PiYo Review

I love running.  I love weightlifting.  And last July, I learned that I really loved PiYo.  If you have ever talked to me about working out, you've probably heard me call PiYo my "soul workout".  PiYo saved my life and my body.  Last June when I had knee surgery, I was at the end of my rope.  I hadn't run for five months... or really done any kind of strenuous exercise.  My husband wasn't working and I was stressed and depressed.  My cousin-in-law had been gently baiting me with both the anticipation of PiYo's release and the possibility of coaching for months.  Even still, when I signed up to be a coach with PiYo on the day it was released, one day after my knee surgery, I not only felt like I was jumping the gun, I was not super hopeful that it would do anything major for me.  Best case scenario, it would be exercise that I could easily and safely do while I was rehabbing my knee.

Not to sound pompous, but I am hardly ever wrong... and I was very wrong about this.

Here is my review of PiYo including answers to the most frequently asked questions, along with explanations of each of the workouts.  If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comments or send me an email or private message!

What is PiYo?
PiYo is a low-impact, high-intensity workout that combines the flexibility and power of yoga with the  core-focused strength-building of Pilates.  However, I tend to think this definition does not do it justice, and in fact, can be misleading.  For cardio and strength-training junkies like me, they hear the word "yoga" and go running for the hills.  "Yoga is boring" is what I often hear from them (and frankly, from myself).  For yogis and people who find their meditation and peace from practicing yoga, they go into PiYo expecting the same.  The thing I think I want to stress the most about PiYo is that PiYo is HIGH-INTENSITY.  You will move.  You will sweat.  Your muscles will scream.  It is not boring and it is not meditative.  It is for people with an open mind for an unexpected way to exercise and transform their bodies.

Why is PiYo effective?
Every movement in PiYo engages the core muscles.  A weak and inflexible core minimizes your ability to properly and effectively use the rest of your body during the workouts and in your everyday life.  Every movement in PiYo also engages multiple muscle groups at the same time while in constant motion.  This not only mimics the functional movements of the real world, but keeps your heart rate up to ensure that you are burning calories the whole time!

We've all heard of the benefits of stretching.  The dynamic stretching in PiYo is effective in many of the same ways as static stretching.  Stretching and flexibility can improve the range of motion of your joints, allowing your muscles to work most effectively.  Because stretching lengthens your muscles and supplies blood flow, it increases your ability to build muscle and recover from muscle fatigue.

Who is PiYo for?
This is actually great because unlike many Beachbody programs, PiYo is literally for everyone!

• For men and women who want to lose weight-- The high-intensity moves that require the use of multiple muscle groups at one time keep your heart-rate at the optimal level for calorie burning!
• For people who want to build lean muscle-- PiYo uses your own body weight as the primary source of resistance... no weights required!
• For fitness beginners-- There is no complicated choreography to learn.  There is a modifier in every workout for every move.  Chalene is VERY vocal when it comes to explaining all the movements and when they happen.  Even in moves where you are not looking at the TV, you understand what she is asking you to do and how to do it.
• Extreme fitness enthusiasts-- PiYo is constant, often athletic movements that require muscle endurance, flexibility and core strength that even the most fit men and women may lack.
• People who want the results of an extreme program, without jumping, weights, or straining their joints--  PiYo has no jumping and no weightlifting.  Even two weeks after my surgery, I was able to complete the program following the modifier.  After four weeks of PiYo (six weeks post surgery), I saw NOTICEABLE changes in my body, despite modifying.
• People who don't have a lot of room and don't want a workout that requires a lot of equipment-- All that is recommended for PiYo is a yoga mat!

What do I get with PiYo?
Your PiYo program will come with a Quick Start Guide that will explain how to maximize your results, two 60-day PiYo workout calendars for either PiYo or PiYo Strength (PiYo Strength DVDs sold separately), the Get Lean Eating Plan with clean eating meal suggestions specifically tailored to the PiYo program, and a tape measure to take your body measurements in order to track your progress and get your free t-shirt upon completion of the program!  And of course, your program also comes with the following workouts:

Align:
Get the basics on the moves you will see in all the workouts.  Chalene will explain the movements and positions to you, show you the proper form, and give you the opportunity to become comfortable with everything in a relaxed setting.

Define Upper Body (20 min):
This basic workout includes all the moves that you will see throughout the program that really focus on your arms, upper back and core.

Define Lower Body (20 min):
This basic workout is another stepping stone to the more challenging workouts in the program.  It includes all the moves that you will see throughout the program that really focus on your glutes, hamstrings, and core.

Sweat (38 min):
This is a transitional PiYo workout that takes you through moves that work every part of your body.

Buns (28 min):
This workout really targets your glutes and hamstrings to tighten and strengthen the lower part of your body.  It's leg day!

Core (30 min):
Core incorporates both standing and floor moves that target your lower, middle and upper abs AND obliques with very little actual crunches!

Strength Intervals (22 min):
This workout is non-stop for the entire 22 minutes.  It alternates between intense body weight resistance moves and heart-rate elevating athletic cardio to give you a well-rounded workout!

Sculpt (27 min):
Sculpt is all about muscle endurance.  It uses body weight moves you've seen before, but constantly varies the tempo to challenge your strength and your balance.

Drench (47 min):
By far the most comprehensive and challenging PiYo workout in the program.  Drench consists of two parts.  The first part is the body weight, high-intensity moves featured throughout most of the workouts.  Flow, the second section, focuses on stretching and balance.

BONUS Hard Core on the Floor (30 min):
If and only if you order through your coach (me), you'll receive this amazing core workout that--you guessed it-- includes only floor work.  However, say goodbye to boring crunches, because you won't see any of those here!

Don't even get me started on the PiYo Strength DVDs!  Those are for another, shorter blog post day!  If you want to get hyped up about PiYo, you can watch the PiYo Launch Promo!

Now that you know absolutely everything there is to know about my favorite program PiYo, what are you waiting for?  I have Challenge Groups starting the first Monday of every month and along with Shakeology and a diet of clean eating, I can guarentee success!