Posted in: Workouts / Workout Programs

FB Bodyweight - review

Program Complete!

I first did this program a year ago. I was active but not super fit, I'd just discovered Fitness Blender, and it was my first program after maybe a week of random workouts. I thought it was crazy tough! And a winner, thanks to plenty of fun kickboxing, tough HIIT and crazy push up workouts.

I then did Round 2, and felt like it started really slowly - great for beginners. Round 1 wasn't like that at all! And then over time I began to wonder if it actually had, and I just didn't realise because I hadn't been fit when I started it...

So I repeated Round 1 partly for fun, and partly to find out if it really was as tough and as awesome as I remember it.

The truth: it starts out really, really gently!! I'd just finished Fit R2, so the first few workouts felt really short. There was no HIIT until day 10! I guess I wouldn't have noticed this when I was just starting out, but now it is a long break from HIIT for me, and I felt my cardio fitness dropping off a bit. There was a tough workout on day 5 (crazy push ups and kickboxing), then things really picked up halfway through week 2. Week 3 was really intense!

That said, it is still a fantastic program. Let me do the usual "review" stuff.

Results: I didn't do the PFT at the end, but I reckon my fitness is roughly the same as at the start of the program - which is just fine given I'd just completed Fit R2. Weight is the same despite large quantities of chocolate. It's been a tough few weeks. 😅 Shoulder and arm definition is pretty fab thanks to lots of kickboxing and push ups.

Because I love Kristina's reviews so much, one day I sat down and analysed the workouts in this program. I can therefore tell you that this is a beautifully balanced program (with a couple of minor issues). Upper body, lower body and core all get similar attention - this is actually a fantastic program for working on your core. There's a great balance between HIIT, cardio, strength training, kickboxing, pilates, stretching... It's all well represented!

There were a handful of workouts that used dumbbells, and this time I did bring out the Powerblocks. However, I agree with K & D that these workouts would have been just fine without weights. (I just missed my favourite workout buddies!)

My favourite two things about this program:

1. Kickboxing!! 4 kickboxing workouts in a 4-week program? That's how I like it! (Though it's not one each week.) I would love to see more programs with regular kickboxing - partly because it's so much fun, and partly because I get sooo sore if I have long gaps in between.

2. Daniel! I think he gets roughly equal screen time with Kelli in this program, and it's great to work out with both my favourite trainers. My data suggests there's even more HIIT with Daniel than with Kelli, which makes me a happy Blender - though I will add that Kelli's HIIT workouts in this program are fantastic.

Where I feel this program could be better... And probably would be, if it were designed today:

1. No HIIT in the first week-and-a-bit was not ideal, and did affect my cardio fitness. Then week 3 was REALLY intense. I had a few days off, or doing other exercise, between the first two days of week 3, and really needed them. (Easily fixed by adding an additional workout or two, or switching days around.)

2. There's a kickboxing and yoga workout from one of the 5-day challenges that appeared twice, plus the yoga section again as part of a different workout. I don't mind this workout, but would have loved a fourth kickboxing workout in this program. (Again, easily fixed by scheduling my own workouts on one day.)

But the most important thing: this program is FUN. It has some really great workout videos. Crazy push ups, climbing the mountain, one of my favourite kickboxing videos, extreme jump squats in week 1, some fun extra credit... It's just awesome. I still highly recommend it... But now especially for someone returning to exercise!

And here's my furry trainer, who helped out with the leg lifts in the last strength training workout of the program. He helps activate the inner thighs without adding weight. Not as cute as Loki, I have to admit.