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LIIFT4 Workout Review: Meh

March 12, 2019 - Updated March 12, 2019

LIIFT4 Workout Review

Four months ago I went out to my garage, moved a bunch of boxes, and setup an area to workout in. It was November here in Michigan which means it was starting to get cold. We were in the fifth month of what was supposed to be a two month finished basement project which forced me to workout outside. No big deal. I’m from Michigan and have Under Armour laying around everywhere.

What motivated me to get my butt outside and workout was hearing all the positive reviews coming in for LIIFT4. I needed to start getting my butt into shape and I liked what I was reading along with what I saw on clips from Beachbody. Four days a week for 8 weeks and 40 minute workouts sound good to me. As soon as it was available on Beachbody On Demand I got at it.

You Don’t Need Much

I was kind of surprised to read that all you really need to do LIFFT4 is a set of dumbbells. All set there with my decade’s old Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells. Besides printing out the LIIFT 4 Weight Progression Tracker to keep track of the amounted of weights lifted you don’t need anything else.

After taking a look at the LIIFT4 workout calendar it reminded me more of how P90X and a little bit of how Body Beast were set up. Chest/Triceps followed by Back/Biceps, Shoulders, Legs, repeat.

What separates LIIFT4 from those workouts is its supposed to be lifting and HIIT’ing. Hence the name, LIIFT4. From looking at a few clips it appeared they would do a lift and then drop down and do Burpees or something. So I was getting myself ready for something like that.

I Made It Two Weeks

I’m not going to beat around the bush here and tell you how much I loved LIIFT4. That’s not going to happen. Nor are you going to find any before and after photos. Instead, I’m going to tell you I felt LIIFT4 to be kind of boring.

I tried.

I’ve done a few of Joel’s workouts live at a Coach Summit or Leadership Event and they were great. But that’s different than following along by yourself at home on a laptop versus the energy of being in a large crowd.

LIIFT4 needed to be more HIIT or more LIFT. Not both. And thats kind of the direction I’ve felt Beachbody has been going with their latest workouts. Their trying to make tough total body workouts and I don’t think its working.

Take the very first workout you do (Chest/Triceps) for instance. You do 15 total lift moves along with some jump squat “catchers” thing, mountain climbers, some soccer kick thing, and ending with some ab moves.

I’m not saying I was able to breeze through the cardio stuff but I was able to make it through that part easier than what I should have been able to do on the first try. And the lifting sequence was straightforward.

As A Comparison

P90X Chest & Back has 12 exercises done twice (24 moves). I don’t care who you are you will feel what you did from P90X Chest & Back the next day. And the next day you do Plyometrics which is basically a HIIT workout. Both workouts challenge the shit out of you.

Not so much with LIIFT4. I never felt challenged. I didn’t mind the leg workouts because leg workouts are a different beast but everything else was Meh.

Sure, I was working out in my garage all geared up in 45 degree weather where I might not have been getting warmed up. But I should have been getting some warmth or a bit of a challenge with this being an advanced program.

You Need A Little More

I was talking to a friend of mine a month ago who completed an entire round of LIIFT4 and liked it. Him and I workout for different reasons. He does it to keep the weight off. I workout to keep in shape.

When talking about LIIFT4 I told him that I’d do the Primal Blueprint workout ( 2 sets of pushups, chin-ups, squats, and planks) after each LIIFT4 workout to make sure I’d “feel the burn”. While defending LIIFT4 (he’s a lawyer) he let it slip that he started using T25 to warmup around week 3. Even he needed a little more. Basically, he made LIIFT4 into an hour long workout. Which is what it needs to be advanced.

While I don’t think I’m in great shape right now I was still making time to workout a couple of days a week prior to starting LIIFT4. And I have a decade of doing P90X, Insanity, The Asylum, and Body Beast under my belt. Maybe that’s why LIIFT4 didn’t feel all that advanced to me.

In Conclusion

In the end I don’t think someone who might be just a little out of shape should do LIIFT4. There are better options. That is unless you’re looking for a maintenance program or something to squeeze in with running, biking, swimming, or playing a sport.

If you are out of shape and a little overweight but with a history of working out I do feel that LIIFT4 would be a good place to start. Its not extreme and if your goal is to get back into the swing of things then it would be a good test to see where you’re at.

For me, I don’t see myself coming back to LIIFT4 or even using the workouts in a hybrid program. Blame it on Tony Horton, Shaun T, and Sagi for setting the bar just that much higher over the past decade. Don’t worry about me. I’ll probably start my 100th round of Insanity or something.

Beachbody On Demand Review

March 8, 2018 - Updated March 8, 2018

When Beachbody On Demand was released in 2015 it basically brought an end to the DVD as we know it.

Beachbody workouts were the very last DVDs I was buying and since On Demand has come around I have not bought a single one.

And that’s a good thing. Times change and pretty much everyone was wanting a way to stream or download Beachbody workouts for a couple of years. Beachbody held on for a few more years pumping out DVDs until they were ready to release a very good product. That’s kind of their deal.

A few things have changed since my first review of Beachbody On Demand in 2015 and I decided to bring it up to 2018.

You probably already have an idea that Beachbody On Demand is where you can access every single Beachbody workout ever made online. So lets start with the important stuff first.

Cost

You will be able to view every Beachbody workout online with any Beachbody On Demand membership. Meal plans and workout sheets are also included online. There are three options to choose from when selecting a Beachbody On Demand membership.

  • $99 Year Annual All Access Plan: Every Beachbody workout for less than the price of one workout on DVD. By far the best value.
  • $59 Six Month All Access Plan: Maybe you’re the sort of person who likes to do two 90 day programs a year and that’s it.
  • $39 Three Month All Access Plan: Maybe you only like to do one 90 day program a year.

All of the plans above are billed in advance and come with a 30 day money back guarantee. The three month plan comes with a 14 day free trial.

Workouts

The amount of workout programs included in Beachbody On Demand is vast. Here is an updated list for 2018.

  • SHAUN WEEK
  • SHIFT SHOP
  • YOUV2
  • 3 Week Yoga Retreat
  • 3 Day Refresh Yoga
  • 10-Minute Trainer®
  • 21 Day Fix
  • 21 Day Fix EXTREME®
  • 22 Minute Hard Corps®
  • 80 Day Obsession
  • Active Maternity
  • A Little Obsessed
  • A Week Of Hard Labor
  • Autumns Exclusives
  • Beachbody Yoga Studio
  • Body Beast®
  • Brazil Butt Lift®
  • Brazil Butt Lift Carnivale
  • Brazil Butt Lift Master Series
  • ChaLEAN Extreme®
  • CIZE®
  • Clean Week
  • CORE DE FORCE
  • Country Heat
  • Double Time
  • FOCUS T25®
  • Great Body Guaranteed!®
  • Hip Hop Abs®
  • Ho’Ala ke Kino
  • INSANITY®
  • INSANITY MAX:30TM
  • INSANITY: THE ASYLUM® Volume 1
  • INSANITY: THE ASYLUM Volume 2
  • Jericho’s Exclusives
  • Joel’s Exclusives
  • Kathy Smith’s Project:YOU! Type 2®
  • Kids & Family Collection
  • P90®
  • P90X®
  • P90X2®
  • P90X3®
  • P90X ONE on ONE®
  • PiYo®
  • Power 90®
  • Power Half Hour®
  • Pre & Post Natal Fitness
  • RevAbs®
  • Rockin’ Body®
  • Sagi’s Exclusives
  • Slim in 6®
  • Tai Cheng®
  • The Master’s Hammer and Chisel®
  • The 20s
  • Tony’s Exclusives
  • Total Body Solution®
  • TurboFire®
  • Turbo Jam®
  • Yoga Booty Ballet®

Free Trial

Just want to kick the tires before committing? Thats cool. There is a 14 day free trial available. You’ll see the free trial option on the bottom right of the Beachbody On Demand signup page.

Stream

It’s quite simple to start streaming your favorite workouts with your Beachbody On Demand account. Besides a membership you will need a streaming device such as an Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or Chromecast.

I’ve been using the Roku 4 for two years and haven’t had a problem. It seems to work better with a HDMI cable versus wireless.

After logging into my Roku account you simply add the Beachbody On Demand app to your channels.

Which then takes you to the home screen for Beachbody On Demand.

Pick the program you want to do. I just so happen to be doing Insanity Max 30 right now.

Pick the workout you want to do.

And try not to puke.

App

You can also download the Beachbody On Demand app on iTunes for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Apple Watch users can stream their workouts on their iPhone or iPad, and Apple Watch will project real-time heart rate and caloric burn on those screens.

The Beachbody On Demand app is also available for Android users via Google Play.

You will need a Beachbody On Demand membership to make the apps work.

Cancel

If you are wondering how to cancel Beachbody On Demand you only need to visit this link here. Refunds and cancellations are done very quickly.

Summary

Beachbody workouts on shelf
Two shelves of Beachbody dvds.

I’ve really enjoyed Beachbody On Demand. It makes everything so much easier to manage and its more affordable than buying DVDs. Think about all the shelf space anybody who is new to Beachbody is going to save.

All joking aside there is a ton of value with Beachbody On Demand. People can now sample all of the workouts for $40 for 3 months instead of spending $120 on one workout DVD.

That’s doable for just about everybody’s budget. If you don’t like any of the workouts – which is impossible – you can cancel your membership and not have to worry about sending the DVD’s back.

As an added bonus you can download workouts and view them offline as long as you keep your subscription active. They send you an encryption key which lets you access the files on your hard drive for those times when you’re not able to access the internet.

No more scratched discs. No more sending DVDs back. Theres only doing whatever workout you want whenever you want with Beachbody On Demand.

ChaLean Extreme Workout Review: I Approve This Workout

February 23, 2018 - Updated February 23, 2018

Back in 2009 I was blasting through rounds of P90X and Insanity. One day a package from Beachbody shows up at our house with ChaLean Extreme in it. Andrea ordered it.

She had been watching me do P90X and Insanity and was not into the whole extreme hour-long workouts. From time to time she would jump in and do a workout with me but those were not her thing.

Andrea did the smart thing after ordering ChaLean Extreme. She went to her friend’s house after work and did all 90 days with her. It worked out great for both of them as her friend had been doing Chalene Johnson workouts for a couple of years (Turbo Jam) so the two of them had fun. At the end of 90 days I could tell she toned up and put on some muscle.

The days she would not workout with her friend she would workout at home. And from time to time I would jump in and do workouts with her. Occasionally I would do ChaLean Extreme workouts when she wasn’t around. I’ll admit it.

And that’s where this review picks up. I started writing this in 2009 and saw an unfinished post in 2018 needing to be finished. A little late but thats okay. But let’s get to know more about ChaLean Extreme first.

What Is It

The ChaLean Extreme workout is a 90 day at home workout program. What makes ChaLean Extreme work is it incorporates cardio, nutrition, and most importantly resistance training. It is proven that resistance training is the key to burning fat. So make sure you have a good set of adjustable dumbbells or resistance bands as you will need them.

ChaLean Extreme teaches people that cardio is not the key to dropping weight as your body will plateau. Weight training is what the body needs to burn the calories. ChaLean Extreme is made for men and women but women especially like it as they can relate to the trainer, Chalene Johnson.

Don’t be fooled by this thinking that this is a “girly workout.” ChaLean Extreme will challenge anybody who tries it. People who do this workout like it a lot because most of the workouts are less than 45 minutes making it very easy to work into anyone’s daily schedule.

Phase 1 – Burn Phase – You will be lifting weights to start breaking down your extra fat.
Phase 2 – Push Phase –  Lifting heavier weights than normal to build muscle to burn ever more fat
Phase 3 – Lean Phase – Burn away any last remaining bits of fat.

ChaLean Extreme Lean Circuit 3
Are you ok over there Donna?

During each phase you will be doing “Extreme Cardio” and “Core Power” to tighten up those abs.

What You Get

Chalean Extreme Workout
That’s a lot of fat to burn!

With each ChaLean Extreme kit you get the following items.

Muscle Burns Fat Guidebook
Body Fat % Tester
Thigh Toner Band
Fat Burning Food Guide
Chalene’s Extreme Motivational Audio CD
Kitchen Makeover DVD
Resistance Band

Cost

If you absolutely want to buy ChaLean Extreme in DVD format in 2018 then you are in luck.

Chalean Extreme Workout

ChaLean Extreme

15 Extreme Workouts
Cardio & Resistance Training
Popular With Women. $89.85

Chalean Extreme Deluxe DVDChaLean Extreme Deluxe

22 Intense Cardio & Resistance Training Workouts.
Weighted Gloves. 3 Resistance Bands. Stability Ball
Save more than $55 with this package deal for $179.70

Chalean Extreme Deluxe UpgradeChaLean Extreme Deluxe Upgrade

7 New Workouts.
2 Resistance Bands. Weighted Gloves. Stability Ball
$89.85

Stream

With it being 2018 you probably do not buy dvds anymore. And for good reason. So what I recommend you do is get a Beachbody On Demand membership.

You will be able to view ChaLean Extreme wherever you want whenever you want. There is a 14 day free trial to get started and is $40 every quarter up to $99 a year. Cancel whenever you want.

Included with Beachbody On Demand are the workout guides and calendars. This is what you want.

Summary

I’ve never done an entire round of ChaLean Extreme. It’s not to say I wouldn’t. From doing a number of workouts with Andrea to doing a few on my own I can say this is a very good workout. I never felt bored doing these workouts which is important.

I’d say its the best workout made by Chalene Johnson.

It has just enough of everything to keep it well-balanced but challenging at the same time because of all the resistance training. Is the exercise not tough enough? Add more weights. It’s really that simple.

With the workouts being around 45 minutes it feels like it’s just the right amount of time needed to feel the burn without going into exhaustion.

Just because it says “Extreme” in the name does not mean its extreme. Those labels go to P90X, Insanity, and The Asylum. If you do those types of workouts you might not like ChaLean Extreme.

And that’s ok because what ChaLean Extreme really is…is a great workout.

When people ask me what workout they should start with if they have not worked out in awhile or know they don’t want to power through an extreme workout I recommend ChaLean Extreme or Power 90. Both are a great starting point for fitness.

All you have to decide is if you want Tony Horton’s jokes or Chalene’s perky personality.

10 Minute Trainer Workout Review: More Of A Warm Up Workout

February 23, 2018 - Updated February 23, 2018

A long time ago in 2009 I had finished many rounds of P90X and my first round of Insanity. To say I was feeling a bit beaten up from those extreme workouts would be an understatement. So when I heard Tony Horton made the 10 Minute Trainer I figured I would give it a try.

The thing about 2009 was I was 29 years old. In 2018 I am now 37. A lot has changed since then in regards to my fitness. One thing I did not have a problem with back then was recovering from a workout. I had the ability to push through the soreness and finish workouts. Energy was everywhere. Not so much now with me being a Dad to two kids.

What does all of this have to do with the 10 Minute Trainer?

Not much.

What you should know is I started writing a review for the 10 Minute Trainer in 2009 and stopped only to find it in my admin area nine years later. After a couple of minutes of looking at what I had originally written I decided to re-write what I had written and give you an updated review of the 10 Minute Trainer.

Here’s The Thing

The main reason why I did not finish my review was because I did not finish the program. I found 10 Minute Trainer to be boring and a bit cumbersome.

What do I mean?

I had just finished P90X and Insanity. Neither of which are boring.

All of the 10 Minute Trainer workouts I tried had one thing in common which I did not like. They were all 10 minutes.

10 Minute Trainer Total Body Workout
Maybe 10 Minutes of working out isn’t perfect Tony.

I was already in very good shape from doing the extreme workouts that when the 10 Minutes were over I was barely warmed up. I’m not knocking the workouts. They are very good warm up type workouts if you want to do something else.

I just could not see myself progressing through 30 or 60 days of the 10 Minute Trainer.

Here’s The Other Thing

When I bought the 10 Minute Trainer DVDs in 2009 you had to wait for the advertisements from Beachbody to finish before the next workout would start.

All of the workouts were on one DVD which was great but it wouldn’t just move onto the next workout. It would kick you back to the main menu forcing you to select another workout which completely ruins the pace.

I remember being annoyed waiting for another workout to come on as one workout was not enough. A 10 minute workout typically took 15 minutes between loading up the dvd, selecting the workout, and waiting for the ads from Beachbody to play.

Before I go into more of what I don’t like about the 10 Minute Trainer lets take a minute to know more about it.

What Is It?

10 Minute Trainer Workout

10 Minute Trainer was developed by Tony Horton for people on the go. This includes anybody from a stay at home mom to CEO’s of major corporations.

The issue is always the same. Nobody has time to workout.

Everybody knows how important their health is but its easy to make up excuses or life just gets in the way. What makes the 10 Minute Trainer workout so successful is it eliminates the excuses. Anybody can find 10 minutes in their day to workout.

Tony Horton introduces the concept of “Super Stacking” with 10 Minute Trainer. How it works is you mix in cardio with resistance training together at the same time. This shortens up the workout into an action packed 10 minutes.

No time between sets to work on different muscle groups. All you need is a resistance band and 10 minutes to get the results you want from these workouts.

  • Total Body
  • Cardio
  • Lower Body
  • Yoga Flex
  • Abs
  • Core Cardio
  • Upper Body
  • Total Body 2

You get a resistance band, customized workout calendar, Rapid Results Guidebook, and Tony Hortons 10 Minute Meal Plans with each 10 Minute Trainer package.

Deluxe

What I do like are the 10 Minute Trainer Deluxe workouts Tony made. Such classics named:

  • One on One Lower
  • Plyo Intervals
  • One on One Upper
  • Cardio Intervals
  • Chest & Back
  • Friday Night Arms

A little known program are the Tony Horton One on One workouts. Basically its Tony’s camera guy and him at Tony’s house making up workouts. And some of these are tough.

Tony does not let us down with his Lower, Upper, and the Chest & Back workout in the deluxe workouts. The format is different as its not in the studio but who cares, the workouts are good.

You might actually want a break after these workouts.

Cost

If you absolutely want to buy the 10 Minute Trainer in DVD form in 2018 then you’re still in luck.

10 Minute Trainer

10 Minute Trainer – $79.90

3 Ten Minute Workouts
Cardio & Resistance Training
Popular For Busy People. $79.90

 

10 Minute Trainer Deluxe10 Minute Trainer Deluxe

8 Ten Minute Workouts.
3 Resistance Bands
Popular for people with no time. $159.80

 

10 Minute Trainer Upgrade10 Minute Trainer Upgrade Pack

9 New Quick Workouts.
2 Additional Resistance Bands.
Add them into your busy schedule. $79.90

Stream

What I would recommend over buying the 10 Minute Trainer DVDs is a Beachbody On Demand membership.

With the BOD membership you will be able to access the 10 Minute Trainer and every other Beachbody workout ever made whenever you want. Subscription prices start at $40 a quarter up to $99 a year. There is a 14 day free trial available to kick the tires.

Summary

Its been nine years since I bought the 10 Minute Trainer and not once have I thought about doing them again. I’m pretty sure I gave the dvds to my parents in 2012 and they never touched them either.

And even now with 10 Minute Trainer available on Beachbody On Demand I still haven’t done it. I would rather do something like the Primal Blueprint workouts (pushups, pull-ups, squats, planks) in 15 minutes instead of having to stack multiple 10 Minute Trainer workouts.

Or even something like T25 or Power 90. You’ll get similar workouts in 25 to 45 minutes without having to stop and wait for the next workout to load up. There is just something about having to stop and start that I do not like.

Saying all that you cannot deny that Tony Horton knows how to put together a workout. Maybe spend the time learning one or two of the workouts by memory and do them on your own time without having to load the dvd or Beachbody On Demand.

Grab a resistance band and do a round or two while watching TV or at your desk while making sales calls like how I used to do.

Who knows. Maybe when I’m a little older or if I get really out of shape I’ll give 10 Minute Trainer a try. Until then, I pass.

Power 90 Workout Review: Surprisingly Good

February 22, 2018 - Updated February 22, 2018

Once upon a time Power 90 was the go to workout. And then P90X came around which pushed Power 90 back into oblivion basically erasing it off the face of the Earth. I was one of those people who did P90X first and later heard about Power 90.

Beachbody sent me Power 90 as an added bonus to a package deal available for anybody who was a Beachbody Coach. I tried Power 90 a couple of times and wrote this review in 2009. Its 2018 and its time for an update.

Here is the thing though. I never did an entire round of Power 90. Reason being is I was conditioned to the time and effort involved with P90X. To do a round of Power 90 after doing P90X would be taking a step back with my fitness.

This does not mean Power 90 is a bad program. After sampling many of the workouts I’d say its one of the better programs Beachbody released. Reason being is the workouts are good and straight to the point. There is no messing around.

I do not have any before and after photos to share. Only my thoughts about the Power 90 workouts I did. Before we get into that you need to know…

What Is It?

The Power 90 Workout was developed by Beachbody and trainer Tony Horton in the early 2000s. This workout is what led up to the creation of P90X. Since P90X was built from a lot of the principles of Power 90 you will find the two very similar. Except for the fact that Tony Horton was wearing some very short shorts through the entire program.

Power 90 Sweat 1 - 2
Nice quads Tony!

There are two differences between Power 90 and P90X. The first one is time. The average length of a P90X workout is 1 hour long while Power 90 is 40 minutes.

The other is Power 90 is better for people who are not in decent shape already. This makes a big difference because P90X is for people who have built up some level of fitness and are looking for the next thing.

If you consider yourself out of shape then going the Power 90 workout route might be better than P90X.

Power 90 Before P90X
You will want to do Power 90 and then P90X. Trust me.

If you can get by the graphics, gray carpeting, and short shorts you will really like Power 90.

What You Need

To do Power 90 you need either resistance bands or dumbbells. To make the workout more comfortable you may want an exercise mat and Beachbody supplements.

The Power 90 Workouts

Sculpt Circuit Phase 1-2 – Simple moves to tone up your body.
Sweat Cardio Phase 1-2 – Burns fat and sheds inches off your waist.
Sculpt Circuit Phase 3-4 – Next level of toning up muscles.
Sweat Cardio Phase 3-4 – More intense level of fat burning moves.
Phase 1-2 workouts have Ab Ripper 100 at the end and Phase 3-4 come with Ab Ripper 200.

I really enjoyed the Sculpt Phase 3-4 and Ab Ripper 200. Both are no-nonsense workouts that will get you “feeling the burn.” From time to time I will do Ab Ripper 200 and my abs are burning the next day. It’s not as hard as Ab Ripper X, it’s just different.

What Comes With The Power 90 Workout?

Power 90 WorkoutPower 90 Workout Guide and calendar to keep you on track.
Fat Burning Express – Get your metabolism going in 35 minutes.
Fat Burner Meal Plan – Shed pounds while still eating the foods you like.
6 Day Fat Burning Express Plan – Lose weight fast.
Measurement Card and Tape Measure – Keep track of your progress.
Free Resistance Band

Power 90 Workout

Power 90 Workout

90 day fat burning and toning workout.
Build your core, thighs, and upper body

 

 

Power 90: The Master Series

Advanced Power 90 workouts.
Targeted workouts to get you ripped in less time.

What could be better than Power 90 workouts? Yes, more Power 90 workouts. That’s what the Master Series is all about. Whats funny about these workouts is Beachbody created the Master Series after P90X was released.

My guess is they saw people enjoy getting their butts kicked for an hour and tried to get a little more out of the Power 90 brand.

Power 90 With P90X Poster
Pay no attention to the P90X poster behind me.

The Power 90 Master Series Workouts

Core Cardio – Get your core reved up with an intense cardio sculpting workout.
Plyo Legs – Tony Horton’s intense lower body jumping workout.
Sculpt Phase 5-6 – Tough body sculpting workout.
Sweat Phase 5-6 – A big calorie burning workout.
Cardio Intervals – Burn lots of fat with challenging cardio moves.
UML – Burn up those upper, middle, and lower muscles.

I have tried all of the Master Series workouts once and I liked them. They are not as good as P90X but good enough to occasionally do.

Stream

So its 2018. You probably have no interest in buying the Power 90 DVDs. And that’s a good thing because Beachbody no longer sells them.

The only way to access Power 90 or the Master Series is with a Beachbody On Demand membership.

You can view Power 90 and any other Beachbody workout with the BOD membership for $40 every quarter or $99 a year.

Summary

I have never done a round of Power 90. And rarely do I grab a Power 90 workout to mix into a hybrid program. But its the first workout I recommend to someone who is really out of shape or if they say P90X is to tough for them.

It’s just a really good program from top to bottom. It was such a good program that Beachbody did a remake of it in 2014 and appropriately called it P90.

P90 is basically the same program as Power 90 but with a better production value. Tony Horton is  a decade older in P90 but he’s still kicking butt and wearing longer shorts.

 

P90X Plus Workout Review: Not What You Expect

February 16, 2018 - Updated February 16, 2018

To bring things up to date I like to go back into time and freshen up old posts. And that’s what I’m doing with this review of P90X Plus.

I remember being all excited to do P90X Plus when I heard it was released. And why wouldn’t I be? I had just finished my second round of P90X and loved the results. What could be better than P90X than more P90X?

As soon as I could buy P90X Plus I did. And waited for the dvds to show up at my house.

What Is P90X Plus?

I knew ahead of time that P90X Plus was not a 90 day program like P90X and should be looked at as five additional workouts to switch things up. And those five workouts are…

  • Interval X Plus: A 40 minute HIIT type workout. I liked this one the most.
  • Kenpo Cardio Plus: A continuation of Kenpo X from P90X. It was ok. 40 minutes.
  • Upper Plus: For 40 minutes it was good but not great. Nothing like P90X Chest & Back.
  • Total Body Plus: Similar to Core Synergistics from P90X. 45 minutes.
  • Abs/Core Plus: Different than Ab Ripper X from P90X in that Tony Horton gets you hanging from the pull up bar.  Its pretty good for a 20 minute ab workout.

I’d like to tell you I liked P90X Plus but that would be a lie. I might be nitpicking a little here but the production value from Beachbody wasn’t as good as P90X. It felt like Beachbody made P90X Plus quickly to continue on the success of P90X.

I have no before and after photos to share from P90X Plus as that is not what this workout is about.

P90X Plus Workout
But it isn’t.

When I received P90X Plus I did a couple weeks of the workouts one after another. Outside of “Upper Plus” the other four are mostly total body workouts which are ok but I prefer workouts that target specific muscle groups. Tony Horton and the cast set a quicker pace through P90X Plus versus P90X.

A change of pace from time to time is nice but if you have done P90X then you may get bored with P90X Plus. Not once did I mix P90X Plus workouts into another round of P90X or create a hybrid workout.

Buy P90X Plus

If you would still like to try P90X Plus you can still buy the dvds for $60.

But its 2018 and buying dvds is out of style. So don’t do that.

What you should do is start a 14 day free trial of Beachbody On Demand where you can stream P90X Plus and the entire catalog of Beachbody workouts anywhere and anytime.

Summary

Here it is 2018 and not once in the past eight years have I thought about adding any of the P90X Plus workouts to a hybrid program or just doing one of the workouts for shits and giggles. It’s not that Tony Horton made some bad workouts. It’s that the P90X workouts were that much better and with me doing P90X I was conditioned to the intensity and duration of P90X workouts.

P90X Plus is not like that. And it’s why the dvds I bought have been sitting around collecting dust the past eight years.

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