My Workout Routine
Good things come to those who sweat!
This post is SO long overdue! I’ve had so many questions about my workout routine so I thought a blog post was only fitting! Just to be clear, I am no expert so please know that this is what I find works for me!
I also want to touch on the fact that I am not naturally thin. I did not “bounce back” after giving birth to 3 kids in 4 years, nor am I “lucky”. I have worked really really hard because I want too and it’s an important part of my life. Staying active gives me energy to keep up with my littles and more importantly, I enjoy it!
I have read so many things on the internet where we body shame Moms for either carrying an extra 20 pounds or in my case, not setting realistic expectations. This is my reality because I have created it. I think as a society we need to be careful when we bodyshame moms for being overweight or what we precieve to be underweight. All postpartum bodies are beautiful and what matters the most is that you are happy!
Being a full time working Mom (currently on maternity leave) means that I have to be pretty strategic on squeezing in my workouts. Before having kids, I was a gym junkie. I was working out 6-7 days per week which consisted of a mix of high intensity cardio, full body weight training and speed walks around the seawall at lunch.
Right now, I manage 3-5 days per week which consists of 45-50 mins of cardio and weight training. Now that the weather is getting better, I try to walk outside at least one morning per week. I find the fresh air clears my mind!
We have a home gym which was the best decision we ever made when building our house. Being active has always been a big part of my lifestyle and I notice if I go a couple of days without working out, I have this built up energy that I need to release. It’s a stress reliever for me and I feel so good after a great sweat sesh.
In the past, I have done hot yoga, spinning classes, cardio classes, P90X, Pilates etc. Currently, I do a mix of the BBG program by Kayla Itsines and my own cardio and weights. I still mix in a lot of the BBG exercises into my workout routine but don’t follow the entire program. Maybe I’ll start it again in the next few months…I have done her program twice and LOVED it.
Here is a weekly sample of my workout routine:
Monday:
50 min speed walk (LISS)
Tuesday:
20 min HIIT cardio
25 min Legs
• 50 lunges
• 50 squats
• 50 leg lifts
• 50 kick backs
• 50 weighted step ups
Wednesday:
50 min speed walk (LISS)
Thursday:
20 min cardio
25 min full body weights (A mix of Tuesday and Friday)
Friday:
30 min speed walk on the treadmill (LISS)
20 min Abs (I do a variation of exercises from the BBG program.)
• 50 straight leg raises
• 50 bent leg raises
• 2x1 min planks
• 100 mountain climbers
• 50 weighted jack knife
Saturday:
25 min speed walk (LISS)
25 min full body. I do a mix of the above exercises for Legs and abs and a few arm exercises.
Sunday – Day off or a family walk outside for 60 mins.
HIIT – What is it?
HIIT stands for "High Intense Interval Training“. HIIT is a training technique in which you give your all through quick, intense exercise which are followed by short recovery periods and breaks. This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up. Since the training is so intense, your body will keep burning energy. With HIIT, You burn more fat in less time and the bonus is that you don’t need any equipment. You can train whenever and wherever you want.
LISS – What is it?
LISS stands for “Low intensity steady state cardio”. LISS is any form of low intensity cardio where you maintain the same pace for a set period of time. This can be a brisk walk, time on the elliptical or any cardio machine that isn’t high intensity.
This seems like a lot but it really isn’t! Most of my workouts consist of LISS and I actually love walking so it doesn’t seem like “working out” to me.
Food:
I go by the 80/20 rule. You can work out as much as you can but if you are not eating well 70-80% of the time, you won’t see results. This is my downfall like many others. I have a big sweet tooth and I find after a day with the kids, I am craving junk food in the evenings. Lately I have been having a cup of tea instead of the cookies and that seems to help, haha.
I’ll write a future blog post on practical meal planning that still lets you indulge daily because as you all know, I love my donuts and fried chicken and would never give those up ;)
Clothing:
I am a firm believer that if you look good, you feel good. The same goes for me when I am working out! I LOVE active wear and own SO.MANY.PAIRS of leggings, haha. I want to be comfortable when I work out but also look kinda cute;) This set is from a brand called Stronger and their clothes are SO comfy! I also love Old Navy high waisted compression leggings which usually go on sale for $20 ish.
Soo, that is really about it. It’s nothing fancy and all of this can be done from home! Being a mama is a full time job on it’s own and it is super hard to stay motivated each day. What I have learned is that self care is SO important and for me, I need to feel good on the inside and out . Don’t put so much pressure on yourself and do what you can! I hope this helps you! Let me know if you have any questions!
