Tag Archives: workout programs

Recovery Done Right: 8 Ways to Prevent Muscle Soreness

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Gym RecoveryAching after a brutal workout? Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can make you feel the burn while your muscles recover and rebuild. But, if you take the right steps after your workout, you can go hard without paying the price. Here are 8 easy ways to prevent postworkout pain.

Stretch. Stretching is your first line of defense after a good workout. “When you train, you contract the muscles, and the muscle fibers get shorter,” says Steve Edwards, Head of Fitness and Nutrition Development at Beachbody®. “Lengthening them after a workout promotes mobility, and can lead to a more thorough recovery.” While fitness experts can’t seem to agree on this strategy[1]—one Australian study[2] claimed that stretching had no impact on muscle soreness—it certainly won’t hurt, especially if your flexibility is limited.

Eat for rapid recovery. In a study on “nutrient timing,” researchers found that a postworkout drink with between a 3:1 to 5:1 carb-to-protein ratio reduced muscle damage and improved recovery times[3]. A tough workout depletes blood sugar, as well as the glycogen stored in your muscles. Restoring that supply within an hour of finishing your workout is your body’s top priority. P90X® Results and Recovery Formula® is optimized with the 4:1 ratio, but in a pinch, down a glass of grape juice with whey protein powder or a glass of chocolate milk. Denis Faye, Beachbody’s Nutrition Expert, explains. “When the sugar [from the drink] rushes into your muscles to restore that supply, the protein piggybacks to jump-start the recovery process.”

Ice it. Immediately after a tough workout, icing your muscles can stave off inflammation. “Inflammation is one of nature’s defense mechanisms, but it works like a cast—it immobilizes you,” Edwards says. “When you keep inflammation down, that area is free to keep moving, and movement promotes healing.” Like stretching, its effectiveness is up for debate—some researchers have claimed that ice is only effective for injuries and not for run-of-the-mill soreness[4], but it’s a simple and safe option that many top-level athletes swear by[5]. “Unless you ice so long that you give yourself frostbite, there’s really no danger,” Edwards says. “It seems to really speed up healing without any adverse effects.”

Change your diet. “When your muscles are sore, inflammation is a huge part of the problem,” Faye says. To help reduce this inflammation, add foods that are rich in omega-3s—such as salmon, free-range meat, flax, avocado, and walnuts[6]—to your diet. The natural anti-inflammatory properties[7] of these foods can help dial back the soreness after overexertion. Amino acid supplements can also help with muscle recovery after a high-intensity workout[8].

Massage your sore spots. A recent study found that massage can reduce inflammatory compounds called cytokines[9]. One type of massage that’s gaining popularity is myofascial release, which targets the connective tissue covering the muscles. You can hit these areas yourself using a foam roller—put the roller on the floor, use your body weight to apply pressure, and roll back and forth over the sore areas for about 60 seconds. But . . . before you do, make sure you’re rehydrated and your heart rate is back to normal. “When your muscles are hot and loaded with lactic acid, you might make it worse,” Edwards says. For a more detailed tutorial on foam rolling, check out the Beachbody Tai Cheng® program.

Get heated. While ice can work wonders immediately after a workout, heat can help once your muscles have returned to their resting temperature[10]. “Heat increases circulation, especially focused heat in a jacuzzi, where you can hit areas like joints that don’t normally get a lot of circulation,” Edwards says. Just don’t jump in the hot tub immediately after a workout, because the heat can exacerbate inflammation, and the jets can pound your already-damaged muscles. Edwards cautions, “When your body heat is already high and you have a lot of muscle breakdown, sitting in a hot tub with the jets would be counterintuitive.”

Move it. You may be tempted to plant yourself on the couch until the pain subsides, but don’t skip your next workout. Circulation promotes healing, so it helps to get your heart pumping—just don’t overdo it. “Active recovery” is low-intensity exercise that gets your blood flowing without taxing your muscles. What qualifies as low-intensity? It depends on your typical workout. If you know your training zones, you can use a heart rate monitor. But, Edwards says, the easiest way to engage in active recovery is to exert around 50% of your max effort, and keep your heart rate below 140 bpm or so. Most Beachbody workout programs include a recovery workout, but if yours doesn’t, a gentle yoga class or going on an easy hike are good options.

Pop a painkiller—if you must. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen can relieve pain, but many experts aren’t sure if they’re worth the risk. “A lot of athletes call it ‘Vitamin I,'” Edwards says. But he cautions that NSAIDs can cause nasty side effects and accelerate muscle breakdown. “The only time they might help is if you’re in so much pain that you can’t do low-level exercise—you can’t get off the couch,” Edwards says. In that case, meds might help, but be careful not to overdo it—because if you’re not feeling pain, you may push too hard and cause an injury.

Resources:

[1] http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20071017/stretching-wont-prevent-sore-muscles?page=2
[2] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016195932.htm
[3] http://www.utexas.edu/features/archive/2004/nutrition.html
[4] http://www.upmc.com/Services/sports-medicine/newsletter/Pages/ice-after-exercise.aspx
[5] http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/really-the-claim-an-ice-bath-can-soothe-sore-muscles/
[6] http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-omega-3-health-benefits
[7] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16531187
[8] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20300014
[9] http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/how-massage-heals-sore-muscles
[10] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/29108.php

Beachbody Grows Exponentially Thanks To Network Marketing

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Shaun T. Insanity
There are not many companies these days that can do $400 million in sales and remain relatively anonymous.

Yet Beachbody, a private company, grossed nearly as much as Groupon did last year and very few people talk about the robust engine that is behind exercise workout programs like P90X, INSANITY and Turbo Jam.

Under the leadership of co-founder Jon Congdon and Carl Daikeler, the company has developed a business model that seems to be Teflon, turning successful converts of its programs into network marketers who ensure that the brands flourish.

Many multi-level marketing companies are based on building a network of sellers and distributors getting rewarded based on the size of their network.

Most often, the people who have gotten in on the ground floor reap the greatest benefits while those late to the game struggle to make money.

What makes Beachbody’s network of distributors, called coaches, so successful is that these people have done the programs and are often in incredible shape. Their testimonial and therefore their business relies on how good they look, not whether they tell friends that a certain superfruit drink helps them have more energy or cures their stomach problems.

It seems like, more often than not, network marketing thrives on results which can’t be verified, but if my fat friend shows up with a six-pack, I’ll be more likely to believe he was doing an intense workout program.

Since starting the network marketing program three and half years ago, Beachbody now has 51,000 coaches who take a cut of videos and nutritional products they sell. Beachbody coaches sell $1 million worth of nutritional shakes under the brand’s Shakeology name a week. And it’s not cheap at around $120 for a month worth of servings.

“We could have built this company’s sales a lot faster at retail by selling at Walmart and Target,” Daikeler said. “But selling it through direct television (infomercials) and through our network works better for us.”

Daikeler says that his coaches serve as walking billboards and salespeople who want to help their family and friends by helping them lose weight through the company’s exercise programs. This is unlike many other multi-level marketing companies that solely rely on building a network to make more money.

And Daikeler doesn’t have to pay for testimonials, a common practice in the infomercial business space he plays in.

“The standard network marketing doesn’t work with our model,” Daikeler said. “This is not a ponzi scheme where if you’re the last one in, you don’t have a chance to do well.”

While the average lifespan of a multi-level marketer is three months, Daikeler says his coaches remain in the system an average of 18 months. It’s why he’s confident that by the end of 2011, there will be 150,000 coaches.

“We don’t promise it will replace your every day job,” Daikeler said. “That has been the case with about 1,000 of our coaches. But what it does for others is it keeps them in shape. In order to continue to have credibility selling, you need to continue to keep up. And so, it allows the people who want to fight obesity, to be motivated by the fact that they have skin in the game.”

By continuing to have more and more videos – P90X led to a harder workout, INSANITY, and that program is leading to The Asylum, which will come out in a few weeks – I don’t see Beachbody slowing down any time soon. And the non-traditional, more patient route of using those converted to the brand by really using it is a smart approach that I think will pay off nicely down the road.

P90X vs INSANITY

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P90X vs Insanity

P90X vs INSANITY – Which program is best for you?

I receive this question quite often from friends, family and patients. The key to any successful workout routine is consistency. In order to be consistent with any exercise program you have to like you workout program. In this post we will compare P90X vs INSANITY, 2 of the hottest at home workout programs so you can make the best decision for you. This is about getting results so let’s take a closer look at P90X vs INSANITY!

P90X vs INSANITY – Basic difference

When people ask me the question, “What is the difference between P90X vs INSANITY?” I give them this simple answer: P90X is a strength based program with some cardio mixed in, and INSANITY is a cardio based program with some strength elements. But to stop there with the comparison would do both programs an injustice, so let’s look deep into P90X vs INSANITY.

P90X vs INSANITY – The Results

I always say the greatest motivator for continuing any workout program is the results. Without question, both of the programs have a proven record of getting good results, but seeing is believing.

P90X Results:


Now those are some impressive results! But how does that compare to the results people are achieving with INSANITY?

INSANITY Results:


Equally impressive results! Does that make your decision any easier? Let me ask a simple question: as you watched the 2 different videos, did you find yourself identifying with one vs. the other? Did one of the videos get you a little more excited than the other? If so, I think you have your answer to which program you should start. However, if you are still unsettled in your decision about P90X vs INSANITY then continue reading below.

P90X vs INSANITY – My Experience

Having done both programs I can honestly say that they are both tremendous workouts and well worth the money I spent on them. They are great additions to my home exercise library. But let’s go back to the beginning.

P90X vs INSANITY: P90X is Where I Started

As a physical therapist people always ask me about different exercise programs, and I was hearing a lot from patients about P90X (including a patient who hurt his shoulder doing pull-ups). I decided to look into it. I purchased the program and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. I still believe that P90X is the most complete exercise program of any on the market today because it incorporates all parts of fitness: strength, explosiveness, cardio, flexibility, and core control. The P90X program incorporates what Tony Horton calls “muscle confusion”. This philosophy isn’t new but P90X is organized in such a way that people continue to get results over the 90 days. In working with patients I know that unless I challenge them, I can’t expect their bodies to change and respond. P90X is an all out assault on the entire body broken down into 3 different phases, each phase building on the previous phase to produce the kind of results that make people want to continue. The kind of results that make people ask, “How have you changed your body?”

P90X vs INSANTIY: INSANITY The Workout Evolution Continues

Once I completed a few rounds of P90X, P90X + and a few triathlons, I was looking for something new, a different challenge. I remember asking a fellow Beachbody Coach about this new workout program that had just come out INSANITY. My question to him was, “how does INSANITY compare to Interval X Plus?” His response, “INSANITY is ten times as hard as Interval X Plus, get ready to sweat!” Well, that is all the encouragement I needed. I purchased the program and jumped in with both feet, to find myself swimming in a pool of my own sweat. I quickly learned that INSANITY is properly named. I worked my way through the first month and started to feel my cardio improving. Then the second month started and I realized I still had a long ways to go – I never thought an additional 15 minutes added onto a workout could make that much of a difference. I was wrong! It makes all the difference and my greatest results with INSANITY came in the second month of the program.

P90X Vs INSANITY – A Comparison Chart

P90X vs INSANITY Comparison Chart

P90X Vs INSANITY – My Final Thoughts

The truth is that P90X vs INSANITY is a question that you can’t answer wrong. Both of these programs will help you get amazing results as long as you push play and pay attention to your nutrition. Poor nutrition has sabotaged my results in previous rounds of these programs, so don’t think you can out exercise a poor nutrition plan.

Both programs offer modifications for different fitness levels, but I believe that in order to avoid injury you need to have a better baseline level of fitness to start INSANITY than is required for P90X. They both come with a Fit Test to perform at the beginning so you can determine if you are truly ready (don’t skip the Fit Test!).

If you travel consistently for your work, it may be easier to do INSANITY in your hotel room than it is to do P90X. The P90X App now makes it easier to take on the road if you are staying at hotels with good gym facilites, but since INSANITY requires no equipment, it may be the best choice for frequent flyers.

Consistency over time is what brings true change, so choose a program that excites you and stick with it! Then when you finish, pick up the other program to add to your exercise library to keep your workouts fun and exciting. Grab a friend or family member and keep pushin’ play – your body will thank you for years to come!!

P90X vs INSANITY – Now it is YOUR Turn to Decide!

P90XInsanity

Now let’s get to work!