Farrell's Extreme Body Shaping

[Walden4Prez]

I tried it several years ago and it obviously could have changed since then, but I felt like it was weirdly "cult-ish". The people in my location/class were very in your face about stuff and wanting to convert you to be a Farrell's disciple.

Diet is the key. I have some free weights, bands, and a kickboxing bag in my basement and do that now (though not enough).

 

[wxman1]

Diet is key but so is continuing to push yourself. That is where I fell short. In the 10 weeks I lost some weight but more than anything lost a fair amount of inches, gained strength and cut two minutes off of my mile time.

I did it for six months and plateaued after 12-15 weeks as I was not continuing to push myself more. I also fell short on moving up in bands. Probably could have done that quicker. Combine the lack of continued results (again partially my fault) with starting an MBA program and already having a full time job and family is why I stopped. I do think it is a great program but you really have to own it to get huge results.

 

[KCCLONE712]

You can't outrun a diet


In my opinion, those programs are super expensive. Get your diet to the point where it becomes more of a lifestyle, eat whole and fresh foods. Changing that overnight is extremely difficult and without doing that those programs are not extremely beneficial.

My opinion is to get the diet to the point where you want it to be and start doing core exercises at a cheap gym with a squat rack. You don't need a spotter for those and will help burn the most calories. Once you have that set then go pay for that program if you still want more results

 

[Knownothing]

I don’t do Farrell’s but it’s a good jump start for sure. It got my friend down to a manageable weight and he has stayed active enough to keep it off. I workout out at a different place that does HiIT workouts like this. I love it. My gym adds more weight than Farrell’s. Farrell’s is mostly cardio and concentrates on weight and fat loss and not as much muscle. I say go for it

 

[throwittoblythe]

You really need to focus on diet and real lifestyle changes related to diet to have any chance of long-term success. Without that, you will be wasting your money.

Thanks for the comment and I completely agree. I need something to kick start a change. The past two years, I've been in this cycle of "train/run a half marathon during the summer and lose weight, then gain most or all of it back during the winter" and then repeat. My goal with the program is to break that habit.

 

[throwittoblythe]

You can't outrun a diet


In my opinion, those programs are super expensive. Get your diet to the point where it becomes more of a lifestyle, eat whole and fresh foods. Changing that overnight is extremely difficult and without doing that those programs are not extremely beneficial.

My opinion is to get the diet to the point where you want it to be and start doing core exercises at a cheap gym with a squat rack. You don't need a spotter for those and will help burn the most calories. Once you have that set then go pay for that program if you still want more results

For me, the expensive is part of the commitment. I'm a numbers guy, so committing several hundred dollars to the program actually keeps me motivated to continue. If I start to waiver, I immediately think "I'm not wasting $500" (or whatever the number is) and it gets me off my ass

 

[lionnusmb]

Thanks for the comment and I completely agree. I need something to kick start a change. The past two years, I've been in this cycle of "train/run a half marathon during the summer and lose weight, then gain most or all of it back during the winter" and then repeat. My goal with the program is to break that habit.

Same here; marathons, RAGBRAI, cycling. Except I've been doing it for the past 10 years. I had to make a change because I started gaining more in the winters than I was losing in the summers. Also, I could feel the muscle attrition.

I decided to do Crossfit this winter and have loved the results thus far. Not making a plug for it, just remarking that I needed that added class/group feel to give me motivation to work hard. The bike trainer and treadmill in the gym was just not motivating enough.

I have to go to the gym before anybody in the house wakes up, and my wife gets the kids ready for school while I get ready for work after the gym. Very generous on her part, but it is what works for this winter. I will go back to running and cycling for the summer.

 

[Tri4Cy]

As others have mentioned there are definitely pro/cons. For me, the only real benefit was accountability. I just wasn't doing it on my own. I had gained 40 lbs after college (went from working out around 10/week to sitting behind a desk 65-70 hrs a week yet still consuming the calories I was before) and needed to make a change.

I've trained in martial arts prior to Farrell's and I thought that part was a bit of a gimmick. I had to really get over the fact it was pure cardio, not actual training. The part that was hard for me were the moves they were telling people to do. I just didn't feel they taught proper technique and some of the "fun" moves were just opening you up to injury. Just be aware of your body and listen to it. I know two friends who tore ligaments there. There were some things I just wouldn't do.

Diet. Diet. Diet. The biggest factor in all of this is the diet. Americans, in general, eat like ****. Having a structured routine and accountability was the best value these programs offer. It's nothing revolutionary, it's quite basic actually. But it works.

In the end, this program was exactly what I wanted/needed it to be. A start. A "couch to 5k" type program. I actually gained 1 lb during the 10 week program but it was essentially to establishing a habit. It took me nearly 2 years to drop to my target weight but Farrels definitely helped me start the progress.

As with anything else, you only get out what you put in. Good luck!

 

[throwittoblythe]

Same here; marathons, RAGBRAI, cycling. Except I've been doing it for the past 10 years. I had to make a change because I started gaining more in the winters than I was losing in the summers. Also, I could feel the muscle attrition.

I decided to do Crossfit this winter and have loved the results thus far. Not making a plug for it, just remarking that I needed that added class/group feel to give me motivation to work hard. The bike trainer and treadmill in the gym was just not motivating enough.

I have to go to the gym before anybody in the house wakes up, and my wife gets the kids ready for school while I get ready for work after the gym. Very generous on her part, but it is what works for this winter. I will go back to running and cycling for the summer.

Good thoughts. I definitely need to find a winter "sport." Whether that's something indoors or just embracing the winter activities, I need something. This winter has been especially brutal, but it's highlighted how little I do in the winter time in terms of activity. Other than one random 3.5 mi run and frequently shoveling snow, I haven't done anything other than sit on my ass since October.

 

[Humanjukebox]

All great points in this thread. Been going for 5 years now. It's not for everyone for a number of reasons. It's worked for me mainly because of the time factor (I work nights so mornings and early afternoons are flexible) and because the workout is sustainable for me. I'm a former college FB player with a history of multiple surgeries on both knees. Major impact like running and jumping causes swelling for days. I've been able to modify the workout slightly to alleviate those issues and haven't gotten hurt while there.

I started out at 6-3, 290 lbs with body fat over 30%. Got down to below 200 which was not sustainable for me, but it was my initial goal. Been right around 230 over the past 4 years with 17% body fat. The nutrition program is a good guideline, I took it a step further and met with a nutritionist who simplified things for me. My weight history used to be like a previous poster, get in shape, lose weight, then pack it on again. Now, I still have swings, but they are only 5-10 lb differences as opposed to 30-40 lbs.

It can be a little cult-ty as someone stated, but so can working at any large company. Avoiding idiots is a lifestyle change as much as a fitness and nutrition routine.

As for supplemental workouts, I try to make my Farrell's workout one of two workouts in the day. I ride my bike when I can, but the latest crap weather has had me either running on the treadmill for 20 minutes (it's all my knees can handle without swelling) or a supplemental weight workout with dumbells.

Hope this was helpful.

 

[cloneteach]

If you follow the program, it will work and work well. Good luck.

 

[jdcyclone19]

The best thing I ever did was switch to a morning workout. I wake up at ~5:00am and work out at the gym MWF. I learned I fail with at home workouts. To many distractions. If i don't do it in the morning, I don't have time for it. If you want to actually do something, you have to make time for it. Whether you wake up at 5 or 6am, times suck to wake up (at least for me) so might as well get up and moving.

We also ordered hello fresh for a few months. It really helped up start to meal prep and learn some basic recipes that are fantastic to make and very healthy. After we did that for a few months we now have a huge selection of recipes that we can make from scratch with fresh ingredient in less than 45 minutes. Some people will say its expensive but for us, it wasn't that bad with promo codes and really helped us make the lifestyle change.

 

[throwittoblythe]

The best thing I ever did was switch to a morning workout. I wake up at ~5:00am and work out at the gym MWF. I learned I fail with at home workouts. To many distractions. If i don't do it in the morning, I don't have time for it. If you want to actually do something, you have to make time for it. Whether you wake up at 5 or 6am, times suck to wake up (at least for me) so might as well get up and moving.

We also ordered hello fresh for a few months. It really helped up start to meal prep and learn some basic recipes that are fantastic to make and very healthy. After we did that for a few months we now have a huge selection of recipes that we can make from scratch with fresh ingredient in less than 45 minutes. Some people will say its expensive but for us, it wasn't that bad with promo codes and really helped us make the lifestyle change.

I'm exactly the same way. I've always struggled to work out in the morning. In college, I struggled to get to the gym by 7am. Now that feels like sleeping in and I regret not taking more advantage of it.

Part of joining this program for me is establishing the early morning habit. I'm the typical person who is very motivated the night before, but when that alarm goes off at 5am, its snooze, snooze, snooze, and then I just skip the workout. I know my best time to exercise is early morning, but I struggle in that moment to actually make it happen. I've even had mornings where I get up, get dressed, and then convince myself it's too cold/late/whatever, and I should just relax on the couch until work. My hope is that the program adds a lot of the group accountability that I need. I just won't exercise if it's only up to me.

 

[jdcyclone19]

I'm exactly the same way. I've always struggled to work out in the morning. In college, I struggled to get to the gym by 7am. Now that feels like sleeping in and I regret not taking more advantage of it.

Part of joining this program for me is establishing the early morning habit. I'm the typical person who is very motivated the night before, but when that alarm goes off at 5am, its snooze, snooze, snooze, and then I just skip the workout. I know my best time to exercise is early morning, but I struggle in that moment to actually make it happen. I've even had mornings where I get up, get dressed, and then convince myself it's too cold/late/whatever, and I should just relax on the couch until work. My hope is that the program adds a lot of the group accountability that I need. I just won't exercise if it's only up to me.

Find an accountability partner (that is not your significant other). This was super helpful for me. I have a co-worker that we check in on eachother every day and make sure we did our work out and if not, why? We then tell it like it is and tell each other not to be lazy and to just shut up and do it essentially but nicely. Basically, each of you establish goals and you help keep each other accountable for those goals. However, it has to be someone you respect and that do not "want to let them down" type of person.

A group work out definitely helps with this aspect but you need to find someone that is long term.

 

[throwittoblythe]

Find an accountability partner (that is not your significant other). This was super helpful for me. I have a co-worker that we check in on eachother every day and make sure we did our work out and if not, why? We then tell it like it is and tell each other not to be lazy and to just shut up and do it essentially but nicely. Basically, each of you establish goals and you help keep each other accountable for those goals. However, it has to be someone you respect and that do not "want to let them down" type of person.

A group work out definitely helps with this aspect but you need to find someone that is long term.

Like this guy? Language is NSFW, btw.

 

[isubb79]

Tech is quicker, longer, play with more intensity and based on Fran F’s comments from last night understand and follow the scouting report. Beard’s players are a reflection of his personality just like Prohm’a are.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Tech is quicker, longer, play with more intensity and based on Fran F’s comments from last night understand and follow the scouting report. Beard’s players are a reflection of his personality just like Prohm’a are.

Wrong thread....

 

[oldman]

As others have mentioned there are definitely pro/cons. For me, the only real benefit was accountability. I just wasn't doing it on my own. I had gained 40 lbs after college (went from working out around 10/week to sitting behind a desk 65-70 hrs a week yet still consuming the calories I was before) and needed to make a change.

I've trained in martial arts prior to Farrell's and I thought that part was a bit of a gimmick. I had to really get over the fact it was pure cardio, not actual training. The part that was hard for me were the moves they were telling people to do. I just didn't feel they taught proper technique and some of the "fun" moves were just opening you up to injury. Just be aware of your body and listen to it. I know two friends who tore ligaments there. There were some things I just wouldn't do.

Diet. Diet. Diet. The biggest factor in all of this is the diet. Americans, in general, eat like ****. Having a structured routine and accountability was the best value these programs offer. It's nothing revolutionary, it's quite basic actually. But it works.

In the end, this program was exactly what I wanted/needed it to be. A start. A "couch to 5k" type program. I actually gained 1 lb during the 10 week program but it was essentially to establishing a habit. It took me nearly 2 years to drop to my target weight but Farrels definitely helped me start the progress.

As with anything else, you only get out what you put in. Good luck!

My wife did it. I have a black belt in TKD, and they do not teach the proper technique to perform a roundhouse kick. I had to show my wife to make sure she didn't ruin a knee.

 

[Cydkar]

I'm about to sign up for the 10 week course. I want the non-sales pitch info from those who have done it or know someone who did.

What am I about to experience?
What are the goods and bads?
For those who have had success, what were your keys other than the obvious (stick with the diet, etc)?
Any secrets/tips that improve the experience?

[I realize there is a thread from 2007 on this same topic, but I'd like some more recent experiences]

The best workout you can do is the one that you can do consistently. If you sign up for a 10-week program and don't renew, or don't substitute with something that you can stick with you are probably wasting your time. I'd say go for it unless you simply can't afford it. It will be up to you how well it goes during the 10 weeks and beyond. Form good habits and stick with it.

Never done it, myself.

 

[Cydkar]

What are your thoughts on supplemental workouts during the 10 weeks. I’m not talking anything crazy. Like maybe a 3 mile run on sundays. Worth it or better to rest those days?

Not allowing your body to recover after heavy workouts is almost always a bad idea. Overtraining ain't good. Hard line to stay on the right side of.