GSP RUSHFIT Strenght & Endurance DVD Review
I had a nice surprise waiting for me in the mailbox yesterday when I came back from work: My GSP RUSHFIT box set! It took a full 7 days to arrive so I was really anxious to give this new program a try.
Before we start, let me just say I might not be excited about this for all the right reasons. Of course, I’m a Georges St-Pierre fan (He was born in a city just next to mine!) but I’m not really into MMA. I mean, I respect the sport but i don’t really follow it that much (for now at least – because this dvd has sparked my interest big time!). What I’m really excited about is to have my hands on something different from P90x, something new to train with, but most importantly, something that works and that makes me work hard.
A new level
As soon as I popped this dvd in my player, I had a feeling this was going to be great. GSP is not actually the trainer. Erik Owings is credited as being the one who designed everything and George has to follow through while giving some pointers on how to do things here and there. It is a great dynamic. The trainer is serious and really keeps an eye on what is going on. He sometimes even will tell GSP to up it up a bit or to do something differently.
I started sweating before the warmup was even over – this is a good sign. I’ve been training 2 times a day 6 days a week for a while so I need a little something to get me started and this hit the spot.
Each workout seems organized the same way: You start with a 10 min warmup before entering 5 rounds of heart pumping action. There is a short 7 minutes cooldown at the end to help you recover.
Fun and pain
The workout is both fun and very challenging. I remember somewhere during round 2, I was very exhausted and had to stop. I looked-up at the tv and Georges was taking a break at the same time. Why do I tell you this? Because Georges also has trouble with some exercises. He will grunt, he will work hard and it shows. That’s great and inspiring. If a world champion struggles with an exercise, it means it is a good and challenging exercise.
The workout is also very original. I was expecting a lot of moves to be stuff I knew already or – god forbid – a mere rip-off of P90x moves. It is not the case. The moves are very unique, fun, original and had me working parts of my body I did not work for a long time. My lower back really feels sore (a good sore) and my legs were also put to the test.
Another thing that is very surprising is how this program does not rely on a lot of equipment. Even the weights required for this dvd are quite light (15 pounds only!) but you still feel the burn! Why? Because this is not a muscle pumping workout, this is a workout designed to make you feel as if you were in a fight. You need to get up, get down, explode, rotate, twist and give it your all.
The verdict
I like it! I like it a lot and I’m sure I will be using this program for a while and keep it incorporated in my weekly routines. Georges St-Pierre is inspiring just to look at and he has really good insights. Erik Owings is the kind of trainer I would like: he is direct, commited and really adds a good momentum to the workout.
I’ll be back for a review of every other dvds and some notes on my progress as the days go by…