Fitness Blender 5 Day Fat Loss Challenge - Recap/PFTW

Like I may have mentioned once or a billion times, I fell in love with Fitness Blender after Kim suggested their Tank Top Arms video (in all honesty, I cursed her for several weeks before I decided it was true love).

When they announced recently that they were launching a 5 Day Challenge, I was IN. I love a challenge, I love structure, and I love following a plan. I didn't really pay attention to it being for fat loss, so that's my mistake.

#1 is my favorite child {#1 thinks she's clever and that she snuck this in while I was cooking.}

The challenge was officially titled the 5 Day Fat Loss Program Jumpstart - every day, they would provide a video to be completed. It is geared towards someone with at least some fitness, but I feel like it could be pretty easily modified to suit a range of fitness levels. Don't quote me, I'm not an expert.

Day 1 (Monday)
40 minute butt/thigh workout. According to Daily Mile, I liked this video, and it was new-to-me, so I'm glad they introduced it. A lot of their videos are done in an AB AB format, which I enjoy - it makes my brain think we're getting things done faster.

Later in the evening, Gab and I did the FB kid video. She LOVES this video, because she's a crazy person.

Day 2 (Tuesday)
37 minute upper body with cardio intervals. Liked the upper body superset. Always hate jumping jacks. There were 2 strength exercises and one cardio interval per set; 10 reps for the strength, 1 min cardio, twice through. Three total sets.

Plus 4 easy miles with run club.

Day 3 (Wednesday)
This was the day I was dreading. 35 minute Insane HIIT Challenge. For A Person who Frequently Runs, I am so awful at HIIT/Cardio exercises. Suffice it to say, this video KILLED ME DEAD. 7 groups of 2 exercises, 3 sets per exercise, 20 sec on/10 sec active rest, in an AB AB format. 20 seconds is so sneaky - sounds so short, IS ACTUALLY SO SO SO LONG.

I completed the video, but it was UGLY. I took an extra 30 second water break after the jump squat/mountain climber set, and did mountain climbers instead of the weird lizard things, because there was NO WAY my arms were able to move.

This video was HARD.

Day 4 (Thursday)
37 minute Fat Burning Cardio - this was not toooooo bad, except for all of the jumping. Turns out, I really suck at jumping. This video consisted of 16 different exercises, 40 sec on, 15 sec active rest. It was fairly low impact, but I was sweating like a beast.

They also offered a yoga video option for the day instead of the cardio, but I opted to do the cardio. Go big or go home?

I originally had a tempo run on tap for the day, but scratched it for a trail run with hill repeats. I don't know why I thought that would be easier.

At least it was pretty. 4 miles.


Day 5 (FRIDAY)
35 minute Total Body Toning Strength and HIIT. Apparently this is how I felt about that video.

YEP. DEAD.

The FB description for this one is, "We have three different groups of two exercises; we'll be doing 10-14 reps for each set. Repeat each group twice, in an AB, AB format (with a short active rest in between) before moving on to a round of HIIT; 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 4 times through. All you're going to need is a set of dumbbells."

I for real hate jump squats. 

I vaguely think that I maybe liked this video, and might do it again, but I was kind of just relieved to end the challenge.

Saturday: NOTHING
We went to the beach, and I mocked #1's runner problems.

Sunday: long run
10 miles, .9 easy, .1 strides, from half marathon pace down to 5k pace. Legs were kind of lame the first few miles, but once I warmed up, all was well.


Overall, I enjoyed the challenge - I don't really weigh myself, so I don't really know how effective it was for jumpstarting fat loss, and I certainly didn't modify my diet too much, but.... Fat loss is not my goal. If that's what you're looking for, the emphasis on cardio and HIIT will help. 

For me, if I had paid attention when it started that it was a fat loss program, I don't know if I would have done it. (HA, who am I kidding, I'm a sucker for a challenge). I'm more focused on strength, and on half training. While this series was EXHAUSTING, it just didn't have as much strength work as I have come to enjoy. Not FB's fault, because that wasn't the point of the challenge.

I am disappointed/annoyed at how weak I am at cardio - I imagine adding some of that into my weekly routine will only help; honestly, I avoid the HIIT videos like the plague because I hate it so hard. I GUESS I'll try to work a little bit more in. sigh.

But like I said, I enjoyed the format. Five days is such a short commitment, that it was easy to dive in. It introduced a few new videos to me, which I appreciate. 

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PFTW

Monday: upper body/core (I really missed this video!!), yoga
Tuesday: 4 easy, probably during #1's track practice; hiit????
Wednesday: 5 easy, lower body
Thursday: yoga/upper body
Friday: long run - 8 miles with 4 at race pace (cut back week!)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: speed - 5 with 4x1600