If you’re anything like me, you might’ve started many workout programs that you never finished. Let me tell you a little story about Kayla Itsines’ BBG program. It’s really short, I started it and quit a month later.
Does anyone relate? Makes for a boring story and an awful health habit but I’m finding a lot of solidarity!
Despite seeing amazing results and reading hundreds (literally) of success stories from raving BBG-addicts, I couldn’t keep up the jump-laden routine. Forget about me handling it- my left knee decided that the workout just wasn’t for me. I ended up in physical therapy for two months, happily ending my foray into BBG.
Well, 20 pounds later, I decided it’s time for me to stop eating the potato chips and lift some weights. I went back to BBG but decided to try the SWEAT app this time instead of following the PDF. Then I went a step further.
Enter Kelsey Wells
My first week of going through BBG, I decided to switch things up and try a workout from Kelsey Wells’ PWR program. Girl, life changer!
First, this chick looks like a svelte Lara Croft. Very badass. She looks like she can raid some tombs and save me from a lot of baddies. Kayla looks fantastic in her own right, but I’m just not convinced she can save me in a fight.
I chose to do week one leg workout from PWR, and unlike BBG, I was NOT bored! That was a biggie. The program contains enough variation to keep things exciting and challenging. BBG is very repetitive, which gets boring quickly.
Additionally, PWR makes you use weights! And no, they don’t make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his heyday. The amazingly toned physique on Kelsey is proof enough that lifting weights makes you look terrific.
Long story short, I quit BBG and started the PWR program.
What did I achieve in 3 months?
Let me first mention that as you progress through PWR, the number of workouts a week goes up to 5-6, but the cardio sessions go down. So if you’re not into cardio, this thing’s for you.
The downside to the program is you need access to gym machines. Although, Kelsey recently release PWR at home which challenges you in the same way with a pair of dumbbells and resistance bands!
My first month was exciting but brutal. I was sore a LOT. And though I wanted to rest, I needed to complete the workouts, so I ended up working through the pain. Do you want to know something? I felt better after working through the pain than sitting on the couch groaning.
After the first month, I felt stronger. I started to go up in the number of pounds I was lifting. By month three, I was bench pressing 35lb dumbbells in each hand. Not bad for a skinny girl who never used weights before!
I was able to complete 3 round of 15 REAL push-ups each time. Yeah, 45 push-ups in 2 minutes! Maybe that doesn’t seem impressive, but it’s pretty hard to do a proper push-up!
Did I Lose Weight?
No. I ended up gaining about 3 pounds. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t see progress, though. My butt perked up and became shapelier. My arms had absolutely no flab on them, and my shoulders looked strong!
I achieved what I wanted to, which was toning up. I probably could’ve lost weight if I reduced my caloric intake and did more cardio, but I set out to gain some muscle, so gaining makes sense. All my clothes still fit the same, but I noticed my jeans were tighter around my butt! I was always a bit flat there, so getting a perky rear end was a big positive for me.
You can find the PWR program in the iTunes store SWEAT app.
