There are certain times in our lives that we really want to lose weight. Sometimes it’s for a big event that’s coming up like a wedding or reunion. For women, the most common time is just after having a child. On average, women gain around 35 pounds with each pregnancy, with some gaining much more than that. It can do a lot of damage to your self image, and many women decide to start working out almost instantly after having a child.
One of the more popular fitness programs on the internet right now, Fe Fit claims to be the most efficient post-pregnancy workout plan. Even though the program is targeted for all women, there’s a big emphasis on mothers that are looking to drop the baby weight, no matter how long they have been carrying it around. So how can you get into the best shape of your life using the Fe Fit system? We look inside the program to see if it might be the right system to get you back to your lowest weight and best shape of your life.
Behind Fe Fit
The “Fe” in Fe Fit is a symbol that you might recognize, as it is the symbol for iron on the periodic table. The program was created by a family of women that promote sharing a common bond, taking in women of all shapes, ages and sizes to get fit. Many women share the same problem areas when it comes to weight, and the Fe Fit system targets these areas that aren’t as common in men.
When the program was introduced, Fe Fit was a 90 day workout plan that spread across several different DVDs. There are now other programs that have been included with the growth of Fe Fit’s popularity. The idea is that many women are busy, especially mothers. This is why many of the workouts are under 30 minutes on the DVDs. Many of the workouts focus on cardio for fat loss and calorie burning with strength workouts that target those problem areas like the core and arms.
Thankfully you don’t have to buy the DVDs to try out the Fe Fit program as there are several different workouts available for free on YouTube. It gives you a chance to try the workouts to see if you like them, as the DVDs can be pretty expensive through the official site (though there are cheaper options elsewhere online). There are even different plans for when you start Fe Fit, depending on how many times you want to workout per week.
Even if you select only working out three times per week, the other four days will be filled with what’s called a Run/Walk/Relax day. During these days, you are still encouraged to get 30 minutes of physical activity, depending on how your body is feeling. If you feel energized and ready to work out, you can just pop in one of the basic workout DVDs to add another day to your week. You will also go through what is known as active relaxation days which include exercising in any choice that you want, whether it be dancing or hiking or whatever you can think of.
What to Know About Fe Fit
As we mentioned, there are a lot of different programs with the Fe Fit system than there were when the company started. The basic package has a total of 28 workouts to choose from, including body toning, barre, cardio, core strength, lower body and upper body. It also comes with seven different shorter workouts known as the essentials and four different stretching workouts. If you are looking for a quick workout to either add afterward or if you are feeling good on a relaxing day, you can pop one of these in to get going.
Getting the largest package, you can receive all of the standard workouts in addition to a calendar, a toning guide, tracking calendars, a yoga mat, weights and more. This kit that comes with all the bells and whistles can cost around $250, while the basic set is under $40 and comes with much of the same items without the weights, yoga mat and resistance bands. While it’s not the worst deal, you’re probably better off starting with the basic package.
No matter which workout you choose, there are options for beginner levels all the way up to advance, and you can put yourself on a schedule that lasts for months on end. There are five different calendars to follow, overall. Fe Fit says that you should be losing one to two pounds per week depending on your current size, though the numbers on the scale aren’t as important as the numbers on the tape measurer (which also comes with the package).
Of course, working out isn’t the only thing that’s going to help you lose weight, as you need to eat the proper amount. There is a nutrition guide available through Fe Fit that is customized after you fill out a questionnaire. From there, you get a point system similar to Weight Watchers and foods you can eat or avoid. However, this system alone is about $50 through their site, so you might be better off finding a customized eating plan for free online if you don’t feel like spending the money.
Despite the high price of some of the workout packages, there have been overwhelmingly positive reviews by users online. Amazon users have left five star reviews nearly three quarters of the time, with only six percent leaving less than three stars. Many of the positive reviews came from the effective workouts that were able to fit into a daily schedule, and the variety of exercises that you can pick from both in the DVD selection and on your own.
Fe Fit Workouts
Assuming that you select the option that has three workouts per week, you can get an idea out of what to expect with the program that goes in a 90 day cycle. Here is what the first cycle of the Fe Fit system is going to look like when you get started.
Week One – You get an introduction to the Fe Fit system by learning all of the essentials that are the shorter workouts. Then, you will work on total body toning, lower body workouts and core muscles.
Weeks Two – Now that you’ve gotten a little more comfortable with the workouts, you get ramped up a little bit with cardio exercises, upper body strength and barre.
Week Three – You go back to core muscles, total body and lower body workouts in week three.
Week Four – A more intense level of cardio, upper body and barre workouts.
Week Five – The next level up of total body, upper body and barre workouts.
Week Six – Another step up in the core exercises, lower body and cardio.
Week Seven – The highest level of upper body, total body and barre workouts are combined.
Week Eight – Introduction to the highest levels of cardio, core and lower body.
Week Nine – Step back down to the intro level of upper body, total body and barre.
Week 10 – Reintroducing the beginning lower body, core and cardio workouts.
Week 11 – Intermediate upper body, barre and total body.
Week 12 – Intermediate lower body, cardio and core workouts.
Week 13 – Advanced levels of barre, cardio and total body toning to round out the cycle.
There are also three 20 minute stretching workouts that you can choose from outside of the standard cycle, and one that is a bit longer at 30 minutes. During this cycle, you will also be slowly introducing new changes to your eating habits and overall fitness by getting active away from the DVDs a couple of times per week.
Summing it Up
The Fe Fit system is a fine one that is focused on busy women that are trying to introduce a lifestyle change. Combining some effective exercises while also promoting changes in eating habits and overall well-being is the perfect way to enact a major change like that. The biggest problem is that the nutritional guide and the DVD workouts are separate from each other.
For the basic system, you can typically find it on a website like Amazon for around $20, which isn’t too bad at all. The nutrition plan is only available through the website, though, and at $50 some might not find it worth the cost. Many of the workouts burn between 200 and 300 calories depending on your current weight, which is a good place to start, though burning around 500 per day will lead to more efficient weight loss, so adding some extra walking throughout your day is a good idea.
There aren’t many negatives with Fe Fit outside of the paywalls. The biggest positives are that the workouts are simple, fun and efficient while being fairly low impact exercises. The ability to completely customize your schedule and your workouts is also a treat, which is why so many women have signed on to get with the program. Advanced exercisers might not find it too difficult, but you can stack the DVDs for a longer workout.