I just completed Bodyweight Round 2 today. 2 months, 2 programs completed. YAY!
Before I get into the results just some basic info of how I went about the Programme...
1. I completed Low Impact R1 last month and moved on to Bodyweight R2 mainly because I didn’t have dumbbells/equipments and couldn’t get any during the lockdown. My aim is to lose weight in the long run but mainly to get fit, strong and active again.
2. I took 2 unplanned rest days with zero workout/activity because I really didn’t have the motivation to workout. It really helped me get through the program.
3. I did the low impact/beginner versions for 60% of the workouts.
4. I did all the extra credit videos (except 1 on Day 9), optional 6th day workouts and short yoga/stretching workouts with a quick warm up on the 7th day.
5.I ate regular home made food (Indian cuisine), stuck to calorie counting and portion control, restricted junk food (a slice of cake, a home made pizza, one burger and one pack of chips this month), almost no alcohol (2 glasses of wine this month). I have to put in more work to eat healthier/restrict indulgences and am working on it.
(Once I note down my ‘before’ PFT data I don’t revisit that data in 4 weeks. So when I reattempt PFT on the last day I do what naturally comes to my body instead of trying to remember my previous data and cheat myself to overwork.)
>> Other NSV: (I try focussing on all the positive little things to keep me motivated in this early stage of my fitness journey)
1. I notice better posture and have had no complaints of back pain this entire month!
2. Clothes that used to fit me just right are now loose and some clothes that didn’t fit me few months back are fitting me again.
3. My arms are where I have the most stubborn fat. Ugh! Surprisingly, I’ve seen changes - getting some definition, tightening those 'batwings’. Other than the visible changes, a major victory for me: I can do arm circles for full 50 seconds without taking a break. I could never imagine doing this. I normally paused every 10-15 seconds.
4. Another arm victory - I can do elaborate braids in my hair without my arms giving up on me. Please share any links or suggestions for easy and cute braid videos. Haha!
5. Rings that had gotten tight around my fingers are fitting me better. I can even wear some rings on fingers they were extremely tight on earlier.
6. Flexibility - I can touch my toes during stretches and on good days my heels touch the floor during downward dog. My ROM has increased and some stretches that left me flustered make a lot more sense. I do some basic yoga asanas (other than FB) and have been able to hold those asanas with more ease and for longer durations.
7. Doing only bodyweight exercises for 4 weeks has made me more aware of my form and which muscle should be triggered during an exercise. This helped me concentrate better on feeling the exercises in the right places and making the workouts more effective. It also taught me to keep my muscles engaged at all times.
8. I didn't take any measurements this time either. But i definitely notice changes especially in my upper body and core where most of my weight is.
9. Mental Health Win - I wasn't scared to attempt the toughest versions of exercises like burpees, pop squats, star jumps etc. And stuck to them for as long I could before switching to low impact mods. Earlier I wouldn’t even give the tougher version a shot. This is a personal psychological growth where I’m beginning to accept that my body is capable of doing more than I give it credit for.
10. I did three Level 5 workouts in a span of 10 days! I even did an EC along with a level 5 on Day 15. Still don’t know how I got through this. (I did do a lot of low impact modifications possibly bringing down the difficulty to a 4-4.5 but I’ll celebrate anyway. Hehe.) With my previous program LIR1 the difficulty level ranged between 1-3 and with this one its 3-5. With numerous level 4 workouts and three level 5 workouts. I got through these tougher workouts with some encouragement from my husband, friends and all the positive posts by the FB community.
Conclusion:
BWR2 was so fun! I wouldn’t want anybody to believe that since it has no dumbbells it is an easy program or has no strength training. It was tough for me especially in the beginning and I needed a break and lots of motivation to get through Week 2. But I stuck with it and came out stronger and fitter and definitely notice positive changes.
Doing only bodyweight workouts has taught me to focus on form and feeling an exercise in the right muscle groups. I’ve read how people prefer this program while travelling but I would suggest this program otherwise too. Even people looking to start weight training could benefit immensely from this program (using this program before FB strength might give you a better foundation and understanding to work smarter and push harder).
I believe I could have done FB30 after Low impact and then moved on to Bodyweight. This might have allowed me to give this program my all and do it better. Regardless, I’ve come out of this stronger than I expected and will surely attempt this again.
What Next?
I noticed I work harder during shorter workout intervals (30-40 sec active) and do better in ~30 minute workouts. I even enjoy shorter workouts more. So I’m gonna move on to FB30 trial (2 weeks) this 31st. I’m so excited about my first 2 week program! I’ll post my results and review as soon as I’m done.
If you'll have any questions about this programme (structure, cardio/HIIT/strength, general queries, personal experience, anything at all) I'll do my best to help!
Hope everyone's had a safe and healthy month full of green ticks!
Sorry for the long post as always and thanks for reading!
Bodyweight Round 2 Complete + Results!
Hey!
I just completed Bodyweight Round 2 today. 2 months, 2 programs completed. YAY!
Before I get into the results just some basic info of how I went about the Programme...
1. I completed Low Impact R1 last month and moved on to Bodyweight R2 mainly because I didn’t have dumbbells/equipments and couldn’t get any during the lockdown. My aim is to lose weight in the long run but mainly to get fit, strong and active again.
2. I took 2 unplanned rest days with zero workout/activity because I really didn’t have the motivation to workout. It really helped me get through the program.
3. I did the low impact/beginner versions for 60% of the workouts.
4. I did all the extra credit videos (except 1 on Day 9), optional 6th day workouts and short yoga/stretching workouts with a quick warm up on the 7th day.
5.I ate regular home made food (Indian cuisine), stuck to calorie counting and portion control, restricted junk food (a slice of cake, a home made pizza, one burger and one pack of chips this month), almost no alcohol (2 glasses of wine this month). I have to put in more work to eat healthier/restrict indulgences and am working on it.
Results:
>> PFT: 3rd May 2020 vs 29th May 2020
16 'decent' half push ups -> 15 ‘better' half push ups
32 squats -> 46 squats (bodyweight only)
40 sec forearm plank -> 46 sec forearm plank
sit n reach +1 cm -> +2.5cm
couldn't do the walk/run because of the lockdown.
(Once I note down my ‘before’ PFT data I don’t revisit that data in 4 weeks. So when I reattempt PFT on the last day I do what naturally comes to my body instead of trying to remember my previous data and cheat myself to overwork.)
>> Other NSV: (I try focussing on all the positive little things to keep me motivated in this early stage of my fitness journey)
1. I notice better posture and have had no complaints of back pain this entire month!
2. Clothes that used to fit me just right are now loose and some clothes that didn’t fit me few months back are fitting me again.
3. My arms are where I have the most stubborn fat. Ugh! Surprisingly, I’ve seen changes - getting some definition, tightening those 'batwings’. Other than the visible changes, a major victory for me: I can do arm circles for full 50 seconds without taking a break. I could never imagine doing this. I normally paused every 10-15 seconds.
4. Another arm victory - I can do elaborate braids in my hair without my arms giving up on me. Please share any links or suggestions for easy and cute braid videos. Haha!
5. Rings that had gotten tight around my fingers are fitting me better. I can even wear some rings on fingers they were extremely tight on earlier.
6. Flexibility - I can touch my toes during stretches and on good days my heels touch the floor during downward dog. My ROM has increased and some stretches that left me flustered make a lot more sense. I do some basic yoga asanas (other than FB) and have been able to hold those asanas with more ease and for longer durations.
7. Doing only bodyweight exercises for 4 weeks has made me more aware of my form and which muscle should be triggered during an exercise. This helped me concentrate better on feeling the exercises in the right places and making the workouts more effective. It also taught me to keep my muscles engaged at all times.
8. I didn't take any measurements this time either. But i definitely notice changes especially in my upper body and core where most of my weight is.
9. Mental Health Win - I wasn't scared to attempt the toughest versions of exercises like burpees, pop squats, star jumps etc. And stuck to them for as long I could before switching to low impact mods. Earlier I wouldn’t even give the tougher version a shot. This is a personal psychological growth where I’m beginning to accept that my body is capable of doing more than I give it credit for.
10. I did three Level 5 workouts in a span of 10 days! I even did an EC along with a level 5 on Day 15. Still don’t know how I got through this. (I did do a lot of low impact modifications possibly bringing down the difficulty to a 4-4.5 but I’ll celebrate anyway. Hehe.) With my previous program LIR1 the difficulty level ranged between 1-3 and with this one its 3-5. With numerous level 4 workouts and three level 5 workouts. I got through these tougher workouts with some encouragement from my husband, friends and all the positive posts by the FB community.
Conclusion:
BWR2 was so fun! I wouldn’t want anybody to believe that since it has no dumbbells it is an easy program or has no strength training. It was tough for me especially in the beginning and I needed a break and lots of motivation to get through Week 2. But I stuck with it and came out stronger and fitter and definitely notice positive changes.
Doing only bodyweight workouts has taught me to focus on form and feeling an exercise in the right muscle groups. I’ve read how people prefer this program while travelling but I would suggest this program otherwise too. Even people looking to start weight training could benefit immensely from this program (using this program before FB strength might give you a better foundation and understanding to work smarter and push harder).
I believe I could have done FB30 after Low impact and then moved on to Bodyweight. This might have allowed me to give this program my all and do it better. Regardless, I’ve come out of this stronger than I expected and will surely attempt this again.
What Next?
I noticed I work harder during shorter workout intervals (30-40 sec active) and do better in ~30 minute workouts. I even enjoy shorter workouts more. So I’m gonna move on to FB30 trial (2 weeks) this 31st. I’m so excited about my first 2 week program! I’ll post my results and review as soon as I’m done.
If you'll have any questions about this programme (structure, cardio/HIIT/strength, general queries, personal experience, anything at all) I'll do my best to help!
Hope everyone's had a safe and healthy month full of green ticks!
Sorry for the long post as always and thanks for reading!
#FBBWR2 #Puppycat
If you wanna go through my previous program results (Low Impact Round 1) you can check it out here - https://www.fitnessblender.com/community/discussion/19004/fb-low-impact-complete-results