As was mentioned during day 1, I have been waiting impatiently for this program to launch for months. I gave myself an early Christmas present and pretty much bought it the second it was available. As I mentioned in the first few days of the program we have been using Beachbody On Demand for the last several days while we waited for the package to arrive. Now that the physical copy is here I can’t wait to share it with you so you know what you are getting yourself into.

Before we get started I just wanted to go over the basics. The Master’s Hammer and Chisel is the first Beachbody program to feature two celebrity trainers. Autumn Calabrese and Sagi Kalev created this program to help those who want to help those who wanted a lean shredded physique in 60 days while working out only 30 – 40 minutes per day. The workouts are resistance based, designed to help you burn fat and build muscle as you focus on stabilization, strength and power for a body that is not only extremely well built but also functional. Now that we have the basics covered, lets get started on what is included!

THE BOX

Honestly, the box appears to be smaller then the standard Beachbody programs. Looking at it was a little disappointing at first because I worried there would not be as much included as in previous programs, but after pulling all the items out I wasn’t disappointed. Just to be clear though, I bought the standard kit with the deluxe workouts. Some of the items included in this review are not included in the standard kit, but I will try to identify what is and isn’t part of the standard kit below.

ENOUGH ALREADY WHAT IS INSIDE?

Beachbody recently started including these portion containers with their workouts, which I think are fantastic. I have used these containers to eat out with friends at restaurants and for making my own meals. If you have done the 21 Day Fix Program or Insanity Max 30, you will be familiar with the containers. I also like the fact they include the Shakeology shaker cups with the workouts now, even if you are not participating in the benefits of Shakeology they make a good water bottle, or the perfect cup for any of the supplement drinks you may be taking during a workout. All this is included with the standard kit as a bonus.

Underneath these two bonuses is a hardcopy of the program itself. The program itself consists of 12 full length workouts and two bonus ab workouts. I was actually very impressed with the amount of full length workouts in the program. Usually you will find yourself repeating workouts several times during a program, but with so many different workouts you will only do each workout an average of four times before the program is over. I also like the fact they have two different ab routines. P90x had Ab Ripper X and it got old really fast when you had done it 6 or 7 times already the month before. Since I bought the kit through TeamBeachbody.com and not Beachbody.com they included a bonus DVD, The Master’s Cardio, which you can use in place of Hammer Plyometrics or Chisel Agility if you have limited time, or if you’re still craving variety after twelve different workouts. Also included in the kit is a quick start guide, the workout calendar, and the program/nutrition guide where it remindsyou to follow the meal plan and take before pictures, seriously this is as important as the workouts themselves, don’t skip these or you will regret it in the end. I suggest reading the program guide in it’s entirety and planning your meals ahead of time so you are set up for success from the start. Having before pictures is the only reason I finished P90X the first time because when I wanted to quit I looked at by before and after pictures and realized it was actually working, so don’t skimp on those before photos! Also, forgot to mention, if you send in your before and after pictures, Beachbody will send you a free Hammer and Chisel shirt, so if for nothing else do it for free stuff. 😉�

THE DELUXE WORKOUTS

I love variety in my workouts, so whenever there are bonus workouts available I usually get those too, and The Master’s Hammer and Chisel Deluxe Workouts were no exception. There is an actual deluxe kit you can purchase but they include another portion control kit and medicine balls. I already have plenty of both so I just bought the DVD’s. The Deluxe DVD’s include four additional workouts which utilize a medicine ball, so if you have a medicine ball at home you’re all set. You could also use weights too, but remember there is a reason they are using the medicine ball and not a dumbbell. Just as an additional reminder, even the Deluxe DVD’s can be streamed through your Beachbody On Demand account if you have one so you don’t have to pack the DVDs with you if you’re going on vacation or a business trip.

WHAT YOU NEED TO HAVE

Unless you purchased the deluxe kit with the stability ball, you will need to make sure you have some equipment on hand before you start the Hammer and Chisel program. I have been doing Beachbody programs little by little so I practically have a small functional gym in my garage so I only needed a couple things, but depending on what you have on hand you may need a few last minute items before you start. The following items are must have items needed before starting the Hammer and Chisel program.

• The Master’s Hammer and Chisel program, obviously, just making sure you’re paying attention.
• A variety of dumbbells, I have an adjustable set of dumbbells which go from 5 – 50 lbs, but go with some that are a little heavier than you normally lift and little lighter, if you need more you can always pick up more later.
• A resistance band, originally I said it was optional but just today Sagi used it during a main workout move. Resistance bands are cheap so I added it as a requirement, plus if you don’t have a pull-up bar you will need a resistance band anyway.
• A stability ball OR a weight bench. You do not need both but you do need one or the other. With a stability ball you will have to engage your core more to maintain proper position, the downside is you can not lift as much for safety reasons. The bonus of the weight bench is you can lift much heavier weights, the downside is it is obviously more expensive than a stability ball, and not as much core engagement is needed on a weight bench.
• Workout sheets, Master’s Hammer and Chisel provides free workout sheets you can print off at home to track each workout. I added these on the must have list as the only way to know if you have improved is to know where you were, tracking sheets are just as important as pictures, and both are free!
• A towel for sweat, you will sweat during the workout and while it is nice to be able to wipe the sweat from your eyes this towel is more of a safety feature, nothing is more dangerous than to slip off a stability ball or a weight bench with a weight over your face, ouch! Keep your equipment free from sweat.

SOME OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER

The following is some equipment you should consider seriously but is not 100% needed to get results with your Hammer and Chisel transformation.

• A pull-up bar. I know for some people this is not going to be an option, either because you are renting or there is no feasible location to install one in your house. But, if you can get one I highly recommend it. There was really no convenient location to put one inside my house, so I built a spot for it in the garage and it’s been great so far.
• If you struggle doing pull ups but you have a pull up bar you can purchase an assistance band to help complete them. It’s almost like training wheels for pull ups.
• If you don’t have a weight bench consider getting one, if you do have a weight bench consider purchasing a stability ball. Five days into the workout sometimes I am glad I am using the weight bench, but on some moves I think it would be more of a challenge to utilize the ball. Again, this is just I would be nice to have list, not a absolutely must have list.
• If you have the Deluxe Workouts, consider purchasing a medicine ball. There are a variety of workouts that utilize medicine balls besides Beachbody programs so its a convenient tool to have in a home gym anyway.
• You may want to have a mat for padding for your knees and glutes, I don’t have much padding left in either, so when we hit the ground I feel it more than most.

Again the list above is just optional equipment which I feel will enhance your results, I realize it is a lot of equipment all at once, and it was really just a list I made for people who might already have that equipment or were considering purchasing one or two minor things, so please don’t feel you have to go out and track down everything listed above, if you stick to the required equipment you will still be well on your way to being more than ready for your Hammer and Chisel journey.

IN REVIEW

So just to review, this is what is included with the standard kit

• Portion control containers.
• A shaker cup.
• A quick start guide and a program/nutrition guide.
• The 12 full length workouts and two bonus workouts.

The workouts included in the standard kit are:

• HAMMER PLYOMETRICS
• ISO SPEED HAMMER
• TOTAL BODY HAMMER
• MAX HAMMER STRENGTH
• HAMMER POWER
• HAMMER CONDITIONING
• CHISEL BALANCE
• ISO STRENGTH CHISEL
• CHISEL ENDURANCE
• CHISEL CARDIO
• CHISEL AGILITY
• TOTAL BODY CHISEL

The two bonus workouts are:

• AB HAMMER WORKOUT
• AB CHISEL WORKOUT

If you purchase from TeamBeachbody.com you get this bonus workout:

• The Master’s Cardio

If you purchase the Deluxe Workout you get the following four workouts:

• Hammer Build Up
• Power Chisel
• Leg Hammer
• Glute Chisel

Phew! That was quite a lot to cover, but having this information should help you know what you’re getting yourself into. Let me know what you think about the unboxing below, do you have anything to add to the list or any questions? Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with my own Hammer and Chisel Journey or connect with the rest of the R.A.W. Fitness team. Catch me on my next post where I share how I feel about day one and share my starter stats and what you can expect on your first day as well, thank you for joining me on this year end transformation.