Categories

A sample text widget

Etiam pulvinar consectetur dolor sed malesuada. Ut convallis euismod dolor nec pretium. Nunc ut tristique massa.

Nam sodales mi vitae dolor ullamcorper et vulputate enim accumsan. Morbi orci magna, tincidunt vitae molestie nec, molestie at mi. Nulla nulla lorem, suscipit in posuere in, interdum non magna.

FWF: FitnessBlender (Free Workout Fridays)

"Sweat Like You Mean It" Workout

“Sweat Like You Mean It” Workout fitnessblender.com

Recently, one of my Facebook friends shared this “Brutal HIIT Ladder Workout” (note the word “brutal” in the title). This was my introduction to the FitnessBlender website and YouTube channel. I really like the way they produce their videos. First, there’s a commercial to pay the bills, which is fine.  A voiceover introduces the workout, and talks us through the exercises.  For each video, a single cast member perform the exercises against a white background. (No pressure, right?)

Workout Details (fitnessblender.com)

Workout Details

The videos provide even more features than what’s usually found in the more expensive DVD programs such as P90X:

  • A full-page description of the workout, including estimated calorie burn, equipment required, an exercise list, the option to build a “Favorites” list, and more
  • An exercise countdown timer
  • A calorie counter which increases during the workout (motivation?)
  • A mini-preview at the top left of the screen before the next exercise begins

This is a great way to combine a traditional video DVD workout with Internet-friendly features such as a Favorites list, sharing with friends, and free site membership. Members can comment on videos and create Favorites.

FitnessBlender also offers 8 week programs which combine their videos into a structured fat-loss workout schedule. There are three rounds of eight weeks each, which can be completed in any order. The programs are provided as a PDF e-book, currently priced at $6.99. Sounds like a great deal to me.

I will be completing a schedule of P90X and Insanity workouts in just a couple of weeks, and then I plan to take a month to explore some free workouts. This site will be high on my priority list.

FWF: BeFit YouTube Channel (Free Workout Fridays)

Recently, I found my way to a YouTube channel called BeFit. To summarize, it’s a collection of sample exercise videos and infomercials from Lions Gate Entertainment. They distribute exercise DVDs by popular trainers including Jillian Michaels, Denise Austin, Jane Fonda and more. For example, check out the video for Jillian’s 30 Day Shred Level 1. It’s the entire workout! Of course, you will find “Level 1” for many different series, without the more advanced levels, and clips from other workouts, but it’s a great way to find out more about them.

If you’re just starting out with exercise at home, or you’re looking for some new workouts, this is a great way to try a workout before you buy it. It’s also convenient for those of us who like to watch workout DVDs (for sheer curiosity) without actually buying them. Of course, I own quite a few Jillian Michaels DVDs already, and I want to know more about Denise Austin. And I wonder what Jane Fonda’s up to these days (or whenever the DVDs were made)? I will definitely come back for more!

Cast Profile: Bobby Stephenson (Power 90, P90X, P90X2, P90X3)

Tony makes Bobby laugh (P90X Back and Biceps)

Tony makes Bobby laugh (P90X Back and Biceps)

Don’t forget to check out all my CAST PROFILES!

Full Name: Robert “Bobby” Stephenson (not Stevenson)

Video Introduction: Bobby has been with Tony Horton since the beginning. He was a cast member in Power 90, Power 90 Master Series, P90X, and P90X2. That’s over 10 years of fitness DVD history! As far as I can tell, he’s the only person to appear in all those workout programs, sometimes in multiple DVDs. “Too numerous to mention,” I might say, or at least too many to identify. (December 2013: Bobby joins the cast of P90X3!)
Bobby Stephenson Power 90 Master Series UML

Working hard in Power 90 Master Series: UML

Background/Current: There isn’t much info available online, with the notable exception of Bobby’s Facebook page. When I saw he had almost 2000 friends, I figured he wouldn’t mind a few more! Fans of Tony Horton’s workout DVDs will be happy to connect with this longtime “workout buddy.”

My Comments: It was interesting for me to note we are about the same age. Sometimes I need inspiration to keep pushing Play!

Bobby Stephenson X2 Ab Ripper

He’s back! P90X2 Ab Ripper

Official/Personal Websites

Facebook (Friend request)

Websites Featuring Bobby

Ranking the P90X Supporting Cast (number 9)



Joe Bovino and the “Average Guy’s P90X Diary” (Humor)

Two P90X Diaries: Tony vs "Average Guy"

Two P90X Diaries: Tony vs “Average Guy”

A lot of the stuff I have published in the “humor” category has been around a while before I’ve seen it. (Thousands of YouTube views, for example.) This is probably the first time I’ve had “breaking news” on my Twitter feed and Facebook group. Very exciting!

I participate in another group called P90X with Joe Bovino, where about 250 members so far have joined with the man himself (“Diamonds of Gold”) to talk about our daily workouts, ask questions, etc. A couple of weeks ago, Joe Bovino teased us with a project he was working on, to combine P90X with humor, and he’d let us know when it was ready. The day has come! Joe also said there might be a series of these “entries” in the P90X diary.

Of course, this is not his first venture into humor writing, with his tongue-in-cheek book Field Guide to Chicks of the United States. The graphic you see above, comparing Tony Horton’s P90X diary to the “Average Guy,” might be less controversial. Since I’ve had the opportunity to interact with Joe for a while now, I can say that in both cases it’s good-natured fun, only meant to stir up some discussion and hopefully get a better understanding. We all struggle with male/female relationships, at some level, and those of us who’ve been through that P90X Day 1 experience can probably sympathize with the “Average Guy” too.

Besides my excitement at being so close to this story, there’s another reason I had to publish this today. I just started Week 9 of my current P90X/Insanity hybrid schedule. Today’s workout? Chest and Back! My personal favorite!

Field Guide to Chicks of the United States

Joe Bovino, Field Guide to Chicks of the United States (amazon.com)

More Diary entries as they are published!

Day 2 (Plyo ED)

Yoga with The Kloons (Humor)

My experience with yoga has been mixed. To be honest, when I first started with P90X a few years ago, I was so uncomfortable with the idea of yoga that it took me a few weeks to even try it. Nowadays, it’s a weekly ritual. I don’t love it, but I appreciate the benefits of increased flexibility, improved coordination, and reduced stress. At least, I hope I am achieving those things, from one week to the next, as I follow along with one of my yoga DVD workouts, usually X2 Yoga from P90X2. (It’s about an hour long, compared to the P90X 90-minute workout.)

There’s a YouTube comedy team called The Kloons, who made a couple of yoga-related videos. In Yoga Thoughts, we listen to what’s going on in the minds of some typical yoga students. At least, that’s what I would imagine a yoga class to be like, if I actually did this stuff in a public place.

Warning: They use some explicit language!

 

In Tit for Tat, a conversation after yoga class takes an interesting turn. (More strong language here!)

 

Do love yoga, hate it, or have you been avoiding it like I did for so long?