My 10kg Vest Hybrid

As some of you may know, I'm currently doing a hybrid of P90X, Insanity and Insanity the Asylum, in a 10kg weight vest.
I got asked the other day on our YouTube channel if i would post it up, so here it is.

                                                                           PHASE 1

PHASE 2

                                                                          PHASE 3 

Now this, in my opinion, is a great hybrid regardless of wearing a vest because every phase the cardio gets tougher.  Whereas in a straight round of P90X, the cardio stays the same.  And lets be honest, if you're an Insanity grad, the cardio workouts in X just don't cut it.

So my thinking behind it when I designed thy hybrid was: Tony Horton describes P90X as muscle confusion, which works great, but what about cardio confusion?

As we get fitter, and stronger, we also need to mix up the cardio too, so that's what this hybrid does.

My plan was always to get through the 90 days, then do a straight round of  Asylum in the vest.  Now thats going to be a tough one.

If you are going to wear a vest, just a bit of advice if i may:
I started wearing the vest at the start of the year, and did Insanity phase 1 workouts twice a week, for 8 weeks, before I started the hybrid.  If you're jumping straight into it, just be careful.

I also considered myself to be fairly fit at the start of the hybrid, having trained with Beachbody programs for a whole year.

Now when it comes to choosing a vest, I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that the ones that only half come over the torso were the best ones for the workouts I would be doing.  The full length ones are aimed more at runners.

The reason for the shorter vest is this: because this vest sits above your abs, with every single move you do you're constantly engaging the core.

Here's the vest.  It is £35 from eBay.

I think I've covered everything.  If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Thanks,

Andy

Tony Horton One on One Series - 30/15 workout UBM

If you've not heard of these workouts I would strongly suggest visiting the Beachbody.com site and having a look.  There are 3 full series to have a look through and this review is for, in my opinion, one of if not the best workout from the whole 3 series.

If you haven't guessed from the title, the workout consists of a series of "sets" comprising of 30 pushups and 15 pullups.  It's titled UBM which stands for Upper Body Massacre, which is quite an accurate description.

The pushup sets are: basic, military, wide, diamond, staggered, regular to chattarunga.

The pullup sets are: wide, lever, close grip, chin ups, switch grip, mason.

So you perform a set of pushups, listen to some banter and advice from Tony and then move onto the pull up move for that set.  You do 2 rounds of each set for a total of 12 sets. If you're already a veteran of the P90X system and pretty good at pullups I would highly recommend using a weighted vest for this workout to add an extra degree of difficulty.

To get the most out of this workout you will need some deep pushup bars, obviously top of the list is the original metal powerstands sold by Beachbody.  Unfortunately if you havent bought these already, the metal ones have been discontinued and have been replaced by some made from hard plastic, which I'm  told are still very sturdy and good enough for the job at hand. However, although I thought £40 was a bit steep but worth it for the metal ones, I'm not sure I would fork out £40 for plastic pushup stands, when reasonable metal ones made by Gold's Gym can be purchased for a third of the cost.

You will also need a decent pull-up bar.  I have the P90X one and the original Powerbar.  I use the Powerbar every time. The P90X one from Beachbody is a very sturdy bar and has multiple hand position points, however I dont think it sits high enough on the doorframe. I'm 5ft 6 and I can put my toes on the floor with straight legs, but cant with the Powerbar. The downside to the Powerbar is the fact it wrecks the wall above the doorframe where the support legs dig in. However they have released a Powerbar 2 which addresses this issue by adding little rubber feet protectors that are supposed to prevent this. I don't have the version 2 so can't confirm if this is the case.

So a quick summary.  This is a replacement workout for P90X chest and back and is a real grueller. It will test how good you think you are at pushups and pullups. The first few times you do ths workout you will be sore.  It is one if the best workouts I've ever done, regardless who its made by.  It will test your endurance and cardio strength and push you to your mental limit. I highly recommend it.

Jase

The Non-Carb Window

When tying to lose weight and lean out it is a good idea to manage your carb intake.  Your body can't burn fat while insulin is raised - insulin will be raised for around 3 hours after consuming carbs.  So after carbs have been consumed, try to leave a window of around six hours before you consume more carbs, thereby allowing your body a window of time to burn fat.  For example if you have eaten carbs with your breakfast, make sure your mid-morning meal or snack does not contain any non-vegetable carbs.

This simple snack is ideal.  

 

Tuna with quark

Simply drain a tin of tuna and mix with around 20 grams of quark (to taste).  Add in whatever salad vegetables you like.

The nutritional breakdown for the tuna and quark is as follows:

Calories            150

Protein               36g

Carbs                <1g

Fat                    <1g

Added benefits are that this is quick and easy, can be prepared in advance and taken out while travelling.  Because of the mercury found in tuna, limit to a couple of portions per week.

Pam

P90X/Insanity Vest Hybrid Day 60

Today I completed 60 days of my 90 day 10kg vest hybrid.  Feeling very happy about it all, as everything is going to plan.

Since the beginning of my journey, I've been obsessed with abs.  I've always seen it as the ultimate goal, but as I started this hybrid I came to realise this obsession was unhealthy and decided to try and put it far away in the back of my mind.

My main goals for this hybrid were to get leaner and more defined.  By doing so, the abs would really appear.  So far I'm on track.

I'm really excited at the results so far.  And from past experience, phase 3 is where you really bring it and see the best results.

So watch this space for the day 90 pics and a transformation video.

Andy

Chocolate Protein Mousse Recipe

Chocolate Protein Mousse

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• 1/2 tsp cocoa (optional)

What to do:

• Pour the egg whites into a bowl and whisk vigorously, until stiff
• Add protein powder and whisk further
• Add cocoa powder and whisk until fully mixed (optional)
• Leave in the freezer for 10-15 minutes

The chocolate flavour was really tasty and satisfied a chocolate craving.  Next time I'm going to try flavouring with lemon zest and peel.  Let us know if you try the recipe and what you think of it.  

Dumbells on a Budget

I get a lot of people ask me "what dumbells should I buy?"  This all depends on key factors: have you got the room for lots of different weights, have you got the money to buy expensive weights?  The answer in my case is 'no' and 'no'.


Now, Jason reviewed the power block.  A fine piece of equipment.  And yes if I had £300 I'm sure that I'd like some, but I'm sure my wife could find something else to spend it on too.


So here's my cheap alternative:

York cast iron weights  

Starter set is 20kg, so not too heavy.  But if you're new to all of this, they might just do the job, for a while.


The best place I find to buy these are Argos or Amazon.  At different times of the month, one is cheaper than the other.  They usually cost between £27-£35.  Remember to always look out for a voucher code when shopping at Argos. 




Another alternative is:

York cast iron barbell and dumbell set

The benefits are that this has more weight, but with a barbell .


These are sold in two different ranges: 
First is 35kg, so you have quite a bit more on the dumbell if you like.  Usually costs around £45-£70.


Second is 48kg.  You can leave the additional weights off the bar or dumbells until you are strong enough but the initial investment is worth it because as you get stronger, you'll want to add more weight.  These are usually between £70-£100.  Whereas to buy extra weights later will cost around £30 for a set of four 5kg plates.


With all of the above, it really is a case of checking daily because the prices really can fluctuate.  


As for storage, if it's just two dumbells you can put them in a cupboard.  The extra weights are quite small and can be stacked away neatly, until you're stronger to use them.

The bar can be put in a cupboard upright, or under a bed.

Spinlock

One last thing: the ends are what's called "spinlock".  Great if you're going to use the same weight all the time.  However in most workouts, P90X included, this isn't the case.  You work your bicep with more weight, then the next routine is a tricep exercise so you will likely need to lower your weight.  Using the spinlock can prove to be very slow.


Never fear, you need to purchase these:

Quick release spring collars 

Put these on the end of the bar.  When it's time to change your weight, press them together between finger and thumb.  They come straight off, giving you fast changes during your workout.  These cost £5  from a variety of sellers on eBay.


So that's my alternative to spending lots of cash.  I hope it's helped you decide.




Andy

Rocky Training Video

I watch this video twice a day, once in the morning before I workout and last thing at night, this is my MOTIVATION

Review of the Power Block Sport 9.0

Power Block Sport 9.0



Do you have space for a full set of Hex dumbbells? or is it annoying you the time it takes to switch weights with standard spin lock collars on your regular bar and weight plate setup? then maybe the Powerblock is the answer, regarded by many as the number one choice for adjustable dumbbells they are my choice after already owning the Bowflex which is another good choice, unfortunately Bowflex usa customer services is a complete waste of time if you live in the UK, so if you buy Bowflex make sure you get them from Fitness Superstore for the warranty.

Powerblock sport 9.0 stage one base kit

the set goes from 2.5kg which is the bare handle weight without the addition of the 2 adder weights right up to 22.5kg with the addition of the 2 handle adder weights.

first I'll show you what I mean by adder weights

do you see the two small metal cylindrical blocks on the right, these are the adder weights, they weigh 1kg each and are inserted into the handle itself, by sliding the pointer to the open position you can insert and remove the weights as you need, this is the pointer located on the handle

So all of a sudden the weight increments you can choose triples. with both handle weights inserted the handle weighs 4.5kg the increments including both weights would be 9,13.5,18, and 22.5kg , without both handle weights the weight increments would be 2.5,7,11.5,16 and 20.5kg or you can just add one weight to change them again.



If you've ever been to a regular gym you should be familiar with the way you change the weight increment on the Power Block, its as easy as sliding the bar out and sliding it back in to the desired weight you want, it takes roughly 5 seconds to perform a straight change without involving the adder weights in the handle. 10 seconds if you need to remove or add the adder weights. The pin bar has a strong magnet that is inside it so once you've selected your weight and pushed the pin through it will remain firmly in place, there is also an elastic tether either side of the pin to ensure you don't lose it.

The weight increments are colour coded on the top and side so for instance if you decided you wanted to curl 13.5kg you would leave the adder weights in the handle and put the selector pin under the white bar, this enables you to lift the weight clear of the remaining weights and you have only selected 13.5kg, where the Power Block differ to the Bowflex is that the Power Block dont need to be in a cradle to perform the weight. change making them a lot more versatile if your in the middle of a drop set and need to do a quick change without getting off your bench

Another important factor is the size of the powerblock, compared to even regular hex dumbbells the Power Block is quite a bit smaller and to me feels just as balanced.

To me though the main 2 selling points are warranty and upgradability, the Power Block. comes with a 10 year manufacturers warranty and can be upgraded a further two times, called "stages" stage 2 add on kit takes the total amount of weight available from 25kg up to 42kg and the stage 3 takes the total combined weight from 45.5kg to 59kg again in selectable increments of 45.5kg, 46.5kg, 47.5kg, 51kg, 52kg, 53kg, 57kg, 58kg, 59kg

The Power Blocks cost around £400 for the stage 1 kit, £300 for the stage 2 kit and £400 for the stage 3 kit

I hope you've enjoyed this brief review of the Power Blocks

Jase