Asylum Review: Strength

Day 3 of Asylum is Strength. I have to admit it isnt necessarily what I was expecting, but it was an Asylum workout. I was definitely slowly getting worn away throughout the workout.

I guess I was expecting a P90X style workout, where you do sets of a defined exercise to exhaustion. The strength work was much more like Core Synergistics type of strength workout (to the extreme), where you are doing moves for a period of time, as opposed to a point that you are burned out. Also, similar to Core Synergistics, the exercises dont isolate a single muscle group, but combine multiple muscle groups.

The warm up is about 10 minutes, and uses dumbbells in a dynamic way. For example, holding a dumbbell, you do a squat, and then rotate it around your head. You also lunge to a side holding a dumbbell and then do a couple of rows. In this workout, you do repeat sequences of events. However as opposed to doing an exercise harder in the second and third sequence (as you would in Insanity), Shaun T makes the moves more complicated. This is how it is throughout the workout.

Again, there is a short stretch, and you go into the strength training. The exercises get progressively more intense. Again, as the time goes on, you get worn down. There aren't any max rep exercises. While a pull up bar is desireable, there is only one set of real pull ups. There is also a mountain climber set of pull ups, where you dont necessarily pull yourself up, but you hold yourself in position with your chin above your bar, and then you attempt to switch your hands into different positions. This is really hard.

While a pull up bar is desirable, there are non-pull up options for all exercises, so you really dont need a pull up bar.

I am assuming that there is some more strength work in the other exercises. At this point, I would describe this strength work as much more like P90X+ than P90X. If you are not familiar with P90X+, then consider it a much harder version of Core Synergistics. I know it will create much more muscle endurance, and to say I was profusely sweating is an understatement. Whatever you want to call it, it is a very serious workout that does work your whole body. However I want people to be aware of what to expect.

Asylum Review: Speed & Agility

The first official day of Asylum is the Speed and Agility DVD. As with all Insanity workouts, you never know what to expect. However, the Fit Test did give you a feel for what to expect. So, here is the first impression review of what to expect in the workout and review of the workout.

The warm up was actually a series of primarily jump rope exercises about a minute each. These include jumping rope with high knees, criss crossing, etc. Every set was about a minute each and it ended up being about 10 minutes long. There is no repeating of the exercises multiple times. There is no bar graph on the bottom of the page about the level of difficulty, like there is in Insanity. I guess the philosphy is that you are always supposed to push yourself. Stretching was less than 5 minutes.

I have to admit that the early part of the actual workout was more difficult mentally than physically. It was a lot of concentration to do the quick feet through the agility ladder. For the first section of the workout, I really didnt feel like I was being worked that hard, and probably could have got a more effective workout if I wasnt worried about fast feet stepping in the right places. I assume that over the next 30 days, it will get better.

However the workout did become progressively harder. You can see the value of the agility ladder, as In and Outs are now measured and you are pushed to bring your feet in tight. That takes a lot of work after awhile, and Shaun T keeps coming back to Ins and Outs. There are a few moving push ups. I lot of hops on one and two legs that begin to wear you out. Also, I was surprisingly hurting doing Bear Crawls, which you end up doing several variations of throughout the last 15 minutes.

I dont intend to go exercise by exercise through the program, but in general, you do a move for a minute and then move on. You do come back to In and Outs, and do variation of some of the moves you did before. Again, Asylum is emerging to be much more like a Pure Cardio workout, where you dont go through multiple sets that you do with more effort in the progressive sets. It is go all out on every set. I did this workout in a hotel room with the air conditioning on very high, and yet despite my early comments about the workout being more mentally than physically hard, I was drenched in sweat. So far it appears that Insanity is meant to make you a better athlete, who needs agility as much as they need to build up endurace. I am not sure if I can say that this workout was harder than lets say, Max Plyo, but if I stick with it, I know I will be quicker and possibly as fit.

This is however Day 2 and there are 6 more DVDs to try out. There is however a theme that seems to be emerging that Asylum is definitely more in tune to make you a better athlete, rather than just getting you in better shape. Strength is tonight when I get back home.

Asylum: Review of Sports Performance Assessment (Fit Test)

As I received Asylum today, I just had to do something. You are supposed to do the Athletic Performance Assessment, also known is Insanity lingo as the Fit Test, before beginning Asylum. Unlike doing Insanity, there is no time to waste with a Fit Test within the 30 days. Frankly, I dont even think there are more than 2 Rest Days in the program. As I intend to go through all the DVDs as soon as possible, I thought I would throw this review up asap for everyone else so that they know what to expect. If you want to read my future reviews, please feel free to Like this page.

Surprisingly, the Asylum Fit Test was not as strenuous as the Insanity Fit Test. There is more focus on functional fitness, like agility, as opposed to just cranking out numbers like in Insanity. Don't get me wrong. It isn't easy by any means. Most of the exercises involve the agility ladder in one way or another. There are a few fast feet exercises, where you zig zag in and out of the ladder. There is the Bear Crawl, where you crawl back and forth on the floor over the ladder. There are X Jumps, similar to P90X X Jumps, but deeper. There is also a set of pull ups or push ups at your descretion.

Again though, I wont dread doing this Fit Test as much as I do the Insanity Fit Test. Maybe I am in better shape, but the tests didn't seem to wear me down. I was sweating. I was somewhat winded at times. But, I look at it as more of a sign as what is to come. There will be a big focus on quick feet. There will be a bigger focus on moving exercises...and there will be pull ups.

Insanity: The Asylum FAQ

Now that Asylum is out, there are a lot of people who want to know how it differs from the other programs. Is it worth it? Which program should you pick? Etc? In short, Asylum is the most extreme program that Beachbody produces, and could easily be the most intense home fitness program ever. However, that by itself doesn't adequately describe the program.

What is INSANITY: THE ASYLUM™?

INSANITY: THE ASYLUM is the first in-home sports-specific training program based on drills used by pro athletes. During this intense 30-day program, you’ll practice moving like a football running back, serve aces like a tennis pro, score points like an all-star guard, and more. Your instructor, Shaun T, creator of successful programs like INSANITY® and Hip Hop Abs®, will help you spike your speed, coordination, agility, strength, and power to an elite athlete level.

That is the Beachbody description of the program. In short, it is intense sports condition that will take anyone to the next level of athletic performance.

The Basics

Asylum is a 30 day DVD based home fitness program. It includes 8 DVDs. The 6 main DVDs are generally 45 minutes each, with the stretch DVD being 25 minutes, and a longer workout being 60 minutes. There is also the equivalent of a Fit Test for 25 minutes and an Overtime workout being 15 minutes that you can do at the end of any other workout to add more intensity.

Unlike Insanity, Asylum is definitely a full body workout and requires a pull up bar and dumbbells, or bands. The Asylum Base Set contains the DVDs, an agility ladder, a jump rope and the supporting books and charts. There is a Deluxe Set that includes bands and a pull up bar. The sets are $89 and $179 respectively.

Why is it effective?

Shaun T built INSANITY: THE ASYLUM on three cross-training cycles. During Cycle 1, he’ll push you to master a series of core sports exercises. Once you’ve gotten those under control, the real fun begins. As you step up to Cycle 2 and Cycle 3, Shaun T challenges you to dig even deeper with more complicated sports moves and progressively tougher drills. This combination pushes you to use more muscles and develop skills that give you a measurable competitive edge.

What makes INSANITY: THE ASYLUM unique?

Elite athletes use proven sports training drills to sharpen their game-day skills and get into astonishing shape. Now with INSANITY: THE ASYLUM, you can too. With its included Agility Ladder and Speed Rope, you’ll train with more focus, concentration, and skill—just like an elite pro athlete. After 30 days, you’ll get faster, stronger, and more agile than you ever imagined—enabling you to perform any sport or activity with eye-popping speed and skill.

How does it work?

INSANITY: THE ASYLUM combines MAX Interval Training with progressive sports drills to push you to Dig Deeper® than ever. Shaun T will lead you through sports-based exercises that get progressively harder. So you’ll burn calories, build muscle, and unleash your inner world-class athlete. In just 30 days, you’ll be ready to compete, with dramatic, measurable improvements in your athletic ability.

Who Should Do Asylum?

Beachbody tells coaches that the ideal Asylum user has already completed P90X, Insanity, or another extreme program. It is also described as being for current or former athletes who want to take their performance to the next level. Shaun T basically told a group of us that it is basically for someone who is already an athlete at some level.

Who Shouldn't Do Asylum?

Here is the exact quote from Beachbody as to who shouldn't do Asylum:

Beginners; pregnant women; children; people who aren’t willing to work hard; people with back, neck, joint, or other injuries; or people who don’t consistently do high-impact exercise.
I have to admit that it is a peeve of mine when I hear people tell other people with pain or who are clearly beginners that they should take on an extreme workout. In my opinion, even assuming the person doesn't injure themself, it is unlikely that they will complete an extreme program and just waste their money. Please just accept that if Beachbody says you shouldn't buy their program, you shouldn't buy their program.

If You're Not Ready For Asylum

If you are hesitant to do Asylum, there is nothing wrong with doing P90X or Insanity to establish a base. P90X is a more forgiving workout that is great preparation for Insanity and Asylum. However, you will have a big wake up call, if you haven't done Insanity before Asylum.

Asylum Will Get You To The Next Level

Shaun T told a small group of coaches that he added 6" to his vertical leap after going through Asylum. If it can give Shaun T that level of improvement, just imagine what it can do for the average person. If you are ready for the challenge, then take it.

As always, drop me a message if you have any questions.

Using Weight Watchers for P90X, Insanity and other Beachbody Workouts

The Weight Watchers diet plan is really common, and many people who do P90X, Insanity, or the other Beachbody programs want to continue using the diet as they are already familiar with it. There is no reason that you can’t use the diet plan with these workouts. This information can be used for the Points Plus system.

The Problem With the Weight Watchers Diet

The problem with the Weight Watchers diet program is that the goal is to lose weight through a calorie restricted diet. It assigns people points to optimize fat loss, by taking people down to about 1,000 calories a day below their Maintenance Level. This gives people an average loss of 2 lbs of fat a week, which is the supposed maximum safe fat loss level. Any more than that and your body can go into starvation mode, where your body tries to save itself by hoarding fat and burning muscle. That is obviously bad.

However, when you add an extreme fitness program like Insanity or P90X, you increase your daily calorie burn dramatically. If you don’t add calories to your diet, you move from the safe fat loss level to starvation mode. While Weight Watchers assumes some light activity in their point calculation, they don’t anticipate P90X level activity. So if you are already on Weight Watchers, you have to add extra points/calories to your diet to maintain a safe level of weight loss.

What is a Point?

To write this column, I researched Weight Watchers’ patents to come up with an answer. A Point is essentially 50 calories. However not all calories are the same. For example, 50 calories of food high in fat is worth more points, while 50 calories of food high in fiber is less than a full point. So I can’t just tell people to figure out how many calories they burn and then add the appropriate number of calories. However you can roughly estimate that you should add 2 points for every 100 calories of exercise.

How To Calculate Extra Points To Add To Your Day

In reviewing the Weight Watchers patent, there is a formula for points to allocate to your exercise. Unfortunately, Weight Watchers even states that they underestimate the Points you might need, as they believe people overestimate their exertion. However, few people would describe Insanity, P90X or TurboFire as less than Intense. For that reason, I will modify the Weight Watchers’ formula to be in the middle.

If you are doing P90X, Insanity, Power 90, ChaLEAN Extreme or TurboFire, you want to use the following formula:

.1783 x (your weight in pounds / 2.2) x minutes of your workout / 75

So, if I am doing P90X and I weigh 154 lbs, I generally estimate that P90X averages about 70 min a day (with ARX). That means that it is:

.1783 * (154/2.2) * 70 / 75 or 11.6 points.

I round that to 12 points to add per day on average.

Simplified Math for P90X and Insanity

If you are willing to trust me, here is the overly simplified math for estimates for Insanity and P90X:

For P90X: Multiply your weight in pounds by .07564

For Insanity Month 1 and Recovery Week: Multiply your weight by .04214

For Insanity Month 2: Multiply your weight by .05943

Less Intense Workouts

While I don’t intend to downplay the level of effort involved in Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs, Slim in 6 and other programs, they are not at the intensity level of P90X and Insanity. There is a slight modification to the formula for these programs as follows:

.0711 x (your weight in pounds / 2.2) x minutes of your workout / 75

The other programs vary to much in length of workouts to give a more simplified number. Again, you can average the length of the workouts, so that you are not using different points every day.

Let Me Know If You Are Stuck

I realize that this can seem complicated. If you get lost in the math, feel free to send me a message at ira@irawinkler.com.

These Are Estimates

As I said, these are estimates. You need to watch your results and modify as appropriate. Ironically, I will say that if you stop losing weight, I recommend that you add points. Again, on Weight Watchers, you are already bordering on starvation mode. If you stop getting results, you very possibly put yourself firmly into starvation mode, so you should probably add about an extra 1/3 of the points you added for exercise.

Weight Watchers is a very established nutrition plan, but again it does focus on calorie restriction. P90X and other Beachbody programs focus on a holistic combination of exercise and nutrition. It can however be safely modified for the Beachbody programs.

How to Choose a Home Fitness Program

Since Beachbody offers a lot of great home fitness programs, I am frequently asked, “Which is the best program?” I don’t know why people are surprised when I answer, “There is no single best program.” The reason is that every program has its own unique benefits. Some people would prefer one trainer over another. Some people hate Tony Horton, while others love him. Some people want an extreme workout, like Insanity, while others haven’t worked out for a decade and need a program, like Project You: Type 2. Some people run frequently and want to improve their upper body. In short, the best program depends on you.

Factors to Consider

There are a variety of issues to consider when choosing a fitness program. These factors include the program goals, trainers, program focus, program philosophy, length of program, your current condition, among other factors. Too many people go for a program that is the most popular, or listen to success stories, and that is how they make their decisions. All too often, the person will give up on the program and just waste their money. So, stop listening to the infomercials and let’s take a logical look at what to consider.

Program Difficulty

P90X and Insanity are the most popular programs out there, specifically because they are extreme. The infomercials promise that they will push you to your limits, and people think the fat melts away. They want to make the radical change in life that these programs can deliver. If that works for you, that is great. However, I contend that if you are not in good condition to start, it is probably better to be able to do 80% of an easier program like Power 90, than 40% of a harder program like P90X.

Similarly, if you want a cardio based program, Insanity is the extreme program, but you might find it easier to get through a comparatively easier program like TurboFire. It is not just that you can physically get through more of the program, and therefore burn more calories, it is probably psychologically better as well. You are more likely to continue with a workout that doesn’t make you feel like a failure if you can’t do most of it.

So in short, yes, you can get through a harder workout, but getting the most out of the process is more important than stumbling through a harder program.

Trainers

The style of a trainer can make or break a program for most people. If the trainer annoys you, then you are much less likely to finish the program. Personally, Shaun T’s style in Hip Hop Abs was hard for me to take when I did that workout. However, he is awesome, to me, in Insanity. While most people love Tony Horton’s sense of humor, there are many who hate it. Chalene Johnson is definitely the iconic aerobics instructor with all of her energy and constant smile during the hardest workouts. Many women love that style, while some men despise it on principle. Look at the sample videos and see if you appreciate the trainer’s style.

Program Focus

The Tony Horton workouts that include P90X, Power 90, and 10 Minute Trainer are full body fitness programs, as is ChaLEAN Extreme. Insanity, TurboFire, Turbo Jam, and Hip Hop Abs are cardio programs. Project You: Type 2 is a workout for diabetics and pre-diabetics. Body Gospel is a Christ-based fitness program and is ideal for Christians who want a faith based program.

Length of Program

While P90X is possibly the most effective program out there, it does take the largest time commitment. P90X takes an average of 75 minutes a day and runs from 60-90 minutes 6 days a week. Then you have the other extreme of 10 Minute Trainer. With workouts that are 10 minutes long, you really have no excuses not to workout. The other programs fit somewhere within that range. The best fitness program for you is clearly one that you have time to do. Just keep in mind that the longer the workout, the better your results will be.

Making Your Choice

You need to chose the program that is best for you. If you choose a program you don't stick with, I contend that it is the program's fault, and not your's. Take advantage of Beachbody's return policy, and exchange it for a program that better matches your needs.

I'm Here To Help

I realize that this can all be overwhelming. However if you want help making your decision, or to return a program and get another one, please feel free to send me a message. I have tried all of the popular programs, and can help you make a better decision. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me at ira@xcompanionguide.com.

Comparing and Contrasting P90X and Insanity

Recently, I was asked by a Facebook friend to compare and contrast P90X and Insanity. I believe the person was a P90Xer who was considering Insanity, but the answer can be generalized to someone who is considering one or the other program. I hope you find it useful as well.

My Answer

P90X is generally the best all around fitness program you will find. It works out the whole body and seems to be best for overall slimming. It is about 65/35 Upper/Lower Body.

Insanity is great for legs, speed, endurance, and agility. It is about 20/80 Upper/Lower body. If you have ever done P90X, it is easiest to describe it as Plyo XXX 6 days a week, with some Core Synergistics floor work thrown in.

The weakness of Insanity is that you wont see a lot of upper body gains from a strength perspective, unless you potentially add the v Upper Body Workout from the Insanity Deluxe edition. Also, as you go through P90X, you generally get stronger and feel better. This is primarily due to the yoga and stretch work and periodicity of P90X. Periodicity means that you are getting rest of your body parts throughout the program, so you can continue the program indefinitely. Insanity is pretty much all out for the length of the program, save a week in the middle of it, and you can get burned out towards the end.

Insanity however has its own benefits. Again, your leg strength and endurance will explode. The program is only 63 days vice 90, so you have a quicker deadline. Insanity workouts are generally shorter. You generally need to allocate 60-90 minutes a day with P90X, but only 30-60 minutes a day with Insanity.

While Insanity is definitely a full out exercise for most of the workout, P90X is definitely not easy. While full out circuit training, which is really what P90X is, provides periods of rest between sets, doing weightlifting sets to exhaustion should be as hard as Insanity. You just get the rest between sets.

The big potential drawback for Insanity is that it is non-forgiving, and can cause injury. Many people are forced to stop Insanity because of shin splints, knee pain, or similar issues. If you have good leg constitution, you will be ok.

What It Really Means

In the end, there is no better program. The best program is the one that best meets your goals. I personally cycle between the programs and generally do a hybrid. Again, I think I get the best overall gains with P90X, but after doing Insanity, P90X cardio can be weak.

The Reason Behind the P90X Recovery Drink

There are a lot of questions about the P90X Recovery Drink. People want to know if they really need it. Why is there so much sugar in it? Isn’t all that sugar bad for you? Can’t I just use a protein drink? Etc. These are frankly all good questions, so I put together a discussion of the science behind recovery drinks in general

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise

I previously discussed this issue when I talked about heart rates. To quickly summarize though, aerobic exercise is when you are exercising below 80% of your maximum heart rate. At this level, you are basically doing what most people consider cardio exercise. You are using oxygen to create energy. You will be able to talk and exercise at the same time.

With aerobic exercise, you are primarily using fat as your energy supply. Think of carbs as the kindling to get the fat, which are the logs, burning.

With anaerobic exercise, your heart rate is above 80%, and you are using carbs as your primary, and possibly only, energy source.

Carbs Are Only Stored In Muscle

The heading isn't totally accurate, but mostly accurate. For the purposes of muscle energy, carbs, specifically glucose and glycogen, are stored in muscle for immediate anaerobic energy needs, as well as the kindling for burning fat. While it is safe to assume that a person has a virtually unlimited supply of fat, they have a very limited supply of carbs.

The amount of carbs stored in the muscle varies by the individual, however the average person should have about an hour’s worth of carbs available for anaerobic exercise.

Carb Crashes

You might have heard of a carb crash, where an athlete collapses during exercise. You might see a marathon runner or triathlete just collapse. Someone lifting weights might just sit down and pass out. This is because they ran out of sugar to power their muscles. Also, the brain runs primarily on carbs, so this is why they are incoherent as well.

This is why they provide Gatorade or similar drinks only during longer runs or competitions. While distance athletes are engaged in aerobic workouts, if they go on long enough without taking in any carbs, they will eventually run out. This is also why someone doing P90X or Insanity may become weak or nauseous during a workout.

P90X and Insanity Deplete Your Carbs

Insanity’s interval training has you workout anaerobically for extended periods of time. P90X is essentially circuit weight training, which means that you are in an anaerobic state for long periods of time as well. All of this means that you are burning up the sugar/carbs in your muscles for an hour or more at a time. This is why Tony Horton and Shaun T sometimes recommend that you have recovery drink during your workout; to replace the burned up carbs. If you have a very hard workout, you might burn up your carbs even before they hour.

This is Why You Need Carbs/Sugar

When you look at the ingredients of the P90X Recovery Formula, you find that it has 39 gms of sugar. The reason for all of the sugar is that simple sugar is quickly absorbed into the blood, and can quickly replenish the burned up sugar in the muscles. If you don’t replace the sugars, you will drag, and also be slightly mentally impaired until your body breaks down stored fat into sugar. Breaking down fat takes a relatively long time.

Protein Drinks are Not Good for Recovery

As you can see, you need carbs for recovery, not protein. Protein is in the P90X Recovery Drink as it is absorbed later and does help with muscle building and repair. However, protein is absorbed in the small intestines, and it takes about 30 minutes before the protein is absorbed into your blood. Either way, it will not replace the carbs in your muscles will not satisfy your immediate energy needs. Protein has its place in muscle repair, but not as a recovery drink itself.

Even more important is that studies indicate that when you have a lot of carbs within 2 hours of working out, it increases your glycogen synthesis and storage. This means that you will be able to workout longer and harder in future workouts.

Recovery Drinks Fill The Purpose

While the P90X Recovery Drink is built into the P90X Nutrition Plan, you don’t necessarily need it after every workout. If the workout is not strenuous, then you can skip the recovery drink. I would say that if you are going to look at alternatives to the P90X drink, you need to make sure you are looking are making the right comparisons. For example, some recovery drinks advertise 30 servings for $30. However, they only have servings of 110 calories, so it is actually $30 for 15 servings since the P90X recovery drink has 220 calorie servings to adhere to the P90X Nutrition Plan.

P90X and Insanity Gift Guide

As the Christmas shopping season picks up steam, I thought I would offer a few gift ideas for P90Xers and Insanity fanatics, and those who love them. Some of these gifts are obvious, while others might actually be more interesting as trivia than gifts. Either way, consider those who will appreciate them most.

First, you might want to review my post about what to do after P90X. It has several potential gift ideas already. However for less obvious ideas read on.

Bring It!

Bring It! is the long awaited book from Tony Horton, due out on December 21, and is a great present for any P90Xer. I can go on, but this is probably the best present for the Tony Horton fan in your life.

Insanity Fast & Furious

If you are a fan of Insanity or P90X, Fast and Furious is a great workout to add to your library. It is a quick plyo workout that is a great to use for P90X Doubles, or in case you miss one of the other cardio workouts. At only 23 minutes long, it still probably burns more calories than Cardio X, and is definitely a great option when you are short on time.

P90X One on Ones

After you have done P90X, you can get tired of one or more workouts. The One on One workouts are P90X like workouts that you purchase individually and primarily used to add variety to a round of P90X. They can also be used to add upper body resistance training to Insanity. The Fountain of Youth is possibly the most popular workout in the series as it is a valid 45 minute version of Yoga X. The latest workouts are samples for the upcoming P90X:MC2 program, and can add both variety and increased intensity to the workouts they might replace. For Insanity owners, 30-15 is a great upper body workout.

Pull Up Bar

While P90Xers probably have a pull up bar already, Insanity fans probably don’t and will definitely need one for Asylum. Asylum is the going to be the Insanity graduate program, but won’t be at least until late February. It is going to be a full body workout and include pull ups. So get your Insane relatives psyched for the new workout, and get them a pull up bar.

The Gymnast and A Marine Story

Dreya Weber naked. For many men, and some women, that is the only description necessary. While many people know that the “Gorgeous Dreya Weber” from Legs and Back, Core Synergistics, etc, and P90X cover model is an aerialist, who appeared in Pink’s Grammy performance, Michael Jackson: This Is It, and other venues, few people know that Dreya has starred in two award winning movies. The Gymnast was her first movie, where she stars as an aging gymnast, who realizes she is a lesbian. This is probably a topic of conversation itself, but her husband, Ned Farr, director of P90X, is also the director of the movie. It is definitely a unique gift for many P90Xers. A Marine Story is a similarly themed movie that you can preorder now.

Super Troopers and Beerfest

Another P90X celebrity that few people know is Eric Stolhanske, the one legged guy from Plyo X, who is a member of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe. Broken Lizard is behind several popular movies, at least with some groups of people, like Super Troopers and Beerfest. So, enjoy Eric at his non-plyo best.

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells

If you really want to make the P90Xer, or for that matter the Insanity fanatic, in your life happy, nothing beats a single set of dumbbells. Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells are an adjustable set of dumbbells that meets the needs of just about any Beachbody need. Tony heavily endorses this product in P90X+.

PowerBlock Classic Adjustable 5 to 45 lb Dumbbell Set

The PowerBlock Dumbbells are similar to the Bowflex dumbbells, but has some advantages and disadvantages. There is more limited range of motion with the PowerBlocks, but they are more compact. It is a personal choice, so I list both.

PowerBlock SportBlock 24 3 to 24-Pounds Dumbbell Set

The other adjustable weight sets might be overkill for women, but the PowerBlock SportBlock 24 Adjustable 3 to 24-Pounds per Dumbbell Set seems perfect. It accounts for the required weight range of about 95% of the women who do P90X, and is a lot easier to move around the house. These are also significantly less expensive than the larger sets of adjustable dumbbells, so they can also serve the needs of about 75% of men’s weight needs for P90X. You can supplement this with a good, strong band for exercises that would require more resistance.

Shakeology

While I realize that many people over pitch Shakeology and sell it like snake oil, I do not know a single person who uses it daily as a meal replacement and has not lost significantly weight within several weeks. It is a great way to jumpstart someone’s New Year’s resolutions in a very easy way that can save a lot of money when you consider the cost of the food it replaces. If you want to know how to get it for as low as $2.30 per serving feel free to send me a message here. I have used it for a long time. My family uses it. My kids ask for it, and I still have every single friend and business acquaintance I sold it to. I think that speaks for itself in this day and age. There is even a money back guarantee.

Body Gospel

Insanity and P90X are not the right program for everyone, so if you have someone in your life who might appreciate a Christ-based fitness program, Body Gospel might be perfect for them. While still challenging, it is designed so that even people with more than 70 lbs to lose, will get a great workout.

Bowflex Strapless Heart Rate Monitor for Women

Both Tony Horton and Shaun T recommend the use of heart rate monitors to insure you are in the right calorie burning zone. Also, many people want to know how many calories they burn in a workout. The Bowflex Strapless Heart Rate Monitor for Women is non-intrusive and great for women looking for this type of function.

Bowflex Strapless Heart Rate Monitor for Men

Without going into too much detail, the Bowflex Strapless Heart Rate Monitor for Men is basically the same heart rate monitor as the 10S mentioned above, but styled for men.

Bowflex Heart Rate Monitor with Strap

While the functionality is basically the same, the Bowflex Heart Rate Monitor with Strap model has a chest strap that is used to measure the heart rate, vice the watch component. Besides of being less expensive, many people find straps to be more accurate than their non-strap competition. Some people find it annoying, but many people say they get used to it, and like that it is more accurate. All models are presented for your convenience.

Fitness is a Great Gift Year Round

While this list was made for the Christmas season, the fact is that fitness is a great gift to get for anyone, for any reason. Don't wait for New Year's to start a new fitness program. Beachbody's programs are available to you, whenever you need them.

Your Heart Rate Questions Simplified

Questions about target heart rates are common with P90X and especially Insanity. Shaun T frequently tells people to check their heart rate and to make sure it’s safe, whatever that means. This blog intends to clear up the common questions about heart rates and their effects on exercise.

If you have a short attention span, and don’t care about why, the most important thing to remember is that your body is the best heart rate monitor. Your body will tell you when you need to stop or slow down. That being said, the rest of this article explains this and discusses the broader concepts.

Max Heart Rate

In theory, your body has a maximum heart rate, which is the fastest that heart can theoretically beat. The common estimate for max heart rate is 220-your age. So if you are 20 years old, your max heart rate is 220-20 or 200 beats per minute. If you are 30 years old, your max heart rate is 190. If you are 40, your max heart rate is 180 and so on. This again is just the widely accepted estimate formula of max heart rate. To actually get your maximum heart rate, you have to go to a lab and have your max VO2 measured, where they put a hose in your mouth to measure what's in your breath, and you run on a treadmill to see at what heart rate you stop burning fat.

Biology 101-Your Body Stores Fat, But Not a Lot of Carbs

Before I go on, I should cover a basic, seemingly unrelated, issue. As people know well, your body stores energy as excess fat. Your body does not store any extra protein, and stores a limited supply of carbs, as simple sugar and glycogen, for immediate muscle and brain needs. The average person has about an hour’s worth of carbs stored in their muscles for very hard exercise. If you eat a lot of sugar, insulin converts it to fat as quickly as it can for storage for future needs. If you eat a lot of protein, it too is inevitably converted fat for storage. You will see why this fact is important shortly.

Target Exercise and Heart Rate Zones

Really the discussion about heart rates is irrelevant except as it impacts your exercise. Specifically, there is Aerobic and Anaerobic exercise zones. Aerobic exercise is when your body uses fat as your primary energy source, and Anaerobic exercise where sugar is your primary energy source. Heart rate is what drives your body from Aerobic to Anaerobic exercise zones. Briefly, when your heart beats faster, you move from Aerobic to Anaerobic exercise zones.

Aerobic Exercise

The aerobic exercise range is generally considered when your heart is beating from 60-80% of your max heart rate. So if you are 20 years old, and your max heart rate is 200, your aerobic range is 120-160 beats per minute. This is the range where your body is theoretically burning primarily fat for energy.

You still need carbs to get the process going, but during aerobic exercise, you burn about 80% fat and 20% carbs. Think of carbs as the kindling wood to get a fire going. Given that you have a virtually unlimited fat supply, and are burning carbs slowly, you can exercise for a long period of time.

You can use a heart rate monitor, but the best test is seeing if you can talk while you exercise. If you are exercising aerobically, you should be able to talk while exercising.

Anaerobic Exercise

If you are exercising above 80% of your max heart rate, you are theoretically in your anaerobic range. This means that your body is using sugar, aka carbs, as your primary energy source. When you are in the anaerobic range, you will be breathing heavily and you won’t be able to talk while you exercise. You may be gasping for breath.

The place where you potentially run into a problem with anaerobic exercise, is that as your body has a limited supply of carbs, you can run out of carbs. If you exercise anaerobically for an extended period of time, you can run out of carbs and experience a carb crash. However as was stated, you have about an hour’s worth of carbs in your body, and if you are doing Insanity or P90X, you should be ok.

It is Still Better to Exercise Anaerobically

While most people naturally assume that it is better to burn fat instead of carbs, you still burn more calories in the anaerobic range. The faster your heart rate, the more calories you burn. It is that simple. If you want to burn calories, and push your body to its limits, anaerobic exercise is more effective even though you are not burning as much fat. Your body will begin to convert fat to carbs for energy.

What This Means for Insanity

While it may be controversial, I recommend that people skip the heart rate monitor, and let their body be their monitor. If you are “Digging Deeper!” you will be in the anaerobic range for most of the program. If you try to stay in the aerobic range, you will likely stop every 20 seconds and have to wait for another 20 seconds and barely get a workout in. Insanity wants you to go all out and do it perfectly and stop when you lose your form. That means you need to ignore your heart rate and listen to your body. Of course this assumes that you have a healthy heart, but you shouldn’t be doing Insanity if you don’t.

What This Means for P90X

P90X is very similar to Insanity in most ways. P90X is essentially circuit weight training, which will keep your heart rate in the anaerobic range for much of the workout. There is however more rest during the workouts than with Insanity, so you can sustain the workouts for longer periods of time. You won’t have to worry about your heart rate with Yoga, and you will likely be in the aerobic range for Kenpo X and Cardio X. During Plyo X, you will likely be in anaerobic range for a good portion of the time.

Just in Case

If you do find that you begin to feel lightheaded, develop a halo vision, or become weak during an anaerobic workout, you may be suffering from a carb crash. If that happens, you should take a break and have some recovery drink. This again assumes that you are otherwise healthy and well hydrated. Again, as the workouts always say, you should see a doctor if you have any problems.

Don’t Worry About It

The human race was exercising long before the advent of heart rate monitors, and we seemed to do fine before that. I just don’t want P90X and Insanity to start looking like a 1990s aerobics class, where everyone stops every 5 minutes to check their heart rate and wait until their heart rate goes down. Their hour workouts ended up being 30 minutes, and results went down. Unless you have your Max VO2 measured, you are really just guessing anyway. Just learn to trust your body and you will be fine.