'How my body changed doing three 1000-calorie workouts a week'
Sure, gyms may not be open right now thanks to the nationwide lockdown - thanks, coronavirus - but interest in home workouts is booming.
Stats from April show that 63% of Brits said exercise was important for their mental health, and the BJSM reported interest in exercise was the highest since Google Trends records began in January 2004.
Nearly one million people downloaded the NHS Couch to 5k app from March to June - a 92% increase compared to 2019 - and the number of studios who could no longer open live streaming sweat sessions went through the roof.
We can't. But for now, you'll find us scrolling reviews of our favourite studios and reading up on Speedflex, a high intensity interval training class where the PT's promise you'll burn 1000 calories in a workout.
Keep reading for one Cosmo staffer's honest review of the 1000-calorie workout, plus an expert's verdict on whether an 1000-calorie workout can a. exist and b. ever be good for you and your body.
What is the Speedflex 1000-calorie workout?
Speedflex is a UK-based gym concept offering seriously intense HIIT classes. How do you try a Speedflex workout? It's simple: you book into a class at any of the various studios it's held in across the UK (thinks sports clubs and leisure centres).
It's high intensity interval training, but not as you know traditionally know it. By combining cardio and resistance training on their high-tech Speedflex machines, participants are able to make their workout as intense (1000 calories in 45 minutes), or achievable, as possible, because the machines respond to the amount of force exerted on them.
One of their USPs is that you should be left with little to no muscle soreness after your workout (the dream), so you shouldn't struggle to climb to your flat the next day.
As for the six week experience? The Speedflex website claims that "when completing the recommended levels of exercise (three Speedflex sessions a week) you should start to notice a change in your body at around four to six weeks of training." It's kind of like the Body Coach's Lean in 15 plan, but less intense and for a shorter period of time.
Which is where I come in. Considering Dr Luke James from Bupa UK advises you give yourself three months to notice a change in burning off any beta fat cells (the ones around your hips, thighs and stomach), would six intense weeks do the trick? I went to three Speedflex classes, which promise to burn mega calories each time, a week to find out.
Why I tried the Speedflex 1000-calorie challenge
Having played a lot of sport in my school years, I'm no stranger to a bit of exercise, but you were more likely to find me on the hockey pitch than lifting weights in the gym.
Which might be why my Speedflex body composition - which measures the percentages of fat, bone, water and muscle in your body - revealed that although my weight, body mass fat and body mass index were in the 'normal' section, I wasn't particularly muscular, or strong.
While I may not be overweight and wanted to do the six week experience to feel fitter, stronger and healthier, I was also hoping to lose my muffin tops and permanent food baby along with the help of their 1000-calorie workouts.
How did the Speedflex 1000-calorie challenge go?
My induction and week one
In all honesty, my induction was hell. I had to leave the workout to eat an apple in the changing rooms because I thought I was going to faint. I clearly did not read up on how long before and after HIIT you're meant to eat.
But, once I'd got over the initial head rush (and myself), I found my three Speedflex classes for the week manageable - if tough. They combine all the usual HIIT class cardio (think burpees, star jumps, high knees and box jumps) with weight training (bent over rows, military presses, kettle bell swings), which meant I felt like I really was getting a full workout.
FYI: my body was sore during week one. Walking to the bus stop after my third class was agony, so I wasn't entirely convinced by their 'no DOMS' (that's delayed onset muscle soreness) promise.
Week two and three
By weeks two and three, I was really getting into the routine of going to Speedflex, and enjoying the nature of the classes. I found that the atmosphere and variation of fitness levels pushed me to work harder, and having a trained PT lead the class encouraged me to get my form right and actually want to train better.
I definitely felt fitter from the 1000-calorie workouts by this point, but wasn't yet seeing a change in my body. But that's probably due to the fact I was obsessively looking at myself from every angle possible thinking, 'has my spare tyre melted off yet?'
Week four and five
Great news: personal trainer Casey, from the Speedflex Bank branch, says I seem fitter and stronger. It's working! I feel good! I'm no longer getting sore after classes, I feel energised and less sluggish, and am definitely starting to enjoy exercise more than I used to. It's a commitment and the classes are tough, sweaty and sometimes leave you thinking 'How the f have we only done 20 minutes so far?', but I'm starting to believe the meme that says 'You'll never regret a workout once you've done it'.
The results
So, the bit where you get to see me in my pants and ogle at how my body has changed.
To be honest, when I reached the end of my Six Week Challenge, I wasn't convinced I looked any different. Yes, I felt stronger and fitter, but my weight on the scales hadn't changed a single pound. Not a single pound. While everyone kept reassuring me it was because I was "gaining muscle" and "muscle weighs more than fat, don't you know", I was slightly disheartened by the fact I hadn't dropped any weight at all.
That said, my 'Before' and 'After' pictures tell a slightly different story, and I'm chuffed that my hips and stomach have slimmed down somewhat, and my shoulders and upper arms seem more toned.
If I were to do the six week challenge again, I would definitely consider my nutrition more - because although I do try to follow a fairly balanced diet (which occasionally involves chocolate biscuits), Speedflex offer a nutritionist who will work out a food plan to go alongside your workouts for you.
The HIIT classes are hard, but great for anyone looking for instant gratification from the sweat dripping down their foreheads, and the heart rate monitor reading telling them they've burned 800 calories that session.
To book your free Speedflex trial or learn more about their six week challenge, check out their website here. The classes are available all over the country.
The expert verdict: is it possible to burn 1000 calories in a workout?
First things first, it's important to know that you don't need to burn 1000 calories a session to lose weight. Weight loss is about maintaining a calorie deficit, so if you prefer walking, do that. FYI, an hours walk burns between 210 and 360 calories, so an hour of walking every day will burn a similar amount of calories as doing three Speedflex sessions a week.
Plus, claiming Speedflex is an 1000-calorie workout isn't quite correct. That's because how many calories you burn doing 45 mins of HIIT is totally dependant on your age, gender, height and weight, plus how hard you work every session. Is HIIT good for weight loss? Sure. Is an 1000-calorie workout necessary? No. Doing what workout you love, that you're happy to keep doing and enjoy, is.
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