• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Fit Habit
  • Food
    • Low Carb Breakfast
    • Low Carb Lunch
    • Low Carb Dinners
    • Low Carb Side Dish
    • Soup Recipes
    • Low Carb Snacks
    • Low Carb Treats
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Wellness
    • Burnout Recovery
      • How to Recover from Burnout
      • Best Self Journaling
      • Emotional Freedom Technique
    • Weight Loss
      • My Weight Loss Story
      • How to Become Fat Adapted
    • Mindset & Habits
      • Habit Mastery
      • Mindset
  • Workouts
    • Try a Free Home Workout
      • 6 Weeks of the Work | An Advanced Workout For Extreme Results
      • Barre Blend | A Sample Workout You Can Do Anywhere
      • 9 Week Control Freak 28 Minute Sample Workout
    • Beachbody Workouts
    • Yoga
    • Running
    • Strength Training Workouts
    • Barre Workouts
    • All Workouts
  • Programs
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Beachbody Workouts
  • Weight Loss Over 40
  • Coaching
  • About The Fit Habit
  • Recipes
  • Low Carb Breakfast Ideas
  • Low Carb Lunch
  • Low Carb Dinners
  • Low Carb Desserts
  • Low Carb Drink Recipes
  • Low Carb Side Dish
  • Low Carb Snacks
  • Sauces and dips
  • Most Popular Recipes
  • Let's Connect!

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Beachbody Workouts » How to Make PIYO Workouts Even More Challenging

    How to Make PIYO Workouts Even More Challenging

    Published: Apr 9, 2018 · Last Modified: Jul 20, 2021 by Caren · This post may contain affiliate links

    22 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    If you've been around here for any amount of time you know that I love Beachbody workouts and I use them daily with Beachbody on Demand, which is basically the Netflix of fitness.  There's a ton of workouts on there from weightlifting to cardio dance, but as a long-time yoga and pilates lover, Piyo is probably my favorite program overall.

    If you want a breakdown and review of the Piyo workout, you can catch that right here.  If you don't have Piyo, you can buy the DVD's from Beachbody or on Amazon (it's the same price), but I recommend getting Beachbody on Demand so you can stream the workouts.  Plus it has a free 30-day trial period, so you can try before you buy.

    Head's up - If you buy it together with the nutrition support (a superfood concoction that helps with cravings and hunger) then you can also get into my online coaching group where you can work with me directly.  You can learn more about the group coaching here, or just dive right in and grab the bundle here.

    For those of you who know what Piyo is and would like to advance your experience with the workout, read on.

    How to amp up your Piyo workouts for better results

    I would call Piyo an intermediate workout.  It's challenging, but it doesn't take your breath away or want to make you throw up (like some of the workouts in Insanity or 21 Day Fix Extreme).  But with any bodyweight exercise, it's hard to progress the workout without adding additional weight to the moves - which is exactly what I did!

    How to improve piyo workout

    Add hand weights to the workout where possible

    The next time you're going through one of the Piyo workouts, have a pair of light hand weights on hand so that as you're going through some of the moves you can add the weight to the movement. I use 10lb weights, but I recommend having something lighter to start. It's not suitable for every move, but you'll quickly get a sense of when it's possible to grab your weights for more impact, particularly when you're doing lower body lunges and bowlers.

    Add ankle or wrist weights throughout the entire workout

    Another hack is to add ankle or wrist weights to your workout!  This is a little less flexible than using hand weights because you can't drop them quite so easily, but man, they really add some intensity to the movements without adding impact. Go easy on this!  I recommend starting with 2lb weights (Amazon's Top Pick), then working your way up to 5lb weights (on each limb).

    One of my favorite weights is Bala wrist weights because they are comfortable to wear, you don't have to hold them, and they're super cute.

    BALA wrist weights

    Incidentally, ankle weights are also great for amping up your barre workouts, too!

    Let me know if you try this technique.  Note that this is not an "official" PIYO recommendation, it's just my personal hack to make the workouts even more challenging than they already are.  

    Hope this helps!

    Caren

    Caren is a certified yoga teacher, fitness instructor and ADHD Coach.  As the founder of The Fit Habit, she shares ADHD-friendly self-care, food & fitness inspiration, along with practical ways to foster mind + body wellness.

    « 3 Simple Tricks for Adjusting to a Low Carb Diet & Avoiding "Carb Flu"
    I've got this: The Fitness Mindset »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Caren

    I'm an ADHD coach & wellness expert with a mind that runs faster than a quick-dry nail polish. I have figured out how to master my ADHD brain through fitness, healthy eating and self-care and I get a thrill out of helping other women like me, do the same. You may or may not have ADHD, but somewhere after 40, most of us end up wondering why our jeans are tight and our brains are foggier than summer in San Francisco. If that's you, I'm here to help. Welcome!

    Let's Connect!

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube

    Keep the positive Momentum going

    The best way to stay on track with your wellness + life goals is to keep the reminders and inspiration flowing. Let me help you with that.

    We're in this together, my friend.

    The Best in At Home Workouts

    andrea rogers XB Pilaties

    BOD vs BODi - What's the difference + $$?

    extend barre beachbody

    The Best Beachbody (BODI) Workouts in 2022

    xb pilates founder doing pilates

    XB Pilates Before + Afters (I'm in love)

    woman's before and after of sure thing

    Beachbody's Sure Thing - Sample Workout, Before & After

    extend barre beachbody

    Beachbody's Xtend Barre Review + Sample Workout

    women with wellness app

    The BEST Fitness Apps For Women (That I Use Daily)

    Want more blog posts? →

    Footer

    As Seen In

    • About The Fit Habit
    • Disclaimer & Privacy Statement

    Keep the positive momentum going

    Stay on track with your fitness + wellness goals.

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Media Kit
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021

    22 shares