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| Image from Chloe Ting at chloeting.com |
A little over a month ago whilst watching YouTube videos I stumbled upon the Chloe Ting phenomenon, I watched countless results videos from girls who seemed just as unfit/lazy as myself and was stunned by their incredible results. If you don't know who Chole Ting is, she's a fitness influencer who creates various programs and challenges on YouTube for free and her videos have millions of views. After watching these videos I was feeling inspired to give it a go myself, I've tried different ways of working out over the years but nothing has ever stuck and I inevitably end up sat back in front of the tv as lazy and unfit as ever so this was definitely going to be a challenge but I felt there was no better time to commit than in lockdown.
Okay, so I initially gave some of the videos from the 2 Week Shred Challenge a try but I didn't strictly follow the program day by day so eventually, I decided to give the 2019 Hourglass: Booty and Abs Program a try. This program runs for 26 days and you'll complete 2-4 videos (25-50mins) each day with a few active rest days thrown in throughout the program.
I have suffered for years with a bad back and have been told that it's because my core is so weak that my muscles aren't supporting my back properly so it did take a bit of time for me to get used to engaging my core and this was definitely my weak spot so as you can imagine the ab focused videos were the most difficult for me.
Here's a rundown of the challenge day by day
Day 1 - 2 Videos (25mins) - Today wasn't too difficult but my main issue is trying to ensure I'm engaging my core correctly which I struggle with.
Day 2 - 2 Videos (25mis) - Completed both videos without too much issue, again I'm trying to focus on correctly engaging my core.
Day 3 - 3 Videos (30mins) - I would say this was a moderately difficult workout, less intense than the 2 Week Shred Challenge, I'm trying to make sure I've got good form and doing the moves correctly.
Day 4 - Active Rest Day - I did a quick workout using some weights and cycled for about 15mins.
Day 5 - 4 Videos (50mins) - Had a good workout with not much more to report.
Day 6 - 4 Videos (45mins) - This was a tough workout but I felt I was starting to engage my core more, at this point the videos were still quite mixed each day between the ab videos and the leg/bum videos.
Day 7 - Active Rest Day - I did some light yoga to stretch out my muscles and release any tension.
Day 8 - 4 Videos (45mins) - Even though yesterday was a rest day my muscles were still feeling a little sore and tight making this a tough workout to get through. Things were made worse by the warm weather we were experiencing so I stuck an electric fan on to help make things bearable.
Day 9 - 3 Videos - (35mins) - Today was hard, I definitely had sore muscles both before and after this workout but I got through all the videos.
Day 10 - 4 Videos (50mins) - I didn't make any notes on this day so can't remember if I struggled or not but I completed all the videos and there was still a good mix between ab, butt and leg exercises.
Day 11 - Active Rest Day - Did a light workout using some weights and tested out my new resistance bands.
Day 12 - 4 Videos (45mins) - There was more focus on the leg/butt videos today and I started to incorporate my resistance bands during some of the videos to give me more of a boost.
Day 13 - 3 Videos (35mins) - Not much to report, had a good workout which was focused more on the abs.
Day 14 - Active Rest Day
Day 15 - 4 Videos (one of which was optional) (50mins) - I completed all 4 videos, my workout was disrupted slightly so I had to come back to complete the final video a little later than the others.
Day 16 - 2 Videos (20mins) - Nothing to report, completed both ab workouts.
Day 17 - 3 Videos (35mins) - Again there's not a lot to report, I completed all workouts which targeted the butt and legs. I think my body was starting to feel a little stronger hence the reason I don't have as much to say about the workouts.
Day 18 - 2 Videos (25mins) - Good workout, could feel the effects from the previous day.
Day 19 - 4 Videos (50mins) - Another leg/butt day, I completed 2 videos twice so you really worked those muscles.
Day 20 - 3 Videos (35mins) - All ab focused videos, nothing much to report, completed all 3 videos.
Day 21 - Active Rest Day
Day 22 - 4 Videos (50mins) - Another day working the booty and legs, at this point each day tends to focus on one or the other, either the booty or the abs so you do feel like you get a more intense workout.
Day 23 - 2 Videos (25mins) - Ab workout, nothing much to report.
Day 24 - 4 Videos (45mins) - I had been drinking the night before so this was a little bit of a struggle, I also had to repeat one of the videos 3 times making it even tougher to get through.
Day 25 - 3 Videos (35mins) - Another day of abs, I'm engaging my core much better and feeling more of a burn during these routines which is great as this is my weak spot.
Day 26 - The final day was a tough one but I got through it and felt so accomplished, I can't quite believe I actually completed something and I'm excited to keep going and try out some new routines.
I think it's important to mention that Chloe Ting does create very attention-grabbing titles and thumbnails for her videos to increase the chances of her videos being seen and clicked on so please try to manage your expectations. I understand the reason why Chloe does this but it can be misleading however considering she's creating full programs for people to follow all for free I can't be mad at her.
It's also important to mention that your diet will also play a large part in the results you achieve, I wasn't perfect, I had cheat days, I ate snacks but I did try to have as many healthy meals as possible I just didn't restrict myself in any way.
The program is made up of 4-5 videos that are repeated in different combinations each day so it can get a little repetitive but there's a good amount of different challenges to follow so after you've completed one you could move on to another and you'll get a different set of videos and as I've already mentioned these are all free so you really can't complain.
Overall, I think this challenge was great, it's perfect if you're just looking to get started and want to build fitness into your daily routine, I recommend doing the workouts at the same time each day to increase your odds of actually doing it, personally, I like to workout in the morning so I can get it out of the way and continue with my day as normal. As far as results go I didn't notice a big change, I'm maybe getting slightly more toned but it's not something you can really notice in pictures/measurements, however, I do feel stronger and I'm excited to try out some other plans/challenges.
