Posts Tagged ‘Fitness Reviews’
For me, this was a much needed workout, and YES, I did feel way better after. (Tuesday I did the plyo workout and then trained Sambo. I was pretty beat up) Ft the very end of this recovery workout there are some unnecessary moves, but all in all, a very good video to do. (especially if you know how to use a foam roller)
As you can tell, Tony’s love for the foam roller has deepend almost to obsession at this point. And I must say, even though we have 2 foam rollers here at FitLifeSF HQ, I need to get the sick evil looking foam roller. My standard density white foam rollers are not doing it for me. I need more pain. (But that is me)
I like how Tony takes the extra time to rehab, and condition the body this time through. It will be a big win down the line, and even though he had a stretching/recovery workout in P90X, the use of the roller here is a big win. Where this video fails a bit is the lack of specific instruction. There are a lot more ways to use the roller than he is showing, and a lot more effective techniques. It is a good introto using the roller, but you will very quickly want more. (For a beginner it would be nice to know “what not to do.” )
It’s is a well placed workout in the program, especially if you are doing more than just the P90X2 workouts. It will definately add to your durability, and help you to keep “Bringing It” for the weeks to come. Thumbs up.
My grade for this one is a B+
-Rob
If you find this post helpful and want to purchase P90X or any equipment from Beachbody, we’d much appreciate if you use this link:
http://beachbodycoach.com/fitlifesfrob
If your Beach Body Coach isn’t helping you, be sure to tell Team Beach Body you want FitLifeSFRob as your coach! You then get the combined experience of Smurf and me.
You are reading this because you are one of the normal people who wants to get more fit. I say “get more fit,” because some people want to lose weight, some want to add definition, and some of you want to put on muscle mass. All of you want to improve your fitness level, and are looking for that “magical something” to make it happen.
Well, here’s the secret. 99% of you already have what it takes to get more fit. You are reading this, and this shows me you have the desire to make a change. Now we have to make that desire an action, then a habit.
Tis the season and all that jazz. Well, it has almost been a year to the day from when I took my 1st P90X pics, and I thought I would share them with everyone. (Sure, a bit creepy, but how else can you show change.)
So, this is me after 1 year of the P90X, P90X+, and a few other stylized work outs. (NO Changes in eating habits!)
1336 Polk @ Pine
415-67-FUNKY
My favorite Yelp review on Funky Door Yoga went something like this, “Funky is the smell of the dude’s sweaty ass next to you and Door is where you’ll want to stand so you don’t pass out from the heat.”
Funky Door has two locations in San Francisco and one in Berkeley. I took classes at the one on Polk Street occasionally, but I was a regular for about a year at the one on 2nd and Howard, but it has closed. There is only one thing more awesome than sweating your ass off in 117 degree heat, and that is doing it in a swimsuit with your leg in the air five feet from a wall of windows overlooking the sidewal where all your coworkers are walking to BART.
I’ll start by saying that I am kind of torn on Bikram Yoga as a whole. For starters, I have a big issue with the cultishness. First, this guy Bikram Choudhury decides he is going to try to trademark yoga poses and basically say you need to pay him a license to do poses that have existed for thousands of years in a room above a certain temperature? What a crock of shit. Then, when you get into it, you realize that Bikram people are ONLY Bikram people, whereas most practitioners of other styles of yoga switch between them. And, to keep your instructor status, you have to do 2 classes a day (3 hours total). And, there is a secret-ish invite-only advanced class that only special people can go to. It’s kind of Scientology-esque in some ways- like you need to get to a certain point before they let you in on their secrets.
The classes are pretty mind-numbing. 26 poses, done in the same order, to the exact same instructor script, every single class with no music. “Your body is like a Japanese ham sandwich!”
Specific to Funky Door Yoga (which, to be fair, is the only place I’ve ever done Bikram), the instructors can be very combative with students, essentially cajoling them into doing poses even after the student has explained that they have a health problem keeping them from doing it. The only time I have heard a teacher accept that a student couldn’t do something was when I was practicing with a fractured arm. As a student, it was uncomfortable to be in the room while some teachers were calling out students and berating them.
The information you find on the internet will tell you that Bikram Yoga is done in a 105 degree room. The instructors at Funky Door, apparently, believe that more is more. An instructor once brought a thermometer into the room and we got up to 117 degrees. Funky Door is somewhat notorious for packing students into the rooms, mat-over-mat, so prepare to get dripped on and have your space invaded.
Funky Door has an introductory offer that is appealing, but keep in mind that classes after that are about $16 each.
Despite all the negatives, though, I really enjoyed doing Bikram at Funky Door when I was injured and couldn’t do “real yoga.” (Bikram has no poses that involve bearing weight on the arms, like Down Dog or Crow, so it was a godsend when I had a broken arm.) It also gave me quite a glow for several hours afterwards and a general feeling of calm and health. But, MAN, getting though those classes was an exercise in mind-over-heat/stink/sweat/douchebags!
THE FINAL WORD: Funky Door is great for a healthy glow and low-impact workout, but prepare to be brainwashed, basted, broiled, berated and, possibly, broke.
THE VERDICT: 
Yoga Booty Ballet Live: Cardio Cabaret Burlesque Style!
Normally, I’d start a review of a Beachbody product with a reminder that Rob is a coach and you should buy your products through him because he can give you a discount. But, that point is moot in this case, because you can get this undulating eyesore for only $3 used on Amazon.
I have actually heard good things about the Yoga Booty Ballet line of products, but, let me tell you— Cardio Cabaret is nearly unbearable.
First: The instructors. I’d take a scoop of what they are having and sip it through a straw… up my nose… if this weren’t a health and fitness blog. They are so busy heaving and hamming for the camera that they give nary a real instruction. Luckily, I have a background in dance, so was able to flail my way through most of it on cue, otherwise, I’d surely have pulled something. Here’s hoping I wasn’t supposed to perform any move in any certain way for the sake of safety or conditioning.
Second: I was please to see Ravi Drums, an old pal from the Metreon/Project Ahimsa days, in the video. But they hardly made use of him as anything but a set dressing. And, tablas and burlesque? Huh?
Third: There is nothing burlesque about this workout, at all. I think there is may be one move they toss in where they reference a stocking and one spot where they have you shimmy. If they would have written the title more appropriately, it would have been: Booty Live: Ballet Yoga! Cabaret Burlesque Style. It’s a shame to see such an obvious attempt to squeeze as many trendy buzzwords into one title, when it really speaks to none of them well.
Fourth: Intensity. I was able to push myself enough to feel like I’d gone for a brisk walk. It was an OK way to get my heartrate up for a little while (though 34 minutes of it hardly counts as a full cardio day for me.)
THE FINAL WORD: For me, doing this workout again would be like watching Two Girls, One Cup a second time. You’d have to be nuts to know what’s coming and still subject yourself to it.
THE VERDICT: 