So, it’s Friday, and it’s leg day.
I was obviously looking forward to the former, because who doesn’t love Fridays? But at the same time, I was worried about keeping my nutrition under control, because generally, the weekend means treats. ]
And inevitably, I was nervous about the latter, because Autumn’s leg workouts are always challenging. 21 Day Fix Legs was tricky, 21 Day Extreme Legs is probably one of the most exhausting workouts I can think of, and when I did A Little Obsessed’s legs workout, I could barely walk for several days.
On the nutrition side of things, everything went smoothly. My husband, who must not have been paying attention, suggested pizza for dinner, but I swiftly rejected that idea and made a chicken and vegetable curry (with a yellow box of rice on the side) from scratch. Otherwise, my diet was mostly as it’s been all week. I totally ran out of food yesterday, and had to do an emergency chicken, vegetables and fruit stop on the way into work.
There was the thorny issue of wine. Clearly, if you’re following the programme to the letter, it’s an absolute no no. And I’ve been so dedicated all week. But at the same time I promised myself I was allowed a 250ml glass on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (I promise this is not me backsliding – check the Day Zero blog!). The weird thing was, I thought I’d be desperate for a drink, but I really wasn’t. As a result, I was massively in two minds about whether to have one or not, but decided to. I want to simultaneously give this programme my all, and fit it into my life in a way that’s sustainable for 80 days, and hand on heart, I can’t imagine a world in which I don’t have a single glass of wine for three months. Brownies, muffins, ice cream, yes, just about. Wine, no. And I stuck to my 250ml ration. Purists might freak out, but a victory for moderation.
And that brings me to the workout, which was basically everything I’d hoped and feared. Definitely the most challenging workout of the week, even though I’d deliberately gone relatively light on weights (10 pounds on each side throughout – Autumn alternated between 12s and 15s). It was a little less relentless than the ALO equivalent, as the longer running time, despite meaning more reps overall, allowed for slightly longer breaks between moves. But I really had to force myself through the second half.
The format is 9 moves of 15 reps each (some are done on both side), then the whole thing is repeated. There are no bands or sliders involved for once, just weights. The focus is very much on squats and lunges, though there are some interesting variations. One involving lunging on a diagonal angle really threw me. The main exceptions were “single leg good mornings” which I prefer to think of as “Warrior 3: Special Forces Edition” and some hip hinges. Nothing wildly innovative here, but a good, solid, challenging leg workout, that really blasted my lower body and kept my heart rate high throughout.
- reverse lunges
- squats
- curtsey lunges (which you’re never allowed to stand up straight in – ouch!)
- sumo squats
- diagonal lunges – forward
- diagonal lunges – backwards
- one-legged good mornings
- high hinges
- buddha squats (basically kneeling down with one leg, keeping the knee next to the opposite ankle – very strange)
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If you don’t currently have access to BOD, you can get a year’s subscription, a month’s supply of Shakeology, and all the accessories you need for 80 Day Obsession for just £180 here
If you’re already a Beachbody on Demand customer, you can get everything you need for 80 Day Obsession (workout calendar, resistance bands, strength sliders, portion fix containers) with Shakeology here, with performance supplements here, or with both here.
There are a variety of different combinations of BOD access, 80 Day Obsession accessories, Shakeology and performance supplements available. Do drop me a line if you’re not sure which is right for you or if you’d like more information about this programme or anything else.
Munday Morning Fitness 