Workout Routine need updating?
Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.
-Unknown
Going from 8-lb weights to 20-lb weights per arm was a 4-yr. process. I've had ups and downs. I have gone through lulls when I didn't do any weight-training at all, causing me to restart the entire process. I can't even count how many times I have revised my overall strength-training routine. Over time, my goals have changed as I continue listening to my body, giving my body what it needs, and building a better, stronger, version of myself!
As I have mentioned before, the secret they don't tell you about habits like working out is that you have to make them work for you. You have to take what you see others doing and adjust it to meet your needs. You have to listen to yourself. You have to, ultimately, embrace the messiness that comes with starting something new. So here’s to embracing your process - below are some questions to get you started on updating your routine:
What’s your end goal - what do you want to accomplish from your workouts/fitness routine? Get toned? Lose weight? Gain weight? Get lean? Build strength?
My current goal: maintain a toned, athletic physique while building sustained strength.
Why do you want this for yourself? Remember, you should workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.
My purpose for all my fitness goals: You must know first that my dad taught me how to workout when I was a junior in high school - what a process it has been! He taught me to workout because he wanted me to be a strong woman that never depended on a man. He wanted me to be able to lift a tire in case I had a flat; to carry my own groceries; to lift and move my furniture. Over the past 17 years, I have developed a very deep love and discipline for it - I am in it for the long run. Anyway, back to my purpose. I love the way I feel after working out. I love my body and care very deeply about my overall health and independence. I love being able to lift things, move things, and do things myself. I have a lot of pride in my body and myself and working out has developed this pride and confidence.
How will you get there - what actions will you take? This part may require research, trial and error, time, or some combination of all 3.
My current workout routine: I eat a plant-based diet the days before workouts (Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays). Mondays and Thursdays are glute and leg days. Tuesdays and Fridays are arm and back days. My daily routine includes weight lifting, pilates, and yoga. For weight lifting, I do 2 full circuits/sets of 6 different exercises with 7 reps per set. Between each set within a circuit I rest for 1.5 minutes. Between each circuit I rest for 2 minutes. Then I do a 15- to 20-minute pilates workout (depending on how I am feeling) and I close with a 20- to 30-minute yoga workout that also serves as my stretching post workout. Immediately after my workout, I drink a Muscle Milk and an hour after that, I eat a smoothie bowl and energy bites - more on this later.
My research involved: asking vegan and vegetarian friends; watching The Game Changers on Netflix - a documentary that challenges the idea that meat protein is better than plant-based protein; modifying what I learned from bonytobombshell.com; and reflecting on and knowing my body (a 17-year process).
How will you measure your success? Develop a plan to monitor your progress - this could be creating a bullet journal spread; asking yourself at the end of the day/week/month: did I meet my fitness goals this today/this week/this month?; having a buddy to hold you accountable and check in with on a weekly basis. This step is key to your success and you need to make this something that works for you. Otherwise, you will never know if you achieved it or feel like a failure for not.
My current measures of success: maintain a weight of at least 116 lbs.; maintain the following measurements (at minimum): hips - 37 inches, thighs - 20 inches, calves - 12.5 inches. I check and track all the above on a monthly basis in my bullet journal. I also track the way I feel after every workout in my bullet journal using a color-coded system: blue = I exceeded my expectations (felt strong, added reps/sets, held poses longer that needed, added exercises); green = I met my expectations (felt strong, got through reps, held poses, engaged in all exercises); purple = almost met my expectations (felt tired, had to modify a few times, a few breaks); orange = did not meet my expectations (felt tired, had to modify multiple times, multiple breaks).
Again, I can’t even count how many times I have changed my workout routine to meet my needs. So make sure to reflect on these questions any time you feel bored, unmotivated, or like you’re not getting much out of your workouts anymore. This will allow you to analyze your successes and struggles and continue to revise and redefine your workouts. It is human nature to grow, adjust, and need something different at different stages and chapters of our lives and it’s up to us to listen to ourselves, be kind to ourselves, show ourselves grace, and, ultimately, hold ourselves accountable to what we want to achieve.
