**Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of the book for the purposes of the review, but the opinions are truthful and my own, along with the photographs.**
On my quest to get back in shape and feeling back to normal, I’m trying a lot of different things. Some don’t work so well and you likely won’t hear much about them. Others I’ll share, and I’m going to be completely honest because there will be proof later on: a new profile photo.
That’s a very sobering thought. And I better get my butt in gear.
One new item I’m reading right now is Sleekify. I received the book during the holiday season but quite honestly didn’t start the program because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to foll0w-through. The last three weeks before Christmas is a rush of birthdays (all four of my kids’ birthdays surround Christmas), shopping, holiday parties and shopping. And eating. I gave myself a semi-free pass and it shows. I’m not talking double-digits in weight gain, but muscles lost their tone and I lost my stamina.
Sigh.
Sleekify is a new book by Michael Olajide, Jr., labeled as “the supercharged no-weights workout to sculpt and tighten your body in 28 days.” Michael is a personal trainer to everyone from housewives and senior citizens to celebs and supermodels but you’ll probably recognize his name from his boxing career. He was ranked among the top fifteen middleweight contenders worldwide, living in New York City, when he was hit in his right eye while sparring, breaking his orbital bones. The injury was so bad that it left him with double vision and depth perception issues but he continued to fight, displaying his spirit to never give up. However, the vision in his right eye became progressively worse, resulting in legal blindness by the age of 26 and ending his career. But that was also just the beginning.
Michael turned his focus towards helping others obtain the sleek physique that he was still able to maintain outside of the ring. Hence, “Sleekify,” a program rooted in the sport of boxing. It’s a full-body program that takes little space or equipment (just a jump rope), removing the typical excuses that are so easy to make when it comes to why a person can’t work out. It utilizes moves that have been used by boxers since the sports inception and can be customized to be used by anyone who wants to do it.
The basic credo of Sleekify? You need to commit to exercise, watch your diet, and bolster your mental attitude.
In short, the program’s divided into eight boxing-based workouts. Each one is done for a total of 3 days and you then immediately move on to the next workout in the schedule, doing this for the entire 28-day plan. Every six days, you get a day off.
The routines vary in type so all of your body is used: jumping rope, boxing, sculpting. You’ll count punches, sets and instead of reps, time, so you’ll do each move for a certain period of time.
Sound good so far?
Michael does a great job of motivating and making it all feel attainable. He also gives a lot of tips on how to make the most of each workout, such as how to break the typical day’s workout into two sessions rather than saying “no time to do it all.” Only have 30 minutes? Break it all in half so you still do the whole workout, but just half of the time for each.
If reading all about working out doesn’t sound appealing, don’t be scared off. Much of the book is devoted to the actual breakdown of the various workouts, so it’s not reading as much as it is guidance. There are also 100 photographs throughout to make sure you understand each move.
Once you get to wear you want to be as far as your weight-loss goals, Michael explains maintenance, or “defending your body.” He explains options to maintain or do it again to sleekify further. There are even dietary tips on what should go along with the program and what to do after. One of my favorite parts is where he explains how you’ve not only sleekified your body, but your mind, and while losing weight is the reason I’d start a program like this to begin with, self-perception and acceptance is a HUGE thing and we often forget it when trying to fit into a smaller size pair of jeans or look better in a bikini.
I’m not far enough into the 28 days to give you an ‘end of program’ critique, but I can say it’s a workout! I like to jump rope, but I am not the most coordinated so I go slower than I should. I also have to find yet another pair of insoles for my plantar fasciitis as I found jumping to be more painful than running, which bums me out because I enjoy it. It’s a different kind of cardio and I bore easily, so each kind of workout I can do means I’m that much more likely to stick to the program overall. I love sculpting and boxing and those areas didn’t pose any pain to my foot. (And I’m newly motivated to get that kick bag I want for the garage so I can get back into kickboxing. I have my eye on one that will work for both punching and kicking enough for my needs.) I like the easy feel of knowing what goal I need to work towards each day and the day off is a nice break, a permissible day of relaxation.
If you’re like me and have a busy schedule where it’s harder to go to a gym — or you’re like me and prefer to workout at home where you can stumble through something on your own — Sleekify is an excellent choice. It’s also one of these workouts you can do while traveling so on my next business trip, I don’t have to worry about fitting in fitness in any hotel, with or without a gym. The book will easily fit into my suitcase along with my jump rope. No more excuses!
Sleekify is published by Random House and available on Amazon and many other locations.
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