RevAbs-Power Intervals 1
I have had some spare time so I am trying to catch up on my RevAbs workout program so my readers can get a taste of what it’s all about. Power Intervals 1 is a very nice workout and only lasts 28 minutes. So if you have children or a very demanding job like me then get this program just for time constraints instead of P90x. Below I will take you through the program and express the good and bad of the workout and let you decide if RevAbs will fit your new lifestyle. 
Brett Hoebel starts out with a 3 minute warm up which consists of quick stretching and two sets of 30 jumping jacks. I think the biggest issue I have with RevAbs is the warm up is too quick so I tend to stretch a few extra minutes before I push play.
So Round 1 you start out with 2 minutes of frontward lunges with a set of dumbbells above your chest. So all your doing is stepping forward and bending your legs at a 90 degree angle and coming back up for a total of 15 times. My first few weeks I used 10 pound weights but after the first few I wasn’t feeling anything so I stepped it up to 20 pounds and man did I struggle. You can also use the bands as well because they give you more flexibility. When you start to get good at it Brett wants you to “fire up your abs” meaning on the way up squeeze your stomach muscles for more pain.
Crossovers are next and it’s similar to jumping jacks but with crossovers you are jumping while crossing your legs over one another and your arms as well. It’s almost like your hugging yourself but really fast! This move is done twice before squat thrusts and after and lasts 30 seconds each time.
Squat thrusts are my least favorite but I love the feeling when I’m done with it. When I did Ab Ripper X Tony always used this quote “I hate it but I love it” and that’s how I feel with squat thrusts. You start in a standing position and jump down to the ground with palms on the ground, elbows locked and back straight. Push up position without the push up and then jump back up kicking your legs to your waist and standing straight up with hands above your head for a 1 count. The goal is to do 15 in 30 seconds but it is easier said then done. I have been able to hit 17 one time but it’s a killer because you just got done doing crossovers.
Here you get a quick 30 second break but Brett still makes you move a little to keep your heart rate up. He calls it balansa (BAA-LAN- SAA) which is a short sway from left to right that works your love handles.
After your break you do another 30 seconds of crossovers and the first round is almost over but you have to do one more set of squat thrusts. This squat thrust involves the Rev Zone which shows a split screen of one person really stepping up the intensity and doing like 25 of these. CRAZY!
If you still think this workout program is too much for you remember there is a modifier that does all the workouts in modification. So don’t think you can’t do this. My wife Lisa has been doing this program for 4 weeks now and she is down 13 pounds with before and after pics coming soon. She started out with the modified version and is now doing the regular workout.
So now you have two more rounds that consist of the same workouts but the last round Brett calls the spice round. The spice round is just a different term for more intense. These are the same type of workouts but with added intensity. For example, when you’re coming up on the lunges instead of keeping your dumbbells on your chest, Brett wants you to raise them above your head. When you’re doing 20 pound weights your arms are hurting very badly! The squat thrusts are more challenging because in this round he wants you to completely lay flat on your stomach and then stand up throwing your arms in the air. Try doing 15 of these. OUCH!
So the only other things I don’t like about RevAbs in general are the music and some cheese ball lines that Brett says. If you can block those few things out then you will be fine. Remember to pick up your recovery drink for these more intense workouts as it will help you recover faster. For questions please contact me at www.phattyfit.com. Just don’t wait to see my RevAbs results in 90 days, get your own!
RevAbs (Mercy Abs) vs P90x (Ab Ripper X)
So since my start of the new program all I have been doing is comparing it to P90x. The one that we all hate the most but love the results is Ab Ripper X. I do think Mercy Abs is just as challenging and the advantage is its not so fast paced. Mercy Abs consist of these workouts with 3 rounds of action:
Round 1
Crunches
Bencao Kick- Its a crunch but on the way up you kick your leg straight out and twist to the side. (OUCH)
Round 2
More Crunches
Another round of Bencao Kicks
Knee tucks-Its like a Crunchy Frog in P90x but instead of your hands in the air they are on the ground like your T shaped and dragging your arms across the floor. The crunch is what kills you and when you hit 15 your ready to break.
Round 3 (Spice Round)
Crunches -With weights
Bencao Kicks- With Weights
V-ups- Similar to P90x but your using a 10 pound weight or whatever you can manage.
It seems pretty easy but Brett Hoebel wants you to work slower with a bigger focus on tightening the Abs on every rep. Im a little annoyed with the repetitiveness of the workout but each round gets more intensified. Mercy Abs is used in combination with two other workouts in the program which makes the total days workout to be 1 hour. My final thoughts are that I don’t think this will ever replace P90x but it’s nice to change it up with a different program. After doing P90x twice I got a little bored with some of the workouts so I’m happy that I made the purchase. If your interested in trying it out then click here. It’s $40 cheaper than P90x and the workouts are only 45 minutes or less.
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