This post was updated daily for days 15 – 21 of this challenge.
Click here for week one’s updates of this challenge.
Click here for week two’s updates of this challenge.
Chloe released a new cool down video today, which I’ll be trying out. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, we really are being spoiled during this challenge. 8 new videos plus a new recipe section (I’ve already made the overnight oats twice, it’s really yummy) all launched this month! Wow.
That said, I’m still not sure about the new warm up haha, mostly because I am more flexible and thus need longer in a stretch position before I feel sufficiently stretched out. I don’t like to watch it in half time because I’m not a fan of distorted music or her distorted voice, but I’m still going to give it a go and maybe use it every now and again.
Regardless, I’m looking forward to the program itself because it is epic. This week I’m really looking forward to the 6 Pack Abs and Booty Burn videos from the Get Fit Challenge, and the no jumping Full Body Burn from the 2020 Summer Shred. As well as all the new videos, of course.
Believe it or not, I’m also kind of looking forward to the Plank Challenge video for day 20, and I’m really glad Chloe put the videos in order of intensity for that day. Seriously, I really appreciate the thought that she’s put into this program.
Week Three
1/18 – Day 15: Completed 17:47.
Videos completed: 8min Warm Up, 15min HIIT Fat Burn, Ep 4. Booty Workout, 6 Pack Abs, New Cool Down.
Today I was quite tired and probably still recovering from yesterday’s workout, so again I almost didn’t do the workout because the videos seemed hard, but I’m glad I went ahead and did it in the end.
I thought about skipping the warm up in lieu of taking the HIIT slowly so that I would warm up with the HIIT instead, but I’m glad I did the warm up after all. My right wrist had been hurting a bit from overuse on the computer and I was able to stretch it out a bit during the warm up.
The HIIT wasn’t very hard because I did the low impact and took it at my own pace. I can see how it’d be more difficult if I did the jumps, but I can’t jump and the low impact moves weren’t particularly challenging for this video. Jacky did the warm up and HIIT with me before going to call his parents. He did well! I’m proud of him.
I used medium resistance for the booty workout but dropped the bands half way through the right leg hip circles. It was too much for my tired body today heh. I didn’t use weights for the ab workout either but I still got a decent workout because I was tired overall.
I briefly tried the lower abs video but realised it’s listed tomorrow as compulsory, whereas it is only optional today. Mentally I wasn’t prepared to do it on both days, plus I decided I wanted to save some energy, so I skipped the video. I’d already done one ab workout today anyway.
Finally, I tried out Chloe’s new cool down video! I loved it! Apart from the start that I felt was a little rushed (which can be easily remedied by me simply doing fewer reps and going more slowly next time), the rest of it was perfect.
I loved the yoga elements that Chloe included, got a really lovely stretch in, and ended with my heart rate at only 86bpm, which is perfect for a cool down. I’m definitely going to use this one more in future. That’s it for today! Tomorrow is going to be tough. I shall need a good night’s sleep tonight haha.
1/19 – Day 16: Completed 17:22.
Videos completed: 8min Warm Up, 10min Upper Body, Ep 3. Arm Workout (x2), Ep 6. Lower Abs, New Cool Down.
Oh man, the 10min upper body workout is always killer. Again I was able to do one full push up (but I’m still working on getting my chest all the way to the ground) before going back to knee pushups.
Today’s win was that I didn’t need to take any extra breaks through the whole video and my back/left side planks have improved (in that I can keep my body lifted up much higher off the ground now). I also didn’t need to take an extra break until after the first round of the arm workout, and I’m glad I took the break because it allowed me to do the rest of the workout in good form.
I maybe could have pushed myself a little harder but I am happy that I was able to do the workout given my body hasn’t really had a chance to recover over the past few days and my arms were already a little sore. I really want a rest day haha. I’m tempted to take one tomorrow, but that’ll mean doing two booty days in a row after, which I know I won’t be able to do.
The program has been really well thought out in working out different body parts on different days. Super happy about it so I will just push through tomorrow and enjoy my rest on Thursday. I need to stretch well tomorrow because my arms and neck were crackling today haha.
1/20 – Day 17: Completed 18:45.
Videos completed: Ep 5. 10min HIIT, 15min Booty Burn, Ep 2. Abs & Flat Stomach, New Cool Down.
Much like for day 12, I was unexpectedly tired and considered skipping but instead did the 10min HIIT as a warm up again. I added a few stretches in as well but overall it worked surprisingly well as a warm up, since I went slowly at my own pace.
I used a 5lb dumbbell and light resistance bands for the booty burn (apart from for the Bulgarian split squats – I still struggle with them without weights) and think I probably could have gone heavier, but am glad I didn’t. I still feel like I need rest so I took it easier. After my rest day tomorrow, I will go back to medium resistance.
I’m happy with how much I was able to engage my core! I needed a mini-break before the plank tuck lifts but otherwise I was able to keep pushing the entire way through. Mentally I thought I may as well give it all I had since tomorrow would be a rest day, so I did.
Overall it was a great workout! Loved the videos and I’m really glad I completed it all in under an hour (since I used the HIIT as more of a warm up). My body needs rest, I can feel it. Yay for resting tomorrow.
1/21 – Day 18: Rest.
Today I did not do aaanything, no exercise at all. Haha. Actually I got a bit worried when I noticed I hadn’t done my workout at 5pm before remembering today was a rest day and almost felt a bit empty haha. But it’s good, I needed the rest today :)
1/22 – Day 19: Completed 19:10.
Videos completed: Ep 1. Full Body, 15min Lower Body, 2 Week Abs, New Cool Down.
Oh man. I did not get enough sleep last night so was tired all day and honestly in a bit of a funk for the majority of the day. I surprised myself by getting up to do my workout anyway to be honest. I thought I’d end up skipping and taking Sunday’s rest day today again, but the thought of doing another 5 days’ working out in a row was enough to deter me from pushing back another day. Good thing, too, since tomorrow is looking insane.
I am really looking forward to it, don’t get me wrong. But it’s looking insane haha. Plank challenge, it’s been a while.
Today’s workout was difficult for me; I had been running on low energy due to poor sleep and generally feeling a bit meh. I used the first set and a half of the HIIT to warm up to make it easier for myself to handle. I don’t think it was sufficient for me to fully stretch and warm up though, so I felt some discomfort when doing certain moves like planks later.
I’ll definitely need to warm up well tomorrow.
I used Chloe’s light resistance band for the entirety of the booty workout today. I know I said that I was going to go back to medium, but upon realising it was the booty video from the 2 Week Shred I changed my mind haha.
It’s a killer workout – those extra 10secs of each move made a huge difference, and my muscles were shaking for some of them. I think this is the first time I used a band for every single banded option move actually. I’m really pleased with this progress.
However, that meant I didn’t have much left to give for the final abs video. Oh my goodness, I’d forgotten how tough it was. It feels like this video had become more difficult! Not only is it 40sec per move but a bunch are back-to-back with zero breaks in between!
I didn’t add any extra pauses to the videos but there were a few moves I wasn’t able to continue for the entire duration of. My abs were burning like crazy so I know I engaged them. I didn’t record today’s workout so I wasn’t able to look back on my form, but it’s okay. I am pleased that I got a good workout in!
It was nice to end on Chloe’s new cool down video again and I felt more alert after working out actually, so I should probably go back to working out earlier in the day like I did before. It makes a big difference to my mental health, so it’s something I should try to prioritise too.
1/23 – Day 20: Completed 19:13.
Videos completed: 10min Warm Up, Plank Challenge, 10min Upper Body, Full Body Burn, 15min Cool Down.
Ok let’s be real, I struggle hard during that plank challenge video. I took multiple breaks and overall did not have a very good time haha. Those extra 10 seconds was insanely difficult so I wasn’t able to continue each move for the full duration and I had to do a few low impact moves, but I can see my form improved for side planks.
I think the most insane thing was that Chloe somehow thought it would actually be possible for me to do that upper body & core video after the plank challenge. Like, how she could possibly think I still have arm or core strength after that plank challenge is beyond me.
She clearly had far more faith in me than I have in myself. Going from that plank challenge to pushups was like… yeahhh… Not gonna lie, I hated her for a good 40sec hahahaha. But I somehow was able to complete the video and my reverse plank form was on point! I’m so proud of myself.
But then she ended the day on one of my favourite videos – I loved that no jumping HIIT during the 2020 Summer Shred and was very happy to be doing it again today so we’re back to loving Chloe again.
Yay! Week 3 is pretty much complete! We’ll be going to Costco tomorrow and that’ll be my rest day activity. I would only have been resting at home otherwise.
1/24 – Day 21: Rest.
Good thing it was a rest day because I was ridiculously busy and then I got a bit sick. We managed to do our weekly shop at Costco and grab and eat Habit Burger before my headache got too bad and I fell asleep on the sofa for an hour.
My headache hadn’t subsided after I woke up either so I was very thankful that Jacky put away the groceries yay. Despite getting sick, I’m really happy that I still managed to get most of my to-do list done.
Muchos love,