Body Beast

I agree with Karen. It depends on your objective, but if you are lifting to gain strength, there shouldn't be enough gas left in the tank to do an intense cardio workout after strength training. When I see all these people doing long strength sessions like sts then go do 30 minutes of cardio then something else I ask myself "how hard can they be lifting"? Even if they are not maxing out on lifts I still admire their stamina:cool:They would have to call 911 for me!
 
For me it depends on which muscles I worked out, and what the cardio is. Big muscle groups, and I'm exhausted. After something like shoulders, however, I could manage some cardio (obviously not cardio with weights in the hands). So shoulders plus Tabatacise is fine. Or a bit of fun step.

Legs or chest are the ones which really leave me pooped.
 
I'm in week 3 of the Bulk phase, and I don't know if I can handle another two weeks. For me, this part should be called the Maintain phase because I'm certainly not bulking and not even building. I'm afraid I may even be losing the progress I made from the Build phase and XTrain before that. :-/
 
Why do you think that is, cat woman? Is it because the workouts are shorter? Or difficult to go heavy enough on? I started bulk yesterday, and the chest workout left me exhausted! I struggled to manage the weights which I'd normally use for many of the exercises. I found it relentless. I was hoping that means I'm going to make great gains - both in muscle size and strength.
 
I started Bulk yesterday, too. I did Chest yesterday, too--I found it challenging enough, but I also have quite a few up arrows to go heavier next time. I did Legs this morning and for this one I definitely chose my weights correctly! I was wasted by the end of it--my legs felt so weak I was fighting to get through those last (FAST!) side-to-side squats. My legs still feel jelly-like. So far I am liking Bulk.
 
Yes! Loved Bulk Legs. I prefer it to the Build Legs (where cardio took over a little too much). I got confused with the pyramid split lunge - I assumed he was going to go left,right,left, right all the way up and then back down. All the way up on the right, and then all the way up on the left.....I had to pause the dvd to get my weights in order!!! I'll know for next time. I also went much, much heavier than they did for the deadlifts. I'm feeling the lack of glute work compared to a Cathe rotation - so I thought I may as well go super-heavy.

I refused to spell BEAST during abs (drew circles instead!!) But, so far, so good with BULK. Time will tell whether it works!

I did a couple of tabatas before chest yesterday, and I think I'll do the same on the shoulder day.

How long I spend in this phase will depend on the timing of Cathe's new releases - I won't be able to resist starting her rotation!
 
I'm in my third week of the bulk phase. So far, so good. I like bulk legs more than build legs as well. It surprises me that the bulk shoulder workout just fries one of the guys. I don't know what weight he is using, but he is definitely struggling.
 
Ok, I caved in and purchased Body Beast, still $40.00, which is not bad at all. I'm going to start Body Beast on October 6 - finishing up Cathe's Slow & Heavy Rotation. Even though I purchased Cathe's new videos, I'm going to give myself time to review them and hopefully start the New Year - 2015 with those videos (if I can wait!! LOL).
 
workout said:
Ok, I caved in and purchased Body Beast, still $40.00, which is not bad at all. I'm going to start Body Beast on October 6 - finishing up Cathe's Slow & Heavy Rotation. Even though I purchased Cathe's new videos, I'm going to give myself time to review them and hopefully start the New Year - 2015 with those videos (if I can wait!! LOL).
Click to expand...

Sounds like a very good plan ;-)
Enjoy your new pack, I am sure you going to have fun.
Please keep all of us posted:):)
 
catwoman7631 said:
I'm in week 3 of the Bulk phase, and I don't know if I can handle another two weeks. For me, this part should be called the Maintain phase because I'm certainly not bulking and not even building. I'm afraid I may even be losing the progress I made from the Build phase and XTrain before that. :-/
Click to expand...

Hi Catwoman,
I also wondered that so this week I'm doing Cathe's burn sets instead of BB, just to switch things up a bit, and actually found I could use heavier weight in most of the exercises - very happy about that. I don't attribute this all to body beast but it certainly reinforced the fact that I'm not losing strength.
Jamie
 
I'm finishing up my first week of Bulk. My thoughts are that some of the workouts move WAY too fast! Bulk Arms for example....the last exercise of tricep kickbacks is crazy fast! I had to put my weights on the bench so they were close enough to grab in the 5 seconds you have to change weights between sets, lol.

Overall, I like the length of the Bulk workouts though because I can add cardio. I do a light cardio after Legs & Back because I'm usually spent. The other three workouts I can do a moderate to higher intensity workout (Bulk Chest, shoulders, arms).

LOL, at Justine's remark about refusing to spell B-E-A-S-T in the abs section. Me too, I just did leg lifts!

Kathy G
 
I caved and bought Body Beast also. I'm doing P90X3 right now, I'm waiting on Cathe's new workouts and I have T25 I'm dying to do. I really didn't need anymore workout programs but with y'all posting all this on Body Beast my credit card just magically appeared and it was a done deal. Look forward to hearing about all y'all's progress with this.
 
I think I'm not happy because I can't lift as heavy as I want safely because of how crazy fast he goes on most of the exercises. I feel like I'm just going thru the motions and not getting anything out of it. Maybe more of a cardio/endurance effect than strength. I actually prefer Build Legs over Bulk Legs. I had DOMS after Build, but even with my heaviest weights, I get nothing after Bulk. Plus, the one guy's form in Bulk is horrible, and it really bugs me to watch him. Haha!
 
I did Bulk Legs yesterday. I've been wondering where BEAST gets these guys in his video. They have muscle, but one of them can't squat to save his life. His chin was up and down, his body is popping up and down, all over the place. Evidently he needs to workout to Cathe, to learn how to do a proper squat. Just incredible!
 
I am nearing the end of my first week of Bulk (tomorrow is Shoulders and this weekend is Total Body and Lucky 7) and I am loving it. It is very different from Cathe and other trainers, that's for sure! But I am ok with that--I like the difference. I feel like I am really mixing things up. And all of Sagi's back workouts--Build, Tempo and now Bulk--are incredible! I have never worked my back so wonderfully and comprehensively in one workout! And I love the shorter workouts in Bulk. After I do a Bulk workout I do a Weider Ruthless--except on Back day, which I follow that up with Beast Cardio and on Leg day which I follow up with Beast Abs and a long Cathe lower body stretch.

And yes, I agree Sagi goes really fast on some exercises and on some of those--Arms in particular--I am not real comfortable with the speed but I have to say, the fast reps on Back really seemed to serve a purpose. I used the same or heavier weights in Bulk Back than I did in Build Back and those faster reps made me feel it so much more! My entire back is still burning from this morning's workout! I love it! I think it's a matter of control. I wasn't using momentum but man was I working harder than usual to keep up his pace. I felt the same with triceps in Arms--my tris were so burned out! But in the bicep exercises I could feel momentum wanting to take over.

During Build, Beast Cardio and Abs had it's own day (followed by STS Extended Stretch--very nice workout day!). I found Cardio an effective workout during Build but not killer. However this morning, doing it after Back? It seemed so much more challenging! Ha! I feel like I got such an awesome workout this morning! I was wasted this morning when Cardio was finished

In addition, I have been incorporating a lot of yoga and stretching into this Body Beast Rotation (which I normally neglect). Well, starting this week, my doubles workouts are all PiYo. So I am doing the Beast rotation in the morning and the PiYo rotation in the afternoons and throwing in Weider Ruthless 3 days a week as an add on when I finish a Beast Bulk workout! This feels like the most effective and well rounded rotation I have ever done! I can't explain it. I always feel really good when I do a total shock to my system--but I guess I have been sticking with Cathe for so long because I love her workouts so much that I haven't really shocked my body like this in a while.
 
Kathy G - Totally agree about the speed of the tricep kickbacks - I've never before had an arm workout leave me breathless!

I was supposed to do Beast Cardio today, but decided to do P90X Plyo (since it was on the disc as a bonus). I haven't done it for a long time (certainly over a year, maybe two). I was pleasantly surprised. Coped relatively easily - I had been worried about lack of cardio over the last few weeks, but it seems my leg strength has helped. I could get properly deep on the scissor lunges etc. Felt good to be working my legs. I may well do STS Plyo legs next week....

Jen, which rotation are you doing? It's different to the one I'm on (Lean Beast). I tried Total Body before starting this rotation - loved it.

I've got to say that I'm certainly 'beasting up'. I've gained muscle and fat :mad: despite reducing my calories (I'm following the recommended calorie intake and macronutrient ratios, but no supplements). I guess shorter workouts aren't helping. I'm happy to gain on my upper body. Shame about my legs and butt, though!

I like the idea of doing PiYo at the same time. I was even considering TurboFire????
 
I am doing the Lean rotation. But adding things. So the Lean rotation plus lots of extras. I am not following the food plan. I haven't gained or lost any weight and I have not noticed a difference in how my clothes are fitting. However, I am noticing more definition--and the incredible back workouts are not my imagination. I am noticing real back muscles for the first time in my life--and I have lifted weights for a long time! I can see and feel them move when I flex them!

I am counting calories most days (I still have my weekend cheat meal(s)--I cannot get away from them because my husband is a foody and I am not always a good-girl in resturants) and eating a high protein diet. Not low carb however, but the carbs I eat are primarily the "good" carbs--fruit, veggies and grains with lots of fiber. I have protein powder every day after my morning workout--so I am averaging 130g protein a day between that and my food intake.

I am loving PiYo btw--I am only in week one and I know it is building you up to the more challenging workouts, but I did Sweat yesterday and wow! I definitely sweat!
 
I agree about the back muscles - I can actually flex my lats! I have lats! First time I have ever seen them!!! To follow the Beast nutrition guidelines, I've had to up my carb intake - good carbs only - mainly starchy veggies and some whole grains. That's probably why I've gained. I'm not worrying (more accurately, I'm trying not to worry), as I'll 'cut' for the final few weeks. I stopped weighing myself as my New Year's resolution...so I've no idea weight-wise.

Now you've got me curious about PiYo. It seems that I have loved everything you've recommended so far. Are the workouts fairly short? Although I did XTrain + UY last year, I don't feel I want to spend that much time at the moment. PiYo's about UK£60, so I'd have to get some good use from it.
 
Yes, for me, the PiYo workouts are the perfect length for doubles. The majority of them are around 30 minutes with one being 19 minutes and one being 45 minutes. Now, some of the time listings they give on the info that comes with the program has been incorrect so far--but nothing major. The very first one Align, is 42 minutes but that one is really only done once. Maybe more often if you are not familiar with yoga, but it is just an intro to the program. However, because she is demonstrating form (a nice refresher for someone like me, who does do yoga but not frequently--until recently that is) you hold the poses for a long time, so I got a decent workout from it! But in the actual PiYo workouts you are not holding poses--it is very active and flowing.
 
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