The BeachBody program that I am currently working on is
Piyo. Piyo is a mix of yoga, pilates, and cardio. I chose Piyo because I have
done yoga and pilates off and on since I was about 17 or 18. I love yoga and
pilates because you really work on your strength and get a good workout, all
while stretching and not having to bounce around and trip all over yourself (I
may be the most uncoordinated person alive). I have been going to Les Mills’BodyFlow classes at my gym for a while and I thought that Piyo would offer the
same kind of vibe, but would be a shorter workout (BodyFlow is around 55
minutes) and would have more variety. Plus I don’t have to drive 20 minutes to
the gym (in 5:00 traffic), which is always nice.
Another reason I love Piyo is that it is low impact.
Although I can get in lots of yoga positions, my legs get very angry when doing
anything involving any kind of impact (I did a few burpees yesterday and my
knee has not cooperated since). Because of this, I have to be careful when
choosing workouts.
When you get Piyo, you have an option of two different DVD
sets (as well as two Challenge Packs… which I’ll get to later). The regular DVD
package (which is what I own) includes 8 regular workouts, a bonus workout if
you order through me, a workout calendar that tells you the order in which to
do each workout, a nutrition guide, tape measure, and ME as a coach. The Deluxe
DVD package has everything that the regular package has, plus 2 additional
strength workouts, strength slides to use with the strength workouts, and a
yoga mat. I wish I had this package but I don’t. L
The Piyo and Shakeology Challenge Pack comes with everything
that the regular package has, plus your first month’s supply of Shakeology,
30-day Team BeachBody Club membership, and enrolls you in the Home Direct
auto-ship program for Shakeology (you’ll be billed for and sent your 30-day
supply of Shakeology each month). The Challenge Pack is definitely the best
deal! If you’re feeling extra frisky, there is the Piyo Kickstart and
Shakeology Challenge Pack. This includes the same things as the regular
challenge pack, but starts you off with BeachBody’s 3-Day Refresh Kit, which kick
starts weight loss. I have not personally used 3-Day Refresh because I have
already worked toward good eating habits, but this kit is a good start for
anyone who does not have good eating habits and wants to reset their body
before beginning a program!
Now… onto the workouts themselves. Here is a list of each of
the workouts and where they appear in the program:
Define: Lower Body (weeks 1, 2, & 3)
Define: Upper Body (weeks 1, 2, & 3)
Sweat (weeks 1-8)
Core (weeks 2-8)
Buns (weeks 3-8)
Strength Intervals (weeks 3-7)
Drench (weeks 4-8)
Sculpt (weeks 5-8)
What I like about this program, and many other BeachBody
programs, is that it builds. If I am doing a program for 8 weeks straight, I am
going to hope that I can handle a much different workout during week 8 than
what I could during week 1! Although I do really feel it when I’m doing Define:
Upper Body and Define: Lower Body, they are obviously less intense than Core or
Buns, which are introduced a little bit later.
Here is how each of my weeks has gone so far:
Week 1:
Monday- Align: The Fundamentals
Tuesday- Define: Lower Body
Wednesday- REST (Piyo wants me to rest on Fridays, but
Wednesdays are long for me so I moved it)
Thursday- Define: Upper Body
Friday- Sweat
Saturday- Define: Lower Body
Sunday- Define: Upper Body
The first day is just to get you into the right alignment
with some of the moves. If you are someone like me who is familiar with basic
yoga moves, I would not include this as my first workout. I would do it before
starting the program and then “begin” with Tuesday’s workout. However, if you
are not as familiar with the moves, this workout is a MUST! The problem people
face with yoga-type workouts is that they don’t understand the moves. This is
your chance to learn them!
I quite enjoyed Define: Lower Body. It’s about 24 minutes or
so and was a good workout without killing me. However, at about 18 minutes,
Define: Lower Body is a little short. It’s still a good workout, but I liked to
either combine it with Define: Upper Body or some cardio (there is a bonus
TurboFire Low HIIT 20 workout that comes with the DVDs that I thought was an
excellent warm-up for this workout). Keep in mind—I may be at a higher fitness
level than you. The Define workouts may be JUST what your body needs.
Sweat is a GREAT workout. It’s about 35 minutes and you will
SWEAT. This is probably my favorite workout out of the ones I have done so far.
It’s got a lot of classic yoga moves SPED UP. It’s great!
Week 2:
Monday- Sweat
Tuesday- Define: Lower Body
Wednesday- REST
Thursday- Core
Friday- Define: Upper Body
Saturday- Sweat
Sunday- Core
This is the week that I actually started combining cardio
and the Define workouts. Whew! It made a huge difference in my calorie burn and
I was exhausted by the end of each workout.
A new workout is introduced during this week- Core. I hate
Core. In a good way. You know how everyone tries to skip leg day? I will do
legs for DAYS before I will work my abs. I just don’t like it! But Core is an
excellent workout. I just need to suck it up and think about the wonderful abs
I’ll have later! J
Week 3:
Monday- Define: Upper Body
Tuesday- Buns
Wednesday- REST
Thursday- Core
Friday- Define: Lower Body
Saturday- Sweat
Sunday- Strength Intervals
There are a couple things going on in week 3 that are worth
mentioning. This is the last week that you’ll do the Define workouts. You can
tell as Core and Buns are introduced that the Define workouts are definitely
not as intense. I’ll miss them a little bit-especially Define: Lower Body.
These are definitely workouts I will pull out when I am done with the whole
program when I am craving a short workout!
You are also introduced to two new workouts this week. Buns
comes first. Holy moly will your buns be screaming by the end of this workout! Buns
not only works your buns, but really your whole lower body. It’s like the big
brother of Define: Lower Body. At the end of week 3 comes Strength Intervals.
Today was my first time doing them and WOW they were killer! This is definitely
where your cardio comes in and it is high intensity! I had to follow some of
the modified moves because I couldn’t quite bounce around like the instructor
(Chalene Johnson) was, but it was a really GREAT workout!
Well that is what I’ve though of Piyo so far! If you want to
know about weight loss factors since the program is more strength than cardio,
as of this morning I have lost 5.8 pounds during the three weeks I have been on
it! My arms are getting more defined and I can see some definition in my abs
wanting to peek out! I can also tell my pants are fitting much better after I
got a little wild with the sweets over the holidays. I have more energy during
the day and have been falling asleep much better at night! The key is to stay
consistent—I have not missed a day of Piyo yet and I have tried my best to stay
on track with my nutrition.
Please let me know if you have any questions about Piyo or are
interested in starting Piyo! It may be the perfect program for you!
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