I have several Beach Body workouts (or have had):
I LOVE P90X: the best fitness investment I made last year. I got excellent upper body and core results (though I'd pair it with some Cathe lower body next time around, because it wasn't enough for me). I was able to make progress with every workout (in reps and/or weights, and starting with a few wimpy toe push-ups, ended up doing most of them--except for a few variations that were tough on my shoulders or wrists--on my toes).
The P90X "Classic" rotation is very well done, and taught me about the value of recovery weeks and got me to finally get into yoga. It contains some very effective plyo moves that rely on balance and agility as well, and aren't just continuous "jumping around as high as you can" type plyos. The upper body workouts are set up either as circuits or push-pull, with breaks throughout the workout, which allowed me to lift a lot heavier than I can lift with a "let's work X muscle until finished, then move on to Y muscle" (I wish Cathe would take a page from Tony's book in this respect). I also like the dynamic stretches Tony uses in the beginning and during the workouts.
I don'thave a problem with the music, and I've grown to like Tony (kind of like the obnoxious brother I never had!). His knowledge and intelligence show through his goofiness.
I think P90X is a fabulous combo with Cathe. Next time I do a rotation, I will add in some Cathe cardio and lower body, and keep P90X upper body, core and plyo (and the lower body workout every two weeks or so).
Power Half Hour is an effective series of 5, 30-minute workouts. I especially like the upper body workout (they call it "arms," but it's total upper body). You get a LOT done in a short amount of time. It's kind of like P90X light in a way. There is the push-pull/circuit set-up, the recovery within the workout. I feel well worked out after I do these. Tony is goofier than in P90X, and that used to annoy me, until I "spent" 3 months with him in P90X and got to "know" and like him. The core workout combines standing and floor work, which is a nice change.
Slim in 6 is more a beginner/intermediate workout. I have it, but rarely use it. I also have Slim Series, which is more advanced. Sometimes, it's just the thing when I don't feel like working out, or when I'm getting back into working out. It is repetitive, there is pretty much no choreo, and the music is bad. BUT I like to not have to think when I workout (I do enough of that at work!), and because of the simple moves, and the "no music" option, I can put on my own CD's (I like the "Powerstrike" CD) and work out, following the beat of the music instead of what they are doing on screen. If you're a choreo hound, this series would probably be very boring, but I can zone out and deal with the "no choreo" aspect quite well, as long as it's effective, and it is!
I especially like "Firm it Up" (a lower body workout that makes my glutes burn, and gives me DOMS in all the right places) and "Cool it Off" (a nice 45-minute stretch workout that includes some knee stabilization and lower back work). The other workouts kind of all blend together for me because they are so similar. Debbie can be annoying because of her obvious lack of knowledge of what move works what muscle : when doing outer thigh lifts, she says to not turn the toe up, or the inner thigh will be doing the work....completely forgetting about the quads? She does have a tendency to overestimate the work that the adductors do! And her kicking form is bad. Not as bad, however, as the deadlift form on one background exerciser, who is going to need some chiropractic work...as will almost anyone who follows Debbie's "double time" deadlift. Definitely NOT an instructor for people who aren't aware of good form from some other source.
I HAD Yoga Booty Ballet, but it was way too "new agey" and odd for me (and one of the instructors looked botoxed or like she'd had some obvious work done, which bugged me).
I just picked up the new "P90 Masters" workouts. I haven't done them yet, but they look good to me. Time efficient. Not as intense as P90X. Perhaps good to use in a PHH rotation?
