Thursday, July 24, 2014

PiYo: Hardcore on the Floor Review

For those individuals who order PiYo through a Beachbody coach or Teambeachbody.com, you are rewarded with a special treat: a bonus workout, Hardcore on the Floor. People with this workout are given the opportunity to have it replace the Core workout starting on week four of the PiYo calendar.


Hardcore on the Floor clocks in at thirty-three minutes, so it's approximately the same time as Core. In general, I find the workout to be a bit more challenging than Core and the moves a little bit more exciting. A lot of work is done in Beast and Plank, which left my shoulders significantly fatigued at the end of this workout. If you are looking to straighten your core with a workout that isn't just crunches and sit-ups, Hardcore on the Floor is an excellent option.

I've been listening to Obstacle Dominator podcast lately and have noticed a theme when the hosts talk about training -- core strength is key! There is a lot of talk about having a strong lower back, overall core, and stabilizer muscles. The hosts, Hunter and Ben, talk about doing plank work and plyometic work that engages the stabilizers as much as they talk about the importance of endurance for long obstacle course races. Hearing this makes me think I should be placing more emphasis on PiYo in my training program than I was. PiYo is a ton of non-impact core work and is just the sort of thing Ben and Hunter are talking about for core work. Because PiYo is easy on the joints, it's a nice workout to add in on a day that I do a run or any other impact activity.

Below is the moves list for Hardcore on the Floor. I think reading through will give you a good idea of how this workout differs from Core. Based on my goals, I definitely prefer Hardcore on the Floor. Might as well order your copy of PiYo through Beachbody to get this workout. I find it to be one of the most interesting in the PiYo program.

WARM UP:
Roll down, then up x 4
Roll to hands and knees
Flex abs, then flex back
Knee tucks in, then leg back (both leads)
Crouching position
Straighten > crouch
Child's pose

PRIMAL TO TRADITIONAL
On all fours, tabletop
Beast
Lower knees
Beast
Lower knees
Beast > turning roll-out
Add kick-out
Lift and lower in kick-out (advanced is curling in while lifting)
Roll back > roll up > lift and lower in kick-out
Child's pose
Repeat series (alt. lead)
V-Sit
V-Sit, alternate leg lifts
V-Sit, lift and lower both legs
Lie back, roll up into v-sit hold
Feet to floor, roll back to lying down position
Both legs straight up, shoulders off floor
Alternating twisting oblique crunch
Add scissor kick
Bend knees
Elbow to side > turn knees to same side > extend legs > knees back > lie down
Repeat elbow series (alt. lead)

PRIMAL
Ball sit
Roll back > roll forward > hold
PiYo Pedal
Add lean back
Side plank
Side crunch
Kneeling kicking
Child's pose
Repeat side plank series (alt. lead)
Beast
Flip around, knees don't touch floor
Roman twist
Flip around, knees don't touch floor
Beast
Tap knees
Repeat series x 3

PLANK TO ELBOW PLANK
Plank
Knee in, then extend leg
Add leg lift
Elbow plank
Hip tap
Child's pose
Repeat series (alt. leg)
Child's pose
Down dog
Hold down dog split
Down dog split > knee in
Down dog split > tap ankle
Down dog split > knee in > tap ankle
Child's pose
Repeat series (alt. lead)
Elbow plank
Walk feet in < walk feet out
Repeat x 4
Plank
4-count Tricep push-ups
Down dog
Plank
2-count Tricep push-up
Down dog
Repeat x 3

BACK EXTENSIONS AND COOL DOWN
Lie down on stomach
Lift alternating arms out, then back
Lift both arms, then back
Lift arms and legs > cross > extend > back down (officially called Sea Turtle)
Child's pose
Lie on stomach
Grab back to heel, pull towards you stretching the quad (like doing Bow but one side at a time)
Switch arms/legs
On all-fours
Round and release back (Cat-cow)
Child's pose


All and all a good workout that seems to engage a lot of important muscles. I found myself sweating more from this workout than most. I have to say that there is one thing I really respect about the PiYo model -- it's what attracted me to Insanity too -- no gear. The only thing you need for PiYo is your body because everything is a body-weight exercise. Like I said, Insanity was the same way. 

For obstacle course racing, you need to be good at moving your body around and pulling and pushing your body weight. Functional movements and body-weight exercises are the sort of training that seem to make the most sense for obstacle course races. I think resistance training with weights is great, and I do a bit of it, but I have been cutting back on that sort of training and doing more body-weight training, like planks, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, lunges, and squats because these sorts of moves will likely benefit me the most when I do an obstacle race. 

I was a little bit hard on PiYo in some of my earlier reviews since I thought the program was a bit too easy. However, I am beginning to see the merits in the program and find that it's a nice supplement to the higher intensity workouts I am doing earlier in the day. I do occasionally wish PiYo was a bit faster paced but respect that it holds a unique place it my workout library. It may be a simpler gentler workout. It may be easier overall, but it definitely has value and is giving me something that I wouldn't do as much otherwise. That is a good thing.

6 comments:

LauraJ23 said...

I love your blog! I am on week six of the beachbody piyo strength calendar. I am loving it. I like how you give a breakdown of the sequence of moves for each video/review. Great job!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much! Good luck with the program.

Rblackwell said...

Just wondering about piyo. Would this workout work for beginners?
Thanks

Nicole Sibley said...

Absolutely. One of the great things about this workout is that it is low impact. They also have a modifier that you can follow along with, so it is appropriate for all fitness levels.

ice Angel said...

I ordered piyo but did not receive hardcore on the floor.. it says that it is included?

Nicole Sibley said...

Interesting, @ice Angel. Did you order through Beachbody or through a coach? If so, I'd say connect with them. Back when I did the workout, you _had_ to order through Teambeachbody.com or a Beachbody coach to get the Hardcore on the Floor workout. I am not sure if that's changed in the intervening years, but it's worth an ask for sure.