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| - The owner/trainers at Heroic Fitness present a very alluring idea - lose 20 lbs. in 6 weeks for free - all you have to do is follow the instructions. I was intrigued, so I went to an initial orientation. You can't get any of the program information, costs, workout times, etc. without going to a 45-minute orientation. During this orientation, you'll hear a testimonial from someone whose life has been changed by the program. You'll also learn that there is a strict meal plan and you must complete 30 workouts in 6 weeks. If you lose your 20 lbs., you get the $500 "deposit" back. I was sold! Who wouldn't lose 20 lbs. quickly by eating very lean meats, veggies and brown rice while working out hard 5 times week?!?
For the initial weigh-in, everyone starting the program comes together in a big venue to hear MORE testimonials, learn details of the food plan, learn about all the supplements they encourage you to buy (more about this later) and weigh-in. It takes HOURS. Seriously, I was there for 3.5 hours. What you also learn is that in addition to the 5 workouts, you are expected to do an additional 30 minutes of cardio everyday. And, you really need to buy protein shakes and fish oil supplements and, if you really want to succeed, fat burning pills, workout stimulant and an amino acid to prevent muscle soreness. Okay, there's another $200 invested -- but, I was sure it would be worth it!
The workouts each day are very well done. The trainers are incredibly motivating, the other participants had great attitudes and I never felt like we were doing the same thing each day. I built alot of muscle and learned all kinds of new exercises.
Here's where the 2-star rating comes in. After 3 weeks, if your weight begins to stall they suggest adding in MORE cardio - in addition to the 30 minutes plus the class you're doing each day. If that's not enough, you should also cut down on the carbs (sweet potatoes, brown rice) that you're eating. Now, the meal plan is already very lean - by cutting out those carbs I'm certain you would drop below 1,000 calories/day.
If you really need to drop weight at the end, they suggest you switch to one full week of nothing but white fish and asparagus. Yes, you read that right. White fish and asparagus - 3 - 5 times a day. How is that healthy? How does that help someone lose weight and be able to maintain it?
I think the concept is good - but, the methodology is very questionable. There's also no accounting for the build up of muscle mass - you're getting fit and feeling better, but in order to get that deposit back, you need to drop lbs. This sends mixed messages when you know your clothes are fitting better, but the scale is not dropping the way you would like.
The other element that really took me by surprise was how much religion comes into the program. The owner and trainers are very Christian - the owner often posts biblical passages on the motivation facebook group and includes christian teachings in the workout manual. I am not religious, but I could overlook this because it was not something forced on me. But, during a Saturday workout the trainers insisted everyone come together, put their arms around each other for a group prayer. This made me somewhat uncomfortable.
Ultimately, I like the gym and the workouts. I would not, however, recommend the 6-week challenge.
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