The following is an online version of a newsletter I have recently sent out to my Beachbody clients. (yes, I am a Beachbody coach, though I no longer work the business as a full-time coach. I only use it as a way to support my yoga students, nutrition clients, and friends, who want to feel better in their bodies, IF something from Beachbody might be helpful to them. I am not a coach who is constantly promoting the next thing. I only share when I feel I have something worthwhile to share. ;-) If you need a coach, I am a low-key but fully supportive cheerleader who is a trained fitness professional and ready to meet you where you are, based on your interests and needs, be they physical, financial, or spiritual.
Hey there!
(long, but informative note…and since I am always just myself when I write, pretend we are chatting!)
Well, we are definitely in the midst of the holiday season. Whether you celebrate all of the more obvious ones or not, or whether you celebrate those that are not as obvious (based on commercialization, I mean), you are still certainly affected by the hoopla and changing seasons, unless you have successfully managed to get off the grid and live in a completely self-sustainable way! I pray that as you read this, you are managing to find pockets of time to decompress and regain some balance, if things have been a little too crazy. For me, I am only a few weeks away from Fall semester Finals. This semester I took on one more class than I have taken before, but my job as an ESL teacher slowed down a little, so balancing those two things has not been as bad as it could have been. That said, balancing those two things with regular adult life is STILL a challenge. The state of my house is not amazing, and while the bills are paid, I wouldn’t say that all of the usual affairs are perfectly in order. I am hitting the minimum—but I am doing it! ANYWAY—all of that really just supports the fact that it is still so helpful for me to move my body in some way as often as I can (if not every day), in some kind of easy-access or simple way…as well as feeding myself decent fuel. I think I do about 75/25 or 80/20, food-wise. Not too bad, but…there are days where there is definitely room for improvement. Which brings me to the reviews I want to share with you today--
I will always tell you the good, bad, and the ugly.
This is my review of the MYX bike +BODi, and the new JOB1 program that is about to be released.
THE BIKE (and BODi, a little bit):
My bike finally came! But it was a SAGA of things to get it here. I ordered it on the first day (September 21st), and it did not arrive until November 15. I won’t waste your time with the rollercoaster of events that took place, but believe me when I say that I understand the frustration of anyone who has gone through something similar. This was not Beachbody’s or MYX’s fault directly, but the shipping company XPO. That said, some different, proactive choices could have been made. In the end, my bike is finally here, and I was given a $100 credit for my hassle, and luckily my bike arrived in great condition and was set up by two really great young men.
*if you or someone you know is going through hassles in getting their bike, please let me know. I have a couple of backline corporate office numbers and rep names that I can share or go to bat for you, and it might lessen some of the issue.
So, yeah—the bike saga has not looked good for Beachbody. I hope they have learned some lessons. But the bike itself?
AWESOME!!!!!
Oh my gosh, I can tell this will be a new obsession for me, in a good way. I used to love bike riding outdoors for years, though it is challenging in the hill country where I live, until I was bitten by a dog ON THE BUM while riding (he literally chased, jumped up, and grabbed hold. Luckly my husband was there and managed to scare him off. It was a whole rabies-watch thing that went to court, etc). I still rode after that incident, but with a lot more caution…and the drivers around here can be careless. So…I have not ridden as much as I used to….and I miss it! My body responds well to that type of training and cardio. Easier on the joints, and is a form of interval hiit training (that I was doing long before I knew what that was).
This summer, in anticipation of the MYX launch, I tried some spin classes locally, and I loved them! My husband was also in favor of the bike, even though we live in a small house. That was more my concern than his. We decided that since we are never going to be featured in a Home and Garden mag of any kind, having the bike in our living room is not a big deal. We have already sacrificed our dining room table for the next few years to my college studies and remote teaching efforts. If we can be healthier in a fun way, who cares if our house is picture perfect? (and it wasn’t even close, anyway.)
Here’s what I LOVE:
-The classes, both live and pre-recorded, on BODi. I have already taken 3.5 of them. 2 w/ Lee Jiminez (one was the calibration ride), and one w/a sweet spunky girl called Jenny Jaucian. I have not yet done a class with Jennifer Jacobs, who is a former Peleton instructor and the creator of JOB1, but I am looking forward to it. Did you notice that I typed 3.5? That half workout was a day where my tablet was being glitchy. I will share about that in my Cons, below. It’s not major, actually, just an awareness. Several of the BODi instructors lead classes, so I am stoked to try them all.
-The OH1 sensor that comes with it*--
I starred this, as I have a situation to figure out…but by and large, it is awesome. As for my heart rate, it seems pretty accurate. I manually checked a few times during some of my rides. I will keep checking, as my experience has shown me that the heart rate sensors that are the most accurate usually involve chest straps, so this has been a nice surprise. Also, as long as you are doing a workout on the BODi platform (not just Beachbody on Demand), the heart rate sensor works for ANY of the BODi programs! Not just the cycle classes! So, you can turn your tablet around and do other workouts on the other side of your bike. I did that the other day when I was in the BODcast for both a cycle class and a yoga class in one day. OH THAT’S RIGHT! I WAS IN THE BODCAST TWICE THE OTHER DAY! That’s kind of fun. And totally optional. I’ll share more about that separately.
-The calibration ride. I like that they are being pro-active about teaching how to ride, and setting a baseline, and I think they picked the best instructor to do it, Lee Jiminez. He has a very calm but encouraging manor.
-The ability to create multiple profiles on one bike!!! Y’all, THIS. IS. AWESOME. So, we have one Beachbody on Demand account, with BODi, but Jon can have his own profile so that when he rides or works out on BODi, he gets his own stats and his own calibration. I believe you can have up to 5 profiles in one household. That’s very, very cool. Speaking of which, I am helping Jon set up for his calibration ride tonight. I am so happy that he is enthusiastic. Anyone else have a spouse that needs a little encouragement in the healthy lifestyle realm? So, when he said he was interested in the bike, I was like, “Ima forget my concerns about small house and cost” etc, because if this helps him, I am all for it. And we chose to pay for the bike with the No Interest payment plan by Affirm. It’s an investment for us.
Oh, back to the profile thing--- I will say that I now wish I had purchased the bike under Jon’s coach account rather than mine—that little commission sent my way would have been nice, but I was weirdly wary because I didn’t know if somehow the bike would come only connected to the coach account where it was purchased, and my account is the one connected to Beachbody on Demand. Now I know that it would have been fine. But you know what? I am actually really cool with it, because I adore my upline coach, and I know that her little family could use that little boost just as much (plus, it’s not a huge commission in the scheme of the purchase anyway). It all comes back around; one good turn receives another.
Bonus info: there are a few different graphs and things that compare the MYX bike to other popular indoor cycling bikes, and that facts are pretty great--I have borrowed these from other coaches, so I cannot attest to the total facts, but they might be helpful..
But SPECIAL NOTE: you do not have to have a myx bike to do the cycling classes on BODi! Any indoor bike will do. =-)
HERE IS WHAT I *DON’T* LOVE AS MUCH:
-Remember when I mentioned the glitchy .5 ride? I was wanting to try out one of the scenery rides, where you can ride through the countryside in a ton of beautiful places across the globe, but it kept pausing. I wondered if it was an issue with that type of class, so I switched to a pre-recorded class with an instructor, but it was still happening, to the point of being hardle do-able. I gave up that day after about 10 minutes. I asked about it online, though, and there are a few troubleshooting things that can be done. One of them is as simple as “turn it off and turn it back on”. Don’t ask me why I didn’t try that. *eye roll*. I will do that next time. (My internet connection was fine.)
-The unfolding situation with the Polar OH1 sensor: the good news is, my sensor works really well in connecting to the bike and saving stats there. HOWEVER, 2 things about that:
One—the individual ride stats are only shown at the end of the ride by themselves once. After that, they are amalgamated into a total workouts/total rides stat on your profile. So, you can’t look back and see how one ride compares to another unless you take a picture or something. Maybe BB will make some kind of software update—that would be cool.
Two—The OH1 sensor is part of the Polar family of fitness trackers. I have had 2 different kinds of Polar trackers prior to this, so I am familiar with the phone app that can be used to track stats. I re-installed it so that I could use the sensor for other workouts as well, since the instructions it came with described how to use it. Cool! I was already in the market for another tracker. BONUS. Well, at the moment, I can’t seem to get my stats from the OH1 synced to the app after a workout, once I have disconnected from my bike. I have a phone number to call to figure that out.
-Finally, as mentioned before, this whole MYX bike and fitness company launch has not been great. There have not only been bumps in the road, but huge life-sucking potholes. I fear BB has lost a lot of trust, and I don’t blame anyone. I have dealt with my fair share of resentment regarding lack of communication, etc. but AGAIN, I say, if you know someone going through this, I have a couple of super helpful numbers and info that is not available to everyone. Let me know.
OK…WHAT ABOUT JOB1? What is it?
The truth is, I don’t get excited about every Beachbody program that comes out, because not all of them appeal to me. Not all of them are appropriate for everyone. What is cool is, there is such a wide variety, that I do think there is something for just about everybody.
(and if you need help selecting one for you, based on your needs, wants, likes, issues in your tissues, etc, please reach out to me. This is the thing I can for sure help you with, because I am actually a fitness professional, and I am the kind who is all about meeting you WHERE YOU ARE.)
That said, I am kind of stoked about JOB1.
Here’s why:
-It’s short. Only 20 minutes, 5 days per week. It was designed to be an effective workout in a short amount of time. Period.
So, yes, you could add other workouts if you need more, but it was designed so that you don’t have to. Being that I am 47 years old, have gone through a major lifestyle change by becoming a full time college student again, and working part-time as a remote teacher, I need that short time commitment and efficacy. (How’s that for a college word? 😉)—plus, like I said, lifestyle change.
Translation: I don’t work out now nearly as much as I used to, and my body is in a different season due to my maturity.
By the way, the name “Job1” comes from the importance of taking care of yourself so that you can do all of the other things you are called to do, making that self-care JOB 1. Showing up like it is your job.
-It’s challenging, but do-able. I did the sample workout this morning. I LOVED IT. I felt like I was getting something done, and there were points where I felt the burn and my breathing was elevated, but I was not toast at the end, rendering me useless for the rest of the day. I hate it when workout programs are so challenging that you don’t know if you can actually adult later. It’s just not an option for me. But getting a good sweat, feeling alive, and like I am ready for the day…that is awesome.
Like I said, if you need more, and some folks will, you can always add something else!
-It’s a balanced approach. 2 days of cardio, 3 days of resistance/strength training.
AND…
being that she is a former peleton instructor, there are 4 alternate cycling cardio sessions you can switch in for your cardio days if you like (I am TOTALLY doing that. I am not the biggest fan of traditional cardio…but I love riding!) JJ has been a trainer personalizing workouts for her clients for many years, and this is the culmination of her experience. Based on the coach team that I lucked into arriving in when I started my Beachbody journey, I had the blessing of watching/listening to an exclusive team call with JJ as she talks about how this program came to be. Feel free to watch that here: https://youtu.be/anITkNlIjPM
-It moves quickly, so it does not feel like forever. I personally did not feel frantic, though I have seen some folks online say they they did—and sometimes with the cardio workouts, I do. Of course, I also know that it is totally ok to do something slower than the instructor if I am feeling out of control. CONTROL IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN FLAILING. The sample workout is a combo of what a strength day versus a cardio day would be like, so it is not exactly a typical day in this program, but it is hard to create a sample that represents everything. My experience tells me that I can modify as I need to, I can intensify if I want to, but it will be do-able, both time and stamina-wise.
That is what I need and like to see, because you know what that means?
I CAN BE CONSISTENT.
Better to do the bit that you can and will do, than to put yourself in a regimen that you cannot sustain, and/or you grow to dread.
Concerns? Nothing major, really. Just the usual caveats. Check out the sample or trailers to see if you like the background. I always tell my clients, if you don’t like what you are looking at during your workout, you won’t want to do it. Check it out to see if you like how JJ talks. If you don’t like her manner, you won’t want to do it. Know that you can modify as needed, and if you need ideas, reach out to me. I am a trained fitness professional, and you (my beachbody clients) have me for free. Know that you can intensify as needed as well!
Fyi, Job 1 is launching in 2 weeks!
12/2 for Coaches and Preferred Customers
AND
12/16 for Everyone
I don’t have links for those yet, but if you are interested, let me know, and I will send you a reminder if you like…
Last note, and this one is about BODi in general—
Since it gives you access to both Nutrition programs (2B Mindset and Portion Fix) plus all of the live classes and the recorded versions of those classes, on top of the Beachbody on Demand programs, I do actually think it is worth it. I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t mean it. And if you are already a member of an interactive platform that you love, stick with it! I am not saying BODi is the only or the best, but I am saying that I think it is reasonably priced for what you get, especially the annual combo with Beachbody On Demand (savings!).
But, if you like the feeling of working out with others in a community, BODi is cool because it has the live classes! And you do NOT have to be a part of the BODcast onscreen, EVER. That is totally up to you (and anyway, you have to time it right if you want to be onscreen—ask me how). Some days I like being on BODcast because it inspires me, but sometimes I don’t want that extra awareness.
If you don’t need community or to know that you are working out with others, onscreen or off, but you like the energy of a live class, BODi has the recorded versions of the live classes!
They even have those recorded classes available two ways:
-On Demand, so you can select them at any time, or
-By schedule—meaning they air at a certain time. Even though they aren’t live, this can help those who like setting a time and saying “this is when I am getting today’s movement in”.
EXTRA BONUS COOL THING: It might only be cool for me, but I love that some of the programs and classes are also available in French or Spanish! Goes right with my studies! (I am getting a 2nd Bachelor’s degree currently in Modern and Classical Languages, emphasis in French, Italian and Spanish. Ha!) So—those are my reviews. Thanks for hanging in this long and reading! I hope you found it informative. If you are interested in any of the above, just let me know. You can either click here to shop on your own, or if you know what you want and you don’t want to have to sort through the shopping pages, tell me, and I can do this cool thing called “share-a-cart” and set-up your cart for you---all you have to do at the end is click. All of that said, I am not here to sell. TRULY.
I am not a full-time Beachbody coach anymore, but I am still a coach who is enthusiastic about people feeling good in their bodies, whether that comes through Beachbody products or something else. I am here to support you, so feel free to reach out with questions or thoughts. I will do my best to help you in any way that I can.
But, for those who like the simplicity of point and click, here are some potentially useful links (I know, I get the irony of my previous statement plus these links. It's a quandary of how to make something easy for people if they are interested, without coming off yucky. Just trying to help where I can):
Annual BOD (BeachbodyonDemand) plus BODi (use dropdown to select the option you want)
Beachbody on Demand (without BODi, the interactive/live class + Nutrition programs, etc-use dropdown to select the option you want)
(oh that’s right! I forgot to say, there is a big ole sale coming up…see? I am not so much about the selling…but if it helps you, I leave the links here. =-))
ANYWAY... that is my most recent update. If you are one of my clients, yoga or otherwise, you know I do not send a lot of emails or clutter up your inbox. I know the space there is valuable! Thank you so much for sharing part of your valuable day with me. Blessings and Health to you! lil Robyn Return HOME
