Current Workout Routine
I’ve had lots of Q’s about my current workout routine so I’m breaking everything down in this blog post! I’m also answering questions about the lululemon mirror, how I build my workouts, how I stay motivated, and more!
Q. Are you still going to the gym/ working out with your personal trainer now that you have a home gym?
A. Long story short- no, I’m not! And I haven’t been since August. When we moved into our new house, it added about 10 minutes on to our drive to the gym which made it a little over a 20 minute drive. After living in our house for a couple months, I started getting kind of tired of the drive and realized I wasn’t as excited about working out anymore. I know it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal but depending on traffic, I could spend over 45 minutes in the car for an hour-long workout. Plus I’d spend time in the gym talking to people after my workout… or making an unnecessary stop on the way home. An hour workout quickly turned into a two hour ordeal. Around that time, Cort and and I started talking about the idea of finishing out one of the rooms in our basement and turning it into a gym. Once we completed the basement gym project, it just didn’t make sense to pay a personal trainer and make the drive anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I really miss working out with Tyler (my former personal trainer) but I’ve learned so much from him over the years and feel like I’m at a place now where I feel more confident in the gym on my own. He really taught me how to lift and I’m forever thankful for all that I learned from him! I’m sure at some point I’ll train with a personal trainer again, but for now, this is working well! We love having a gym at home!!
Q. What's Solidcore?
A. Solidcore is a workout that I’ve done on and off for the past few years and right now, it’s the one workout that I leave my house to go do (other than going on walks). There’s a studio close to where we live so I don’t mind that drive nearly as much as our former gym! Solidcore is hard to explain. I always tell people that it’s like pilates, although the pilates community would correct me on this one! It’s a high-intensity, low-impact full-body workout on a pilates-inspired reformer machine. I like it because it’s really challenging but still low impact at the same time (no jumping, plyo, running, etc). The whole workout is done on the machine. It’s also the best workout I’ve found for abs & obliques- I’m always so sore after! I try to do solidcore 1-2 times/week and I love doing this class with a friend! I also love that the classes are 50 minutes- they go by so fast!
Q. What are your thoughts on the Lululemon mirror? What are some of your favorite classes?
A. We got the lululemon mirror a couple months back and have been LOVING it! Basically it’s a mirror that you can turn on to stream workout classes. You can look at yourself in the mirror while also looking at the instructor leading the class! There are SO many class options to choose from- sculpt, boxing, strength, kettlebell, bootcamp, barre, yoga, and more! There’s live classes daily but we usually do a pre-recorded class. There are plenty of classes with no equipment needed, but the classes I take just require dumbbells. My favorite instructors so far are Chris R., Gerren L., and Lance P.- they have really great strength classes and I love their energy! Cort and I usually do about 2 workouts on it each week. The classes range in time but we usually pick a 30 minute or 45 minute class. OH and the best part is that lululemon mirror members get 10% off lululemon clothes!!! Woo!
Q. How do you come up with your home workouts?
A. Whenever I post videos of my workouts in my basement, I get a lot of questions asking if I’m following a plan or how I know what to do with my. workouts. I stopped training with my personal trainer back in August and since then, I’ve just kind of been doing my own thing. I had worked out with him for over 2 years so I learned a LOT from him. And I learned a lot just from having a consistent weight lifting routine (2x a week for 2 years). I learned lots of different exercises, what weights I need to use, and overall just gained a lot of confidence to workout on my own. That said, I haven’t been following a plan but maybe I will at some point for the sake of more consistency. There are SO MANY workout plans online and different trainers that offer plans that you can buy. A lot of you have asked me to share how to build a workout and how to know what weights to use…. and while I really can’t give specifics and I’m not an expert, I’ll share a few things that have helped me.
You never want to compromise form for a higher weight. When in doubt, go down in weight and make sure you have great form before increasing that weight.
The number of reps you do + the weight you use will depend on your goals. For me personally, I’m trying to gain more muscle, so I’m going to choose a higher weight and opt for less reps. I usually do about 3 sets of one exercise. When picking a weight, I want to find a weight that is pretty challenging, but still allows me to have good form for all of the reps. I usually do about 6-8 reps for 3 sets and I rest in between each set. Let’s say I’m doing 8 reps and after those 8 reps I feel like I could have done 5 more… I probably picked a weight that was too light. I like my last couple reps to be pretty challenging, but again not breaking form.
I use the progressive overload method which basically means I gradually increase the weight or reps in my routine to build my strength. Again, I’m not forfeiting my form just to add more weight or reps, but if I feel like I can do an exercise well, then maybe the next week, I’ll add a couple more reps on or (preferably for me) increase the weight.
Again, I’m not a professional in this area and there are so many different ways to go about strength training and lots of opinions in this area, but this is jus what I’ve done over the past few years!
Q. How do you stay so motivated to workout?
A. I think we’ve all heard the quotes- “Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going” (Jim Rohn) or “Motivation is what what gets you going, discipline keeps you growing” (John C. Maxwell) or “You won’t always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined” (unknown)… There are many variations of these quotes that I’ve seen and heard over the years but they all have the same idea behind them. Motivation is a fleeting feeling. We can feel motivated for a day or a week or a month, but we won’t necessarily feel motivated every single day- but that’s where good habits come in. That said, I definitely don’t feel motivated every day! In fact, I’d say I don’t feel motivated most days! Maybe 1 in every 5 workouts, I actually am super excited to do… but I ALWAYS feel amazing when I’m done. Because I usually don’t feel like working out, I don’t rely on that feeling and instead I make it part of my day and part of my life. So if you’re looking for daily motivation- STOP!!! That won’t be the thing that keeps you going. Instead, build your workouts into your routine and that is where you’ll find consistency.
I wanted to share a few tips for getting into a workout routine - key word ROUTINE. Once something becomes a routine (or habit) it’s easier to stick with it once the motivation dies out.
ACCOUNTABILITY - Find a workout buddy who can help hold you accountable to your goals! This was huge for me when I was starting my workout routine. I tried to sign up for as many classes as I could with friends because I knew I would be less likely to back out if I had already committed to taking a class with someone. Nobody wants to let down their friends… plus it's more fun! Even now, I’ll workout with Cort or my friend, Beth. It just helps so much!
SWITCH IT UP - Try out different classes, gyms, and programs until you find something you really like! You may love taking a short workout class online instead of driving to a gym for an hour long class. It can take some trial and error to find what you really enjoy, but it's totally worth it once you do! If you feel like you’re getting bored with your workouts, try something different. There are so many options these days and I’ve definitely learned that I don’t always feel like doing the same thing every day.
SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING - Don't overwhelm yourself with setting a lofty goal of five, hour-long workouts every week if you haven't been in a consistent routine already. You'll end up beating yourself up if you don't accomplish that goal and you'll be left feeling defeated. Start with a small goal like two workouts a week, or move your body in some way every day. Or, start out doing three, twenty minute workouts each week, and then build from there. Even a quick ten minute workout is better than nothing!
PLAN OUT YOUR WEEK - I’ve found that planning out my workouts on Sundays really sets me up for success. If I go into the week with an “I’ll just wing it mentality”, I usually end up skipping workouts because I didn’t make time for it, or I can’t get into a small group class because they’ve already filled up. Planning ahead is crucial! I like to actually add in my workouts on my calendar as a meeting/appointment so the time is already blocked off and I can work my day around it.
WHEN IN DOUBT, WALK IT OUT - Walking is really having a trending moment right now… and for good reason!! Walking is AMAZING for you and can actually lead to some great results. Whenever I don’t feel like working out, I’ll just walk for 30 minutes. Sometimes I’ll leave it at that, and sometimes I’ll end up working myself into the mood to workout after moving my body for a bit. But seriously, even if you just get to a treadmill or get outside, you’re moving your body and that’s a win!!
