The 6 Week Reviber Challenge - First Session

First Session

You have much to learn...

The first session is all about getting used to balance and learning some of the exercises I’ll be doing. It’s basically going to be the beginners set from the workout DVD that comes with the Reviber Fusion Oscillating Toning Plate. Each week Marlene will tailor the workout to suit my needs and increase the number of exercises and repetitions in the workouts.

Don’t Forget to breathe!

I’m told how to stand on the machine and breathe while keeping my chest out and my core tight. If I can learn this core strengthening technique, a lot of the exercises will be easier to work through. Currently, I don’t seem to have good posture, I’m stooped, lopsided and uneven! Hopefully I’ll improve my posture along the way.

Then I’m using the resistance bands for arm work while stood on the Reviber Fusion. I’ve got the machine running at speed 8 and can feel it’s vibrations working my legs and up into my core. The resistance bands are working the upper half of my body and I’m being told to remember to breathe!

I do three sets of eight of three different exercises with the resistance bands. I’m hoping that these will help build up my skinny arms a bit. The core breathing is all part of this and will help me keep strong throughout these sessions. It’s a lot to take in and I can’t believe that I forget to breathe when I’m concentrating, how did I make it this far in life if I don’t breathe when I’m concentrating?

My arms are given a rest when we start to do the squats. These squats are different to regular squats where you sit into both heels. With these I stand sideways on the Fusion and squat back onto one heal. It’s called a pistol squat. I can’t stick my bum out enough and sit far enough back! It feels strange to have to stick my butt out and sit back like this and it seems I have one side of me that can squat much better than the other! Three sets of eight later and I need to have a drink and wipe the sweat from my brow! This is getting real!

Now before I tell you about the next exercise, I must tell you how hard I find these lunges. Without doubt the hardest technique for me to learn. These are different to regular lunges. Marlene has developed these to focus on the backs of the legs, especially the hamstrings. Not a part of the body that is on my list of improvement to be honest, but doing them is exhausting me, so must be good. But I can’t get the hang of this movement, especially in my right leg, it’s like my body won’t do what my brain is being told by Marlene to do! With practice I’ll get there.

With the lunges behind me, I’m put into position to start the Tricep Hinges. A variant of the traditional press up, this exercise makes you hinge forward and you keep your elbows tucked into your ribs while you hinge forward over the Reviber Fusion. I’m kneeling instead of doing full press ups, I’m simply not strong enough to do sets of press ups yet. It’s tough, but I can feel it in my triceps and can see how this will toughen and tighten up my arms and chest. Three sets of eight later and I need to rest!

Next, I’m sat on the Fusion to do an exercise that I’ll only be doing this week. It’s called a C Curve and is designed to prepare for the sit up/crunches next week. Sat on the machine and I take hold of the Ab Straps and sit back into a C curve holding and engaging my core. It doesn’t feel tough, but I’m promised that next week I’ll eating those words! Gulp!

To finish of I do a foam roller session. Rolling my calfs, hamstrings, glutes, quads and lats. I take about six or seven minutes and feels a bit sore on some muscles, but generally feels really relaxing. I’m surprised at how much effort goes into supporting my body to move myself back and forth on the roller. Even in this cool down session I’m still engaging core muscles, holding my body weight on my arms and getting a workout.

Then, over the next week I must go through the workout two more times in my own time. I set up my Fusion in the warehouse at Reviber and among the Revibers I put myself through the workout and try to maintain my breathing and technique and give it my best shot knowing that next week I go back to get a new set of exercises in week two!

TO BE CONTINUED...

To find out more about Patch's journey, see his week one video: