PROS:
1) They are short. From warm-up to end is 25 min. It is not 25 min plus an extra 10 for warm up and cool down. There is no traditional warm-up like in other sets. The first couple of moves start out slow to get you moving and progress quickly. The cooldown comes after the regular workout stops all the way and they do the high fives, so it actually tacks another few minutes onto the end of the workout should you desire to do it.
2) Even though the workouts are short, they are very intense. You are not getting cheated by a short workout. If you put as much effort as you can, it is as intense as programs like P90x or Insanity.
3) There are modified versions of all the moves. So if you are not in the best shape, or cannot handle the higher impact variations you can follow the modifier when you need to.
4) Minimal equipment needed. In the first 5 weeks, you just need a mat, a pair of shoes, and space to work out. In the second 5 week phase you will need bands or weights, but not as much as you would with a program like P90x.
5) Lots of variety. There is a different workout for each day, and each phase has its own set of workouts. So it does not become as repetitive as say the P90X legs and back, plyometrics and Kenpo and Yoga workouts which you do at least 9 and in some cases all 12 weeks.
6) Almost every workout is a total body and incorporates some cardio. Even though there are workouts that focus on particular areas of the body like upper, lower and core, almost every workout has some form of cardio in it, and even though the focus may be on the upper body, you will still have to do some squats and lunges too.
CONS
1) The shakeology commercial before each workout is annoying, but you can skip past it so it is barely a con.
2) The camera does not always show the modifier except for a brief flash. Most of the time the camera does pan around the room and shows everyone doing the moves. But there are a couple occasions when they forgot to show the modifier for more than just an instant so you could see what she was doing. It is not a big deal after you have done each workout a few times, but I would suggest watching them through once first if you are going to be modified so you make sure you know what she is doing.
3) A minor point that really does not have anything to do with the workouts themselves, but having to wait for the "consult your physician" warning at the beginning of every video. As a lawyer, I know why they do it, but it is a pain not being able to skip past it.
4) There are no built-in breaks like there are in the other programs. As is the case with Insanity, however, you can take your own breaks when you need to, but the workouts all go straight through for 25 minutes.
In this set, there is an alpha and beta round that each last 5 weeks. There is also a separate gamma phase that you can do if you want to keep going with it. It is a perfect workout to start with if you want to do a program like Insanity or Asylum but do not feel in good enough shape to tackle them. Shaun T actually uses a lot of the same or similar moves that you find in those other programs, but you have the option of the less intense modification and the shorter time to build your way up to the point where you can get through 40-55 min. It is also a good program to use as a doubles hybrid workout. For example, I have been doing T25 in the morning before work, then the Chalean Extreme weight workouts in the afternoon when I get home. Not that you have to do that, but it is a workout that lends itself to that kind of thing well.
Ultimately the best workout for you is the one you can stick with. But if you have seen the infomercials of Insanity or Asylum and they look appealing but intimidating to you, this is definitely something to consider as it will help you build up to those harder programs. And if lack of time is your big excuse for not working out, then this pretty much removes that completely.
No comments:
Post a Comment