Last year, I did a weekly workouts/eats recap and my prep post. I’m bringing those back as I start BBG and W30, and just to document my progress and thoughts!
Week “1”:
Getting back into the swing of working out after being sick was hard. rough. ROUGHER than rough. and I’m making this point because it was very unexpected. I had 2 sick days in Amsterdam, and felt fine when we left, then nauseous on the first flight, then again when we got home. The nausea came and went in waves 2-3x a day for the next 5 days or so, and if I felt better for a few hours, by the time I decided to work out again, I felt sick, and ended up on the floor in the fetal position for the next few hours (no joke, haha. thank god for home gyms! my dad walked in very worried a few times).
Anyways, I spent quite some time “resting”! I did the Vega strength & conditioning lifting plan in the fall after my 10k and LOVED it. I definitely put on some muscle and upped my weights! However, you can only see it in my arms, the easiest for me to gain strength & muscle and show it, and not so much my legs, the hardest for me. I decided I want to do a structured plan, and after talking to a few friends and BGB-ers, and constantly seeing the results on insta, and doing some research, I decided on Kayla Itsines BBG.
I wanted to start around the new year, when I had just gotten back from vaca, but obviously that didn’t workout, haha. I went with her free week before deciding to commit!
So, this section is called Week “1” because well, it was before week 1 of BBG, and because my workouts were lackluster.
What is BBG?
Kayla is a personal trainer from Australia, who created this online community/plan after helping so many people, and having such a high demand. I love that on social media, she highlights so many followers’ progress, from major weight losses to skinny—>toned. She doesn’t shame, only motivates, and you can see it working! The plan is composed of:
– 3 days of bodyweight and light dumbbell work (M: lower, W: upper/abs, F: full body); given guides
– 3 days of recommended LISS (low intensity steady state)
The circuits she gives are 28 minutes: 2 circuits of 4 exercises, which you do like: circuit A (rest) circuit B (rest) A (rest) B (rest), after warming up.
I’m not sure how I feel about it right now, because I’m used to heavier weights & lower sets, so I’m hoping in 2 more weeks I’ll be used to it again.
Free week: didn’t go so well. I attempted all 3 workouts, but I think I only got through 2 of the 4 rounds each day except for 1. Not that I wasn’t feeling well, I just wasn’t feeling motivated.
Week 1 (really working out) BBG w1:
M: physical therapy around noon, 2/4 legs in the evening at home
T: 20 min elliptical, warm up & 2/4 legs in the evening at the Y
W: short treadmill run (testing the knee) & 2/4 arms, physical therapy at noon
R: . —
F: short WO attempt at home, PT at noon
Sa: Yogaa! C1 offered by CorePower at the W Nail Bar in the morning. full body BBG in the evening
Su: more Yogaaa! at Lululemon Polaris. The studio of the month is Fair Trade Yoga, and the class this week was Core Yoga. Loved it! BBG arms in the evening
Initial thoughts: at first I thought it was too easy, buuuut I just needed to work a bit harder. the workouts should take <30 minutes, and I was taking 35. I kicked it up a notch, and can finish them in 25 if I work hard! The lunges hurt my hips, and I don’t like how the squat&press is a part of leg day, arm day, and full body, even if it works it all. it’s a bit repetitive. Also, the step-ups & knee-ups were hard for me to do properly. I like *perfect* form and it was hard for me to activate my glutes/hamstrings to push up without leaning forward.
As usual, the push ups were hard. A bit surprisingly. the burpees were hard. I used to LOVE them. I still like them now, but they’re a lot harder being a bit more out of shape. one of my #1 things I want to work on, is getting my core stronger and leaner just so I can do burpees!
Week 2 (BBG w2):
M: {15 min elliptical, warm up, 3/4 legs} before PT at noon:
T: {15 min elliptical, 20 min Y legs workout} before C1 in the evening
W: {15 min elliptical, warm up, 3/4 arms & abs} before C1 in the evening, finished arms/abs
R: played with the jump rope + PT (got a lot of exercises for my hip!) at noon + C2 in the evening! loved it!
F: rest! power walk on the treadmill for some steps!
Sa: attempted WO: 10 minutes of jump rope HIIT (inspired by Fitnessista, I got one for Christmas. love it!) and attempted full body. I got too distracted after round 1:/the “WO” portion after jumping rope was capped to 22 minutes, my dad and I went to the farmers market! fun fun
Su: moving into my dorm! I’ll be working out in the morning doing the BeachBody Fitness Test
Week 2 thoughts:
I’m already getting bored of the leg workouts, and that’s a problem haha. however, the lunges finally didn’t hurt on M! that didn’t last long though. the step ups/knee ups finally started to feel a bit better! I spend a good chunk of time warming up with dynamic stretches and calisthenics, that sometimes I have to cut the workout short to be somewhere. W I’d finally had enough of that and decided to finish it at home!
I still cant get through the plank up/downs. I have to break each set into 3, so that’s something I’m trying to work on. ouuch.
I upped my weights on the leg press and I’m so happy! The machines were really busy so I didn’t get to work the hip abductor, my favorite D:
And, word to the wise: don’t do ab exercises to failure on set 1 of 4. I learned that Wednesday. set 2 had to be broken down sooo much, and I’m still feeling it on Friday! on the bright side, I haven’t had sore abs in months!
Saturday is what I mean by lack of motivation: I wanted to workout, but ended up just laying on the floor for a while. It’s not that I’m overworked, more like the opposite. I need to get that drive back! Actually, I think it’s the fact that I’m a bit out of shape and discouraged. Again: goal: do burpees without my body feeling like its “in the way”. I just have to WORK to the point where I LIKE to work again. hah. irony ?
Also, it was one of those workouts that just couldn’t keep me focused, because I didn’t like the moves. So, that’s a bit of a personal struggle. I want to finish BBG, but I have to be able to do the workouts!
I’m excited—scratch that – STOKED that this weekend, WINTER SHAPE UP starts! Hosted by Gina, and Anne in the winter, its 4 weeks of workouts (and meal plans!), with a group that gets you motivated. I participated 100% the summer of 2013 (I had found Gina’s blog, The Fitnessista, a few months before, when I had just gotten into the blog world), and just participated a little bit since then. I want to be a bit more immersed this time!