Did I tell you...?!

Did I tell you I'm training for my very first marathon?!

I'M TRAINING FOR MY VERY FIRST MARATHON.

I feel very excited and very much like a psycho.

I entered into running pretty reluctantly.  When I was young I played soccer and softball and I danced and did aerobics videos with my mom.  But when I got to college, all of that was gone and what was left was a gym with a treadmill.  So I got on it, and that's how I got my start.

I remember when my best friend asked me if I wanted to run a 5K with her my senior year of college.  

I thought she was a lunatic.

I legitimately trained for that run.  And listen, I KNOW how hard it is to run 3 miles when you have never run or you are not a runner.  That's why I'm telling you... I trained for that run, less than 8 years ago.  It was painful.  I thought I was running forever.  When we finished the run, I thought I was such a badass.

Less than a year later, I got this crazy idea that I should try running Broad Street, the largest 10 miler in the country.  I don't know what I was thinking, except that I could do it.

And I did it.  I remember finishing that 10 miles and thinking, "I have no desire to run a half marathon.  What psycho would run 3 more miles?"

Two and a half years later, I was that psycho.

And as I ran from mile 12 to mile 13.1, I remember thinking, "I will ABSOLUTELY do this again."

I signed up for two more half marathons (with the possibility of a marathon in the back of my brain), and with that, most definitely jinxed myself.  In January of 2014, just six weeks after my first half, a piercing pain in my knee sidelined me.  It took four months, two MRIs, PT, a knee brace, a cortisone shot, and three doctors to diagnose my mysterious injury:  Synovial Plica Syndrome.  On June 18, 2014, I had arthroscopic knee surgery and on June 19th, I signed up to be a Beachbody coach.  That day they introduced a new program called PiYo, that promised to be low-impact, especially for knees, but high-intensity.  My thought was, "Well, I won't be able to do anything else, I suppose I can do a little yoga."  You guys know my story.  PiYo taught me that I don't have to run to feel strong, healthy, and in shape.

But, four and a half months after my surgery, I ran a 10K race, and less than a year after surgery, I was reunited with my true love, the Broad Street 10 Miler.  That race sealed my fate.  I was all in, and a week later, I signed up for the Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon in Philadelphia on October 31 and the Rock'n'Roll Marathon in Phoenix, Arizona on January 17.

I truly believe things happen for a reason.  I have seen so many things happen in my life that, at the time, felt like the end of the world, but in the end turned into a lesson or a blessing of some kind.  Being able to run this marathon means more to me now than it ever would have before, had I not gotten through the surgery, become a coach, and discovered PiYo.  Of course, there is a little voice inside of me wondering if I could beat my last half marathon time of 2:08, but I keep reminding myself, that's not what THIS half marathon is about.  This half marathon is just one more triumphant return to running; another distance my healed knee was able to carry me, the halfway point to my marathon, the ultimate goal.

In the next few days, I will post my marathon training calendar, along with how I came up with it!  Thank you for all your support and for sticking with me through this!

PiYo Infomercial Part 3: Hurry Up and Wait

The best way to describe my day was "Hurry Up and Wait."  We hurried up to get our outfits checked, and then we waited.  We hurried up to get our hair and makeup checked, and then we waited.  We hurried up to get our lunch, and then we waited.  All in all, we hurried up and waited for FIVE HOURS until they finally started taping us at 4 pm!  What a trip.

BUT during those 5 hours, I got to meet some of the biggest names in PiYo like Michele Park and I got to meet some really amazing women for whom PiYo changed their lives.  They were Beachbody coaches, PiYo instructors, moms, young women, older women, and so many different shapes and with so many different stories.  It was so hard to not scream from the rooftops (and the Facebook) all about what I was doing, and who I was meeting.  I can't wait to go back and tag all the pictures that were taken!

^^Why am I making that face with Michele Park?!  Am I kissing? Smiling? Sassy? Ugh!

I was also sneaky and got to watch some of the PiYo Master Trainers practice for their Lesson 41 shoot the next day.  Not going to lie... I kind of want to be a Master Trainer on the Talent Team now.

At some point, we were waiting so long for ANYTHING to happen, that Chalene came in (she was not hanging out with us, unfortunately) and said thank you and took pictures with us.  Obviously I video taped it.  She kept looking at me like I was a creeper, but WHATEVER!  It was Chalene!

Finally FINALLY at 3:45, the director took half of us into the group exercise room where there were tons of cameras and lights and people.  We weren't supposed to bring our phones in, but I'm a rebel and a badass now, so I did...

The way the taping worked was that Michele Park actually led the class while Chalene was being interviewed by Maria Menounos.  There were a lot of different cameras:  some on stands, some flying through the air, some being walked around by camera men.  Michele led us through a number of different sections of Drench, which is the workout on the DVDs most like a PiYo Live class.  Michele is an amazing instructor.  Every time they had to stop taping, I wanted to keep taking her class!  It was so much fun to be doing PiYo with so many people who were so good at it!

Eventually we switched out with another group.  Chalene and Maria Menounos were both in workout clothes, but I'm not sure if Chalene showed Maria any moves, since we were in another room.

I ended up having to scoot out a little before filming was over, because I had to get back to LA to catch my 10:30 pm flight home!  I slept like a baby between my layover in Vegas, landed in Philly at 8:20 the next morning.  Not before filming this video in the LA airport:

How do I even close out a story like this one, except to repeat how I began it:  by emphasizing not only the honor and AMAZEMENT at being chosen for something at which I worked so hard and about which I am so completely passionate, but by recognizing how the act of applying for the opportunity and then actually DOING IT, despite the risk and anxiety it presented totally and completely changed my life.

I have never felt more alive, more fulfilled, more passionate, more rewarded, more like a BADASS than ever before in my life.  I want and NEED to help others feel the same, now that I have been through this experience.

I am offering two amazing opportunities to celebrate my one year anniversary with Beachbody, and my new Badass status.

The first is an exclusive PiYo Challenge Group led by me, beginning on MY PiYo one-year anniversary-- Monday, July 6.  This is not your average 21 day Challenge Group.  This will be a full-out 8 week group that will follow the entire PiYo program.  In addition to the group support setting, you will receive one-on-one coaching support with meal plans, modifications and accountability.  There will also be an opportunity to learn some of the most current PiYo combinations from the PiYo Live lessons, since I am a PiYo Instructor!  For this group, I am looking for 15 people who are committed to give this program their all, who will be enthusiastic participants in our challenge group, and are open to trying new things, physically, emotionally, and nutritionally!

The second opportunity is to apply for a spot on my coaching team, Team Fit by Example.  Becoming a coach was the very first REAL risk that I took, and I haven't looked back.  In the last year I have become a better version of myself, both physically and emotionally, made amazing friends, gained confidence in leaps and bounds, found a purpose in my life both by helping others do what I've done. The thousands of dollars I've made doesn't hurt either.  I am looking for people who are looking to claim or RE-claim their Badass status.  I'm looking for 5 people who are passionate, fun, honest, CONFIDENT and ready and willing to try new things and make big things happen for themselves.  If you want more, then I want you to be an example with me!

To apply, fill out the short questionnaire below and I will contact you with more information!  I cannot wait to bring my love of PiYo and my ever-growing confidence to everyone!

PiYo Infomercial Part 2: My Adventure Begins

The week before the infomercial was a whirlwind of finalizing plans, secretly (from my husband) buying new workout clothes (they were on sale at Old Navy!) and traveling to my cousin's bachelorette party!  I think in five days I spent one night in my own bed.

The day came and I packed as light as I could:  one outfit for both plane rides, a couple workout options, and pjs.  Oh, and a yoga mat.  There would be no checking bags, no computer, no frills.  My original plan was to board a plane in Philly at 6:30 pm, change planes in Houston during a 40 minute layover, and land in LA at 11 pm PST.  Imagine how my stress level rose when, on my way to the airport, I got an alert that my plane to Houston was delayed 30 minutes.  No worries, I thought, if they know I'm coming, they should hold the plane.

Then the plane was delayed an hour.

Then an hour and a half

Then 2 hours.

I decided it was probably time to figure out another way to LA.  But first, let me take a selfie.

In 2 minutes, the helpful airport desk lady had me on a nonstop flight to LA that left at 8:30 pm and landed in LA at the exact same time.  Crisis averted!  Everybody resume normal activity!

So of course, as I'm waiting to board, I brought my inspiration, You Are a Badass, and happened to read the following quote:

So many times during this trip, I couldn't believe what I was doing.  I would have moments of anxiety and as I was trying to talk myself out of the crippling fear of during something so out of my comfort zone, I would come to the realization of how AWESOME it all was.  Seriously.

Fast forward a lot of hours through one very cold plane ride, an unexplainably long rental car line, and a scenic midnight drive over the hills of San Pedro, and I ended up at a fellow coach's house!  We had never met, and actually were not even friends on Facebook, yet here she was opening her home to me and providing an extremely comfortable bed on which for me to get in my beauty sleep.

I didn't have to be in Irvine until 11 am the next day, so I spent the morning having our own little team building session and by 9:30 am I was on my way.

I got to the gym around 10:30 and recorded this little message:

How did it go?  Do you want to read Part 3 before everyone else?  Sign up to have ME as your free coach, and you'll get a sneak peak at the final blog post before everyone else!

PiYo Infomercial Part 1: You are the Chosen One

It's hard to know where to begin with this one.  I know you've all come to hear my big announcement.  And I am SO excited to tell you.  I have been holding it in for weeks and so OF COURSE I am excited to tell you.  But the more I sit on this secret of mine, the more it spins in my brain and the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that it wasn't the OPPORTUNITY that was amazing necessarily (although don't get me wrong, the opportunity was friggin awesome), it was the fact that I actually did it.  I put myself out there, more than ever before.  I took a financial risk that many thought unwise.  I fought through the anxiety of the WHAT IF I AM MAKING THE WRONG DECISION? and just. fucking. did. it.  And you know what happened?  I realized that I am a badass.

Seriously.

I found something that I enjoy, I pursued it, amazing things happened, and then I didn't make excuses. I went out and I lived my life.  I did something crazy.  Something that just a YEAR ago would have sent my nerves into a tailspin.

You know what sucks?  Regret.  I have always held true to the mantra:  Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.  And that has really worked for me.  Because my life has been filled with overanalyzing and pros and cons lists and endless conversations consulting everyone for their advice.  I have never put myself in a situation that could allow for regret.  And I am ok with that.  And I will probably continue to live most of my life that way.  I like safety and security.  I like that my savings account has money and that I brush my teeth twice a day and that I don't jump out of airplanes.  BUT for the first time in my life, I took a chance in which the outcome was unforeseen.  In which my decision was cautioned by my parents.  In which I had to spend a lot of money.  Forget regret, right?  I knew.  I knew that if I didn't take this chance, THAT regret would be worse than the regret of not doing every damn thing I needed to do to get there.  So that's what I did.

I applied, was chosen, and attended the invitation-only taping of the brand new infomercial for Chalene Johnson's and Beachbody's workout program PiYo.

You remember PiYo?  My soul workout.  The workout that saved my life.  The workout that rehabilitated my knee, my body, and my mindset.  The workout that taught me that I didn't have to run to stay in shape and be worth something, but that helped me get back into running anyway.  The only Beachbody workout that I've complete twice.  The workout that I got certified to instruct.

It all started when Beachbody posted on Facebook that they were looking for people to submit their pictures and their stories for a chance to be selected to be in the PiYo infomercial.  You had to be available to be in Irvine, California on the day of the taping.  Many people commented, "Oh man, I would love to do this, but I live far away!"  "PiYo changed my life, but I just can't spend the money to get there!"  "There is nothing I would rather do, but I just can't get out of work!"  There were a lot of "buts" in those comments.  So when one friend tagged me in the comments, and then another, and then another, I thought, "Well, why the hell not?"  I already had my story.  I already had my transformation photos.  All I needed was a video of myself doing some of the moves.  So, at 10:30 pm after a long, gluttonous Memorial Day Weekend at the beach, my husband taped some of my most impressive PiYo moves.

Everything was due to be emailed by noon on Tuesday, May 26.  I wasn't entirely sure if that meant noon PST or not, so I did it in the morning just to be safe and went about my day...

...looking up red-eyes to and from Los Angeles.  I don't even know why.  Something told me that I should be prepared. Now, I'm not going to tell you I was walking around saying, "I've got this in the bag, no problem," but I wasn't walking around saying, "This was stupid there's no way they're going to pick me," either.

The ad to apply for the infomercial stated that the people chosen would be informed on Friday, May 29.  So imagine my paralyzing shock when this happened:

I never pick up numbers I don't know.  If it's important, they can leave a message.  But you can bet your ass I picked this up.

Yup.  It was Beachbody.

They wanted to know where I was from.  My area code must not have rung a bell as being local.  When I told them NJ, they asked, should I be chosen, would I be willing and able to be in Irvine, California on the day of the shoot.  I believe what I told them was, "I would WALK to California if you picked me to be in this shoot."

"Great, we'll let you know on Friday."

Cue me texting everyone I knew.  I mean, they wouldn't call me if they weren't seriously considering me, right?  How was I going to wait until Friday to find out?

Apparently, I didn't have to.  Less than 24 hours later, this happened:

I was officially invited to the PiYo infomercial shoot.  It would be an all-day affair in Irvine, California.  Of course, Chalene herself would be there.  More specific information about location and dress code would follow.

WTF.  Cue frantic screaming phone calls.  I was going to meet Chalene.

I was, as you would expect, ecstatic.  And then, terrified.  I must be crazy.  I was going to go to LA and back, for less than 48 hours total, rent a car, find somewhere to stay, put myself in a situation where I didn't know anyone, all by myself and on my dime?!  Many people I talked to felt the same way.

"Wait, you have to pay for this yourself?  Is that a wise financial decision?  Didn't you just buy a house? Why would you do that?"

"Yes.  Probably not.  Yes.  Well..."

Because.  Because WHO applies to be in an infomercial for a product they TRULY believe in, let alone gets CHOSEN to be in it?  Because this "Beachbody workout hobby" of mine has changed my life, and this is a chance to show the world.  Because life is only life if you live a little.  Because it would make me HAPPY.

That's why.


Do you want to read Part 2 before everyone else?  Sign up to have ME as your free coach, and you'll get a sneak peak at the next blog post before everyone else!

South Jersey Super Saturday!

So far, one of the most amazing things I have done with my Beachbody family was attend the first Super Saturday of the year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  In attendance there was the CEO Carl Deikler, 21 Day Fix/Extreme trainer Autumn Calabrese, and the 2014 Top Coach, Melanie Mitro.  It was so exciting to see everyone come together for the common goal of bettering ourselves as coaches and bettering the lives of others through our products.





Super Saturday happens four times a year and can literally happen anywhere.  All you need is to register your town with Beachbody.  They will send you a corporate video to show.  Other than that, it's up to you!  You can have one person there or thousands.  You can hold it in your garage, a local school or church, or even a hotel or NFL stadium!

Inspired by our experiences in Pittsburgh in January, my coach decided to co-host the next Super Saturday event locally, which was this past Saturday, April 24.  I have to tell you, I was excited (I'm always excited to spend time with my team), but I didn't think there would be that many people there!    And people we didn't know who weren't on our team!

It was a really awesome morning.  My coach Leigh and another local Star Diamond coach Sabrina welcomed everyone and did some recognitions.  We then heard from one of Leigh's challengers, Kelly, about her transformation:  over 40 pounds since last July doing T25 and Insanity Max: 30!

Next we watched the video from corporate.  Two new product announcements were made:  Cize!, a new dance workout by Shaun T and Beachbody Performance, a line of supplements that range from pre-workout energy to nighttime repair formulas!  I'm kind of excited about this, although I read that you can't mix any of it with Shakeology, which is what I've been doing with the Beachbody protein that was just discontinued.  Once the products come out in July, I'll give everyone a full run-down.  If you're interested in being notified when these products are available, click the products^!

The video also featured quick advice from some top coaches and some very inspirational stories from some successful challengers.  These videos are quite motivational for veteran and new coaches alike, as well as visiting friends and challengers in attendance who are not coaches.

After the video, there were some trivia and prizes and then finally, the live workout portion!  Leigh started it off with a half hour of Insanity!  The bad AND good news was that Leigh had to modify some of the moves because there wasn't enough room with all the people who showed up.  It was really awesome.

Next was PiYo live and my FIRST class!  You remember when Rachel and I got certified two months ago?  I have been practicing and preparing for this very moment!  It was a very interesting experience.  Even without a mirror in front of me or the confidence/experience to do the moves facing my "class", I still think it went really well!  Quite a few people commented to me that it was way different, and better, than the video program (I, of course, disagree) and now they want to get certified too!  Awesome!

I have to end by pointing out my sweaty band.  Why am I wearing it like that?  Do I always wear it like that?  As one of my teammates so eloquently put it:

I guess if I have to be compared to anyone, Rambo is not a bad choice.  Right?

Running Hybrids

Let's talk about how I miraculously obtained a bib for my favorite race, the Broad Street Run.  It's a 10 mile run through the city of Philly, entirely on Broad Street.  The first five miles are basically downhill, straight towards city hall.  They have to cap the race at 40,000 runners (the largest 10 miler in America), so beginning in 2013, entry was decided through a lottery.  I ran the race in 2011, 2012 and 2013.  Last year in 2014, I was not chosen in the lottery, which ended up being a blessing in disguise, because the run was just days after I found out I needed knee surgery.  This year, I decided that the BSR would be my triumphant return to running.

I didn't get picked for the lottery.  Again.

Cue sad trombone.  Seriously, I was really sad.  I mean, I am infinitely happier and in better shape than I ever was when I was running, but running gave me a feeling of power and accomplishment that I definitely miss.  I was just getting used to the idea when a friend decided her hip trouble wasn't going away any time soon and transferred her bib over to me.  #Win.

Panic mode set in pretty instantly.  I used to train 10 weeks for this race and now we're 5 weeks away.  Oops.  Plus I still had 3 more weeks left of P90X3, and I wasn't about to abandon what I've been working on for the last 90 days.

Enter a hybrid calendar!

Hybrid calendars are awesome!  They are perfect for people who want a wider mix of workouts that maybe one program doesn't offer, for people who can't ever choose just one program to do at a time, for people who get bored easily, and for people who like to mix up their at-home workouts with runs or workouts at the gym.  There is a great website called Workout Scheduler which allows you to pick from any Beachbody or MMA workout and create a calendar based on your fitness goals.

Another reason I like hybrids are because they force me to cross-train appropriately.  A couple of years ago, I was running probably 5 days a week, and I really messed up my IT band.  After a lot of physical therapy, I learned the necessity of lower body stretching and strengthening.  I always stayed away from really strenuous lower body exercises while running because I figured running was strenuous enough.  Turns out, my legs, hips and core weren't strong enough to support all the running I was doing.  That's when I first picked up the original P90X.  I found that my speed and stamina increased, while my soreness and injuries decreased.

Since I needed to add running in, I decided to create my own hybrid using the workouts from the last month of P90X3, since that is what I'm in right now, and they are my favorite workouts in the program.

Essentially what I did was take out some of the cardio-heavy workouts and replace them with running (I left in MMX though because it's my fave).  I also rearranged some things from the original calendar to make sure that I wasn't do my long runs the day after leg day.  Ouch.

Of course I couldn't forget Rachel!  She is running BSR as well and is just about to finish T25 (maybe we can get her to guest blog about it!).  She has never done P90X3 before and we didn't think it was a good idea to throw her into a month 3 hybrid, so I made her a PiYo hybrid.  I'm actually kind of jealous.  It's pretty good:

I love creating hybrids, so let me know if you ever want any advice or help planning yours!

PiYo Certification or Bust!

A year ago, if you had asked me the likelihood of me a) getting some kind of fitness certification or b) getting pulled over for speeding, I would have said, hands-down, getting pulled over for speeding would be much more likely.

Just shows you that the more things change, the more they also stay the same.

Or something like that.

Rachel and I took the plunge and decided to sign up for PiYo certification back in December.  You may remember I described it as my "soul workout," helping me rehabilitate my knee after surgery and lose two inches around both my waist and hips.  Both Rachel and I love it, finding it challenging, fun, and a necessary component to our fitness routines.  I had a little familiarity with the concept of being trained to teach a Beachbody (or any) scripted program, because my coach is certified to teach Insanity.  Rachel and I really didn't have any concrete plans to teach in a fitness studio, but the idea of spending a day learning about our favorite workout, along with the option to continue to receive new workouts in the mail, was really appealing.

Concealing our excitement.

We traveled about an hour to the gym where the certification would be.  Our Master Trainer, Kara Buono, was awesome, and we found out that she was the number 3 Master Trainer in the country last year!  She is certified to teach PiYo, Insanity, TurboFire and P90X.  If you get the opportunity to take one of her classes or go to one of her trainings, take it!

At first, Kara introduced herself.  When she asked the group how many people were certified to teach other scripted programs and/or were ACE or AFAA (group and personal trainer) certified, I was shocked that Rachel and I were two of the only ones who didn't raise their hands.  It was a little awkward.  I think people were wondering why we were there!  However, I was also surprised to see how many people there had not tried PiYo before!  We definitely had an upper hand in that area, but I was excited to see, as the class progressed, that there was really no need to have much, if any, prior knowledge about PiYo.  We discussed the program and reviewed some of the most common positions and moves in the program.  We had all received an electronic copy of the manual, which some people printed and some accessed on their iPads and laptops.  We talked about what the script for each lesson looks like and how to read it.  We talked about the music and how to count and cue.

Then we got to take an actual class with Kara.  The live classes are usually 30-60 minutes long in a gym, but the script and music that Beachbody sends you is longer than an hour, so as the instructor, you get to pick and choose what sections you want to do with your class.  The Warm Up is always the same (which was awesome for me and Rachel, because it was basically the same warmup as in the videos).  Then comes Heat Building, Lower Body, Full Body Fusion, Flow, Core and More, Stretch and Strengthen, and Cooldown.

Kara took this picture of me while I was instructing the class.

After lunch, we split into three groups of eight in order to really learn the Heat Building section of the most current routine.  Kara played the music over and over as our group discussed the different moves, how to remember what came next, and how to count and cue them.  We were told to pick one person from our group who was not already a group fitness instructor to lead the ENTIRE CLASS in one round of Heat Building.  Guess who won that game?

It was pretty great actually.  Everyone was so supportive of one another!  There was one part I kept forgetting, and my group offered to call it out to me while I was in the front, so I wouldn't forget   It was challenging to remember to do everything.  Not only what moves came next, but what they were called and then to announce them to the class before they happened so everyone would know what to do.  I tried to insert some form tips and modification suggestions, most of which I have internalized from doing the videos so much.  I knew I had been successful when the music ended at the exact moment that our routine was finished.  Big #win of the day.

#Epicfail of the day?  Getting pulled over for speeding on our way to get some dinner.  The cop was nice enough to let me off, only writing me up for my break light that was out.

In the end, it was a great day.  Rachel and I came home, poured a glass of wine, and popped in the instructional DVD for the lesson we received to get an idea of how the lessons are taught.  While I don't know that I'm going to run out and knock on the door of every gym in town to see if they will pick up a PiYo class, I already know that we will get to teach it at our local Super Saturday (Beachbody event) in April!


As always, let me know if you'd like more info about PiYo, or maybe want to be my guinea pig if I want to experiment with teaching!

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!