Workout Review: Dig Deeper

 

Dig Deeper is a 12-week BODi program featuring Shaun T, released in December 2023. Unlike his famous cardio routines, this program focuses entirely on traditional weightlifting and body recomposition.

The format breaks down into three distinct, four-week phases. Phase 1 is the Steady State phase, which relies on high-repetition endurance sets of up to 20 reps. Phase 2 shifts into a traditional Hypertrophy split designed to isolate specific muscle groups. Phase 3 concludes with heavy strength pyramids, where you adjust your rep counts (sometimes doing 12, 10, 8, and 6-rep sets, sometimes doing 6, 8, 10, and 12-rep sets, and sometimes doing three sets of 12). Shaun says you can use the same weight, or go up or down with each set change, depending on how you feel. I mostly tried to use the same weight for every set, but occasionally went up from one set to the next and sometimes had to drop-set. Each phase features five primary workouts repeated weekly for a month straight, targeting different upper and lower-body combinations alongside regular core blocks.

The cast is small for this program. In Phase 1, the workouts include Shaun T, his trainer, a woman named Kristen, who looks like she could be the sister of the late pro-wrestler, Chyna, and a third guy named Chris. In Phase 2, it is just Shaun T and Kristen, and in Phase 3, it is just Shaun T himself. Shaun does all of the exercises during the workouts and only takes a few breaks, and he is lifting 60-85 pounds on some exercises, so he is not holding back. 

Shaun T has stated that this is his hardest program to date. As someone who completed the original Insanity workout years ago, I have to disagree. Insanity was much harder in terms of raw cardiovascular exhaustion, and was hard to get through even for people who were ultra-fit. Still, if you execute the lifting in this program correctly and pick weights that genuinely challenge you, you will have to push yourself hard to survive the final blocks.

The Pros

The program delivers on its structural promises. You will thoroughly work every single muscle group across your frame. If you stick with the tracking, you will definitely get stronger from week to week. Your body will transform.

Shaun T will show you how to "get stuck" on some exercises, which is basically performing the exercise through a smaller range of motion, which allows you to use heavier weight without risking hurting yourself or losing your form. That helps a lot, especially on exercises like shoulder flys and presses. 

On that last point, you have to be realistic. If you are overweight on day 1, you will not look like a professional bodybuilder after a single 12-week round. However, you will get noticeably leaner, your muscle density will increase, and your muscles will get significantly harder.

The Cons

The schedule can get highly repetitive. Doing the exact same five workouts for four consecutive weeks can get a bit boring. However, you move to the next phase just as it starts getting really tedious. The high-volume sets in Phase 1 are particularly brutal. The overall pacing of the workouts, especially during those opening weeks, moves incredibly fast. It can be a real struggle to change your weight pins and keep up with the screen. And, of course, because it is a Shaun T workout, you will get that workout's buzz phrase or keyword, which for this one is "mind-muscle connection". He does not say it as often as he said "Max Out" during Insanity Max 30, but he said it enough that it got a little old. 

You need a lot of equipment. You need a selection of dumbbells and a good workout bench. If your workout area has a low ceiling and/or you do not feel comfortable stepping up on a workout bench, you may also want to get an aerobic step bench (there is one called "The Step" that is a bench with stackable square "feet" that you can use to make it higher. That will allow you to do the exercises that require stepping up on the bench but on a lower (and safer) platform. You can use adjustable dumbbells like SelectTechs or PowerBlocks, but the pace of the workouts (especially in the first two Phases) will make it hard to adjust the weight between exercises. So it is best to have at least some free weights. This is not a program you can do with bands, and while you can modify some exercises, you need free weights and a bench. 

The main drawback lies in the program materials. Years ago, back when the company was called Team Beachbody and workouts were released on physical DVDs, the accompanying materials were excellent. They included detailed guidebooks illustrating every single exercise, along with comprehensive, easy-to-use tracking sheets. Now that everything has transitioned to digital streaming via the BODi app and website, the materials are bare-bones and available only in PDF format. Sometimes you only receive a basic calendar, and sometimes you get tracking sheets. While Dig Deeper does include workout sheets, they are poorly formatted, hard to read, and fail to list every single exercise performed on camera. If you want proper tracking templates, you have to build your own from scratch and manually add the missing movements as you discover them during the workout.

My Results

I completed this entire 12-week program while eating in a strict caloric deficit. Running on lower fuel makes the process significantly harder, especially when trying to push your heaviest loads during the Phase 3 pyramids.

Despite the deficit, my consistency paid off. I lost a total of 13 pounds. I dropped a combined 8.8 inches across my entire body. My most significant change occurred right around my waistline, shrinking from 44 inches at the start down to 40 inches at the final check-in. It was a demanding program, but it absolutely worked. If you like lifting, this is definitely a good program to try.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 83

Day 83 was day 5 of Week 4 in Phase 3, which is the shoulders-and-abs workout. This was the final workout of Dig Deeper. I still struggled, despite using the same amount of weight for most exercises as I did last week. I was able to increase the weight slightly for the reverse-grip shoulder presses, however. I also continued to improve the ab exercises, both in form and duration. Next week, I plan to do a deload week, focusing on flexibility, recovery, and steady-state cardio, and the following week, start Dig In, another program from Shaun T that combines lifting with non-impact cardio.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 82

Day 82 was day 4 of Week 4 in Phase 3, which is the leg workout. This was the second-to-last workout of Dig Deeper. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for each exercise in the workout. My form was decent; however, as I increased the weight, I could not get as deep into the squats or lunges, so if I were doing this again next week, I would keep the weights the same.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 81

Day 81 was day 3 of Week 4 in Phase 3, which is the arms workout. I mostly used the same weights as last week, but I was able to increase the weight for the first set of the Dig Deeper block; then I had to drop the weight on the last two sets. I was much better on tricep dips this week, especially in blocks 1 and 2. I could completely straighten my legs (which I could never do before), but I did bend them in the third set when you use the five-count down, 1-count-up tempo. My range of motion on triceps push-ups is improving, but I am not as good at them as I am at dips.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 80

Day 80 was day 2 of Week 4 in Phase 3, which is the back-and-abs workout. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for some exercises and kept some the same as last week. The biggest improvement I felt was in the ab exercises. I did all of them with better form and fewer pauses, especially in the first two blocks when I was fresher.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bates Motel: Season 4

 

The 10-episode fourth season of Bates Motel aired during the spring of 2016. Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Olivia Cooke, and Nestor Carbonell all returned as series regulars. The big additions to the cast in recurring roles this season were Damon Gupton, who plays a psychiatrist who starts treating Norman, and Marshall Allman as Julian, another patient at the Pineview institution where Norman is being treated.

Most of the season focuses on Norman coming closer to the person he is in the original film. His dissociative identity disorder is discovered (to those outside of the family), but it is still not widely known, and the series gives a backstory for why he developed it in the first place. The most consequential death in the series so far occurs this season, setting up different threads for how exactly the final season could play out. Obviously, we know what the ultimate outcome will be, which also hints at the fates of at least some of the characters, but we do not know how the writers will get there.

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set that can be purchased individually or as part of the complete series release. The discs are packaged in their own keep case. The A/V quality remains very good, and the episodes look and sound great in HD. The bonus features are lighter this season, with the only extras being deleted scenes included on each disc. There are about 15 minutes of deleted scenes on disc one and a little over 17 minutes on disc two.

The series continues to be well-written and very well acted, with all of the actors doing a great job in their roles. Obviously, however, as the series gets closer to where the movie would pick up, Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore have to do most of the heavy lifting. Nestor Carbonell's role continues to increase this season, and he is great in the role. The writers do a great job of keeping the material engaging and balanced for the cast members. Ultimately, it is a wonderful season that is absolutely worth watching and makes a great addition to your collection.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 79

Day 79 was day 1 of Week 4 in Phase 3, which is the chest workout. This is also the final week of Dig Deeper. I was able to increase the weight I used for some of the pressing exercises, but I kept the chest flys the same or lower. In the second set of flys (the flat bench flys), I actually went down to 20 lbs because those came just after chest presses, which I had increased to 35 lbs. On the hex presses, I started with 30 lbs and then drop-set to 25 lbs for the last two sets. I also increased the weight I used for the standing chest flyes in the Dig Deeper block at the end from 15 lbs to 17.5 lbs.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Flashdance

 

Flashdance is the 1983 romantic drama directed by Adrian Lyne, based on a screenplay by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas. The film stars Jennifer Beals and Michael Nouri in the leading roles. The supporting cast includes Lilia Skala, Sunny Johnson, Kyle T. Heffner, Lee Ving, Ron Karabatsos, and Belinda Bauer. The plot follows an 18-year-old woman named Alex Owens (played by Beals) who works as a welder at a steel mill by day and as a dancer at a local bar by night. Alex dreams of being accepted into a prestigious dance conservatory, but she lacks formal training and is intimidated by the audition process. While she is not a stripper, she and some of the other dancers at the bar are constantly being recruited to work at a local strip club by its owner, Johnny C. (played by Ving), who is a regular at the bar. Along the way, Alex catches the eye of her older boss at the steel mill, Nick Hurley (played by Nouri), and the two begin a relationship that helps her find the courage to pursue her goals.

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray. It also comes with a digital code that can be redeemed on Movies Anywhere. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is okay, but not great. It did not receive a high-quality transfer and is not a huge upgrade over the 1080p version. All of the bonus content is located on the standard Blu-Ray disc and totals about a half hour of runtime. Those extras include a short interview with director Adrian Lyne, a couple of making-of featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.

While the movie was a massive commercial hit when it was first released, it remains a very uneven film. The story does eventually get from point A to point Z, but it gets there in a very haphazard manner, with some of the characters' actions making absolutely no sense. The movie also feels very much stuck in the 1980s, relying heavily on several music montages, including a very out-of-place, cheesy workout sequence that slows down the narrative. Additionally, the storyline of an 18-year-old employee who starts dating her older boss feels a bit creepy nowadays and would not make for a romantic story in the modern day. The acting across the board was okay, and the writing was definitely uneven. Beals did a decent job given that this was her first major acting role, after having done some modeling and having a very small part in one movie before she was cast in this film. It was a pretty big deal to have a biracial lead actress in her first major role, which still makes the movie somewhat groundbreaking. Ultimately, the movie's soundtrack, which features several popular 80s songs, is much better than the film itself, which is dated and does not hold up particularly well. However, it is still worth checking out for fans of 1980s movies, as long as you accept it for what it is and do not expect more than that.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Days 77 and 78

Days 77 and 78 were rest days for Dig Deeper. On Saturday evening, I did the LIIFT4 Roll and Recover routine, using my RumbleRoller for the first time in a long time. On Sunday evening I did the P90X X-Stretch routine and noticed some distinct improvements in my flexibility and control. I can sit up taller in the seated spinal stretches, get lower into the standing wide leg stretch, and more easily lower myself from plank to upward dog during the vinyasa sequence. I was also able to do a deeper push-up when transitioning from upward dog to downward dog, where previously I could only manage a micro push-up. Most impressively, I was able to get into Bow pose and hold my chest up for a few seconds at a time. It had been a very long time since I was able to do Bow. I cannot yet do it as well as I used to, but I am getting there, slowly but surely.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Disclosure Day

 

Disclosure Day is the 2026 science-fiction thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay written by David Koepp. The film stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, and Colin Firth in the leading roles. The supporting cast includes Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell, Elizabeth Marvel, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes.

The plot follows a television meteorologist, Margaret Fairchild (played by Blunt), and a cybersecurity analyst, Daniel Kelner (played by O'Connor), who unexpectedly find themselves thrown together on a high-stakes mission that neither fully understands. All while being chased by a shadowy organization and helped by an underground resistance group. The movie starts with little setup, starting off with a standoff between O'Connor and Firth's characters. We learn that Kelner has stolen evidence of an extraterrestrial cover-up and plans to disclose the definitive existence of alien life to the entire world. Firth plays a government contractor named Hugo, who is trying to prevent the secret from being released. Margaret begins exhibiting weird behavior and feels a pull to find and help Kelner, all to the dismay of everyone around her, including her boyfriend, Jackson (played by Russell). 

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard Blu-Ray. It also comes with a digital code that can be redeemed on Movies Anywhere. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding, and the digital effects are so good that it is genuinely hard to tell what was done with practical effects and what was done digitally. The bonus content is completely included on the UHD disc itself. It features a making-of featurette that runs just under an hour, as well as a short feature focusing on the long-term working relationship between Spielberg and his legendary composer, John Williams. Both features are good and are well worth a look for people who like watching the bonus content on physical releases.

The movie is good, with a nice blend of action, drama, and suspense. It was very well acted, with Blunt and Firth being the clear standouts of the production, although all of the actors did a very good job in their respective roles. The writing was good overall but got a bit cheesy and silly in parts, especially toward the end of the film during the climax. It seems like this is what Spielberg likely would have done with Close Encounters of the Third Kind if the special-effects technology had been good enough back in the late 1970s. While it is not a direct sequel to Close Encounters, it feels like a modern update of that story. Ultimately, it is a very entertaining sci-fi thriller that is absolutely worth watching.