The Power 90 workout plan, a 90-day body transformation program developed by Beachbody, gives exercisers daily workouts and a meal plan to help lose weight and gain muscle with about 30 minutes of exercise each day. Understanding what the program entails can help you decide if the Power 90 is a good match for your fitness goals.
Exercise
The Power 90 exercise schedule consists of two workouts performed on alternating days, six days per week. The first workout, called "Sculpt Circuit," leads you through a series of easy-to-follow resistance exercises to work all your major muscle groups. Tony Horton, the video instructor, offers variations of most exercises to make them easier for less fit individuals. The second workout, called "Sweat Cardio," leads you through a variety of movements in order to get your heart pumping. The routine borrows exercises from Pilates, kickboxing and step aerobics, and the session ends with the "Ab Ripper," a quick and intense abdominal workout. The Power 90 program has two levels of each workout, allowing the program to accommodate the improving fitness level of users.
Diet Plan
While the Power 90 program emphasizes exercise for weight loss, it provides a step-by-step diet guide and a sample meal plan. The guide suggests dieters eat five times a day, with emphasis on vegetables and lean protein. With the help of the guide, you can determine how many calories you body needs each day and calculate the caloric deficit you'll need to create in order to begin losing weight. Perhaps the most useful portion of the plan is the food list, called "Michi's Ladder," that categorizes a huge list of foods into groups from the healthiest to those you should avoid.
Benefits and Drawbacks
The program, if followed as directed, gets you exercising for 30 minutes six days of the week; this regimen is also recommended by MayoClinic.com. The program allows you to exercise from home or when traveling, and the exercises are simple enough for most people to perform. While convenient, performing the same two workouts each day can get tedious. Instead of placing emphasis on healthful eating to lose weight, the program promotes the use of weight-loss supplements sold by the same company that produced the program.
Equipment
The resistance training portion of Power 90 requires either a set of dumbbells or resistance bands, and the on-screen exercisers demonstrating the movements use both. The strength training workout begins with a yoga session, so you may want a yoga mat to exercise on. During the cardio workout, you'll be instructed to make a cross on the floor with tape as a guide, but doing so isn't really necessary.
Tips for Success
MayoClinic.com recommends cutting calories through healthful eating along with exercise to successfully lose weight. Whether you choose to follow the Power 90 meal plan or create your own, proper nutrition is just as important as working out. If you find the workouts boring or tedious, recruit a friend to exercise with you, or substitute some weight lifting at the gym or a jog in the park for the video to keep things interesting.
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