I’ve been switching things up a bit lately and loving the variety. It’s definitely been paying off. Instead of taking classes like I usually do, I’ve been working out on my own at the gym.

Well sort of on my own… I’ve been using the help of Aaptiv and Kayla.

I recently downloaded Aaptiv after hearing rave reviews from the Kin Community team in Chicago. Since then, I have seen it advertised on my Facebook and Instagram feeds constantly and was contacted by their PR team to try it out.

Aaptiv is like a great playlist with a trainer in your ear. There is no video, just an audio track with music, good music actually and detailed workout instructions. There are tons of workouts to choose from including outdoor running workouts, treadmill, elliptical, strength training, spinning, stretching and yoga. They even have treadmill with strength options like Barry’s Bootcamp. They vary in level of difficulty and duration.

I’ve done 3 different treadmill workouts. One was super hard and I barely was able to finish. It was obviously an advanced level option. The intermediate workout I tried was almost too easy so I modified it and the third was a perfect challenge.

I also tried a strength training workout which reminded of the Nike Women’s Training Club app but without video and a music track. Unlike NTC though, the coaches are real people with encouragement and tips along the workout.

So yesterday, I did a 30 minute intermediate treadmill workout. It was good since I was tired and a bit anxious. I had a mini oral surgery yesterday, I won’t go into details because it’s not fun. I look like the SnapChat filter of the kid with braces though, minus the braces and just one chipmunk cheek.

I don’t have many complaints but my first is that I wish I knew the workout specifics before doing the workout. The trainers do give you an idea of the playlist and the workout but do not get into specifics. Some trainers will tell you what’s going to come next during the first couple of minutes but others do not. I wish I could see what I was about to do. Also, I feel like my preferred level is in between intermediate and advanced. I have to modify both to find my sweet spot.

If you are interested in trying it out for a month for free, you can use my referral code SARAHFIT. If you like going to classes like me, but can’t always make it because of budget or timing, I’d highly recommend trying it at least for a month to see if you like it. This will give you a chance to try out a few trainers and styles before committing to a monthly membership which is actually only $9.99 a month.

The other workouts I did this week include the Kayla Itsines BBG 2.0 workouts. I saw a gal on Instagram post her workout to her stories and took a screen shot. I decided to give it a try and my butt/thighs are still sore three days later.

I decided to try another 2.0 workout by searching Pinterest on Thursday and found this one. I was not nearly as sore but it was a good workout that I could do at the gym before Nick went to work.

I love mixing up my workouts because it keeps things interesting and prevents me from getting bored. Most days, I’m done in 30 minutes and it’s so nice when it’s over to feel accomplished AND have plenty of time to get stuff done.

I’m still a ClassPass user, I have a gym membership (which doubles as my office with childcare) but I’m not really into their classes so I like having these two options.

If you use Aaptic or the BBG 2.0 workouts, let me know what your favorite workout is down below.

Week in Workouts + Try Aaptiv For Free