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Beachbody Workouts |OT| Gaf Does P90/X/X2, Insanity/Asylum, T-25 and More!

Kiriku

SWEDISH PERFECTION
One last question, would you recommend the Bowflex Adjustable Dumbbell Set (I've seen a lot of youtube videos for Body Beast using it) or is it better to just have individual dumbbells?

Never tried them, but I'm sure someone else in here could give you an opinion on them though.
I use regular adjustable dumbbells myself, works fine for me, but Bowflex would definitely be more convenient (if I had the money to spend).
 

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
I have a set of the Bowflex 552's -- they're good and you can change the weights quickly, however you may move past the max weight quickly with some of the exercises. Also, they are very wide and that will affect your form in some lifts.
Plus, in Body Beast he moves FAST and you're doing a lot of progressive sets so you need to change very quickly, or you'll end up pausing the video often (which will lengthen your workout time, and that can be an issue if you're time-limited). I ended up getting a second set of adjustable dumbbells, the Iron Master ones. They're slower to change but go up to 75lbs. I'd set them to the heaviest weight of a set and use the Bowflex ones for lighter weights in the set. Even with that, I'd still have to pause in some of the workouts.
If I had it to do again I'd have spent the money on building a collection of fixed dumbbells, probably buying used.
 

Tash

Member
Damnit :/ my right wrist has been hurting for a while now during push-ups. Not happy about this. Doesn't hurt when I don't do anything but everything with push-ups is not fun right now..started to use push-up bars which helps a bit.
 

LaneDS

Member
Damnit :/ my right wrist has been hurting for a while now during push-ups. Not happy about this. Doesn't hurt when I don't do anything but everything with push-ups is not fun right now..started to use push-up bars which helps a bit.

Had that issue a few weeks back after doing some Max 30 workouts, and like you I found that using the push-up bars helped. Also being really deliberate when doing things like burpees to make sure nothing is tweaking helped somewhat. Been trying to get more calcium as well, since I feel like my bones aren't super strong (might be dumb, I have no idea).

Try to avoid push-ups for a few days if you think you can then just go slowly with the bars for a while to see how it goes.
 

Prez

Member
Can I do P90X without buying the DVDs? Someone have a link with a good schedule for a beginner and an explanation of all the workouts?
 

amaretto

Member
Hello Beachbody enthusiasts...

I'm considering ending my gym membership (I've only been going for about 2 or so months) and going with Insanity or T25/P90 along with a much improved diet. I have a lot more free time now that school is out so I was wondering what do you guys think is the better option: gym + good eating or Insanity/T25/P90 + good eating?

Right now, I'm 5'9 and about 185 lbs. I'm not looking to get super fit and muscular tbh, I just want to tone up everywhere (especially my thunder thighs), flatten my stomach and tighten up my butt.

Appreciate any and all help/opinions!

One thing I'd like to mention - I drink GNC lean shakes 2x a day. :c
 

Pyrokai

Member
Sorry for a drive by question...but...


For anyone who has done Body Beast: do you think the eating plan and macro suggestion for the first two months of 25/50/25 suffices? I feel like it's way more carbs than necessary. I was considering changing it to 30/40/30. What do you think? Stupid?

And don't a lot of people bulk on 40/30/30? Need a little bit of advice I guess...
 

Tash

Member
Hello Beachbody enthusiasts...

I'm considering ending my gym membership (I've only been going for about 2 or so months) and going with Insanity or T25/P90 along with a much improved diet. I have a lot more free time now that school is out so I was wondering what do you guys think is the better option: gym + good eating or Insanity/T25/P90 + good eating?

Right now, I'm 5'9 and about 185 lbs. I'm not looking to get super fit and muscular tbh, I just want to tone up everywhere (especially my thunder thighs), flatten my stomach and tighten up my butt.

Appreciate any and all help/opinions!

One thing I'd like to mention - I drink GNC lean shakes 2x a day. :c

Sounds like Shaun T's workouts would be right on the spot for you. The Gym or Beachbody program approach is up to you, really. Noone can tell you that one or the other is better. It really depends what you want.

I remember doing some videos for BB back when I first finished P90X and one of the questions was on why I like beachbody videos. My answer was as follows:

I love working out at home, without having to wait for machines or gear while getting cold. I love the fact that I can work out whenever I want and immediately without having to drive or take transportation to the gym. I also love working out without feeling watched and self conscious. Besides the fact that programs have taught me so much about nutrition and health in general, these are the main reasons I don't go to the gym any more. The only downside is that if you want to really do weight lifting you do need to buy a bit of equipment. However, again, that is a non issue with most of Shaun T's programs since he mostly uses body weight exercises with amazing results :)

I generally also find that the gym makes me bored even if I have a schedule to follow. The diversity in the BB programs always keeps me motivated.

This is coming from a P90X, P90X2, P90X3, Insanity, Asylum, T25 and Insanity: Max 30 Owner :)

Had that issue a few weeks back after doing some Max 30 workouts, and like you I found that using the push-up bars helped. Also being really deliberate when doing things like burpees to make sure nothing is tweaking helped somewhat. Been trying to get more calcium as well, since I feel like my bones aren't super strong (might be dumb, I have no idea).

Try to avoid push-ups for a few days if you think you can then just go slowly with the bars for a while to see how it goes.

Yeah, it's definitely the amount of push-ups and burpees that takes its toll. I am also taking supplements to help with the burn which means I probably have a tendency to be able to go longer than my strength would normally let me..even though I can do it I switched to modifier for a while. I figure it will help with getting my strength up first and be sure the stabilizer muscles can take the heat of the faster and higher impact movement. Weirdly enough my right ankle started hurting a bit as well. I don't feel anything, only when I workout and early mornings and it's more of a tenderness than real pain. Really weird.
 
So insanity:max 30 is in demand now if you buy the dvd set. So far, I love cardio, sweat intervals and fight night round 1 but absolutely hate Tabata Power. The sequencing is power and I think a lot of people are gonna tear up their shoulders if they don't do just the modifications first.
 

Pyrokai

Member
Tabata Power and Tabata Strength were my favorite Max 30 routines. Loved them. I didn't have any shoulder problems, though. Are you talking about the V push ups?
 

Tash

Member
Tabata Power and Tabata Strength were my favorite Max 30 routines. Loved them. I didn't have any shoulder problems, though. Are you talking about the V push ups?

Same and same but I also agree that the risk for injury is REALLY high with IM30. I think they should advice to do one round with the modifier first to get your form and stabilisers ready for the higher impact version. That's what I am currently doing even though I could do the non modifiers fit level wise.

I think especially the tricep dip sequence is dangerous if you lean and depend on your shoulders instead of your tricep strength.
 

Prez

Member
For $2.99/week you can sign up for Beachbody On Demand, their streaming service. It has all the P90X workouts on it plus several more.

http://bit.ly/1NfNg0L

Otherwise, yeah you need to buy the DVDs.

Thanks for the tip!

I just started day 1 (chest and back). I'm 5'11" and 155 lbs so I'm pretty skinny. I could do about 10 regular push-ups and 8 pull-ups with one leg on a chair (max 1 without chair). Couldn't do a single diamond push-up and by round 2 my arms were so sore I couldn't do a single push-up of any kind anymore (not even negatives). The whole thing lasted little over 20 minutes instead of 40. I will improve if I keep going, right? My chest doesn't feel sore though so maybe I'm doing something wrong?
 

Pyrokai

Member
Thanks for the tip!

I just started day 1 (chest and back). I'm 5'11" and 155 lbs so I'm pretty skinny. I could do about 10 regular push-ups and 8 pull-ups with one leg on a chair (max 1 without chair). Couldn't do a single diamond push-up and by round 2 my arms were so sore I couldn't do a single push-up of any kind anymore (not even negatives). The whole thing lasted little over 20 minutes instead of 40. I will improve if I keep going, right? My chest doesn't feel sore though so maybe I'm doing something wrong?

Hey there :)

Your post caught my eye because your stats are pretty much exactly what mine were when I first did P90X a couple years ago. Thought I'd give my advice:

First of all: Follow Tony's advice, especially in Chest & Back. Don't max yourself out in the first round. Max yourself out in the second round. That said, still make sure your final 3 reps are HARD in the first round. If not, you're not accomplishing much. In the second round, do what you can until you fatigue for each move. If that means 1-3 reps, then that's what it means and that's just fine.

If you can't do a move (like diamond push ups), try going on your knees and doing some reps until you're strong enough to to a couple real ones. And even when you do a couple of real ones, then you can go back down to your knees once you can't do anymore.

Oh, and from finish each workout. Do NOT quit early!!

That's the tough advice.

The nice advice is that you WILL get better. Make sure you eat enough (no crashing!) and eat WELL (no junk!) and just watch your results explode. You might surprise yourself. Every time you do a workout again, try to add just one more rep to everything you do until you can add more weight and start over again with that move.

Hope I helped encourage you a little :)
 

Prez

Member
Hey there :)

Your post caught my eye because your stats are pretty much exactly what mine were when I first did P90X a couple years ago. Thought I'd give my advice:

First of all: Follow Tony's advice, especially in Chest & Back. Don't max yourself out in the first round. Max yourself out in the second round. That said, still make sure your final 3 reps are HARD in the first round. If not, you're not accomplishing much. In the second round, do what you can until you fatigue for each move. If that means 1-3 reps, then that's what it means and that's just fine.

If you can't do a move (like diamond push ups), try going on your knees and doing some reps until you're strong enough to to a couple real ones. And even when you do a couple of real ones, then you can go back down to your knees once you can't do anymore.

Oh, and from finish each workout. Do NOT quit early!!

That's the tough advice.

The nice advice is that you WILL get better. Make sure you eat enough (no crashing!) and eat WELL (no junk!) and just watch your results explode. You might surprise yourself. Every time you do a workout again, try to add just one more rep to everything you do until you can add more weight and start over again with that move.

Hope I helped encourage you a little :)

Thanks, that really helps! I couldn't even do a single push-up hours after my workout so I guess I really was maxed out. My chest feels sore now so I did do it right apparently.

I eat 2 eggs for breakfast every day, a big bowl of green soup, a handful of nuts and a liter of skimmed chocolate milk. I'll try to eat chicken, fish and beans more often. Those are already big changes in my diet. There's still some unhealthy stuff like french fries and cookies but I'm going to take it slow. I know myself and I'm sure that too much of a change at once will end in me giving up soon. One small step at a time is the only way for me to succeed.

Now the only thing I need is a set of resistance bands because the one I have now doesn't have enough resistance. I'm thinking of ordering this set of Bodylastics which has a range of 3-96 lbs of tension. That should be plenty for a while, right? I'd rather avoid weights since I'll be moving abroad soon and I don't want to add a bunch of heavy weights on top of all the other stuff I have to move.
 
those bands are pretty much the same i got from amazon.com. great quality. hasn't snapped on me. and they are plenty strong as far as resistance go!
 

Prez

Member
those bands are pretty much the same i got from amazon.com. great quality. hasn't snapped on me. and they are plenty strong as far as resistance go!

I'll order them then, thanks!

Just did my first time of plyo. That was pretty brutal but I managed to do the whole thing and I feel great now :)
 

Prez

Member
My Bodylastics arrived today. Seems like good quality. I got the set with 6 bands with a maximum resistance of 71 lbs if I combine them all. That should be more than plenty for a very long time, right?

Anway, I had to skip the third day because I had to do physical work all day and I was too sore to do anything. I also felt like I'm not eating enough so I'm adding more high-protein foods to my diet. Probably also a good idea to eat a protein bar right after working out. I'm cutting down on sugar but not on fat so far. My body fat percentage is about 13-14% which I'm happy with, no need for me to go lower than 12%.
 

Pyrokai

Member
My body fat percentage is about 13-14% which I'm happy with, no need for me to go lower than 12%.

Just curious: how are you measuring BF? I'm trying to figure out a way that suits me and I'm just curious how others are doing it.

So I'm totally a day behind after my first week of Body Beast. I might not even be able to do it today. I'm so sore + busy. This might be the worst DOMS I've ever experienced. Not sure what to do. I'm pretty in determined to do this the while way through, and I'm already falling behind because of the holiday weekend.

I'll report back later, but anyone else experience severe DOMS? Is it better to let it subside and then resume or just chug on with lifting even if super sore?
 

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
When I first started Body Beast the first month-6 weeks were brutal. I ached all the time. Probably needed more magnesium and potassium. You might try eating more bananas & greens, or maybe get a magnesium supplement.

I just lived with it & pressed on.
 

Pyrokai

Member
Okay, cool. Thank you! I will probably up my intake of greens because I eat 1-2 bananas a day, so it's probably not that. I'll try to eat more broccoli, asparagus, spinach, etc.
 

Prez

Member
Just curious: how are you measuring BF? I'm trying to figure out a way that suits me and I'm just curious how others are doing it.

So I'm totally a day behind after my first week of Body Beast. I might not even be able to do it today. I'm so sore + busy. This might be the worst DOMS I've ever experienced. Not sure what to do. I'm pretty in determined to do this the while way through, and I'm already falling behind because of the holiday weekend.

I'll report back later, but anyone else experience severe DOMS? Is it better to let it subside and then resume or just chug on with lifting even if super sore?

I used this body fat calculator. Not the most reliable way but it's an indication.
 

Pyrokai

Member
Thanks!

Do you guys think the order of the videos (specificaly for Body Beast) matters? I am about to do a workout but because I'm away from my home, I can't do the regularly scheduled video today because I lack a bench/stability ball. So I'm going to do the Leg workout, which doesn't require either of those. But that means I'll have 3 upper body workouts in a row.

Bad idea?
 

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
Thanks!

Do you guys think the order of the videos (specificaly for Body Beast) matters? I am about to do a workout but because I'm away from my home, I can't do the regularly scheduled video today because I lack a bench/stability ball. So I'm going to do the Leg workout, which doesn't require either of those. But that means I'll have 3 upper body workouts in a row.

Bad idea?

Nah, that's fine. Since the workouts are so focused, the order per week is less important than trying not to do the same one two days in a row.
 

Prez

Member
Chest, shoulders and triceps in P90X is impossible for beginners, right? I could only do about a quarter of all the push-up exercises because my triceps gave up too soon. That's normal, I hope? I tried to compensate at the end of the work-out by doing some diamond push-ups on my knees... Any tips?
 

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
Chest, shoulders and triceps in P90X is impossible for beginners, right? I could only do about a quarter of all the push-up exercises because my triceps gave up too soon. That's normal, I hope? I tried to compensate at the end of the work-out by doing some diamond push-ups on my knees... Any tips?

You can't start at the top. Do as many full range-of-motion push-ups as you can with perfect form, then drop to your knees and do more that way. Over time you'll do more of the former and fewer of the latter.
 

Prez

Member
You can't start at the top. Do as many full range-of-motion push-ups as you can with perfect form, then drop to your knees and do more that way. Over time you'll do more of the former and fewer of the latter.

Thanks for the tip, hope I'll improve soon that way.
 

Ludovico

Member
P90x day four here, yoga x was depressingly difficult after feeling good about the last three days. Not even being able to modify or ease into some of the moves sucks.
Oh well, no pain no gain.
 

PKrockin

Member
Chest, shoulders and triceps in P90X is impossible for beginners, right? I could only do about a quarter of all the push-up exercises because my triceps gave up too soon. That's normal, I hope? I tried to compensate at the end of the work-out by doing some diamond push-ups on my knees... Any tips?

You're still doing better than me. My triceps gave out after about 2 regular pushups. I pretty much had to do all the pushups on my knees. My triceps are incredibly weak.

ain't gonna lie, felt a little depressing to be a dude doing "women's" pushups, but that's #skeletonlyfe
 

Prez

Member
You're still doing better than me. My triceps gave out after about 2 regular pushups. I pretty much had to do all the pushups on my knees. My triceps are incredibly weak.

ain't gonna lie, felt a little depressing to be a dude doing "women's" pushups, but that's #skeletonlyfe

I switched to wide push-ups when I couldn't do the regular anymore. I could do those a little longer, then I had to do them on my knees.

How are pull-ups going? My maximum is 8 with one foot on a chair, 1-2 without the chair.

Keep pushing yourself to the max. And don't forget to take in plenty of proteins, especially within the first half hour after your work-out. I'm eating a lot of cheese, eggs, a handful of mixed nuts and skimmed chocolate milk. Brown toast with a slice of cheese and turkey is my favorite snack.

I'm sure we'll both make progress!
 

PKrockin

Member
I switched to wide push-ups when I couldn't do the regular anymore. I could do those a little longer, then I had to do them on my knees.

How are pull-ups going? My maximum is 8 with one foot on a chair, 1-2 without the chair.

Keep pushing yourself to the max. And don't forget to take in plenty of proteins, especially within the first half hour after your work-out. I'm eating a lot of cheese, eggs, a handful of mixed nuts and skimmed chocolate milk. Brown toast with a slice of cheese and turkey is my favorite snack.

I'm sure we'll both make progress!
Chinups are going better because I have some semblance of bicep from carrying things often as part of my job. I can do 2 or 3 unsassisted, but not pullups.

I eat everything you mentioned too, plus chicken and peanut butter. Often I'll have some pasta with a ton of broccoli or chicken fried rice with assorted veggies but I'll be cutting back on the pasta now. It's weird though, I'm only just now starting to get hungry despite it being 24 hours since I last ate... I should probably eat something anyway. lol

Good luck to you bro. May the god of gainz smile upon you on your darkest hour of the Plyometrics day.
 

Prez

Member
Chinups are going better because I have some semblance of bicep from carrying things often as part of my job. I can do 2 or 3 unsassisted, but not pullups.

I eat everything you mentioned too, plus chicken and peanut butter. Often I'll have some pasta with a ton of broccoli or chicken fried rice with assorted veggies but I'll be cutting back on the pasta now. It's weird though, I'm only just now starting to get hungry despite it being 24 hours since I last ate... I should probably eat something anyway. lol

Good luck to you bro. May the god of gainz smile upon you on your darkest hour of the Plyometrics day.

I did plyo once and I'm skipping it now because I don't really need to lose much fat and it's bad for my knees (bad knees are in my family, both my parents needed surgery in their 50s). I'd rather go on long walks or a bike ride. Here's an interesting read about cardio and building muscle with P90X but I don't know how true it is.

My main goal though is just to get some exercise to help me feel better mentally. Any gains I get in the process are just a bonus. I have bigger priorities at the moment so I'm not very dedicated.

One thing I'm worried about is I'm having a mole removed on my belly next week and I'll probably have to quit for a week or more... If I don't I risk scar tissue formation which is not pretty.
 

PKrockin

Member
So I'm not sure I should do my third workout today. The rest of my body is just sore as hell, but my arms, chest and especially shoulders have gone from just really sore to sharply painful. Raising my upper arms above horizontal in particular actually hurts a lot. I'm guessing it's a combination of pushing myself too hard, normal delayed onset muscle soreness, and getting some 3 hours of sleep the last two days. Normally I have absolutely no problem sleeping anytime, anyplace, but I just can't keep my eyes closed when I had the opportunity to sleep the last two days. It might be the combination of recently reversing my sleep schedule due to work and suddenly working out.

I'm not hungry at all, either. My appetite has actually decreased a lot compared to a few days ago. It's ridiculous, everything is the opposite of the last time I started P90X--I ate ravenously and could hardly stay awake after a workout. I even remember the cardio not being as bad in Plyo as all the squats melting my legs into limp quivering tubes of jelly, but this time my heart was pounding so fast it almost distracted me from my legs. What the hell happened with my body in the last two years? lol
 

Kiriku

SWEDISH PERFECTION
Here's an interesting read about cardio and building muscle with P90X but I don't know how true it is.

It's true, not just for P90X but in general. I imagine it's also the reason why the bulk phase in Body Beast (Huge schedule) cuts cardio completely.
 

empyrean

Member
i know i posted quite a while back about this but i've only just got around to trying it.

Trying to signup for the free 30 day trial of beach body on demand (I'm i the uk), you can seemingly only signup with billing addresses from either USA or Canada? :(
 

Pyrokai

Member
Yeah....sometimes the second and third days are the worst for the soreness.

It'll get better the more you do that workout, though.
 

Pyrokai

Member
Alright guys, I have some questions that have been bugging me about form with some back exercises and shoulder exercises. Hopefully you guys can help un-confuse me:

1. I can't understand the difference between the move Rear Delt Raise in the workout Build: Shoulders versus the move Reverse Fly in the workout Build: Back/Bis. I've watched them simultaneously and I can't figure out a difference. If there is, I need help because the way I do them both is the same. Any suggestions here?

2. In general, for Back workouts, I struggle a lot. I never seem to make a difference in what I can do on my back, and I think it might because my highest weight is 40lbs. I know that for One Arm Rows (a move in Build: Back/Bis), it's easier to do much higher weights. Am I never seeing results because I should be doing much higher weights with Row moves?

I think those are my biggest issues right now....well, aside from pull-ups which are always a struggle for me. Hopefully one of you see something I'm not, especially for question #1

Edit: Btw, these are for Body Beast workouts.
 

Prez

Member
Did chest and back (P90X) only for the second time yesterday and I could do double the amount of push-ups already. I kept going until I couldn't do a single push-up or pull-up and I feel less sore than the first time. Feels good to make that much progress so quickly.

No soreness in my back though (didn't have any the first time either), so I might be doing something wrong? Which exercises in chest and back are supposed to work out your back?
 

Pyrokai

Member
Did chest and back only for the second time yesterday and I could do double the amount of push-ups already. I kept going until I couldn't do a single push-up or pull-up and I feel less sore than the first time. Feels good to make that much progress so quickly.

No soreness in my back though (didn't have any the first time either), so I might be doing something wrong?

That's awesome! Love to hear that!
 

Tash

Member
I remember the very first time I did plyo: Those chair kicks...my hip flexors just flat out refused to work the days after. I literally could not walk or sit down or get up..
 

Soi-Fong

Member
Just bought P90x and some of the required equipment.

I'm currently 5'8, 160 lbs, and so I could do with losing fat and of course gaining muscle. I use to lift weights back in high school, but sorta stopped after getting into college. I turned 24 in January and now have a stable career so I'm hoping on trying to be more healthy again.

I'm more worried about really the dieting. How does it work with P90x since I hear that you do HAVE to eat right with the regimen?

Edit: Looking online at the nutritional plan, how much do you have to follow it to a tee? Like the first day, dinner is with a salmon dinner. Like does it have to be salmon? The plan itself seems so strict. I have no trouble following a plan, but the food itself can get real expensive it seems.

Edit: So, if I measured my body fat right, right now I'm at 16% body fat? What would be an ideal for someone who wants to lose fat and gain a decent - high amount of muscle?
 

Pyrokai

Member
Just bought P90x and some of the required equipment.

I'm currently 5'8, 160 lbs, and so I could do with losing fat and of course gaining muscle. I use to lift weights back in high school, but sorta stopped after getting into college. I turned 24 in January and now have a stable career so I'm hoping on trying to be more healthy again.

I'm more worried about really the dieting. How does it work with P90x since I hear that you do HAVE to eat right with the regimen?

Edit: Looking online at the nutritional plan, how much do you have to follow it to a tee? Like the first day, dinner is with a salmon dinner. Like does it have to be salmon? The plan itself seems so strict. I have no trouble following a plan, but the food itself can get real expensive it seems.

I would say that the most important things are the macronutrient ratios and the number of calories you eat that suit your goals. You don't have to follow the meal-by-meal plan to a tee.

Just make sure that you meet your goals without eating junk. Like, if you need 30 more grams of carbs, try to make it fruit and veggies instead of a pizza. And eat quality meat (like salmon or chicken) rather than 30 grams of protein from deli lunch meat or a microwave-dinner.
 

SteveMeister

Hang out with Steve.
FYI if you're a Club member, check out Beachbody On Demand today (June 1) -- they're doing a one-day only sneak preview of Shaun T's new dance workout, CIZE. Skimmed through it, looks like fun :)
 

Soi-Fong

Member
I would say that the most important things are the macronutrient ratios and the number of calories you eat that suit your goals. You don't have to follow the meal-by-meal plan to a tee.

Just make sure that you meet your goals without eating junk. Like, if you need 30 more grams of carbs, try to make it fruit and veggies instead of a pizza. And eat quality meat (like salmon or chicken) rather than 30 grams of protein from deli lunch meat or a microwave-dinner.

Is there a site where you can, I guess, "count" this stuff? Like how exactly would I know how many more grams of carbs would I need?
 
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