Focus T25: Is the Monday-Friday Schedule Safe for Beginners?

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rosestring
rosestring Posts: 225 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I am now 170 pounds, which is my all-time record. I am a 5' 4" female and almost 23 years old. T25 looks fun, but the schedule suggests I do five straight days (Monday-Friday) of exercise followed by a rest day on Saturday and stretch on Sunday.

I have no knee injuries (I got it checked out late last year), but there was a time awhile back that I did two days in a row of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and my left kneecap had a sharp pain the day after those two days. However, the pain went away the next day.

If I do the Focus T25 schedule following the lower impact versions and being careful, should I be safe from injuries despite doing it Monday through Friday? Or should I maybe do I week or two where I test out the workouts and do one every other day before committing to the suggested schedule?

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  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
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    I would listen to your body. If you get pain, take a day off. I did T25 fine, and was very out of shape when I started but found the 30 day shred really hurt my knees and stopped after 3 days. I was in very good shape when I started the 30 day shred. I think t25 has more variety of moves so is easier on your joints. I modified t25 as needed as well.
  • mca90guitar
    mca90guitar Posts: 290 Member
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    You don't need to go all out at the start. Do what you can. Mod moves, do part of it or just go as long as you can. Each week will get better.

    No doubt go a little easier at the start though. I'm not doing T25 but I know the first time of plyo on p90x my legs were done for days. The next week no issue though.
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
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    I finished t25. You can definitely do all 5 days but if you find it hard try to modify and take it easy the first couple of days . Give some time for your body to adapt. Good luck;)
  • SABoj
    SABoj Posts: 88 Member
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    Maybe take the time to just watch the workouts first? Get a good idea of whether or not they're right for you.
    A few of the T25 workouts have quite a bit of jumping around - so if you have knee or back concerns, you can definitely modify. I'm a fan of working out more often than not... even a half-hearted effort is better than none.
    So if T25 is too much for you then back off a little or incorporate yoga instead of doing 5 days of the program. Regardless, you can do it if you put your mind to it. Good Luck!
  • rosestring
    rosestring Posts: 225 Member
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    Awesome, thank you to all of you! I can't wait to start. :)
  • Rufftimes
    Rufftimes Posts: 349 Member
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    Yes, All of BB programs are safe for beginners IMHO. The idea is to work to your own capabilities, use the modifiers, and work your way up to their pace. Now some of them are definitely more intense than others, I'd say t25 is right around the middle
  • simonanderson73
    simonanderson73 Posts: 6 Member
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    Whats T25?
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
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    simonanderson73 wrote: »
    Whats T25?

    It's from the same trainer as Insanity, Shaun T. High intensity interval training, 60 day program.
  • Rufftimes
    Rufftimes Posts: 349 Member
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    It's one of Beachbody's more popular programs. HIIT, but not as extreme as some of their other stuff. Middle of the road, pretty decent
  • sfisher07
    sfisher07 Posts: 30 Member
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    I'm 35 and have two bum knees. One worse than the other due to cartilage damage, arthritis and two surgeries. I have did the complete T25 series almost two years ago, and just started it again this Monday. Just like anything else, you need to be aware of your limits. If I do excessive jumping, especially laterally, it's almost unbearable on my knee. I definitely modify some of the exercises but feel like I still get a great work out in!
  • Soundwave79
    Soundwave79 Posts: 469 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Yes T25 is a great program for beginners. The modifier is available for you if the moves are too hard. The goal is to work your way up to the level of moves that Shaun T does. The Mon-Fri schedule includes a double Friday. You can instead opt to do that 2nd workout on Sat instead if that works better for you. Keep doing the Alpha phase until you can do most of it unmodified and then move on to Beta.

    T25 was the program I started with. It's an assault on the lower body and core though. And it's lack of warm up can be an issue. So I suggest doing a good warm up and some dynamic stretching before starting the video.
  • rosestring
    rosestring Posts: 225 Member
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    Soundwave79 wrote: »
    Yes T25 is a great program for beginners. The modifier is available for you if the moves are too hard. The goal is to work your way up to the level of moves that Shaun T does. The Mon-Fri schedule includes a double Friday. You can instead opt to do that 2nd workout on Sat instead if that works better for you. Keep doing the Alpha phase until you can do most of it unmodified and then move on to Beta.

    T25 was the program I started with. It's an assault on the lower body and core though. And it's lack of warm up can be an issue. So I suggest doing a good warm up and some dynamic stretching before starting the video.

    Thank you! A good, simple way to describe how to do it. Thanks to everyone who commented! I think I'll try it.
  • tbeebe99
    tbeebe99 Posts: 5 Member
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    I did T25 including 2 rounds of gamma. If your joints can handle it, I highly recommend it. Do the mods if you need. I was very happy with and surprised by how well it strengthened my core.
  • snowbaby36
    snowbaby36 Posts: 12 Member
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    I do P90x and i usually follow the schedule but there have been times (like when i switch discs) where my body needs more time to adjust to the exercise and if I feel like my body or knees are particularly achy and need a rest, I listen to my body and take a rest day.

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