Body Bugg, is it work it?

I want to give my thoughts on the Bodybugg!

I hear a lot of people talk about it and wear it and use it. But, I want to tell you my experience.

I bought mine about this time last year. I thought it was great. I wore it everyday for awhile. At first it was a huge eye opener. I couldn't believe that walking 10,000 steps a day was really hard! I know there were days that I would get on the elliptical at night and do an extra 20 minutes just to get my calorie burned or steps in before I went to bed. Whatever it took to reach my goal of 2200 calories burned a day and 10,000 steps.

I found myself walking in circles when I pumped gas or waited at the photocopied. I found myself taking the long way to walk where I wanted to go, or just walking the dog a little further. This is where the Bodybugg was awesome! It pushed me to do a little more each day.

I also used the Bodybugg religiously when I trained for my marathon! It not only told me that I ran over 50,000 steps in 5 hours, but it told me my calorie burn! I knew exactly how many calories I was burning and knew when I needed to feed it! So, another great bonus!

What I did not do all the time was track my meals! To get the best benefits of the BodyBugg you need to log in all your meals and the calories for each meal. I mean, it's meant to tell you calories in- calories burned to tell you your over or deficit. That is the ONLY way you can track to reach your goals! i' be good on some days and other days I would be horrible at tracking my meals! So, I never really took full advantage of the use of the Bodybugg!

I did invest in the watch. If I got it again, I would have to have the watch! I used my watch everyday to see in real time what I was doing. That is what pushed me to do a little more each day. Plus, I hated to download the band every night (agin, I wasn't logging on every night to track my calories either) to get my results. Now, the band holds everything for 1-2 weeks, so you don't need to download it immediately. But, then if you don't have the watch how do you know if you reached your goals?

Now, to download into their software, you get a few membership, I think 6 months. After that you pay more $$! I don't know how much, I never renewed mine!

Here is what I HATED. I hated the arm band. So unattractive! I got so many comments on it, what is that, what are you doing, you don't need to lose weight..... Also I had it during summer. HELLO, I am not getting a stupid tan line around my arm! So, there were a lot of times I never wore it. Like sailing all day! Heck I was in a swimsuit, how did that look! And, I saw people wear an arm band to dinner where they wore a nice dress. The arm band looked stupid! Totally not a fashion statement (and the watch is just evenly as ugly! It's way to large for my small wrist). My husband cringed that I wore the band just in the car, and I always removed the band before entering a restaurant or certain places!

Again, I hated tracking food all the time. YES! I so think you need to do this to get best results. Me, I tend to track my meals for a week, then not for a month or so. Then I track again to get back on track, and not for awhile. But, to get the benefit of the bodybugg you need to track it. Otherwise, you can not determine the real calories burned to the calories consumed to tell you if you were on track!!!! Plus, tracking calories in, to me is a real guessing game too. Unless you measure and know exactly everything you eat! No guessing, or you are probably underestimating!

I absolutely think that the Bodybugg is a cool and excellent tool. It can be a real eye opener. But, I think it was almost $200-$300 to get the band, the watch and the 6 months of software. I honestly have to say, I have a Polar Heart Rate Monitor (which I also wore during my half marathon and during full days of skiing - including the chest band and only cost about $60). I would much rather wear a chest band and the Polar watch (A lot smaller and more lady like then the Bodybugg watch). The chest band is under cloths and can't be seen, once on I never noticed it. The Poloar HR monitor tracks calories!!! Plus, it tracks your heart rate (Something the Bodybugg doesn't do!) Of course, the HR monitor does not track activity and steps. SOO, its a trade off.

My recommendation- unless you are serious about getting results, serious about tracking all your meals in programs like myfitnesspal.com or the BodyBugg software, and serious about wearing the arm band even if it means comments and goofy tan lines, then pass on the cost of the BodyBugg and go with a good Heart Rate monitor! If you can be serious of all the above, then go with the Bodybugg! It will get you the results you want, because it will open your eyes to what your missing. But, to me, after about 4 months, the novelty wore off!

Just my honest thoughts. I know a lot of people swear by it and can't live with out their Bodybugg. I also know when I wore it everyday, as I said I know I did more! So, if you want to push yourself to lose those first 10 or the last 10, if you really use it or even if it helps you to do a little more, I'm sure it will help! But, know that in 5 months, you may grow bored of the extra step of everything you need to do (track, charge, download, ....) that you may stop wearing it. Then, is it still going to be worth the cost and worth the membership cost???

Hope this helps! That said, I still want to wear my Bodybugg to see how many calories/steps are in a crazy Insanity workout! I guess I need to find it, charge it, set it up and wear it again for awhile!

My BodyBugg

(Here is the armband. You can also get a digital display that is also a watch, or can just be clipped on your belt.)

I've been hearing a lot of talk about the BodyBugg. What is it? It's a device that helps you track the total about of calories you burned in a course of a day to within 90% accuracy. It also tracks the number of steps you take and the amount of moderate activity you do in a day. The Bodybugg comes with a free 6 month subscription to a program to also track your meals. The goal of the program is to help you track and get progress and get you the weight loss results you want.

This product is highly recommend by people like Chalean Johnson, and numerous coaches and coachees!

So, I heard about it for awhile and was like, do I really need that? I mean, I workout everyday, I eat right,... I don't need it? It's not really cheap, so I was like I use Fitday.com (a free website) to track my meals and I have a heart rate monitor to track my calories. Why get this little device?

Well, I decided I wasn't really reaching the goal I wanted. So, I decided I would take a chance and just get one. Heck, I'm a Beachbody Coach, my weekly checks can cover the cost of my new toy, so why not!

My first week of having it, I was on a boat, sailing. So, I decided not to really use it. Why, because it comes with an armband you HAVE to wear. And, honesty, I didn't want a goofy tan line around my arm. But, I did wear it for a bit and figured out how much I burned as I walked around town all day! I thought, wow, this is pretty cool!

See, I set my Bodybugg up with the following daily goals!

1. Take 10,000 steps a day.

2. Do a min. of 2 hours of moderate activity a day.

3. Burn a min. of 2200 calories a day.

I figured 10,000 steps is what I always here about, I guess the American Heart Association or someone came up with that number. I figured that would be an easy goal, and I could hit that no problem.

The moderate activity, I set for 2 hours because I know I workout hard for an hour a day, but I have a desk job during the day, so, 2 hours I thought would be easy to hit with my other daily activities. I figured, I'd have to adjust that once I "figured it out" from wearing my Bodybugg.

And finally, I picked 2200 calories. The Bodybugg program helped me choose this number based on the information it requested when I set it up. My goal is to lose about 5 lbs. If I burn 2200 cal. and I track my meals and eat 1700 calories, that is a 500 cal. deficit a day. That would be a week to lose 1 pound. I can live with that.

So, Monday was my first day of wearing the BodyBugg. I have worn it everyday this week. Yup, the band on the arm got a lot of questions. But, most people know I'm a fitness freak, so leave me be. I even think a few people are going to get one to help them reach their goals!

Here is what I learned. If you sit at a desk all day, hitting 10,000 steps is not that easy! On most days, from 6:30-5 pm, I only walk about 4000-5000 steps. And, some days, if I do a resistance workout in the morning, (at 5 am) that number may only go up to 5500!

I have also learned that the 2200 calories a day is a lot! I really need to do stuff to get that amount in.

I have also been tracking a lot of my meals on Fitday and this program to see where I'm at.

Here is what I learned! Cardio workout days and a good resistance workout in the morning, really kick start my day! My calorie burn is up, my steps are up! But, I need to make little adjustments in my routines! Like, I park further from the building to walk a little more. My dog is getting an extra 5 minutes at least on all his walks! I also look at my watch and at 9 pm, have stepped on my elliptical to help push me past my goals!

There are many days this week, where I was around 2000 calories burned and only around 8000 steps taken. There have been a few days this week where my diet was way out of whack and there were days were it was spot on!

But, once you plug your band in to the program and you have tracked your meals and it says, that your goal is a 500 calorie deficit and I see my results for the day or an increase in calories or that I may have an equal calorie in to my calorie out, so a 0 deficit for the day. I now know why my goals are not being reached.

This is a new toy, but it has definitely shown me a lot. I know if I can continue to use my Bodybugg it will help me reach my goals. If nothing else it really makes me push harder during the day to do just a little more. Meaning, the little things, like taking the stairs and not the elevator! Plus, if I see at 8 pm that I only burned 1700 calories, and I have a quite night planned, I know I sure won't be grabbing a snack!

You can get your Bodybugg (or learn more) at www.BodyBugg.com. I also found it slightly cheaper at www.24hourfitness.com.

As I keep using this system, I'll send out updates on if its working our not. But, remember, knowing the calories you burned is only half the battle! You also need to really pay attention to the calories you consume to get the best results!

Keep Pushing Play!

Heather

Email: HeatherB@BeachbodyCoach.com

Website: www.TheFitnessSpot.net

Reminder to get my weekly newsletter and to have me coach you for free, visit my website and go to "Play the Game" to sign up and join.

Finding a workout that works for you!

Why not find the right Beachbody program for you!

P90X® might be all the rage on TV, but that doesn't mean it's the best choice for you today. Choosing the wrong program can lead to disillusionment and, perhaps, failure. Choose the right program and you'll get the best results possible.  As you continue on your fitness journey, the right program for you may change!

The options are virtually limitless, because Beachbody® has everything from entry-level to graduate programs—even "personality programs."

Entry-level programs are great for people who haven't done much exercise because they have an introductory phase. They include ChaLEAN Extreme® and Kathy Smith's Project:YOU! Type 2™. A de-conditioned person will struggle to finish each workout and will likely be too sore to work out the next day.

Graduate programs are for people who have a fitness base because these workouts bust into intensity from the get-go. They include P90X, P90 Master Series, Power Half Hour®, Slim Series®, Yoga Booty Ballet® Master Series, and the upcoming Insanity with Shaun T™ and Turbo Fire™ programs.

Personality programs can help people who don't like traditional workouts get motivated through music or dance-like routines.  These programs include Turbo Jam and the Hip Hop Abs and Dance Party Series.

1. Which program is appropriate. Never choose a graduate program if you haven't been doing much exercise. Our entry-level programs are challenging, even for ex-athletes, and will provide a solid fitness base, which allows you to get better results with the graduate program once he or she gets there.

Sure, people have jumped into P90X who had no business being there and ended up doing well. But I'll bet we've had far more get frustrated and quit, whereas if they'd started with Power 90®, they would have been ready for the "X" on day one.

2. Personality—both yours and our trainers.

• The "don't like to exercise" group. For these people, Hip Hop Abs® and Yoga Booty Ballet would be fun choices. Chalene Johnson came up with the idea for Turbo Jam® while watching a group of women, who hated to exercise, dance all night at a wedding.
• The "afraid of exercise" group. Maybe the rhythm required to keep up with Shaun T is too much. A better trainer would be Debbie Siebers or Kathy Smith, who use easy-to-follow movements. (Tony does, too, but you need to assess whether the you are afraid to lift heavy weights, which is the key to success with his programs.)

Some people love Tony while others love Debbie. You will only "Push Play" if they like the person talking to you. We have a refund policy. If you are not digging a trainer's personality, let's chat and find a trainer that works best for you!

Ask questions!  Most people aren't ready to believe that something they see on TV can be too hard for them. But I've seen national class athletes (namely, me), coming off a full season of competition, reduced to hobbling and whimpering after a week on the X. It's the real deal.

When you are happy with their training programs it's a beautiful thing. If they're enthused, you're more then likely to succeed! So take a few minutes to review our line of products, and then ask me for help to choose the product that is right for you!

Please email me and let's get you started today!  We have endless programs, all get incredible results!  So, finding one that you like, shouldn't be that hard!  I have many of them and tried them personally, so you have questions, I can answer them from experience!  I loved P90 when I just started and knew almost nothing about fitness!  Slim in 6 and Slim Series got me awesome results in as little as 6 weeks!  I can never not smile when doing Turbo Jam or some Hip Hop Abs (great for those days I really don't want to workout!)  I throw in a little 10 minute trainer when I'm short on time!  I'm currently in love with Chalean Extreme for getting the muscles I want in a short yet intense workout.  Then, of course there is Tony Horton with P90X the most challenging workout I did.  Only to make it even tougher with P90X+ or mix in some One on One for more variety!  Oh my, should I keep going!  I wish I had more hours in a day to use them all!  My biggest decision some mornings is what workout do I want to do!  They have all achieved a different level of success for me.  Each was done at the right time in my training schedule- from beginner to more advanced!  Each pushed me just a little more then my comfort zone to keep my body from plateauing!  I am positive there is a program for you!

Heather

Email:  HeatherB@BeachbodyCoach.com

Web:  www.TheFitnessSpot.net

Needed something different?

I was all ready to go in and put in a new P90X Plus workout.  But, after Plyo legs, then the Total Body X+, and yesterday I did Interval Plus, I was just beat.  I swear my butt is gonna fall off and my legs just don't want to do anymore squats, lunges or anything similar to that!    So, I looked through my collection for something to catch my eye and spark an interest.  That's when I found it!  I was going to do Hip Hop Abs, Fat Burning Cardio- and of course since I have been pushing it this week, Level 2!

I really thought, that will be a great change.  I've been hanging with Tony with P90X + lately, and he is tearing up my body.  I've been doing a lot of Chalene and Turbo Jam this past month, and I could bear the thought of Debbie and her Slim Series tonight!  So, Shaun T and Hip Hop Abs sounded great and like some fun!

My thoughts on HHA, Level 2 Fat Burning Cardio.

It's definitely not as intense as Turbo Jam!  So, if you want a lighter day, I say go for some HHA.  What I like about HHA is Shaun shows you a move, you do it for so many counts, then he shows you the next move and you do that for so many counts.  Once you learn 2 moves, he starts from the beginning and makes it a series.  At the end, he does a third move for a few counts, then repeats the series.  After you learn a handful of moves, he really makes it fun by starting at the beginning and going through them quickly.  They whole sequence is fairly easy to follow because he really shows you each move and builds up the the full blow sequence.  So, for those that find Turbo Jam hard to follow the coordination, I think HHA is a great place to start!  

The workout is about 45 minutes I think.  I thought at first, I could use more.  Like it was moving a little to slow and I wasn't sweating enough.  But, I watched all the people on the floor and they were all dripping, so I figured it was me not really doing this workout enough to get the full benefit.  I really tried to hold the Tilt, Tuck, Tighten move, but do realized it would take doing the workout more to really master the moves.

But the end of the whole workout, I was dripping wet!  So, I know I got a full blown cardio workout!  It also reminded me of interval training.  You start each sequence off slow and build up to doing the whole thing at a good tempo.  Then you move on to a new sequence at a slow speed and build up.

Sitting here typing, its been an hour or so since I worked out.  I definitely feel it in my abs, so it does work your core.  I also noticed that once I got into it and "used" my arms and legs more, verses just swinging them around, that made the whole workout more intense and more full body!  

I like how Hip Hop Abs, Ultimate Results is really kind of dancy.  I wish it was more of a dance video.  I was expecting to do more Hip Hop dance.  Like you would find on the streets.  (Do they really dance hip hop on the streets, they do in the movies?)   I do know Shaun has some other workouts out, Rockin Body being one of them, that sounds to me a lot more dancy!  I haven't tried these yet and think that I will need to add them to my collection once day!    

I do have the weighted gloves that come with the Ultimate Results package.  I think adding those would have also really gave me more burn in the arms.  

My only recommendation, if you are new to the workout- in the beginning where is says "Do you want the music louder" say No.  If you say yes, the music louder (which I like) but it really makes Shaun T hard to hear.  Therefore, hard to know what is coming up next.  I think after you do it a few times, then hit the Yes button and really start hopping!

I would recommend this to anyone just starting out and looking for something a little lighter and a little less choreographed then say Turbo Jam.  I think it would make a good rotation of TJ and HHA.  It would keep adding variety.  Both focus on that tuck position to work the abs, so once you do one, learning the other won't be to hard.  

My review of the P90X+

Alrighty then!  I can not begin to tell you what has gotten into me, but I am on a roll!  I have to start by saying, I can feel my butt burning from yesterdays Plyo Legs!  I don't know if I ever had that happen from PlyoX!

What roll am I in, the one that says let's bring it with some intensity!  Yesterday I tested out Tony's One on One.  Today I decided to try out my P90X+ .  I have had that sitting on the shelf unwrapped for ages.  Today, it was - Let's see what this program has to offer!  Well, there were times I was about to die.  But, let me tell you I feel great!  It was tough, but I realized how strong I am!  I was lower on the dive bomb push-ups them I ever have been.  I did all the push-ups from my toes.  I did the assisted pull-ups only get get myself up and then slowly lowered myself unassisted!  I even did a pull-up then ran while holding myself up!   The X has really strengthened me more then I realized, and the + has definitely helped me to see it!

Today I did Total Body +.  This workout was about 45 minutes, so slightly shorter then most P90X videos.  This workout really does work the entire body and ups the intensity!  It goes from push-ups to pull-ups, to lunges and squats.  You also do tricep and bicep work!  The moves go so fast and include stuff like a spiderman push-ups, and my favorite that works just about everything was the 1/2 dervish!  

Tony moves quickly from one move to the next, that definitely had my heart rate up.

I also loved seeing Tracy Morrow and Mark Briggs in the video!  Two awesome examples of how these programs really shape you up and make you strong!

I say- go for it!  If you have done the X or are doing the X, consider adding in some intensity with the X+.  I mean if I can do it, and I have never officially completed a round of P90X, even though I have done like 150+ days of P90X if I counted them all, then I know you could too!

I have to say- I'm once again in love!  I may need to take a break from Turbo Jam and go back to doing some Tony for a bit!  I love adding variety.  I love the cardio burn of TJ, but I really love the muscles burn from Tony and his gang!

(Ok, can you tell I am working hard in that photo!)

My thoughts on Plyo Legs

So, tonight I was in a mood to annoy my neighbors downstairs.  Therefore, I decided to do some plyometrics.  Jump training, how louder can I be!  But, then I remembered I have my new video!  Tony's One on One, Volume 1, Disk 1 - Plyo Legs, so  I decided to give it a try!

Here are my initial thoughts.

The concept is, its just you can Tony!  You workout in his own personal gym!  Pretty cool.  You get to admire his home gym and his workout equipment.  I wish I had his gym!!!  And I wish I had his house.  The background of the outside was awesome!  Ok, so my first thought was to look around the house and see his art, equipment.  He's rambling on about something.  (probably the workout, time,...).

I thought it was weird when he started that he recommends a warm up prior to the video.  He says 5 minutes of skipping rope is good.  He does do some warm up stretching, but then moves right into the video.  So, that will be an I must remember to do a little warm up!  The first video comes with a "wallet" for all the videos.  The wallet has rooms to write notes, that will be my note.

Then he starts the workout.  It's 64 minutes run time, but the workout is an hour!  

What I liked about this video:

- I liked that it was a little easier then plyometrics that came with P90X!  

- I liked that some of the moves were the same.  It started off as a fresh warm-up because I knew what he was doing (and I wasn't really warmed up.)

- I liked that as the video went on, there were a lot of new moves.  Or the moves we did in P90X were "updated" to be more challenging.

-I loved the way I was dripping wet half way through!

- I like that you do way more reps then in plyo X.  I could feel it burning in my legs, tush, abs,...  I think that was awesome.  For example, you hold a wall squat for like 4 minutes!   And, I think the more I do this workout, the more I learn it, the more balance I get, the more challenging this workout will become.  Then, all the talk I between moves that I mention below will be well worth it!

Some of my favorite moves:

The wacky jacks.  I could feel my abs working with that one.  The other great move, the monster tires, had my thinking, I'm glad no one is watching me!  There were others, but I won't bore you with listing them!

Now, what did I disliked:

- I really hated all the talk between moves.  I almost just wanted him to get on with it!  I think all the chatting made the workout easier to follow.  But, at the same time I want more challenge.  Now, it's my first time doing it, so I followed Tony.  He also says, do about XX-XX reps of this move.  I think if I wanted to do more reps, he leaves plenty of time to do it!  then, if I need a break, I have the time.

Overall:

I would recommend this workout!  I think it will be a great addition to my workouts and a great switch for P90X plyometrics.  I often thought we did that workout a lot!  It's done every week for the entire rotation.  So, having Plyo Legs will add even more variety to my favorite program- P90X!  I think if you aren't doing P90X or you think P90X is to extreme, this is a good workout to start with!  It will give you a taste of what's in the X!  You can always go a little slower and if you take it a little easier, it's not as tough as the one in P90X!  Or, you build up and go faster and harder and it may end up being just as or more challenging then the PlyoX!  

I can't wait to try the next workout, Road Warrior.  Once I get it and try it, I will keep you posted!

Want to read another review, check out Barbie's thoughts on Plyo Legs.

A little yoga

Tonight I decided I wanted a little stretching.  My arms and legs were a little sore from yesterday's Turbo Sculpt.  I opted to try my new yoga video by my favorite trainer, Tony Horton.  The video was Ho' Ala ke Kino, "Awaken the Body".

This was a short, 30 minute yoga routine with Tony on the beach in Hawaii.  So, initially, the peaceful ocean and Hawaiian mountains put me in a nice relaxed mood to get me to focus on the workout ahead.

The first 10 minutes or so of the workout included stretching.  I know my arms were thanking me for this.  You just stretch and breath, setting a nice relaxed pace to keep you relaxed.  The muscles really start to open up.

The next few minutes are a warm up.  Here my heart rate starts to increase.  The warm up consisted of some really light cross punches and squat kicks.  You really focus on the legs during the warm up.   I was actually starting to feel a little burn in the legs.   The warm up is 4 moves that start to loosen your joints and start to increase your heart rate.

Now we move into the real yoga section of the workout.  This is very good for beginners.  The main moves consist of a few "push-ups" between downward dog and plank and cobra.  From these basic positions you move continuously into warrior pose 1, warrior pose 2, and triangle.   This starts slow then becomes more of a power yoga segment.  He really ups the pace of the moves.  I know as I went into the final stretching section I was dripping with sweat!  I was not expecting that considering its yoga and only a half hour.

The final few minutes were stretching and a cool down.  Again, my legs really thanked me for the stretch after a nice week of jamming!  

I would recommend this yoga video to any beginner.  Its all basic moves and none of them require a ton of balance.  It definitely can help improve your flexibility and will increase your balance.  It offers a good stretch while keeping your heart rate up!  I think if you are a more advanced yoga person, you may end up looking for more.  But, for a quick half hour yoga, this has my vote!  I will use this as my stepping stone to get to the YogaX in P90X.  That workout requires a lot more balance, focus, and strength.  YogaX is an hour and a half and takes a lot more patience to get through.

Slim Series

As you enter week 4 of Slim in 6, it's time to start thinking about what you are going to do next?  Remember, you finish your 6 weeks, then you take a recovery week.  After that, we don't want you falling off the wagon because it wasn't planned out ahead of time what you will be doing.    If you are ready for a break from Debbie, maybe do a rotation of Turbo Jam.  Chalene can really get you moving and groovin.  But, if you are still into Debbie and her Slim Training technique, you might want to consider her Slim Series workouts.

This is her follow-up program to Slim in 6.  This program is great because it comes with specific "rotations" already planned out.  

The following are some of the rotations included in the Slim Series set.

Of course, it gives you a few planned options for a recovery week workout!  This way we don't get lazy and do nothing.

Maybe during Slim in 6, you got the results you wanted, now you just want to continue to maintain those results, then you may want to choose the Maintenance Program.

Debbie also helps work specific body parts, for example:

For upper body work, try the Torso-Training Program

For lower body work, try the Lower Body Program

Still trying to slim down all over, then go for the Split Training Program

Or you can go the intense route and try the Slim Training Program.

Each rotation is between 4-6 weeks, then a recovery week.  But, with this many options, you can never get bored.  

I like Debbie for blastin fat.  I have to say, at times I really find her mix of cardio/resistance work harder then P90X!  

I definitely like the Slim Series videos.  They range from an hour to an 80 minute workouts.  

You really need no equipment, just a few dumb bells or the same resistance bands you used in Slim in 6!

Each one of the workouts will grow on the stuff you learn in Slim in 6!  Each one will have you dripping buckets of sweat by the end!  And, each rotation will help you achieve the body you always wanted!

So, now that you are coming to an end of Slim in 6, what are you going to do next?

To learn more about or to purchase Slim Series, click here.