Beginner's Calendar 2.0

Beginner's 2.0 Day 20: Amazing Upper Back & Leg Stretches

Hey, everyone! It's been a while since I posted, mainly because my summer was INSANE. It felt like I was gone almost every single weekend, and I don't think there was ever a point where my suitcase was packed away or even empty. Not complaining though, because I gained a lot of experience and learned a lot from my many travels. Plus they were fun. Can't forget that. 😉 Anyway, let's return to my workouts from this year. After finishing Yoga Camp, I was ready to take it up a notch, so I decided to try the Blogilates Beginner's 2.0 Calendar, which turned out to be quite an adventure.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 10: The BEST Stretches for Chilling Out | Cocktail Dress Series

I first discovered Blogilates two summers ago, when I first started thinking about working out and how I could develop an exercise routine. Cassey Ho, the founder of Blogilates, creates new workout routines every week and posts them on YouTube to access for free, and I had heard lots of good things about her, so I decided to try one of her workouts. Although the video was only ten minutes long, I had to pause for breaks about three times because my abs were hurting so much, and I was blown away by her ability to create such a challenging, at-home, equipment-free workout. So when thinking about more intense plans this past April, I thought I would return and give Blogilates a try.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 27: Flat Belly Fat Burner | POP HIIT

I chose the Beginner's 2.0 calendar because I had never done pilates seriously before and, although I wouldn't consider myself a total exercise beginner, I'm still really in shape enough to call myself anything else. The calendar lasts for 28 days (four weeks) and includes one rest day per week. Each day, I did the corresponding videos, with the body part targeted changing each day; the 1st, 3rd, and 6th days of each week were total body workouts, the 2nd and 5th days were ab workouts, and the 4th days were lower body workouts. Each day even included a few moves to do immediately after waking up, just to give you a little boost of energy for the day.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 22: The ULTIMATE Hot Body Workout for Flat Abs, Slim Inner Thighs, Perky Butt & Toned Arms

Each rest day included a link to a YouTube video with a healthy recipe created by Cassey. It was so fun to look forward to cooking and eating a treat at the end of every week, and it reminded me how much I enjoy cooking, even though I only use recipes.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 12: Abs on Fire | POP Pilates

Unfortunately, this plan did not turn out to the difficulty I expected. This is not a beginner's plan. I repeat, THIS IS NOT A BEGINNER'S PLAN. Yes, it may be easier than the monthly workout calendars Cassey releases for her followers, but this is not a plan that a complete workout newbie will be able to complete. As I mentioned, I'm not a total amateur; I was dancing two hours a week five days a week during the time I tried this plan. Nevertheless, I could only complete about half of the videos without taking a break. I tried to push myself by reducing the number of breaks I was allowed to take by one each week of the plan, but I couldn't even sustain that. One day, near the end of the program, my mom came down to the basement to find me sobbing face-down on the floor because I had pushed myself so hard and was in so much pain from the workout I had just done.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 24: Spring Fling 2: FAT LOSS Cardio Workout

Another thing that threw a wrench in my plans was getting a bad stomach bug after only a week of the calendar. It was so bad that I lost about 6 pounds in two days and could barely eat or move for a whole week. I have no idea where I got it from, but it completely wiped me out. Coming back into the plan the next week was extra hard since I hadn't worked out for the duration of my illness. Still, I got back into it and just finished a week later than expected.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 19: Lower Belly Flattener | POP Pilates

Determined to master this plan before moving on to something else, I chose to repeat the calendar in hopes of successfully doing every workout without any breaks. This time, I roped my mom into doing it with me, which was motivating since we could push each other to fight through the weakness and the pain. This time, I almost accomplished my goal. The only video I couldn't do without a break was the ABC Abs video, which I tried again at an even later date and still couldn't do in one go. So I decided that was good enough and marked it as complete.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 26: Train Insane HIIT Workout!

Despite the agony this plan caused me, I'm still happy I did it because I could clearly see the results. After the first month, I already had a little more toning in my abs and triceps than when I started, and I could tell when repeating certain videos later in the month that I felt less tired after the workout. The difference was even more noticeable the second time around when I was able to do (almost) all the workouts without a break, something I would not have even dreamed of the first time around. So yes, this plan works. But it is not for beginners. 

Beginner's 2.0 Day 26: Muffintop Shredder Workout

Though the intensity of this calendar certainly surprised me, I wouldn't necessarily call it a bad thing, as it got me the results for which I was looking. My main disappointment, however, was the weekly recipes. Although the idea was good in principle, the actual recipes weren't all that great. The only one I enjoyed eating was the Flourless Pizza, which didn't even really turn out like a pizza but more like a casserole. All the others, though perhaps healthy alternatives, just didn't measure up in terms of taste. People claim (incorrectly) that healthy food doesn't taste very good, and these recipes just feed that stereotype (pun unintended). Perhaps finding other, better recipes and making those on the weekends instead would make the calendar more enjoyable.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 18: POP Pilates: Beginner Inner Thighs | Invade London

For those who want to check out the Beginner's Calendar 2.0, just click here. There you will find links to each day of the calendar where you can view the workout or recipe videos. Also be sure to check out Blogilates on YouTube and at her website.

Beginner's 2.0 Day 23: Quick Ab Workout!

Thank you so much for reading! I do not claim to be an expert but merely wish to share my experiences so others can see that regular people can achieve dreams.