Last night I listed to a live YouTube chat with Chalene Johnson for 59 minutes (yes I listened to all of it!) talk about her newest Beachbody Fitness program called PiYo. Read below my notes section to find about more about what PiYo is and to get links.
Please note that I am not a Beachbody coach and I do not benefit or get compensation for posting links, this blog post, or any reviews that I do on Beachbody Fitness program. :-) I just really love their workouts and especially love Chalene Johnson's workouts!!
PiYo Notes from video chat:
-Piyo is designed for people new to fitness, the "average joe", people who don't like to jump, who need to work on flexibility and restore their joints, who want low impact, people who are not in shape.
-Because you are using your own body weight, it will be challenging for both beginners and advanced exercisers.
-You will be using large muscle groups in a wide range of motions.
-PiYo was created by Chalene who personally tried to take Yoga and Pilates classes because she needed to do flexability training but she didn't care for it and how slow it was. So she developed her workout for the gym and called it "PiYo". PiYo not only combines pilates and yoga moves; but also athletic stretch, cardio and body weight training.
-PiYo does not have choreography but it is set to a beat so there is rhythmic moving for the functional workouts. She mentioned they are "functional" workouts in that you aren't holding a low lunge for a long period of time because when will you ever need to do that in real life? (LOL very true!)
-You will gain core strength and upper body strength. Both men and women will feel like an athlete doing this program. Her husband helped her create the program so its suited for both men and women.
-If you have taken a PiYo class in the gym, you have only seen 1/10th of what you can get with this program. These workouts you can't get at the gym.
-You WILL see body transformations and results with this program even though it is low impact.
-Chalene did let it slip that you can use possible "tools" along side these PiYo workouts (I'm thinking maybe a ball or band?) but she wasn't able to share more than that.
-The base kit is $59.85 which includes 8 workouts on 3 dvds plus a bonus workout. The workouts are 25-45 minutes and you can do a variety of PiYo workouts to get a longer workout if you like. She provides a nutrition plan and 60 day workout schedule.
-You do not need alot of space or any equipment for these workouts.
-Chalene suggests changing up your exercise routine, to try new programs because you never know what you will like or enjoy. She said its important to change up your exercise routine because the body will adapt and not burn as many calories if you keep doing the same things. This answer was in regards to someone questioning if they could do a cardio program or other program along side dong PiYo. (like doing a hybrid schedule)
-Don't do crash diets or reduce your food intake just to lose weight. You will end up losing muscle as well.
-Best way to prepare for PiYo before buying it in June: prepare you body nutrition wise by reading and learning about what your body personally needs. Everyone is different so she suggests figuring out the breakdown of what you need for calories, protein, carbs etc. based on your height and activity level.
-EAT FOR FUEL. Eat Clean.
-Be happy with your body-flaws and all. Count your blessings and be thankful with what your body can do instead of focusing on what you want to change about your body!
-Just move and have fun!!
Why I want to buy PiYo:
I am even more excited about this program after listening to the video chat last night.
Since "getting into fitness" a couple years ago, I understand and recognize the benefits of stretching and flexibility workouts but like Chalene I (a) don't enjoy how slow yoga moves are and it makes me anxious and I start thinking about all the stuff I need to do; and (b) I then feel like I also have to do other strength or cardio workouts along side the flexibility workouts which then stresses me out more because of time constraints.
So when I heard that PiYo combine flexibility and strength training from using the body and athletic training; I was like I'M SO BUYING THAT!! My hubby said hes okay with me buying ANOTHER workout program because he knows this is important to me and my birthday is the end of May so I'm counting it as a birthday present! :-)
About PiYo:
Introducing PiYo, a high-intensity, low-impact workout
for a new kind of STRONG.
Chalene Johnson took the very best Pilates and yoga-inspired
moves and cranked up the speed to give you full throttle cardio, strength, and
flexibility training—all at once. PiYo packs it ALL into each workout so you
can build lean muscle mass—as you're burning crazy calories.
Want to sculpt every single inch of your body? Watch this
video about the new PiYo workout.
Now you can carve every inch of your body.
How? You'll use your body weight to perform a series of
continuous, targeted moves, to burn fat as you redefine every single muscle. No
weights. No jumps. Just hardcore results.
The result? Problem areas become no problem. You'll get sleek, long arms, sexy,
flat abs, a tight, lifted butt, and the confidence that comes from knowing
you're at your best!
This is your chance to define exactly how you want to look—and how you want to
feel. You're in control.
You have the power to define yourself. Now use it.
View the PIYO workout preview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8ZPZJgyGMrs
$59.85 (plus shipping and handling) base kit
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/PiYoWorkout
