It seems like just yesterday that I wrote about the first two weeks of the Bodyboss Method program. And yet here I am, 16 weeks later, a "graduate" of the workout program and an official Boss.
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So, what happened? Did it the Body Boss workouts work? Did I shed a ga-gillion pounds following the fitness guide, finding myself a totally new person? Well, no, not exactly. But, I do feel like a new person! I'm excited to exercise every day, find myself bursting with energy, and I'm even sleeping better.
Revisiting my goals, I wanted to:
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GET STRONG
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FEEL HEALTHY
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LOSE WEIGHT
I definitely achieved two out of those three goals. And, while I didn't lose a ton of weight, I'm actually thinking about ditching the scale after this experience. I lost 4-inches along my waistline, and I feel stronger and healthier than I have in a long time. So, who really cares what the scale says?
What Worked for Me
I Didn't Need a Gym Membership.
It was great that I didn't have to subscribe to any monthly memberships or go to any scheduled classes. The workouts were easy to do from home (and sometimes on the road) with minimal equipment.
I used my bodyweight for most of the workouts, and sometimes bags of pasta and water bottles filled with water as my weights. The step-by-step instruction booklet (which was also available online) was all I needed to workout each day. Loved that!
The Pre-Training.
I really needed those four weeks of pre-training before heading into the 12-week program. They definitely kick started my fitness program, getting me back into shape. These workouts were also shorter, making them easier to commit to. They got me back into the routine of exercising every day.
It fit into my schedule.
The program has high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts on Monday and Wednesday, a 6-minute Power Up training on Friday, and cardio and recovery days on Tuesday and Thursday. This meant all my workouts were during the week, and I had the weekend free.
Quick, Easy, "Painless."
When you included warmup, rest, and cooldown, the workouts are longer than the 24-minutes-3-times-a-week they advertised. That being said, the HIIT workouts were pretty quick and painless. Each week, the fitness journey walked me through different exercises.
I learned to master push ups and elevate my heart rate up into a fat burning range. The biggest benefit: It might have been quick and easy, but it wasn't really easy. The workouts got more intense as the weeks went on, so I was always out of breath!
All the Stretching.
I came to love the stretching routines. Sometimes I felt like it was a waste of 12 minutes (6 minutes before and after the workout as part of the warmup and cooldown), but I realized this was preventing me from getting hurt. It increased my flexibility and actually got me into doing some yoga poses. At the end of the program, I feel ready to jump into a yoga class!
What Didn't Work for Me
Some Really Challenging Exercises.
A lot of the exercises were hard. Really hard. Even though the 12 week fitness guide is designed to get more intense as you move along, I found myself modifying many of the exercises to make it work. Sometimes it felt like we skipped some preparations. For example, we jumped into doing plank rotations before we really mastered planks, which was hard on my wrists.
Anything Involving a Box.
I wasn't going to buy a box just to finish my workouts, and I don't have any stairs in my house. So I just modified these workouts to work without the box. Box Jumps became Frog Jumps, and Running Step Ups became Side Shuffles with High Knees. You get the picture.
Final Notes
I would definitely recommend this program for busy women who are looking to tone up, improve their fitness levels, get back into shape and feel great about their bodies. I'm still not at my ideal weight, but I'm well on my way and feeling better than I have for years.
Now, all I have to figure out is what's next: should I start the workout routine over again, or jump into a new 12-week challenge. Maybe I'll step out of my comfort zone and join a yoga challenge...
Editor's Note: The author has not been solicited or paid by BodyBoss Method for any opinions or review.
