Jeanie

I’ve always been a fan of Tony Horton but have steered clear of most of his recent workout series because the majority of the workouts were nearly an hour long each.  That is until he released 22 Minute Hard Corps – a comprehensive military style workout program from Beachbody featuring three different levels of cardio, core workouts and resistance.  This program has been out for awhile and I haven’t had the chance to try it until I was gifted it as an early Valentine’s Day present!  After testing out a few of the workouts, I am hooked! The workouts are short, simple and effective. And Bad Ass.

Who Should Get This Program?

22 Minute Hard Corps is not an easy program by any means, so I would not recommend it for beginners.  There is a person doing modified moves to help you if you cannot work to the same speed or intensity as the others on the workout video. However, many of the moves are very challenging (burpees are a staple of these workouts) so if you are a beginner, I’d recommend you sticking to one of Beachbody’s other workout programs such as Autumn’s Country Heat or the ever popular 21 Day Fix workout.

This program is meant for anyone who:

• Has a low intermediate – advanced level of fitness
• Wants to get results in under 30 minutes per day
• Likes athletic-based training with uncomplicated exercises
• Wants a combination of cardio, strength-training and abdominal work

I love Tony Horton and his style of training. Sometimes I enjoy doing a dance style workout for cardio but other times I’m not in the mood to mess around. I want my heart rate to soar and this workout does just the trick. Each workout is only 22 minutes long, so you need to warm up beforehand.  The workouts also only include a very tiny cool down, so I’d recommend stretching afterwards.

What Do You Get in the Base Kit?

• 8 Different Workouts on 2 DVDs
  • There are 3 Levels in total
  • Cardio 1, Core 1 and Resistance 1
  • Cardio 2, Core 2 and Resistance 2
  • Cardio 3 and Resistance 3
  • You also get a bonus P90X3 The Warrior workout
• Quick-Start Guide
• Meal Plan
• 22 Minute Hard Corps 8 Week Workout Calendar

What Does the Deluxe Kit Contain?

The Deluxe Package of 22 Min Hard Corps contains all of the above in addition to the following:

• 3 Extra “Special Ops” workout videos on 1 DVD including:
  • Special Ops Cardio
  • Special Ops Core
  • Special Ops Resistance
• 7 Portion Control Containers and a Protein Shaker Cup
• Beachbody’s Uniquely Designed Sandbag for use with the Special Ops workouts

While it isn’t necessary to get awesome results if you have the Deluxe kit, the extras are definitely worth the upgrade.  Having extra workouts to do means you’ll have a lot of variety to choose from. In addition, the workouts are more advanced so you’ll be increasing your endurance and fitness level as you work harder.

Reviewing The Level 1 Workouts

Let’s start with Level One.  Even though this is the first level, Tony doesn’t mess around. Within under 2 minutes, my heart rate was at its peak and I was like “Umm, is this really level 1 or did I select level 3”.

Cardio 1

This first workout lasts for 22 minutes exactly. You’ll do a series of 7 moves for 3 rounds with a break in between.  The first round lasts the longest and you will do less and less sets of each move during rounds 2 and 3. So if you can make it past round 1, don’t panic! The next two rounds are shorter and you’ll be done before you know it!

The 22 Minute Hard Corps Cardio exercises include T-Jacks, Bear Crawls, Lateral Shuffle, Forward Lunge Twists, Basic Burpees, A-Skips (my favorite) and Run Lunge Squats.

Core 1

This core workout is short (9 minutes and 10 seconds) and should be done after completing Cardio 1 on the same day. I recommend starting with the cardio before doing this workout so you can really push yourself during the cardio.

The core exercises include V-Ups, Chop Twists, Boda Crunch Twists, Scissor Slicers, Cobra Crunches, Kick Twists, Rock the Boat, Plank Roll, Flutter Kicks and Belly Side Planks.  You will do 11 of each exercise before moving on to the next. And don’t worry, you’ll only do 1 round of all of them!

Resistance 1

Now it’s time to do some resistance and strength training to build muscle and get lean.  I love this workout because it’s set at night time outdoors.  The change in set location for each workout video keeps it fun. This workout is also a full 22 minutes.

In this workout, you’ll start with a quick warm-up running in place followed by jumping jacks and squats. Then you’ll begin a series of exercises including push-ups, squat thrusts, pull-ups, chopper lunges and sit-up punches.  Just as with Cardio 1, you’ll do three rounds in total of the exercises above and concluding with a quick cool down.

The Level 2 Hard Corps Workouts

Cardio 2

If you thought Cardio 1 was challenging, wait until you try Cardio 2. Yikes! This next level workout pFroushes you to the max with new moves that are even more intense and guarantee a good calorie burn.

The workout is again, 22 minutes, and takes you through the following exercises: Sprint in place, Mountain Climbers, Straight Leg Sprints, Gorilla Crawls (The most challenging!), Jimmie Jumps, Water Bug and Frog Burpees.

You’ll take a break after round 1 and repeat the same round two more times.  If you struggle during this workout, modify as necessary. Don’t sit down! Just jog or run on the spot if you can’t do the modified version of each exercise.

Core 2

This workout is 11 minutes and 19 seconds long. You follow the same moves as you do in Core 1 but this time you’ll do 22 sets of each.  If you struggle, take a breather and relax your abs.  Your abdominal muscles recover quickly, so you’ll be able to jump back into the next exercise without having to rest for much more than 10-15 seconds.  Push yourself as much as you can until you can do all 22 sets without fail!

Resistance 2

Moving on up to the next level strength and resistance training workout for 22 minutes. After the initial running and jumping warm-up, you’ll progress to 3 rounds of the following exercises:

Burpee Press, Jump Squats, Chin-Up L Crunches, Punch Pulls, and Corkscrew Lifts.

I personally have troubles doing any of the chin-up or pull-up exercises so I need to modify as necessary until I build up my upper body strength!

Level 3 Workouts: You Did It!

In the third level, you only have Cardio 3 and Resistance 3. You’ll continue to do Core 2 in addition to your cardio workouts in the 8 week workout schedule.

Cardio 3

Are you ready? Because this one is intense but the calorie burn is amazing for only 22 minutes of hardcore work!  Again, you’ll do three rounds of the following new exercises:

Spider Crawls, Skip Flys, Cross Climbers, Fast Feet Up & Down, Sphinx Kickers, Knee Drop Lunges and Spin Burpees.

The Spin Burpees are totally calorie killers! Pat yourself on the back if you were able to complete this one from start to finish because it’s a doozie!

Resistance 3

The final strength training workout is one of the most challenging. Good news though, it’s only 22 minutes long.  (Anyone can workout for 22 minutes, right?)

After your warm-up, you’ll get down to business with the following series of exercises:

Pump Jumpers, Split Lunge Thrusts, Arm Balance Throws, Mountain Squats and Scissor Clappers.

Yay! That’s the last workout in the 22 Minute Hard Corps series.  Unless you get the Special Ops upgrade, then you have three more challenging workouts to try out (lucky you!)

Final Thoughts on Tony Horton’s 22 Minute Hard Corps Program

After trying out each of these workouts, I can say that I am absolutely thrilled.  This program promises weight loss in under 30 minutes a day and it delivers.  The workouts are short but intense and you will be burning more calories all day as a result of this style of hardcore training.

Once I became accustomed to the exercises in each workout, I throw on a list of my favorite hardcore workout tunes and power through the workout. If you want serious results in a short amount of time, I don’t hesitate to recommend Tony’s 22 Minute Hard Corps program. It has become a staple of my fitness collection and is one of my all-time favorites!