Happy Tuesday, ya’ll! I am ill ill ill and it is no fun. Working in a restaurant has exposed me to so many germs that I’ve now been sick twice in two months..and I haven’t been sick in practically two years. Wes has a little bit of what I have too which has made the day infinitely harder/longer/please don’t make a dirty joke out of that. HA!

Anyways..I mentioned in my last post that I finished 22MHC on Friday so I thought I’d pop in and share my thoughts on the program.

Side note: Whoa- that picture was taken not even three months ago and Wes has changed so much!

Hopping to it. SO- I bought the 22 Minute Hard Corps Challenge Pack in March when I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach. I needed to add another home workout DVD program to my rotation and this seemed to be the best fit for me (I already have 21 day fix, 21 day fix extreme, insanity, and T25).

22MHC is run by Tony Horton- the guy who does all the P90X programs, so I figured he would kick my butt. Plus, workouts were only 22 minutes which is really what I needed considering Wes is quite the needy and non-sleepy-during-the-day-y little boy.

The workouts are inspired by training techniques used in the military. Each workout is designed to be a quick and intense total-body drill which is intended to get you ‘boot camp fit’ in 8 weeks.

Oh right- the Challenge Packs also come with a 30 day supply of Shakeology so that’s an extra bonus. I swear the stuff is the tastiest nutritional supplement I’ve tried. And I’ve tried a lot. Plus, it keeps me energized and satisfied. <–Sounds so sales pitch-y but it’s true. There are a ton of flavors, but Chocolate is also my number one love. [insert all the heart emojis here].

I was in pretty good shape prior to starting 22MHC but I was lacking in muscle. Nursing a baby for 10 1/2 months took a lot out of me and my entire body just deflated. Butt included (college Jen would be so jealous of post-nursing Jen. #bootyfordays). 

The program is comprised of 6 workouts: Cardio 1,2 &3 and Resistance 1,2 &3. Plus there is the additional Core 1 and 2 workouts which are optional to complete on cardio days. You workout 6 days a week for 8 weeks.

I told you about the program and about why I chose the program, so let’s chat now about how I felt about 22MHC now that I’m done..

The first couple of weeks I didn’t find the workouts to be challenging enough. THAT SAID: I am a person who absolutely loves to be depleted after a workout. And generally that means I have to work longer than 22 minutes for that to happen.

Don’t read too much into my personal opinion though- the very first workout has you doing 82 burpees. So it’s no joke.

As the weeks progressed, the Cardio and Resistance 3 workouts had me hustling. The insane amount of pushups and burpees really got my muscles engaged and I could notice quite the difference in my quads, glutes, core and arms.

Throughout the 8 weeks of the program I had stopped nursing (so I fully anticipated that to factor in to my metabolism, muscle mass, etc), and I got a part time job (which attributed some additional stressors and threw off my daily routine). 

I should also add that I opted not to follow the nutrition plan. I do not need to lose weight and I fail miserably whenever restricting my diet. It’s the worst #gimmeallthecookies. However, if it’s something you’re looking for, the eating guide is pretty detailed and easy to follow. It’s really all about the planning!

Now, without further ado….here are my before and after shots. To be honest, the photos look like more of a positive change than I anticipated. I actually weighed myself and am up about 6-8lbs which I’m mostly confident is all muscle.

The key to my ‘success’ can be attributed to the following:

• I completed every workout
• I drank tons of water
• I slept well every night (8 hr average)
• I stayed as active throughout my days as possible. I would walk the dogs, walk Wes,  & my job required a lot of walking.
• I ate mindfully. I don’t restrict myself, but I do make sure to get in lots of fruits and veggies and proteins. Which make up for the beer and the cookies. It’s all about balance!

Takeaways

Would I recommend this program? Yes, it is a great way to challenge yourself especially if you’re very limited on time. The exercises performed aren’t timed but are done by number of reps which really push you to keep up with the pace. Modifications are available as well.

Would I do this program again? Now that I know how it is in it’s entirety, I would probably do this program from start to finish again when/if I need to get in shape again post-baby. Otherwise, I will definitely be using these workouts when I’m super tight on time, but want to get my booty kicked.

That’s it! I’ve jumped right back into Insanity this week and am loving every second of it. Minus the coughing and hacking between power jacks. Eek.

If you’re interested in 22MHC or any other Beachbody program, please feel free to email me nutcaseinpoint(at)gmail(dot)com. I’d love to chat with you!