Well, Focus T25 Alpha phase is complete, and here is my review of Focus T25 Alpha Phase.  Coming from Insanity, I was quite surprised at how the workouts in the Alpha phase pushed me.  I’ll admit, at first glace, I thought this workout would be nothing, and I’d just breeze right through it, especially at how the workouts start off so light and easy, but boy was I wrong.  I still have a love/hate relationship with Total Body, more hate than love though.

Cardio:

Cardio is the workhorse of Alpha phase.  You do this exercise the most of any of the workouts, for good reason.  This workout really amps up your heartrate, and gets your blood moving.  Its a good solid 25 minutes of pure cardio sweetness, that is actually quite challenging the more you get into it, especially during the second burnout round!

Lower Focus:

I hope you like squats, squats and more squats, because that is what this workout is about.  Every variation and type of squat you can think of is here….and half way through, just when you think you’ve had enough of them after the first burnout round, its right back into a whole new routine of squats.  This one routinely made more sore, week after week.  Maybe is just because legs have always been the least worked part of my body, but this one did hurt at times.

Ab Intervals:

I actually like ab intervals quite well.  I feel like my abs really got a solid workout from this routine, much more so than the typical 12-15 minute ab workouts that are slotted in after a round of P90X or Insanity. For a solid 25 minutes, you are challenging your abs in everyway possible, with a very sore mid section being the end result.

Speed 1.0:

This workout was tough, but very doable.  The first half, or more of the workout is you just getting used to the exercises, with a recovery move thrown in at just the right point, after each move to ensure you don’t tire out too fast.  However, the last third of the workout reminds me a lot of the Pure Cardio workout from Insanity.  It really pushes you towards the end and makes you wish it was almost over.

Total Body:

The bane if my Focus T25 existence, up until this point.  Just like when doing Chest and Back with P90X, this workout routinely made me feel nauseated while nearing the end of it.  The constant change from pushups to box jumps to squats to pushups, really started to play on my fatigue and equilibrium.  Towards the end of week 4 and 5, when Total Body becomes the workout of choice, I was able to get through the entire workout no problem, but the first 3 weeks were horrible.  I absolutely dreaded doing this workout, however I felt so good (after the nausea vanished) after completing the workout and cooling down.

Conclusion

For what its worth, I feel very satisfied with the first 5 weeks of the program.  While not quite as intense and strenuous as Insanity, don’t be fooled by the 25 minute timeline, this workout is the real deal, and will help you get into the shape you want.