Many people have heard of Kayla Itsines and her app and workout program. After hearing about it and seeing many great results of many getting into the shape that they want over the years, I decided to join!
Let me begin with, I have not done any real physical activity since I graduated from high school, aka stopped swimming and dancing regularly. I just finished up week 4 of the BBG beginner on Sunday, and so here is a recap of my experience so far.
Here are some notes:
I do all the HIIT workouts in my living room, so you do not necessarily need a gym membership to be a part of this program. I work retail, so I am on my feet basically my entire day at work, so I haven't made time to go to the gym to use cardio machines on the cardio days. (I would be seeing much more prominent results if I was!) I live in Iowa, and it's cold outside. I am an outdoor bike ride kind of gal, so I am waiting for the nicer weather to arrive to begin my hardcore cardio sessions. I am also an extremely picky eater so I have not followed the included meal plan at all. (I do look at the recipes to get ideas for what I should eat each day.)
Week 1 recap:
This program was VERY hard for me the first week. I was exhausted and aching everywhere. After abs and arms day, I was actually sick from the toll the workout took on my body. I persisted though because I knew how out of shape I was. Week 1 was by-far the hardest for me, so it did get better from there. I was also not staying at my own house during the end of this week, so that makes it harder to stay on track. I did head to the gym one day to do cardio during this week.
Week 2 recap:
During week 2, my body began to adjust to the HIIT workouts, so they became a little easier. (Don't get me wrong, they were still hard, but my body wasn't wimping out on me.) The circuits were very similar with some modification like adding weights and such to certain moves. I ensured I got my cardio in each off day by walking around the store for at least 35 minutes, but this still really isn't intense enough to be creating a difference. I also made sure I was doing both the warm-up and cool-down sequences that can go with each workout. (Becoming more familiar with the app I found that there were warm-ups with each.)
Week 3 recap:
Week 3 changes things around for you. You get some new exercises for each circuit, so you have to retrain your body during each of the circuits. It gets a little more intense as your body should be starting to become used to the three times a week HIIT workouts.
Week 4 recap:
I felt defeated this week. I will be honest. I took my 4 week update photos and saw NOTHING when it came to look for changes. My weight was the same my body looked the same. I truly was defeated this week. I got in my own head. But, what I didn't think about what how GOOD I felt. I have more energy. I have been eating healthier foods and smaller portions and drinking more water. I actually fall asleep at a good time and when I rise, I am ready for the day. The workouts this week were again, like week 2, a variation of week 3 with weights and modifications.
What did I learn so far?
You may not notice extreme PHYSICAL changes right away, but you will begin to notice other changes like I did. If you stick to the meal plan and do regular cardio, you may noticed more physical changes than I did. But man, nothing compares to how I feel. I actually do feel more confident and really, I don't remember the last time that I could say that about myself.
I will be showing you progress pictures once I accumulate more. I am planning to do a 1-week, 4-week, 6-week, 8-week, etc. photo series and an update once each month to discuss how it is going. Take care of your body and your mind may thank you.