This post will be updated daily for days 8 – 14 of this challenge.
Click here for week one’s updates of this challenge.
It’s week two already! Wow, it feels like last week passed so quickly and yet so slowly at the same time, and now we’re 1/3 of the way through the challenge already. I still think 3 weeks is my sweet spot – I remain excited to exercise although with the understanding that I’ll make whatever adjustments I need to suit my schedule and fitness level, but at the same time I’ll still be able to push myself to keep going because the end is near.
I really enjoyed the new videos from last week and I’m enjoying this challenge so far. I think this is the first challenge I’ve ever done that does not include HIIT workouts so it feels a little foreign, but I’m not complaining. I’m still getting a good workout and I am most likely working muscles that I haven’t worked before since I was sore for almost the entirety of last week.
There are some new moves that I’ve loved doing – they’re incredibly challenging and I’ve appreciated the challenge. I feel especially accomplished when I’m able to do a move that I wasn’t previously able to, or do it with better form than before. Onwards, we go!
Week Two
2/22 – Day 8: Completed 15:24.
Videos completed: Quick Warm Up, Booty & Leg Workout, Small Waist & Round Butt, MadFit Cool Down.
Videos incomplete: 11 Line Abs.
Since I didn’t get a rest day yesterday and I was anticipating being really busy today, I wasn’t expecting to do the workout. Buuut, Chloe released her new video and it just looked so fun! (It really does look fun, don’t come for me.)
So, I just really wanted to do it. And since I was surprisingly productive in the morning I decided to just go ahead and exercise, but omitting the final abs video. I was time conscious so didn’t want to extend my workout for too long, plus I just did the 11 line abs video yesterday.
I had great fun with the new booty video and especially liked the wide-leg glute bridges that targeted new muscles yet again. My initial verdict of the video when I pre-watched it was that it looked really fun. And it was really fun to do as well. Fun… but killer haha.
I used a light band and my butt was shaking and I had to pause multiple times to take a breather. I also wasn’t expecting my heart rate to hit 172bpm from a strength video but my heart rate just steadily kept climbing. I didn’t sweat a lot but dang it was tough and I am impressed.
I actually considered skipping the small waist round butt video because I felt like I didn’t have much time today and my butt was hurting like mad, but when I finished the new booty video I just felt like I wanted more. Am I a sadist now? Haha.
Then, after I completed that video I felt like that was enough for me, as well as being the perfect workout duration for today so moved on to end with a cool down. I still felt like I needed a comprehensive full body stretch, so did MadFit’s cool down again today. All in all, great first day of week two.
2/23 – Day 14: Rest.
Well, looks like I’ve already taken my rest day for the week haha. I was surprisingly tired and it took a lot of effort to get out of bed in the morning, and I felt mildly groggy all day.
I woke up late and also felt somewhat overwhelmed by my personal to-do list (of which, I am sad to admit I didn’t much of it done), then I got distracted by discord. I will probably still need another rest day this week so we’ll see which other day I end up skipping, or maybe I’ll just finish later than everyone else, which is fine too.
2/24 – Day 9: Completed 10:01.
Videos completed: Quick Warm Up, Get Abs & Flat Stomach, Sexy Back & Arms, Natacha Océane 10min Stretch.
I woke up earlier than expected this morning. I was still tired, still groggy, still pretty exhausted, but I really liked the fact that I woke up early and that gave me motivation to do my workout in the morning. I am so pleased I did it and finished by 10am.
I wanted to get it done quite quickly this morning though, so I just followed Chloe’s shorter warm up (replacing some of the moves like inchworms with wrist stretches, and adding a head roll/neck stretch at the end of the video), which worked out well for today.
I really like the Flat Stomach Challenge videos so didn’t want to skip today. Doing the FSC abs video today, I can see my form has improved marginally again, and my abs look more engaged. There’s still a lot of room for improvement, but it is encouraging to see.
This is my second time doing the new back & arms video and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it haha. It’s challenging, but perhaps I’m just not used to the music – it doesn’t hype me up as much as previous challenges did.
I still stuck with knee pushups but I’m still seeing improvement in my knee pushup form. It’s been a while since I’ve done pushups so my arms were already shaking enough, and as such I didn’t want to try proper pushups. I’ve been feeling a little weaker the past couple of days so I’m taking it easier on myself :)
Natacha’s video I usually use as a warm up, but it’s actually the ideal length for a cool down and it typically lowers my heart rate towards the end, so I used it as a cool down today. I replaced a couple of moves with some other stretches that I felt like I needed, but otherwise it was pretty good.
I really liked that my entire workout took less than 40min this morning. It felt approachable and doable for a day where I’m not at my best, so I appreciated that. Tomorrow is glutes again… gotta mentally prepare myself and my butt haha.
2/25 – Day 10: Completed 20:19.
Videos completed: Quick Warm Up, Round Butt/Side Booty, 10min Booty Workout, MadFit 15min Cool Down.
This update was written on 3/1. Looks like I completely forgot to update this post when I actually did my workout last week. Last week was a weird week and I was feeling mentally and physically tired the entire week. I was thinking it was probably PMS but technically I should be PMSing this week. Ah well whatever.
I am happy that I managed to get 3 days’ worth of exercise completed. From what I remember, I wasn’t even planning to get day 10 done because I’d woken up with yet another headache. But as the day progressed, my headache subsided so in the end I decided I should just do it anyway and just not do the video repeat.
In the end, it was a good workout. I used a light band the entire time and actually found myself being able to do the 10min booty workout video moves with better form and less pain, which was a huge win. I had to take an extra break during the first video though; my booty was buuurning.
I finished the set with MadFit’s 15min cool down because I just needed the longer stretch; my body certainly appreciated it.
3/1 – Day 11: Completed 10:41.
Videos completed: Quick Warm Up, 11 Line Abs, Sexy Back & Arms, MadFit 5min Cool Down.
This update was written on 3/6. I really haven’t been good with updating this lately. Yes, I know I even updated the previous entry on the same day that I did my workout so why didn’t I just finish my update? I got busy and distracted.
That said, I was very proud of my workout on this day. I focused hard on my form and again attempted to have longer time under tension for the movements. I really felt it, especially those low boat side planks.
Looking back on my recorded footage, I can see that my knee pushup form did improve again. I took extra breaks when needed, but I remember being really pleased with my workout overall so I took a photo after. It’s been a while since I posted an update pic!
I haven’t been keeping up with my workouts well, but it has been a difficult couple of weeks for me. I’ve continued to feel ‘off’ for some time, but thankfully, after a long chat and prayer time with Jacky, I’m feeling much better.
Wasn’t expecting to not be able to handle a 3 week challenge, a lot of people should be completing it this week! But it is also important to just take it at my own pace, so that’s what I’m doing. If it’s only one workout a week right now, then so be it.
4/22 – Day 12: Completed 10:38.
Videos completed: Quick Warm Up, Booty & Leg Workout, Hip Dips, MadFit 5min Cool Down.
Videos incomplete: Round Butt/Side Booty.
WOW I was not expecting to do a workout today, especially when I’ve been operating on limited sleep for the past couple of days. But I suddenly just decided to go ahead and do it and I’m very glad I did. I’ve missed working out and have definitely gained a few pounds back over the past month or two. As you can see from the previous time stamp, it really has been a while.
I was originally planning to do all 3 videos for today but half way through the first video I lost a bit of momentum and I think starting with a 15min video the first day back in a while was a bit of a shock. That point where Chloe says, “we’re almost half way through” – my heart sunk a little because I thought we were almost done already haha. I decided to skip the second video and go straight to the third.
I liked the hip dips video a lot! I think mostly because I liked the music. The 2021 Hourglass Challenge music is a bit too… mellow, I’d say, for my liking. I don’t feel as hyped or energised listening to it so I actually considered just quitting and doing the 2019 Hourglass Program instead because the music in that one is totally bomb. There is only one week left of this program though, if I can get day 13 done some time over the next few days, then I could just complete the entire program next week. I’ll see if I can just push through. Wish me luck!
Muchos love,