I’ll be honest. I was excited and also nervous about Core de Force coming out. I remember so many other times programs were released and I got results, but still not like the test group participants got. Would Core de Force REALLY be that different? How would I like the training styles of Joel and Jericho?

You see….I’m still slightly traumatized by my first 21 Day Fix Extreme experience. I tried the Countdown to Competition plan, and with all the additional protein, I added in way too much extra dairy and eggs. My body was PISSED! It bloated and gained and gained each week and I remember breaking down into tears. “My body hates me. I’ll never be able to achieve my goals.”

Hammer and Chisel came out and my first experience was similar. Instead of listening to what my body needed (and tweaking), I gave up. Dairy screws me up. As much as I love it, I can’t have it on a regular basis and when I don’t listen to that, my body reminds me through an insane amount of bloat!

I heard from teammates in the test group that Core de Force, although MMA style, is NOT just punching and kicking. It’s truly conditioning your body to be a fighter. That became VERY evident by day 2 of the program.

So day 1: MMA Speed. I had done it when it was available to preview so I knew what to expect. 26 minutes of punching, kicking, spike intervals and LOTS of sweat.

Day 2: Dynamic Strength. 2 words…Sphinx Blasters. If you haven’t done the program yet and don’t know….you will! By the end of the workout, my arms were such jello that I just literally dropped to the floor and laughed. That night I could tell my arms were definitely sore, as I struggled to raise my arms to wash my hair.

Day 3: MMA Speed again and I was thankful for something familiar! That morning, though, my upper body was so sore that as I struggled to get dressed, I called to Richard from the bathroom.

“Hey babe?”

“Yeah?”

“It hurts to put on a bra!”

*Richard laughing from the bedroom*

Day 4: Power Sculpt. I honestly wondered if my upper body would work well enough to power through this one. It’s amazing, though, what my body has been able to do. I think one of the biggest key factors (besides listening to my food sensitivities) has been that I actually have been pushing my body harder in this program than in any other program.

Day 5: MMA Shred. I didn’t know if I could love something as much as MMA Speed, but it took the moves we already learned and added in some elbows and kicks. I love the mix of combos and actual strength training in this program.

Day 6: Agility Strength (from the deluxe workouts). I had an agility ladder on hand already, which is part of the reason I decided to invest in the deluxe workouts. Agility is NOT my strong point, but there was a huge emphasis on footwork, which I need work on because I struggle so much with coordination.

Day 7: Active Recovery. Ahhhhhh. Slow punches and kicks for the first half and stretching for the 2nd half.

I’m in the lowest calorie bracket and in some other programs I have been a little hungrier than I would prefer. Overall, I’ve felt good! Today (day 7) is honestly the first time that I’ve struggled with a little hunger. Sometimes it’s also just a matter of spacing out the containers evenly throughout the day or making sure you’re pairing your containers for the maximum appetite curbing. Normally I eat a carb a little earlier in the day, but since Richard is cooking tonight with quinoa AND potatoes, I’ve decided to save them until the end of the day.

These programs are never about “diets”. It’s about focusing on CHOICES and making the decision about when to eat what, instead of eating everything whenever you want.