One thing K-Pop idols are known for besides their music is the strict regimens they follow in diets and exercise routines to stay in good shape. Recently, however, girl group LE SSERAFIM’s workout routine during their trainee days has gone viral on TikTok and YouTube for the past couple of weeks, with people calling it intense and highly complicated. The training is as follows:
100 jumping jacks
Four sets of 25 burpees
Two sets of 10 jump squats
Plank Crawl to a song of your choice
Two sets of 10 up-and-down planks
Two sets of plank twists
75 crunches
Given that I am a big fan of their music and have always been fascinated by their dances, I decided to take on the challenge and try it out for a couple of days to see if it is as pass-out-worthy as people say. For background: though I go to the gym regularly, I would not consider myself a highly athletic person, nor do I follow any restrictive diets whatsoever, so I was curious as to what effect this routine would have on me.
Results
After three days of doing this routine, I have much to say about my experience. First, everyone whose done it is right: it is VERY exhausting to complete. For reference, I was barely halfway done with the jumping jacks when the first droplets of sweat left my body. There were countless times throughout the workout when I had to take extensive breaks and even considered dropping the experiment altogether. I also drank much more water than usual with my regular gym workout. (Also, on my first day, I am embarrassed to admit that I tripped during the prank crawl, and I apologize to the person working out next to me that had to witness that.) However, once you get through the first day, it is easier to complete the following days. It also goes by faster the more you get used to it, so it’s a matter of giving it some time and effort to implement this workout into your routine.
Though I did not focus much on physical results, my abs and chest area were beginning to get toned after barely a couple of days of trying out the routine. LE SSERAFIM is well known for incorporating these areas in their dances, so it makes sense the workout is tailored for this. I also noticed I was always hungry whenever I finished the routine, even if I already ate for the day, which I found interesting.
Tips
Like any workout, STRETCH FIRST! It’s always a good reminder to give, mainly because this workout can strain you if you do not stretch beforehand. Also, even though they give you the sets, I recommend splitting them up if it helps you work out easier. For example, instead of doing 100 jumping jacks, I cut it into four sets of 25 jacks so I wouldn’t have to do that immense amount all at once and avoid tiring myself out. Also, feel free to take breaks! They are a sign that you are giving the workout your all, and it does not represent weakness.
For the song plank, I went with 2-3 minute energetic songs that would motivate me for the song’s duration. During the three days of this experiment, I plank-crawled to “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj, “Alien Superstar” by Beyoncé, and “Run BTS” by BTS. It is up to you to decide what songs you want to do for this exercise, but make sure it is one you can tolerate crawling up and down for its duration.
And remember, working out is all about doing it for your health and well-being, so don’t feel you have to fit into a certain resistance level to succeed. So instead of following this routine precisely as the LE SSERAFIM girls did, tweak this workout however you’d like so you’re comfortable and enjoying every step! I’m sure they would appreciate you trying your best.
Happy training!