I have been absent from this blog for a while. I don't really have a good reason, just haven't been focusing on any one particular program lately, but I recently decided to throw my hat in the ring and start a new (for me) Beachbody program called Body Beast. This program focuses on mostly weight training but what's so great about it is that you can easily do it from your own home; no need to join a fancy gym. I had seen so many females really embrace this program that after looking into it a little more, I thought this would be the perfect program for me and my goals so I purchased a set of adjustable dumbbells and ordered the program to get started on the next chapter of my fitness journey.
I used to do quite a bit of weight lifting. It really does your body wonders and let's not forget how many calories get burned when doing weight training. Many women are afraid to lift weights because they think they are going to "bulk" up and look like a man, but in reality, that is not really possible unless you do some serious lifting. The fact is, what I enjoyed about P90X was having a schedule for legs, arms, chest, etc. What I didn't like about that program was that everything was the same every week. It started to feel monotonous after a while and I always hit a wall around the same time each time I started the program and would eventually get bored and quit. Don't get me wrong. I love Tony Horton, but I needed a little variety and surprise every now and then. When I started my PiYo journey, I loved how Chalene changed things up from week to week. I truly felt that PiYo was my soulmate workout program...until today.
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| My "before" photo-2/1/2015. |
Today was my first day of doing Body Beast and it certainly did not disappoint nor lack in the butt-kicking department. Body Beast is broken down into three phases: Build, Bulk, Beast. Today's workout focused on Build: Chest/Tris and by the end of the 48 minute workout, my arms were shaky and useless. As with most workouts, you start out with a warm-up. Today's consisted of jogging in place, arm circles (forwards & backwards), different variations of pushups and then more running in place. I can honestly say that I have never done pushups as a warm-up, well except maybe in PiYo early on in the program. Body Beast is designed to utilize dynamic sets to achieve your results. You start out with a single set of one move, then move on to a super set where you do two back to back moves with no break, then onto a giant set that is 3 moves back to back. Then to top it off, as you're adjusting your weights for each one, either increasing or decreasing depending on the set, you end it with a drop set. Confused? So was I at first, but this page breaks it down for you pretty nicely. Needless to say, I didn't change out my weights except for at the very beginning when I actually had to decrease the weight I was attempting to lift. My first reason for doing that was because I haven't lifted in a very long time with weights and didn't want to overdo it while familiarizing myself with this program. Second, it actually takes a little more time than I had anticipated to unscrew the ring on the handle and add another weight so I went ahead and ordered a second set of handles today and now I'll have two sets of weights for me for each workout. I still lifted about 10 pounds which for my first day definitely brought on that burn that we all love so much in lifting. Also, I don't use a workout bench. I used a stability ball, which is also used by one of the guys in the video, but talk about really having to maintain your balance while building your core. Below is a list of the exercises we did today. I need to replace the batteries in my heart rate monitor so I couldn't calculate how many calories I burned, but by the end of the workout, I was a sweaty mess so that must mean something good happened! Tomorrow is Build: Legs and I am slightly scared at the thought of not being able to walk or sit the rest of the week. Oh, the price we pay for beauty, health and lovely lean muscles.
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| E&E down the hatch and ready to start my first BodyBeast workout! |
Now let's talk food. As with any Beachbody program, a nutrition plan is included with Body Beast. One of the great perks about lifting is how many calories I get to consume while on this program. I calculated my estimated body fat percentage along with my weight and activity level, prior to this program, and am roughly in the 2400 calories per day range. Coming from a program where I was about a 1000 calories less than that, it was definitely an eye opener to see just how much I needed to consume each day. I can see where this might get overwhelming for many people and make them maybe not want to do the program, but once I broke it down a little further, it all started to make sense. For my calorie intake per day, my breakdown is as follows: 6 starches, 3 legumes or protein liquids, 5 veggies or balanced liquids, 6 fruits or carb liquids, 12 proteins, 5 fats. Because I have done 21 Day Fix in the past, using those containers helped me not feel so overwhelmed. For example, 12 servings of protein isn't so bad when you have 2-3 servings per meal. This is what I love about Beachbody because everyone thinks just counting calories will be enough, but you have to make sure you're not overdoing it in any particular group. And they tell you how to do that! Now, a couple of years ago, I started following more of a Paleo diet. I try to avoid legumes and most grains because I do feel better when I don't eat those things. I am trying this week out following the meal plan with legumes and some grains to see how I do, but I have found that others follow a similar Paleo diet and are doing great with their Body Beast results. So far I have had 2 of my meals, not including my pre-workout drink and my recovery drink. It is almost time for lunch and I am hungry, but not starving. I can tell my metabolism is a little revved up today and that makes me happy!
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| Most of my meal prep for the week. |
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| Breakfast today: Egg whites with sundried tomatoes over gluten free toast smeared with 2 tablespoons of avocado, and half a banana. |
I realize it is only my first day, but I am truly loving this program and what it may bring. I even entered myself in the casting call contest to hopefully be in the next Body Beast infomercial! I think because I have seen so many women doing this program and know that there is so much support out there, that is going to help keep me going. It really does help to have support like that to help keep you accountable and on track. if you don't have a workout buddy, find one. I'll be your buddy if you need one! Thank you for being a part of my journey! Day 1 is in the books!
Body Beast Build Chest and Tris Exercises
Warm Up
Single Set
- Dumbbell Chest Press 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Fly 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
- Close Grip Press 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
- Partial Chest Fly 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
- Decline Push-ups 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
- Tricep Extension 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, reps
- Single Arm Kickbacks (right and left arms) 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
- Tricep Extensions 15 reps, 12 reps, 8 reps
- Dips on Bench
- In and Outs
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