Should I buy Piyo??

Irishfaerie86

I'm really going back and forth on ordering Piyo. First off I love Chalene and have had much success with her programs. I do a lot of cardio and little to no strength training since I pretty much bounce from turbo fire to turbo jam. I throw in Shaun T's Rock it Out weight workout but that's it. I read about Piyo and it sounded like it's what I need to offset my intense cardio programs I do already. I was gonna buy the advanced Turbo Fire package, but then changed my mind because maybe this is what I really need and not just more cardio. What's keeping me from buying it is (not only the price) but will I really feel like I burned calories? Will I lose any weight with this and will it really benefit me at all? It sucks when I do a workout and my adidas fitsmart says I only burned 100 calories or less. So is it worth it? Is it good to add to cardio and will you lose any weight?

JenMc14

I'd add some sort of strength training if all you do is cardio. It may not burn a ton of calories, but it will help you retain muscle, and therefore you'll look better as you lose than if you're losing muscle and fat at similar rates. As to whether or not you lose weight, that comes down to whether or not you're I a caloric deficit or not, and while exercise can aid in creating a greater deficit, that mostly comes down to what you consume. If you think you'd enjoy Piyo, go for it. Are there similar cheaper and/or free programs you could try prior to purchasing?

liznotyet

I second Jen. Not all exercise is about calories, it can also be about flexibility, function, and building muscle tissue that burns more calories in the long run. The only caveat I have is that for pilates and yoga, it is really helpful to go to a live class with a good teacher a few times until you understand proper form because there are ways in both disciplines to fake the move. When you do that you are just killing time and possibly damaging yourself.

yvonneknits

I'm a week into PiYo and it's not a huge calorie burner but it is hard for me. It's strength and flexibility and I would think it's a good addition to any cardio program. The stretching feels great and I can feel that I'm stronger a few days in.

mariposa224

It really depends on what you're looking for. PiYo is body weight training and you *will* burn, but likely not what you're used to seeing for most of the workouts. At the beginning you do an upper body workout and a lower body workout (specific) a few times and I found those particular workouts to be the lowest burning. The upper body one is only like 18 minutes long, so you won't burn a lot, mine was around 94-145 calories (all calories burned are per my Polar HRM). But those are probably the specific workouts that you'll do the LEAST. With Sweat (38 minutes) & Drench (48 minutes) I burn about 251-333 with Sweat, 386-451 for Drench. You can get a decent burn if you put the effort in.

I'll be finished with PiYo next week. I've gained a remarkable amount of strength in my core, so I'm pleased with those results. It has also been a nice change of pace for me, as the entire program is low to no impact. My hips and knees have been especially happy about that. I've gained quite a bit of flexibility as well. So, again, it's all in what you're looking for. I haven't lost weight, but I wasn't trying to lose weight, I'm in maintenance. That's really down to a matter of calories in vs calories out, anyway. I like the program. I haven't done any of Chalene's other programs, though I have done T25 and 10 Minute Trainer from BB.

sikanna

I've been doing PiYo for about 4 weeks and so far I really like it.

• I'm usually a runner but I usually cut down on mileage during winter and focus on strength training. While I want to work out my whole body, core strength is especially important for me as a runner. PiYo, no matter what movement it may be, strengthens core in general.
• My biggest problem with weight loss while being a runner is that I focus so much on carb intake because I don't want to hit the wall during my long run. I've always struggled with balancing out how much carb to consume without gaining weight or hitting the wall during my run. So far, PiYo has helped me lose weight because a) I knew I won't be burning 1,000 calories doing PiYo, so I have definitely began consuming less calories than when I was running, and b) PiYo's food program encourages people to eat more protein (it doesn't prohibit carb though, which I like)
• The first few weeks focused on some basic moves and it was only about 20-minute in length. My HRM said I burned about 80-100 calories in these programs. Then it started to add interval or sweaty workouts and I burned about 200-250 calories in those. I supplement 3 mile run on days that has those easy "20-minute" upper body or lower body workouts, and I still give myself one day of running for an hour (no PiYo) per week. I am giving myself a rest day every 10 days (which is what I'm used to already).
• I'm a runner, who lives in hilly city (San Francisco). I thought I had descent hamstrings, glutes, and quads. PiYo proved me wrong - I was sore after some programs!
• Charlene is funny. She cracks me up so much that it's a good way to end the day.

For those who are more used to taking in calories from carbs over protein (like me), I recommend increasing amount of protein in your diet slowly. I did it without gradual changes and my body kind of freaked out (gas, indigestion, etc). After about two weeks, my body got used to it, and so far I lost 4lb on PiYo + Running. I have 6 more to go!

louisianaguy11

I agree with everyone so far. I am trying to lose weight. I watch what I eat, lift weights and do cardio. But one thing I noticed is that I am not very flexible and I have a weak core. I started PiYO and am loving it. It is giving me a workout different then I am use too. My core is getting stronger and I fell better because of my flexibility. For me it is a great supplement to other workouts.