Well I later found out that it was because they were phasing out the OLD method and bringing in something NEW! And wow, am I glad I had to wait for this new cert!
Let's backtrack a bit. If you read my blog or know me well enough, you know that I am a huge Tony Horton fan. A lot of people like Shaun T, because of how popular Insanity is, but I am 100% on Team Horton. I credit my 45 pound weight loss 2 years ago completely to him. Sure, I was the one that lost all the weight, but Tony was the one that showed up every single day and made me laugh, motivated me to keep going, and gave me the tools to get back in shape. His silly jokes and funny style was exactly what I needed at the time. Had I picked up another program, I probably would have given up, honestly. Something about his style just kept me going!
I was super privileged last July to fly to Vegas and attend the Beachbody Summit. There not only did I get to meet Tony and have him sign my book, but I got to stand front row while he debuted his new workout, P90! It was a really special full circle moment for me!
So back to last Sunday. I signed up for the certification and was so pumped, and a little nervous about going. This is P90X afterall... it is hard! It has that stigma of being the hardest workout out there. And for good reason... chin ups! lol okay not just chin ups, but a lot of other reasons too. So I was really interested to see how they were going to bring everything he teaches you in the dvds (which last over an hour each) to the gym!
- two sets of weights (women: 5 to 8lbs men: 8 to 10lbs depending on level)
the weights are not required, and you could bring one set that you are comfortable with for both leg exercises and arm exercises
- strength bands (in case you do not own weights or cannot travel with them
- towel
- water
- mat, if the gym floor is not padded, for the floor exercises
- pen and paper
- P90X certification outline guide (you can write notes here)
- change of clothes, you will sweat a lot after your first workout!
- snacks and food for lunch! I packed apples, Shakeology, and granola bars
- credit card to purchase PRO TEAM status!
We started out just chatting about the day, introducing P90X group fitness, and talking about the new format. This got me so excited to start! Before, the program was more of a personal fitness geared gym class. Each day was a different target, and not really the same routine as Piyo or Insanity. No music or pre choreographed moves.
This new format is all of that and more. Music, fun, energy, but still keeping with the integrity of the brand! It is still very much Tony Horton!
I really liked that the instructor went over that Beachbody as a brand is really seeking to be the leader in the fitness world. They want to stay ahead of the curve, not behind it, and with that comes changing a few things and making it what the people want. But still getting fabulous results!
Beachbody will always be about their customers and coaches, and trying to reach more people in new ways.
After chatting for a bit we got to preview a workout. Round 13. I absolutely loved it, and hated it too haha! You are moving from start to finish, and even though there are built in breaks... you are still out of breath!
The class runs in this format...
- Warm up
- Cardio X
- Lower Strength
- Upper Strength
- XCore (Burnout)
- Cool Down
The classes with always follow this format, but the moves within each block will change, along with the music.
Cardio was pretty hard because it is a lot of Plyo... Tony loves his Plyo so I really wasn't too surprised to see this in there!
But you do 2 exercises with breaks in between, then onto two other exercises with breaks.
Lower focus is where you start to bring in your weights, even though you are able to use bands or just body strength. At the end of the day, a squat is a squat and you are pushing your body up and down... you'll get results!
Upper focus also used the weights or bands depending on your preference. It was hard to keep going because you start to do moves for longer periods of time, but you can move at your own pace. This is not like Piyo where you have to follow the instructor and the music. You can do as many reps as you want, as long as you are being effective!
XCore again was pretty hard but being at the end, I knew I could push through. We went through 3 different exercises that lasted a minute each.
There is a burnout move as well that lasts a minute, it really reminded me of doing T25 and listening to Shaun T yell at me to keep pushing (COME ON Y'ALL!)
After the workout I got really really excited about this format. It is new, and fun, and changes a lot. I liked that you get the cardio out of the way, but with the fast fun music you are still moving and pushing yourself.
Unlike Piyo, you do not have to learn a million moves and routines, and be right in time with the music. Basically hours of practice for me to prepare for an 8 week class. You could go through the moves on the dvd once, write them down and how many times you do each, listen to the music to get the timing down... and be ready to go! A lot easier to prepare but still a lot of fun for your class!
The music is awesome! Popular songs made better... you felt like you could smash through a wall listening to some of them. They make the songs go faster or slower depending on the moves too, which helps encourage the class to concentrate on form or to push a little harder.
We spent a lot of the afternoon listening to the music and working on form. It is super important that this class and the instructor are familiar with proper form, considering they will be using weights. A lot can go wrong with weights... so safety first. I liked that we went over modifications too... because a lot of the class may be new to P90X.
As far as the music and teaching the class goes.....
- the songs are specifically set to the routines, so you cannot mix and match the music to other blocks.
- there are bells and buzzers in the songs to indicate when you start and stop an exercise
As long as you are able to listen for your cues and know the length of each exercise, it is really easy to teach.
This format is more about coaching your class, and not so much doing it with them. You can start out by showing them each move and proper form/modifications.... but it is really about going around and encouraging them to keep going, correct form, and have fun!
I think it is about time that something like this comes to our gyms. Too often, especially as a woman, we are a little intimidated to try weight lifting. I know back when I went to a gym... I took classes based on cardio, and then went to the cardio room to run more on a treadmill. I stayed away from the big weight room because it was all muscle dudes! haha!
But this allows for anyone to get in a great all around workout from cardio to core to weights! No need to go from room to room and not know what you are doing.
Plus the class can change every 8 weeks if the instructor is a PRO team member!
I am really excited to get started and start showing this to classes in Pittsburgh! I think it will go over really well... and finally get men and women together in some classes!!!
