PiYo versus Bikram Style Hot Yoga

It’s all in the title!  We’re talking about how PiYo compares to Bikram style hot yoga.  I’m going to tell you a little story about why this is on my mind though!

Before I was pregnant, I took 5-6 hot yoga classes a week, mostly Bikram style.  This was usually on top of whatever workouts I was doing at the time.  I prioritized those first, and then if I could make it to yoga, I went.  What can I say…I loved it, and I had time!  I started leading a student-run early morning class once a week as well.  My yoga instructor was the second to know i was pregnant after my husband.  Do you know how you’re not supposed to hot tub while pregnant?  Yoga in a room heated to 105 degrees isn’t recommended either!

After having a baby, the timing/scheduling made it difficult to fit in.  There’s no childcare at yoga!  I believe I made it to my 8th class in almost 23 months yesterday.  But I have done a lot of yoga in that time.  I take it at the gym sometimes, where there is childcare if I need it, but someone seems to really like to fall asleep when we’re supposed to go!

See that little girl asleep in the back? We were supposed to go to yoga!

I have also done a lot of PiYo – both from the dvd program and in the instructor videos as I’m certified to teach it.  So how does it compare?  That’s what popped into my head while at yoga yesterday.

First, for convenience, the PiYo dvds are awesome.  Flexibility in my living room?  Hiya!  And it moves quickly enough that it doesn’t make me think about turning it off 5000 times a second.  Next is sweat.  You will sweat doing both…likely a little more with the 105 degrees, but still dripping from PiYo.  For class feel, hot yoga at a studio definitely wins, but of course it does.

One of the things I love about the Bikram style is that the poses are athletic and there’s too much to think about to get into your own head and drift off.  You need to remain present in the poses.  With PiYo, it moves faster, with also very athletic poses.  This was the point that clicked with me yesterday.  The poses are different, but both have the athletic side which is something I love.

So while the two are immensely different, the feeling I have after the workout is extremely similar.  It took a long time to figure that out (I was certified in PiYo in January 2013, have had the home program since it was released in July 2014) but now that I have it’s like angels singing.  I won’t lie, it’s always been hard for me to press play on yoga at home…even if i like the workout.  But remembering that this feeling is waiting on the other side should be the key that has me doing it more often!

Post yoga glow!

If you have a love for the challenge of a hot yoga class but can’t make it like me, this might be something to check out for you!  What keeps you away from your practice?

Color Run!

Yesterday, we did the Color Run with my brother in law and family.  I knew that we’d likely walk a lot of it, so I started out with a PiYo workout.  I pulled out Hardcore on the Floor, the bonus workout you get for ordering from me!

 

Artoo seemed to like it and wanted to check it out!

The workout was tough and sweaty…and as the name implies, all floor work!  A lot of it was spent in a move called Beast…you start on all fours and lift your knees.  It was about 35 min and flew by!

Post-PiYo and my July ab challenge for the day

Then it was time to get ready for the run!  We made it to the check in party and got our swag bag…they give you lots of good stuff!  A tee, a headband, tattoos, bracelets…and the bag was nice too!  Here we are before the race…you can see our headbands.

Then it was off to race start!  We had to wait for the third wave to be released, but there were bubbles, so we were entertained!

Bubble watching!

I was surprised by how little color there actually was!  Basically just 4 stations of colors (Blue, Purple, Yellow, Green) over the 5K course.  You can see that we opted for an umbrella stroller – light if she didn’t want to be in it, was free if the color stays forever and probably best for her to take in the experience.  We took her out for the last color station…not the best experience!  I think the color was a little scary.  But mostly, it was fun.

Here’s the after!

Then it was time to lunch and bathe!  It was easier to get off of us than the baby..she had 2 baths yesterday and still has some bluish green!  I think because she was basically just sitting in the color.  Wind took care of some of ours.  Her feet were the worst!

Lunch! And you can see her tattoo.

Overall, this tattoo summed up the day!

 

Have you done a color run before?  How was your experience?

 

Next Up!

So, first and foremost…next up for July is abs.  I run free and non-product driven monthly challenges on Facebook for a little extra workout.  Extra from the couch or from your other workouts!  Here is the calendar we’re  using for July.  Email me to be added to the group!

 

Next, and very relative to my last post…I have a PiYo accountability group coming up on 7/7 to celebrate the launch and test out this new program.  The group helps with keeping you on track while working out at home.  You get me, every day, helping to get you from beginning to end.  Deadline to order for this group is 7/1, so get on it or I’ll get you into the next multi-program group (so you can use anything!), likely end of July.

Now, what you’ve been (maybe) waiting for.  What new, fun products are coming out soon??  Okay.  I’ll tell you.  Announced at summit was P90.  The program can be used as an on ramp to the more extreme/advanced P90X series of workouts, or can just be used to get results!  It’s a multilevel workout program, similar in style to the extreme ones, that can be done by anyone.  So if you’re of the mindset that P90X or P90X3 is just too much but looks good otherwise, this one’s for you.

So that’s what I’ve got!  Not much coming up for me personally…I pretty much had up to this weekend planned for months and now go to nothing.  Which I could use.  I have the Color Run on Sunday which should be a blast!

Have you done a color run before?

Went to Vegas, Came Back and…

Silence!

Sorry about that!  I have so many things to say that it’s hard to know where to start.  I went to Las Vegas for Beachbody’s Coach Summit over the weekend.  A place to learn, motivate, hear success stories, and workout.  It was crazy!  So many people with so many of their own stories.  It was truly inspirational!  So much so, next year’s summit, announced and opened last Thursday, was sold out before I got home on Sunday!  Next year is in Nashville…a lot closer to home!  I am already excited.

So, to get started on my trip, I’ll go into the new programs released over the weekend!

First, as everyone was waiting for it, is PiYo!

 

So what is PiYo?  PiYo is a low-impact, high-intensity body-transformation program. It uses the most effective Pilates- and yoga-inspired moves set to a fast pace to help you burn fat while you sculpt long, lean muscles.   You’ll carve every inch of your body without jumps, without weights, and without straining your joints.

This format has been in gyms for years, but is now coming into your home!  If you order soon though…it’s rumored that it may sell out!

Next is the 3-Day Refresh, a 3-day cleanse to quickly reset the body.  It helps you fast-track your weight loss, kick-start healthy eating, and get a clean break from bad nutrition habits.  For 3 days you’ll follow a program of 3 shakes a day, a fiber drink, plenty
of water, plus a wide array of fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats throughout the day to keep your energy and metabolism going.

I’ll be trying this down the road.  3 days is totally doable for me.  There is also the 21-day Ultimate Reset, but finding 3 days to do something is much easier than 3 weeks!  When I can cleanse, I’ll be hitting the 3 day one hard!

The other program available right now is the 21 Day Fix in Spanish!  All of the 21 Day Fix goodness, translated (the workouts are dubbed…no staring at the tv!)

 

All of these programs are available NOW and the challenge packs are on SALE!  New stuff and a deal…sign me up!  Comment or email for more information.

Stay tuned for what’s coming soon!

 

 

 

Getting Back

So, I went away for less than 48 hours and it took me forever to get back to normal!  I went through the motions of my normal days, working out, working, prepping foods, all the other good stuff.  But a lot of little daily things I do fell off my plate.

Why was it that hard to get back on track?  I think it was the weekday trip and that I got in so late on Wednesday.  I got in about 2am, got up at about 5:30am to start Thursday (I’m sure my husband would have let me sleep in, but I missed my baby!).  Both Thursday and Friday were also not typical weekdays with some other mid-week plans thrown in.  At night, I was still overwhelmed with the list I had to get done and the need for some much needed sleep.

So I rebooted this weekend, but I’m doing it again this week!  For a little more fun, a few more days, and a bit further of a trip.  I’m off to Las Vegas on Thursday for the big Beachbody Summit.  It’s my first time going, so I’m trying to prepare as best I can but not letting that stress me out.  I am not packed yet, but I still have time.  I don’t have that much clothing to decide between!

4 days from yesterday!

This trip should be super motivating, but I’m finding a funny little thing…I’m also motivated now with it coming up!  That’s a lovely bonus.  I can’t wait to spend a few days with so many inspiring people.

It’s also going to be the release of the home version of Piyo, one of the formats I’m certified in.  It’s a low impact, mind/body inspired strength workout that is nothing like what you expect from that!  Expect great music, unexpected results, and to smile through it.  I’ve been adding more Piyo into my schedule to get ready for the launch.  I’m excited for more people to get to experience this workout.

 

 

 

I also took off a few days after I get back, so I’ll be able to recover to normalcy quicker.  And more importantly, hang with my family.  What are you looking forward to this week?