Blogilates Beginners' Challenge - Week 1

Last week I mentioned over here that I was starting the Blogilates Beginners' 4 Week Challenge. I'm so happy to announce that I've survived the first week! After each workout every day I wrote a couple of paragraphs on how I was feeling/how the workout went. I plan to do one of these posts at the end of each week of the challenge. Now I understand that not everyone may be interested in just how much I sweated or struggled, but I really want to have something to look back on in a few months. I want to be able to see how far I've come and what I may have struggled with. I'm feeling so, so great. I can already see tiny little muscles developing and getting stronger. 

You can access the Challenge as well as all the videos that I speak about in this post over here. 

Day 1 - Sunday, July 27th

Workout: Total Body Workout

I really enjoyed this first day of this 4 week challenge. I think so often both Yoga and Pilates look so much easier than they really are! From the moment I began the workout I could feel it throughout my body. I didn't realise just how weak my core really was, but I'm excited to push on through with this challenge and to hopefully see some improvement.

The legs section of this workout was probably the most difficult, however, I could feel and recognise certain muscles that have been worked from my daily runs while at home, which motivated me to carry on. I also really struggled with the "one up, one down" workout and found myself going at a much slower pace than Cassey - I'm totally ok with this as I'd prefer to focus on getting the form right as opposed to the amount of reps I do. I know that as I go along I'll gain strength and things will gradually become easier for me.

Day 2 - Monday, July 28th

Workout: 1 minute plank, ABC Abs and Ab Time

Today was a good day. With every good choice I make I feel stronger and stronger. Throughout the day I could feel a slight ache and stiffness throughout my body from yesterday's workout. It was nothing uncomfortable, but it was definitely there, and it's presence motivated me to carry on pushing through - it's as if I can feel that something is happening in this chubbs little body of mine.

Today's workout focused on the abs in particular and I have to be honest, I found the ABC Abs tough. There were times where I lagged behind and where I had to stop for a while. I wish I could say I could keep up the entire time, but I couldn't. I want to be honest about everything I'm feeling each day so that in the future I can look back and see my progress.

The beginning of today's workout called for a 1 minute plank and I mentioned a while ago that I wasn't able to handle even 30 seconds. BUT! I'm rather excited about the fact that I managed the entire minute today. I know for some of you that might not seem impressive at all, but this girl is going to delight herself in any progress she may come across! I know it's only Day 2, but I'm feeling great! Sore, yes, but so, so great.

Day 3 - Tuesday, July 29th

Workout: 10 roll ups, Fat Burning Cardio Warm Up and Total Body Pilates

I woke up this morning and was not motivated to get to the gym at all. It was freezing outside and I would have loved to have stayed in bed for another hour. Despite my mood I did make it to gym but I wish I'd pushed a bit harder in the moment. It's always like that isn't it? The rest of my day was extremely busy and ended off with a few of the girls and I going out for dinner for a 2-for-1 pasta special. I know. I'm considering that my cheat meal for the week and made sure to do some extra planks this evening.

We got home from dinner quite late and I still hadn't done the challenge of today. I was so close to just hopping in the shower and into bed with the promise that I'd do it tomorrow. I'm so glad I didn't give in to my excuses, because here I sit at 11pm with the whole of today's workout done and dusted. Today wasn't anything that I couldn't handle but I did have to work hard at it.

If there's one thing I've learned from today it's that I really shouldn't leave these workouts until the end of the day. Things get so busy throughout the day so it will help to do them in the morning and then not have to worry about them for the rest of the day.

Day 4 - Wednesday, July 30th

Workout: 10 burpees, Quiet Cardio, Stretching for Flexibility and Bubble Butt Workout

The last week and a half of being back at varsity and the general busyness that comes with catching up with friends, socializing and the mountain of work I have had to do already all caught up with me today and this girl was plain old ex.hau.sted. which meant my head and heart weren't in it at all today. Boo. Seriously hoping for some more energy for tomorrow so some better days may be had.

I'd never done a single burpee before and so when I saw that today's workout kicked off with 10 of them, my initial thought was uh-uh, no ways! I'll just replace it with 20 roll ups or something. I gave them a try and I managed to do all 10 of them. They definitely got my heart pumping but they weren't great, form-wise. So to compensate for my sloppy burpees I threw in a couple of extra roll ups.

The Quiet Cardio was good and had me sweating deliciously, however I really did battle with the runner's lunges. I wasn't able to get the entire move to flow smoothly and got frustrated with myself. I ended up doing some normal lunges instead. The Stretching for Flexibility was wonderful! I enjoyed calming things down a bit and it felt good to really stretch this bod of mine. By the time it came to the last workout; Bubble Butt, I was so tired that I eventually just decided to call it a day. I'm disappointed in myself for leaving these workouts to the end of the day again - I know that if I'd done them this morning they would have been much more effective. 

So there's another slightly shitty day, exercise wise. On the positive side, however, I did eat really well today - tonnes of green tea and lemon water, my trusty bran flakes, a Thai chicken salad and the most delicious banana and strawberry.

Day 5 - Thursday, July 31st

Workout - Pick Me Up Quickie Workout, Body Slimming Workout and Crazy Core Workout

Today's workout incorporated a lot of new moves that I'd never done before and so that was refreshing. It felt really good to be able to quiet some of my doubts once I'd completed something I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do.

I do battle to keep up with Cassey, as I've previously mentioned. I need to keep reminding myself that she's been doing this for 16 years and I've been at it for a whole 5 days, so of course I'm not going to be keeping up with her.

Day 6 - Friday, August 1st

Workout: 20 sit-ups, Feel Good Soul Stretches, Backless Dress Workout and What Makes You Bootyful

If there was one thing that I was not expecting, it was for that Backless Dress Workout to hurt so flippen much! Wow did I feel the burn today my friends. It's funny though, because this one was such a slow paced and seemingly relaxed workout. My goodness was I wrong. I actually don't think I've ever worked my back specifically. I was feeling little muscles that I didn't even know exist scream! I feel so good though - this one was a goodie.

As for the What Makes You Bootyful workout, well those were 4 minutes of butt clenching, pelvic thrusting bridges that I will be feeling tomorrow! One Direction doing their thing in the background didn't exactly make it any easier but strangely, I really enjoyed this one! At one point, Cassey kept one leg lifted while doing the, um, thrusting, but unfortunately my core just isn't strong enough for that yet. So I just did the standard bridge thrust things for the whole 4 minutes.

Day 7 - Saturday, August 2nd

Rest Day

Here's to an even more successful Week 2!
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