Body Beast: A Few Thoughts

As I write this, I am on the second to last week of the second section of Body Beast, the Bulk Phase. This means that I have no been doing Body Beast for eight weeks.

Overall, I can safely say that I really like this program. There is nothing fancy, no strange moves that involve abnormal balancing, twisting, or gimicks. The moves used are time-tested. Want to work biceps? How about a ton of curls? Makes sense, doesn't it?

What Body Beast does that you might not do on your own is emphasize different lifting patterns, such as a Super Sets, Giant Set, Force Sets, and Progressive Sets. Progressive Sets are the one that will whoop your tail into shape fast: Start with light weight at 15 reps, then up the weight and go to 12 reps, up the weight again and go to 8 reps. Pause. Now, reverse that, starting with the heavy weight and going lighter. Rough!

Here's my one major issue with Body Beast, and it isn't even that major. When you pop in one of the workouts, you might see that it is 32 minutes. "Hot damn," you say to yourself, "I'll have more free time tonight than I thought!" Wrong.

Sagi, the trainer in Body Beast, often helps the other members of the workout load their weights on and get ready for the next set. What this means is that they often get prepared for the next set twice as fast as you possibly could on your own. Therefore, you have to pause or rewind just to stay with the video.

Now, is this that big a deal? No. Does it change the fact that Body Beast is a killer workout? No. Is it annoying? Yes. As a result of this, that workout can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes longer. What makes it worse for me is that I don't have a full rack fo weights: I have the adjustable Bowflex dumbells. So, when you have to quickly go from 15 to 20 pounds and the members on the DVD can just grab their next pair of dumbells, I have to walk to my rack, change the weight, and get back into position. Again, not a deal breaker, but it means that the workout takes a bit longer than advertised.

Overall, I'm still loving this program. I have notice difference on every part of my body, especially my shoulders and chest. Today, I'm back to Bulk Chest. Beast up!

Who Am I and Why Should You Care

So, why should you listen to reviews that this guy writes about fitness.

My name is Ethan Brandt. I am am not an expert in medical fitness; I do not have a degree or a certification.

While some might consider those weaknesses, I consider them strengths for the purposes of these reviews. I am 22 years old and writing from the perspective of someone who is extremely passionate about staying in shape and looking and feeling good. It is for these reasons that I have already completed P90X, P90X2, and Insanity. I am currently working my way through Beachbody's Body Beast program.

While having exercised a lot, since I was 14, does not make me the most qualified person, it means that I know what works for me and what is effective.

I am also someone who works a regular job as a teacher, so I know how difficult it can be to find time to workout and eat properly. Trust me, fast food is sometimes very tempting for a fast life.

Anyway, it is from this perspective that I am going to be writing an account and reviews of different programs that I try as I try them. I will do my best to post about every single different routine in these programs after I finish the DVD so that I can provide helpful information and immediate feedback.

For now, I am just starting on the second phase of Body Beast, so I will write a quick summary on what Body Beast is and my overall impressions on the first set of the program. Then I will start on specific routines. Beast up!