find a local buddy? Try blogging or twitter… there’s tons of people out there who are going through your same situation, workout, etc.

Get out there and get movin’!!!

My Current Workout Calendar

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