Hardest NON "puke in a bucket" workouts?

[neatski]

Holy crudballs. Horizontal Conditioning is absurdly absurd. I was finally mastering Vols. 1-4 and got through Bootcamp with minimal breaks and modifications, but then a generous VFer loaned me her Hardcore and 101s and I feel like I'm dying through each one. I couldn't even get through a 25 minute 101 without stopping to curse and catch my breath. Sandra is a total machine and I am in complete awe. I have never felt like I've been worked to complete (non cardio) failure like this before. It's discouraging, but also strangely addictive. I can definitely see the improvement in my performance as I continue them.

What are your hardest NON "puke in a bucket" workouts? What have your results been like?

[kariev34]

I would say ballet body downloads. They are so tough but don't run me into the ground. I haven't done a committed rotation with these yet so I can't speak of results.

[Tugger31]

It may be because I'm new to barre type workouts, but for me it's Cathe's Turbo Barre! And, possibly one of Syvia's Tonique workouts, but I've been too scared to try them yet!

[bubbles76]

I am probably the lone dissenter on this one, but for me Cathe's Afterburn is not the hardest in her LIS series. For me, it was Athletic Training. Also Imax 3. I stop before I get to the puking part, haha!

[JackieB]

Well, I don't generally do those kinds of workouts. Tracey Mallett's Booty Barre darn near killed me, though!

Jackie

[momof10]

Originally Posted by neatski

Holy crudballs. Horizontal Conditioning is absurdly absurd. I was finally mastering Vols. 1-4 and got through Bootcamp with minimal breaks and modifications, but then a generous VFer loaned me her Hardcore and 101s and I feel like I'm dying through each one. I couldn't even get through a 25 minute 101 without stopping to curse and catch my breath. Sandra is a total machine and I am in complete awe. I have never felt like I've been worked to complete (non cardio) failure like this before. It's discouraging, but also strangely addictive. I can definitely see the improvement in my performance as I continue them.

What are your hardest NON "puke in a bucket" workouts? What have your results been like?

Don't feel bad for being intimidated by the HC 101s. The title seems to imply that they are more beginner workouts and they are not. Personally, I think the 101s are more challenging than the Hardcore depending on the equipment she uses. I did HC 3 or 4 times a week for over a year and made huge gains in my ability to do these workouts. Then I just stopped doing them. Once I picked them up again, it was like starting all over. Her core work is phenomenal IMO and the best out there, but it seems to be hard on the shoulders. I have every workout she has ever filmed and am still getting her Year 3 DVDs every other month. The two I have so far are very very challenging. It takes lots of time and commitment to be able to do a whole workout without modifying.

Cheryl

[LoveVA]

I would say that Heather Corndorf's Kickbox Burn is my hardest non puke in the bucket workout. Super fun and the time flies by.

[thaispice]

All the Dream Body workouts led by Darby (i.e., the original, Fusion Mix with Darby from the 1st series, and MILF from the Cardio series) -- I don't necessarily sweat during these, but I feel like I'm going to die.

I'd also include the Toniques that I've tried (excluding Premier which is more manageable) on this list due to their interminably challenging number of reps and types of exercises.

[dela]

I have been incorporating the Fitness is Function sandbag workouts by Mark DeGrasse heavily into my week, and I find these to be challenging and hard without feeling beat up from doing them, due to the format, sometimes in the beginning I feel like this might not be that hard, then as the workout continues, the challenge in getting through the reps and sets really increases, and by the end, I'm pretty ready to be done, generally just lying on the floor for a while But I feel so strong after doing these and I feel like I got a really good workout.

IMO, the music stinks (hard rock/metal style), but I just keep the volume low so I can hear him a little and play my own. Some people have issue with the format because it's a little choppy, so the workouts are basically filmed one move at a time, then they cut and paste the moves together to form the 18 different workouts in the set, and each workout seems to have some kind of focus like upper or lower body, core focused, and some that are more conditioning focused. I use the kettlebell and bodyweight Fitness is Function dvds too, they all have the same format.

These workouts really work the core even in non core focused moves due to the way you hold the bag, and how the sand shifts around a bit during the moves, so you are constantly stabilizing. I never liked doing just core work before, but oddly enough, the core moves are my favorite segments.

Although I never tried them, I feel like HC would just be too hard for me.

[eyefit]

Originally Posted by momof10

Don't feel bad for being intimidated by the HC 101s. The title seems to imply that they are more beginner workouts and they are not. Personally, I think the 101s are more challenging than the Hardcore depending on the equipment she uses. I did HC 3 or 4 times a week for over a year and made huge gains in my ability to do these workouts. Then I just stopped doing them. Once I picked them up again, it was like starting all over. Her core work is phenomenal IMO and the best out there, but it seems to be hard on the shoulders. I have every workout she has ever filmed and am still getting her Year 3 DVDs every other month. The two I have so far are very very challenging. It takes lots of time and commitment to be able to do a whole workout without modifying.

Cheryl

What she said! Seriously, I love these workouts but there are very few HoCo's I can do all the way through without stopping to pause the disc or collapsing early on some reps of certain exercises. Do not beat yourself up or give up on the workouts if you find yourself having to do that! They are still totally worth doing, even if you have to modify, pause or stop early like I do. Trust me! I have been doing at least one HoCo a week pretty much since I got into these workouts, with the exception of when I am doing heavy splits months like STS. I just can't seem to fit HoCo in when I do those rotations. Boy, do I ever notice a decline in my core strength when I stop like that! Now that I'm doing a month of endurance workouts, I'm trying to ramp up my HoCo's to twice a week again. Any more than that and I do feel like it's a bit much for the front delt of my shoulders. I try to focus on lots of posterior delt work when I'm regularly doing HoCo to balance that out, too.

Cheryl- have you done the latest one that Sandra just sent out yet (February Year 3)? OMG. I seriously think that is the hardest HoCo to date! I was trying really hard not to feel too demoralized while doing it as there were some moves I just could NOT do! Definitely one to work up to!!!