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Sharing my thoughts and review of the Fierce program in Kayla Itsines’ SWEAT app. 

Hey hey! How’s everything going? Schools were officially canceled for the remainder of the school year – I knew it was coming but the finality of it was pretty hard-hitting – so we’ll just keep doing our thing over here and hanging out at home. Thank goodness for at-home workouts, right?

There are so many options for online workouts right now and I love testing out new ones so I can report back! Over the past couple of months, I’ve taken some of the Fierce classes from the SWEAT app. (Check out my full review of Kayla Itsines’ program here. This was back when it was a PDF instead of an app.) This has become my favorite plan in the app so far. (I did some workouts from the PWR program a couple of years ago and really liked it and have also tried BBG and BBG Stronger.) They have an at-home version, which has been awesome for limited equipment during this time, and I thought I’d share my thoughts on this plan if you’re thinking of checking it out.

Sweat App: Fierce Program Review

What is the Fierce program?

Fierce is part of the Kayla Itsines’ SWEAT app and is lead by Chontel Duncan. She is insanely fit (check out her IG!) and I really like her method of training. In this program, you’ll complete kickboxing-style movements with weights, intervals, AMRAP-style workouts, Tabata, hypertrophy work and circuit training.

Chontel photo source.

What to expect:

– A different workout every.single.time. One of the things that caught my attention is the fact that the workouts are so different and some included moves I’d either forgotten about or not done in a long time (like single-arm kettlebell deadlifts). I love the explosive and powerful movements combined with traditional strength training and it’s how I personally like to structure my workouts.

– For the gym version, you’ll need access to tools like medicine balls, barbells, cable machines, a sled, battle ropes, and strength machines. For the home version, you can do the workouts with a pair of dumbbells, resistance band loop, and a bench or sturdy chair. (It’s helpful if you have a kettlebell but you can use a dumbbell instead.)

– The workouts include 3-4 resistance workouts per week and 2 cardio sessions, plus 1-2 days of active recovery and/or rest.

Pros:

– Variety. I love the variety in these workouts! I never really know what to expect and it’s been a nice way to keep me guessing (and distracted) during this time.

– Smart, functional exercises. I like that the exercises make sense and they don’t have you doing any bizarre movements.

– Emphasis on lifting heavier weights. The app in general encourages women to lift weights and also makes it approachable, which is so important.

– The workouts are pretty short. I’ve found that I can get through most of them in 35-45 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time.

Cons:

– No true progressions. One thing I’ve noticed about the app as a whole is that there isn’t really a progression as you move through the program. It’s like you hit ground running, blast through the gates, and nothing really changes from there. I think the workouts are excellent but I think it would be nice to see phased training and progressions instead of remaining at the same difficulty and intensity the entire time. (This was a huge goal of mine while I was developing the Fit Guide workouts. All of the plans have true progressions and they change training types and get more advanced over time.)

I think if you want hit a plateau, if anything, just switch programs in the app since there are quite a few programs to choose from. (Note: they do have beginner training weeks but I’ve found that the rest of the plan is very similar in structure and intensity.)

– No guidance on how to mix and match workouts. This can be tricky if you do one or two workouts from the app and like to mix up different classes and cardio modes. If you need help setting up a workout plan, check out this post!

All in all, I really like the program and think it’s a great way to switch up your training.

Tell me, friends: what’s your favorite workout resource or app? What’s been your go-to workout for the past couple of weeks? I’ve been doing Peloton, streaming classes from Dance Trance and Barre Body, yoga, strength, and Les Mills On Demand workouts. (<— check out my link for 21 days free)

Please let me know if there are any apps or workouts you’d like me to review here on the blog.

Have a great day and I’ll see ya soon!
xo

Gina

Note: this post wasn’t sponsored in any way and I pay for the app with our own dinero. It’s $20 per month and they offer a free 7-day trial. 

More workout review posts:

Les Mills On Demand

PiYo review

Peloton app review

Best fitness apps

The post Sweat App: Fierce Program Review appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Temptation is everywhere—and always there. Fight it—and win—at some of the toughest times of day with these one-minute ways to beat cravings that can derail your progress.

7 a.m.: CHUG A BIG GLASS OF COLD WATER Start your day with a big, cold glass of water and you’ll burn more calories all day. In a German study, researchers found that downing 6 cups (48 ounces) of cold water increased resting calorie burn by up to 50 calories per day. And that’s not all—researchers at the University of Utah found that dehydrated adults burned up to 2 percent fewer calories. And if that’s not enough, in a study at Virginia Tech, subjects who drank two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals lost 36 percent more weight over 12 weeks than non-drinkers. So chug a big one before breakfast and start the day burning.

10 a.m.: FILL UP ON PROTEIN A morning dose of protein—like from peanut butter, eggs or Greek yogurt—can help prevent sugar cravings later in the day. In a study from the University of Missouri, MRI scans showed significantly reduced activity in the parts of the brain associated with cravings among those participants who ate protein in the morning. And dieters who eat these foods produce less of a hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates hunger.

Noon: DON’T EAT AT YOUR DESK Or at least don’t work while you’re having lunch. In multiple studies, “mindful eating,” in which dieters focus on being aware of the food they’re eating and the act of eating it, has helped people lose weight without focusing on calories. To try this, eliminate distractions while you have lunch—things like reading, e-mail, or television—and focus instead on the colors, flavors, and textures of your midday meal. In a three-month study from Ohio State, patients with type 2 diabetes significantly lowered their blood sugar through this technique.

2 p.m.: STEP AWAY FROM THE CANDY DISH When your body gets a sudden craving for chocolate during your mid-afternoon slump at the office, it’s not chocolate your body wants—it’s stuff like dopamine, a biochemical that your body associates with pleasure that’s released when you eat chocolate. But you can get dopamine releases in other ways—like through exercise. So instead of grabbing a tempting foil-wrapped bite from the reception area, take a quick walk instead. You’ll clear your head and get the biochemicals your body’s actually craving. And when you get back, move the dish farther from you. In a study involving a candy dish, scientists found that people ate 1.8 more pieces of candy per day when the bowl was placed on their desk as opposed to two meters away. So move it farther from you and stop mindless munching.

5 p.m.: WARM UP WITH A CUP OF TEA An hour before dinner, set the kettle. By drinking hot liquids—like tea—an hour before eating, you can eat less and feel fuller, faster. In a 2008 study at Penn State, people who had hot drinks before eating consumed 134 fewer calories during their meal. And you can add benefits if it’s a cinnamon flavor: In a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the spicy stick was shown to increase sugar metabolism by a factor of 20.

9 p.m.: USE YOUR NOSE TO SATE YOUR SWEET TOOTH As your eyelids start to droop, your body may look for a boost—of energy and pleasure hormones. For many people, this means a before-bed snack, and it’s usually something sweet. But a pleasant scent—like from a scented candle—can spark your senses and deliver the dopamine your body’s craving. And if you choose mint, it can help calm your craving: In a study from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, subjects who sniffed peppermint every 2 hours consumed 1,800 fewer calories during a 5-day period than when they didn’t smell the herb.

10:45 p.m.: GO TO SLEEP! Being asleep doesn’t just mean you won’t have time to eat—it also balances the hormones that makes you feel hungry and full. When you don’t get a full night, your appetite hormones get messy. The amount of ghrelin, which gives you an appetite, increases, while the amount of a feeling-full hormone called leptin goes down. And science backs up the ties between shut-eye and thin thighs: In a 16-year study of 68,000 middle-age women from Case Western Reserve University, subjects who slept fewer than 5 hours per night were 32 percent more likely to gain 33 pounds or more over the course of the study, compared with those who got 7 to 8 hours of rest. So get to bed! You’ll have more energy all day tomorrow.

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COVID-19 has stripped families of the opportunity to provide comfort for their loved ones when they are sick in hospital. Many hospitals only allow visits for compassionate reasons — if it seems likely the patient will die.