I finished Bodyweight 2 yesterday and wanted to share my thoughts on it as someone who still has a significant amount of weight to lose and who doesn't jump for the sake of my knees. This review has been subdivided into more manageable sections so that you can easily find the information most pertinent to what you'd like to know.
STRUCTURE
Each week is comprised of at least 3 HIIT/cardio sessions that focus on total or lower body, 2 strength/kickboxing or PIlates sessions for upper body and/or abs, and 1 active recovery/stretching workout. Two to three extra credit workouts round out every week; most are core-centered, but there are also additional short HIIT routines and yoga sessions.
LOW IMPACT MODIFICATIONS
You can successfully complete Bodyweight 2 without a single jump! It may not seem possible with all of the HIIT scheduled, but it is. Oftentimes, low impact modifications are provided in real time. When they aren't, a lower impact version is relatively simple to do on the spot. Keep a few principles in mind:
1) Break down the high impact move into separate movements - e.g. Side Lunge Center Jumps -> Side Lunge + Step to Center + Calf Raise. Previewing the workouts helps with this, but it's not always necessary.
2) Find an adequately challenging substitute for any type of jumping motion. This could include calf raises, stepping through a movement, marching and so on. For instance, the jumps in squat jumps (almost always featured in Kelli's HIIT routines :-D) could instead be turned to calf raises, or eliminated completely if it comes during a burnout round.
3) Don't be afraid to slow it down! Step your Mountain Climbers instead of running them. Do a High Knee March instead of High Knees and focus on really driving your knees as high as possible without jumping from one foot to another. For one of Daniel's favorite moves - Burpees - do a slow burpee and step your feet back one at a time (and do a calf raise at the top of that movement rather than a jump).
4) Make adjustments to keep yourself challenged! If the low impact move doesn't feel difficult enough and your heart rate isn't increasing enough, especially with lower body moves, the smallest change can make a world of difference. In my case, I'd often add pulses, sink deeper into a squat or lunge or work through a 10-15 second rest. If that wasn't enough, I'd push myself to keep the move low impact but match Kelli/Daniel's pace. As an example, another one of Daniel's favorite moves - star jumps - had a low impact mod given, but it felt a bit easy. I focused my energy on turning it into more of a single leg exercise and squeezing each glute as I stood up on one side or the other, which helped to bump up my heart rate and increased the burn significantly.
STRENGTH TRAINING MODIFICATIONS
Though the premise of Bodyweight 2 is equipment-free workouts, some routines can easily be modified to include dumbbells and/or resistance bands if you need/want the extra challenge. After reviewing each routine and its specific exercises, I determined that a total of 9/20 workouts could be modified with extra resistance. Here is the breakdown week-by-week: Week 1 - 4 routines; Week 2 - 2 routines; Week 3 - 2 routines; Week 4 - 1 routine.
Even though the majority of the routines in this program don't feature weights, each day's assigned workouts are short enough that you could tack on a quick 10-20 minute strength training routine for a burnout round. If you'd like to combine this with regular cardio, daily mini strength sessions, or another form of exercise in a different session, it should be very doable. I was able to do double sessions for a total of 6 days of this program and wasn't left feeling completely spent.
FINAL THOUGHTS - RESULTS & SUMMARY
I selected this program because I wanted to focus a bit more on weight loss and cardio to burn off steam in April, and this program fit the bill perfectly. Not only did my endurance improve, but I also noted significant strides in my shoulder strength (there are LOTS of push ups, planks and walkdowns!) and continued improvement in my core strength as well. I didn't see much change in my lower body since I need weights to see any difference there, but that wasn't my focus this time. I also dropped a few pounds this month. If you find that you lose fat more quickly with cardio than with strength training and still have a ways to go before you begin body recomposition or bulking, I'd highly recommend this program.
All in all, Bodyweight 2 was an enjoyable experience and I'm glad that I gave it a chance. It truly surprised me; I tried routines that I've never attempted and found some new favorites. If you're on the fence about trying Bodyweight 2, I say give it a try. You just might surprise yourself with your own strength!
Bodyweight Round 2: A (Low Impact) Review
Hello all!
I finished Bodyweight 2 yesterday and wanted to share my thoughts on it as someone who still has a significant amount of weight to lose and who doesn't jump for the sake of my knees. This review has been subdivided into more manageable sections so that you can easily find the information most pertinent to what you'd like to know.
STRUCTURE
Each week is comprised of at least 3 HIIT/cardio sessions that focus on total or lower body, 2 strength/kickboxing or PIlates sessions for upper body and/or abs, and 1 active recovery/stretching workout. Two to three extra credit workouts round out every week; most are core-centered, but there are also additional short HIIT routines and yoga sessions.
LOW IMPACT MODIFICATIONS
You can successfully complete Bodyweight 2 without a single jump! It may not seem possible with all of the HIIT scheduled, but it is. Oftentimes, low impact modifications are provided in real time. When they aren't, a lower impact version is relatively simple to do on the spot. Keep a few principles in mind:
1) Break down the high impact move into separate movements - e.g. Side Lunge Center Jumps -> Side Lunge + Step to Center + Calf Raise. Previewing the workouts helps with this, but it's not always necessary.
2) Find an adequately challenging substitute for any type of jumping motion. This could include calf raises, stepping through a movement, marching and so on. For instance, the jumps in squat jumps (almost always featured in Kelli's HIIT routines :-D) could instead be turned to calf raises, or eliminated completely if it comes during a burnout round.
3) Don't be afraid to slow it down! Step your Mountain Climbers instead of running them. Do a High Knee March instead of High Knees and focus on really driving your knees as high as possible without jumping from one foot to another. For one of Daniel's favorite moves - Burpees - do a slow burpee and step your feet back one at a time (and do a calf raise at the top of that movement rather than a jump).
4) Make adjustments to keep yourself challenged! If the low impact move doesn't feel difficult enough and your heart rate isn't increasing enough, especially with lower body moves, the smallest change can make a world of difference. In my case, I'd often add pulses, sink deeper into a squat or lunge or work through a 10-15 second rest. If that wasn't enough, I'd push myself to keep the move low impact but match Kelli/Daniel's pace. As an example, another one of Daniel's favorite moves - star jumps - had a low impact mod given, but it felt a bit easy. I focused my energy on turning it into more of a single leg exercise and squeezing each glute as I stood up on one side or the other, which helped to bump up my heart rate and increased the burn significantly.
STRENGTH TRAINING MODIFICATIONS
Though the premise of Bodyweight 2 is equipment-free workouts, some routines can easily be modified to include dumbbells and/or resistance bands if you need/want the extra challenge. After reviewing each routine and its specific exercises, I determined that a total of 9/20 workouts could be modified with extra resistance. Here is the breakdown week-by-week: Week 1 - 4 routines; Week 2 - 2 routines; Week 3 - 2 routines; Week 4 - 1 routine.
Even though the majority of the routines in this program don't feature weights, each day's assigned workouts are short enough that you could tack on a quick 10-20 minute strength training routine for a burnout round. If you'd like to combine this with regular cardio, daily mini strength sessions, or another form of exercise in a different session, it should be very doable. I was able to do double sessions for a total of 6 days of this program and wasn't left feeling completely spent.
FINAL THOUGHTS - RESULTS & SUMMARY
I selected this program because I wanted to focus a bit more on weight loss and cardio to burn off steam in April, and this program fit the bill perfectly. Not only did my endurance improve, but I also noted significant strides in my shoulder strength (there are LOTS of push ups, planks and walkdowns!) and continued improvement in my core strength as well. I didn't see much change in my lower body since I need weights to see any difference there, but that wasn't my focus this time. I also dropped a few pounds this month. If you find that you lose fat more quickly with cardio than with strength training and still have a ways to go before you begin body recomposition or bulking, I'd highly recommend this program.
All in all, Bodyweight 2 was an enjoyable experience and I'm glad that I gave it a chance. It truly surprised me; I tried routines that I've never attempted and found some new favorites. If you're on the fence about trying Bodyweight 2, I say give it a try. You just might surprise yourself with your own strength!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, all :-D