First off, let me start this final review off by reminding everyone that I am not a physical trainer, nor do I have any formal training in physical conditioning. I am however, like most people that read this blog, a person who likes to keep healthy and someone who can provide an unbiased opinion. It was my girlfriend who first introduced this program to me when she randomly stumbled upon it searching for exercise programs on her iPhone. I saw the simplicity and fun within this program and decided to give it a shot. For the $2.99 I spent in order to purchase the app, I definitely got my money’s worth! If you’re like me and are really bored with your current abdominal exercises, or just want to spice things up, Athlean-X will not disappoint.
As mentioned throughout these reviews the program starts off fairly simple with no additional equipment required, just your own weight to combat. Lots of isometric type exercises are incorporated, mixed with burst speed, high target heart rate ones. This mixture is what makes this program really fun for me; one second you’re doing a plank and the next you’re doing rapid fire mountain climbers that target the same muscle group, but in an entirely different manner. Each workout lasts between 5-7.5 minutes, consisting of 6-12 exercises that can range from 30 second durations to one minute. However, past week 1-2 of this program you will need to buy additionally equipment to continue following along. I will go on a side tangent here very quickly though, before following the natural course of this review.
I want to take a quick second to mention here, that like many things in life, you do not need to follow a precise outline in order to get results. What I mean is you do not need to follow this program exactly and run out and buy resistance bands, plyometric balls or a hanging bar in order to improve your core strength. You can use this program to simply reshape you’re current workouts and get more well-rounded ab exercises by using whatever you have available. Incorporate what pushes you personally and repeat the workouts you think work best for your level.
Continuing on with the review, the following weeks present more of a challenge, for me anyway, since they focus more on the strength side of things. By introducing unique, fun exercises that really target the various muscle groups in your trunk. With these workouts you can stay entertained, while looking forward to your workout each day. Near the end of the program it blends lots of the workouts together, but requires a bar in order to hang from. If you’re at the gym then this is easy, however if you’re 6’3, 190lbs like me doing this in your house, it may not be so easy. I worked around this by taking my own advice and swapping out exercises that I couldn’t do and replacing them with ones that challenged me and targeted the same muscle groups.
I think I’ve mentioned enough that this program is a great “bang for your buck.” It offers fresh, innovative ways of working out your core, it’s quick and easy to follow, can be implemented into current work out programs, and requires very little space and equipment. The app allows you to use your own music and tells you when to change work outs, while giving you time remaining in the exercise while tracking your progress with a built in schedule. The most important question though is, does it really work?
To answer that question you must be willing to ask yourself are you really going to follow the program, and more importantly, are you eating correctly in order to promote the development of lean muscle. Personally, I noticed a difference after two weeks of using this program. My abs were on fire after each session and definitely more defined after a couple weeks. My running has even improved because my core strength has improved so much that I actually changed my running position and posture. I suffer from ITBS (Iliotibial band syndrome) and now I barely notice any lateral knee pain while running- although this is also a result of hip strengthening exercises that I perform as well. Aside from following the workout precisely for about the first 5 weeks, I also followed the meal plan. I completely changed the way I eat and although I still indulge in a couple meals out a month, and a dessert here and there, my main meals are all derived from this program. Eating is such a huge part of staying in shape and many people forget that. The trap is often, “Well I worked out today so I earned myself this cheesecake, or this donut, or whatever that desire may be.” I have nearly cut all carbs out of my diet, as well as fats and that’s why I think this worked so well. If you think you are willing to try a new diet out, then this program can certainly change the way your core looks and feels, helping you achieve that oh so desirable 6 pack.
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