Initial thoughts on P90X2: Continued...

As my first week of P90X2 comes to a close, I want to share my thoughts.

Specific Workouts:

- Core is weird. It's hard, and then at the end I don't feel like I did a lot. I will continue to run on the days I do this, or else I'll feel like I took it easy.

- Plyocide sounded real scary, but in reality, wasn't at all. The warm up was long, then the workout was short, then a lot of really long stretching. Now, I love stretching, but not as part of a workout whose title ends with "cide". Since I feel like I'm not getting enough leg work (and I miss the heavy leg work), I think I will sub that for this workout.

- Recovery and Mobility: I love this. I could see myself doing it all the time. I am having a love affair with my foam roller.

- Total Body. Holy moly. There were moves in this I just couldn't even do. "Crunchy lever pullup"- You do a pullup, bring your knees into your chest, and then rock back and forth. It looks really cool and fun, but I had to just work on my (assisted) pullups. Also "Mule Kick Burpee". I'm just going to leave it at that. Good lord. And a bunch of crazy things in Warrior 3. Really? Now, I'm not saying I didn't like this workout. I think it will be great

- Yoga: I love how it's NOT 90 minutes long. It's just about 66 minutes, but honestly, I have to admit: I always skip the ab section. And frog. So that cuts it down a little. I get to practice crow/crane (I learned it as crow or bakasana- he calls it crane. Whatever. That's what it is.)

- Balance and Power: OMG. This was particularly hard. I could barely do most of the stability ball moves. There is a modifier for people who don't have a ball... um, but even though I have one, I followed him most of the time anyway. Also, Tony's sister is in this workout. The banter is funny. He sings a little during the stretch and mentions that people will make fun of him on Youtube. Like here.



General

- This first phase is weird to me after the heavy lifting I was doing. I am dying to go to the gym and throw around some HEAVY weights. That almost seems easier than some of this intricate core work. But I know I need it. I *really* need it. The core is the most important, and with a strong core, I know I'll do better at everything else. So I'm going to hang in there (but I still will probably do some barbell FULL squats and things in place of Plyocide.)

- Dang there is a Warrior III in just about every workout.
Warrior III Row/Press, Warrior III Preacher Curl... let's just say if you don't like Warrior III, or are bad at it, it will be hard (at least at first). Personally I'm looking forward to getting better.

- I've seen negative and positive reviews. I understand some of the negatives- warmups are too long (too much foam rolling, some people say), not enough leg work (that was me that sad that one), but I think, at least for me, they can be worked around. (They are all well-chaptered, so you can easily skip, like I do with FROG.)

I would love to hear your thoughts as well if you've started already. I am curious how other people are doing with it.



Oh, and I'm running 3 times a week. Because I need it. It's not in the program. But I'm doing it anyway (don't tell Tony).

Insanity, The Asylum: Strength

This is becoming one of my favorite workouts.

Part of the Insanity: Asylum series, this workout is the "Strength" workout. Oh, but don't worry, you still get your heartrate up.

Equipment needed:

Dumbbells or Bands
Pull Up Bar (optional)

There are two options for this workout. You can watch the regular workout, which includes 2 people using the bands, or you can watch a special "Bands" edition which includes a split screen with Shaun T. using the bands along with the original workout.

You also have the option, during back work, to use either dumbbells or a pull up bar. Shaun T. shows both moves.

Basic Breakdown (50 minutes):

Warm Up:
- Halo Dead Lift: Using one weight, you squat down, then pass the weight over your head keeping your core tight (this is shown in the video above).
- Skull crusher press
- Knee drive curl
- Squat row
- Shoulder tap push ups (these are also in the video above).
Then do it all again.

Brief Stretch

Each section has a series of moves that are repeated 3 times, but with fun new variations added each time.

Section I: Biceps/Shoulders, etc.
- Progressive Dumbbell Rotation: Let's just say, this involves a curl, burpees, push ups, and adds more each time.
- Shoulder Press: This also is different each of the 3 times
- Rotational jumps: Holding one dumbbell, squat then jump while turning. Again- more complicated each time.

Section II: Back/Core/Etc
- Hip Flys: Leaning over with a flat back, bring the dumbbells behind you, like a fly. I find that I have to lower the weights here. (These are the same every time).
- Back/Core move (either with dumbbells or pull up bar).

Section III: Chest (and stuff)
- Variations of Chest flys with a Core move
- Something standing. The last one is particularly challenging, and is why I looked like this at the end:

Very short cool down.

Shaun T. quotes:
"You're like, 'Dang, Shaun! This is the warm up!' I'll say it again. I am *not* playing with you today!"
"In about 30 seconds you're gonna feel the burn, but that's just a touch of what's about to happen to your life..."
"I laugh at pain!"

Love this workout.

If you want to try Asylum, you can order it through my site. I would love to share the pain with you.

Workout at Home: Jari Love Get Ripped: Slim and Lean

This is one of my favorite total body workouts. I just love it. It's a completely different kind of training than P90X, or traditional heavy lifting. The focus here is on lighter weights and more reps. Rather than building strength, you're building muscular endurance. I love to put this video in my rotation when I'm doing a lot of running.

Equipment needed:

Weights or Barbell: I usually just use weights. My weights range from 5 - 15 pounds for this workout.

It's also helpful to have a step or bench for chest press and tricep dips.

Warm Up:
Jari leads you through a warm up using light weights, where you do some of the movements you'll be doing later. Squats, upper body movements, static lunges. The lunges are a little bit uneven, so make sure you count and do the same on each leg.

Squats:
76 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

This is rough. It seems to go on forever!

Lunges:
94 plus pulsing. Jari uses 16 pounds total

94 is the total for the entire section, so don't panic. You do some pretty quick movements: Lunging forward then back with the same leg, at different rhythms. Sometimes it's harder to go deep into the lunge, especially on the single counts. She finishes off with alternating back lunges (or dips).

Chest Press:
64 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

Varied rhythms of the chest press, laying on a step. This is pretty hard, so I suggest using a slightly lighter than usual weight.

Bent Leg Deadlift and Dead Row:

Deadlift: 30 no pulsing
Dead Row: 54 plus pulsing

Jari uses a total of 24 pounds

In this section, you alternate between the Dead Lifts and Rows.

Pushups and Rotator Cuff:

So many pushups! 3 sets of: 4 slow and 8 fast. (I never can quite do all of them on my toes).
Rotator cuff: 16 reps each side. Jari uses 5 pounds.

Tricep Dips and Overhead Extensions (French press).
Dips: 24, no pulsing (3 sets of 8)
Overhead Extensions: 56, no pulsing

Jari uses a 5 pound weight for the extensions

Holy moly! I am always really surprised how tired my triceps get doing the overhead extensions. I have to use a very light weight.

Bicep and Hammer Curls:

Hammer Curls: 36 no pulsing
Bicep Curl: 48 no pulsing

Jari uses 16 pounds total.

Single Leg and Wide Squats
Single Leg: 44 plus pulsing
Wide (or Plié squats): 38 plus pulsing. Jari uses 20 pounds total.

During the single leg squats, you have the option to use something for balance, or just try without.

Overhead Press and Lateral Raise
Overheads: 34 no pulsing
Lateral Raise: 28 no pulsing

Jari uses a total of 16 pounds
I often find I need to use a lighter weight about halfway through, because of the lateral raises.

Abs:
I have to admit, these abs don't do much for me. It's not my favorite ab workout ever. I usually either skip them, or put in another ab workout.

Here are the moves, though:
Dead bug.
Reach ups (legs extended)
Reach throughs (legs in Butterfly position)
Woodchopper
Butterfly crunch

All this ends with a nice relaxing stretch.

Good:
- I love that they tell you what weight everyone is using at the beginning of each section.
- I love the form pointers at the beginning of each section.
- Jari adds little motivational sayings throughout, and it really does help.

Not so Good:
- They do tell you the weights and reps for each activity. However, sometimes, it's not at the very beginning... sometimes you have to wait until the middle of the section. This is why it's good to view it once before trying it.

I think it's really important to train in different ways. Periodization is an effective way to vary training, keep from getting stuck on a plateau, or just shake things up and prevent boredom. So, after a 3 month round of P90X, doing something like this for a few weeks or months might be really beneficial.

To find out more about Jari Love, visit her site. I'll be reviewing more of her workouts. I do really like them!

Workout at Home: Do you have review requests?

I have a lot of Fitness DVDs. If I don't have it now, I probably had it at some point, but got rid of it after not doing it for 6 months in a decluttering attempt. In many cases I have gotten rid of videos and then ended up acquiring them again (this has happened many times as I go through love/hate phases with the Classic Firm workouts, for example).

My question for you is this: Do you have a workout you know that you'd like to see reviewed? Have you seen an infomercial for a product, but want to know what it's *really* like? Did you see a workout at Target you'd like to try?

I would love your suggestions. Post them in the comments, and if I don't have the video or program, I'll work on getting them, trying them, and talking about them!

Workout at Home Tuesday: Turbofire Series Overview

(I reviewed this program in January, but I wanted to do a new, updated version of the program as a whole. You can still find some individual reviews in the archives).

Turbofire: The program
What is it?
Turbofire is a series of workouts that focus on cardio training, with some strength training included. The program also includes a nutrition guide, and a "5 Day Inferno" plan for rapid weight loss.

Turbofire is the next step up from TurboJam, a workout system released in 2005. Turbojam is the home version of Turbokick, which is a popular class taught in gyms and health clubs. I became a certified Turbokick instructor in 2003 and taught until I was pregnant with my son in 2007. It's been interesting to see it evolve during that time, and I also think it gives me insight into these new workouts. I am planning to attend a recertification for Turbokick in August, and to start teaching again- even if it's in my living room :-)

Fire: Fire workouts are based on the format of live Turbokick classes. They include cardio kickboxing, a little dancing, and "Fire Drills". "Fire Drills" (which are also known as "Turbos" in the Turbokick format) consist of short, intense drills where you work AS HARD AS YOU CAN, usually from 45 seconds to 1 minute. Fire workouts in this set range in length from 30 to 60 minutes.

Hiit: Hiit (High Intensity Interval Training) are short, intense workouts consisting of fire drills. These are designed to get you to work at your maximum capacity and then recover multiple times in the workout. The Hiit workouts range from 15 - 30 minutes.

Strength and Stretch: There are a few resistance workouts included with the program, some ab work, and stretching workouts. Resistance is not the primary focus of this workout (compared to something like P90X), so they are short and use light resistance (most of the time a resistance band).

Who is it for?
Someone who wants to put an emphasis on cardio would really enjoy Turbofire. The creator, Chalene Johnson, stated that she wanted to create a workout that anyone, regardless of their fitness level, could do. Each workout includes a modifier who does everything with low impact (but still intensely).

I do kind of a half-modified version. There are some moves I just can't do full out, so I do the modifier's version in those cases. On days when I'm tired, or injured, it's nice to have the low-impact option. I can still get a great workout without hurting myself.

The Fire workouts include an option called "new to class", where, before each section, you go through the choreography. I think this is a great idea for ALL fitness videos that involve choreography (you know, as opposed to 50 jumping jacks or something easy to catch on to). You can choose this option the first few times, or as long as you need, and review the choreography before the section, without a drastic drop in heart rate, and then you perform the section with more mastery. Chalene moves fast, which is great for keeping it exciting and intense, so this option insures you don't get lost.

The Good
The music is amazing. Ever since I received my first Turbokick Round (Round 13...I think they're on 45 now. That doesn't make me feel old-school at all...), I have been impressed with Chalene Johnson's ability to match music with movement. She does a great job of that here, as well.

The Not-As-Good
I hate to say there are any negatives to this workout series, but surely, it won't be for everyone. If you are focused on heavy strength training, this series (as is) is not for you. You can use the Hiit workouts to go along with an existing weight training or bodybuilding program, but the program as a whole is primarily for cardio conditioning.

What is the difference between Turbofire, Turbokick and Turbojam?
Well, absolute beginners should probably start with Turbojam. It's geared towards multiple levels, but the pace is much slower than Turbofire. The choreography is also much less intricate. There are also not as many workouts available. They are less intense, but can be modified to a higher intensity *to a point*.

Turbokick is the version of the workout that is taught by certified instructors in the gym. It is slightly more intense and possibly more complicated than TurboJam. Each round has a similar format. The music is often the current top 40 or hip hop hits. I highly recommend finding a class and trying it, provided you can find a good instructor (I'm kind of an instructor snob, and am very picky).

Turbofire is the only one of these programs that includes Hiit workouts. The pace is faster than both Turbojam and Turbofire, and (in my opinion) the music is better than Turbojam.

My personal favorites of the system:
Fire 45 (Love the music on this one) (Here's a link to a review)
Fire 30 (I reach for this often because it's short) (Here's a link to a review)
Hiit 15 (I combine this with a strength workout, or Fire 30. It has the best music of the Hiits, I think.
Remember, the best workout program for you is the one you will do!
Stretch 40- This is a good yoga style workout.

I like the others, too, but these are the ones I reach for most often.

Have any of you tried Turbofire? Do you have any thoughts? Anything to add?

Workout at Home: Review of Eoin Finn's "Pure and Simple Yoga"

This is one of my favorite yoga workouts. It's not complicated, it's not too long, and there is just the right balance between challenge and relaxation.

I should start off by saying how much I love Eoin Finn. I mean, he is such a gentle soul. It comes across in his instruction. I've done many yoga practices of his (he has lots more, including free downloads if you'd like to check him out) and just love the joy he exudes.

This is a 40-minute practice. It's designed for beginners and intermediates. One of the great features of the DVD is that you can choose the beginner track (where Eoin demonstrates the beginner versions of each pose), the intermediate track (He demonstrates the intermediate version) or both in a split screen. You can also choose to have music or no music, music and no instruction (the "Zen" track), or tidal breath (which is quite calming, but not for everyone).

Here is a general breakdown:

Sun Salutations: A and B
Forward bends
Triangle
Right angle pose
Crescent/hip flexor stretch
Pigeon (YES! My favorite)
Boat Poses
Backbends
Happy Baby/Reclined pigeon
Savasana

I always feel good after this. It's not "Power Yoga Kill Yourself ARRRRRGGGGGHHH!" but a nice recovery from all the running and crazy workouts I do the rest of the week.

If you'd like to learn more about Eoin Finn, please check out his website (I highly recommend it): http://www.blissology.com/

(P.S. Kind of a disclaimer: I don't sell this workout, you can't get it from me, and I did not get a free copy. I just really really love it...)

Workout at Home: Review of Shaun T.'s "Insanity: Fast and Furious"

This workout is a bonus workout for the Insanity program. Its billed as a 45 minute Insanity workout in 20 minutes.

If you've done any of the Insanity workouts, you know the concept is "Max Interval Training", where you work really hard, and then rest. Well, this is like one long max interval training interval... there is NO REST in the bulk of the workout!

It's filmed in a small gym space. Shaun T has two background exercisers, a girl and a guy. They are both super fit but still struggle to complete the workout (this is comforting to me!)

Equipment Needed: None

Breakdown of workout:

Warm Up:
- Jog it out
- Jumping Jacks
- 1-2-3 Heisman
- High knee abs/jumprope
- Fall squats: Like squatting jumping jacks, but you touch the floor on the squat.
- Plank squats: Holy moly. Kind of like burpees but you come all the way into a squat and don't stand up.

Go through this whole thing twice, then the stretch.

Each of the following is one minute. No breaks. Holy cow:

* Sprints: high, low, floor, and moving pushups

* Power knees/Diamond jumps

* Ski abs, In-and-out, oblique pushups

* High Knee Oblique Twist

* Burpee/Pushup jacks (with a jump, of course)

* Power jumps. For one minute. (if you're still alive). (The 2 folks in the cast actually stop here and Shaun T. calls them out. "Come on! Nobody's jumping! Let's go!")(At one point all three of them are just standing there looking tired!)

* Football runs/plank holds

* Plank punches ("This **** is crazy, I can't even talk!")

* 100 meter dash sprint

Holy cow.

"My goal is not to kill you. My goal is for you to kill yourself."
- Shaun T.

Good stuff: If you like getting an amazing workout in a short amount of time, this is the one for you. It is *amazingly* difficult, even though that workout portion is only about 12 minutes long (it's the whole "no breaks" thing).

Not-so-good stuff: 
- The production is not as fancy as the other Insanity workouts, so I thought that might bother me. That was silly, because the last thing I cared about while gasping for air and dying was the video production...
- It's FREAKING HARD!
- Did I mention it's hard?
- Seriously, finding a workout that is as challenging like this is great, because you have room to grow.

Difficulty:
Not for beginners. However, I do believe you should go at your own pace, and can take breaks as needed. The whole point, though, is to push yourself really hard, so you need to know you're capable of doing that. I look forward to getting better at this and taking fewer breaks.

(Oh, and on the back of the case, they suggest pairing it with another Insanity workout. Maybe one day. It wore me out so much I felt like I could just go back to bed...In fact, I got worn out just previewing it!)

Overall rating:
A

Do you have any workouts you would like to see reviewed here? Let me know and I'll do it!

Workout at Home: Review of Cathe Friedrich's "Power Hour"

Cathe Friedrich‘s “Power Hour” is one of my favorites.  I *think* it came out in 2000 (I’ll check on that), which would make it about 10 years old. This doesn’t make it seem dated, though.

At the time this workout was released, Body Pump classes were becoming popular. They were strength training based group exercise classes that focused on an hour long total body working, with one body part per song. Since then, other instructors have picked up this style of training (Rep Reebok, Jari Love) but at the time, this seemed pretty new.

The basis for this workout is a high-rep, low-weight workout. However, the weights Cathe uses (and encourages) are substantial. I like that she tells you what weight she’s using for each exercise. It doesn’t mean you have to use that weight, but it either gives you something to shoot for, or something to surpass.

The workout uses a barbell, dumbells, and a weight bench/step.

Here are the sections:

1. Warm-up: The warm-up uses a weighted barbell (Cathe uses 20 lbs).  Many of the exercises that will be done later, such as squats, rows, dead lifts, bicep curls, lunges, are featured here with a lighter (in theory) weight.

2. Squats: Oh man. I remember when I first did this track, I didn’t think I would make it. However, as I’ve come close to almost memorizing the track, it’s gotten *a little* easier. (Just a little).

Cathe does both regular squats and plié squats. There is a short break in between. But the tempos are varied and it really is quite challenging. Down 2/up 2; Down 3/ up 1; Down 2/ hold/ up 4; Low ends (oh my). Just know it’s tough. And… Cathe uses a 40 pound barbell.

3. Chest: Cathe starts the chest track with push-ups: 16 push-ups, then some variations. She follows with a set of flys on the bench (using a set of 10 pound weights), and then a set of bench presses using a barbell (I think she uses 25 pounds, but I usually use 20. I’m pretty tired by that point).

4. Back: The back track consists of bent over rows with a barbell (35 pounds), dead lifts, and 1-arm rows (15- 20 pounds). It’s a great track, and I feel like it really works the back.

5. Lunges: Although there are only 2 lower body tracks in this workout (the squat track and the lunge track), they are both quite difficult, and thorough. The lunge track is tough! They are all static lunges, using rhythmic variations to keep it challenging (yes, there are some killer low ends). Each leg has one set with a barbell (I think 30 pounds) and another set using dumb bells (2 10s).

6. Shoulders: After the lunge track, I know *I’m* excited to be finished with lower body.  The shoulder track consists of a variety of exercises:

- Front raises, using a 10 pound plate (I often use a dumb bell, if I can’t find my plate).

- Lateral raises, using 2 5 pound dumb bells

- Posterior raises. These are tough. Cathe uses 5 pounds, and I can too now, but at first, I found I had to go really light.

- Barbell shoulder press: Using 20 pound barbell.

This track goes by fast, but it’s thorough.

7. Biceps. Wow. The bicep track. Oh man. Cathe uses a 15 pound barbell, which I’m sure doesn’t seem like much. Well….. My barbell is 15 pounds without any weight on it, so it looks easy. Let me tell you- this track is tough. I’m almost always sore from it. It’s just so many reps.

8. Triceps. The triceps track consists of two different exercises:  Lying extensions on the bench, using a barbell (I think it’s 25 pounds), and one arm triceps kickbacks. You do the extensions first, then get up and do the triceps kickbacks, then do another set of extensions. This is another track that leaves me sore (as long as I use enough weight).

9. Abs. A great abdominal section ends the workout. Cathe keeps it basic with crunches in varying rhythms, lower body crunches, and a set of planks! I do love the planks!

10. Final Stretch… AAAAAAAHHHHHH….

Strengths: This workout goes by pretty fast, and the music is pretty fun. Every body part seems thoroughly worked.

Weaknesses: I can’t think of many with this workout. I know some of the recent research in the “functional fitness” field says that plié squats aren’t good, but I haven’t had any trouble with them. Like any workout, you should rotate this, because while it covers each body part, there are some key exercises that are not done: hammer curls, triceps dips, posterior back flyes. Some might say this workout is short on lower body work (I think there is a total of 12 minutes), so if that’s something you feel you need more of a focus on, you would either want to add some, or do a different workout.

Level: I truly believe any level can do this workout, if they use light enough weights. I did it when I was pregnant, using no weight for lower body (I had enough extra weight). You also don’t need a barbell- you can use free weights. Then, when you feel like it’s too easy, add more weight.

So, that’s my breakdown of Power Hour. Have you done it? What do you think? I would love your feedback.

Keep watching for more reviews!

Review: Bob Harper "Yoga for the Warrior"

I have been meaning to review this title for a while now. I've done the hour long workout 3 times, so I feel like I can give a fair evaluation. Here goes

About me:
I used to be a yoga teacher. Besides my fitness certifications, I had a 200 Hour Yoga Alliance Approved training, and was allowed to use the letters "R.Y.T" (Registered Yoga Teacher) behind my name.

A few years ago, I grew tired of the yoga purists who would say if you haven't been to India, met Iyengar, and been doing yoga since birth, you weren't qualified to teach. I made my yoga something I enjoyed doing, and decided to quit calling myself a "teacher".

I stayed away from yoga for a few years after an altercation with an Ana Forrest fan, and after my son was born, returned to yoga ON MY TERMS. This means, making it work for me. I would no longer try to fit into one style- I did practices that made me feel good and filled my needs.

So, that will give you an idea of where I'm coming from in regards to this review.

Breakdown:

Bob starts off the workout by telling you how hard it's going to be. Like, this is going to be the hardest yoga workout you've ever done in your life. Your mind will be blown. Starting out, I had it in my mind it was going to be like the Insanity of Yoga. I was pumped. YEAH! (I mean, Ommmmm...)

We do the standard Sun Salutations warmups, and standing poses. There's a balance section with Tree, and Big Toe Pose. Short backbends are included.

Mostly, it's not that different from a standard "power" or "vinyasa" yoga practice.However, there is one difference: Bob's addition of "Shoulder Presses". Yes, these are right out of Insanity. From downward dog, he has you move into more of a pike push-up and you do almost a headstand. It's great for building shoulder strength. You do this twice in the workout, and it is quite effective.

Difficulty:
I think if you're already someone in shape, you could probably do this workout. If you're in shape and have never done yoga, you may be a bit confused. However, it's doable. I don't think I would recommend this to an absolute beginner, though. I think Bob has a Biggest Loser Yoga workout that is designed for that, so you could start there.

Music:

I actually really like the music in this workout. It's not your typical yoga music at all. It's like a combination of U2 and The Ramones. There is some rocking out going on during this workout. I love it.

Modifications:

One of the things that bugs me is that Bob repeatedly leaves out one of the parts of the Sun Salutation. Most go like this:
1. Inhale- Reach Up
2. Exhale- Fold Forward
3. Inhale- Look up with a flat back
4. Exhale- Fold Forward, jump or step back to chaturanga.

Well, he keeps leaving out step 3. It messes me up. I just add it in, but if you're a yoga purist, this may bother you.

Also, there's a section where he goes to table (all-fours) and does a balance move called "awkward airplane". Since I have grumpy knees (and since I recently hurt my knee in a pose like that), I avoid that, and instead practice my "crow" pose. This gives me plenty of time to practice (and fall over several times) and my intensity doesn't go down.

Overall Rating:

Overall, how much you enjoy this workout would depend on what you're looking for from your yoga. I'm using it to keep me limber between runs and also get some upper body work, and it works great for that (I think you do about 1000 chaturangas).

If you want to do the hardest yoga workout EVER, this may not be it for you. It's really not as hard and mindblowing as Bob promises in the beginning.

If you want to have a rest day and just do some mild stretching, this is not for you.

But, if you want to work hard, work your strength, flexibility, core and balance, and maybe get a little sweaty,  you'll love this video.

P.S. There is a 15 minute ab workout as a bonus. It's a really good core workout. I don't think it necessarily has any yoga influence, but you do get a good workout, and I'm always looking for ab work I can add on to other workouts.

Have any of you tried it? What do you think?

*Disclaimer- I was not given a free video or anything for sharing my opinion. I bought it, and decided to talk about it. Not to say I'm not open to reviewing stuff in the future, especially if it's cool and I get to keep it...

Turbofire Review Series: Fire 45

The following is part of series. For an introduction to the series as a whole, please see this post.

Fire 45 Description:

This is quickly turning into one of my favorite and most used Turbofire workouts. It contains 3 Fire Drills: One is kind of early on, and then the last two are back to back repeats of the same one.

Some of the memorable songs include: Boom, I got your boyfriend!(which seems to be everyone’s favorite with this one), Wiggle It (Just a Little Bit) and Proud Mary (Tina Turner version) in the second and third Fire Drill.

Honestly, I wasn’t familiar with any of the other tunes in this workout, but I did enjoy the music quite a bit. Once again, the music and moves go together really well.

Difficulty:

This workout is really not too hard to learn. The choreography is pretty simple, in my opinion.

Intensity (from 1: laying on the couch to 10: I’m about to puke in a bucket):

I have been doing my Turbofire workouts low impact most of the time, since I alternate them with running and feel like I need a little rest. I found that this one is kind of hard to keep intense while still keeping it low impact. There are a lot of jacks, air jacks, and ski/runs. It’s hard to keep the intensity up on ski/runs while just marching. So, I feel like I get a pretty strong, solid, workout, but I don’t feel like it’s as intense. So, I’ll say for low impact modifications, it’s about a 5 -7, and those who go full out can probably edge close to 10 during the Fire Drills.

Other thoughts:

My favorite part (as I’m sure it is for most people) is the Boom I got your boyfriend section. The music and moves go perfectly together, and I find myself singing along. (I do these workouts most of the time with my baby daughter in her exer-saucer in front of me, so I tend to ham it up to keep her entertained!)

Stay tuned for more reviews, and if you have done any of these workouts, please add your thoughts..

To your health,

Sarah

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(Originally published 1/25/2011)

Turbofire Review Series: Fire 30

The following is part of a series. For an introduction to this series as a whole, please see this post.

Fire 30 Description:
Fire 30 is a 30 minute Turbo workout following the typical format: Warmup (each Fire workout does the same warmup, just likeTurbokick and Turbojam); A few punching/kicking sections; fire drills; and a finale.
Difficulty:
This workout, like the other Fire workouts, offers the "New to Class" option. If you choose this option, after the warm-up, there is a seamless transition to a section where Chalene reviews the choreography for the upcoming section (If you're familiar with Turbokick, this is the way the instructor videos did the section reviews before the workout... at least back in my day...).
Using the "New to Class" option makes it more likely that you'll get the choreography, but even if you don't get it perfectly, you'll get practice. As Chalene says, "Practice burns calories!"
This moves pretty fast and is pretty intense. The fire drill consists of the same one minute drill, but it's repeated two times.
The cool down is pretty short. Each of the DVDs in this series includes a 10 minute workout called "Stretch 10". The user is encouraged to use this after as many workouts as possible. But there is a very short, very basic "get you back to where you were when you started" stretch at the end.
Some of songs include: Play That Funky Music, We Want the Funk, Proud Mary, Every Little Step (I found myself recognizing several sections and tunes from previous Turbokick rounds).
Some of the moves include: Fast feet/Football run (Flashdance), Clockwork, Hi-lo punches, Twist, and Fire Throw (a new move I hadn't seen before Turbofire that consists of contracting your abs, lifting your knee and acting like your throwing. Looking back on that, it doesn't seem right. It's very hard to describe.)
Intensity (from 1: laying on the couch to 10: I'm about to puke in a bucket):
Again, modifications are offered, and you can make it as hard as you like. I find that the speed itself makes it intense, so if you are modifying down, you might try making the movements smaller (when I did Turbofire 8 months pregnant I found that the speed was the most challenging element for me). So, I think you could probably work this from about a 5 - 8 or 9. (Remember, the goal is not to work at a 10 all the time).
Other thoughts:
Overall, I find myself reaching for this one pretty often. Part of it is the length- with 2 kids and a full time job, if I can do a tough workout in 30 minutes, I am happy. I would rather complete a 30 minute workout than get through 30 minutes of a 45 minute workout and have to stop (that's just me...).
Also, it's quite a fun one.
Stay tuned for more reviews, and if you have done any of these workouts, please add your thoughts, especially if you can help me explain "Fire Throws".
To your health,
Sarah
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