Give Me Some Fitness Programs that Work so I Can Use My Brain Less

For some of you creating your own fitness programs based off of the Know My Body Routine may become too difficult or overwhelming at first.  It may even cause your brain to hurt.

You may just want to be told what to do exercise by exercise, set by set, and rep by rep.

That is totally fine and I often feel the same way. I usually like to avoid using my brain at times as well.

You may want to look at other developed options out there. Or you may just say you want something a bit more challenging, which is totally fine too.

High intensity fitness programs from experienced trainers can often be the best fit for you.

Here are a few that I recommend:

P90X

This is the most comprehensive DVD program out there in my opinion and one of the best fitness programs. It provides a variety of different work outs ranging from cardio such as Plyometrics, Yoga, Core Synergistics and Kenpo to weight training for your legs, back, shoulders, chest, and arms.

This emphasizes a lot of the compound exercises we have talked about. There is also an impressive 18 minute Ab video that you do several times a week. The whole program lasts 90 days, hence the 90 in P90X.

P90X does a good job of targeting middle-aged demographics. It is well-rounded, stamina pushing, and Tony Horton is extremely motivational in my opinion.

You can’t help but love the guy when you watch the videos. He is the Chuck Norris of health. Tony Horton will never have a heart attack; his heart isn’t nearly foolish enough to attack him.

The one drawback of P90X is that the videos are fairly long for some (usually around an hour). It is worth it, but for some it may be too challenging to last the full hour for most of these videos at the beginning.

Also with the concern of increased cortisol levels, it may make sense to do half of all of the videos (30 minutes-ish is usually half way). I have personally done that on P90X and I got solid results.

Also Tony has a new P90X fitness program that is aptly titled P90X 2. I would follow up P90X with this bad boy.  Both are solid fitness programs for men and women.

Insanity

This 60 day program lives up to it’s name. It is one of the best home fitness programs out there.  Shaun T. is an exceptional trainer that pushes you even farther than P90X. It involves more interval training, cardio, and high impact plyometrics.

I think it is more in line with a lot of training that I have personally seen to be successful. Insanity is a lot of speed and force, in a shorter period of time. It doesn’t have nearly the weight training that P90X does, but still a muscle building program that can get you ripped.

Insanity definitely has a different culture appeal compared to P90X. Insanity goes more towards a Gen X – Gen Y type of person. I like to use the descriptive phrase “Raw and Edgy”.

For some of you that may matter, and for some of you it won’t make a difference. Make sure you have a nice mat because this is very draining and can be very impactful on your joints. If you recently had surgery on your legs or have a history of leg problems, then this might not be the place to start. I would recommend doing P90X first and then Insanity as a follow up.

CrossFit

This fitness training program has such a variety of routines. Rarely are workout routines repeated in CrossFit with the WOD or workout of the day. CrossFit uses a variety of high intensity exercises ranging from plyometrics, compound weight training, gymnastics, sprinting, running, carrying objects like tires, and more.

Most of the routines are just a few exercises for 15-30 minutes with that synergistic approach that nails several muscle groups at once. After warming up, the goal is to go all out as fast as you can.

CrossFit is known as the “sport of fitness”. There is a lot of competition. You consistently try to beat your own scores and compete against others. There is even an Olympic-like CrossFit Games.

CrossFit has hit the mainstream more with nearly a thousand affiliates around the world. While it still has a bit of a cult appeal and viral nature with online blogging, it has worked it’s way into the common knowledge with many people. Because of that I know some CrossFitters have grown a bit tired of it or disillusioned.

This is a fairly intense exercise, but can get you ripped in a hurry. This is similar to HIIT, but as little downtime as possible and a larger variety of exercises. I think CrossFit makes sense if you like competition and you are looking for others that feel the same way. There is a strong sense of community that exists and a lot of people that get great results.

Some think this isn’t a great fitness program for women, but that isn’t true.  It is high intensity, but it can help a woman get lean and toned.

Other Fitness Programs?

Hopefully this all helps you to use less brain and more muscles.  If there are other fitness programs you like to use, then please share in the comment section below.  Also as a reminder we have numerous giveaways where you can get free fitness programs.  Sign up and get involved.

A Strong Warning: As we dive deeper into fitness, I want to make sure you are being cautious and safe. You have to make sure to consult a physician, doctor, or a certified health individual that can give you clean bill of health to start working out if you haven’t in a while or if you are doing something new.

Some of you have been working out for years and this won’t be an issue, but some have not thought about sweating for years. Either way I am excited to learn from you and work with you, but please be safe and smart about this and ease your way in.

About Cade

Cade is the founder of Know My Body. Sorry...no doctor degree, fancy gym, multi-million dollar fitness program, or label as a self-proclaimed health guru of biblical proportions. He is a common guy just like you. Maybe that helps him get you a bit better.

He has worked the past several years trying to get a grasp of "health knowledgeries" from the perspective of a person working a 9 to 5 job and dealing with the normal and not-so-normal challenges that life gives. Visit our About Page to chew on some more knowledge about Cade and how we want to help you at Know My Body.