Saturday, September 10, 2016

Focus T25 Day 5: Lower Focus

I am writing this review the day after, as I was dead tired yesterday and just couldn't force myself to sit down to the computer and do this.  My abs were still sore from the day before and I was sleepy and dragging, but I pushed through and, man, it felt great!  My legs were really burning after this workout, but that just means it's working, right?  Right??? 

Today's Workout:  Lower Focus
Time:  25 minutes, plus a 3 minute cool down
Equipment:  None (I know this workout requires weights at some point--must be in month 2)

The set up of this workout is simple:  there are several progressions, just like in previous workouts, and you just move from one to the next.  Then there is The Burnout.  We do this whole series (progressions and The Burnout) two times, but with different moves.  Then we do a final move and then the cool down.  I believe each of the moves is 30 seconds, but, as usual, I was too focused on the burning and the sweating and I didn't pay too much attention to the clock.  The lunge holds definitely felt like a lifetime!

Warm-Up:  (we've done this before)
  • High Knee Lift
  • Lift on Toes
  • Slow Control Jog
  • High Knee Jog
  • Jack Feet
  • Double Jack Feet
  • Double Jack Feet with Arms
  • Jumping Jack
Progression 1:   Control Jump Squat
  • Squat
  • Squat Pulse (into a squat position and hold it, pulsing up and down just about an inch)
  • Squat with Arms Up (same as squat before, but this time your arms are up by your ears)
  • Control Jump Squat (arms are still up and this time when you come up, you will jump up and land softly into a squat)
Progression 2:  Kangaroo Hop
  • Calf Raise-L (put your right foot behind your left ankle and raise the left leg to work the calf)
  • Calf Jump-L (in the same position as above, jump with your arms up and keeping your foot touching your ankle--your calves will be burning)
  • Calf Raise-R (same as before but switch legs)
  • Calf Jump-R (see above about the burning calves)
Progression 3:  Lunge Pulse
  • Narrow Lunge-L (feet apart just wide enough to go into a lunge, down and up)
  • Wide Lunge-L (same as above but feet a little wider, down and up)
  • Lunge Pulse-L (holding the lunge deep, pulse up and down about an inch)
  • Lunge Hold-L (hold the lunge...and start burning...keep sweating...start crying)
  • Narrow Lunge-R (same as above, other leg forward)
  • Wide Lunge-R (same as above, other leg forward)
  • Lunge Pulse-R (same as above, more crying now)
  • Lunge Hold-R (hmm, I can discern the sweat from the tears at this point--I mean, legs are on FIRE)
The Burnout
  • Control Jump Squat
  • Calf Jump-L
  • Calf Jump-R
  • Lunge Pulse-L
  • Lunge Pulse-R
Progression 4:  Lunge Squat Progression
  • Alternating Lunge (step forward into lunge left and right--I honestly couldn't feel my legs at this point.  I think I was moving, but I'm not sure.  Shaun T taunts us by saying that he knows we just did this but "I guess you gotta do it again!")
  • Alternating Lunge Squat (lunge left and right, jump into a squat, back to start)
  • Alternating Lunge 2 Squats (lunge left and right and then squat 2 times)
  • Lunge Squat Progression (turn left lunge, turn center squat, turn right lunge, turn center squat, repeat)
Progression 5:  Adductor Squat (I really like this one!)
  • Adductor Squat (feet together, go down and up in a squat)
  • Adductor Moving Squat (move the left foot out, bring right into meet it 2x, then back the other way 2x--really think of squeezing your knees together)
  • Adductor Moving Squat Stay Low (same as above, except now instead of standing up after the squat, stay low)
  • Adductor Squat Stay Low (feet together, in a low squat position, touch the outside of your right foot with your left hand and then switch sides--more burning, more screaming, more sweating, more crying...)
Progression 6:  Up and Over
  • Up and Over (left knee lifts up and crosses over to tap the toe on the outside of the right foot, switch other side)
  • Up and Over Squat (up and over and then squat once in the middle)
  • Up and Over 2 Squats (up and over and then squat twice in the middle)
  • Up and Over Squat Touch the Floor (up and over, squat and while you do touch the floor, do that twice)
Progression 7:  Deadlift
  • Deadlift Tap-L (left leg back, left hand touching the ground bring it in to meet the right toe, then back down)
  • Deadlift Knee Lift-L (same as before except done touch the ground and when you come up, bring the knee up)
  • Deadlift Tap-R (repeat on other side)
  • Deadlift Knee Lift-R (same as above, but other side)
The Burnout:
  • Lunge Squat Progression
  • Adductor Squat Stay Low
  • Up and Over Squat Touch the Floor
  • Deadlift Knee Lift-L
  • Deadlift Knee Lift-R
Final Move:  Squat Hip Flexor (do 4 hop squats, then go back into a runner's lunge on the left leg, then repeat and go to the other leg--Shaun doesn't do the right side on the last one, so I cut the time on the stretch short a little so I can be even on both sides)

Cool down:  (some stretching for the legs because boy do they need it!)

This workout really does fly by.  Before I knew it, it was over!  It didn't feel that way during it, though!  Some of those moves (specifically the lunges) my legs were absolutely dying.  I didn't think I was going to make it!  But knowing that it was only 30 seconds (I think) and only 25 minutes, I pushed through.  One thing that is really bugging me about these workouts is that Shaun is not always doing things evenly on both sides.  It's happened more than once and I just have to pay attention to the moves to make sure that I'm doing both sides equally. 

I have done reviews for all of the month 1 workout, so now they just repeat for the next 3 weeks.  I really do enjoy this program.  I'm not going to say it is my favorite because Insanity is a hard workout to beat, but I do like it a lot and I look forward to it every day.  It feels good to do something different after having done weight lifting for a few months.  The only downside to these workouts is that (and I've mentioned this before) Shaun doesn't seem to be his usual peppy self.  I don't know why (I'm seriously blaming it on the hair), but in Insanity and Cize his personality just seems so much more carefree and natural.  He doesn't seem as motivating in these workouts, either.  He also has a lot of one-liners that I look forward to hearing in those other programs, and I just don't get that from this program.  I mean, I love my boy Shaun T so I'm not saying anything negative, but if this is your first program with him, you should definitely try out some of his other programs to see his true personality shine through.  You will see him spitting, sweating, swearing, and dropping out with the rest of us.  Plus, I feel like he is really encouraging in the other workouts.  But enough about that!

Since I'm done with T25 reviews for a while (except for the stretch which I will do tomorrow), I'm going to do Insanity and Max 30 reviews in the mean time.  Hope to see you soon!

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