Maybe you’ve seen the info-mercials for P90X, LES MILLS PUMP, or TurboFire and you were impressed. And then, you thought to yourself – There is no way I can do that. Those people are already super fit.
Well, there is no denying that those folks are super fit, but there is so much more to the story that you should know.
There are many advantages to owning any or all of the fitness videos sold by Beachbody. I hate admitting this, but I know a few people who have pirated copies of P90X. I wave my finger at them every time the topic comes up because I strongly disagree with anyone who pirates media for any reason.
What I’ve told my friends about that they were surprised to learn is this – There are several components to each of these fitness DVDs and most pirated copies are not complete.
Did you know that in the original P90X and many other Beachbody DVDs that you have several options for how to interact with the DVD?
One of the things I like best about my Beachbody DVD collection is the ability to turn features of the DVD on or off.
For example, after you’ve completed the same workout a few times, maybe you would like to listen to your own music but still hear the narration of the exercises. With P90X and others, this is simple. As an added benefit, you can also turn off the audio for the narrative.
Now here’s where it gets really cool as far as I’m concerned. P90X and many other Beachbody series have a graphical interface on the screen that displays relevant information. How many reps are left, how much time is left in an exercise, or even how much time is left in the entire workout.
When I’m using my Power90 DVDs (one of my favorite workouts), I like that the graphical display shows me a series of bubbles representing the entire workout. As I complete a particular section of the workout, that bubble gets colored in. These bubbles are also color coded starting with green, then yellow, then red. These colors represent the warm-up, the easier part of the workout, and the harder part.
These indications are an invaluable tool for me in the actual execution of each workout. Some days I wake up feeling just ok and don’t really want to work very hard. Other days, I’m bummed when the workout ends and I have to clean up the sweat.
Like most Beachbody DVDs, P90X is designed to be adjustable. I started P90X when I was 65 pounds overweight. I was unable to perform most of the exercises in the series. What I was able to do is this – I was able to use the indicators on screen, and my own music for motivation to start moving. If you are like I was and you are overweight, this is the first and biggest step you need to take. You need to start moving.
I found that some of the DVDs were too advanced for me while others were exactly what I needed. X Stretch for example is like Tai Chi for me. It is very calming and slow moving, yet I sweat like crazy every time I perform it.
The real value of these DVDs for me is that I’ve been able to use them as a starting tool. As I progressed, I was able to put the same DVD in the player, push play, and have a more intense workout. Now in my third round of the Beachbody Challenge, I am able to put the same DVD in the player and get the most challenging workouts of my life.
Please let me share one last tip with you in the article – We all like to admire things and we typically admire things that we would like for ourselves. When you watch the info-mercials on TV and you admire the fitness trainers you see, please know that you too can have that same look. Take a look at this video and see if you can relate to the people at the end of the video.
Train Hard – Train Safely, and we’ll see you in the gym!
