As you may already know by now if you follow my blog or Instagram, I am an avid Natacha Oceane fan. Her guides are an absolutely pleasure for any fitness fanatic and a must try for anyone wanting something a little different in their exercise regime.
I have already completed her first CUT guide and MOVE guide before I attempted BUILD. All three programs are created with different goals in mind but have one thing in common – IT WILL CHALLENGE YOU. In ways your body has never moved before, in areas of strength, functionality and mobility.
Quick Facts About the Guide
Build muscle, get stronger and increase your metabolism while staying functional.
- Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/natacha.oceane/
- Guide Link: https://natachaoceane.com/training-guides
- Home/Gym: Gym
- Focus/Style: Mobility, Functional & Weight Training
- Format: Aflete App
- Weeks: 12
- Duration of Workouts: 30 to 60min (average); 5 days per week
- Cost: £41.99
- Value added features: In-app videos
- Adaptability: Definitely easy to fit in additional running days and yoga sessions with the workout split as the sessions stay in the same structure each week.
- Modifications/Progressions: Progression videos are given for each exercise in the app. Modifications if you don't have the equipment is possible via a quick google search.
- Value for money: Yes, all in one exercise plan with videos and nutrition guide.
- Fitness Level: Beginner to Intermediate, if using light weights and progressions
Workout Split
Workout 1: Strength
Workout 2: Upper Body Muscle Building
Workout 3: Lower Body Muscle Building
Workout 4: Full Body Athletic Power
Workout 5: Full Body Functional
Notes:
I structured the workouts as follows most weeks to accommodate my Half Marathon Training schedule:
- Mondays
- AM: Progression Run
- PM: Swim 20 to 30 min
- Tuesdays
- AM: Lower Body Muscle Building & Full Body Functional
- Wednesdays
- AM: Interval Run
- PM: Strength
- Thursday
- PM: Hill Run (Treadmill)
- Fridays
- AM: Upper Body Muscle Building & Full Body Athletic Power
- Saturdays
- AM: Endurance Run
- Sundays
- Yoga, Stretching or Hiking
Week 1 to 3
I don't usually feel the DOMS in the first few weeks of a program as most programs have simple, basic movements at the start. Not with BUILD. I was pretty sore after the Lower Body Functional Session and could feel it for a good few days, to the point that I made sure I had a Yoga session mid week and an additional foam rolling session at home.
The workouts contain a lot of compound movements and I had to go light on the weights for most of them which is 100% fine because these movements require great form.
Compound movements force you to use your core for stability. It includes exercises to improves your mobility and has basic strength movements like deadlifts, squats, pull ups etc
Keeping my workouts interesting is a vital component for consistency and sticking to a solid routine. It is the single most valuable tip that I can give to anyone who wants to start working out, need to find their feet again or feels stuck in a sweaty routine. Vary it up, make it fun and don't get bored!
My husband was also training with me and starting building some great functional strength. It's the first time in a while he's actually loving a program. I would create a super circuit for us with the movements from the sessions for the day and combined it with boxing and skipping. Training with my hubby actually really helped to keep me motivated, especially during the colder and darker mornings of winter.
Exercises such as Kettlebell Windmills I found challenging as it works the shoulders and obliques the hardest but requires a strong core and works the entire body. On that note, there is a lot of Kettlebell exercises in this program and I had to buy an additional 8kg Kettlebell to ensure I can do some of the exercises with a lower weight.
I also found that some exercises was a level up to well known basic ones such as tricep dips. On a bench they seem easy, have your legs straighten or elevated make it even harder. But if you move it to the TRX, it becomes a whole new ballgame. TRX Dips had my arms shaking and made me realize I still have quite the way to go with my arm strength.
The program uses weight plates quite often and one of the movements that stood out was Skiier Swings which felt like Double Kettlebell Swings, until a squat was added to that. The beauty of Natacha's programs have always been the progressions. There is an option for every level.
Banded Bear Crawls were the next exercise to blow my mind and challenge my stability and mobility on a different level. I felt like all these movements have a different purposes and the workouts are out together in such a way to challenge different parts of your body. Parts you did not think existed.
The variation on planks within the workouts were refreshing and included Clock Planks and Front to Reverse Planks. Unlike most programs, BUILD does not have a core or abs day. Most movements within all the workouts will require you to work your core and I could not help to feel that this was done intentionally to shift focus from the superficial to performance. A motto that Natacha seem to live by.
Week 4 to 6
Starting week 4 I felt extremely motivated to keep moving and stick to my schedule. While doing BUILD, I was also training for my first Half Marathon. Maybe it was this workout style or perhaps the interval and hill training too, but my runs were starting to feel stronger and I could maintain a faster pace at a lower heart rate while smashing PBs. I even managed my fastest run ever on a 7km at 4:44/km. Perhaps it's the fact that BUILD is the perfect program to combine with running, where my body doesn't feel too tired from strength so it has fuel and energy to run fast.
The strength sessions in particular only has a few exercises which forces you to focus on form. During week 4's session I noticed how my previously injured knee is forcing me to not squat as deep as I used to, especially while loading on more weight. This workout in particular was combined with exercises to help you improve and progress in pull ups such as Negative Pull Ups and Hanging Scapular Contractions.
I scheduled the Upper Body and Athletic Power workouts towards the end of the week and I did find I needed a bit of preworkout or caffeine to get me in the mood for sweat sessions. But 5 minutes in, and I was ready to smash the workouts as their variety really kept me interested to try new movements.
Entering week 5 I noticed a strong shift to unilateral movements challenging your balance, improving your body's functional way of movement and strengthen that core without having to do a million crunches and situps. These exercises showed me how my left side is weaker and compensating for the right side's previously injured knee. At least through these exercises I will be able to strengthen it.
The inclusion of traditional movements throughout the program coupled with new ones I've never done before, really kept my body guessing. I loved this mixture as I could see improvements in exercises like Squats and Deadlifts. I did miss the playfulness from MOVE though on some days, longing for more pull ups, handstand holds and stability ball slams but I decided to incorporate a few sets of these when I had extra time.
Week 6 Lower Body had a different and odd structure with only 3 movements: Tempo Squats, Double Kettlebell Swings and Front Bar Reverse Lunges. The sets were a lot and the reps too but the purpose of it was to go slow and heavier with each set. And of course spend the time focusing on form and coordination, especially on those swings!
Kettlebells are a firm favourite equipment choice in BUILD as each workout at least feature one exercise where you need to use one. Exercises like Kettlebell Front Rack Hold Step Ups and Kettlebell Swing to Curtsy Lunge are new compound movements that I loved. The Kettlebell Pull Throughs were are an odd movement. While in plank, you had to drag the Kettlebell back and forth with the one arm. The squeaking sound it made on my mat was pretty hilarious.
She also amps up movements like squat jumps by adding slight elevation with a step or plate, and adding a lateral tension with a band while doing jumping lunges. Small changes, but big impact.
Week 7 to 9
Week 7 started with a banger of a Upper Body and Athletic Power workout after two solid rest days the weekend before. Some familiar movements from MOVE crept in like Lateral Plank Walks which I did not mind at all. Especially seeing that I feel like I've lost a bit of muscle with the increase of running for my half marathon plan. But BUILD is the perfect plan to maintain complement my running right now and I'm not aiming to lift heavier at the moment, I want to run that Half Marathon in under 2 hours. It's ok if goals aren't the same throughout this journey. It would be pretty boring if it was, nevertheless being able to do only 5 pull ups was a bit of a bummer (my previous PB was 9 pull ups).
The program includes some advanced moves at this point like Lunge Box Jumps. With new jumping exercises, I'm always wary mainly due to my knee op I had last year and of course the humbling box jump fail I've had before. So with these advanced movements, I start off not using any height or using a step.
Week 8 was a bit of a downer for me as I had a chest cold and could not push as hard as I wanted to during my BUILD workouts. I removed some of the plyometrics from the exercises and lowered my weight in order to keep my heart rate on the low side. The upper body day I especially enjoyed as I started to feel better and managed to use the cable machines at the gym even though I felt a little awkward.
Week 9 I made the mistake of combining the Full Body Athletic Power and Full Body Functional Muscle Building sessions in powerhouse session, I think I may have died little because the DOMS for 3 days afterwards were like I never had before. Needless to say, I had to spend some extra time foam rolling my sore muscles, stretching and spending some time in a bath with Epsom Salts. The TRX push ups during this week was especially hard and ended up in a glorious wipe out which luckily resulted in no serious injury, just a bruised ego. I did try them again at the gym with better success and also tried TRX Pikes which had wipe out potential but I managed them successfully.
Week 10 to 12
The last few weeks did not mean slowing down and becoming settled with the program at all. New exercises and progressions like Single Leg Plyo Hip Thrusts and Cossack Squats. Again a lot of unilateral exercises from a few weeks before and new ones to test your limits. This week I also saw improvement in my Deadlift form.
Entering week 11 I had to prioritize my half marathon training at the start of the week, so I ended up only doing my BUILD workouts towards the latter part and of course I felt it. EVERYWHERE. I got up earlier to get all my workouts in, but also to get enough rest before my Endurance run. To be honest at this point I was definitely feeling a bit of strain between doing both BUILD and the Half Marathon training but I was determined to give it my all until the very end. Even though I'm feeling stronger, my focus has been on prioritizing progress during my runs. I've really enjoyed the balance of strength with my runs but I'm also keen on moving onto the next phase post half marathon training. This journey has been tough.
Week 12 brought PB's for my Hip Thrusts at 80kg's, and solid ending to a great varied program that has challenged me in so many ways. I finally felt comfortable walking to the cable machines in the weights section of the gym, and confident that I know exactly what I need to do to get the exercises right and to get in a good workout session.
Your Instagram Questions Answered
Is the program app based or PDF? How user-friendly is it?
The program is hosted in the Aflete app you have to download from iOS or Google Playstore to access the workout guide. The app has the entire plan split into weeks. Within each week is the workouts for the week detailing the exercises via video and description for each session, the reps and sets you have to do plus a tick box to complete as you go along. There is a timer build in within the app as well. The app will give you stats as you progress to indicate the amount of time, you have spent, how many workouts, exercises, sets and reps you have done, and how much % wise you have completed of the program. The nutrition part of the guide is in PDF format, stored in the app as well.
How long did each workout take on average?
Each workout is an average of 30 to 45 minutes dependent on which day it is. I found the Upper Body, Strength and Full Body Functional sessions shorter than the Lower Body and Athletic Power sessions.
Key Highlights from the BUILD program
- Unilateral Movements that challenged my balance to another level
- Kettlebell Exercises that humbled me and strengthened me at the same
- TRX Movements that challenged me in ways I never imagined
- Strength gained in basic movements like squats and deadlifts
- Focused coordination that not only worked my body but my brain too
My only criticism of the guide is this.
I wish that the program could include some stretching and recovery exercises. In the meanwhile I used Fitify Apps to add some much needed foamrolling and stretching to my weekly routines.
Final Thoughts
BUILD by Natacha Oceane is definitely my 2nd favourite program by this amazing fitfluencer (MOVE is my favourite!) that aims to challenge traditional approaches to exercise with her workout programs. Each workout is well thought out, each movement a new challenge to gain strength, improve mobility or work that mind-muscle connections.
NOTE: I did not follow the nutritional guidance of the program as I did not have the time or felt comfortable with calorie or macro tracking as yet. I would highly recommend though that if you want to see results, to attempt to try the nutrition side of the BUILD guide too as it is extremely informative and the guidance provided is by a certified professional.
PS Check out my journey throughout the 12 weeks on my highlight reel!
Posted by: issacgoycoe0194673.blogspot.com
Source: https://fitmetalhead.wordpress.com/2019/09/20/sweaty-notes-build-by-natacha-oceane-workout-guide-review/
