Focus T25: Gamma The Pyramid

The forth and final disc in the Focus T25 Gamma group is The Pyramid. I went at this one blindly (did not pre-screen it) and was slightly terrified.

This is the last review that I will be doing (for at-home DVD programs) for awhile so I hope you have enjoyed them!

• Length: 25 minutes unless you count the Shakeology commercial and Shaun T kablam intro at the beginning and cool down at the end and it is really 30 minutes.

• Equipment needed: Dumbbells or Resistance Bands & miniMAT (optional).

As usual, Andy the buff one is on the bands, Tania is the modifier, Scott is near Shaun but there’s a new girl in the back!

There are 10 pyramids with some heart rate cardio exercises in between. When I say pyramids, it means you increase the reps after completing sets. You’ll see…

I had the hubby take the photos outside today since it was beautiful and natural lighting is the best for my camera. I still got eaten by bugs and sweat my butt off.

You can use any weight dumbbells you want, but I recommend 8-15 pounds.

First, you have to get your heart rate up:

• Slow Control Jog

• Jack Feet

• Double Jack Feet

• Front Raise Jack - welp, I am exhausted by this point!

• Push Jump Off Knees - stretch the triceps and make funny faces while working the legs.

21:56 minute marker: Pyramid 1

• Hammer Curl + Squat - The way this ‘pyramid’ works is: 1 hammer, 1 squat, 2 hammers, 1 squat, 3 hammers, 1 squat, etc. You do eight hammers total!

20:05 minute marker: Pyramid 2

• Dead Lift + Upright Row - You do 1 dead lift followed by 1 upright row, 2 dead lifts then 2 upright rows, etc. You do a total of six!

My daughter decided to make a taco of herself with the yoga mat. Maybe she was protecting herself against bugs.

17:56 minute marker: Pyramid 3

• Front Kick + Side Lunge (L) - You kick the left leg once, side lunge once, then you kick twice, lunge twice, etc. You progress to a total of six! (Or do a chicken dance if you’re 2).

• Front Kick + Side Lunge (R) - you build this to six times again.

15:54 minute marker: get the heart rate up!

• Up + Over - this should seem very familiar.

14:55 minute marker: Pyramid 4

• Down Dog + Pike-Up - I said a few… choice words while doing this one. It is intense, it hurts, and it is exhausting. You start in down dog, move to plank, then you pike up once. Then, you go back into down dog, plank, then pike up twice. You build this to a total of ELEVEN pike-ups. ELEVEN.

12:48 minute marker: Pyramid 5

• Clean Press + Walk Up + Back - To build this pyramid you start with a curl, press, down, release, step up, step back. Then, you do two full sets before stepping up and back. You continue to build until you do a total of seven!

10:50 minute marker: Pyramid 6

• Left Arm Hook + Squat - To build this, you start with one hook followed by a squat. Then, you do two hooks and then two squats. You build up to a total of seven times.

• Right Arm Hook + Squat - you climb this pyramid again by doing it seven times total.

9:00 minute marker - get the heart rate up again!

• Jack + Speed + Agility - this lasts for awhile and my arms were getting tired.

7:53 minute marker: Pyramid 7

• Child’s Pose + Push-Up - you start in Child’s Pose, move to a plank, and do a push-up. You progress to doing two push-ups, three, etc. You do a total of NINE times. Shaun even says, 'ahh shizzznizzzies!’ around eight. I wanted to stay in Child’s Pose. I will admit - I ended up doing push-ups on my knees towards the middle of this pyramid.

5:56 minute marker: Pyramid 8

• Same Arm + Same Leg (R) - your arm starts behind your head, then it meets your foot for one rep. You do this again for two, three, etc. You build to a total of eight times. Buildin’ the core, baby!

• Same Arm + Same Leg (L) - climb the pyramid on this side for a total of eight times.

3:15 minute marker: Pyramid 9

• Tricep Press + Release to 90 Degrees - this starts by doing a tricep press behind your head and then bringing the dumbbells in front to a 90 degree hold. You do two presses, back to the hold, etc. You build to a total of seven times! Remember to keep your elbows in tight.

1:50 minute marker: time to get the heart rate up!

• Shuffle + Knee Heisman - I am going to hear 'KNEE, GO’ in my sleep. My daughter relaxed and watched me pretend to be a football player.

:53 minute marker: Pyramid 10

• 5-Count Butterfly - one leg in, the other out - hold five counts. SWITCH. Hold 5 counts. Shaun T continues this by counting to 4, then to 3, then to 2, then to 1. However, he progressively starts counting slower so you are really holding it longer than 5 each time! Look at his ornery face. ERMAGERD.

Then, THIS HAPPENS!

TIME!

And Shaun slams Scott’s leg down.

If Shaun feels like this, you can imagine how I felt. :)

Cool down/Active stretching (3:30 minutes):

• Inhale arms up and down

• Hands interlocked - to front - palms toward the front

• Roll to floor slowly - stretch hamstrings and quads

• Interlock hands behind back

• Roll up slightly - hip flexor stretch both sides

• Inhale arms up and exhale down

• Swan dive to toes, flex quads, roll up

Final Thoughts:

• I burned around 320 calories during The Pyramid. Beforehand, I did Body Beast Bulk: Shoulders and torched almost 300 calories. This is not the best combination and I will make a Beast/Gamma hybrid schedule shortly.

• This workout reminds me of Body Beast: Lucky 7 because it uses the idea of repetitions in pyramids or cycles. It will fatigue your muscles, that’s for sure. With this workout, Shaun T makes sure your heart rate stays high! :) However, if you want to BUILD obvious MUSCLE, you are going to have to lift heavy or lift weights like in Body Beast.

• Scott is in the video like the rest of them. Shaun visits him from time to time to check form and he’s always working hard and sweating. Hubby love. :)

• Anytime I pick up some weights and lift them, I start sweating. Weight lifting is a great workout and this one incorporates cardio so you’re bound to burn calories. It is not one of Focus T25’s hardest/most choreographed, calorie burning workouts but it is FANTASTIC for resistance training.

• For those of you asking if Gamma is 'really worth buying’ my answer is this: if you love Alpha and Beta, then you will love Gamma. Honestly, Gamma focuses mainly on lifting weights which everyone should do. If I were to recommend one of the phases out of all three - I choose Gamma. Alpha and Beta lack the weights (as does INSANITY) so if you really want to see some changes in your body (more toned) do GAMMA or pick up some weights.

• Here are some fun shots from the photo sesh’: