Blogilates - Full Body Focus

I've stated on several occasions that Pilates isn't my thing. For one, I get the general impression that you need about 4 trillion accessories to even get started. Medicine balls and squishy balls and resistance rings and weighted bars and what the hell is that slidy-table thing? I can't even begin to figure out how that thing works. Too many cables. Pilates studios = terrifying.

However, another constant struggle in my life is to come up with new workouts that don't bore me to death. Personally, I can't come up with anything more imaginative that 'do some squats and maybe a bicep curl or something?' so I tend to look to others for workout inspiration. As a result, when one of the blogs I follow, The Skinny Confidential, gave a ringing endorsement of Cassy Ho and her Blogilates program, I decided to check it out. She's a certified Pilates instructor and Fitness magazine seems to think she's legit (like, Jillian-Michaels-level legit), so that was a good a reason as any to poke around.

Cassey designs short, modular, 4-7 minute mini-workouts that are meant to be combined into a longer sweat session. You can put them together yourself, but Cassey also designs a monthly workout calendar with suggestions for any given day. The workouts are free on YouTube, which isn't even the best part -- that would be the fact they're largely equipment free! No torture table for me, thankyouverymuch. They're also designed to be done in approximate the space a yoga mat takes up. No cost, no accessories, and virtually no gym (or living room) space needed -- sign me up!

I signed up for her newsletter and got access to her 'JaNEWary' calendar. I needed a strengthening workout, and 1/15 happened to be a 'Full Body Focus' day, so I rolled with it.

As I said, the modules are all free on YouTube, so I made a playlist with the videos for the day, carved out a little bit of floor space at the gym, and got to work!

Pre

Energy Level [1-5]: 4

Sore Areas: Back still hurts.

Yesterday: Zumba! No alcohol.

Environment: Indoors.

Workout
Warmup: Overrated.
Equipment: None!
Work Time: ???

JaNEWary Full Body Focus - 1/15

Post
Energy Level [1-5]: 3
Stretch Time: 10:00
Total in-Gym Time: ??

Day After
Sore Level [1-5]: 4
Sore Areas: Obliques, Quads, Hamstrings

Comments
I'm not going to lie -- I wasn't expecting much from this workout. I consider myself to be a fairly fit human being, so how hard could a couple of lunges and a plank be? Well, apparently, really fucking hard. I think it's the duration of the sets that's the killer -- it's not 'do 10 lunges', it's 'We're going to do lunges until whenever. Like 2 minutes? Maybe? Whatever. Keep going!!'

Truthfully Cassey is a little more chipper than I typically like in a trainer, but her workouts are no joke. I'm definitely going to try and fit in more of her workouts, especially on days when I have no motivation to think of anything myself. I like the idea of variety and hitting more neglected muscles -- squats are great, but they don't exactly tone my inner thighs.