Monday Workout: Usual

This week we’re just doing our usual compound exercises.  Full body work is always good.  Three rounds.

 

jacks	30
good morning/deadlift	20
Arnold press	10
squat raise	30
bench press	20
pushups	10
suitcase swing	30
flies	20
Russian twist	10

 

Mother May I: 5

We made it to the end of the month!  Hooray for us!  But there is one last permission I’m granting:  permission to rest.  Here are some ways to incorporate rest:

 

1.     Between sets.

2.     Between rounds.

3.     On vacation.

4.     On rest days.

5.     When we’re sick/tired.

 

Rest is where we heal and get stronger!

Mother May I: Far

There might be a theme emerging here.  Yesterday, I said we didn’t have to go far if we didn’t want to.  Today I would like to emphasize that we are allowed to go far, too.  Just because somebody else thinks is silly to ride 100 miles on a bike or run a marathon or do a triathlon doesn’t mean we need to listen to them.  Some of us really love our endurance events and that’s cool.

The overarching principle here, as in the whole month, is that we get to choose what our workouts are based on what works for us.  We are allowed to have whatever workout we want.

 

Anybody who argues with us about this can be ignored.

 

Go play.

Mother May I: Not Far

This week’s permissions are similar to last week’s.  Today, we have permission not to go far.

While it is true that often the hardest part of a workout is starting it, we can get overwhelmed by the sense that we can’t just run; we have to run far.  We can’t just go for a swim; we have to do a gazillion laps.  And so on.

 

Some days, we just don’t have a lot of oomph to work with.  On those days, we do, in fact, get credit just for showing up.  We may not build a lot of muscles in our body, but our character muscles get bigger.

Monday Workout: Bit Different

The end-of-month circuit, as usual, is a bit different.  My goals with the shorter circuit include some cardio challenge (see woodchoppers immediately after a minute of cardio of choice, and back to back burpees and tap backs), some endurance challenge (doing the other exercises in the circuit after the cardio bits without resting), and practice with challenge (hiya, burpees!).  As always, I love my compound exercises that work a bunch of stuff at once.  Ideally, we do four rounds, but use good judgment about what is best.

 

1 min cardio
woodchoppers	30
flies	20
burpees	10
tap backs	30
bench press	20
brains	10

  

Mother May I: 3

When we’re kids, people bribe us to do stuff.  Behave at the doctor?  Get a sucker.  Good report card?  Pizza for you.  Now that we’re adults, we get to set our own rewards for working out.  May I suggest:

 

1.     Massage.  Or a hot bath.  Or anything that makes your body feel fabulous.

2.     Milestone treats.  Chop up that big goal and reward yourself for each segment.  This could be a scale number, a distance reached, a weight lifted, or whatever else you’re measuring.  Make it small enough to be manageable but big enough to be meaningful.

3.     New gear.  Who doesn’t love getting new workout clothes?  Or comfy shoes?  Or a cool new thingamajig for that activity we love?

Mother May I: Go Slow

Yesterday, I reminded us all that we can go as fast as we want to.  Today I want to clarify:  that might mean not going fast at all.

We can choose the pace we like best for our workouts.  Some of us prefer to work out longer at a more manageable pace compared to our hare friends.  Tortoises have just as much fitness success.

 

One application of this principle is that nobody has to run who doesn’t want to.  We can get just as much fitness from walking.  The best exercise is the exercise we will do.

 

Go play.  At your own pace.