Monday Workout: Choose Your Own!

So I’m on vacation this week, but I won’t leave y’all in the lurch.  In fact, my after-Christmas present is that you get to choose your own workout using the 30-20-10 format.  Here’s how it works.  From the chart at the bottom, you will choose three exercises from the 30 column, three from the 20 column, and three from the 10 column, making sure that one of the 10s is from after the space (because we all need an ab exercise!).  Then arrange the choices into a workout and do three rounds.

 

For example, you might choose woodchoppers, jacks, and clean and press from the 30 column; lunges, deadlifts, and curls from the 20 column; and lateral raises, burpees (yeah, I’m sure everyone is going to pick those!), and pretty princesses from the 10 column.  Your workout would then look like this:

 

woodchoppers	30
lunges	20
lateral raises	10
jacks	30
deadlifts	20
burpees	10
clean and press	30
curls	20
pretty princesses	10

 

From there, you can do three rounds and get on with life.

 

If, however, you would rather be shot than do burpees, I have good news!  You don’t have to pick that option.  You could choose pushups or YTA instead!  If you hate lunges (and who doesn’t?), you can choose kickbacks or bench presses or anything else on the list.

 

Now, since I gave an example workout, there is a choice even for the decision-challenged—do the sample!  Otherwise, here is the list of choices.

 

30	20	10
woodchoppers	squats	round lunges
mountain climbers	lunges	lateral raise
jacks	deadlifts	skullcrushers
plank jacks	bench press	YTA
jump squats	fly	pushups
jump lunges	row	burpees
ball slams	kickback
overhead high knees	curls
opposite knees	reverse fly
clean and press
1 arm clean and press		Russian twist
squat to leg lift		pretty princesses
suitcase swings		brains
		femur arcs
		quadruped
		roll out abs

 

Now go play.  And have a Happy New Year!  I will not be posting again until January! 

Magic words?

Some workouts are harder than others.  We all have rough days at the gym.  Here are five things we can say to ourselves to help us get through:

 

1.     I showed up today.  That counts.

2.     I didn’t used to be able to do this at all.

3.     That shower afterwards is going to feel really good.

4.     This is terrible, but it will be over soon.

5.     This may suck, but it will help me get to my goals.

 

If none of those works, we can try bribery—I’ll do an awful lot for a burrito.

Shape of things to come

When I ask new clients about what their goals are, a lot of them say they want to get in shape.  That’s a groovy goal and all, but it’s not very specific.  To get to “in shape,” we have to figure out what “in shape” means.

 

No, I’m not just being a jerk here.  Even though we share language, we each have our own idiosyncratic interpretations of things.  One person may define in shape as a particular number on the scale.  Another might have a pair of jeans from high school lurking in the back of the closet as a visual representation of in-shape-ness.  Yet another person may think of being in shape as readiness to run a marathon.  Some of us want our blood pressure in a better range or maybe to get to the top of the stairs without feeling out of breath.

 

As we figure out what “in shape” is, we can begin to plan how to get there.  Some of us will need to focus on cardio.  Others may need more strength training.  Most of us probably need to take a look at what we’re putting in our mouths.

 

Put another way, the goal determines the path.  Where would you like to go?

A Space

Change, my friends, is not easy.  We may think we are people who resist routine and habit, but even the most free-spirited among us have our ruts.  This is true for good evolutionary reasons:  if we had to do all the things we do with full attention all the time, we’d get eaten by lions and tigers and bears before we even managed to get up in the morning.  OK, maybe not lions AND tigers AND bears all at the same time, but the point stands.

 

So how, in our largely lion/tiger/bear-free lives, do we break out of our routines to make positive changes?

 

We invest energy in paying attention.

 

Let’s say, for example, that we have been having dessert at every meal.  We finish our bowl of cereal and reach for a cookie.  We finish our PB&J and grab a piece of cake.  Spaghetti inevitably leads to ice cream.  It just happens.  We don’t think about it at all (unless we have run out of cookies!).  We have to create a space between the meal and the dessert for our conscious brain to catch up so we can decide whether we want the cookie/cake/ice cream.

 

There are lots of ways to create that space, from choosing to keep the treats at the store where we have to walk or drive to get them before we can have them to making a rule about doing the dishes before we decide about dessert.  Notice that I’m not saying that we never have dessert.  We are bringing attention to the decision.  Sometimes we will choose the cookie.  Sometimes we won’t.  But we will not automatically shove the ice cream in our faces without thinking about it.

 

The truly sneaky part?  When we create this space for choice, we build a new habit around the process.  We get used to asking ourselves if we really want the cake.  We learn to check in with ourselves.

Monday Workout: Straight Ahead

This week we’re just going straight ahead and getting stuff done before our Christmas break.  Three rounds.

 

suitcase swings	30
squats	20
kickbacks	10
clean and press	30
flies	20
renegade rows	10
mountain climbers	30
curls	20
brains	10

 

Contemplating Lunch

One of the stages of change is contemplation.  It’s the part where we are thinking about what we might like to change without doing anything about it yet.  Those of us who love New Year’s Resolutions might want to spend a little time in the contemplation phase to consider benefits, difficulties, and the like.  Since diet is a common target for those resolutions, here are a few things to contemplate shifting in the new year.

 

1.     Sugar.  It’s addictive.  It contributes to inflammation, which can make us ache.  It rots our teeth.  And it doesn’t really provide anything of value to our diet besides calories.  Reducing added sugars can be a powerful change.

2.     Alcohol.  See above comments on sugar, plus liver damage.

3.     Dairy.  A lot more of us have dairy sensitivities than we might think.  Cutting down our consumption can help us feel better.

4.     Veggies.  Eating veggies instead of other, more caloric, less-nutrient-dense foods is a great way to get more bang for our calorie buck.  Most of us don’t get enough fiber and we may not get all the micronutrients we need from our foods.  Increasing the proportion of our calories we get from veggies can help address those issues.

5.     Water.  I say it a lot:  dehydrated people are crabby people.  Also, we eat less when we are hydrated.  Our bodies work better.  Our skin feels nicer.

Ow!

Sometimes it seems like colder weather just brings out the aches and pains.  I like to whine about stuff as much as the next person, but eventually I want to deal with the issues, so here are some thoughts about what to do when it all hurts, since a Hawaiian vacation is not on the horizon any time soon.

 

On the prevention side of the equation, we can make sure that we get enough of a warm-up before we work out.  If, like me, other folks are impatient, it might be a good idea to re-brand the idea as “not going at top speed/weight/intensity from the starting buzzer.”  Also, it is best to get a little warm before starting to stretch—cold muscles are cranky about flexibility just like cold rubber bands don’t like stretching much.  Choosing the right workout intensity is also a good idea to help keep things from hurting too much—a little soreness is a good thing, but we need to dial it down if we’re still feeling it after two days.

 

Then there is the palliative side of things.  (Insert usual disclaimer here.  I am not a doctor or a physical therapist.  I do not diagnose or treat illness or injury.  I am a trainer giving generalized advice for non-injury soreness.  Injured people should seek out qualified medical professionals.)  The old trainer’s mantra is RICE:  rest, ice, compression, elevation, or in other words, take it easy, chill it, wrap it, and hold it above the heart until the swelling goes down.  In addition, if there is soreness but no swelling, warmth can be helpful.  I am a big fan of Ibuprofen for those who can take it or other OTC pain relievers—no pain is better than pain!—but not if it means that we’re just going to go out and do more of what made us sore in the first place.  Massage can also make us feel like whole new humans.  If the budget doesn’t allow for massage, foam rollers, tune-up balls, or other SMR tools might do the trick.

 

It is okay to rest and recover.  It is how we come back stronger.

How to weather...

As I am typing this, the weather outside is gray.  It has been raining and it is thinking about raining more.  (When I post this, it could be fabulously sunny, but gray will return at some point this winter, I’m sure.)  This kind of weather can cause our spirits to dip.  I have a couple of fitness suggestions that may help.

 

First, get in some cardio.  We need the mood-boosting power of heavy breathing on gray days more than ever!  It can be extra hard to get out of the nice warm bed to get started, so get creative with the bribes if needed.  The effects are actually worth it.  I promise.

 

Second, when possible, get outside, even if it is yucky.  Somebody said that there is no bad weather, just bad gear and they have a point.  A warm and waterproof jacket can make the difference between misery and adventure.  Wellies (maybe even silly, bright-colored ones!) can turn a squelching death march into a splashing fun-fest.  We need natural light and fresh air.

 

Bonus points for combining cardio with outside.

 

Go play.

Monday Workout: 12 Days of Christmas

This might be my very favorite workout.  Yes, it is challenging, but it’s also a good way to see what happens when we do something out of the ordinary.  We do it twice a year, once sometime in the summer and once, like now, when it is seasonally appropriate.  (I know the twelve days of Christmas actually start on Christmas Day, but I’m not working then.  Feel free to do it again, though!)

 

For those of us who have NOT done this one before, here is how it works.  On the first “day” of Christmas we do one push press.  Hooray!  Day one is done!  However, then we have day two, on which we do two goblet squats and one push press.  Day three brings three overhead presses, two goblet squats, and one push press.  Most of us want our first rest after day five.  We want to try to keep our rests to the spaces between the days, but since those last days are pretty cardio intensive, this may not work; rest when needed.

 

Also note that if a particular exercise is not appropriate, substitutions can be made (knee people might want to sub out the jump lunges, for example).

 

And yes, I do know that this workout involves doing 42 burpees (I did the math!).  The good news about that is that there will definitely not be any burpees next workout.  It’s a rule.

 

All right.  Enough explanations.  Here’s the workout.  Go through it all once!

 

1 push press

2 goblet squats

3 Overhead press

4 1 leg squats each leg

5 deadlifts

6 burpees

7 pushups

8 renegade rows

9 mountain climbers

10 jump lunges

11 kb swings

12 plyojacks

 

To-Don't List

It seems like my to-do list just keeps getting longer.  Here are some things we can all take off our fitness lists:

 

1.     Trash talk.  I don’t mean the funny kind that motivates us.  The kind where we spend a bunch of time beating ourselves up about how we aren’t working out enough or we’re eating too much or whatever.  It doesn’t help.

2.     Comparisons.  That guy over there may in fact be able to bench press our entire body, but that is him.  That woman may look exactly like a supermodel, lack of body fat included, but we may not have those genes.  We have to do our workout, not somebody else’s.

3.     Competition.  This one is related to the comparison one.  Our workout is not better because we lifted more than that other person.  We are not even better because we lifted more than we did yesterday.

4.     Stuff we really hate.  There are so many kinds of exercise out there that we really don’t have to do anything we detest, or at least not very often (looking at you, lunges).  We can find other ways to work the same muscle groups or get in the cardio or build our flexibility and balance.

Keep it in my head if you want

I love to give people information.  I’m not sure I could stop if I wanted to.  My clients get used to (I think) the facts I inflict on them while they work out.  I tell them what exercises are for, which muscles are working, what those muscles are called, how many variations there are of any particular exercise, why it’s good for us to do any particular exercise, and on and on.  Sometimes they even pay attention!

 

The thing is, one of the points of having me there is so that my clients don’t have to have all that information.  They can keep it in my head instead.  It can be a lovely thing to have someone else do the planning and the thinking so we can just show up and do.

 

The information is there if we want it, but we don’t have to know any of it!

Don't succumb!

At this time of year, it’s easy to succumb to excess.  There are cookies everywhere.  Ads suggest that we buy 37 new kinds of gizmos.  We want to squeeze in just a bit more fun.  I’m not here to judge or to suck the joy out of the holidays.  I AM here to hint that maybe enough is enough.

 

The good news about that idea is that it works in multiple ways.  (I love efficiency!)  Deciding we have had enough cookies does mean that we have to stop snarfing them down (boo!), but deciding we’ve done enough cardio for today also means that we get to stop now and rest (yay!).

 

Of course, I have a couple of notes about this whole idea of enough.  There is no deprivation in enough.  We are not going to go hungry, or skip celebrating, or never have another treat again.  We are just going to stop when we are pleasantly satisfied.  Similarly, enough is not exhausting.  We work out until we are tired and then we go do something else.

 

It takes a while to train our brains to recognize enough, but it is so worth it.

 

Go play.

Monday Workout: All the things

This week’s workout is pretty well-rounded.  We’ve got cardio, upper body, lower body, balance, and core all represented.  As always, substitute as needed.  Three rounds.

 

step ups	30
bench press	20
round lunges	10
jacks	30
flies	20
1 leg squats	10
clean and press	30
rows	20
pretty princesses	10

 

Shopping List

Want to give yourself a fitness gift?  Here are some suggestions (Note:  see yesterday’s post on not giving anyone else fitness gifts unless specifically asked.):

 

1.     Time.  Time is the most common reason people cite for not working out.  Before we go spending a chunk of change, it might be worth considering that we should just pencil in some dates with ourselves for getting sweaty.

2.     Lessons.  Whether we’re interested in skiing or weight lifting or horseback riding or fencing, we can always use an upgrade to our wetware.  Don’t forget that cooking classes can be part of our fitness arsenal.

3.     New shoes.  Not just so that people ask if we can run faster now.  Shoes do in fact wear out and getting support where our bodies meet the world most often is a good idea.

4.     Something fun.  Yes, I know we need to work out to be healthy humans, but that doesn’t mean that we have to wear old baggy sweats and drink raw eggs like Rocky.  Maybe our workouts would be a lot better in cute clothes, or with more music, or with the cool gizmo of the week.

Step Away from the Shake-Weight and the Air Fryer

Welcome to December, month of gift-giving.  Which is to say it is time for my yearly helpful reminder:  do not give passive-aggressive fitness gifts.

 

What fitness gifts qualify as passive-aggressive?  Any exercise equipment or clothing, any cooking/diet supplies, any subscriptions or books about fitness or exercise or healthy diets that were not specifically requested by the recipient are passive-aggressive.  We may think we are being helpful by giving Uncle Larry some yoga classes—that dude needs to chill out before he has a heart attack—but no, we are not being helpful and may in fact be adding to Uncle Larry’s stress.  It may be abundantly clear to everyone that Mom could use some larger exercise pants, but it is not up to us to address that unless she asks us to do so.

 

It is, however, entirely fine to buy ourselves fitness gifts.  We could probably use some chill time and some new exercise pants as well.  And, again, if our loved ones ASK for fitness gifts, we can shop to our little hearts’ content.

 

Be kind.