I've Used Kayla Itsine's BBG Sweat App For 5 Weeks. Here's What I Think.
I started week 5 training with Kayla Itsines' "SWEAT" app this week and I am loving it. I just graduated from BBG Beginner (Weeks 1-4) to BBG 1.0!
Yes, I admit, half the inspiration is being able to share post-workout selfies on my Instagram story (feel free to respond with encouraging words and emojis! They go a long way).
The new year rolled around and I (along with countless others) decided to take my health a bit more seriously. So a few weeks into January, I bought a year-long subscription to a fitness app called SWEAT that Taylor introduced me to a couple years ago. The following morning, I went down to the gym in my building, clicked the "start" button, and began my first resistance workout: leg day.
Kayla's workouts are quick: 28 minutes long, two circuits consisting of four exercises each.
Example:
Circuit 1: 15 squats, 10 burpees, 24 walking lunges, 24 knee ups
Circuit 2: 24 jump lunges, 15 sumo squats, 24 step ups, 15 squat and press
You have seven minutes to complete as many rounds of circuit 1 as possible, 30 seconds to rest, and seven minutes knock out as many rounds as you can of circuit 2. Then repeat.
Y'all.
I quit in the middle of my second circuit. I made it 10 minutes.
I glanced down at my Fitbit to check my heart rate: 209BPM. I was certain death was upon me. Or that Taylor was going to find me passed out in the stairwell trying to crawl back up to our apartment.
I was bedridden for the rest of the day and the three weeks following. Luckily, it wasn't that I was weak—the flu season had hit hard.
Discouraged (but still out $120) I promised myself that once I recovered, nothing was going to stop me from getting back on the SWEAT train. There's nothing like being sick for weeks to remind you not to take good health for granted.
Recovery took its dear sweet time. I eased back into physical activity with a few shifts at work and a couple slow miles of running in the park.
Then I opened up the app again and started the program over.
Week 1. Let's go.
This time I made it through all 28 minutes. By the end, I was exhausted and drenched in sweat—but I had done it.
Inspiration came slowly. Many days, I asked a coworker of mine if she wanted to workout the night before. Otherwise, I would've stayed cozy in my bed instead of sweating it out on the gym floor.
A month later, I have only missed one workout. *Sorry Full Body Week 2*
I have seen some minor physical changes at this point. As a newly converted vegetarian (possibly working towards vegan?) I'm still in the process of trying to find a balanced diet. The app comes with a meal plan as well, but I'm not dedicated enough to let an app dictate my food choices. But I definitely feel changes. The push ups and lunges are getting easier. I feel more energized. I dread workouts a little less. I'm pushing through all 28 minutes rather than getting lazy on the second set of circuits.
I've generally found that once I begin a workout, it flies by. If you have trouble staying motivated, know this: you'll be too busy moving to keep a close eye on the clock. When I do check it, I'm likely already halfway through the circuit (or only have two minutes left). At that point I think, "What's 2 minutes longer?" and find a way to push through.
I used to go to the gym and waste ten minutes deciding what to do. I don't have time to sit and plan my workouts or decipher how to perform an exercise. The SWEAT app gives you a video of how to do the workout, automatically times your circuits, and my favorite part—confetti falls from the top of your screen when you've finished! (I'm easily amused)
I'll be interested to see how long it takes to notice physical changes. If I don't after week 10, I'm going to be pretty disappointed. But since 80-90% of your physical appearance has to do with diet, I'm going to need to stop eating pasta every single day of my life.
Stay tuned for future updates on my fitness progress! Or to keep up with my daily grind, follow me on Instagram: @chloturner and watch my IG stories. I can't wait to see what BBG 1.0 has in store because the first "Arms & Abs" workout just kicked my butt!
What are your favorite fitness apps? Have any of you ever tried SWEAT?
-Chloe