Focus: Power Up

Power Up is another 30 minute workout from Tracie Long in her Focus series and I did not enjoy it at all. I actually found it a very odd workout and I don’t really understand the point of her Focus series now. From what I can see online (and what I have checked out from the library), it started with 4 workouts and then she added on a 5th. And in the first one she states something to the effect that if you do all 4 of her Focus workouts in a week, you take care of everything. I see a lot of holes in that statement now. I have done two of them and they are excellent (Kickback and Lift Higher) then there is this one and two others: Reach Further which is a yoga/core workout and the 5th one that was apparently added on later: Breakthrough which is a medicine ball cardio workout. So…. I am confused. If these workouts take care of everything, what about your biceps and back? They are not worked in any of them. Perhaps she does some spinal erector training in the yoga workout but that is actually core work. And the chest and triceps are getting lots of work! In this workout and in Kickback. This isn’t a criticism of the workouts themselves individually but of the fact she stated that these 4 (or 5) workouts are all you need. Obviously that is not true.

Anyway, I’ll get back to Power Up. It is a very odd workout in my opinion. It is a cardio and bodyweight strength workout. The intensity and level is all over the place. The very first segment is the hardest–lunge jumps on a step. You go right into them with little warm up. She also uses this wide march move as a recovery move between nearly every high intensity cardio/plyo move. I did not list it in the breakdown because it is done so much. It is extremely low intensity and drops the level of the workout drastically. You’re basically shifting slowly side to side only raising your heels. The workout consists of 3 segments and those are separated into chapters that you can choose from on the menu. The first segment is cardio/plyo intervals on the step. The second segment is cardio/plyo intervals on the floor. And the final segment is chest , core and tricep strength work, plus the stretch, using the step. Oh, Tracie’s cuing was terrible in this workout, too. Plus, in segment two when you are doing lateral skaters that focus on one side of the body, she did not do them the same on the second side as she did on the first.

I am glad I checked this out from the library and didn’t buy it. It was zero fun and pointless. There are so many better workouts out there for cardio that are much more enjoyable. And there are so many workouts that work your chest and triceps better (and again, are far more enjoyable). I probably won’t purchase Reach Further and my library doesn’t carry it. Unfortunately Reach Further is not one of Tracie’s workouts that is offered free to Prime members (streaming). I did however, purchase Breakthrough because I saw a clip of it and I think I will like it a lot.

Power Up is also offered free to Prime members.

Power Up is 29 minutes; no warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: full step @ 6 inches and a fitness mat for your knees during the push up circuits. The workout starts with Tracie standing on top of the step.

1. Alternating reverse lunges off step; changes to pulsing lunges; changes to 4 pulses then jump to change lead leg; changes to 3 alternating jump lunges, hold and pulse then do 2 knee raises; changes to just knee raises
2. Wide squats on floor behind step; squat then do a standing quad stretch (balance move), alternate legs
3. Jog in place 4x then jog on step 4x
4. Lateral skaters on the floor behind step; changes to a side to side leap while remaining in squat (kind of like a puddle jumper while remaining in partial squat)
5. Repeat #2
6. Repeat #3
7. V step onto the step 3x then jump onto step, landing in squat and hold squat; changes to jumping onto step and doing 4 pulse squats, stepping off step and marching on floor 4x; changes to count of 2; ends w/ 8 singles (squat jump on and off step 8x)
8. Repeat #2
9. Stationary side lunge side to side; continue lunging but place hand on top of step; hold side lunge stretches

Step has disappeared.

1. Alternating jump knee raises; changes to 3 alternating jump knee raises + one reverse lunge; changes to jump knee raises + a step back (stay on same leg); step back changes to reverse lunge
2. Pulse squats 2x shallow + 2x deeper
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Lateral skater variation (skater on one side and a hop on other side–partial puddle jumper)
5. Repeat #2
6. Lateral skaters
7. Repeat #4
8. Repeat #2
9. Jump forward then step back
10. Repeat #2
11. Repeat #9
12. Alternating jump knees
13. Lateral leaps
14. Pulse squats; standing cat/cow (hands on thighs, hinged forward)
15. Stationary side lunge side to side

The step is back with a fitness mat on the floor behind it. I wore lifting gloves for this since your hands are on the step so much.

1. Slow push ups, on knees w/ hands on step (lower to count of 4 and push back up to count of 4); tempo changes to 3 down, 1 up; changes to singles, lifting one hand off step at top of push up, alternate hands
2. Plyo push ups (start on knees behind step and fall forward landing at bottom of push up, pulse 3x in this position then push up explosively so you are back on your knees)
3. Plyo push ups with a different emphasis (start at bottom of push up and pulse 3 times (still in partial push up) then do a little plyo jump with hands but do not come back to knees, remain in knee push up position)
4. Sit on step, hands on back edge of step, torso leaned back slightly and feet raised off the ground, knees bent, slowly raise knees to chest then lower then so toes almost tap floor (lots of reps, different tempos); changes to shifting hips to side when pulling knees into chest, alternate sides; changes to bicycle legs
5. Tricep dips off step (different tempos)