January 14, 2019, 10:11 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Our colleague from TRAVELBOOK is 38 and has always been a couch potato. For FITBOOK, she threw all her bad habits overboard and took on a challenge: For 30 days, she followed the instructions of a personal trainer–not just in terms of exercise, but also nutrition. What came of it? See for yourself!
“A burpee, what is that?!”, “Back extensions? Never heard of them!” or “Crossfit sit-ups? I need to Google that…”
That’s how it went for me during my four-week FITBOOK challenge almost every time my trainer sent me new exercises via WhatsApp. Because exercise was virtually nonexistent in my daily life until then. Biking to work in the morning and back in the evening was about all the movement I could muster.
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So often in the past, I had resolved to finally exercise more. This time, I wanted to see it through: Break out of the laziness rut! Finally become fitter and more toned!
The plan: Exercise intensively for a month and change my diet, always accompanied by the personal trainer. Sounds tough? It was! But it was worth it in many ways. More on that later.
The Trainer
When I found out who my trainer would be, I was a bit scared at first. Micha Østergaard is a former Olympic swimmer and has trained several celebrities. She’s also quite muscular, the complete opposite of me. Her training would surely be extremely tough, I thought, how would I ever manage?
My concerns vanished immediately at the first meeting with Micha, not only because of her kind and straightforward manner but also because of her training philosophy: All exercises or workouts are designed to be easily integrated into daily life. Because, as Micha says, if you take on too much or the training takes too much time, you’re almost certain to give up after a short while.
Relief: I Don’t Have to Starve!
Her nutrition tips also convinced me right away. More protein and fewer carbohydrates, lots of salads and vegetables, but always in a way that you don’t have to go hungry. Snacks in between and even the occasional glass of wine in the evening were allowed.
However, Micha immediately cut one thing from my diet: apple spritzer. I admittedly drank quite a lot of it, sometimes up to a liter a day. That’s easily a few hundred extra calories, completely unnecessary.
Restart Before the Change
At the beginning, to my surprise, I wasn’t supposed to start right away but to do a “7-Day Restart” with the help of an e-book developed by Micha: This plan was meant to help me get used to the upcoming changes. Drink plenty of water, go for walks, integrate more protein into my meals, and start with smaller workouts.
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This Is How the Training Went
After that, the training was increased week by week. In addition to exercises for home, endurance sessions like jogging or alternating between jogging and sprints were added. Whenever I trained, I was supposed to send Micha a short feedback via WhatsApp. And even if I didn’t do something or couldn’t manage it. This personal contact was absolutely crucial for my motivation. We also met in person twice, where Micha showed me the correct execution of the exercises.
Burpees, Burpees, Burpees
The aforementioned burpee–a mix of squat, push-up, and jump–was something I encountered more often than I liked during the 30 days and was a recurring theme throughout the training. Because in the end, as my trainer’s stated goal, I was supposed to do 30 of these mega-challenging things in one go, in the shortest time possible, of course. The burpee served as a benchmark for my success.
For my first 30 burpees, it took me a full seven minutes, which was in week 2. After that, my muscles burned all over my body; I had never experienced such severe muscle soreness before.
See the video above to find out how long it took me to complete the 30 burpees at the end of the challenge and whether my body actually became more toned!
About the person: Micha Østergaard is an Olympian and trainer, including for Nike. From countless training and nutrition programs she tested during her career as an athlete, she developed a concept that is adaptable for everyone–tailored to individual needs. She doesn’t believe in pointless crash diets and complicated movements, but rather in joy during training. You can see that on Instagram. If you’re interested in her training philosophy, you can find more information here.