In my slightly excercise obsessed mind I figured it wouldn't be too tough. I could handle it. I've been working out consistenly for years now and this would be a piece of cake. I had heard good reviews of the system, but I didn't actually know any of the people who told me it was good. They could have been fairly new to exercise, so it would absolutely seem challenging them. Then again, they could be serious exercisers who are in perfect condition - I am still floor by those who tell me certain programs that kick my butt are waay too easy for them. Wow! is my only thought.
Anyway, I pick up this program and think, "Hey, it's only about 30 minutes long. I can do that before my run on Saturday." Sure. Not a problem, easy as pie, right? Not really.
The first progam in the system is titled Chest and Back. Do you know what that means? It means pushups. Now, I understand that pushups are super good for you and altering your appearance, but holy smokes, tough. I had to do them from my knees. And 30 minutes? Not really more like 40 (with warm-up and cool-down/stretch). But, I perservered. Day 1 - done. It felt good and I got my training run in before everyone else (read husband, not children) woke for the day.
Day 2 - Total Core. Ouch! This workout was tough. I, again, thought that it wouldn't be too hard. I'd done my fair share of Pilates, planks and crunches over the past few months. So again my slightly exercise obsessed mind thought that this probably wouldn't challenge me much. Wow, so wrong. For nearly 30 minutes I worked every bit of my midsection using a stability ball. I could feel my body working, but wasn't feeling real sore after. So, naturally, I thought I wouldn't be too sore the next day. Again, wrong. Definitely sore.
Day 3 - Rest Day. Gotta love those right? So, I just did my training run.
Day 4 - Tabata Inferno. If you haven't heard of Tabata Training or haven't tried it- it's basically a series of 2-4 exercises that you do in succession in a 20-10 format with a 1 minute rest between sets. Example: Squat Jumps to Mountain Climbers, progression is like this - Do Squat Jumps for 20 seconds, Rest for 10 seconds, then Mountain Climbers for 20 seconds, Rest for 10 seconds. Do that 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. Rest 1 minute. Then you get another series of moves. If you have four exercises then the progession is twice through for a total of 4 minutes. Rest 1 minute. This workout is tough. It challenges and pushes. It makes you sweat. You want to give up and call it quits, but you don't because you know that soon enough you will get a rest. It's awesome. This is the longest workout in the series coming in at just about 50 minutes. It's an excellent way to challenge yourself and your aerobic capacity.
You get the picture. I am not going to go through each and every workout - there were 10 different programs on 10 discs. The main point here is that I did follow the 'Success Chart' and was able to shed 10 pounds from my frame (even without following the eating plan). I also felt stronger and more in control, which made me a bit more confident, which in turn encouraged me to try some other exercise programs and continue with my 1/2 marathon training.
The most amazing thing? I decided to try the program again. So, I started this program a couple of days ago and I think it's harder the second time around. I am definitely feeling muscles I haven't felt in a while. May have something to do with that confidence thing, using heavier weights and knowing that I kicked the programs butt once before.
Wow! Way to go. Maybe I should borrow that. But then, I don't seem to have the determination for that kind of follow-through. :)
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