Julia Buckley’s Ignite Programme and the Southend Rudolph 5 mile run

So as you know I had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a four week pilot for a new programme by Julia Buckley, called Ignite.

Ignite is a high impact 30 minute a day, 6 days a week exercise programme and has become my routine over the past month.  One of my goals was to complete the workout early in the morning to start off my day right and not leave any excuse why I cannot do it in the evening so 5.30am has become my normal alarm time (yawn).  Surprisingly I didn’t miss a single workout over the whole month – don’t get me wrong I wake up like everyone else sometimes thinking meh but I got up and did it and feel so much better for it!

There are many benefits of working out like this such as:

• quick but effective workout
• burning more calories and fat
• improves endurance and aerobic capacity
• no equipment is necessary so this can be done at home, outside or in the gym (pretty much wherever you want – within reason, I mean you may look slightly odd breaking out into a workout on a packed train say)
• helps with metabolism
• super efficient

I won’t lie before this programme I had never done this sort of training and I did rather stupidly think that 30 minutes a day was a winner for me as it would be quick and easy.  Ha ha easy it was not!  Good job I set my alarm for 5.30am as I was (as usual) a sweaty tomato after every single workout so needed time to wash my hair and full on shower before I headed to work (and let my face return to normal non-red sweaty tomato colour).

I also loved the fact that every workout was different, which I was really impressed with. I am sure if I had to put it together there would be doubling up all over the place but Julia cleverly designs all the exercises around the theme of the workout.  They covered:

• full body
• lower body
• arms
• core
• cardio
• toning

Now there is a clear difference between Julia’s level of fitness and mine, for one Julia can talk during the workout, which I most definitely can not.  However, the beauty of this is that there are alternatives to do if you want to make it easier or harder.

Julia has an online gym and so you would log on and exercise alongside the video.  In addition to this you can talk to other people who subscribe to the online gym so the support from Julia and the members is amazing.

If I am honest I am going to miss the workouts – even the 5.30am alarm calls!

I can’t recommend Julia and her programmes enough and I noticed the improvement yesterday when I took part in a 5 mile Rudolph run.  Now I don’t particularly like running but I do it (means to an end as I like to eat and drink).  The run yesterday was 5 miles and it was along the seafront in the cold, wind and rain.  On pretty much every run my first mile will be quicker than I can maintain and at some point I might use some excuse like adjusting a strap or something in order to stop and take a breather.  BUT I didn’t need to do that today I ran and I checked my pace and when it felt hard I slowed ever so slightly until I could pick up the pace again.  I won’t know if it is a PB as I have never completed a 5 mile distance run before to compare it to but I was far less grumpy than usual and I ran with my husband and he was impressed with my improvement and I know many people on Julia’s plans notice an improvement in other disciplines such as running.

So if you are thinking of switching things up a bit, can’t get to a gym, don’t want to go to a gym, want help and advice and a tailored workout you should check it out – it works!

The plan will be available to download in ebook form in the new year so I will add a link when it is.