Workout Week

First off, I’d like to start off by asking how everyone’s New Year’s Resolutions are going? Did any of your resolution’s involve personal health or fitness goals?? I shared my resolutions with you all a few weeks ago and have to admit,   It’s crazy that almost a month has passed since we rang in the new year!

I know that a month or two into the new year is when some New Year’s Resolutions, especially those focused on fitness or weight loss, start to fade and slip out the door. I thought what better a time than now to provide you all with three new, total body workouts to keep you motivated and on track towards your fitness goals.

As someone who has openly welcomed the status of a “gym rat” for the past 6+ years, I know, first hand, the challenges and struggles of keeping workouts fresh and exciting. With that being said, I also know what it’s like to do an “out of the box workout” and have everyone around you think you’re just nuts.

Over the course of the past few months working out, I’ve gotten a number of comments and questions from other members at the gym who seriously think I’m crazy for the intensity of the workouts that I do.   Some include: “You must be training for some type of event.”   “You never seem to get tired.”  And the best of the bunch, one I got just last week, ”You are a show off.”

Yes buddy, that’s exactly it… I bust my ass, make myself sore, and drench myself in sweat, all because I’m a big show off.

While my mind was thinking, “Hey dude, mind your own business and go finish your workout,”  I kindly replied, “I have to push myself this hard, otherwise I’m not going to get anything out of my workouts. This is just what I’m used to.”      And that was quickly the end of that conversation.  (Yes I’ll admit, I am a little bit sassy..)

I’ve always prided myself in my ability to work hard and test my limits- whether this be at the gym, in my studies, at work or with my blog. Throughout the course of the past few years, I’ve learned that if you want to see big results come out of things, you have to put the work in.

One way that I’ve continued to challenge myself in the gym, and not fall into a rut, is through varying my workouts. From taking “strictly cardio days” to “yoga days” to “circuit training days”, I’ve been able to keep my workouts fresh and keep my motivation at a peak. I look forward to creating new and fun workouts and leaving the gym feeling strong and fit, and you can too.

This past week, I did three workouts that I’d love to share with you all.  Additionally, you can find more of my workouts here.

The first is a 30-minute elliptical workout that I designed for those of you gym-goers whose preference is the farthest thing from running on the treadmill. It includes a mix of high and low resistance settings, with both forwards and backwards peddling, to target a greater range of the leg muscles and glutes.

The next workout is a Total Body Circuit Workout – combining 20 minutes of High-Intensity Interval Training Cardio with 20 minutes of a total-body weight routine. The burpees, double-unders, and jump-squats will be sure to keep your heart rate pumping, while the push-ups, KB swings, and planks will challenge your muscle endurance.   This workout flies by and will leave you feeling like a true athlete.

My last and final workout to share with you all was one that I did this morning called “The Seven.” I stole this Crossfit Workout and changed a couple of the exercises to give extra attention to my glutes and triceps. While seven rounds may seem like a lot, each round goes by very fast. This workout took me 26 minutes to complete, with each round taking about 3-4 minutes (I stopped for water two times).   I followed up “The Seven” with a light, ten minute run. Sometimes, I enjoy doing a little bit of cardio AFTER my anaerobic workout so that I can put my max amount of energy into lifting.

I hope that you enjoy these three workouts and would love to hear any feedback you have if you try them out…  I know that it can be a challenge starting a new type of workout, or doing a new move for the first time, but I encourage you to go outside of your comfort zone; that is what’s going to get you the results you’re looking for. Being in great physical shape does take hard work and persistence, but with that being said, it doesn’t have to be an activity that you dread doing. Finding workouts to do that keep you excited and that “feel right”, whether it be running or dancing, or lifting weights, are what’s going to keep you on track with your fitness goals. It’s just a matter of trial and error.

Time to get my day started… Until then, what type of workouts do you prefer? Running? Elliptical?  Straight lifting? What have you seen the best results with?