T25 or Body Beast?

evt84
evt84 Posts: 71 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all!

I will be finishing Insanity in 13 days (but who's counting?!) and I'm trying to decide where to go from here.

I asked a similar question recently but at that point I hadn't narrowed down my options. I think now, after some research and input, I've narrowed my options down to: T25 or Body Beast.

I've enjoyed Insanity and have heard great things about T25. I love me some Shaun T! :)

I've also heard great things about Body Beast. I looked into P90X but the time committment is what's holding me back. I would prefer something thats 30-45 minutes over something that's 60-90 minutes.

My goal isn't to lose significant weight--but rather get the lean, toned, defined look. I want to see abs! Insanity has gotten me closer to that goal. (I don't eat clean but stay within my calories and macros 98% of the time!).

I've researched both programs but wanted to get some real-life experiences from people!

I've done Insanity, which is intense cardio, for almost 51 days now. Will stopping that intense cardio and going to Body Beast/lifting be a bad thing? Do I still need to incorporate some type of cardio? (Sorry if that's a really dumb question, I'm still figuring all of this out as I go!)

Would my calorie intake be different with a cardio program vs a lifting program? What would the difference in calories burned be with cardio vs lifting?

For those of you that did Body Beast--there is a lean version and huge version, right? Would I want the lean version? (HUGE version just sounds scary to me as a female!)

Again, sorry if all of these are stupid questions. I'm an obsessive researcher and found myself waaay overwhelmed with information and decided to just ask people with experience instead!

Thanks in advance!
e

Replies

  • evt84
    evt84 Posts: 71 Member
    bumping...hoping for some input!
  • Chicky_fitt
    Chicky_fitt Posts: 18
    If you switch from hard cardio to lifting you will notice changes,your muscles will get bigger,but not much (you are a girl and do not have the testosterone to be big and bulky). After a while if you take care of nutrition you shall see results either way.
    If definition is what you are looking for than I would say go with Body Beast.
    It will be good for your body to get a little bit confused with the exercise change.Especially since our bodies get used to doing the same thing daily,and T25 is a lot like Insanity,meaning it is a cardio based workout.
    I haven't done it yet (T25),just started today,but my goal is to lose weight and I love cardio and am not a lifting kind of gal :)
    But it all comes down to what you want to do...
  • mikenelson20
    mikenelson20 Posts: 44 Member
    Remember:
    Lifting weights will not make the average women bulky.
    You may however find yourself with a nicer butt, toned abs, strength, confidence, and a positive outlook.
  • evt84
    evt84 Posts: 71 Member
    Hmmm....nicer butt, toned abs, strength.....that doesn't sound too bad :)

    I think I do want to switch it up a little bit and try a lifting routine for a while. I have some more research to do....since I work out at home and will need to buy the equipment. In my daily routine it isn't realistic for me to get to a gym, unfortunately!
  • babychris1
    babychris1 Posts: 159 Member
    I had the exact same dilemma 3 weeks ago after finishing Insanity and then Asylum.. was worried switching up from cardio based workouts to strength/lifting.

    I am 3 weeks into Body Beast and it's my first weight training program. I love it, Sagi is great and the workouts go relatively quick actually.

    You will definitely not lose your Insanity or cardio gains. Lifting is very important and after reading some of "The new rules of lifting for woman" with my wife as she is debating whether to start also. It is very informative and will clear up any concerns.. I think you should make lifting your primary now and cardio should take a backseat as you have reached your goal weight and cardio won't benefit your objectives as well as weights.

    With regards to calories burned when strength training you burn more after your workout than you do during cardio. Also turning some fat into muscle will mean you will burn more on a daily basis anyhow. It is important not to eat at a deficit but to maintain your weight. Whole bunch of calculators online.

    You will be surprised at your results..

    Also Huge version "scared" me a bit also so I'm doing Lean. You will not be disappointed.

    Your post pretty much sums me up about 3 weeks ago.

    Chris
  • evt84
    evt84 Posts: 71 Member
    I had the exact same dilemma 3 weeks ago after finishing Insanity and then Asylum.. was worried switching up from cardio based workouts to strength/lifting.

    I am 3 weeks into Body Beast and it's my first weight training program. I love it, Sagi is great and the workouts go relatively quick actually.

    You will definitely not lose your Insanity or cardio gains. Lifting is very important and after reading some of "The new rules of lifting for woman" with my wife as she is debating whether to start also. It is very informative and will clear up any concerns.. I think you should make lifting your primary now and cardio should take a backseat as you have reached your goal weight and cardio won't benefit your objectives as well as weights.

    With regards to calories burned when strength training you burn more after your workout than you do during cardio. Also turning some fat into muscle will mean you will burn more on a daily basis anyhow. It is important not to eat at a deficit but to maintain your weight. Whole bunch of calculators online.

    You will be surprised at your results..

    Also Huge version "scared" me a bit also so I'm doing Lean. You will not be disappointed.

    Your post pretty much sums me up about 3 weeks ago.

    Chris

    Thanks Chris!! I'm so glad you gave your input. It's nice to hear from someone in almost the same position as I am.

    What do you have for weights? I literally only own a 5 pound set of dumbbells!

    I'm hoping my husband will do this with me--so I don't know if we'll need 2 sets of weights. Those suckers can be pricey!!

    Thanks again--your post definitely makes me lean more toward Body Beast than T25!

    Also great to hear that you're doing the Lean version. If my husband does this with me--he'll have to do the Lean version since that's what I'll be doing :)
  • 99Maria
    99Maria Posts: 12 Member
    If you don't mind spending some $$$ on the equipment needed for Body Beast, I'd say go for it. I'm on my 5th week, and all I can say is... I love it! My favorite beachbody program so far.

    I'm doing the huge version and I'm seeing great results. I started with 5 & 10 pound dumbbells, and now, I am lifting 35s - I've gotten really strong.

    You'll love it.
  • Fitnessfreak158
    Fitnessfreak158 Posts: 5
    Lean level yes on body beast I only suggest going up to 25lbs for women on body beast and using a stability ball not a bench.
  • stephanj
    stephanj Posts: 898 Member
    Just popping in with the T25 perspective. While it is different than insanity, I think the body results would be similar, i.e. mostly body-weight exercises and intense cardio. If you are interested in weights, go for the beast! I am loving T25 and would recommend it for fat loss though.
  • Shelleybean29
    Shelleybean29 Posts: 95 Member
    I am on week 4 of T25 right now and having great results. My beachbody coach is on her 3rd round of body beast. I think she should've stopped after 1 :-) She is really bulky now and does competitions. Me personally, I am 12 pounds to my goal weight and I am seriously considering doing Body Beast once I hit goal.

    The Body Beast program does not have much cardio in it and has a pretty strict eating plan.

    I actually got to meet Sagi twice in Vegas in June! He is hot!

    If you want more info, send me a message. I am a beachbody coach as well! Good luck!
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I really hope I don't come across sounding like a jerk here because that isn't the intention. So please don't take what I have to say harshly.

    Body Beast and T25 are two fundamentally different programs made for two totally different goals. If you are unaware as to the individual traits (pros and cons and how they pertain to YOUR goals specifically) of a program based almost entirely on traditional strength training with very little cardio, vs. one based almost entirely on cardio with a very light emphasis on strength training, then you really should study more about the science behind fitness before you make your decision.

    Also, Body Beast is very equipment intensive. It requires a pretty diverse selection of dumbbells along with either a stability ball or a bench. And that's only if you want to follow the "low equipment" modifier each workout. To do the program as it was intended, you will need a bench, a barbell (preferably both an EZ-curl barbell and a traditional straight one) with a selection of plates that is pretty high, a stability ball, and a selection of dumbbells. It is Beachbody's second most equipment-intensive workout in production currently, with the only one that tops it being P90X2.

    EDIT: Also, T25 was really only made for people who have time constraints that prevent them from being able to devote the usual 45-60 minutes a a day to exercise. They advertise that you get an hour's worth of results, but you should take that with a grain of salt. You WON'T get the same results from it that you would from a round of Insanity or Asylum or P90X. If your time budget allows for more than 30 minutes a day, then you would be better off looking to other programs.
  • hallzy8
    hallzy8 Posts: 1
    I have done 1 round of t25 and I'm on my second round and will be starting body beast challenge December 16th. Can always join the challenge with our group if you like?

Categories