If you follow me on Instagram, than you are likely aware that I have joined the BBG Community and have been religiously following the Bikini Body Guide by Kayla Itsines  since the beginning of the year! One of my goals for 2019 was to get my butt back into shape. I had been feeling very defeated, as I hated the way I felt and looked – my clothes barely fit (things were TIGHT and I found myself ordering larger clothing sizes), I felt sluggish and always tired, and had definitely put on some weight (I was heavier 2 years postpartum then I had been within the first year after giving birth). I was also really struggling mentally. I knew I wasn’t my best self and knew it was time to commit to a lifestyle change.

As part of trying to get said butt back into shape, I knew I needed to commit to exercising on a regular basis. I admittedly had barely even seen a gym, let alone used one, since prior to getting pregnant with my girls. I had heard of the BBG program years ago and even had the PDF version of BBG 1.0 (the first program) saved on my desktop for some time, but never did anything with it. I have always struggled to commit to any type of workout routine, especially since having the girls (I am the QUEEN of excuses!). I think there were a few things that pushed me to give the program a real try this go around:

1. The BBG programs are part of the SWEAT app and I had heard really good things about the app, as it’s pretty easy to follow and bit more convenient than the PDF booklet. (P.S. I CAN’T RECOMMEND THIS APP ENOUGH!).
2. I liked that I had some flexibility in terms of where I could do these workouts (at home or at the gym),
3. The daily resistance workouts are only 28 minutes long and I felt like that was something I could commit to.
4. The results I saw from other women who completed the program were seriously impressive and motivated me big time.

With all of these reasons behind me and before I could chicken out, I downloaded the Sweat app, signed up, and paid the $120 for the annual subscription (only $10/month — WAYYY cheaper than workout classes that are always at times I can’t make!). I figured that paying for the annual subscription would be be another motivator to actually use the damn thing. See below for some screenshots of the exercises in the app!

To back track slightly,  let’s quickly touch base on the structure of the program. I’m just going to use BBG 1.0 as an example, but all levels follow the same structure (that I am aware of). Each week consists of:

• 3 resistance trainings that target legs, arms, and abs. Each training day (mine are MWF) consists of 2 circuits of 4 exercises (each circuit is repeated twice) that are 7 minutes in length (or 28 minutes total) and,
• 3-4 days of cardio, which can consist of low intensity workouts – like  walks/jogs/elliptical/etc. – and high intensity – intermittent sprinting, etc.).
• This same pattern repeats every week and the resistance exercises vary. In the beginning, I was more focused on always completing the 3 resistance trainings.  Once my body got used to it, I started to fit in walks/jogs on my non-resistance days and when on days when I was able to make it to the gym for a long stretch of time (on resistance days).

You will need some equipment (not always though), but I found myself able to modify most of the exercises if I was home and didn’t have access to the gym. Throughout the 12 weeks (and once I knew I was hooked and fully committed) I ended up purchasing some equipment for home, which includes:

1. Workout/yoga matt (a must have from the beginning),
2. Dumbbells (pick a weight that is best for you – I have 5lbers at home but have worked up to 7.5lbs at the gym and will likely buy 8lb or 10lbs dumbbells for home soon)
3. Medicine ball
4. Steps platform (think from an 80’s workout video LOLz).

Other equipment that is frequently used: 1) jump rope (not a must have – I end up doing the jumping part and pretending to have a rope in my hands hahah) and 2) a workout bench for a multitude of leg and ab workouts. On leg days, if a bench is needed, but I know I have to do the workout at home, I’ll use a kitchen chair or something similar for step ups and leg lifts (these are my modifications!). On ab days, most of the exercises that use a bench can also just be done on your yoga mat. At this point, I would like to have a bench, but I honestly have no place for one in my apartment!

If you are new to BBG and depending on your level of exercise prior to beginning  (ahem… barely any for this mama), they suggest a 4 week “BBG Beginner” program prior to starting BBG 1.0, as a way to ease your body into it. I would highly recommend this if you’re considering starting the program. No lie guys, that first work out from BBG Beginner was HARD. I definitely threw up (TMI, but truth). I was SO out of shape, had gotten up super early to complete it, and had also stupidly eaten something small before the workout. I learned the hard way, but it never happened again haha Aside from the puke, that first workout nearly killed me – I waddled around for 2 days after the fact! Despite the waddling and soreness, it almost felt good to feel sore…does that make sense? Like I knew it was going to be brutally hard, but I also knew it would be so worth it.

After successfully completing the BBG Beginner program (after 4 very painful and sore weeks), I began the 12 week BBG 1.0 program. As the weeks went on, the exercises increased in difficulty (ugh), but alongside that, I remember feeling that the exercises didn’t feel as difficult as the last week. All of a sudden, I found myself completing sets of push ups and burpees with much more ease. This was an eye-opener for me, as I still vividly remember those first few weeks where I struggled with everyyyy exercise! That’s not to say I didn’t have my bad days where I wanted to quit and skip through the tough exercises, but knowing in the back of my head that I was improving and getting stronger, helped me push through and keep going.

I am so proud to say that I have now successfully completed BBG 1.0 and have already begun BBG 2.0. This equates to 16+ weeks of straight working out.  I didn’t miss one resistance workout, never pushed a workout to another day or made an excuse, but committed to it fully (very unlike me). I knew the first 3 weeks were crucial (it takes 21 days to create a habit) and so I was extremely intentional throughout the BBG Beginner program. I took it one day at a time and strategically made sure I built in time to get the workouts done (and yes, sometimes that meant getting my ass up at 4:30am to complete them in my living room before my family woke up). I began seeing results after 4 weeks and I think that cemented my commitment to this program. I could see the changes and while the pounds weren’t necessarily dropping away, the fat was and muscle was replacing it. Also, I think completing the work outs through the Sweat app kept me accountable as it times each circuit for you and shows you how to do each exercise. Further, it also walks you through a stretching/cool down after the 28 minutes is up which is amazing. Stretching is always something I was bad about doing (when I did workout), but your body can’t afford that with this level of training. Oh, you will also need a foam roller if you don’t have one already – it simultaneously is the best/worst thing – a necessary evil, we’ll call it.

During the workouts, I listen to audio books and I feel that this help motivate me to complete each workout. I know most people prefer music when exercising (that used to be me), but I have totally changed my tune. My audio books keep me focused on a story line and not so focused on how difficult the workout is and how sweaty & tired. I also just love books so I looked forward to going to to the gym and working out so I could hear what happened next in the book! In seriousness though, these ~30 minute work outs have now become my “me-time” where I actually enjoy listening to a good book, get a good work out in, and focus on me. I can check out for a bit, forget about the stressors of work or all the things I haven’t gotten to at home. I didn’t realize how bad of a mental place I was in until I started carving out this time for myself. Now I crave it everyday and feel weird if there is a day where I can’t make it to the gym.

So all that being said, I am in a really good place and pretty damn proud of myself for following through with my commitment to BBG 1.0. I know that may sound weird, but it’s true. I haven’t felt this good (physically and mentally) in years and now there is no going back. This is part of my norm now (I’m even working out on work trips and vacation… WHO AM I?! ha) and I’m really happy about that norm. OH and I’m also really happy that I can now do burpees without puking, which is HUGE guys… HUGE!

I’m excited to continue my fitness journey through BBG 2.0, which I will definitely be documenting along the way. I’m also hoping to add in a bit more cardio workouts consistently, as well as try to sneak in some work out classes early on the weekends (yoga  and/or barre, and I’ve really been dying to try Orange Theory!). With all that being said, I’ll end with this. Aside from feeling physically fit and mentally stronger, I’m really happy I decided to do this program because it forced me to invest time in MYSELF. I’ve struggled to do this since having my girls and it’s amazing how even just 30 minutes a day or every other day can totally change your mindset. So if you are looking for a way to invest in yourself, to strengthen your body and/or mind, I can’t recommend this program enough!