First things first: I am a gym rat. Prior to the pandemic, I was there at least five days a week. I used to love taking a class at the gym. I’d hit at least one indoor cycling class and dance cardio class a week, then sprinkle in weight-based HIIT or cardio kickboxing classes the rest of the days. I liked mixing it up.
So at the beginning of quarantine, when it became clear that gyms wouldn’t be reopening any time soon, I turned to YouTube. I had never done this before. I also had limited equipment: a set of 2-pound, 5-pound, and 12-pound dumbbells; one 15-pound dumbbell; and a yoga mat. I also had limited space because I live in a one-bedroom apartment.
But I realized I needed instruction and direction. While I found a couple of instructors I liked on YouTube, I also found it to be somewhat be super overwhelming and hard to navigate.
Enter: the All Out Studio App. I downloaded it on my phone and Apple TV, and I’ve also logged in on my computer. I was super excited the first time I signed in to see that the workouts were organized by intensity. I know that for me, I go into a workout based on the energy I have to give on a particular day. Some days that’s a lot, and others it’s…minimal.
From there, the workouts were also categorized by different brands, like Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, and more. This was helpful on the days when I knew I wanted to work out with an instructor associated with a specific brand.
Day 1 started off strong.
I was feeling some strength training, so I tried the STRONG Upper Body Reps video by Betina Gozo. I used my weights for this one, and it was about 17 minutes. I loved her attitude, and she gave really clear instructions. It was more core work than I expected going into it, which was great. When I was done, I felt more toned, but not tired. I would consider this a lighter workout, which was a great way to start off the week.
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After that, I stretched out with some yoga.
On day two, I wanted to dive into some yoga. Usually, I’ll do a flow probably one to two times a month—so I have room to improve when it comes to flexibility and loosening up tight muscles. I chose a Runner’s World video called Yoga For Runners: Yoga for Beginners with runner and instructor Rebecca Pacheco. It was awesome and hurt a lot (but in a good way!). I’ve been walking and/or running a lot more during quarantine, and the full-body stretching made me feel really good (and relaxed) afterwards.
On day three, I worked in some high-energy HIIT.
I chose the All Out HIIT: Dumbbell Total Body workout with instructor Gerren Liles. I did this after a run outside to get in some extra strength work, and I loved it. All of the videos in this particular program are only 15 minutes long, but you work hard during those 15 minutes. I was totally worn out by the end, and Liles’ energy was a huge motivator.
Halfway through my week of workouts, I did a quickie routine during my break time.
On day four, I took a midday work break and decided to do a quick 10-minute back workout from Prevention’s Fit in 10 program called Fit in 10: Back to Strong with instructor Larysa DiDio. Since I work from home and on my laptop, I know that my back strength is lacking. This routine only required light weights (I used both 5-pound and 2-pound dumbbells), but it’s amazing how hard it still was. And I loved that it was only 10 minutes. By the end, my arms and upper back felt the most fatigued, but I wasn’t sweaty enough to need a shower. It was a great way to break up my day, and I felt energized rather than worn out.
The next day, I decided to try an upper-body workout.
I had to move my workout from my living room into my bedroom (the joys of a one–bedroom apartment with two people working from home!), which meant I had less space. So I chose to do an upper-body workout from Cosmo called Power Up: Upper Body with instructor Astrid Swan. This was an 18-minute burner. I started with 5-pound dumbbells, but quickly went down to my 2-pound set because it was so tough. The workout was great for toning and high reps. We did lots of little pulsing and holds, which were killer. I was really challenged by this video and felt it the most in my shoulders when I was done.
On day 6, I re-energized with yoga.
Toward the end of the week, I hit a bit of a wall and did not feel like working out at the end of my workday. So, I decided to go lighter and chose another yoga video. This time, I went with Yoga Reset: Yoga for Good Posture with Tara Stiles. After a long day of nonstop work, it felt good to focus on my body and breathing. The goal of this yoga workout was to open up your body, which I need after hunching over a laptop all day. Knowing this would help my posture was a good motivator. Once I was done, I felt way less stressed out than when I had started.
I wrapped up the week with some more HIIT.
On day seven, I did my workout first thing in the morning and went back to All Out HIIT with the All Out HIIT: Bodyweight Lower Body video. The day beforehand, I wasn’t able to get in a walk or run, so I wanted to target my lower body. But I also didn’t feel like using any weights. Turns out, they definitely were not necessary for me to feel the burn. Surprisingly, this was the most difficult workout that I did. I sweat the most and felt the most ‘spent’ after this one, especially after the final minute of burpees.
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Overall, I loved the variety that was available on the app.
There is a workout available for every mood, time allotment, and capability. Practically every workout could be done in a small space and with minimal equipment. I was really happy with every single routine I did and felt that each one was worth my time.
After doing seven days of workouts, my body felt great. The toning and HIIT workouts I did left me sore and feeling stronger, while the yoga workouts helped me stretch out my muscles and helped me feel re-energized and centered.
I picked my workouts based on my mood and the time I had available, and every time I was able to find something that was just what I needed in the moment. I think the best part is that I feel motivated to keep going knowing there are so many more workouts to try.
Now that I’ve tried the All Out Studio App, I’m super excited to tell my friends about it. I would 100 percent recommend it to anyone who has never done an at-home workout or to those who, like me, are struggling to find new challenges and content when it comes to their home exercise routines.
Try the All/Out Studio app for yourself today.
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