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Old 05-18-16, 04:07 PM  
Chomper
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Megamad Essentials

Megamad Essentials Review

I think a bunch of people preordered this and when it went out, there was hardly any talk about it since. My guess is that most of us were disappointed or haven't even tried it. I made breakdowns so that I could find a way to use this, and I will post them after my review. Maybe others who have tried it will chime in with their thoughts.

There are 12 workouts meant to be done over the space of 3 weeks on this DVD. Each exercise is a chapter and the chapters are mixed and matched into different workouts. I like the concept of a bunch of exercises put into premixes to form a program of workouts, but I feel like it wasn't executed very well. Not enough exercises and not enough variety, and no upper back work. A lot of the exercises are very basic, so not that much fun factor for me. The setting is very pleasant and outdoors. One thing that isn't pleasant is that when the instructor does leg raises, you can hear his bare heels hitting the concrete each rep. Bone on concrete makes me shudder.

The instructor is calm and quiet and makes a lot of "nice work" comments. I don't recall a lot of form cues.

These workouts are metabolic, with most exercises either done for 8 or 10 reps in 30 or 45 seconds. If you finish early, you have a little time to rest before the next round or exercises. Each exercise is done twice. If it's a single leg or arm exercise, you also do it on the other side, and then repeat both again. The pace is measured enough that you can go with a moderate weight, but not all that heavy, because there is so little rest. My heart rate felt elevated but I was far from anaerobic. However I have only done one of the workouts so far. I did workout 5, the sandbag kettlebell one which is mislabeled as also having bodyweight exercises.

Another irritating thing is that the workouts are supposedly set up so you can go at your own pace (within limits) but he counts every single rep he does out loud. So unless you are exactly on time with him, you have to mentally count your own reps against the numbers he's saying out loud.

I think this program would be best suited to maybe beginners and intermediates who can do these kettlebell exercises and for whom moves like swings and mt climbers are still new and exciting or who are tired of novelty and want to get back to basics. That might have been his intention, actually.

My biggest problem is that I don't like the programming. I personally feel that working the shoulders a lot with overhead moves and push-ups and then doing zero upper back work is a recipe for shoulder injuries. Therefore this program is useless for me unless I change some exercises, or add my own upper back work. Also, it seems like every single workout has shoulder work and they are programmed so you do them on consecutive days, I think usually 2 days on 1 day off. That's something else I avoid. I think it's odd that so many instructors still make workouts and whole programs like this with too much shoulder and not enough back work. I think there are FAR more people with shoulder injuries and previous shoulder issues than there are people who can't do upper back exercises. There is plenty of lower posterior chain work, which is good.
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Old 05-18-16, 04:08 PM  
Chomper
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Megamad Essentials week 1

Workout 1 KB/BW

Kettlebell strict press, 10 reps on 45 second period
Kettlebell strict press, other side
Repeat

Kettlebell Front squat, 10 reps on the 45
Kettlebell Front squat, other side
Repeat

Plank shoulder touch, 20 reps on the 30 seconds
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30 seconds
Repeat

Kettlebell goblet squat, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-hand press, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Hip raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell Figure 8, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell wide halo, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Kettlebell deadlift, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Push ups, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sit up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Workout 2 BW

Push-up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Squat Sprawl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Bodyweight squat, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Mt Climber, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Sit-ups, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Bodyweight Split squat, 10 on the 30
Bodyweight Split squat, other side
Repeat

Split squat jump, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Workout 3 SB/BW

Sandbag shouldering, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag back squat, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Push-ups, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag zercher clean, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag front press, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Bodyweight squat, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag half get up, 5 on the 30
Sandbag half get up, other side
Repeat

Sit-ups, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag squat press complex, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Bodyweight squat sprawl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Mt climbers, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Bodyweight split squat, 10 on the 30
Bodyweight split squat, other side
Repeat

Hindu push-up, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Workout 4 BW

Split squat jump, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Bodyweight split squat, 10 on the 30
Bodyweight split squat, other side
Repeat

Bodyweight alternating lunge, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Mt climbers, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Hip raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Bodyweight good morning, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sit ups, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Plank shoulder touch, 20 on the 30
Repeat
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Old 05-18-16, 04:09 PM  
Chomper
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Megamad Essentials Week 2

Workout 5 KB/SB

Kettlebell 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag half get up, 5 on the 30
Sandbag half get up, other side
Repeat

Kettlebell 1-arm swing, 10 on the 30
Kettlebell 1-arm swing, other side
Repeat

Sandbag front press, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell figure 8 to curl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Sandbag back squat, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell figure 8, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag shouldering, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell clean, 10 on the 30
Kettlebell clean, other side
Repeat

Sandbag zercher clean, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-hand press, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag snatch, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell goblet squat, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Sandbag rotational swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Workout 6 BW

Hindu push up, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Push up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Hip raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Squat sprawl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Sit up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Mt climber, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Split squat jump, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Plank shoulder touch, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Workout 7 KB/BW

Kettlebell figure 8, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell figure 8 to curl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell 1-arm swing, 10 on the 30
Kettlebell 1-arm swing, other side
Repeat

Kettlebell clean, 10 on the 30
Kettlebell clean, other side
Repeat

Kettlebell wide halo, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-arm swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Workout 8 SB/BW

Sandbag 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag half get up, 5 on the 30
Sandbag half get up, other side
Repeat

Mt climber, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag rotational swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag squat press complex, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Hip raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag shouldering, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag back squat, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag snatch, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag front press, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Split squat jump, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Hindu push-up, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Alternating lunge, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Push up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sit up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Plank shoulder touch, 20 on the 30
Repeat
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Old 05-18-16, 04:11 PM  
Chomper
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Megamad Essentials week 3

Workout 9 KB/SB/BW

Kettlebell 1-arm swing, 10 on the 30
Kettlebell 1-arm swing, other side
Repeat

Sit-up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Hip raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag rotational swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Mt climbers, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Squat sprawl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Workout 10 KB/BW

Bodyweight Alternating lunge, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell front squat, 10 on the 45
Kettlebell front squat, other side
Repeat

Bodyweight Good morning, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell 1-hand deadlift, 10 on the 30
Kettlebell 1-hand deadlift, other side
Repeat

Bodyweight squat, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell goblet squat, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Hip raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell deadlift, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Bodyweight split squat, 10 on the 30
Bodyweight split squat, other side
Repeat

Kettlebell figure 8, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Squat sprawl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Bodyweight split squat jump, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Workout 11 SB/BW

Sit up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag shouldering, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag snatch, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Mt climber, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Sandbag zercher clean, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Squat sprawl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Sandbag 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Hindu push-up, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Sandbag squat press complex, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Workout 12 KB/BW

Kettlebell strict press, 10 on the 45
Kettlebell strict press, other side
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-hand press, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Hindu push-up, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Kettlebell figure 8 to curl, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Kettlebell clean, 10 on the 30
Kettlebell clean, other side
Repeat

Push-up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell wide halo, 10 on the 45
Repeat

Kettlebell figure 8, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Mt climber, 20 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell 1-arm swing, 10 on the 30
Kettlebell 1-arm swing, other side
Repeat

Sit up, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Kettlebell 2-hand swing, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Leg raise, 10 on the 30
Repeat

Plank shoulder touch, 20 on the 30
Repeat
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Old 05-18-16, 05:25 PM  
AsSweetAsSugar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Canada
Thank you so much for the breakdowns Chomper, so helpful!
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