Ever since I lost 50 pounds with P90x, I’ve been of the mind set to start a new work out program in a caloric deficit mode, eating a high protein to carb ratio diet and include plenty and plenty of cardio. As P90x Phase II and III approached, my calorie intake would increase as would the good carbs.  That was great for losing tons of weight and fat. But now I’m at the point where I want to build some bulk and taking a serious look at Body Beast, which does things a bit different. A lot Different! I have to admit this takes me out of my comfort zone having to bump up my daily calories intake from 2000 to 3000 and limit my cardio to once a week starting Phase 1! Body Beast gets you going right away consuming a lot of carbs and calories for phase 1 and 2. Only in Phase 3 does it tone down the carbs and calories and includes more cardio. So I was planning on making a hybrid for Body Beast out of the gate when fellow Beachbody coaches Eric Hall and Brandon Henderson intercepted and laid down some intervention. I think Eric’s advice is just golden so I’m going to just quote him here:

My only concern is that depending upon one’s body type, you want to watch the amount of high intensity cardio done while trying to bulk up.  Too much will deplete your glycogen stores in your muscle, and you will be challenged to go big on your next workout on the Body Beast.  One day a week of cardio is plenty.  Again, don’t underestimate the power that strength training has on your cardiovascular system and metabolism.
Honestly, and now I’m going to sound like Beachbody themselves…but probably best to just do the workout program as scheduled without modification to truly test it’s effectiveness.  I always felt that hybrids are for after you have gone thru a program first, then hybrid the second or third time thru.
Also, YOU mentioned something about not minding getting a bigger upper body?  And what sacrifice the lower body? Not gonna happen.  Building lower body strength will give you upper body strength and size as well.  You have to develop all the way around and killer leg workouts are KEY to putting on upper body size…TRUTH!  I say that because I don’t want you going light on the legs and heavy on the upper and not seeing the results you want 🙂

That’s just brilliant, ain’t it? So along with that advice, I’ve had a chance now to run through 3 Body Beast workouts (Lucky 7, Chest/Tris, Back/Bis) and it reminds me of the first time working through P90x, but times 10! The work outs are well paced and the dynamic Set Training really took my work out to a new level. I think Sagi does an excellent job explaining what to do, and he’s always about keeping it safe. Now don’t take this next point wrong as I LOVE LOVE Tony Horton. But Sagi is no Tony Horton and that is a good thing. Yes Sagi talks motivation and might get a bit carried away…but he’s not trying to be a comedian. I found that those in our test fit group that did not like Tony’s cheezyness (For the record I love Tony’s cheezyness, it keeps me motivated. Plus I met Tony and he’s as much a goof ball in real time as he is in the DVDs) really took a liking to Sagi’s approach and willing to cut him slack when he gets a bit, um, excited.

But following the schedule still seems scary to me. But as timing would have it, my good friend John DeGiglio just wrapped up his 90 days of P90x. He took the time to work with me, understand the schedule, nutrition guide, and then performed a complete 180 in his life and stuck with P90x even though he has some heavy duty real life issues come up in his life. But he stuck with it!  And after 90 days he lost 30 pounds!!! He blew past his original goal 2 times and will continue to make new goals as he starts Insanity!!!

So my conclusion is I need to man up! Starting on Monday, I will follow the Lean Schedule as outlined by the Sagi, and give it what ever it takes for the next 90 days. This will be an interesting journey and I plan to provide some updates.

I also created a Google docs form to help calculate the necessary calories for each phase of The Body Beast. So if you want to get a feel of the caloric requirements for your body type, and get a good idea of what to expect nutrition wise, then feel free to utilize my Body Beast Calorie Calculator.

So you are probably wonder at this point if Body Beast is for you.  Keep in mind this is the first and only all-encompassing bodybuilding, nutrition, and supplement systems on the market. And it’s designed to do one thing: get you BIG.  Commit to the program for 90 days and world-class bodybuilder Sagi Kalev can help you pack on 10 pounds of pure muscle. After 3 days I’m won over and I know you will be too!!

Also, order Body Beast from me and you’ll also get:

A FREE bonus workout DVD, “Lucky 7.” It’s a full-body workout with Sagi, made to accelerate your results. Plus, an opportunity to get a FREE exclusive Body Beast athletic shirt!

Give me a yell or click on the banner to the right to review the 3 options to purchase Body Beast.

• Option 1 is just the DVDs. That is what I did and in hindsight was a mistake. I didn’t think I would be interested in the supplements as I’m hooked on the vegan Shakeology and I’m very very very strict about knowing the ingredients. But I’m happy to report that Sagi is all about clean eating and using supplements with no junk. No artificial sweeteners or colors, and uses the highest quality of whey protein that is neutral in taste. It’s designed to be used with your other sources of liquid fuel thus allowing you to control the ingredients.
  • 12 workouts:
    • Build: DVDs 1-4 Lay the foundation for a huge new you. Give every muscle in your body a major pump with Super Sets and Giant Sets.
    • Bulk: DVDs 5-9 Force Sets, Progressive Sets, Combo Sets, and Multi-Sets build on the size you gained in Phase 1. Now the focus shifts to muscular hypertrophy, the technical term for the muscle cells enlarging, bringing about explosive muscle growth.
    • Beast: DVDs 10-12 With fat-burning cardio, relentless circuit-training, and intense core work, you’ll be amazed at your increasing capacity to lift heavier weights and grow bigger, more defined muscles.

    You’ll also get these valuable tools:

    • The Book of Beast. Get huge without wasting a second. This info-packed program guide gives you tips on proper form and safety, explains the science behind growing your muscles, breaks down the nutrition you need to reach your goals, and even boosts your motivation.
    • “How to Eat Like a Beast” Eating Plan. Exceptional bodies are made in the kitchen. This comprehensive guide provides a calorie calculator, portion charts, food lists, and suggested supplements to help you bring out your inner Beast.
    • 90-Day Daily Workout Calendar. We’ve done the work for you, so you always know which exercises to do, when. Just follow along and chart your progress.

    EXCLUSIVE: Order Body Beast on Team Beachbody and get a FREE workout DVD, Lucky 7. This full-body workout includes seven exercises and seven pyramids—for seven times bigger muscles. A $19.95 value, yours FREE!

• Option 2  is the same above and Huge Stack.
  • PLUS 2 SIZE-BUILDING STEROID-FREE SUPPLEMENTS:
    • 30-day supply of Beachbody^® Hardcore Base Shake. Monstrous, carved muscles start here. With an exclusive blend of high-quality proteins, this base shake was formulated to help maximize new muscle growth and reduce muscle breakdown—at the same time, quickly and naturally.*
    • 30-day supply of Beachbody Fuel Shot. Kick-start your recovery after even the most punishing workout. Fuel Shot delivers performance-enhancing nutrients into muscle fiber, so you can blow past fatigue and recover faster.*

    GET A BONUS DVD WORTH $19.95, FREE:

    • Tempo. Get a first-hand understanding of growth-enhancing hypertrophy with two intense workouts. Tempo Sets work your chest, tris, back, and bis so hard, you can actually feel your muscle tissue grow.
• Option 3 is same as Option 1 but also including Beast Stack.
  • PLUS 4 SIZE-BUILDING STEROID-FREE SUPPLEMENTS:
  • • 30-day supply of Beachbody^® Hardcore Base Shake. Monstrous, carved muscles start here. With an exclusive blend of high-quality proteins, this base shake was formulated to help maximize new muscle growth and reduce muscle breakdown—at the same time, quickly and naturally.*
    • 30-day supply of Beachbody Fuel Shot. Kick-start your recovery after even the most punishing workout. Fuel Shot delivers performance-enhancing nutrients into muscle fiber, so you can blow past fatigue and recover faster.*
    • 30-day supply of Beachbody M.A.X. Muscle Acceleration Xtreme Creatine. Get a healthy dose of power and growth with high-grade pure creatine monohydrate. No fillers, preservatives, or untested ingredients—just the boost you need to add a few extra reps, speed your recovery, and fuel muscle growth.*
    • 30-day supply of Beachbody Super Suma. Amp up your body’s own ability to produce testosterone and build muscle strength, size, and endurance. Made from Suma Root, Super Suma is the safe, natural way to help aid protein synthesis to repair spent muscles faster.*

    GET A BONUS DVD WORTH $19.95, FREE:

    • Tempo. Get a first-hand understanding of growth-enhancing hypertrophy with two intense workouts. Tempo Sets work your chest, tris, back, and bis so hard, you can actually feel your muscle tissue grow.

So are your ready?? Get ready to do WHATEVER IT TAKES!

First, I forgot to thank everyone that voted for my mom. She did not win the grand prize but she is still very much excited with her story and hopefully everyone else can benefit as well. Next time you hear someone say “oh, I’m too old, I’m too inactive, I’m too this….” just remind them of my mom’s success story!!

Now on the the big news today. Beachbody has release a new Shakeology flavor called Chocolate Vegan! I will provide more details on this over the weekend.

But the big new product coming out…and I do mean BIG, is Body Beast!  I’m having mixed emotions about this program as I don’t know if this is the direction I want to go. I’m much more interested in gaining athletic conditioning and performance over looking big.  However with that said, I did purchase this since I need to stay on top of these things as a Beachbody Coach! 🙂

Body Beast was developed by Sagi Kalev, the champion bodybuilder (“Mr. Israel”). In this program you will learn some old-school and some new-school techniques on how to get the best looking body in the shortest amount of time.

Let me know if this is something that interest you, as right now this is only available exclusively through….well through me!  This is only available through the Team Beachbody network at this time.