Saturday, July 19, 2014

Body Beast Cardio Workout

I did Body Beast Cardio for the first time today, and I would have to say that it was a pretty darn good one! As a loyal Insanity and Insanity Asylum fanatic, I figured that this workout would be a piece of cake! Boy was I in for a surprise =). One of the best things that I enjoyed about this particular workout was the fact that weights were also incorporated. And trust me, you don't need a lot of weight because of the amount of reps that Sagi has you do with the exercises. I love the Body Beast strength workouts, and I have always ignored the cardio workout because I thought that it would be too easy lol. If you haven't tried it for the same reasons, then I highly recommend that you give it a shot, you will be in for a rude-awakening, I'm so glad that I did it! Thanks for a great workout Sagi.


Length: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: Bench (optional), and weights

The WARM UP consisted of high knees, hip circles, reverse lunges, side squats, sumo squats, and some more high knees.


High Knees
Body Beast High Knees

MAIN WORKOUT:

Squat to Overhead Press + Hold - Do a squat press up for about 20 seconds, then hold in squat position for 10 seconds. Repeat 3X.


Body Beast Cardio - Squat Overhead Press Hold

Toe Tap - Use a bench if you have one, if not, you could use anything such as a dumbbell, box, etc. The idea is to do them as fast as possible for about a minute.


Toe Taps
Body Beast Toe Tap

Squat to Jump Squat + Hold - Do two half squats with a vertical jump in between (20 sec), then hold a squat for 10 seconds. 3X

Squat to Jump Squat + Hold
Body Beast Squat to Jump Squat + Hold

Mountain Climber + Row + Plank - Start in plank with your dumbbells (If you use Bowflex Dumbbells, you will not be able to plank with your dumbbells, just put them aside), do mountain climbers (20 sec), then dumbbell row in plank position each side, then hold plank for 10 sec. Repeat 2X.


Body Beast Mountain Climber Row Plank

Sumo Squat + Hold - Do a sumo squats with a dumbbell for 20 secs, then hold it for 10 sec. Repeat 3X.


Body Beast Sumo Squat

Weighted Burpee + Stretch - Jump back to a burpee (just to a plank position) with dumbbells, then go straight back up with dumbbells in hand. After 30 sec, you do opposite hand, opposite leg stretch. 2X.



Body Beast Burpee


Body Beast Stretch


Plyo Push Up + Hold - Do plyo push ups for 20 secs, then hold down for 10 secs. 3X


Body Beast Plyo Push Up

Sumo Jump - Do a sumo squat, jump in, jump out to sumo squat again for about a minute.


Body Beast Sumo Jump

Squat to Upright Row + Hold - Squat with weights between your legs then go up to an upright row. Do that for 20 secs, then hold the last upright row for 10 secs. 3X


Body Beast Squat

Body Beast Upright Row


Alternating Lunge Jumps + Hold - Jump lunges switching legs for 20 secs, then hold down for 10 sec. 2X.

Body Beast Lunge Jumps

Plank Press Up + Hold - High to low plank for 20 secs, then hold low plank for 10 secs. 3X.


Body Beast Plank Press Up

Plank, Twist, Sprint - Hold plank and bring knees to elbows (4 reps), then side to side plank twists (4 reps), then full on sprint for 20 secs. 3X.

 
Body Beast Plank Twists


Body Beast Sprint

Cool Down: 2 minutes


Body Beast Stretch

Body Beast Cardio

Like I said, this workout really took me by surprise being that I do a lot of Insanity workouts. It's all about changing things up, and that's why all of the Beachbody Fitness Programs work so well, they work every part of your body, and are structured to make sure that you master the movements before going on to the next phase, which is what you want to do to help prevent injuries.

Finished my BEAST workout with my Shakeology, gotta have it!! =)


Body Beast Shakeology Challenge Pack

Keep it up guys! If you need some motivation and accountability, feel free to connect with me and make me your FREE Coach now!

Me and Sagi (Creator of Body Beast) at Coach Summit LV





It's time to MAN UP, and HULK UP!





Friday, July 18, 2014

10 Little Things That Can Give You Big Results!

It doesn't matter if you are just starting a fitness journey, or you are just maintaining a healthy lifestyle, here are 10 little things that anyone can do to help make big changes in their life.

1.  Take the stairs!  We all complain that we do not have enough time to exercise daily, so when given the opportunity to take the stairs at work, school, or at the mall....take advantage of it! Every thing that you do counts towards burning fat and calories.

 Make it count!
Beachbody Fitness Tips


2.  Eat Slowly.  Did you know that it takes your body 20 minutes to actually realize that it's full, yup!

3.  Make a point to dedicate 75% of your full meals to vegetables, and the rest to lean proteins and whole grains.


4.  Get involved in an athletic event!  If your goal is to lose weight or just get in shape, then why not make yourself accountable and sign up for a 5K or a Spartan Race. If you have something to work towards, there's a good chance that you will set goals to achieve it.

Team Dynasty OCR - Special Ops Spartan Sprint, Tampa FL.
Team Dynasty OCR


5.  Sleep!  Catching Z's for 7-8 hours helps your muscles recover faster, helps you think more clearly, and helps prevent overeating.

6.  Eat Brown Carbs!  Whole grains have a lot more fiber, nutrients, and absorb much slower. Or you can just eat Spaghetti Squash and Sweet Potatoes =)


7.  Exercise while watching TV.   You don't have to sit down and watch TV! Why not burn calories while you are keeping your brain active? Simple movements such as push ups, jogging in place, crunches, yoga, and couch dips can all help towards burning those unwanted calories.

 Watch TV - Get Fit!
P90X Exercise Tips


8.  Drink unsweetened fresh-brewed tea instead of soda!  Chemicals are just plain bad!

9.  Reward yourself with some new fitness gear!  Give yourself something to look forward to when you get achieve your weight loss goal, or PR during a race. There's nothing better than feeling a sense of accomplishment after achieving a goal. You deserve it!

 Reward Yourself!
Beachbody Gift Card


10.  Switch out the tunes!  Who wants to listen to the same old music day in and day out. Keep your workouts exciting and rotate your playlist, it makes a huge difference!

So I hope some of these tips help you or remind you that it's the little things that you do every single day that will make a huge difference in your future. Keep up the good work, and feel free to message me if you need some motivation, accountability, or a butt-kicking! =)




Start your Fitness Journey - Win $100,000!





Thursday, July 17, 2014

Insanity Max Interval Sports Training

Ok, this SHI-take was bananas YO! Today I did Insanity Max Interval Sports Training at Pensacola Fit Club, and let me just tell you, the ENERGY was absolutely amazing!! 

This workout in particular is not included in the standard Insanity Workout program, it is an additional set of workouts which include: Max Interval Sports Training (not to sound redundant), and Insane Abs. It's basically for people who have acquired the elite level of fitness, and would like to incorporate it into their second month of the program, or to just add into their existing hybrid workouts. The exercises can also be modified to suit all fitness levels.

I'm not gonna lie, I got beat down! But who doesn't when they are doing Insanity. If anyone says that Insanity is easy, then they aren't pushing themselves hard enough, because this is the real deal! Are you ready?? Let's get on with the workout!

The WARM UP consisted of Jump Ropes (without a rope), Switch Heels, Switch Heels Higher, Jump Rope Side/Side, and some Cross Jacks.

Cross Jacks - I know, it looks like I'm Salsa Dancing, but trust me, I don't have that much rhythm =)
Insanity Cross Jacks

10 second break before the knee pulls. Thanks Shaun T, I appreciate the 10 seconds =)

Knee Pulls (high, medium, low) I wish I can say AMAZE-BALLS, but I'm not going to!
I pretended that I was a Rock Star, but in all reality, my legs were toast!
Insanity Knee Pulls

After the warm up, we get a quick water break, and go right into the first Sports Number:
BOXING
- Single Jab Cross
- Jab Cross 2/2
- Jab Cross 4/4
- Jab Cross 8/8
- Single Uppercut
- Uppercut 2/2
- Uppercut 4/4
- Uppercut 8/8
- 8 Jabs/8 Power Jumps

Jab Cross - Watch out Pacquiao, "just sayin" LOL
Insanity Max Interval Sports Training

8 Jabs/8 Power Jumps
Insanity Power Jumps
 You see the guy behind me, under my right foot, that's my DAD, he's 70...what's your excuse?


Water Break

Our second Sports Number is:
FOOTBALL
- Football Drills (Fast feet to low plank, move side to side - 8 count)
- Tricep Pulses
- Tackle (kinda like a hop squat moving sideways 4 times, then back the other way, and pretending that you are hugging a tree - now I know you're confused)
- Offensive Line Elbow (similar to above, but now you're hitting your elbow up to your hand, then moving side to side)

This is my "I thought this was T25" look! =) #NeverGiveUp

Water Break

Sports Number Three:
BASKETBALL
- 3 Point Shot/Run  (I got this)
- Guard Drills  (I can feel my legs)
- Suicide Drills  (I'm losing my legs)
- Basketball Dribble  (I can't feel my legs)

Suicide Drills - Here I am trying to keep up with a girl, my sis/law #Fail =)
Insanity Suicide Drills
Jasmine Banawa


Water Break

Now we go into the fourth Sports Number:
GYMNASTICS! (this is when I start crying, but I do my best hold it in)
- Pike Jump
- Pendulum

 Ab Work: (sitting on your butt)
- 6 inch leg lift, flutter kicks, scissors kicks
Repeat Again

- V Push Ups
- Bronco Jumps

Pike Jump - Don't look at me, check out my brother Fermin with his nice form!
Insanity Pike Jumps

6 Inch Leg Lift
Insanity Max Interval Sports Training

Flutter Kicks
Insanity Flutter Kicks

V Push Ups
Insanity V Push Ups

Bronco Jumps - "LIKE THIS" because I did all 20 of them! 
Insanity Bronco Jumps

Water Break

And for the fifth Sports Number:
TRACK & FIELD
- Ladder 15 sec
- Ladder 30 sec
- Ladder 45 sec
- Ladder 60 (1 min)
(These are pretty much high knee sprints, just pace yourself here, I almost passed out!)
- Ladder 45
- Ladder 30
- Ladder 15
- Long Jump

Ladder Sprints - She's gaining on me, she's gaining on me!
Insanity Max Interval Sports Training

And here's my INSPIRATION, my father killing it at 70 years old!
Pensacola Fit Club - Serny Banawa


Cool Down Stretch - never skip this part!

So wow, that was a good one! If you are interested in taking the Insanity Challenge, I will coach you through it. I know how tough it is, but I know that if you stick with it, you will see some big changes in your life. I have seen so many people lose weight and become better athletes with this program, and I know that it can help you. Don't forget to drink your recovery and your Shakeology!

Till next time, keep it up guys! =)


Insanity Max Interval Sports Training - Pensacola Fit Club



Take the Insanity Challenge!




Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Crossfit versus P90X

Crossfit versus P90X are both fitness programs guaranteed to enable you achieve lean fat mass, and elite athletic performance after a rigorous training schedule is followed through. Crossfit can be viewed in two ways;

- As a sport
- As a training modality

In the event that you are undertaking the Crossfit fitness program as a sport, then it means that you may be an athlete who is training for a match or a Crossfit game and this requires you to acquire various sets of skills different from those of an individual who is just using Crossfit as a training modality.

What is Crossfit?



If at all you are taking Crossfit as a training modality, this then means that you are out to achieve your own individual goals health wise. This is in regards to those who need to decrease fat, pregnant women and those who basically want to break the monotony of their daily life. This means that those in this category are not necessarily training for any type of organized competition.

On the other hand, undertaking a P90X Challenge will enable you undertake a ninety day fitness program which is filled with various routines of both cardiovascular and aerobic training. You can also incorporate P90X into any fitness routine instead of following the 90 day workout schedule. One of the advantages the P90X fitness program has is that the method used in training is called muscle confusion which is geared towards confusing the muscles of the body by aggressively challenging them in a variety of ways. This is of course by using;

- Different weights
- Bands
- Calisthenics

The best thing with P90X is that it can also be used in the gym or park and this is so long as you follow the P90X worksheets or the P90X app. The P90X app for Iphone is great and every trainee or trainer should actually consider having it and this is because the interactive features make it fun and easy for one to stay focused and motivated throughout the program. With this app, you actually become accountable which enables you to push through your plateaus like never before! In addition to that, you are also able to conveniently track your reps and weights and also view your customized progress reports which you can share. How amazing is that!

The P90X worksheets are also great when you use them in the P90X fitness program and this is because you will be able to track your progress which is one of the most important aspects when it comes to fitness. Do consider employing it and you will be glad that you did!

The Science Behind P90X2


I am a fan of both Crossfit and P90X, but I prefer the functionality and simplicity of P90X. If you are training for the Crossfit Games, then I understand the purpose behind olympic lifting, but I don't need that for everyday life, and as an Obstacle Course Racing athlete, I don't feel it necessary. I've been to several Crossfit facilities, and the energy is on point, so I understand why people can get addicted. People need motivation, and the camaraderie is an exceptional bonus! I actually prefer Crossfit Endurance


With P90X, there are many ways to get motivated. To be honest, anyone who works out from the comfort of their own home with P90X is HARDCORE to me, because self-motivation is very hard to do, and most people need the support from others. Here are some ways to do P90X outside of your home:

- The gym, just use the P90X Workout Sheets (see below) or the P90X app
- Bring your equipment outside or to the park!
- Attend a Free Fit Club. Check out meetup.com for Free P90X Group Workouts
- Join my Online P90X Challenge Group with others who have similar goals
(Free Online One on One Workouts provided upon request)
- Join my Online Fit Club 


Crossfit versus P90X
Crossfit versus P90X


Whether you prefer to use the Crossfit or P90X program, always listen to your body, pace yourself, and make sure that you are performing the exercises properly. And as usual, it is always recommended to consult your physician before starting any exercise program. Best wishes on your fitness journey! =)


Get P90X Worksheets here:
- P90X
- P90X2
- P90X3

Choose your P90X Challenge:
- P90X Challenge
- P90X2 Challenge
- P90X3 Challenge
*Each Challenge Pack includes P90X Program, Free Trial Club Membership (with Meal Planner), Shakeology Superfoods Nutrition, and Free Coaching. You will also be added to an Online Challenge Group via facebook, and will have access to unlimited online one on one workouts!


P90X2 - The P90X geared towards Elite Athletes!




Tuesday, July 15, 2014

LIVE Insanity Workout - Pensacola, FL

Tonight I attended my brother Fermin Banawa's LIVE Insanity Class at Omni Fitness in Pensacola, FL. This was my 3rd class with my brother, and as always, he kicks my ass every single time! =) My brother Fermin is a Diamond Beachbody Coach, as well as part of the Insanity Certified Pro Team, and he really brings on the energy! If you are ever in the Pensacola area, I highly recommend that you check out his very up-beat Insanity Classes, I promise you that it will be a butt-kicker! He also hosts FREE group workouts at  Pensacola Fit Club with his wife Jasmine Banawa, who is also an Insanity Certified Instructor and Beachbody Coach. Keep checking the workout schedule for Pensacola Fit Club, as Coach Jasmine will be hosting some LIVE PIYO classes very soon!

Here is the LIVE Insanity Workout that I survived =) - (Round 5 Workout Class)

Warm Up: (30 sec. each exercise, 3X)
- Jog
- Mummy Kicks
- Football Sprints
- Over the River Hops
- Power Squats
- Butt Kicks

Mummy Kicks
Live Insanity Round 5 Mummy Kicks

Power Squats
Live Insanity Round 5 Power Squats

Football Sprints
Live Insanity Class Pensacola

Dynamic Stretch Time!

High Lunge/Lift and Lower Heal (1 of 5 stretch exercises)

Block 1: (30 sec. each exercise, 3X)
This block focuses on endurance and plyometrics.
- Vertical Jumps
- Power Lunges
- Scissor Jumps
- X Jumps
- Recovery
*Power Move - Hi Hook/Lo Hook/Power Jumps  (1 min. after last round of block 1)

Vertical Jumps

Power Lunges

Scissor Jumps

Hi Hook/Lo Hook/Power Jumps (Power Move)

 
Block 2: (30 sec. each exercise, 3X)
This block focuses on strength and balance.
- Plank Shoulder Tap
- Push Ups/In and Out Abs
- Squats
- Plank Punches
- Recovery
*Power Move - Side Push Ups (1 min. after last round of block 2)

Push Ups/In and Out Abs
Live Insanity Class Pensacola

Farting around when we're supposed to do SQUATS =)
Live Insanity Class Omni Fitness Pensacola

Plank Punches
Live Insanity Workout Plank Punches

Block 3: (30 sec. each exercise, 3X)
This block focuses on agility and coordination.
- Log Jump
- Kick Step Back Right
- Rotational Jumps
- Kick Step Back Left
- Recovery
*Power Move - Full Body Drill (1 min. after last round of block 3)

Kick Step Back Right
Live Insanity Round 5 - Kick Back Step Right

Rotational Jumps (This was BRUTAL)
Live Insanity Workout - Rotational Jumps

Rotational Jumps (Dayum LOL)
Power Move - Full Body Drills (above)


Abs and Core: (what I hate the most, but what I need the most)
1 minute each exercise!!!!!!!!!! Shaun T said that I can punch his face, just as long as I keep my core tight =)

- Belt Kicks
- Slow Tuck Jumps
- Slow High/Knee Twists
- Hammer Kicks
- Low Plank Hop
- Core Abduction
- C Sit Hold, Feet Lifted
- Hi Plank Tuck/Lo Plank Tuck

 Get Insanity Certified!


 Slow Tuck Jumps
Insanity Slow Tuck Jumps

Hammer Kicks
Insanity Hammer Kicks

C Sit Hold - "Ok really, as if my body was meant for this" =)

Cool Down Stretch!!! Yes, I'll take that stretcher please, thanks so much! =)

Best part of the workout! =) 

So there you have it! Insanity never gets easier, you just get better =)  The key to Insanity is to go at your own pace, breathe, take your breaks, and never give up!  Need MOTIVATION? I have Online Insanity Challenge Groups forming now! Message me and let's get the party started!

LIVE Insanity Workout - Omni Fitness, Pensacola FL.