Posted in: Workouts / Workout Programs

Sweat Complete - New Favorite Program?

I completed Sweat this past Saturday, something I never thought I’d do. Sweat, to me, always sounded too intimidating (because, well, HIIT), but I can’t resist a sale so I purchased it thinking I’d get around to it…someday, maybe. Then Kimberlee mentioned in the Daily Check-In that she planned to start the program in June and a couple other FB’ers hopped on board. I thought to myself, “it’s now or never,” so I decided to join them. I knew that tackling the program with other community members would help keep me accountable and from giving up if things got “too tough.”

And, surprise, surprise, I loved this program! Yes, there was a lot of HIIT and it was certainly a challenge (I’m looking at you week 2), but I really enjoyed it overall and, dare I say it, it may be my new favorite program. A breakdown of the types of workouts that make up Sweat is below (taking into account only the main workouts, not the ECs – most days I did not do the EC mainly because of time constraints, and also because the main workouts were plenty on their own!):

Strength & HIIT – 10

Strength & Cardio – 3

Strength only – 2

Core & Cardio – 2

Kickboxing & Strength – 1

Recovery Cardio – 1

HIIT & Core – 1

I achieved several NSVs throughout this program, including a new outlook on HIIT. I think I can tell you in all honestly Sweat has made me develop a soft spot for this form of exercise I never thought I would be able to enjoy (is this is symptom of over-training?😉). It’s still not my favorite, but I no longer dread it the way I used to, because I know that I can get it done (even if I have to modify).

This is definitely a tough program and I’m glad I worked my way up to it by doing other programs first (Low Impact Rd 1, Flex, FB30 Rd 3, Booty 2). I never would have been able to complete Sweat unless I gradually built up my endurance first. I also want to say how great it was to have buddies to workout “with.” Having other people to commiserate and celebrate with helped make this program fun and doable for me.

I didn’t do the PFT, so can’t share any results with you there. I can say my cardio endurance has definitely improved and I am now able to do certain moves I couldn’t do before (jumping lunges, lizard hops, three rounds of thigh slaps), modifying of course when I need to. I finished the program one day behind schedule in the interest of listening to my body, after waking up one morning feeling stiff and achy all over (this was after the kickboxing/upper body workout in week 4).

I didn’t lose weight or inches (I wasn’t trying to), but I feel like this program helped me tone up and I just feel and look (to myself anyway) slimmer all around. If I had been strict with my diet and aiming to eat in a calorie deficit each day, I’m sure I would have slimmed down even more.

I definitely look forward to doing Sweat again in the future (but NOT in the summer!). I really just wanted to post this review to say that Sweat showed me I shouldn’t be afraid to get out of my comfort zone and that I shouldn’t underestimate myself, and I wanted to say that to all of you as well – you can do more than you might have thought with hard work, dedication, and modification when needed. Thanks for reading!