Focus T25 Archives - My Inner Shakti

Focus T25 – Week 5 (Beta) + My Overall Thoughts

I am DONE with Focus T25! I know I say this about everything, but the 10 weeks just flew by! I can honestly say that I am proud of myself for (more or less) staying on schedule and incorporating some running into the mix.

Before I share my overall thoughts, here’s what week 5 of the Beta phase looked like for me:

Monday – Rip’t Circuit
Tuesday – 3.25 mile run (in the morning) + 2 mile power walk (in the evening)
Wednesday – Rip’t Circuit
Thursday – Speed 2.0
Friday – REST!
Saturday – 3.0 mile run with my sister
Sunday – REST!
Monday – Rip’t Circuit

*For a more detailed explanation of what each workout entails, please read my week one beta post.

This week was a little all over the place. My sleep schedule was completely off, we took a day trip on Friday, and the heaviest dumbbells at my parents’ house are 3 pounds. So I adapted. The run with my sister was killer – GA heat and humidity will do that to you! And because I want to say that I finished the program in its entirety, I completed my final T25 workout this Monday.

I’ve thought a lot about the program over the past week – what I liked, what I didn’t like, if I would recommend it to others. I even talked to Bijal (my cousin), Erin (my coworker), and Robin (my friend) about their experiences since they also did some of the program with me. And it’s funny because for the most part our thoughts align.

What I liked about Focus T25:

I could do all the workouts from the comfort of my own home. And if you travel, this is an easy program to take with you. I was able to do the Alpha workouts in my tiny NYC hotel room.
You don’t need a ton of equipment – just a mat and some dumbbells (for the Beta phase).
You sweat A LOT! I loved knowing that in just 25 minutes I was getting a good solid workout.
Shaun T is a great instructor – very motivating and fun.
The modifier option is awesome. I loved how every workout came with a modifier and that it was the same person. Very helpful, especially in the beginning.
It’s just 25 minutes…and they honestly fly by!
I was able to incorporate some running into the weekly plan.

What I didn’t like about Focus T25:

It’s A LOT of cardio. I love cardio as much as the next person, but I know for a fact that my body responds better to strength training, so that was little frustrating in the beginning.
Not all the workouts are challenging. Don’t get me wrong – by no means was this an easy program. I just felt that some of the individual workouts were a little on the less strenuous side. If I’m only going to work out for 25 minutes, I want to work as hard as I can.
Risk of injury is high if you aren’t super careful. Because I have a knee that acts up every now and then, I took it easy when needed. I know that Robin and Erin both experienced some leg pain when doing some of the moves, so it’s a very real possibility.
This is probably more my issue than anything else, but I didn’t get the results people talked about on the Focus T25 forums. Of course, I didn’t follow the nutrition plan nor did I drink the Shakeology drinks. I ate the way I usually do (which is healthy for the most part) and started watching my portion sizes around week 3. I most definitely feel a lot stronger, especially in my quads and even my core, but the inches didn’t melt off the way they supposedly did for some people. Erin and Robin also felt the same way. Vishnu thinks it’s because we didn’t have a ton to lose in the first place. Regardless, not the most devastating thing but I definitely pictured my final results to be a tad bit different. Haha.

Would I recommend Focus T25 to others?

So here’s what I think. If you are someone who needs a structured plan to get you back on track in terms of exercise, this is a great program to help you do so. If you have substantial weight/inches to lose and are willing to put in a lot of hard work both in terms of exercise and eating, this may be for you.

If you are prone to injury and have had issues in the past, Focus T25 may not be for you. If you are already in decent shape and are looking for something to take your results to the next level, this may not be for you. If you don’t enjoy tons and tons of cardio, this is definitely not for you!

Would I do the whole 10 weeks again? Probably not. Did I enjoy it? For the most part, yes and am glad I tried it.

My final results:

I honestly didn’t weigh myself on a weekly basis but can say with 99.9% confidence that my weight remained the same. I still fluctuate in the same range I did pre-T25.

And I think I lost a total of 4 inches. I say think because my way of measuring is not an exact science. I tried to be as consistent as possible but I could be a little off here and there. Not too shabby I suppose.

If you have any questions regarding Focus T25 and/or my experience, please feel free to email me at any time!

And that is it…no more Focus T25 posts! If you’re interested in reading my weekly recaps, please find them below…

Alpha Week 1
Alpha Week 2
Alpha Week 3
Alpha Week 4
Alpha Week 5
Beta Week 1
Beta Week 2
Beta Week 3
Beta Week 4

Focus T25 – Week 4 (Beta)

written by Parita 8 Comments

I honestly can’t believe I am at the home stretch with this fitness challenge I set out to do almost 10 weeks ago. Time flies when you’re sweating buckets! Haha.

Here’s what week 4 of the Beta phase looked like for me:

Monday – Rip’t Circuit
Tuesday – Dynamic Core + 2 mile run
Wednesday – Core Cardio
Thursday – 3.25 mile run
Friday – Speed 2.0 + Upper Focus
Saturday – REST!
Sunday – 3.25 mile power walk

*For a more detailed explanation of what each workout entails, please read my week one beta post.

The power of TODAY

If you haven’t watched Andie’s Tedx Talk, please do so NOW! It’s very real, very raw, very funny, and very relatable, whether you’ve struggled with weight or not. She talks about her struggle with food, obstacles she faced, her journey to losing half her body weight, and her thoughts about the present moment.

Andie’s talk came down to one important thing for me. The thing she touched on at the very end. The power of today. Right here, right now.

She suggests that when we find ourselves not focused on what is happening at this very second, we stop and ask ourselves, “Can I do it (whatever it is for you) today?”

This applies to anything and everything. Food, exercise, work, marriage, friendship, etc.

I found myself asking this very question this morning when my alarm went off. I honestly didn’t want to exercise, but I didn’t have a good reason not to. I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t sore, etc. So I sat up and thought to myself, “Can you get out of bed and successfully finish your 25 minute workout?” I then found myself thinking about the power walk from the night before and the longer run I had planned for the next day, so again, I had to stop and ask myself, “Can you work out TODAY? Don’t think about yesterday or tomorrow. Focus on today.” The answer was (an annoying) yes. I got out of bed, changed, and finished my workout. At the end of a very sweaty 25 minutes, I was so glad I focused on today…on that very moment.

And if you don’t believe I had that conversation with myself, ask anyone who knows me in real life and they’ll tell you I did. Even though they weren’t there with me, they know that it totally happened.

The point is that the only moment we have any sort of control over is the one that is happening right now. So instead of thinking about decisions that have already been made or ones that may or may not need to be made tomorrow, think about what you can do today and base your decisions on that.

I know, I know. It sounds so simple yet is difficult to practice. But just try…the next time you find yourself reaching for cookie #3/thinking about skipping a workout for no good reason/running out of patience with your significant other…just ask yourself if you can stop at cookie #2 TODAY/if you can get moving for just 20 minutes TODAY/if you can take a deep breath and calmly say whatever it is that you need to say TODAY. Chances are the answer will be (an annoying) yes. And like me, I’m sure you’ll be happy that you focused on today.

And just in case you’re interested in my weekly recaps…

Alpha Week 1
Alpha Week 2
Alpha Week 3
Alpha Week 4
Alpha Week 5
Beta Week 1
Beta Week 2
Beta Week 3

Focus T25 – Week 3 (Beta)

written by Parita 5 Comments

I read somewhere recently that it takes eight weeks of consistent effort in the food and fitness departments to see results. Well, I just finished week 3 of Beta and week 8 of the overall program, and I would have to agree. While my body looks the same to me, I feel a whole lot stronger. I am no longer taking breaks during workouts, and I am also not totally winded afterwards. And for the first time ever, I feel like I actually have core muscles (although it may take some time for them to be more visible!).

Overall, I am happy with what Focus T25 has helped me accomplish in a relatively short period of time. Only two more weeks to go!

Here’s what week 3 of Beta looked like for me:

Monday – Core Cardio
Tuesday – Upper Focus + 2 mile interval run
Wednesday – REST!
Thursday – Rip’t Circuit
Friday – Dynamic Core + Speed 2.0
Saturday – 3.5 mile run
Sunday – 2 mile walk with Robin and Guinness

*For a more detailed explanation of what each workout entails, please read my week one Beta post.

Like I said earlier, results generally come with consistent effort. But let’s be real. Consistent effort is a pain in the ass sometimes. We all have days where we don’t want to eat healthy foods and we don’t want to exercise. And to be honest, when I have these days, I sometimes give in…I’m a big believer in moderation!

However, because my health is important to me, I try to stay on top of my food and fitness as much as possible.

Here are some of the little things I do to keep those “don’t want to” days to a minimum:

Meal plan and food prep (on the weekends). This has undoubtedly made the biggest difference in terms of how well we eat during the week.
Experiment in the kitchen. I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try. Even though most of what I make at home has some kind of healthy twist to it, the constantly changing menu keeps boredom at bay.
Buy a few new pieces of workout gear. I recently bought me some new sports bras, and as silly as it sounds, knowing that I get to wear something new and pretty makes me happy and gets me out of bed!
Set yourself up for success.I am a morning exerciser through and through. It’s not always easy but ensuring that everything is in one place ready for me to grab and go makes the whole process easier and saves me a time. The same idea applies for those who work out after work/in the evenings.
Think about the why. I’ve talked about my why in a number of different posts, and I think this is honestly the key to being consistent. If your why is powerful enough, it will trump any excuse you could possibly come up with (on most days!).

How do you stay on track and keep the “don’t want to” days to a minimum?

And just in case you’re interested in my weekly recaps…

Alpha Week 1
Alpha Week 2
Alpha Week 3
Alpha Week 4
Alpha Week 5
Beta Week 1
Beta Week 2

Focus T25 – Week 2 (Beta)

written by Parita 7 Comments

For the first time in weeks, I actually did all the workouts as planned. Even the double day on Friday!

Here’s what week 2 of beta looked like for me:

Monday – Dynamic Core + 20 minute treadmill interval run
Tuesday – Core Cardio
Wednesday – Rip’t Ciruit + 2 mile interval run
Thursday – Upper Focus
Friday – Rip’t Circuit + Speed 2.0
Saturday – LOTS of dancing at the wedding reception
Sunday – REST!

*For a more detailed explanation of what each workout entails, please read my week one beta post.

So I kind of take back what I said last week about Rip’t Circuit. While I still think Total Body Circuit from the Alpha phase is way harder, I definitely felt more challenged when I upped my weights. I started the beta phase with my 5 pound dumbbells, and this past week I used my 8 pounders (the heaviest I have at home). Let me tell you – 3 pounds on each arm makes a difference!

As far as the other workouts are concerned, I’m still enjoying the program overall. Core Cardio is still the most challenging workout for me but in a good way!

I find it hard to believe that I only have 3.5 weeks to go. WHAT?!

So what’s next?

In true Parita fashion, I’ve already started thinking about what my fitness routine will look like once Focus T25 is over. In fact, I went through and organized the stash of workouts I’ve printed out and saved over the past 1.5 years. Most of these are Best Body Bootcamp workouts. As I was looking through everything, I had a pretty good idea of what’s next.

I’m definitely going to increase my running in terms of frequency and mileage. Right now I’m running 2 to 3.2 miles about twice a week. After T25, I want to start running at least three times a week with one of those being a much longer run (right now I’m thinking 4-6 miles). I plan to run the ING Miami Half Marathon in January, so I definitely need to keep up with my running!

And while I appreciate T25 finally incorporating weights into some of the workouts, I am itching to start strength training more regularly. I think it’s all the BBB workouts I looked through! Not 100% sure what this will look like but I know I want to strength train at least 2-3 times a week. Can’t wait!

And of course, my weekly workouts will include plenty of stretching…and rest as needed!

If you don’t follow a specific program, how do you decide what your workouts will be?

And just in case you’re interested in my weekly recaps…

Alpha Week 1
Alpha Week 2
Alpha Week 3
Alpha Week 4
Alpha Week 5
Beta Week 1

Focus T25 – Week 1 (Beta)

written by Parita 14 Comments

The Beta phase of Focus T25 is a welcome change! Not only are most of the workouts a little more challenging, but I finally get to use my dumbbells.

Here is an outline of what the Beta workouts entail:

Cardio core – I would venture to say that this is the most exhausting of the five workouts in this phase. Everything you do somehow engages the core. Lots of jumping and twisting which means lots and lots of sweat!
Speed 2.0 – Like in the alpha phase, the focus of this workout is still speed and agility with everything being 2x faster. I like how he breaks the workout up into different levels that progress in speed (a little hard to explain). This is one of my favorites!
Rip’t Circuit – I was expecting this workout to be hell, but it’s easier than the Total Body Circuit workout from the Alpha phase. It’s a mix of bodyweight and dumbbell moves that work the entire body. A little disappointed by this one to be honest.
Dynamic Core – Again, this workout includes lots of jumping and twisting to engage the core. For the first half of the workout, you do a bunch of standing exercises, and for the second half, you move down to the floor. What makes this go by quickly is the bursts of cardio in between the various moves.
Upper Focus – This workout also uses dumbbells, which I love! There’s a little bit of everything – jabs, punches, raises, curls, presses, and even some core work towards the end. And of course, there’s a little bit of cardio to keep things interesting!

What week one looked like for me:

Monday – Core cardio
Tuesday – Speed 2.0
Wednesday – Rip’t Circuit
Thursday – Dynamic Core + 2.0 mile run
Friday – Upper Focus + 2.0 mile run
Saturday – Core cardio
Sunday – REST!

My initial thoughts on Beta:

I like all of the workouts except for Rip’t Circuit (and only because it’s not as hard as I think it should have been). Perhaps upping the amount of weight I’m lifting will change my mind…we’ll see! Overall, I’m still working up a good amount of sweat after each and feeling really good. I think I’ll be able to fit in more runs during the week, especially since most of the workouts aren’t heavily focused on the bottom half of the body. Woo hoo!

Shaun T. and his crew are still great. I love his style and how he coaches and motivates you through the workouts. And just like in the Alpha phase, you can really tell that everyone finds the workouts to be challenging. There are literally little pools of sweat by most of the people – intense I tell you!

Progress:

I was talking to Vishnu about the program over the weekend and telling him that I definitely feel stronger than I did six weeks ago, especially in my legs. And even though my core looks nothing like I want it to, it also feels a lot stronger than before. And I’m able to do the majority of the core moves without modifying which is a huge win for me.

As far as inches lost, I am yet again hesitant to say anything. What I can tell you is that I think I’ve lost a tiny bit from everywhere I measured. Hey, I’ll take it! We’ll see what the final count is at the end of this phase.

Here’s to an even better week 2!

What did your week of workouts look like?

And just in case you’re interested in my weekly recaps…

Alpha Week 1
Alpha Week 2
Alpha Week 3
Alpha Week 4
Alpha Week 5

Focus T25 – Week 5 (Alpha)

written by Parita 10 Comments

The Alpha phase of Focus T25 is OVER! I am so happy because the workouts were starting to get repetitive, and I desperately needed a change.

With that being said, I am currently three workouts in to the Beta phase and holy moly…it’s just a little more intense than the Alpha phase. Just a little. More on that next week!

What week five looked like:

Monday – Total Body Circuit + a 2 mile leisurely post dinner walk
Tuesday – 3.25 mile run
Wednesday – Total Body Circuit
Thursday – Abs interval + 2 mile run
Friday – Total Body Circuit
Saturday – 45 minute treadmill walk (alternating speed and incline)
Sunday – REST!

*For a more detailed explanation of what each workout entails, please read my week one post.

I really wanted to run on Tuesday, so I switched up a couple of workouts to accommodate. I was supposed to do Cardio on Thursday but substituted a run and the Abs workout. I also completely axed the Lower Focus workout that was to follow the Total Body Circuit on Friday…just wasn’t feeling it! The bottom line is that (in my personal opinion) this program is what you make of it!

As far as measurements go, I did measure myself at the end of the week, but there were no major changes. Maybe a quarter to a half inch off here and there. Maybe.

This brings me to what I blogged about last week – my portion control problem. I’ve been paying more attention to my serving sizes and satiety levels, and guess what…the “I think I’m going to blow up” feeling hasn’t happened once. Woot! I’ll share some of my tactics in a later post (want to be sure it’s something I stick with).

And finally, I thought I’d share five random takeaways from the last five weeks.

It is possible to sweat buckets in just 25 minutes.
When it comes to changing the look of your body, both diet and exercise obviously matter. However, I’m convinced that diet matters a tiny bit more.
Your legs and butt will get a major workout in the Alpha phase. I keep asking Vishnu if he thinks my butt looks bigger. He thinks it’s a trick question. Haha.
It is possible to do Focus T25 and incorporate other forms of exercise. For me this was running, but from the forums I’ve read, others have been fine with additional exercise in the form of weightlifting, spinning, yoga, etc.
You are a lot stronger than you think. When I started this program, I had no idea how I was going to get through some of the more challenging workouts, but I did…albeit a lot slower than Shaun T., but I did it.

Have a great Wednesday!

And just in case you’re interested in my weekly recaps…

Alpha Week 1
Alpha Week 2
Alpha Week 3
Alpha Week 4

FOCUS T25 – WEEK 4 (ALPHA)

written by Parita 8 Comments

Week 4 of Focus T25 was a bit tough. But not in the physical sense, more so mentally. I just wasn’t motivated to get up and FOCUS. But I did, and now that it’s over, I’m glad!

So here’s what week 4 looked like –

Monday – Cardio + 2 mile run
Tuesday – Total Body Circuit
Wednesday – Much needed rest day
Thursday – Lower Body + 2 mile walk
Friday – Total Body Circuit
Saturday – Abs Interval + Speed 1.0
Sunday – (Mostly) rest day

*For a more detailed explanation of what each workout entails, please read my week one post.

I had to deviate a bit from the original schedule come Wednesday because just the thought of Shaun T and T25 made me want to stay in bed! More than that, my left knee was hurting a little. And the thought of going back to the days where any kind of activity made my knee hurt scares me…A LOT! So, I listened to my body and took a rest day. Good decision on my part!

Other than that, things are going well. I can get through the workouts, with the exception of Total Body Circuit, without taking any breaks. And I’m still trying to fit in a run when I can. As far as measurements are concerned, I forgot to measure myself this weekend, but to be honest, I’m not seeing any changes yet. We’ll see…

I’m honestly really looking forward to starting the Beta phase now. It’s not that I’m bored with the Alpha workouts, but I’m at the point where a change of pace would be nice. One more week!

* * * * *

So I completely forgot to mention this on the blog, but I was interviewed by Devon and Adam, the brothers behind the Lifestyle Accountability Podcast, a month or so ago. My podcast went live the week I was in NYC. If you have a spare minute…or 20…check it out. I was really nervous to listen to the full interview, but aside from a “few” ums and some rambling, I did ok!

How many rest days do you usually take per week?

And just in case you’re interested in my weekly recaps…

Alpha Week 1
Alpha Week 2
Alpha Week 3

Focus T25 – Week 5 (Beta) + My Overall Thoughts

Focus T25 – Week 4 (Beta)

Focus T25 – Week 3 (Beta)

Focus T25 – Week 2 (Beta)

Focus T25 – Week 1 (Beta)

Focus T25 – Week 5 (Alpha)

FOCUS T25 – WEEK 4 (ALPHA)

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