April has been a pretty busy month, with traveling and personal commitments getting in the way of my fitness journey. For that reason, I chose a relatively short fitness program to help me stay motivated: the 14 Day Sculpt x Nutrition challenge by Jacinta Brown from Posture Tonic. Compared to some of the Pilates challenges I've tried recently, this program has relatively short workouts (around 30 minutes per day), therefore I could fit a quick workout in here and then. My previous experience with Jacinta's workouts also left me positively impressed, with her blend of Pilates and functional fitness being a challenging yet doable format for my current needs. I haven't been sleeping as much as needed for recovery from high impact workouts, so these shorter videos were ideal to move my body without overexerting. Though the program had no built in rest days, I took off a few days between workouts due to time constraints.
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| Photo by Paulina Vargas from Pexels |
Program details:
- 14 workouts for fourteen days with no specific rest day scheduled.
- 30 minute workouts including warm up and cool down.
- Fully guided routines with low impact modifications.
- Blend of Pilates and functional fitness with cardio bursts every five minutes.
- Timed intervals of 45 seconds of work with 15 seconds of rest per exercise.
- Companion nutrition guide available to download for free.
Equipment required:
- Non slip fitness mat.
- Light dumbbells. Suggested weights 1 kg/3 pounds and 2 kg/5 pounds.
- Pilates small ball. I used a cushion and a round plushie to substitute the ball.
- Yoga block. I used a thick book to substitute the block
- Looped resistance band.
- Optional ankle weights. Suggested weight 0.5 kg/1 pound.
Day 1: Total Body Sculpt
I did read much about this challenge before trying the first workout, the built in cardio bursts were certainly a surprise. Having the ball to support the spine and add range of motion to the core exercises aided to activate the ab muscles further. For the standing exercises, I struggled to keep my balance during the arabesque row twist combo, mostly as a result of overcompensating hip flexors. Increasing the knee bend during this exercise helps slightly, but I still can't perform it with such grace as Jacinta.
The transition between the controlled exercises and the cardio segments was fairly seamless, having an on screen timer and next exercise written aided to prepare for the upcoming move.
Day 2: Full Body Sculpt
The warm up for this workout felt tougher than usual, so I knew it was probably going to be harder than average. With two mat segments with a standing segment in between, the multiple plank variations made this flow particularly heavy on the wrists. My arms were already tired during the chest presses, but I managed to power through.
Day 3: Total Body Sculpt
I know how tough workouts can get with the block, so I was not to excited for this one. My back was sore from the previous day, though at least the heavier dumbbells were not required for this class. Despite my initial worries, the block was mostly used as an aid and not to add more range of motion to the exercises. The reverse crunches were by far the toughest exercise, with me being unable to maintain my hips in the air for even half a second. The cues for this exercise were not as detailed as I would've wanted, but I guess my core is too weak to lift my entire lower half.
Day 4: Full Body Sculpt
Equipment required: Optional ankle weights. I didn't use ankle weights for this workout.
This workout was a nice bodyweight reset from the weighted movement from the first three days. With a slight focus on inner thigh exercises, I loved all the side laying controlled moves and the lifted leg criss cross. The workout felt more dynamic this time, with constant switching between mat and standing exercises.
Day 5: All Standing Sculpt
Jacinta's standing workouts are all always deceivingly hard, so I psyched myself for a real challenge. Due to using lighter weights than suggested, the isolated upper body exercises were not as challenging as intended, but the compound exercises were certainly tough. As usual, I struggled to maintain my balance during the arabesque, noticing a slight imbalance in my right leg in comparison to the left.
Day 6: All Floor Sculpt
With a focus on the core and thigh muscles, this workout felt like a gentle yet effective way to move my body after a few days off. I'm not a fan of plank jacks, but the cardio exercises were adequate for the all floor workout and didn't break the flow of the class. I think this workout is a great option for a period workout.
Day 7: Total Body Sculpt
Equipment required: Booty band. I used a light band for the workout.
I really wanted more side glute exercises in this series and this workout was just right for the job. Making use of the band in creative ways, the placement was constantly changed to target almost all major muscle groups. I especially loved using the band for the pushups and upper body, an underrated way to target the triceps without needing heavier dumbbells. Jacinta didn't specify the strength of her booty band, but I got a great workout with a light one.
The only downside of this workout is that I had to pause the video a few times to move my band around, maybe getting a few extra seconds to prepare would've been better.
Day 8: Booty Band Full Body Sculpt
Required equipment: Booty band. I used a light band for this workout.
Having back to back workouts with the booty band was a pleasant surprise. For this one, I didn't have my usual fabric bands at hand, so I had to use elastic bands instead. Though this workout was more focused on lower body exercises which are usually easier for me, I really struggled with my elastic band rolling up and digging uncomfortably into my thighs. And just like the previous workout, I had to pause even more times to fix my band and switch positions. As for the exercises, the scooters with the band around the ankles were far tougher than I expected, but a great way to train ankle mobility.
Day 9: 30 Minute Full Body Sculpt
My energy levels were pretty low on this day, so I wasn't too ready to get on the mat. I struggled from the beginning, with the reverse crunch and the criss cross feeling downright impossible. I did the laziest plank jacks I've ever made for the second cardio burst and I was still struggling to stay in plank. The later exercises were easier for me, still this wasn't my best day at all. I'm glad I don't own ankle weights for once.
Day 10: Standing Arms Focused Sculpt
After a few days without using weights, the dumbbells are finally back for an upper body focused class. And though this workout is mostly aimed for the upper body, the lower body is also challenged by compound movements with the lighter weights. The heavier weights were used for the exercises targeting the upper body, mostly the shoulders and back muscles. Overall a very pleasant section and a nice change of pace.
Day 11: Full Body Sculpt
I underestimated this workout. The ball is used to increase the range of motion in certain exercises, and in the case of the uneven pushups, to create instability for unilateral muscle activation. Core exercises using the ball are some of my favorites, making this workout a challenging yet doable class.
Day 12: Full Body Sculpt
Almost all the exercises of this workout are performed on the mat, though it's by no means easier than the others. With changing positions and high energy cardio bursts like jump squats with a turn, my heart rate got more elevated than I would've expected from a no equipment workout.
Day 13: Full Body Sculpt
I was not feeling too well for this workout but I still wanted to try my best. The extra resistance of the weights during the core exercises got my arms tired, so all the planks in the later half of the workout felt like torture. The side planks with a kick were especially rough, my hips were just refusing to keep square and my supporting arm was barely holding on. Funnily enough, the final cardio burst of jump squats felt like rest compared to all the planking.
Day 14: Full Body Sculpt for Elegant Posture
Equipment required: Optional wrist weights. I didn't use wrist weights for this workout.
After many skipped workouts, I finally got to the end of the challenge. With more dynamic moves than usual, this workout felt like a final test to everything practiced during the previous videos. Implementing unilateral balancing work with lunges followed by arabesques, I finally managed to keep relatively stable in one leg. My range of motion during the sprawls and rolling like a ball wasn't ideal, but I tried my best to keep with Jacinta's pace. Overall, I finished the workout feeling pretty good about my performance.
Bonus workout: Live Sculpt
Equipment required: Light dumbbells. Jacinta suggests using anywhere between 1 kg/3 pounds and 3 kg/7 pounds. I used 2 kg/5 pound weights.
This final workout is part of a special livestream with a guest functional nutritionist. And despite being live recorded, this workout was just as tough as the prerecorded videos from the challenge. Implementing some tough birddog variations using a dumbbell and tough lunges, I never expected to sweat as much as I did. A pretty solid workout and it was great to see Jacinta teaching live.
What I loved from the challenge:
- Fully guided flows with dynamic exercises.
- Great use of various props to enhance the workout.
- Inclusion of cardio bursts to improve endurance.
- Varied exercises.
- Warm up and cool down included in every workout.
- Low impact options shown on screen.
What I would change:
- The timed intervals might be too short for some exercises.
- No transition between exercises, does not feel like a flow.
- Some cardio bursts can feel awkward.
Final thoughts:
This challenge was great to keep myself accountable, especially while having a weird schedule. Requiring little to no equipment also helped, with some props being easily substituted by common household items. Jacinta's cues are great, and despite having to stick to the 45 second time interval for each exercise, she tries to explain the exercise in depth as possible. Almost every workout of this challenge targets the full body, which is great if you just want a comprehensive way to move your body. The included cardio intervals and constant changes in position are great to improve cardiovascular resistance and raise the heart rate without excessive fatigue.
The props used are also versatile, targeting different muscle groups and aiding with form in the case of the Pilates ball. And though the exercise intervals can be too short to achieve noticeable muscle fatigue, the moves are sequenced to continuously train the focused muscle group. The compound moves like arabesques and plank variations are excellent for the full body, therefore being present in many of the challenge's workouts.
Though the challenge includes a companion nutrition guide made by a functional nutritionist, I wasn't able to follow it due to traveling and many ingredients being inaccessible in my location. I did check out some of the recipes and might follow some in the near future.
Results:
This challenge is far too short and I wasn't consistent enough to notice any physical differences, but it helped me focus on myself during a few rough days. I'm still working on my single leg body moves, but I've definitely made an improvement on the arabesque variations.
Do I recommend this challenge?
Yes, I do recommend this challenge to Pilates beginners with basic fitness knowledge. Low impact modifications are available for all high impact moves, plus you can also skip the props to reduce resistance. And for those already familiar with Pilates, this challenge is pretty adaptable if you're using all the props and try to match Jacinta's pace.
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