Fitness: Chloe Ting’s 2021 Hourglass Challenge – Week 1

Image screenshot: Chloe Ting 2021 Hourglass Challenge

This post will be updated daily for days 1 – 7 of this challenge.

So it begins… Honestly until today I wasn’t certain I’d be committing to this challenge because I’d previously been interested in trying Chloe’s Get Fit Challenge for quite some time. However, I realise at this point that I don’t really have enough strength to use equipment, neither am I interested in overall muscle growth as a focus. Plus, this Hourglass challenge is only 21 days. That is literally my sweet spot, so I can’t really say no to it right now. I’m committed now.

In terms of what I’m looking for: again, just to keep working out. If there are any physical changes, fantastic. If there aren’t, that’s totally fine too because I’m just enjoying exercising. Supposedly this one isn’t as challenging, which I appreciate as I’m fairly sure I’ve lost a little strength, or haven’t been engaging some of the right muscles in the past.

In case you’re interested in before photos, you can see them in my Flat Stomach Challenge Results post. I took those photos this morning, so they would be the best indication for ‘before’ this challenge.

This challenge is 3 weeks long, so I’ll be creating a new update post each week to avoid a single post getting too long and thus intimidating to read. I did the same with the Flat Stomach Challenge and I liked that format a lot. As before, dates will be written in US format since I live here now.

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Fitness: Chloe Ting’s Flat Stomach Challenge Results

Alrighty, I wasn’t expecting to do this, because I wasn’t expecting any major (or any, full stop) changes in my body. My weight did not change whatsoever, which is nice because it looks like my weight has settled comfortably, and is something I’m currently easily able to maintain.

I took update photos today, and you can definitely see a difference before / after the flat stomach challenge, especially in my legs. My waist measurement remains the same, but I know that I’ve slimmed down because I’ve had to tighten the straps of my sports bra and my pants now sit higher on my waist. I’m wearing the same clothes to alleviate one more degree of inaccuracy when looking at before/after.

I’ve just realised you can also see more definition in my upper abs too. And that thigh gap that I wasn’t even aiming for has become pretty prominent. Apologies for the mess in the background, we’re due to clean the apt today.

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Fitness: Chloe Ting’s Flat Stomach Challenge – Week 4

Image screenshot: Chloe Ting 2021 Flat Stomach Challenge

This post was updated accordingly for days 22 – 28 of this challenge.
Click here for week one’s updates of this challenge.
Click here for week two’s updates of this challenge.
Click here for week three’s updates of this challenge.

I was supposed to start the final week of the Flat Stomach Challenge yesterday but unfortunately my headache from Sunday still hadn’t subsided. I slept for quite a long time but was still feeling weak and tired. I guess this happens every time I go outside because I’m exposed to new germs that I normally am not exposed to when I’m indoors. It’s pretty much been a pattern every time we’ve gone to Costco in recent weeks.

The final week only has one rest day since it’s understood that we’d take a longer rest period after the challenge is complete. It’s also the most intense week, so since I wasn’t feeling well I decided to just pace myself for this final week.

I took an extra rest day yesterday and thought I’d be better after another night’s rest, but my headache got progressively worse as the day passed and now I don’t think I’ll be able to do my workout today either. I wasn’t going to try to bring forward Wednesday’s rest and then do 6 days straight to try and finish at the same time as everyone else anyway, but now I definitely won’t be able to.

Also Sundays are typically my sabbaths so I’ll probably end up taking another rest day this week as well. As such, my updates for this post will be on the days I actually do the challenge, rather than daily.

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Fitness: Chloe Ting’s Flat Stomach Challenge – Week 3

Image screenshot: Chloe Ting 2021 Flat Stomach Challenge

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.

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Fitness: Chloe Ting’s Flat Stomach Challenge – Week 2

Image screenshot: Chloe Ting 2021 Flat Stomach Challenge

This post was updated daily for days 8 – 14 of this challenge.
Click here for week one’s updates of this challenge.

Alrighty, we are in the second week already! Last week was very enjoyable and honestly flew by, probably because Chloe has released many new videos for this challenge, as well as kept each day’s content fresh. There are far fewer repeated videos (but still enough to notice improvement) and that’s been keeping me excited to workout on a daily basis.

I’ve already watched the new HIIT video that she released today and am looking forward to trying it out. There will be another new video released in a couple of days’ time so I’m excited for that as well. Chloe has been very busy lately it seems, and I am incredibly appreciative of that.

Life is likely to be much busier this week given the things I need to sort out with my green card application plus work, but I still love the look of the workouts this week so I hope I won’t need to skip any days. We shall see though, because shark week is supposed to start this week and the first day’s always a little rough.

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