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28 by Sam Woods – a review (Day One)

In case you’re not a reality TV junkie like me, Sam Woods is the chiselled personal trainer who won

What is 28 by Sam Woods?

In case you’re not a reality TV junkie like me, Sam Woods is the chiselled personal trainer who won the hearts of many women across Australia, but more importantly the heart of Snezana in the last season of The Batchelor. Since the show aired, he has released his online training program 28 by Sam Woods. It is a 28-day program which includes 28 minutes of daily exercise, meal plans and guided meditations and mindfulness. Each program starts on the 1st Monday of the month and costs $55.

Why did I decide to join?

Many people have reported success with weight loss through the program however this was not my intention. I joined for many reasons including:

Wanting new meal recipe ideas. Steve and I tend to make the same meals every week and I need some new inspiration.

Needing some motivation to move my body more! It’s very easy to want to stay warm and cosy inside instead of getting outside and active during winter. I wanted some motivation to move more and some accountability.

Not having to think about meals or grocery shopping. August is shaping up to be a very busy month so it’s nice having meals planned and a shopping list which you can print and just take with you to the supermarket.

The meal plans are very low carb and cut out refined sugar, and I know many people are following his program religiously however I personally don’t believe in restrictive diets and cutting out total food groups. I am an advocate for eating a wide range of foods and eating all things in moderation. We are using the meal plans provided but still allowing ourselves some flexibility.

What will I be reviewing?

Over the next 28 days I’ll be giving you my thoughts on the program. I’ll be discussing the exercises and food and I’ll get our dietitian to give their thoughts on the meal plan as well.

Preparation for Week One

I was excited about starting the program. On Sunday I reviewed the meal plan for the week and made swaps based on our personal preferences and when we have more time to cook. I printed the shopping list and we went to the supermarket. Some items were difficult to get – for example lunch one day is a wrap so the shopping list included one wrap. I bought a pack of wraps and am now trying to work out what to do with the rest. We had many of the items in our pantry already (chia seeds, honey, coconut oil etc) but I can see how it would get expensive to purchase these items to begin.

How did Day One go?

Day One was a success! I followed the meal plan (smoothie for breakfast, wrap for lunch and salmon for dinner) and did the 28 minutes of exercise. You can choose 1 of 5 levels for the exercise and I think I could increase the level as I have a moderate level of strength and flexibility to begin with. The exercises required a mat (or carpet), a chair and some light resistance. I used a medicine ball but you could use cans of baked beans. We did some planks, pushups, sit ups, lunges and other exercises you usually see in PT programs. The hardest part of the exercise was keeping Poppy (our 10 month old puppy!) entertained. She wanted to be involved but really just got in the way. About 5 minutes after I began, she vomited on my mat…

Wish me luck for the rest of Week One – I’ll give you an update at the end of the week.

– Lauren x