Body Beast-Beast Up: Legs w/ Sagi Kalev Workout Review

If you are a member of Beachbody OnDemand you probably know by now that Sagi Kalev released two new workouts from the Body Beast program. They are exclusive to Beachbody OnDemand.  If you have done them already, you know they are killer and if you haven’t done them already, you are in for a treat.

For this workout you are going to need a large variety of dumbbells and if you have one an EZ curl bar.  If you don’t have an EZ curl bar you can always modify and this workout does have a modifier.  You will also need a bench and if you don’t have one, I’m sure you can figure out how to improvise.

The workout is 45 minutes long.

Beast Up: Legs starts out with a thorough warm up.  This is something I felt was lacking in the Hammer workouts but this has a five minute warm up.

Parallel Squats: Rep Counts:  12 – 10 – 8 – 6 -6 – 8  –  You want to start off with a lighter weight then move to medium and on to heavy.  For the 6 rep count you use a super heavy weight for both 6 counts and then go back down to heavy.

Split Squat w/ EZ Curl Bar: (Left then Right) – 7 reps for 7 sets with a 10 count hold at the bottom between sets.  The hold is your rest.  Complete all on left first and then move to the right.  You may keep the same weight throughout.  Make sure it isn’t that heavy.  This one sneaks up on you.

Superset:   You do both moves before decreasing in the rep count.

Partial Sumo:  Rep Counts:  12 – 10 – 8   (Partial because you do not come up all the way)

Bulgarian Split Squat:  Rep Counts:  12 – 10 – 8

You want to start with lighter weight for the 12 reps – medium for the 10 and heavy for the 8 reps.

(end of superset)

Single Leg Deadlift: (Left then Right) – 7 reps for 7 sets with a 10 second hold at the top between sets.   Complete all on left first and then move to the right. You may keep the same weight for all 7 sets.  Oh yeah, this one is a motherchucker!

Glute Bridge with Calf Raise: 60 secs –  45 Secs – 30 Secs  – Starting with lighter weight for the 60 seconds, medium for 45 seconds and heavy for 30 seconds.  Sagi calls this a superset but the move is really one continuous move in my opinion.  You just fluidly do a calf raise after each bridge.

There is a nice stretch at the end to get the nooks and crannies you just worked.

As you can see there aren’t a lot of moves.  You get a lot of rest periods not only between movements but also between sets – especially when moving up to the super heavy weight.  I think the rest periods help the workout go by fast.

I give this workout 5 out of 5 stars because it really gets the job done.

 

The Master’s Hammer & Chisel – Total Body Hammer w/ Sagi Kalev

One of the first sneak peaks we had was Autumn’s Total Body Chisel and now on Beachbody OnDemand we got to taste Sagi’s Total Body Hammer. This is a nice simple set up of basic lifting exercises done in a pyramid format that packs a bit of a punch.

You will need a couple of sets of dumbbells tailored to your needs, a pullup bar or a band if you don’t have one, a bench or a ball if you don’t have a bench.  You can also do the chest exercises on the floor.

The warm up is the same warm up that Sagi does in most of his other Hammer workouts.

There are three rounds total with three separate exercises.  Each round is completed two times.   Each exercise is completed in a pyramid format of 10 reps, 8 reps and then 6 reps. You complete all 3 pyramids before going on to the next exercise.   The second set really allows you to go up in weight if you didn’t get it right the first time (perhaps go down too).

Round One 

Bench Press (10/8/6 reps)

Squat (10/8/6 reps)

Reverse Grip Row (10/8/6 reps)

(remember I said you do this again)

Round Two 

Incline Flys (10/8/6 reps)

Reverse Lunge (you do one leg and get the opposite leg on set two) (10/8/6 reps)

Wide pullups or wide band pulls (10/8/6 reps)

Repeat

Round Three 

Seated Military Press

Split Squat (you do one leg and get the opposite leg on set two) (10/8/6 reps)

Posterior Delt Fly (one arm at a time, getting the other arm on set 2) (10/8/6 reps)

Repeat 

I felt that Sagi’s cool down while still only 3 minutes long, was a bit more thorough than most of Autumn’s which sometimes aren’t even 2 minutes long.

When you get your correct weights, I really feel that this workout can get you winded and by the end you will feel like you got a great workout.  One thing I didn’t like was Sagi picking on the gentleman in the video because of his weight selection.  We all can’t press 70 pounds like Sagi.  I know that’s his Beast persona but I worry someone may go too heavy and rip their shoulder.  So keep that in mind. We aren’t all professional bodybuilders.

Solid 4 out of 5 stars.

The Master’s Hammer & Chisel-15 Min. Leg Hammer w/ Sagi Kalev

This workout is approximately 20 minutes in length when you factor in the warm up and cool down (which are really short).

You will need a medicine ball or dumbbell for this workout.

Description of workout from Beachbody:  15 minutes is all you need to fire up your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves for maximum strength and power.

Warm up moves:

Squat ball drop/pick up

Alternating front lunge with ball push out

Side to side lunge squat

Burpee w/ ball

For the workout there are 6 moves (some are done right and left).   Each move is done for a minute at different tempos:  Slow (4 count), medium (2 count) and fast (as fast as you can). You switch tempos at the 20 second mark of each minute interval.

The workout moves:

Squat press

Side lunge (right/left)

Reverse lunge (right/left)

Sumo twist -this is done in an isolation hold moving the ball from left to right knee.

Deadlift crunch – this is a one-legged deadlift and the “crunch” is coming up on one leg with a knee lift.  I found it difficult to go fast in this move and maintain good balance.  (right/left)

Step up press – this is a backwards lunge coming up to the knee raise while also lifting the ball over your head. You don’t need a step or bench for this.  Again, I found this move hard to maintain good balance while doing the move as fast as you can.  (right/left)

Short 2 minute cool down.

I love the tempo changes for this workout.  It really got my heart rate up.  I really liked this workout and wished it was about another 15 minutes in length.  I was just getting into the groove and then it was over.  Great add-on to other workouts though.  I’d give this workout 3 3/4 stars out of 5 because of the length, because of the short stretch at the end and because the really fast movements were awkward with some of the movements even though the tempo changes are what I love about this workout.

 

 

The Master’s Hammer & Chisel-Chisel Power w/ Autumn and Sagi Workout Review

My last review – Hammer Build Up was Sagi’s workout with Autumn and Chisel Power is Autumn’s workout with Sagi.

Chisel Power is approximately 30 minutes long.  You will need dumbbells, a medicine ball, a bench, chin up bar and bands.  You can modify if you don’t have these items (except I think dumbbells are really crucial but if you’re doing this workout I’m sure you have at least those).

WORKOUT DESCRIPTION from Beachbody OnDemand:  Get ripped from head to toe with hardcore resistance training, isometric holds, and explosive plyometrics.

The pattern for this workout is two related movements with the first being more dynamic with a fast 4 rep count and then a 4 second isometric hold repeating 4 times (I’m going to call these 4x4s).  Then you go into the similar movement but with heavy weights for 10 reps.  Core movements are done for 16 reps and there is no 4 rep count with the isometric hold for these.

The moves:

Ball squat jumps – 4×4

Heavy squat – 10 reps

Lunging Rows – 4×4

Pull-ups or band pulls -10 reps

Hanging knee raises – 16 reps (can modify on the floor)

Ball plyo lunges – right – 4×4

Heavy lunge – right – 10 reps

Ball ply lunges – left – 4×4

Heavy lunge – left – 10 reps

Plyo push-up – 4×4

Heavy bench press – 10 reps (can modify on floor)

Half spider man – 16 reps

This is the halfway point and you get a 60 second break for water, etc.

Ball sumo squat plyos – 4×4

Heavy sumo squat – 10 reps (can use 1 dumbbell or 2)

Ball push press – 4×4

Heavy military press – 10 reps

Seated ball toe taps – 16 reps (more like ball leg raises – seated you hold the ball between your feet and raise and lower)

Ball knee drivers on step – left – 4×4

Heavy step up – left – 10 reps

Ball knee drivers on step – right – 4×4

Heavy step up – right – 10 reps

Bicep curls – 4×4 – (use lighter weights – isolation hold is in the middle)

Heavy bicep curls – 10 reps

Triceps kickbacks – 4×4 – (use lighter weight)

Heavy triceps kickbacks – 10 reps

Very short cool down stretch once again – less than two minutes. You’ll definitely want to do some additional stretching on your own.

I liked the 4×4 pattern with the isolation hold.  That is sort of the kick I look for in workouts.  The workout was short though I would have liked about an additional 10 minutes.

I’d give this workout 4 1/4 stars out of 5.

 

The Master’s Hammer & Chisel – Hammer Build Up w/ Sagi & Autumn Workout Review

This is the first workout from Hammer & Chisel that I have done that has both Sagi and Autumn in it.  This is Sagi’s workout; however, Autumn is the one visually demonstrating the moves while Sagi also demonstrates and gives vocal cues. There are no other back up people in this one.

The description from Beachbody:  Five exercises work five muscle groups to hammer muscular definition, strength, and stamina.

Equipment:  Bench, dumbbells, medicine ball, resistance band, chin-up bar.  Most of these have modifications of you do not have them.

Hammer Build Up is a total body workout with 5 movements for each body part (some of them count left and right as one movement).   Most of the moves are done for 30 seconds each (+/-) but on some moves where there is a left and right side you do the move 15 seconds each (there are exceptions to this, however).  The total time for the workout is a little over 30 minutes in length.

Sagi’s typical warm up starts us off which seemed a bit shorter this go round.

Round One: Legs/Butt 

Squat with medicine ball (or dumbbells)

Lunge R/L with medicine ball (or dumbbells)

Step up R/L with dumbbells (bench or modification on the floor is shown)

Round Two:  Back 

Chin up (or use bands for modification)

Reverse grip row

Pullover

Reverse fly

Round Three:  Chest 

Push up w/ ball R/L

Bench Fly

Feet on med ball with push up (this was only 24 seconds probably because it is hard)

Incline press (or modify on floor if you don’t have a bench)

Round Four:  Shoulders 

Military press with med ball (or dumbbells)

Lateral raise

Upright row

Anterior raise with med ball (or weight)

Round Five:  Biceps 

Standing curls

Hammer curls

Concentration curls R/L

Rotation curl sitting on bench or modifying standing

Round Six:  Triceps 

Dips off of bench or on floor to modify

Kick backs R/L (30 seconds each side)

Skull crushers

Round Seven: Abs 

Ball plank hold (hands on ball)

Ball mountain climbers (can go slow – your hands are on the ball)

Windshield wipers holding ball R/L 30 seconds each side *I chose not to hold the ball w/ my feet

There is a short cool down/stretch at less than two minutes long which of course if you read my reviews never makes me happy but I did some additional stretching on my own.

I liked that this workout had both Sagi and Autumn in it and you could see how they relate to each other rather than having them in separate workouts.  I also liked that this was a full body workout that hit on every muscle group.  It was also great that it got me to bring my med ball back into commission.  I did, however, feel like this was similar to a lot of other strength workouts on the market and nothing really popped out at me with it.  I understand though that this is part of a package and one of the pieces of the puzzle that makes up The Master’s Hammer & Chisel.

That being said, I will give this workout 3 3/4 stars out of 5.