AngelaAndThenSome

Hello, well here we are at the Transform 20 in-depth results and review post. Welcome! First I would like to say if you’re interested in some week by week synopses you can find my week 1, week 2, week 4, and Transform 20 results article (short and sweet version) at their respective hyperlinks or under the Transform 20 tag. Secondly, I am in no way affiliated with Beachbody, I am just a fan of their exercise/fitness programs. Lastly, this Review and Results will touch on the topics as follows:

1. What is Transform 20?
2. Equipment needed/recommended
3. Workouts
   1. Calories Burned
   1. Recommendations/Tips
   1. My Transformation Thoughts
4. Nutrition
   1. Recommendations/Tips
   1. My Transformation Thoughts
5. My Results (Before & After)
   1. My Nutrition
   1. My Transformation (In and Out)

So, let’s get started!

What is Transform 20?

Transform 20 is a Beachbody fitness program created and instructed by Shaun T. It is touted as a Transformation process emphasizing fitness, your mindset, and prioritizing overall health and well-being. The instructor Shaun T. is a very motivational and encouraging instructor, who definitely creates an atmosphere and emphasis on believing in yourself and igniting the fire within. The program reinforces and emphasizes that you are more than just a person trying to get ripped, but are an individual with your own obstacles and struggles no matter where you’re starting or current physical fitness level. Also, a huge emphasis of its marketing is that it is only 20 minutes per day! Furthermore it is a 6 day a week program and it is 6 weeks long.

Equipment Needed/Recommended

Transform 20 is notable for being a step program- you will literally use a fitness step/exercise platform. Although, it is not absolutely necessary as there is a modifier who does not use a step through all the workouts. I personally bought this stepper as it was on the cheaper side/seemed to be what I was looking for. If you already have stepper similar to this one I would recommend adding some non –slip tape to help prevent it from sliding around particularly if you are going to be working out on carpet ,if you use the risers, and just because safety first and foremost. As I learned with the stepper I purchased it is best to have one that has grips on the bottoms and one that is smooth on top (you will be placing your hands on top of the stepper at times). If you can, I would recommend this step or this one as they both more so match what the on screen Transform 20 crew members have and solve the two caveats I had about my step.

The Workouts

Overall the workouts are HIIT (High-Intensity-Interval-Training) these are workouts that use short intervals of intense bursts of energy followed by short rests and yes, the workouts are really only 20 minutes. No extra 5 minutes cool downs, all of the workout from start to finish is only 20 minutes. This was a huge draw for me personally, I work out during my daughter’s naps and want to be able to have my protein shake, shower, get dressed, and maybe start work on a blog post or editing a YouTube video.

Calories Burned

I know, one of the biggest concerns of a workout that’s only 20 minutes- will it burn calories? How many calories does Transform 20 burn? Is Transform 20 effective for weight loss? Yes! Below are my stats as the average calories I burned during each workout- mind you I did modify at times so your calorie burn may very well be higher or much higher than mine.

Transform 20 Workouts and Calorie Burn

Burn Workouts- 296.5 Average Calorie Burn

Faster Workouts- 294.3 Average Calories Burned

Stronger Workouts- 264.1 Average Calories Burned

Powerful Workouts- 253.8 Average Calories Burned

Cut Workouts- 249.2 Average Calories Burned

Balanced Workouts- 182 Average Calories Burned

Shaun-A-Thon Calories Burned- 674 Calories

Recommendations/Tips

1. Modify- if a move seems too complicated or you’re not sure of the steps, slow it down. Slow it waaaay down if you need to. You are doing this for you so take care of yourself.
2. Don’t be afraid to push yourself when you start getting uncomfortable. Get uncomfortable, push through, one rep more is still one rep more.
3. Stay Hydrated! You’re going to sweat, you’re going to be breathing hard, you don’t want to be thirsty and dreading the workout. Drink plenty of water before your workout, you may need to increase your daily water intake in general, and remember to sip the water during workouts- try not gulp the water as a stomach full of sloshing water while trying to workout is not a good time.

My Transformation Thoughts (The Workouts)

I personally found the workouts to be just challenging enough. They weren’t too long so I didn’t feel that they dragged on and I particularly enjoyed the motivation and input from Shaun T. I chose Transform 20 as I knew I needed to actually start the Transformation process in getting back to some semblance of who I use to be. This was me about 5 years ago (pre-baby)-

I was definitely a young woman who knew her way around fitness and health. I mentioned in my blogs (“today was just a tough day” and “Our house is ours once again“) that we recently went through a friendship break-up in which I’ve also discussed this in my Transform 20 vlogs (Friendship Break-Up Playlist). It was tough, but also much needed. We were the ones who were “dumped” but I’m very thankful that they did that. We were never evenly yoked, and throughout Quarantine and Covid-19 some things became even more so apparent-

This is in why I put so much emphasis on mental health in my vlogs and I did a lot of self-reflection to make sure myself and my family were okay. I needed the push to start the journey to being healthy- in all aspects and Shaun T really helps in this process through the coaching he provides through these workouts. He’s been through those low points and he emphasizes how much there is a community out there for every one of real, good, understanding people, who also strive to be better than they were yesterday.

Nutrition

Throughout Transform 20 health and nutrition is emphasized in the sense of keeping yourself in check and not over indulging- it is part of the Transformation process in practicing self-discipline. Although, Beachbody does recommend their products e.g. energize, shakeology, and the nutrition programs 2B Mindset and Portion Fix Containers. Overall, within the actual Transform 20 nutrition guide it suggests that if you are under 150lbs to have your calorie intake about 1500 calories a day and if you’re over 150lbs to have your calorie intake around 1800 calories a day. Not too bad/difficult and remember to make more nutritious and healthy choices. After all, this is about sustainability and Transformation not just quickly losing weight.

Recommendation/Tips

1. I highly recommend a good protein shake. If you’re starting a workout routine or doing HIIT workouts you’re going to need more protein (if you’re not getting an adequate amount already) and some sort of nutrition shake. Personally I have yet to find one that fills both the protein and the vitamins/nutrition factors so I usually use two. The ones I use are hyperlinked and shown here: I use one scoop of protein powder and two scoops of the vitamin/nutrition powder with 10oz of almond milk after every workout.
2. Learn your macronutrients. Macronutrients are the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and protein, that your body needs for the day to fit your goals. It’s very helpful in customizing your nutrition to actually fit your body better and it’ll give you an idea of what you should eat if you’re having a craving  e.g. something with more protein, healthy fats, or carbs depending on what you’ve already eaten for that day.
3. You don’t have to get ridiculously strict with your diet. This is about sustainability and Transformation-try to stay around your calorie range, make better choices, and forgive yourself if you falter. It’s part of the process, forgive yourself, reflect on the “why, what, and how”- “why did I eat this?”, “what was I feeling?”, “How can I help prevent this in the future?”, and continue on and keep going. You can do this!

My Transformation Thoughts (Nutrition)

This was the hardest part for me. I have binge eating tendencies and the unhealthy coping mechanism of “eating my emotions”. This also goes back into why I chose Transform 20- the friends that we “lost” contributed to a very unhealthy lifestyle for both my husband and myself. By the end of our friendship I had to take stock and work through not only losing friends during this pandemic but realizing how all the unhealthy habits picked up over the years and spending so much time with people that were not wanting to grow had really taken a toll on all aspects of myself. I mentioned in week 4 of my Transform 20 update that I had not been sticking to the nutrition as well as I should have- too many cheat meals turned into a “cheat” weekends since leftovers were a thing. So, I had to practice more so my self-discipline, start making healthier sweets/snacks, and get my husband more involved in both of us keeping each other accountable. No, my husband wasn’t doing the workouts with me but he has always been encouraging and has started to incorporate walks and good old fashion 10 minute trainer into his routine.

You can choose the portion fix containers or the 2b mindset method, both of which have their pros and cons, particularly if you’re new to fitness and don’t really know what to do I would recommend whichever one seems more do-able for you.  I also wrote about nutrition in my week 1 and gave a quick outline of things to limit or add to your diet as a simple guideline to stick to. Don’t cheat yourself, you deserve the best results you can get. You are doing the work and should be proud of yourself! Don’t undo your results and hard work in the kitchen.

My Results

Starting Weight: 201.2lbs—>End Weight: 198.6lbs

Measurements: (All measurements where applicable are right sided)

Arm-14.17in—>13.89in(-0.28in)

Chest- 43.66in—>42.99in(-0.67in)

Rib Cage- 36.92in—>36.92in(0.0in)

Waist- 37.32in—>36.65(-0.67in)

Hips- 48.62in—>47.95(-0.67in)

Thigh- 28.81in—>29.13(+0.32in)

Calf- 15.98in—>15.78in(-0.20in)

Body Fat%- 46.7—>46.6

Muscle Mass: 104lbs—>103

The truth is I cheated myself out of better results because of my eating habits-I went into that a bit previously, as well as in my week 4 post. Although, I did lose 2.6lbs and 2.17 inches, I know I could have had triple those results if I stuck to making better food choices- too many cheat meals turned into cheat weekends.

My Nutrition

Overall, I was probably averaging closer to 2200 calories a day for the first 4 weeks (those cheat meals/days really do add on calories and change the average) Remember you can’t out train a bad diet or more so why would you do that to yourself? That’s giving yourself double or triple the work. Around week 4 I stated that I was going to actually buckle done more so for the next two weeks to give my scale related results a fighting chance and I do believe I did that with my 2.6lbs of weight loss and 2.17 of inches lost. During this time my calorie intake average for both weeks were 1800 calories a day (even with counting the weekends into the average), my calories daily in those last two weeks ranged from 1600-2500 (the 2500 calorie day was limited to either a Friday or Saturday). If anything I hope this helps you understand how important your nutrition is to get the results you want and deserve. You can do this!

My Transformation!

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As you can see the most notable change can be seen from the back as my waist seems to have tightened in more and from the front it appears that my stomach was pulled in a bit more, but it isn’t all about the outwardly physical. There were some definite internal changes. I’m about to get real here concerning my post-partum motherhood body and the things that this workout program without a doubt helped me with and improved:

1. Ab/Core strength- I’ve mentioned this previously, but I was just never a fan of core work as it felt so slow and tedious for me- even in my “fit” chick days. I chose routines like P90X Ab Ripper X because it was effective and only 15 minutes or Jillian Michaels six week six pack because there was less mat work and more HIIT type core work. Then through not working out regularly, weight gain, and then pregnancy my core was just Not at all strong. This program really helped that as it does have an emphasis on core but overall, everything is paced out really well so there’s no dragging on or just lying on the floor. So how do I REAALLY know that my core has improved?
2. Urinary Incontinence- Yes, we’re going to talk about it. Urinary Incontinence ranges from peeing when you laugh, cough, sneeze, pick up heavy-ish objects, peeing during sex (stress incontinence), etc. This all ties into you Pelvic muscles and your core as everything is internally connected!

At the start of Transform 20 my urinary incontinence was at a solid 7, I had previously unknowingly peed during sex, peed while picking up a heavy box or two, definitely peed when I laughed too hard or jumped, even when I was just doing everyday stuff, and I hadn’t even noticed anything but sure enough I would find a dribble or spot on my underwear when I went to the bathroom and it was so disappointing and like “dang it, it happened again”, but through doing Transform 20 somewhere during the halfway point I realized I hadn’t unknowingly peed on myself in weeks. I can proudly, gladly, happily say my UI issues are now a solid 3- still something I need to more actively work on/through but the internal strength has definitely noticeably improved.

3.Improved Transformers- Throughout Transform 20 you keep a tracking sheet of certain exercise moves done in every workout called “Transformers” this gives you a non-scale related way to track yourself and your improvement and yes, there was a lot of improvement-

As you can see improvements were made! And I feel so much stronger, especially my triceps- I was able to eventually get so much more range of motion than when I started.