A friend asked me to review T25 and I am happily obliging. Before I do so, I would like to quickly list every program with Beachbody that I have tried in the past and you should feel free to message me with questions. On top of that, some shameless self promotion for myself as a Team Beachbody coach I have an amazing challenge group via Facebook and I am full of tips and tricks if you are ready to make a change! Okay, so I have tried: TurboFire, ChaLEAN Extreme, Brazil Butt Lift, Ten Minute Trainer, T25, and Country Heat (in that order). My favorite program to date was TurboFire and I actually just went back to it today! So, like I said, even though this is a review of T25, which is my most recently completed program, you should feel free to ask me anything else that comes up as you are reading.

Okay, boring part over, here’s the breakdown of what you need before you begin T25:

• Clean drinking water
• Performance supplement (Beachbody has options!)
• Intermediate level fitness abilities
• A positive mindset

Once you have checked these off the list, you are totally ready to begin. You don’t even need me! But I am always here, my door is always open, and I am always excited to talk. And since I am always excited to talk… let’s break down those individual points for you who may be on the fence and need to hear more.

Clean Drinking Water

Obviously, any water that you are drinking should be clean and good for you. But here is why I put it first on the list: if you do not stay hydrated, your muscles will not heal day to day and you will DIE trying to stay on track with the workout. By DIE, I mean more likely than not you will quit. Nobody likes a quitter, especially your ego. I can honestly say that getting into working out again last Spring, the thing that made the biggest difference was focusing on staying hydrated. I began to notice immediately when I had not had enough water because I was getting tight in places even if I was stretching. Hydration is so crucial to a healthy workout plan, and it is so often overlooked for other aspects like net calorie loss or the like.

Segue: Nutrition

I did not put nutrition on the list because to be perfectly honest with you, this was the least strict I have been with a meal plan since I began my fitness journey. Why? Because I had already learned what my body needed. I cannot tell you what the recommended meal plan is for T25, although I can tell you that there is one provided. I cannot tell you how well it works, because I did not try it. I can tell you that if your goal is to lose weight you absolutely positively need to use an approved meal plan. Whether that plan is specifically paired with your workout or not is up to you, just make sure that you’re obtaining a plan from a trustworthy source (this is like the moment your professors tell you not to use Wikipedia).

Supplements

Along the same lines of water and food, you definitely need to use a nutrition supplement with this program. I personally used Shakeology, which I have always loved. My favorite part about Shakeology is the different it makes in my appetite. The results of this are less money spent on groceries and less snacks going into my mouth on the daily. I’m not hitting up the vending machine at work because I am so hungry it’s distracting. I can totally get by with three meals and two snacks, any one of those being Shakeology. Also, the versatility in flavor combinations results in me doing things like drinking a Snickerdoodle Shakeology instead of making two dozen cookies when I want something sweet. There are other options though. For example, Beachbody rolled out a performance line, which tends to be preferred by men and those looking specifically to build muscle. And, finally, these are not for everybody. Dietary restrictions sometimes prevent people from using these products and sometimes it just won’t be your thing and that’s okay. The important thing is that you need something that will help you achieve your goals, because at the end of the day, you can only do so much on your own in a set amount of time.

Fitness Level

I want to say this very loudly: MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO TAKE ON A FITNESS PROGRAM AT THIS LEVEL. T25 was difficult for me and I was already working out every day. Imagine if you have not worked out at all in months. The thought of it only being 25 minutes is really appealing, until you realize that you do just as much work as you would have done in 50 minutes. Half the time = double the intensity. For me, this was just what I needed. I love a quick high intensity workout over a longer low intensity one. On top of that, I tend to keep my intensity up to 11 for as long as possible so I burn out in the longer ones even if I shouldn’t. Here’s a take-home message from this section: love yourself even if this isn’t your starting place. There are SO many places to begin, and what’s right for you isn’t necessarily right for the person next to you.

Positive Mindset

Ohmmmmm…. Are you still with me? Good! This is something I learned something like 9 months into my fitness journey. Your mindset determines your success. Say it with me: my mindset determines my success. As a runner, I often hear that going greater distances is more mental than physical. As a runner, I totally get that and I am accepting of it. When you switch from running outside to working out at home, that doesn’t come so easily. Understanding that feeling tired doesn’t mean it’s time to quit is important. Also, understanding that soreness is not part of “no pain, no gain” and it means you need to pay more attention to your muscles. If and when you decide to embark on a fitness journey, or even if you already have, be okay taking baby steps. Be okay watching your progress unfold day to day and week to week. Do what you can while you are still learning the ropes of the fitness program and your body. Then, once you have done that work on going harder and faster and longer, and you will be impressed by what you can do, I promise.

My Results

Do you trust people who don’t see results? Probably not. So let’s talk really quickly about mine, because quite honestly, I don’t want to 🙂 (this would be a great place for that upside down emoji). First things first: I gained weight and I am absolutely positively okay with that. I gained weight because I gained muscle. I feel that I gained muscle and therefore I know that the weight gain was okay. Here’s the really interesting part: because T25 really does work your whole body I noticed that my pectoral muscles picked up some ground… you can use your imagination on how. The best way to measure results is to use a tape measure. I lost about a half an inch in all my measurement areas, which tells me that I am slimming down. This is a little less than I expected given the intensity of T25, but given my starting point it actually makes a lot of sense for me. I also don’t think I have lost more than 3/4″ in any program, if that much, so again, it is a-okay. The bottom line: working hard works. If you push yourself and work hard and eat right you will see results. You may not get every result you hope for because of every body (I mean body in the physical sense) is different. But you will see a change.