Power 90 review

Power 90 is a bit old, I know, but after getting myself accustomed to exercising daily, I wanted to move on to something that was still fairly easy but could push me. And “Power 90” offered exactly what I needed to step up from “EA Sports Active.”

I spent 3 weeks doing phase 1-2 before moving on to phase 2-3. So I will be reviewing 4 programs.

Power 90 Sweat phase 1-2 is about 35 minutes long, not including the ab routine.

Power 90 Sculpt phase 1-2 is about 28 minutes long.

Power 90 Sweat phase 3-4 is about 41 minutes long, not including the ab routine.

Power 90 Sculpt phase 3-4 is about 38 minutes long.

Peripheral equipment:

Resistance bands – I am pretty sure when I got Power 90 many years ago it was part of a set that came with the resistance bands, but now I cannot find such a set. Hardly surprising since it's old (VHS was still a thing people were using when I got this!) and has now been updated to P90 and all the offshoots of that. I definitely recommend the Beach Body resistance bands if you don't already have a set though; I've had these for years and they still work great.

Weight loss/Aerobics:

I lost about 6.5 pounds over the 30 days I was doing Power 90. The sweat day aerobics is pretty intense for just starting out without being murderous. 35 minutes is a nice, long length of time to get adjusted to working out for and my heart rate was consistently reaching and staying in my target heart rate zone.

On top of the sweat day, the sculpt day is actually at a nice pace that works up a sweat and does get your heart rate up. It will definitely contribute to weight loss while also building up muscle.

I want to take a moment to point out that my weight rose initially when starting Power 90; others may see this as well. This is very normal. When you start a new exercise, your muscles get a bit torn up and hold on to water to help repair your body. As you get adjusted to the new routine, you'll pee out that excess water and start seeing the actual changes on the scale. It's really important not to be discouraged during those first days when you might see a rise in water weight – this is normal, this is healthy; let your body take care of itself and don't quit.

The aerobic exercises are pretty simplistic; high knee walking, running in place, kicking and punching. Nothing was complex or would require any time to figure out the pattern to. Very basic, very simple.

Strength exercises:

I could definitely feel myself getting stronger after each rest day (one or two a week). Not only did I feel stronger, but I could demonstrate that I was becoming stronger. During the Sculpt days you do 3 (or 4) sets of push-ups. At first I was about to do maybe 10 each circuit while on my knees (the 'girly' position). As I reached the third week, and what made me decide it was time to go to phase 3-4 of Power 90, was when I realized I could do 5 up on my toes then 15 more while on my knees.

Is it a lot? No. But it's an accomplishment that shows I am making strides and that Power 90 is helping me get there.

Also, I know men hesitate to do the 'girly' push-ups, but do it! Do as many as you can on your toes then switch to your knees. It does work your body, and that little bit extra each circuit can be a big difference.

The strength building exercises are pretty basic things most people probably learned in gym class. The video also shows a demonstration, both with the resistance bands and with free weights, for how to do it. Very simple moves and Tony Horton provides commentary throughout reminding you how to maintain your form.

Fun:

Power 90 Sculpt is quite fun. There is enough variety, while still feeling a little repetition so you know what's coming up next, to keep you interested. It makes the time seem to go by much faster. The additional circuit added in Power 90 Sculpt phase 3-4 is an entirely new set of exercises as well instead of just adding more of the same old, same old. This is the way a step-up program should be; add more reps and add some unique new exercises as well to keep things interesting. I look forward to sculpt days a lot.

Power 90 Sweat doesn't measure up to its counterpart. You count the minutes agonizingly until you get to X-work or the kicking and punching portion because that's when it finally livens up – but these are all at the end of the program and everything up to it is so painfully dull you just want to quit halfway in. It gets even worse in phase 3-4 as it adds an extra set of everything and nothing new. 2 sets of boring things was boring enough; 3 sets of the exact same boring things? I got sick of it real quick and started dreading exercise each day I was supposed to do Power 90 Sweat. If I had tried to stick to this any longer, I'd have quit. I feel like this particular portion of Power 90 can be a deal breaker for a lot of people, especially someone who's trying to get into exercise for the first time. They will start thinking 'exercise just is boring. It's what it is.' and they'll give up instead of finding something more entertaining.

I'm glad I'm finally past the 30 day mark to do this review, because I've now started switching out the sweat days for a different aerobic exercise program. I keep rotating it around to various ones – my favorites are Kenpo X from “P90X”, step aerobics with “EASports Active” and “Fat Burning Dance Party” by Crunch. They keep me interested, they keep me engaged and they don't have me crying that I don't want to exercise today (no more than normal anyway).

Instructor:

If you don't know Tony Horton, you're missing out. He was one of the first workout instructors I saw that I genuinely liked. His jokes are corny, but he's got a genuinely likable smile and a personality that is both energetic without feeling falsely peppy. He is also on top of giving you tips to keep your form steady at the exact moment you're losing yourself.

Verdict: 3/5 Sculpt is great, but Sweat is the kind of boring that will ruin someone's attempts to get in shape. I would suggest just buying the sculpt set separately, but the entire set is really cheap when bought used so just go with that if you want to use the sculpt videos yourself.