Rushfit vs. TapouT XT - My review/opinion/observation.

I'm new to the site so please bear with me.

I'm looking into starting a work out routine and was interested in Tap out XT but when i googled it came across Rushfit and then started to see if anyone compared the two, which lead me to this message board (was actually just trying to figure out how many workouts Tap out had each week). After reading all of the posts though I am still torn about which program to go after.

My fitness goals are relatively simple I'd like to improve my endurace, flexibility, and strength while toning up a bit. Weight loss is not my primary goal but if I shed a few pounds I won't cry over their loss. I do not have a routine 9-5 job, I have a somewhat stable schedule but have days where I need to make myself available even in the middle of the night which tends to make working out the next morning nigh on impossible if I've been up all night. That being said I am in it for the long haul and really just want to get myself into more of a lifestyle change where I develop a work out routine that is fun and engaging that I can stick to.

Bottom line is with my schedule I can commit to 3-4 workouts a week that can go from 45-60 min and was wondering if either of these programs would suit my time constraints or were modifiable to do so.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Because of the flaws in the TapouT XT schedule you're better off just putting your own schedule together anyway. As far as Rushfit goes there are only 3-4 days a week where you actually do video workouts according to the schedule. The other days are "choose your own cardio" which means find some time to do some moderate intensity cardio for 30 minutes. I would say either one is good considering that.

TapouT XT is a good program, just a lot of stuff in it is redundant and pointless. The fact of the matter is that you can get the results you want without working out an hour and a half a day, 6 days a week like P90X and TapouT XT have you do. It sounds like you have some motivation issues though if you need the schedule to tell you exactly what cardio to do.

What equipment do you have and what equipment are you willing to invest in?

You will need to purchase a set of 15-20 lb dumbbells that have flat or hexagonal sides for renegade rows, an exercise done frequently throughout the program. Your selecttechs cannot do them safely. Aside from that I think it would be a good program for you, just do a cardio DVD from something you already own that is 30-45 minutes long on the "cardio" days.

No, that was for Rushfit. for TapouT XT the only thing you need is a resistance band but the one included is only sufficient for extremely out of shape people. You're going to want to pick up heavier ones.

as long as youre sure to get in some sort of serious flexibility/stretching training in there yeah

I have been following this thread with great interest. I came to this thread trying to figure out what kind of equipment you need for TapoutXT. Then came to know about RushFit and others. At this point I don't really want to use/invest on dumbbells although RushFit seems to be ideal for me. So if I really do want to do TapoutXT with few days my own cardio (swimming) thrown in then what the program would look like? Any ideas which days I can safely skip?

My goal at this point is mainly losing weight and I would probably like to avoid any high impact routines.

If you purchase the TapouT XT program it comes with everything you need to start out which is just a single resistance band tubing and a thigh toner style band. However the resistance on the resistance band it comes with is insufficient for anyone who is even remotely fit (or even most men starting out) so you will need to purchase additional ones of higher resistance (you can get a full set for like $30 of varying resistance levels, I recommend Ripcords as they seem to be the best quality out of all the ones I have used). If you torrent it like I did all you will need to purchase are thigh toner/stretch bands and a set of resistance bands. If you want to avoid high impact TapouT XT really isn't for you. It's not as bad as Insanity but there is still a lot of impact work in it. The schedule you would do if you want to cut out all the impact work looks like what I posted above for the individual who wanted just the resistance work, only you would probably cut out the Sprawl & Brawl as well.

Rushfit only has one DVD consisting of any sort of impact work and that one workout isn't even a part of the beginner schedule (well they have you do it once a week during the last two weeks of the 8 week program but thats it).

Might I ask why dumbbells are not an option for you?

If you are looking for ideas on non-dumbbell weight loss programs message me, I have a ton of info.

No you're right that doesnt leave me with much to work with, rushfit looks like the better option. You know what really bugs the hell out of me, is that on youtube if you look under p90x results every woman is flexing their arms only and alot have boxy torsos I havent found one video that shows the lower body results(maybe thats more Brazil Butt lift) not too many men in my opinion look at a woman and say Whoa did you see those biceps? Nope they say did you see dat *kitten*? Anyways thats another topic. Thanks for your advice! How much weight do you think I need for rushfit?

The boxy torso is a result of overemphasizing isolation training of the abs more or less. P90X doesn't have much in the way of compound movements as most of the weight training is isolation training. This takes the core out of the equation for most exercises which means they have to have you follow up each weights workout with a 15 minute dedicated abs workout that's just overkill and from a FUNCTIONAL fitness standpoint doesn't serve much value. The better way to train your abs/core is to make sure it's being activated and heavily utilized when doing exercises that focus on other body parts, ideally full body movements.

I have a question. Is it possible to use the RushFit program, but substitute some Tapout XT videos for the "Cardio" days, effectively ending up with a hybrid program? It seems to make sense to take RushFit and use Tapout XT for cardio from what I've read in this thread. Do you think it's a good idea? If so, which videos from Tapout do you think will be good to use? Thanks.

You could but you would have to find a way to dial down the intensity as the cardio days on Rushfit were meant to be moderate intensity. Every Rushfit workout is a full body workout and for cardio days you're supposed to be keeping the intensity to a moderate level to allow your muscles to rest while getting your cardio in. So yeah, it can be done but you'd have to dial down the intensity and take it easier than the people in the video.

I see. Thank you.

If I may ask again, which TapouT videos do you think I can use for this purpose?

Muay Thai, Ripped Conditioning, Strike Training, and Cardio.

I did TO for 90 days and have been doing RF for a few weeks now. I've been doing exactly what you're asking about (using some TO workouts as the cardio workouts for RF). I have used TO's Cardio XT, Plyo XT, and Sprawl & Brawl, but you could probably use any of the workouts... except maybe TO Buns & Guns (personally, I never got that much of a cardio workout from TO B&G) and obviously Yoga XT, since that's clearly not a cardio workout. I'm beginning to rethink my idea to use Plyo XT, though, for the RF cardio days because my quads are KILLING ME!! I've personally found most of the RF workouts to be pretty lower body intensive, and have found my legs to get much more of a consistent workout than they did in TO. So, as one of the prior posts mentioned, the TO workouts may be a little more intensive than RF intends you to do on the RF cardio days, so just be sure to keep an eye out for the possibility of overdoing it. Just my personal experience. Everyone's different, though. You've got to just find what works for you. Good luck!!

Plyo XT is not a good idea for the exact reason you're now experiencing. Plyo is a combination resistance/cardio workout, not just cardio, and you need to allow your muscles a day free of any resistance work after completing a RF circuit workout as they are full body resistance training. That's also why I said you should dial down the intensity of whichever one you choose to do.