FITNESS ZONE
REVIEW: RUSHFIT by Georges St. Pierre
In between being a sarcastic know-it-all and international superstar, I have an insatiable addiction to home workout videos such as P90X, Insanity and Asylum. Based on that I already know what most of you are thinking: How does RUSHFIT size up to these top contenders for home fitness? Allow me to throw my body into the blades of Georges St. Pierre’s combine for the sake of you all.
To clarify, my knowledge of MMA fighting is limited. My total martial arts experience is about ten years of Shotokan Karate. Sounds impressive? Well, it isn’t. Karate will seal your doom should you ever be stupid enough to invoke it in an actual combat situation against a grappler. MMA is all about holds, ju-jitsu, powerful muscles and cardio. Every damn thing Mr. Miagi glossed over when training Daniel-San.
I had no delusions of getting a body like GSP who I can assure you, personally trains in a way not seen on these videos! Guys like that do forms of training that would have guys like me crying on the floor after ten seconds. But this is home fitness, and killing customers is bad for business. I just hope GSP feels the same way.
Tools:
- RushFit 6 DVD Set containing 7 workouts. Program length is 8 Weeks.
- Weights ( the programs says they are optional, but come on…you’ve gone this far! )
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
For reasons which will quickly become obvious, Georges has Erik Owings doing the instructing. It’s not that Georges is incapable, it’s just that he has a very thick French Canadian accent that will go right over a lot of people. It can be like understanding Brad Pitt playing the gypsy in Snatch. To illustrate, I grew up close to St. Alphonse, MB ( a deeply french community ) and I still have no idea what the Hell they’re saying when they speak English.
But Erik does a fine job. In fact, I would say the dual-input from Erik and Georges makes the workout a very enjoyable experience.
And finally, all DVD’s have an 11 minute warm-up, 30min workout, and 7 minute cool-down. Thus they all run at 45 minutes. Each routine has 5 rounds at 5 minutes a set…not so coincidentally the same length of time as an MMA fighting round.
ABDOMINALS AND CORE CARDIO
I DARE you to not tense your core doing this workout. With the use of weights you involve your stabalizer muscles in a whole new way. One thing I noticed is that form is not emphasized as much as P90X, but then again perhaps Tony is nitpicking the kids too! In either case, this is a seriously effective DVD.
STRENGTH and ENDURANCE
It seems the 11 minute warm up and the 7 minute cool downs are all going to be the same footage. Oh well. Either way the 30 minutes in this DVD are awfully dang hard. For example, the POP UPS will take some time. My initial attempt resulted in my 3 year old having a laugh at my expense.
As with all the workouts there are 5 rounds at 5 minutes each. That last 3 sets involve weights. And as with any workout, what you get out will depend what you put in. So don’t wuss out on the weight. This is a total body workout, so unless you use the right iron it probably will leave you wanting.
EXPLOSIVE POWERTRAINING
Say hello to your plyometrics workout. What makes Rushfit’s approach to plyo unique is doing less reps and including weights. Unlike Insanity where the plyo is go-go-go, here you do your move, pause, then do it again. Therefore the goal is not to get your heart-rate up, but rather your muscles to burn. Because of that this is a pretty good addition to any plyometric arsenal, but it’s no more difficult than PlyoX and certainly nowhere close to Asylum. A major downside to this workout is the scheduling…only ONCE per month for the Intermediate level. That’s just not enough in my opinion.
FULL BODY STRENGTH
A true core conditioning workout! Round one is speed, Rounds 2 and 3 weights and 4 and 5 circuit training with weight. This is a power-core attack. One thing that’s starting to get to me is Erik. The man has no humanity and can sometimes be drier than a popcorn fart. It is good that Georges supplies the necessary light hearted humor that only he can!
THE FIGHT CONDITIONING
This is the big enchilada. If you’re in some form of martial art, then this will really be something you can use to enhance your sparring skills.
Those familiar with P90X will know the KenpoX DVD. This is much, much harder that that and far more complex. Especially in the fourth and fifth rounds when you start the ground work with ju-jitsu basics such as Hip Escapes and Armbar Abs. I guarantee you won’t be going back to TaeBo any time soon!
BONUS WORKOUT #1 – STRETCHING for FLEXIBILITY
It’s hard to write up too much about a stretch workout. Safe to say that Erik and Georges cover all the necessary parts and give a good stretch to the body. There’s nothing here that you won’t find in some form or another in P90X or Insanity, but that’s just the nature of stretching. The only comedic side here is that Georges occasionally has something to say and gets cut off by Erik from time to time! It’s not disrespectful, it’s just that Erik has a stopwatch and be damned if he’s going to pause!
BONUS WORKOUT #2 – BALANCE and AGILITY
You need balance and agility in any program worth its salt, and RushFit delivers. This routine is a bit different because there are no “rounds” like previous workouts. It is 23 minutes straight through ( not including warm up and cool down ). I became aware of just how much the previous workouts hurt my glutes while doing this! The good news is that while this is balance and agility, it is also strength…which will become obvious when you try and get through the “Alligator crawls”!
CONCLUSION
What makes a workout video program a hit is generally the personality of the trainer. P90X sold a zillion copies because Tony Horton makes a workout fun while still smashing you. But admittedly for some people, Tony might not be their cup of tea with his occasional antics. Just be aware that Erik Owings swings to the extreme in the opposite direction.
Don’t get me wrong, Erik makes for a fine trainer. But he’s all business. No pterodactyl impressions or jokes. Depending on how you attack your fitness goals, that might just be exactly what you’re looking for. It is clear that Erik is an experienced trainer who knows how to get guys like Georges fit for combat, and not some fancy-pants fly-by-night fitness fad pusher. Like Tony Horton he is indeed a professional trainer, just one with a different personality.
The difficulty level of RushFit depends on you. The program comes with the option of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced schedules. For me I chose Intermediate because Advanced has you doing 2 workouts a day in some cases which was more than an International Blogging Superstar such as myself could fit in.
And finally, how does it measure up to P90X or Insanity? It’s a shame to have to even ask this question, but I know everyone wants to know!
Like P90X, RushFit is a self-contained program you can stick with, and that’s what makes it worth looking at. The set is not a flurry of colors and the co-stars are not smiling idiots showing off their teeth. The music is generally a hard electric guitar sound, but it is a low volume and not overpowering. I do wish they had made individual cool-downs and warm-ups as the same footage gets old really fast. And finally, Erik and Georges make a good team. Georges is clearly a good natured fellow and really tries to impart some wisdom while Erik takes care of the technical.
In terms of intensity, that depends on the routine and especially you. The cardio workouts in P90X…if I may say so…suck. That’s why practically every P90X-er swaps out the cardio days for Shaun T’s Insanity. And the anemic Kenpo X shouldn’t even be spoken in the same breath as RushFit’s Fight Conditioning. And both P90X and RushFit weight training is as difficult as you want it to be. However, RushFit focuses more on higher reps to gain endurance and strength and as such it is not likely you will need more than 25lb weights. For many this will be a welcome change of pace, but not necessarily better.
My final advice? If you’ve gone through P90X and want something to add to your fitness arsenal then I highly recommend RushFit. There’s nothing simple about it…Erik and Georges will pound you into submission and give you a whole new world of fitness options. If you’ve gone through neither then in many ways it’s a toss up. Want fun fitness, more variety and the option to go easy or hardcore? Go P90X. Want martial arts style training with a serious attitude? Then RushFit just might be what you’re looking for.
4 FEATHERS OUT OF 5
Pestelencia
August 27, 2020 at
May I ask for your opinion on building my physique by Rushfit?
Emily
January 9, 2018 at
I’ve completed 5 rounds of P90x3, I run 15-20 miles per week. I’m looking for a new program- I need to firm up my abs (after 2 kids) and want to avoid adding any more mass to my arms or legs ( they are strong now).
I’m between P90X2 (I like Tony), Rushfit or Max 30 – anyone have any suggestions?
I’ve purchased some Women’s Health videos and don’t want to waste any more $ on videos that I don’t use!
Thanks for the help
Ken_SF
July 2, 2017 at
I have both p90x and rushfit and love them both. I like to alternate between the two programs based on how I happen to feel on a particular day. p90x and RushFit complement each other.
Priyank Kumawat
March 11, 2017 at
Hi John, I am about to finish Stronger in about 2 weeks. I have got amazing results and love this program. Post completion of Stronger can u suggest a new program to start with. I am looking to shred some more body fat and get leaner. I am thinking to start P90X2. However, I don’t have a pull up bar, so I am thinking to just skip all exercises that require that. Regards, Priyank
Dysfunctional Parrot
March 14, 2017 at
X2 would be excellent. It’s actually one of my favorite programs due to the fact it seems to cover the idea of functional fitness just about perfectly. There is a modifier in the event you have no pull-up bar so I think you’ll be ok.
Priyank Kumawat
January 22, 2017 at
Hi John, I love your reviews and have read almost all of them. I am in my last week of insanity Max 30 and want to start something new after it gets over. Can you recommend something? I am confused between 22MHC or Rushfit or repeating Max30 again. I want to lose weight and get toned. Regards,
Dysfunctional Parrot
January 23, 2017 at
Any option you mentioned will do fine. It will be hard to keep up with the HIIT cardio of Max 30 with the others though. 22MHC might seem a tad on the easy side although the resistance training will add some diversity where Max 30 would have been lacking. Rushfit seems to have dropped off the map for reasons unknown.
If you want to try something in the middle, look at Stronger by Nicky Hollander. It’s free, but you wouldn’t think so given the quality.
Priyank Kumawat
January 23, 2017 at
Thanks for the reply. I will go with Stronger then. Regards,
Priyank Kumawat
March 7, 2017 at
Hi John, I am about to finish Stronger in about 2 weeks. I have got amazing results and love this program. Post completion of Stronger can u suggest a new program to start with. I am looking to shred some more body fat and get leaner. I am thinking to start P90X2. However, I don’t have a pull up bar, so I am thinking to just skip all exercises that require that. Regards, Priyank
K
December 30, 2016 at
Thank you for this review. How does this program compare intensity wise to Max 30?
Dysfunctional Parrot
December 30, 2016 at
This is a tough program to be sure, but Max 30 is tougher from a HIIT perspective. Two different beasts entirely.
K
December 31, 2016 at
would they work well together in a hybrid program?
Dysfunctional Parrot
January 6, 2017 at
I think they could. Probably would go cardio/resistance workouts on alternating days. As with pretty much any video workout, with a little creativity a good hybrid is moments away!
John
October 31, 2021 at
I am about to start week 2 of the intermediate plan and i plan on doing the explosive power training workout on the second day since you do the fight cobditioning workout twice that week to add a little resistance work to a week that is mostly cardio
Ricardo Cifuentes
October 13, 2016 at
What I didn’t like is the poor variety of workout and doing the same warm up and cool well is boring
Javier
March 31, 2016 at
If one were to add sparring to the intermediate and advance routines could that person realistically be in shape to compete after 8 weeks?
For instance, add sparring once weekly and follow the Rushfit calendar after 8 weeks would a 3 round competition be a possibility?
Dysfunctional Parrot
March 31, 2016 at
I may have to field that question to anyone out there more experience in MMA. I was in karate but had left martial arts behind me when I reviewed Rushfit. I would think that you would at the very least be in far better condition to accomplish that goal than before. I would probably try and fit in some heavier cardio if possible.
Wzy
March 23, 2016 at
This instructor is way more takable than the TapOut guy (as a lady who works out in her living room). My fave is the Power Training one. This one teaches fitness that I would have otherwise just left out of any regimen.
Thanks for your review. Oh & I really like Pierre’s accent. ; ) I like Pavel’s (Russian) from the KB and flexibility dvds as well. Everyone sounding like CBC radio hosts is a boring way to listen through life!
John
January 22, 2016 at
Parrot,
How can a person turn Rushfit into a little more of a muscle building workout?
Think using heavier dumbbells on the weight exercises will do the trick?
My cousin is going to practice Krav Maga on the Rushfit cardio days and doesn’t want to do any additional weight training.
He wants to use this program to improve his Krav/self-defense skills and thinks it’s the best fit for his needs over some of the other programs because of the cardio option days.
Any input from you to him is most appreciated.
Dysfunctional Parrot
January 22, 2016 at
Absolutely. You might have to modify and do some reps a bit slower as not to injure a muscle with heavy weight, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Keep in mind this program is primarily HIIT style workouts, so if bulking up is your goal, I’d recommend a hybrid system that uses something like Body Beast to fill the gaps.
Juan Pablo
January 6, 2015 at
Hi, I have read almost every of your posts about fitness programs. I found them so interesting. Well, this is my question. I’m about to finish TapouT XT1. I got XT2, Rushfit and UFC Fit. What’s your recomendation about my next program? I think it could be XT1, UFC Fit, Rushfit and XT2. What do you think about that? Thank you very much!
Dysfunctional Parrot
January 8, 2015 at
Well, if I had to pick one to do after Tapout XT, I might be tempted to go with Rushfit or UFC Fit. Tapout XT2 is good, but the cast is hopelessly lost!
Juan Pablo
January 12, 2015 at
Thanks for the answer! I’ll take your advice! Greetings from Argentina! (I have added your site to my Chrome markers!).
Tappy Me
October 12, 2014 at
I Combined P90X and Rushfit and after 90 Days I also added running and compound workouts to my routine. Must say the results are crazy, but it’s not easy at the beginning. Good thing about these programs is that you don’t need to make your own routine, because you can miss something out and it’s better to trust the Fitness pros
google ”
P90x and GSP Rushfit Hybrid – Or How I transformed myself from FAT to Fit and what I learned along the way ” and see how I transformed and how I prepared myself mentally to stick to this training
Jes_Weyers
August 23, 2014 at
Awesome. This is thee best fitness dvd review I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
k
May 2, 2014 at
Love all your reviews here, helped me decide to try Les Mills and now I’m looking at Rushfit.
I’m looking at the calenders thought and it looks like you have to do cardio outside of the dvds, or am I reading the calender wrong and there’s a cardio portion dvd?
(If you do need to do cardio outside of this dvd regimen, it’s a -1 in my book since it’s not a self-contained workout like Insanity/P90x)
MR. Beer
January 25, 2014 at
Rushfit is a decent workout, fairly complete and really one of the first of it’s kind as far as MMA inspired workouts. Look into the new UFCfit DVD’s as a possible review, i’m on my second week and thus far am pretty impressed with them. They really are UFC inspired workouts
Michael
November 17, 2013 at
what do you guys think of this…Iv gone thru the advanced routine and Im wondering if a guy could just pick up on week four of the advanced starting over again instead of just doing the entire eight weeks over again.
Dysfunctional Parrot
November 17, 2013 at
Speaking as one who has done a ton of these programs, I don’t see why that would be a problem. Just do what you’re physically comfortable with and allow yourself time to adjust as you progress. I often repeat programs and skip into phases. No big deal.
I sometimes recommend that when you finish a program, find another to add to the mix. It keeps working out from getting stale.
Diana
November 10, 2013 at
Thank you for your review and for providing me with the titles of other workouts I may want to try.
Arkhangel
May 1, 2013 at
Hi Mr. Parrot, thank you for sharing with us your impressions about all this interesting programs. I’m wondering if you have already tested the RIP 60 one… I am really interested in that one as I am a P90X grad, Tapout XT grad, Insanity grad… could you share your light again with us? Thank you
Dysfunctional Parrot
May 2, 2013 at
Not sure about Rip 60. Some say it’s good but the more detailed opinions out there imply Jeremy Strom has somewhat questionable instructor skills. GSP also has little to no involvement in it either and is mainly used as product placement. I may give it a look-see down the road as interest grows. Right now the main program I have on deck will be Focus T25 coming out in the summer.
Jennifer Smith
April 30, 2013 at
I am sooo happy I found your site! Thank you so much for taking the time to give us such well-informed, detailed reviews! I am a female in her late 30’s that currently is doing a lot of cardio, and some yoga. I am healthy, but I would rate my fitness level high-beginner. Should I start with Les Mills Combat, Rushfit, or Tapout?
Dysfunctional Parrot
April 30, 2013 at
I’ll give the edge to Tapout XT. Les Mills can be a bit repetitive and Rushfit could use a bit more polish. You won’t go wrong with any of them, so that’s just my subjective opinion!
Jennifer Smith
May 1, 2013 at
Thanks :)
Mike
March 8, 2013 at
Thank you for this review–you da bird! I ended up getting this and doing the program after reading your blog and overall, I like it. I have the same issues you do–the same footage for warm-ups/cool-downs gets old, but I do laugh whenever Eric cuts off George is otherwise drier than a “popcorn fart.” However, it is a good program to add to the P90X(2)/Insanity mix.
heat&mass
November 8, 2012 at
the cooldown is the same for all workouts since it’s a functional-fitness routine.
so you use the entire body, and the stretches can’t focus on one area
Colin
November 4, 2012 at
I just picked up rushfit at a yard sale. I am looking at subbing some workouts into my p90x routine. I see that explosive power training could be an alternate for plyo, fight conditioning for kenpo, any other substitutions that might ake sense?
Aaron
October 1, 2012 at
Rushfit over Tapout XT? I am leaning toward Rushfit as it seems a touch better plus being able to do whatever i want for cardio. Have you tried the one called JCore Accelerated system, or something like that?
Dysfunctional Parrot
October 1, 2012 at
Never tried JCore. If I had to pick Rushfit vs Tapout XT, I would lean towards Tapout XT just due to the variety and heavier cardio focus. Not that Rushfit stinks or anything like that though!
Look at it this way…Rushfit is an original workout program with less variety. Tapout XT is a P90X knockoff that injects MMA yet has more variety than Rushfit. Both will give you a good workout for sure but it comes down to personal taste.
Down the road I want to review Rip60 which is another Georges St. Pierre program. Lets see how that measures up!
Aaron
October 2, 2012 at
Thanks for the input, I am just looking for something different instead of P90X which I can never complete, just need a change. In the end I would like to do Body Beast (basically to get stronger, anything might do that though), but I wanted to get in better “general” shape before I did something like that, plus waiting will allow me to get all the necessary equipment for Body Beast.
That Rip60 looks interesting now too, (great you made my choice harder, lol) but I am a little concerned about attaching that strap to a door, all the heavy doors in the house open the wrong way, since it says the straps are suppoded to pull the door closed, maybe if I used the deadbolt it woudl be okay. Guess you can’t say much about it yet since you haven’t used it.
In the end like you said Tapout XT may be the way to go but I will do some research on Rip60 at home where I can watch videos just to see if there are any good reviews of it and if people were able to do all exercises from a door and not the ceiling.
Aaron
October 1, 2012 at
Rushfit or TapoutXt, is Rushfit the better program?
Mike
August 21, 2012 at
Great reviews! I’ve gone through P90X now and was intrigued by the TapOut and Rushfit workouts. Thanks for your in-depth review of each routine. Funny stuff – “popcorn fart”! I love it!
A1224521
December 18, 2011 at
Thanks for all these reviews man, really well written and interesting. You really helped in some decisions which workout video to choose. Lol’d hard on hip hop abs review :)
Dan
November 19, 2011 at
Thanks for the Rushfit review! (and 1on1, and Asylum while I am at it). I plan on doing Rushfit next year after P90X2, so I’m guessing it will be April timeframe. I found a yoga/martial arts 3-disc set online called Budokon; previews look good and on the same level as the other Beachbody extreme DVDs (even though its not beachbody). I’d be interested to hear what you have to say about them should you ever review them.
-Dan