T25 Gamma is the third in the series and features 4 workouts all based on getting stronger. They are Speed 3.0 Ript Up, Extreme Circuit, and The Pyramid. You also will need the Stretch workout from the Alpha\Beta phases. There is no double workout on Sundays as there was in Alpha or Beta. Since this phase is about strength, and it's been 10 weeks of cutting and shredding in Alpha and Beta, I work in some free weight work.
[Update] In fact there is a second option on Gamma for more strength focus that does include a double workout. The schedule is listed towards the rear of the DVD packaging and incorporates a few of the workouts from the previous phases such as Upper Body, Total Circuit and Dynamic Core.
Chances are you're not just jumping into Gamma and you have done Alpha and Beta. But if you are picking this up without doing the previous phases, consider your weights carefully whereas you will burn out after successive exercises and your arms will be like wet noodles by about the 12 minute mark. Overall I believed it noticeably raised the difficulty level from Beta. I went from surpassing Sean T in Beta, on some exercises, to missing some of the repetitions in Gamma the first week. I even mixed in some Insanity Fast and Furious workouts before doing Gamma so it was interesting to see how the difficulty compared. The Fast and Furious workouts will definitely introduce you to some similarities but also remind you during Gamma it could be a lot harder regarding some of the exercises. Also you notice that Tania and Scott are in the Insanity workouts so when you compare yourself to how they are doing just keep in mind they do a lot more a lot longer than 25 minutes.
Speed 3.0 is the first workout and it is also the first time, in the 3 phases, that I really felt a true cardio workout in the heart and lungs. All of the other Alpha and Beta cardio and speed related workouts tired out my quads or hip flexors instead. The difficulty was comparable to the Insanity Fast and Furious 15 minute workout. Speed 3.0 uses the same Round and Level format you experienced in Beta but you will go to the floor to perform all sorts of burpees and planks and combination moves. So far I've done this workout three times and I still cannot keep up with Sean T especially near the end when they go through each exercise two times and then just one time. You will sweat early and often.
The Ript Up workout reminds me of doing supersets. Although you will start out with some familiar speed and agility style warmup moves, you will soon pickup the weights and use them a lot more than in Alpha or Beta upper body oriented workouts and you will go from one exercise to another of a proximate muscle group before moving onto another muscle group once you've exhausted it. I referenced supersets earlier because although T25 always did this format in other workouts it is the increased use of weights that reminds me of them. This is the first workout that also introduces additional sets of lighter weights for some of the exercises. Everyone uses different weight but as an example I use 15 lb dumbbells plus a lighter 8 lb set for other exercises like weighted superman or rocketman exercises. My wife typically uses 10 lbs and 8 lbs. You optionally may use a chin-up bar for some exercises. If you are using the rubberbands, instead of weights, you should get a chin-up bar else you will do a number of exercises with bare hands such as superman and rocketman. One of the participants uses the chin-up bar so you know when to do it and the camera will briefly focus on him. You will also do a lot of the exercises on one leg such as triceps and curls which take a little getting used to.
Extreme Circuit: The description on the packaging for this workout claims the weights will never leave your hands but that is false.
You will put them down periodically beginning around 9 minutes left in the workout but you'll soon pick them up again and incorporate them into the ground exercises. You'll even do push-ups and burpees off of the weights. Since you are using the weights, the speed of those types of exercises is not as fast paced as the burpees from some other workouts. This workout is a lot of upper body lifting with some plank walks and burpees mixed into the occasional weighted squat. This workout also includes the burn out phase you are used to from Alpha and Beta workouts. You will use the standard weights you normally use or the optional chin-up bar. There's not much more to say about this one. You're lifting a lot but it is not like the superset style you performed in the Ript Up workout.
The Pyramid: The whole premise of this workout is that you build up the difficulty as you go. So if you started with a single repetition, let's say 1 curl, you increment it each time through the exercise. Most of the exercises are performed in repetitions of 8 and sometimes more pending the exercise. This workout is in my opinion the easiest of the 4 and although you will sweat you will not feel as exhausted at the end. You will however feel the effects of the Pyramid in your legs the next workout.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 5.3 x 5 x 0.5 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.07 Kilograms |
| Brand Name | Beachbody |
| Material | Plastic |
| Suggested Users | Unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | Beachbody Inc., |
| Part Number | T25DVD2127NF |
| Included Components | DVD |
| Sport Type | Exercise & Fitness |
