quaranTING adventures! trying to get fit during quarantine

unless you’re living under a rock, i’m sure you all have heard of CHLOE TING!! i’m pretty out of shape LOL but i’ve been trying to work out at least a little bit during my time at home. i mentioned this in our april wrap-up – i’ve been doing chloe ting’s 10 min arm/ab workouts…but after watching this results video, i was very inspired and finally decided to commit. i decided to do her 2 week shred challenge (lol i literally feel the sweat dripping down my face as i write this because i just finished the first workout for day 1) so of course i had to document this journey haha. keep reading for my thoughts during/after each day’s workouts! xan also did this challenge last month, so don’t forget to check out her video here!!

disclaimer: i did not take a before/after photo because it’s not all about the appearance!! i wanted to see if i would actually get stronger by working out consistently (although i wouldn’t have minded physical results haha). anyway, without further ado, here we go!

day 1:

i started the “do this everyday to lose weight” video (aka episode 1 of this challenge) and i was like: okay, this is fine. this is doable. it’s only 13 minutes. but by the second round of mountain climbers i was like WHYYY?? i literally don’t think i’ve done mountain climbers since HIGH SCHOOL and i really didn’t remember them being so torturous hahaha. halfway through the video i was actually lowkey dying, and i definitely paused/took breaks quite a few times. also since i’m really not that fit (lol) i did all the low impact versions but still feel like i got quite a workout. i FINALLY understand now why everyone hates the up and down planks – they look deceptively easy but when you’re actually doing them……they are so freaking difficult. anyway, the workout felt much longer than 13 minutes but i got through it :’)
time for the episode 2 aka abs… update: I AM DEAD. i am officially deceased. omg. i was already lowkey dead from the first workout and now i’m just gone. i even cheated my way through the second workout LOL because i kept stopping without pausing the video oops. i just want to lie down and do nothing for the rest of the day but i have a lot to do so gotta go shower and get on that grind!! i’m not ready for day 2 of this challenge lol.

day 2:

feeling a little sore from yesterday in my abs/hips/legs but overall not too bad! but yikes three videos today… let’s get it :’)
episode 1 wasn’t bad at all today! okay…well i still struggle a lot with anything that includes planks (oof) and i still did all the low impact versions, but i don’t feel quite as dead as i did yesterday so that’s an improvement!
episode two – reverse crunches are impossible wtf. took a lot of breaks again, this specific workout is super hard for me because it’s like 80% planks (crying). for some reason planks really hurt my hands?? i feel like this isn’t normal oof but i think all the weight on my hands pressing into the ground just makes them really sore.
third workout – chloe is really out here KILLING me with these up and down planks…. this is already the fourth one today i’m dying – OKAY NOW THE FIFTH ONE i really can’t. but actually this workout has a lot of interesting and different exercises from the other videos so it was somewhat entertaining i guess?
and that’s a wrap on day 2! surprisingly i’m slightly less deceased than i was yesterday so i guess tomorrow won’t be too bad… okay i just realized that i did the wrong video for part three (i did tight core/arms which is episode 4 instead of 11 line abs oops) and tomorrow is actually FOUR workouts so… oof
but for now i’m just gonna shower, enjoy my boba, and go relaxxxx

also side note: i do not have a fitness mat 🙁 so i’ve just been doing most of the floor exercises on my hardwood floor which has not been the most fun. i ordered one from amazon after debating if i really need one because i decided it’d be good to have and it’ll hopefully motivate me to work out more HAHA. it was kinda crazy because soooo many of the fitness mats on amazon are sold out so i guess everyone’s trying to get fit!! anyway i did end up finding one and it’s supposed to arrive next week so i’m excited! i might modify some of the other exercises in the meantime because my hands are actually hurting quite a bit.

side note part 2: i FINALLY understand when people say they feel happier after exercising and tbh i have NEVER felt that (except maybe with dance) but now i do!! this is now the second time in the past week where i felt kinda sad but actually felt better after working out, so thank you chloe ting :’)

day 3:

working out with my friend together today (shoutout to anna ily) for some extra motivation! my hips, hands, elbows, and tailbone (??) are pretty sore today so i’m definitely modifying some of the exercises and taking it a little easier.
i can’t believe we did four workouts today but we got through it and it wasn’t too bad!! even though i changed some exercises, i still was sweatinggg by the end. i actually really liked the lower body workout (episode 3). i felt like it was very doable and also didn’t have too many floor exercises (thank GOD!). i did not do any of the up and down planks today lollll but definitely still got a solid workout!

day 4:

i was feeling really really sore last night but thankfully and surprisingly it wasn’t too bad today! i did modify a lot of the exercises today but it’s doneeeee. still waiting for my mat to come :(( then i can actually push myself some more! (yay??)

day 5:

REST DAY THANK GOD. today i decided to go back to the two 10-min videos (arms/abs) i was doing before i started the challenge because those are relatively quick and easy. BUT i was wrong…. i guess it’s been too long since i last did the arms workout because my shoulders are soooo sore now hahaha. the up and down pulses at the end really got me, and the backward arm circles are always a s t r u g g l e. i just finished the ab workout too and i thought it would be much easier than the workouts i’ve been doing in this challenge, but it still wasn’t easy (oof).
anyway, i honestly don’t know if i’ve been losing any weight/getting stronger, probably because i’ve also been eating significantly more oops – but also this is so normal!! if you’re in the same boat as me, don’t beat yourself up. your body is using up a lot more energy so naturally it needs more food. make sure to keep eating properly! regardless, i guess exercising every day has still been good overall! it definitely helps to have a bit of a routine.

day 6:

feeling a little less sore today so i decided to push myself a little more! pretty tired after the episode 1, episode 2 definitely killed my abs a bit, but i’m excited for episode 3! i think the lower body burn workout is my favorite out of all the ones in this challenge haha.
update: i am m e l t i n g. but yay, done with day 6, which means only 8 more days……

day 7:

i’m so tired and unmotivated today buuuuut gonna push through. let’s do thissss
today was hard for sure but it’s done. i definitely modified/replaced a lot of the exercises but yay i’m finally halfway through :’) and double yay because my mat is finally supposed to come tomorrow!! tbh i am so ready for this challenge to be OVER.
time to go eat ice cream hahaha
(update: i drank a smoothie instead but then ended up eating ice cream at night)

taking a break from the daily updates to tell you a little more about what i’ve been eating! my breakfast is usually plain greek yogurt + granola (this granola from purely elizabeth is the BOMB, it tastes amazing and i 1000% recommend, find it at your local costco!!) + a bit of honey. after working out, i usually make a smoothie with one banana, some frozen fruit depending on what i have in the freezer, a few spoonfuls of greek yogurt, plus enough milk to get the consistency you want. no real measurements here haha, just play around with it!

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day 8:

ughhhh can this challenge be over already?? i modified a lot of the exercises in the first two episodes again because i am tired and unmotivated and kinda sad buuut well it’s done.
my mat was supposed to come today 🙁 but now it says coming tomorrow, which is a rest day anyway. well, excited to chill tomorrow at least :’)

day 9:

rest day! i did the 10 min arm workout again and added this dance cardio workout, which was a lot more fun and did not make me feel like i was dying! so yay 🙂 and my fitness mat finally came today!! so overall feeling pretty happy todayyyy

day 10:

first day working out with a proper mat!! i could cry…both tears of joy and tears of pain because it was so hard LOL (jkjk). i pushed myself harder with a lot of the floor exercises today and i was really really struggling.

day 11:

only two exercises today but i felt sooo unmotivated… but shoutout to my friend jane for volunteering to work out with me even though she was in the park hahaha <3
my abs are so tired lol

day 12:

ughhhh. it’s that time of the month so i’m cramping a bit. felt very very lazy today so i just did the first three workouts for today…. might do the last one later? sigh
update: i actually did the last workout haha and i’m lowkey sweating…. my house is too warm

day 13:

done with day 13 YAY only one day left :’)))) so happy it’s almost over (also sorry my updates have been getting shorter!! i lost a lot of steam hahaha but still kept pushing through – you can do it too!!)

day 14:

I’M FREEEEEEE PRAISE THE LORD!! i actually finished this 2 week challenge and i’m very proud of myself :’)
even though i modified a lot of the workouts, i still pushed my body a lot with this challenge because i’m highkey out of shape hahaha. honestly, i don’t really see any physical differences (i probably ate too much oops) besides some slight definition in my arms?? i do feel like i got somewhat stronger/fitter after the past two weeks so that’s a plus! honestly, i don’t really know if the exercises got that much easier throughout the two weeks, but i guess i felt slightly less dead after working out as i continued HAHA
i definitely am gonna continue with my quarantine fitness journey, but i need a break after this challenge…. i might explore more of chloe ting’s workouts, since she’s been dropping a lot of new ones recently, but i’ve heard emi wong is also really good! anyway, i’m pretty excited to continue working on my physical health during quarantine 🙂

also since xan ranked her favorite workouts from this program, here’s my ranking:

1. lower body burn
2. do this everyday to lose weight
3. 2 week abs
4. 11 line abs
5. tight core/arms

thanks for reading! if you decide to try this challenge, good luck and let me know how it goes for you!!