PiYo Week 1

I will be blunt in this post. As someone who’s active and relies on exercise tapes to get my workouts in PiYo pisses me off. Why? Because PiYo has no fat people performing the modified exercises. 

A fit woman shows the modified workout. Someone without excess fat on her stomach will not do certain yoga poses the same way as me. So certain exercises and poses are not possible for me even with the modifications. I cannot do the child’s pose anymore which is a central part of PiYo.

Leslie Sansone has been including more overweight and curvy women in her videos. I like that because I need someone who has my body type to follow along with. Many of these exercises, I can preform like a pro. I cannot do certain moves though.

Hence why I wrote this because I almost quit PiYo the first week. Let’s get into why I chose PiYo. I lived in Rancho Santa Margarita California next to Coto de Caza (RHOC) I went to the Golds Gym next to the gate. Chalene Johnson used teach at that gym. They introduced me to Turbo Jam, and I took live classes.

Once I added Turbo Jam to my routine with live classes and the DVD the results came fast. I lost 30 pounds in a few months. 

Out of desperation I tried one of Chalene’s workouts again. I live in an upstairs apartment my neighbors are always home. They play basketball in their apartment if I tick them off with noise from exercising. Turbo Jam is out of the question.

I wanted to try PiYo for years. PiYo is expensive though. I got lucky and found a legit seller on Amazon who has the DVD’s brand new for $15! While Pilates and yoga may not be as intense as running three miles they can make a huge difference. Yoga can also help improve stamina. Both Pilates and yoga can help develop better posture, a stronger core and leaner muscles. Yoga and Pilates are low impact need almost no equipment. 

I used to practice Pilates and Yoga and decided that PiYo could help me develop lean muscle. Which will help me burn more fat. When PiYo arrived, I was excited until I read the workout calendar. Part of what made PiYo attractive is the workouts are time efficient thirty minutes or fewer. Align the fundamentals the first workout is over 40 minutes. 

Pressed for the time a forty-minute segment of showing the moves did not impress me. I am sure this workout helps others but if you are familiar with Pilates or Yoga, Align is not helpful. Nor is it much of an actual workout.

Align would have been better if a curvy fitness model showed the modified poses. If I I can’t get into the proper position because my abdominal fat how many others are facing the same issue?

PiYo is full of of Downward Facing Dogs which can be hard on the wrists. If you have knee issues, get an extra pad for the knees. There are some incredible plus sized Yogi’s but some beginners cannot do these poses. The modified version is not easier, and it was very discouraging. The PiYo Crouching Crow is a good example of this. They sometimes show modifications on the second or third rep which is infuriating. 

Crouching Crow as shown. The modification is shown by the woman behind Chalene who you cannot see.

Stopping to figure out the poses defeats the purpose. If I pause and Google modifications, I am taking a break which is stupid. Someone with carpel tunnel or a hundred pounds to lose may not do poses with ease. Downward Dog takes getting used to. Halfway through the second week it takes longer before my wrist hurts. But Chalene wants you to do the child’s pose if you need a break. 

What made me the happiest one disc has a Turbo Fire low impact workout. That workout fatigued my muscles. The next day my arms and abs were sore. The workout is short but you break a sweat and burn calories. I repeated segments twice to get a good thirty-minute cardio workout. 

So here’s the deal PiYo is a good workout. It’s not crappy I would quit if the workout sucks. PiYo challenges me. Not in a good way. The workout lacks someone who represents those who are overweight. Seventy percent of the American population aged twenty and up are overweight. Not offering a modification for the obese is crap.

Reviews and YouTube videos claim you will notice results within a week. Which is crap its water weight? I am not in love but I will not quit. The gist is the first week of PiYo will be a disappointment if you’re expecting it to be painless or easy. If you have a lot of abdominal fat, this workout may be harder. I will post an update after I finish week two.

Read my thoughts on week 2 here.