My Workout Routine

From running half marathons to BBG, weight training, yoga and group classes, my routine is always changing! I was a competitive gymnast throughout my childhood and into high school. Because of this, I had a lot of muscle for a young woman and decided I wanted to change that once I got to college. I started running 3 miles a day and was content with that for a while until I discovered BBG.

For those of you who don't know, BBG stands for Bikini Body Guide and was created by Kaya Itsines. They are 28 minute resistance workouts that are broken by sections of your body-arms and abs, legs, and full body are typically the circuits. There are 3 resistance workouts plus 2 LISS or HIIT workouts depending on what week you are on. LISS is a steady state cardio and it is recommended to do this for 35-45 minutes. On these days, I usually power walk, run, or incline walk. HIIT workouts are high intensity interval training workouts-some examples would be sprints, Jacob's ladder, or a 15% incline on the treadmill. I have completed BBG 1.0 as well as 2.0 and am currently incorporating BBG Stronger, which is Kayla's new program with additional weights added in. When I first started doing BBG, I kept stopping because I would see the number on the scale go up and my pants getting a little tighter. Let me be clear: I was a stick with a little muscle and loved my size 00 jeans before I started. I finally decided to stick with it and also decided to not weigh myself for the first round which I think was a great decision that allowed me to focus on my strength gain, health, and confidence.

After completing 2 (12 week) BBG's, I started training for my first half marathon last year. I would run everyday and got up to 10 miles while training. I finished my half with a time of 1:59:50, which I was super excited about because my goal was to get under 2 hours :D

My workout routine at this moment consists of a little bit of everything-I'm studying to become a personal trainer so I like to have fun trying new moves out in the gym. I've been going to 2-3 boot camp style classes at my gym every week and throwing in 1 or 2 BBG sessions in as well as walking and running when I get the chance! I honestly just love to move and it feels good to stay active. I also aim to have 1 rest day a week. This is so often neglected and I'm guilty of not taking a day off some weeks. Another blog post will be written about the true importance of rest days!

Whatever workout routine you choose, make sure you really love it. Being bored of your workout routine is the worst-mix it up when you need to! If I'm really dreading my normal workout, I may opt for a yoga class or a long walk around my neighborhood. This way, I don't associate my negative mood and feelings toward my workout routine. I'm still getting my workout in but also enjoying it! And-this is SO important-if you really do not feel like working out at all one day or feel tired or jam packed-do NOT feel guilty about skipping the gym. As long as you are active most days, your progress will absolutely not be lost.