I’ve been pretty excited about #mbf (Muscle Burns Fat) since I first heard about it. It’s pretty much exactly what I’ve been looking for, as I wanted to start weight training, building muscle, and toning but wasn’t sure where to start or what to do. Most of the programs I own (on DVD) were mainly cardio with focused body weight exercise, so they didn’t really fit the bill. The only potential issue for me is that #mbf is for those at an intermediate level and I’m fairly out of shape, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up with it or if I’ll have to take a step back to a beginner-level program for a bit. It’s important to not work out at a higher level than you’re ready for because it raises the possibility of injury… but even though I feel like I’m out of shape, I can still throw 50-pound tubs of clothing around, so I’m going to give it a shot!
Before #mbf Day 1: It’s 7:45 in the evening, and I’m feeling tired and a little headachy (I have been all day). I just finished work, ate dinner, and then did the dishes, and I would love nothing more than to just go sit on the couch and relax, but I’m going to do this workout anyway. My lower back hurts a tiny bit, but that’s nothing new for me and it tends to feel better when I move around more, so I’m hoping working out will help.
WORKOUT TOOLS:
1. Small, medium, and large dumbbells. I only own 2 sets, 2 lbs and 7 lbs, so that’s what I used.
2. Towel (which I didn’t actually use).
3. Bod rope. If you don’t have a set of these, I suggest you get some! They’re used quite a bit.
4. Sparthos knee sleeves. This wasn’t actually something recommended in the video, but if you’ve got bad knees like mine, it might be a good idea to use these. I found that my right knee hurt during the first few reps, so I grabbed my knee sleeves and that helped to give some extra support. They quit hurting after that, and I was able to finish the workout without knee pain.
After #mbf Day 1: My first thought…. OMG I did it. That was a CHALLENGING workout. I started using my 7 lb dumbbells but had to switch to 2 lbs half-way through just because I didn’t want to hurt my back. I’ve learned that if you find yourself struggling to keep good form, it’s smart to switch to a lower weight or modify the exercise to the easier version because form is everything. Slow and steady and proper form wins the race.
Overall, I feel really good but very tired (yet somehow more awake) and my legs are jello. I’m also happy to say that my lower back feels fine. I love the workout itself. It was simple with nice, slow, controlled movements, and I felt like I was working hard. I feel like I’ve actually done something, and my heart rate was certainly in my target heart rate zone for a majority of the workout. When she says this workout torches fat, she means it. lol.
My favorite part of the workout: The last set of workouts she does are front-loaded squats and calf lifts. I love both of them. I could feel the squats in my lower back (so it was important that I used lighter weights for these given my recent history of low back pain), and I know that doing these will strengthen the muscles where I need it the most. As for the calf lifts, I just love doing those for some reason.
My least favorite part of the workout: The one thing I didn’t like about the workout is there is no timer across the bottom. I’m one of those people who likes to count down to motivate myself “Okay, just 4 minutes left of this section, you can do it.” I wasn’t sure how far I had to go in any given section without pushing on my iPad to see the time.
The workout in total was about 35 minutes long, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to build muscle and burn fat (because chances are this workout will keep you in your target heart rate zone!). I loved that the movements were simple to do but felt like real work. This is one workout that did NOT feel like a waste of time, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for tomorrow.
For anyone reading, thank you! I hope you found this helpful. Check back tomorrow for #mbf Day 2! If you’d like to give #mbf a try, let me know!
April Kolesar 🙂
Independent Beach Body Coach
Please note: The postings on my blog are my own and do not necessarily represent the position, strategy or opinions of Beachbody and its brands.