Physique 57 asked me to write a client testimonial for their website because of the great results I had using their dvds at home. If you missed my first post professing my love for Physique 57, it is here. Here is what I wrote:
I first heard about Physique 57 from US Weekly magazine not long after I had my 2nd child in June of 2009. I had only ever done one other barre type workout and was definitely interested in trying Physique 57. I clipped the page out and made mental note to check it out once I was a few more months post partum. Fast forward to 6 months later and I had not lost a single pound from the day I left the hospital after my c-section. I had been doing lots of other more athletic, plyometric type workouts that included jumping jacks, squat thrusts, etc. My knees were hating me and I was definitely not getting results. Literally, I did not lose A pound. I ordered Physique 57 in February of 2010 and couldn’t wait to jump right in and get started with them. When I first started, I could barely squeeze into my “fat” jeans – they were tight. And my “skinny” jeans (2 sizes smaller than my “fat” jeans) were no where near fitting. I could barely even pull them on, let alone zip and button them.
When I first started doing Physique 57, I couldn’t believe how tough the videos were. I started out following the beginner modifier and often had to stop and take breaks to shake out my legs. The thigh section of the workout was the most intense leg work I had ever done before in a workout. My legs would shake uncontrollably for most of the thigh and seat portions, which I learned was a good thing. It meant that my muscles were working to the point of exhaustion and getting stronger and leaner. The warm up was also very tough to complete. I remember thinking the first time I did the workout, “that was just the warm up?!” I wanted to collapse after that and it was just the warm up! But I enjoy a good challenge and looked forward to the day I could do all the pushups on my toes with Shelly Knight (the advanced modifier). I also had trouble completing the ab section. I remember thinking I was in trouble when Tanya Becker said, “you can do anything for 60 seconds.” I certainly couldn’t do it right off the bat! But I knew if I kept at it, I could. The stretch portion of the DVD was always such a relief to get to. The music is so soothing and the stretches always felt amazing after all the hard work I had just completed. The 57 minutes of the Classic workout always flew by and before I knew it, I was sitting on my couch feeling accomplished and wiped at the same time. I always loved the feeling of “jell-o legs” when I was done. It meant it was working.
I also loved the mental boost I would get from it. The workout was so intense and I always felt like if I could get through that, I could tackle the rest of the day no problem! Physique 57 always has a way with clearing my mind and setting me up for a wonderful day once I had completely one of the workouts. I really can’t compare it to any other workout – it has been the only one to give me that kind of “high.” I was definitely addicted to it.
Within a few weeks, my jeans started feeling looser and I was pleased with what I was seeing in the mirror as well. I’m a stay at home mom, so I live in yoga pants most of the time. I would try my jeans on once a week to see how they were fitting. Each week, my “fat” jeans got looser and my “skinny” jeans got closer to fitting. 1.5 months after starting Physique 57, I was shocked when my “skinny” jeans fit me again. I had never seen a workout work so fast. It really was amazing. Since then, I have gained a lot of strength in both my upper and lower body and have continued to shrink all over. I can now do all the pushups on my toes (and even on one leg!) and I follow Shelly for the entire workout. I have to laugh now when Tanya says, “its okay to take a break” because I very vividly remember thinking to myself, “Yes please!” and taking that break when I first started. And when she says that you can do anything for 60 seconds – I totally can now! Physique 57 really made me believe in myself and see how strong I am mentally and physically. I love when I introduce someone who hasn’t done it before to Physique 57 and they tell me how hard it is and how they don’t think they will EVER be able to do the whole thing without stopping. I tell them to just keep going and believe in themselves and before they know it – they will be at this place too. Thank you Physique 57 for giving me my pre-baby body back, a renewed strength in both mind and body and a love for barre workouts! This really has changed my body for the better and I couldn’t thank you enough!
Before P57, December 2009 After P57, May 2010 September, 2010 
Posts
Your story is inspirational. Congratulations on your results; you look great!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! You look great! Your story sounds similar to mine. I went back to the Firm, Cathe, Kelly Coffey Myers after my son was born and I was cleared to work out.
ReplyDeleteAll I got was achy knees. I did a 180 and just did barre and Ellen Barrett.
It was slow, but I ended up 5lbs below my pre-preg weight.
I didn't use P57 but I think those may be my next barre purchase.
You look beautiful. Congratulations on your success!
ReplyDeletehi, plplpls answer my questions. after seeing your results i feel you are the right person to answer my questions. tell me did you add any cardio with the dvds? i have bulky thighs will the workouts still work for me ,that is tone and slim down my bulky thighs. how many calorie diet did you follow? how many times a week did you do the dvds and how much additional cardio did u do? even if i am asking you these questions as anonymous plplpls reply my questions....i beg you
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous! I can't replay to your post because Blogger doesnt have that capability. So hopefully you check back! Anyway, I did additional cardio 3-4 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Cardio was anything from interval training on my treadmill (walking and running)to Tracy Anderson's dance cardio dvds. Yes, barre work such as P57 will slim your thighs if you keep at it. You may experience additional bulking in the beginning, but if you stick with it - they WILL slim down. There is a blog post on this on the Bar Method blog if you want to read more about it. Typically, when people start doing barre workouts, they have a temporary bulking period in their legs that very swiftly changes and your thighs will slim down. I attest to this being true. My jeans were SO tight in the thighs and then the next thing I knew, they were very loose in the thighs. So it happens fast. Key is that you stick with it. Diet - well, i dont know how many calories I did. I tried to keep track for a little while, but got tired of trying calculate b/c I do cook every meal we eat and to try and figure it out when you make a recipe - it was way too hard. I eat clean tho. Nothing processed ever. No soda. No milk. Just water mainly. Very little dairy. Limited amounts of meat. I usually only eat chicken and turkey when I do eat meat. And whole grains. I did the dvds 3-4 times a week. I mainly did the Classic. Ok, let me know if you see this response and have more questions.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for your response. now i am sure i will buy the DVDs. also i have another question.did you have any kind of protein shake? also do the DVDs include chest lifting or firming exercises? and finally does the 52 min workout include cardio that is jumps or running or stepping? or is it just a toning program with no cardio element? as you said that in the initial stages there may be some bulking in thighs..how many exercises did you do for thighs alone , that is squats, lunges etc and how many reps for each. i need to know this because every time i do squats my thighs get very bulky and i have to stop
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't drink a protein shake. I do drink green smoothies, but i dont put any powders in them. The dvds are all toning but do get your heartrate up, giving you somewhat of a cardio element. Some people just do the dvds and still get results doing that. I'm more of a toning gal myself and sometimes dont do the cardio as much anymore. There is no jumping or stepping. If you watch their promo video, you will see that its a lot of small, isolated movements that get deep into your muscles and fatigues them fast. There are NO squats and lunges. Barre work is very different from traditional strength training, which you will see and feel the first time you do it. It WILL be hard for you when you first start. Even if you are already strong, its still a very different way of strength training. But very effective and works very fast.
ReplyDeletethankyou so much once again all my prayers and good luck to you please keep posting your further progress to motivate us all.
ReplyDeleteonce gain thankyou
Thanks so much! I will definitely keep trying to motivate as much as I can! : )
ReplyDeleteYour efforts have paid off. I am trying to get back into exercising again-nothing worse then starting over. I plan on doing a variety of dvds and tapes besides doing mostly the P57. Mostly some that have more aerobic hoping to start running this spring. when the weather is much safer on the roads.
ReplyDelete