Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 23

Day 23 was the first lower-body workout of the week. This is a burnout workout, so you do three one-minute sets of the same exercise (deadlifts in block 1, weighted bridges in block 2, side lunges in block 3, and goblet sumos in block 4) followed by a band exercise for 45 seconds at the end of each block. Some exercises use the 3x1 tempo, some use the 2x2, and some are just a regular one-count lift and lower. I can definitely tell that my range of motion in all the exercises is getting better, but that also makes the exercises more challenging. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 22

Day 22 was the first day of week 4. This workout is an upper-body super burnout workout. So, there are three blocks that superset two exercises, and then a burnout block that utilizes the bands. In the supersets, you use the tempos from the past two weeks, with one of the exercises being performed at the 3x1 tempo and the other at the 2x2 tempo. The first block is a chest block, the second block works the shoulders and biceps, and the third block works the back and shoulders. Then, in the burnout block, you work your shoulders, back, and triceps. So, this works everything in your upper body except your abs and lower back.

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 21

Day 21 was another flexibility and mobility day. This repeats the same routine from the first week. From the looks of it, there are two different flexibility and mobility workouts in the program that you alternate every other week. I really like this one since none of the stretches are extremely difficult, and it includes my favorite yoga pose, Pigeon.  

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 20

Day 20 was a total body workout consisting of four blocks. Each block contained two exercises, some of which used weight and some did not. There were also some unbalanced exercises in which you worked one side of the body, then the other. The main muscle groups worked today were legs, back, shoulders, biceps, and chest. And, like the other workouts, because you have very little rest in between the sets, you are getting a slight cardio effect as well.

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 19

Day 19 was the second lower-body workout of the week. This one is a burnout workout, so it has four blocks doing the same exercises for three one-minute sets and then a burnout exercise that is either a band or bodyweight exercise. The first two blocks do not use the 3 x1 tempo, but the final two blocks do. This workout includes lunges, front-loaded squats, swings, and bridges. It is another challenging, but not impossible (especially if you modify when needed) routine. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 18

Day 18 was the second upper-body workout of week 3. It is a superburnout workout, so you do three regular blocks, each consisting of two exercises, one of which will use the 3x1 tempo, and then a burnout block that includes pushups, and then two band exercises. It is another challenging workout, and I found myself having to do drop sets on a couple of the exercises and modifying others. So, it is another one that, while short, will wear you out by the end. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 17

 Day 17 was the core cardio day for week 3. It has a very similar format to the workouts from weeks 1 and 2. You alternate between a plank (or bear stance) exercise to a core exercise. So, the entire workout is on the floor. You do need light weights for a couple of the core exercises. There are four regular blocks and then a burnout block where you do four of the eight exercises from the regular blocks of work for 45 seconds each with no rest between them. While the workout is hard, I can definitely tell I am getting stronger as I can do more of the plank-based exercises on my toes than I could in weeks 1 and 2. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 16

Day 16 was the first lower-body workout of week 3. It was a super burnout workout, so the burnout was at the end of the workout as a final block. In each block, you did a single exercise for three one-minute-long sets, with a minimal 15 seconds of rest between the sets. This is again a challenging but not impossible workout. It focuses on squats, lunges, and calf raises. The burnout block used bands for front and rear standing leg lifts.

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 15

Day 15 marks the start of week 3 of the program, which brings a new tempo and a slight adjustment to the order of the workouts. Today was an upper-body workout (weeks 1 and 2 started with lower-body on the first day of the week, then upper body on the second day). It was a burnout workout with four blocks. Each block had a weighted exercise, followed by a band or bodyweight burnout move. The first block targets the back, the second biceps, the third chest, and the fourth shoulders. The tempo this week is 3x1, so three counts to raise the weight and one count to lower it. That tempo was used for all the weighted exercises except biceps curls; however, in that block, you perform one-arm biceps curls for two sets (one arm for the first set and the opposite arm for the second set), followed by both arms for the third set. It was another very intense workout, despite its short duration. If you select weight correctly, you will have to drop the weight by the second or third set for most of the weighted exercises, and you will feel a burn even if you are using very light weights. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 14

Day 14 is another flexibility and mobility day in the 25 Minute Speed Train workout. This one has a good selection of stretches that, by the end of the 25 minutes, work your entire body, with a huge focus on hip, glute, hamstring, and lower-back mobility.  

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 13

Day 13 was the total-body workout for the week. It is a bit of a misnomer, since nearly every workout is a total-body workout, as you are always using your core in every routine. But this one does chest, back, arms, and legs (and some core). As Joel explains, the total-body workout is an endurance workout designed to exhaust your body at the end of the week. This accomplishes that. You do not do any of the tempo lifting that you do in the other workouts during the week. It is just time under tension, minute-long sets. There are four blocks in the workout, with each block containing two exercises, and each is a compound exercise that will work multiple body parts at once (e.g., biceps and shoulders). 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 12

Day 12 was the second upper-body workout of the week, which is a burnout workout. So, you do four blocks, each with one weighted exercise (chest presses in block 1, lateral raises in block 2, rotating rows in block 3, and biceps curls in block 4) that you do for the 2x2 tempo for three sets, with 15 seconds of rest between the sets.  Then, after the third set in each block, you do a band exercise that works the same muscle group.

It is another very challenging workout. I had to do drop sets on a couple of the exercises, as even light weights were getting heavy by the third set in each block. The heaviest weight I used for this workout was 17.5 lbs (on the chest presses), and the lightest was 3 lbs on the third set of lateral raises. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 11

Day 11 was the second lower-body workout of the week. This workout consists mainly of lunges and calf raises, but it also includes a deadlift exercise. It is another super-burnout workout, consisting of three blocks, each containing two exercises, one of which utilizes the 2x2 tempo. Then, the fourth block is the burnout block. You use bands for front-loaded lunge pulses and then do bodyweight pigeon and duck calf raises. Like the other workouts, there are very minimal breaks so you do get some cardio effect even though you are not doing traditional cardio. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 10

Day 10 was the second core-cardio workout of the program. It was another challenging workout, but I would say it is more focused on core than it is on cardio. Because the breaks are extremely short, you will experience a cardio effect, but it is not comparable to a traditional cardio workout (such as those in Lift 4). This workout has three regular blocks in which you do two exercises, then a burnout block in which you do four exercises, back-to-back with no rest for 45 seconds each.  

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 9

Day 9 was the first upper-body workout of week 2. It was a super burnout workout, meaning all the band exercises are in the fourth block at the end of the workout, and for one of the two exercises in each of the three regular blocks, you use the 2x2 tempo. This workout includes exercises for the chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. I did have to drop weight between sets for a couple of the exercises, but I actually did increase the amount of weight on one of the shoulder exercises between the first and second sets. It is another challenging, yet doable workout, and there are modifications for every exercise if needed.

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 8

Day 8 is the first workout of week 2, and the first lower-body workout of the week. This is a burnout workout. So each block has one weighted exercise that you do three times for one minute each, and then one band exercise that you do for 45 seconds. This workout also introduces tempo training into the program. In two of the four blocks, you perform the weighted exercise for two counts going down and two counts coming back up, or a "two and two" tempo. In this workout, the weighted exercises are deadlifts, front-loaded squats, front-loaded lunges, and bridges. The band exercises include band deadlifts, pulse squats, leg pulses, and bridges, where you lift one leg up after entering the bridge position.

Like the week one workouts, it is challenging even though it is short. I still think this is a perfect program to transition into Joel's other programs, Lift 4 and Lift More. I haven't done Lift More yet, but I have completed Lift 4 multiple times. Almost every exercise we have done so far, especially those that use weights, is included in Lift 4.

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 7

Day 7 is the first "rest" day of the program, which is a flexibility and mobility routine. It incorporates some yoga poses, such as downward dog and pigeon, along with more dynamic hip and shoulder mobility exercises. You do not use any weight or bands in this one, and if you have done any of the other Bodi workouts that have a stretching routine, you will recognize all of the exercises in this workout.

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 6

Day 6 was the first full-body workout day in 25-Minute Speed Train. Like the other workouts, especially the core-cardio workout, this one has some exercises that use weight and others that rely solely on your bodyweight. This one has four blocks of work. You work chest, back, legs, core, biceps, and shoulders. Some of the exercises are compound moves that work two body parts in the same rep, like hammer curls into narrow shoulder presses, and lunges into single arm rows. It is another very challenging workout, and even though it is short, you will be tired by the end, even if you modify the exercises that have modifications. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 5

Day 5 was the second upper-body workout of the program. This had the same burnout format as the first workout, consisting of four blocks of work, each with two exercises. Then, after the fourth block, you have a burnout round in which you only use bands, and you do four exercises (actually three exercises, but one is a single-arm exercise that you do on one arm and then switch to the other) for 45 seconds with no rest. In this workout, you work your chest, back, shoulders, and triceps. Again, because you are going for time and not reps, you will probably have to use very light weight. The heaviest weight Joel used was 30 lbs on the one-arm rows. But, on the shoulder exercises, he was down to 10 and even 7.5 lbs. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 4

Day 4 was the second lower-body workout of the week. This one was a burnout workout, similar in format to the upper-body workout. There are four blocks of work, each with a "main" exercise that you use a dumbbell for, for two or three sets (depending on the exercise), then there is a burnout exercise that you use a resistance loop for. 

Again, the workout is challenging, but not impossible. The hardest exercise in the workout is the negative lunge, in which you start in a lunge position with your knee on the floor and then raise up to what is a starting position for a traditional lunge. You can do the exercise with or without weight (and if you use weight, it will be very light; Joel was only using 15 lbs). You can also do what are essentially pulsing lunges if it is too hard on your knees. 

Even though these workouts are short, you absolutely feel them the next day. So, they pack a lot into 25 minutes, and because the breaks are very short, you are getting a cardio effect as well.