My take on this program is going to be a bit different than others. I started this program about 2 weeks ago, and its a bit humbling to realize how far out of shape I am in... The last 2 years have been a butt kicker in my world, and fitness (specifically strength training) was haphazard at best. I think they need a two week+ "get ready" course! The part that has worried me the most as I work through this was how much flexibility I have lost! Those warms and cools downs are great. Almost makes me wish they had a bonus video of stretches to do on the off days.
This program is no doubt going to make you "tougher." It's challenges are legit and I think the methodology is sound. With that said from my perspective, there are two issues for me with this program.
1) You gotta have access to a gym
While I list that as a possible con, it has forced me to workout on a regular schedule. I've tried a lot of home / garage programs over the years, and while its great to have that flexibility, its been harder for me to be consistent than I would like to admit. Its much easier to just lace up the shoes and go for a run. Since joining the gym I've hit the gym every workday since I have joined. If I am paying for the membership I am going to use it! So far, I have turned this into a positive.
2) The amount of time each day takes.
I feel so slow! I can't get through the workout fast enough, and I really struggle to get the whole workout in during the limited time I have at the gym. It seems to take a lot of time! Being out of shape makes this worse!
For perspective, Week 1 Day 1 workout is a hard charger of sprints, lunges, push ups, jump squats, and renegade rows. If you can blow that through without stopping then the program will go much smoother for you. If you cramp out half way through, you are going to have to mix things up a bit. : )
From what I can tell this program calls for a 5 minute + warm-up, 40-50 min+ workout (if you are good, the workouts have taken me longer), and 5 min + cool down. To be honest, I am not particularly thrilled to have admit I struggled with this.... I am hoping as I progress I can get each workout in at around 45 mins, or modify each day somehow to make this work. With warm up, cool down, and a shower, I need to create space to be at the gym around 1hr 10mins or so, with the flexibility to stay a bit later on harder days.
To be fair, I am one of those guys who likes to do things right. As I sit here and reflect on this, I'd like to think I am not the only guy that struggled a bit to get the concepts down in the right amount of time. Looking back I wonder if should have kept slogging through and just started week 2, BUT I wanted to get through Week 1 at a higher level than where I started.
If you got a solid hour+ to commit this, and you need to be in top shape in 90 days, this program will be amazing for you. With that said, if you are out of shape, intimidated by the program, and not sure what to do there is one MAJOR pro to this program. You get lifetime access to the 90 day program. So you can do what I am doing, if you need to. You don't have a 90 day clock that counts down and you lose the workouts, they are there and you can always go back and review / work your way through them.
I have backed off a bit, and am trying to get more efficient in my gym time and maximize every moment I have there. I am working my way through week 1 and will probably do variations of that week until after the week of July 4th as I am taking some time off around the 4th. I am hoping my quasi boot will allow me to charge back in and take on week 2 on July 9th. This will get me through the 12 week program by the end of Sept. Hopefully I will get quicker at the workouts as I get in better shape. I am trying to adjust my work schedule so I get more time in the morning (to accommodate harder workouts) and getting my butt out of bed earlier (4am is rough) so I can be at the gym the moment the doors open.
In reality, for me my goal is to establish a routine, and get familiar with working my way through each workout efficiently. In a sense I am going off track a bit and creating a what I refer to as "Hill" Tough. LOL Hopefully I don't discourage anyone, and that in being transparent about my struggles others will see that it is possible for them as well. If you are on the fence, get into the program so you have access to the workouts, and then if you have to, you can figure out where your weakness lies and adapt as needed. Or, just be prepared to spend additional time in the gym the first week or two as your body adapts to the program. I think if I had more time at the gym the first few weeks I could have just plowed through pushing myself to get through each day's workout regardless of the time it took. Ideally this is the best way to do this as it creates both mental toughness and certainly will get your body used to the program.
If you spend some time digging into the videos and concepts you start to get a feel for the massive amount of expertise and time that has gone into developing this program. I am encouraged and excited to see where this takes me. Just a bit frustrated with myself letting my fitness get to this point. Running shape is not mountain shape...
Keep at it! Your passion for hunting is a great encouragement to many. Thanks.
