I never thought I would find myself on a “fitness journey” but here I am. Having your second baby really changes your body completely, and I am not talking about weight (because I won’t be talking about weight in this post) but about the strength and tone of my body. After having Charlie, I found myself feeling weak, incapable of doing things and out of shape, even though I continued to workout during my pregnancy. I have always loved exercising, and I find that it helps my anxiety so much, but I never was the kind of exerciser who would push myself. I would run a few times a week, but never was very into strength training. I always felt at peace with my body the way that it was, but always thought I was the kind of person who couldn’t be strong, like I was born a certain way and could not change it. What a silly way to think, right?
So about 2.5 months postpartum, after I had started back in with some light workouts, I decided to commit myself to this really hard workout program that I had seen other bloggers take on. It intimidated me, and I dreaded starting (and often thought I wouldn’t finish) but I made sure to share my journey with the program on stories to keep myself accountable. I also followed the suggested workouts each week exactly, and didn’t ever miss a workout. Maybe that is extremely type-A of me, but I wanted to use the program to it’s full potential. I ate clean for most of the program as well, but admittedly began to eat less clean around week 8-12 when I was with my family, and enjoying pizza and ice cream. I think eating clean made the workouts easier, but I also don’t think throwing in cheat meals derailed progress either.
I was debating whether or not to share photos of my journey along the way, because for me it was MORE ABOUT THE JOURNEY and less about the destination. I put in so much hard work along the way to get to week 12, and ultimately decided to share it on here because if you are in the same boat I was in postpartum, I felt like maybe this could inspire you, like other bloggers inspired me. There is nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, and for me confidence has come from feeling like I put in hard work, and I feel STRONG and HEALTHY. Please let this be a judgement free zone, because it is very scary to talk about my body and my journey so openly, and I know that exercise and fitness can be a sensitive subject.
Here’s all of your questions:
What is the BBG program?
BBG is a 12 week program on the Sweat app by Kayla Itsines. There’s a few different programs you can use, but I chose to use the BBG 1.0 program. You can also do the workouts from a PDF if you don’t want to get the app, but I really loved having the workouts guided through the app. The training sessions are broken down into Legs, Arms and Full Body and are 28 minutes long broken down into 4 circuits in an A B A B format. Each circuit is 7 minutes long, and you repeat the workouts as many times as you can within that 7 minutes, as the app counts you down. The program is not free, but you can pay a monthly subscription for 19.99 a month, or you can pay $119 for the year. You can also pay quarterly or for a half-year. The workouts are possible to do entirely from home, and all you really need are some light weights, a yoga mat and a jumprope! The 28 minutes are simple in nature, but not easy AT ALL. By the end of each workout, you will be sweating so so much!
Can beginners use BGG?
Yes, 100%!! There is a Post-Pregnancy track that helps you to rebuild strength, and there is also a BBG Beginner that allows you to train before jumping in to 1.0. The program increases in difficulty as you go, and builds on itself in terms of number of reps and intensity of exercises. The workouts are also set up so that you can do them at your own pace. I love that I can take a breath and complete less circuits on a day I am tired, or I can dive in and push myself. Everyone working out on the program will have a different experience. If you are not already working out regularly, I would recommend starting with BBG Beginner first.
How were you able to find the time with both kids?
I found the workouts much easier to complete first thing in the morning, so I would wake up from 6:30-7AM and get them done in my closet. They’re quick, so by the time the family was getting up I would be showered and ready with some coffee!
Are the workouts the same length of time or do they vary?
All of the workouts are 28 minutes long – 7 minute circuits X 4. There is a minute break in between each circuit if you would like to take it. As for the LISS (or low intensity cardio) you are open to do any kind of cardio you would like, which is what I loved most about this program! You complete 3 BBG workouts per week, and 3-4 cardio workouts. I chose to run and workout on the elliptical most of the time, and on days I felt really sore I would go on a long walk.
Are the workouts planned for you?
Within the app, there is a calendar that lays out weekly workouts for you. You of course have the option to change the calendar, or do the workouts at the pace you would like (combining BBG and cardio so you’re working out less days a week in total for example) but I chose to follow the apps recommendations entirely. This is how my weeks looked:
Monday: BBG Legs
Tuesday: Cardio
Wednesday: BBG Arms + Cardio
Thursday: Cardio
Friday: BBG Full Body
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Cardio
Did you follow the workout plan exactly?
Yes, I did. At times I felt like the cardio was A LOT, but I was committed to doing the program in full. For my next round, I will probably cut 1 day of cardio out, and fit it in more VS making the effort to complete every single workout. But for the first round, I wanted to follow the program exactly. As far as the BBG workouts themselves, I did modify a decent amount, especially in the last two weeks. I always completed pushups on my knees, and modified some of the ab workouts as well in moments when I felt weak.
Is it worth the cost?
For me, it completely was. Before committing to the app, I was working out in a very piece meal fashion, running and doing random free Youtube workouts. While this was great, I like the direction that the app provided for me. I also think, with COVID and gyms being extremely unsanitary, this is a great way to still stay in shape, and costs less than a monthly gym membership.
Have you changed your eating habits too?
Yes and No. Because of quarantine, I was eating so many more meals at home, which definitely forced me to cook more. I do NOT like to cook! But, in the beginning of BBG I ate really clean – eggs, green juices, bland turkey wraps, veggies, but as the weeks went on I did begin to eat a bit more things I love, like ice cream and donuts. What can I say, I like my sugar!
Did you see results?
The most incredible thing about the results are that I literally stopped caring about the scale. Weight is just a number! But I saw my body completely tone up in a way it never has before. I’ve heard people talk about “losing inches” and now I totally get it.
How did you stick to it and stay motivated?
So I am a freakishly motivated person, so the motivation piece was never hard for me. In my mind, I was committed to the 12 weeks. What was hard for me though was the soreness. Especially around the middle of the week, I feel SO sore, and my knees also felt sore from all of the squats. I would stretch a lot, and on days I felt too sore, I would walk instead of doing any intense form of cardio. I also began to feel like the BBG workouts were therapeutic for me. I am weird, and I workout in silence. I like to just get into my own head, and I LOVE the sound of Kayla’s voice. lol! All very strange things that you start to think when the app is so engrained in your everyday life.
What equipment did you need?
Not much! I have 5 lb weights, 8 lb weights, a yoga mat and a jump rope! I just use my chair for step-ups.
When did you notice a difference in your body?
I saw subtle results week by week, but I really felt stronger and more toned up by week 7. Then the results came quicker after that, and by week 10 I felt completely changed.
Did you start with Postpartum?
No, I jumped in to 1.0. I began to workout slowly when my doctor cleared me, and by the time I started with BBG I had felt like I was in some kind of shape, and was capable of doing 1.0. I definitely modified the abs and some of the arm workouts!
Is it repetitive/ boring?
It is somewhat repetitive in the nature of the workouts, but each week the workouts intensify. I love to change up the cardio, so I never feel bored. The Arms, Legs and Abs workouts are all completely different as well, so every week you may complete a similar “Legs BBG” but in between you will be doing different workouts. I have heard people saying they became bored with BBG, but I am a creature of habit and enjoyed repeating the same workouts.
Is it possible to workout in a small flat?
YES! I worked out in my closet! haha! I just think the jumping could be tough if people lived underneath you, but you can always modify.
Would you recommend it?
I would 100% recommend it. But there’s a few buts – the first is to ask yourself if you are capable of committing to something very hard for 12 weeks. You can of course fall of the wagon or not do every workout, but I personally think the best results come from following the program as-is. I also think you have to realize that you’re going to be SORE and tired, and not see many results for a while. I didn’t see results, like I mentioned, until about 1.5 months in. BUT, when I did see results they were huge! So, I think blindly working out really hard has to be something you’re okay with. Lastly, I think you need to be okay with not focusing on the number on the scale. BBG isn’t really about weight loss, it is more about being STRONG and CONFIDENT and watching your body tone up. The scale is an afterthought! If you are one of those people who is blindly committed to your scale, and you only measure progress by your weight, this program is probably not for you.
What comes next?
I will be repeating BBG 1.0 now, and will report back when I am done!
Leave any additional questions below and I will make sure to answer them.
