Power 90 In Home Boot Camp Workout Review

The Power 90 In-Home Boot Camp is a great beginner home workout program that takes place over 90 consecutive days. The videos feature Tony Horton in 2 DVDs and six different workouts (this is the same Tony Horton in the popular P90X workout that has been in so many infomercials lately). My wife and I purchased this program well over a year ago and went thought the entire program together.

The workout is basically split into 2 parts - Phase 1-2 (the easier beginning phase), and Phase 3-4 (the more difficult second phase). Each phase has 3 different workouts - Sculpt (the resistance workout), Sweat (cardio), and Ab Ripper (ab excercises). Each workout also has stretching and warm-ups, the workout, and the post-workout stretching. In addition to the DVDs the workouts require workout clothes and shoes, various sized dumb bells (or resistance bands) and water.

One of the best things about this workout program is that it’s well laid out and very clear what needs to be done each and every day. You basically just start at Day 1 and work your way to Day 90 (the program includes a calendar for you to fill out and follow) switching between the Sculpt and Sweat workouts (you do the Ab Ripper after the Sweat workouts) with one day off each week. The only part that you’ll need to figure out is when to switch from Phase 1-2 to Phase 3-4. The general guideline Tony gives is to move on when the 1-2 workouts become to easy (depending on your original fitness level). We switched right around 45 days.

One of the big (big) upsides to this program is that it works well for both men and women. In the workouts, there’s 1 guy and 1 girl doing the workouts with Tony. For the resistance exercises he explains the proper weights and reps for men and women so that each can achieve their own goals. For us that meant that instead of me finding time each day for a workout and my wife finding another, we set aside time each day to workout together.

The production quality of the workouts is also excellent (though a bit dated). We especially liked the really nice timer on the right hand of the screen so you can see how far along you are and what's next in the workout. Tony gives frequent and clear instructions and options for almost every exercise. You also have the option of playing the workouts with the music on or off - which is a nice since the music can get annoying.

Here are the different phases/workouts:

Phase 1-2

Sweat 1-2 (35 min): This workout starts out with a few minutes of general stretching and about 4 minutes of ‘Power Yoga’. Don’t worry - it’s easy to follow and really helps your flexibility and is a great warm-up. Next is the heart of the workout, which is three sets of alternating aerobic exercises that use both arms and legs. After a quick break the workout ends with another two sets of punching and kicking. The Ab Ripper 100 (see below) is also included at the end of the workout.

Sculpt 1-2 (29 min): This workout starts with a few minutes of some basic stretching and warmups. The bulk of the workout is split into three different resistance sections with breaks for stretching and rest in between. The exercises are a variety of body-weight (e.g. push-ups) and dumb-bell exercises. The workout ends with some post-exercise stretching.

Ab Ripper 100 (4 min): This workout is included both as a separate workout and at the end of the Sweatt workout. The Ab Ripper 100 is 10 different Ab excersices and you do for 10 reps (one after another).

Phase 3-4

Sweat 3-4 (42 min): This workout is similar to the Sweat 1-2 except that this workout is a bit longer.  But the big difference is in how fast the moves are done and the increase in reps - 3-4 is a noticeable step-up from 1-2. Again - the workout starts out with stretching and yoga.  The main workout is very similar to 1-2 except longer and more reps of the exercises. After a break the workout ends with more sets of punching and kicking. The Ab Ripper 200 (see below) is also included at the end of the workout.

Sculpt 3-4 (38 min): This workout is like 1-2 except that it’s quite a bit longer and there’s a wider variety of exercises. It also starts with a few minutes of some basic stretching and warmups. The bulk of the workout is split into four (instead of three) different resistance sections with breaks for stretching and rest in between. The workout ends with some post-exercise stretching.

Ab Ripper 200 (4 min): The Ab Ripper 200 is exactly the same as Ab Ripper 100, except that each ab exercise is done 20 reps instead of 10 (10 workouts x 20 reps = 200). Like the Ab Ripper 100, this workout is included both as a separate workout and at the end of the Sweat workout.

At the end of 90 days (we did them all!) both my wife and I saw great results and were very happy with the program. We both gained strength and flexibility and burned fat and calories. We didn't do the before/after pictures or measurements, but we could notice improvement in how the exercises got easier and the weights increased (and in the mirror).

Pros

• Great beginning workout series with easy instructions
• Excellent production quality and on-screen timers
• Works well for both men and women
• Awesome results.

Cons

• If you’re already in great shape, the workouts may be too easy
• Some equipment required
• Supplements ‘pushed’ in the workouts and the included materials

Both my wife and I really enjoyed both the quality of the videos and the results we achieved. In fact, we liked them well enough to go back and purchase the P90X Workout Series (check out my P90 Workout Review).

The cost is $72.80 at Amazon and the program comes with the workouts listed above as well as a resistance band (that we didn't use much) and an additional ‘Fat Burning’ workout that was filmed in Hawaii (and some other free gifts). It also includes a workout calander and program guide.

As with any workout program (even beginning program) you should check with your doctor before starting.