Day 3!

Along with what I feel about the value of the 21 Day Fix!

T25 Dynamic Core

The last of the T25 Beta phase workouts!  Dynamic Core is an ab workout with a slight cardio component.  The first half is standing.  I love standing ab work!  I feel like it really helps to teach you how you can work the abs better (and support your body better!) in daily life.

Then we move to the floor.  Most of it is difficult but doable…then you get to bicycles and v holds.  Oof!  It is the only time I remember seeing the people in the video struggling!  It is tough. But then it ends.  And you can modify or take a moment if needed, but if you pause always come back to try again!

The last move is a plank walk to squat pyramid (so plank walk, squat, plank walk, up to squat, to plank, to squat…increasing squats for each plank walk) and is a great end to the workout.  You’ll be counting down the seconds!

This uses a mat.  There is a little part that I have trouble with while down on the mat…there’s a sequence of side planks with other moves in as well.  You do a side plank, switch to something else, then go back to a side plank with toe taps forward and back, then more moves, THEN switch to the other side.  I’m always setting myself up wrong.  Not sure if that will help anyone!

What’s your favorite core workout?

T25 Rip’t Circuit

Our next T25 workout is Rip’t Circuit.  This one seems easier to me than Total Body Circuit from the alpha round, probably because of the weights.  I find that body weight exercises are more difficult for me than using weights.  You can’t adjust body weight!

The workout goes cardio, upper, lower, abs…repeat for 25 minutes.  You get an all over workout nice and quick.  It is quick paced, so be ready to move through the movements and not really take time switching…remember we are go go going in Focus T25.

Some non-cardio moves also raise the heart rate.  So you do get a good calorie burn, though it is lower than the cardio specific workouts.  There are a good amount of push ups, so I guess be warned!

The workout uses weights and a mat.  Not a Rip’t Circuit specific comment, but the T25 workouts don’t use much more space than 2 mats would.  Here’s a picture of the space I use (weights not pictured!)

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I like this workout, but don’t have much to say about it.  If you have questions, ask away!

T25 Speed 2.0

Going on to the next T25 workout, we have Speed 2.0.  This is not your alpha round Speed program!  Speed 1.0 alternated cardio and stretching.  Speed 2.0 is all cardio for the 25 minutes.

So let’s talk about the format.  We start out with round 1, level 1 – cardio drills, all in a row with no rest.  Then, we repeat for level 2 and 3 of round 1 with the time of each drill getting shorter.  Then it’s round 2, same thing.  Then with under 8 minutes left, there’s a jog recovery period.  Yup…you are going going going the whole time until then.  No time to even think about it…the time flies!  Next, we take it from the top…round 1 and round 2 done two times in a row.  Followed by another jog recovery.

Then you think I surely couldn’t do another round with the time we have left.  You’re wrong!  One more time on super speed, with the drills only lasting a few moments.  Ending on a jog recovery.

I’m not going to lie…I like it.  You may think I’m crazy, but it is a great workout and goes by in a flash.  This is one of those workouts that I will do for years to come.  I think it would be great for a holiday where you’re pressed for time but need that calorie burn.

T25 Upper Focus

We move on to T25 Upper Focus in our T25 Beta phase workout.  This requires weights or bands and a mat.  A resistance band is included with the workout program, and works well.  I prefer to use weights because it’s easier set up (just pick them up!) but bands are easier to adjust the resistance.  There is one person using bands in the video, so he will show you how to set it up.

One thing about using weights with this video – they use one set of weights each and there isn’t time built in to switch between exercises.  I end up using 8 lb weights though I could probably go higher on most exercises.  I’m going to put out 10s next time and try to switch for the front raises and any other exercises if needed.

The workout alternates segments of upper body exercises with cardio recovery.  I usually am pretty happy to get to the recovery!  There are all sorts of upper body exercises.  Most people will find that the body weight exercises are the hardest – push ups, tricep dips, hip ups – are the most difficult, especially when they’re at the end of a tough workout!  But it is doable…nothing too crazy.  And no burnout round!

I really like this workout and was excited to be using weights again after Insanity and T25 Alpha phase.  Rip’t Circuit uses them as well, but that will be later this week.

T25 Core Cardio

Well, as a bonus to being in week 3 of T25 Beta phase, I know I will blog each day this week to tell you about the workouts!  Hopefully that will be what I need to get back in the habit.  Maybe I’ll even double posy (gasp) a few days!

But first, our review!  Beta phase is definitely tougher than alpha, with the premise being that you’re ready for it.  I still think the movement changes make it doable.  Plus we still have our modifier!  And to set this further apart from Insanity, we use weights!

Not in Core Cardio though.  This is similar to the Alpha Cardio, with more of a core focus.  There’s more twisting, some work in plank towards the end, and a lot of bringing the knees up.  I use a mat for this workout because my floors are a little slippery.  During the planks, you take an arm off the ground and there go my feet, sliding away.  but there isn’t a huge need for it.

I have a hard time with the one-legged kangaroo type hops.  Here we do one-legged kicks and I usually start out and switch to the modifier.  Those are the most difficult moves for me in this workout.

There are two burnout rounds in Core Cardio.  It goes really quickly.  The beginning of this workout (and the other Beta workouts) jump right in instead of building the jog like the Alpha workouts.    I’m fully enjoying Beta!

T25 Alpha Phase round up

Here are the links to each of the review posts…

Total Body Circuit
Speed 1.0
Lower Focus
Cardio
Ab Intervals

I also want to talk about the Stretch workout.  A lot of people will be used to the Insanity recovery videos and expect (worry?) that this will be similar.  Those are still very hard workouts, you will sweat, and my three typos will say swear as well.  That was fitting!  The T25 Stretch video is actual stretching.  Not that you wont want to come out of some of them early, but today I did it without sneakers and was fine.  You need a mat for this workout but are mostly standing.  I enjoyed it!  I really needed a bunch of stretching today and this was perfect.  I see myself using this video regularly even after I go through the T25 program.

So that’s the alpha phase.  I’ll post about the Beta phase workouts once I’m into that.  One more week in alpha, and it has Total Body Circuit three times!  This is going to be tough!!

T25 – Ab Intervals

This is the last of the Alpha phase workouts!  I did it today with Total Body Circuit as part of my T25 Double Day.  Tough day after a rough night!  I have been up since 3:50 am and could use a nap.  So we’ll get started…

Ab Intervals is an abdominal workout (but you probably figured that) with cardio intervals.  So it alternates a few ab movements with a cardio move.  Most of the cardio moves use the core as well, so it’s really 25 minutes of focus on the core.  Most of the ab work is either plank or v-sit based.  They will work your core, but with the cardio “breaks” and modifying if needed, this is a doable workout.  That seems to sum up a lot of T25.  It’s tough, but doable.  And you’re finished in 25 minutes…how bad can it be!

 

So what’s up with this Double Day thing?  A double workout is recommended on Fridays (or the 5th day if you do them on different days) to accelerate results.  You could choose one, split them up during the day, or move one to another day.  I like to get them done together and free up my Saturday for other things (tomorrow I plan to practice Insanity for teaching purposes…still a workout!).  There is also a stretch workout recommended for Sunday but I have been doing yoga outside of the program.  I hope to do the stretch workout soon though.

I’m enjoying T25 and always feel like I got a longer workout in.  I’m feeling some soreness, but I don’t feel like I can’t walk or anything.  Worked but not dead, which is perfect for me.  And with my extra time, I’ve mostly been racking up more mommy/baby time either directly or by taking care of other things to fee up time elsewhere.  Good stuff!

T25 – Cardio

Today was time for T25 Cardio, the first workout on the schedule (I’m in the third week).  I find it mostly fun, very tough and a sweat inducer.

The moves work in a progression as in most of the other T25 videos.  You wont be jumping into anything except in the Burnout rounds.  Yep, rounds…there are two!  You can handle it!  Most of the moves are fairly simple, especially with them moving in the progression.  The hardest for me was the On Your Mark and Up Down move – you start in a set position, like you are getting ready to take off on a run and then jump up with one heel forward and back down.  On about the third time through, I found it a lot less awkward!  So just keep on.

The last two minutes after the second Burnout are tough.  You will be reminding yourself of the time and counting it down.  But it’s two minutes!

Overall, it’s a tough and sweaty workout with a bunch of fun cardio moves.  I can do this one without modifications, but Tania is there to give them if you need them.  No shame in modifying!  You have to start somewhere.

Tomorrow is Double Day!  There is an option/suggestion to do two workouts on Fridays for optimal results.  I try to do them back to back because I like having my workouts done early.

T25 – Lower Focus

Excuse me.  I worked out for 25 minutes and can’t feel my legs!  Or at least that was this morning!

T25 Lower Focus is a great, tough leg workout.  You will hate the lunges.  And the calf work is all fun until you can feel it working in every move after!  My personal favorite move is the deadlift, which would not surprise you if you know me.  Deadlifts are my favorite!

The moves progress as in most of the other workouts.  This one has two Breakout rounds and when the second starts, you have 3 minutes left.  Shaun T tells you there’s “under 5 minutes” to go.  There you go…a 2 minute gift!

You will feel this workout.  There will be times that you’ll want to quit.  There may be times that you want to modify…nothing wrong with that.  But it flies by and call me crazy, but I think it’s fun.

You don’t need any equipment for this workout (the Alpha phase of T25 only needs a mat, but I didn’t even use that).  I’m beginning to think that wristbands, or towel bracelets, are necessary for all of these workouts.  There is no time to towel off and you’ll sweat buckets!  All go go go.

Tomorrow is T25 Cardio for me!