Goal: 6 Fit2B routines in 6 days for just 30+ minutes
My posting schedule runs about a week or so behind my actual life. (So when you read a blog post review, I probably started those workouts about two weeks ago). This gives me some important leeway so I can keep the reviews coming to you on time. This past week ate up my entire advance schedule because I only worked out one day! I had a nasty early summer cold that left my chest burning and me generally feeling like garbage. So annoying. But the good news is, this week’s workouts started in such a gentle way that it made things easier while recovering.
After having been pushing myself pretty hard and still nursing a painful cough, I had a new appreciation for this workout. No, it isn’t necessarily easy. But it is gentle, deliberate and makes it simpler to properly engage and use good alignment with each movement. It really looks deceptively easy because it is slow moving, but you will definitely still feel it. I didn’t get my final stretches at the end done as well as I would have liked because my almost two year old takes any opportunity to attack me if I lay on the floor. The inclined planes were also difficult when an almost 30 pound toddler trying to sit on my lap while I did them.
Finally got some new resistance bands. (My old ones are 13 years old and my kids recently snapped one). It really helped take this workout up a notch. I was also able to use heavier weights for this because of the way Beth alternatives between dumb bells and bands so I didn’t over tax myself. This is a little long for me, as just an arm workout. Normally if I’m going to do something this long I prefer a full body workout, but it’s still worth putting on my schedule very now and then because it is very effective without being too intense.
Finally, I own a Kettle Bell! I’ve been putting off this investment for a while but I’ve decided to purchase myself a new piece of fitness gear every month or two. The slow start where Beth reviews the various ways to handle the kettle bell as well as good form was very helpful. But oh dear goodness, this workout killed me. As in I didn’t do the last full repetition of all the movements. I did the ballerinas entirely without weights. Whenever Beth said, “do one or two more if you want to” I didn’t. It might be because it’s a 15 lb kettle bell. It’s also definitely larger and bulkier than the one Beth is using in the workout. This kettle bell has a smooth surface, so I had to keep a tight grip on it, especially as my hands got sweatier.
Some things I learned about me in this workout. Apparently I cannot lift 15 lbs over my head with one hand. (At least not yet). I wanted so much to finish this workout, to say I hit the 30 minute mark. But when I found myself asking if it was better to walk away before I hurt myself or keep going and risk bad form and injury, I walked away. I was still sweaty, and shaky. I think I may go back to the shorter Kettle Bell I now that I finally have one and train on that for a bit before I try this one again.
This is a great workout if you have frequent interruptions which I always do. I was able to do half this workout before dinner and the other half after. I was able to pause to deal with kids crises, of which there are often many at my house. I love that there are so many levels for each movement. It doesn’t have to be a challenging workout, but it can be if you want to.
I finally purchased a real step to use for this workout. It really did make a noticeable difference. This is a serious cardio workout, but the entirely upright nature of it makes it easy to keep the core strong and avoid any bulging. But as you get tired (as I usually do during the second half), it can be a challenge not to slouch. Basic Step workouts are a great way to supercharge your cardio without adding additional pressure to your core as it heals.
This workout is deceptively long. It does run around 31 minutes but almost all the heavy work is done in the first half. I was able to use my 6 lb weights, but I also did a little bit of modification to the hands and knees position that Beth used at one point. While this workout moves at a steady pace, it isn’t complete cardio, and the weights are incorporated mostly into the first half. It feels a little bit unbalanced as a workout. I think I would prefer a couple more minutes of higher impact work before slowing it down so much. But it still works well.
This was a tough week for me. I’m doing better prioritizing my workouts and actually getting in 6 workouts a week. But I’ve also been very tired and my eating habits haven’t been great. I’m toying with the idea of a sugar fast of sorts, but I have ruled out the idea of trying something too extreme. I haven’t had a good history with extreme diets and the long term staying power. But in the past, I’ve done well with healthy habits, so I’ve decided to try and build some more. Week 6 promises to be the most challenging one yet.
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