Anyone starting Sure Thing today?

[LindaL]

Sure Thing is available on BBOD/ Bodi today - anyone thinking about starting it? Honestly, every time my BBOD subscription gets close to annual renewal and I’m tempted to cancel, they release something that gets me excited about working out. I know I’m desperate to recapture the glory days of P90X, which, at 56, is not possible for me anymore, but between this and the promo workout for Chop Wood, Carry Water, I’m excited for new workouts.

Speaking of Chop Wood, Carry Water…I loved the preview workout so much I’m thinking about forking over the $49 for early access. Plus, I just found out that Amoila grew up in Palm Beach County and went through the same school system where I teach 8th grade! I’m taking this as a sign that Chop Wood is going to be worth the $49 for early access, even though logically I know it’s ridiculous that BB makes customers pay extra for new programs.

[Rhonda]

I ended my subscription. I upgraded to BODi thinking I could get all the Super trainer programs but nope, they have programs but if you want a super trainer program you have to pay extra.


Oh well, lesson learned again.

[LoveVA]

Sure Thing is one of the programs offered as part of your regular Bodi subscription. You don't have to pay extra for this one. As I understand it, two programs will be included for free in the regular subscription each year. Chop Wood, Carry Water will eventually be included in the regular subscription at no extra cost in March 2024.

Then there are the additional Super Trainer blocks that cost extra money ($29 each, I think). For the example, the 21 Day Fix Super Block will always cost extra to access, same with the new Job1 and the new T25. You'll know the difference because it will say Super Block (unlike Sure Thing).

I'm going to start Sure Thing today. I just finished up a 645/The Work hybrid last week.

[MARIKA]

I bought in Early for Sure Thing and did it twice. I really like Megan and this program did not disappoint. I started Week 6 of CGX today and plan on doing Sure Thing once completed.

[LindaL]

I did Day 1 today and I really liked it. Megan has an excellent camera presence and is encouraging without being cheesy or overbearing. Although I love them, I can’t use heavy weights anymore because they wear me out too much, so I used pretty light weights and still got a great workout.

The format is two exercises repeated for three rounds. The first exercise is 6 reps, the second exercise is for 30 seconds. I averaged around 12 reps for the 30 second blocks. Megan does use sliders for a few moves. I’m traveling and somehow forgot to bring my sliders, but I used thin children’s books and that worked fine.

There isn’t a ton of literature with this program, just nutrition advice, a calendar, and a fit check that you can do when you start, 1/2 way through, and at the end of the program. I think PeakFit or Insanity had something similar. The moves include push ups, wall sits, bicep curls, plank holds, front rack squat, and squat thrusts, which they call up downs. I think you’re just supposed to go as long as possible for each move and record your time. This is to test your endurance.

I don’t think this is a workout for beginners simply because some of the moves require some experience with exercise.
Round 1
Single leg slide back lunge right side x 6 (body weight)
30 seconds dumbbell squats
Single leg slide back lunge left side x 6
30 second dumbbell squats
Single leg slide back lunge left, then right 6 times each
30 second dumbbell squat

Round 2
Knee plank, hands on sliders, make a big, straight armed circle with one hand, go into push up x 6
Chest press x 30 seconds
Repeat for 3 rounds

Round 3

In plank, feet on discs, alternating leads bring one leg, then the other into bear crawl position, then push both back at the same time to plank x 6
Get into a boat position but with heels on the floor and do overhead presses x 30 seconds
Repeat for 3 rounds

Then do a run the rack for triceps for 90 seconds

Round 4
In bridge position, disc under one foot, push disc leg out and drag in for 6 reps while holding bridge
Weighted bridge x 30 seconds
Repeat on opposite leg
Weighted bridge
Repeat left, then right x 6 each
Weighted bridge x 30 seconds

Round 5
Prone position with sliders under hands, pull hands down like doing a pull-up x 6
Bent over flyes x 30 seconds
Repeat 3 times

Round 6
Sit throughs on right x 6
Russian twists x 30 seconds
Sit through on left x 6
Russian twists
Sit through left and right x 6 each side
Russian twists

Run the rack for biceps, 90 seconds

Great workout and I really enjoyed Megan’s interaction with the cast - just the right amount of banter - her focus is mainly on the home exerciser, which I appreciate.

[LindaL]

Yesterday was Day 2, Cardio Conditioning - a 31 minute bodyweight cardio workout. This was another good workout, even though I’m not a huge fan of this kind of cardio. It reminded me a little bit of Cathe’s low impact hiit workouts in Ripped with Hiit.

The workout consisted of 4, 5 minute blocks that were sandwiched between two moves that were repeated throughout the workout. The workout is easily modified to low impact. It moved quickly and was not super taxing, but got my heart rate up. Megan was encouraging and said positive things like “heart healthy” and “we’re taking care of ourselves.”

Each block starts with what Megan calls pre-exhaust, which is low impact jacks for about 10-15 seconds to full jacks for 10-15 seconds, repeated 3-4 times.

Block 1 - each move is 30 seconds, block is repeated 3 times
Lateral jumps (I did low impact hops)
Alternating lunge back, bring knee up
Speed squat

The finisher is 20 seconds of easy shuffle, low jog to 10 second high knee sprint repeated twice.

Block 2
Start with pre-exhaust
Abdominal knee grab sit up
Crab with toe touch
Mountain climbers
Finish with finisher

Block 3
Start with pre-exhaust
Side to side stationary lunges with legs in wide stance
Alternating curtsy lunge
Ribbon chop - move your arms from one hip, ribbon over your head, and bring down to opposite hip. This makes the ribbon shape.
Finish with finisher

Block 4
Start with pre-exhaust
Pretend ball slam, punch left, right
Plank walkouts to pitcher stance
Side shuffle tap downs
Finish with the finisher

Cool down and stretch

[LindaL]

EMOM Strength is a 37 minute circuit based workout, however I think the title is a bit of a misnomer. I thought that the whole workout would be EMOMs, but it was similar in style to the sandwich-style structure that was found in Day One. Each move in the strength circuits is done for 16 reps. This is upper body focused.

Round 1 - repeat 3 times
Chest press in bridge hold
Kneeling dumbbell cleans - I wasn’t crazy about this move and ended up doing it standing
Arnold press

4-minute EMOM
Push-up to pull across to renegade row for 6 reps
This move was a little awkward with the pull across then row. Megan encourages you to go to your knees for the push-up. She’s very encouraging in this section without being hyper.

Round 2
Lat pullover
Stationary lunge hold with bicep curls (8 curls each side)
Standing overhead tricep press

EMOM
In lunge position, twist over front leg and go into jump lunge switch and repeat on other side. 5 times each side

As in the first two workouts in this series, the workout moves quickly. I am traveling now and only have access to 1 pair of old school dumbbells that have 2.5 kilo plates that screw onto the handle. I also brought my bands, but those were awkward with some of the moves so I did the best I could with the dumbbells.

One thing I haven’t mentioned is warm-ups and cool downs. Both are short, but contain some great mobility moves. Both could benefit from an extra 2-3 minutes, but it’s not a deal breaker.

[Kathy G]

Thanks for the breakdowns Linda! I didn’t buy the early access but I’m happy to see it on BODi. I wasn’t thrilled with the sample workout but like the set up of the individual workouts.

I may try it after I finish Caroline Girvan’s Beastmode and do an 8 week rotation of Cathe’s STS 2.0.

Wow, so many awesome options this year!

[LindaL]

Bodyweight Burnout is a 35 minute bodyweight workout. The workout starts with a very short warmup then moves on to:

Round 1
Squat to low jump to lunge - 30 seconds right x squat down, and without getting up, hop to a lunge position.
Side lunge - 30 seconds right
Repeat on left

Upper body/ Core - 45 seconds each, one round

On knees with right hand on slider, keep left hand stationary and push right hand out as you go into a push-up. Stay on the ground, sweep right arm around in an arc back to standard push up position and push up.

In plank, right foot on slider, bring foot up to mountain climber position, hold for a beat and return to start position.

Round 2 - complete the same lower body exercises, except now it is 45 seconds of work.

Upper body/ Core section repeats with left lead.

Round 3
Reverse lunge to single leg deadlift - 30 seconds on right
Step back, raise up on front toe. This is like a knee drive move, but with less momentum and you don’t step back that far - 30 seconds on right
Repeat on left.

Upper body/Core is same as above, right lead.

Round 4
Repeat lower body moves for 45 seconds

Upper body/Core is same as above, left lead.

Burnout Round
5 minute burnout with sliders. Each move is repeated for 30 seconds for a total of 5 minutes.

Side to side toe taps with feel in gliders. I think Cathe did this move in one of her Low Impact Series workouts - I think it was Slide and Glide.
Feet on sliders squat thrust. Cathe did this move in Afterburn. Megan does not do a push up.
Plank jacks with feet on sliders, one leg at a time.

This workout was a solid bodyweight workout and definitely got my heart rate up. I didn’t love it, but I think I’ll like it better the next time I do it, although I think every workout in this series different. I don’t absolutely love this series, but it’s easy to get myself to do the workouts, if that makes sense. I feel worked, but not wrung out. As so many VFers have expressed, I miss the days when I could manage IMAX 2 with full impact, P90X, Cathe’s workouts, etc., without feeling like I’d been run over by a truck. Megan manages to get me motivated to try a new series that doesn’t have any dread factor and for that, I am thankful.

[Malinda]

Thanks so much for these breakdowns and your thoughts about the workouts, Linda. I think I will be modifying those push-up moves, just doing regular pushups, and jump lunges are out for me, but since I absolutely love Megan, I'm willing to try the series out and modify as needed.