Tuesday, March 3, 2015

And We're Off

Getting Back Into Working Out

Getting my body used to weight training after taking a break from my workout and exercise routinesI haven't written about my workouts since the end of October! What's been going on?!

Let me explain.

I work out at home, so my home is my "gym". I have a squat rack in the garage that accommodates any type of working out I need. My main focus is lower body (legs, glutes, etc.). I rarely work out my upper body, or anything else, but if I need to I can. So, coming into 2015 my goal was to buckle down again so I could get back to a healthier lifestyle.

I finally got started and there's only one word I can think of to describe it: TOUGH!! Working out has never been easy, but when I dropped off I was at a good point. This is the challenge I face.


My top two goals for working out are:
1. presence and/or consistency and 2. progress!

Pre-Break: I averaged twice a week in the gym. Towards the end I was excited to see my strength increasing so that kept me motivated to work out, even when I didn't really feel like it. I tried things like pre-workouts (to increase my motivation and drive during my workouts) and protein smoothies (to build the muscles I was working so hard to maintain), but I couldn't really get into either of those. The pre-workout had no effect on me and the protein smoothies I tried weren't too tasty. I focused mainly on my legs, but occasionally, VERY occasionally, I'd work out other body parts. I was doing very well, but the holidays were hectic! Towards the end, my gains were starting to plateau, but I was happy with all the progress I'd made.

4 MONTH BREAK

Post-Break: I started working out three weeks ago. I don't usually "feel like working out", but I do it because I set a goal for myself, so I'll attain it! That's the way my determination is set up! I had a rude awakening my first day back in the gym. I was sore for a whole week!! It was no joke. I pushed myself hard because I knew where I was when I stopped, but my body said, "Girl, bye!" I needed to make an assessment of where I was so I could start building from there. From there, I knew I needed to take baby steps, but I didn't want to feel like I was starting over again. Moving forward, I'm not pushing hard as much as I am gently nudging my body forward.

In some of my previous workout posts, I talk about cardio. My focus is weight training so things like cardio get pushed to the extreme left. I get winded during my sets so I can tell I need to add cardio to my workouts. I know, I know...my heart needs it. Don't fret! Softball season is starting soon and I can't wait! That's the only time I get any kind of cardio. Aside from that, I'll think about adding extra cardio in this summer.

The Plan: My focus is to continue to focus on legs so I plan to use the same workouts I was using before. Here are a quick rundown of workouts I'll use and where I'm at now:
   ~squats: 155 lbs   ~front lunges: 50 lbs   ~back lunges: 20 lbs   ~side lunges: 20 lbs
   ~straight leg dead lifts: 75 lbs   ~standing side leg raises: 25 lbs
      ~there are smaller workouts I'll do during free time at home like during commercial breaks
        or whenever I think about it, but they're not usually update worthy!
The squat rack I use every leg day at the gym
The Squat Rack, my friend!
There are advantages and disadvantages to only having a squat rack. I get to get a good workout in at home, but sometimes the exercises I do are limited. Free standing weights would be great...machines would be greater...but I'm not trying to be Rocky, lol, so I work with what I have. I just have to get creative!

It'd be great if I was squatting 255 tomorrow, but it doesn't work like that, and that's okay. That's the max amount of weight I've ever squatted, so that's a great goal to reach for now. I wouldn't say I'm in beginner mode because my body can easily handle the weight I'm lifting. I have to recondition my legs with higher reps and deeper squats...and that's the hard part, whereas before it was pushing the "heavy" weight back up after the squat.

It's only been a few weeks, so I'm just happy with being back in the gym. Hopefully there will be very few occasions when I make it to an actual gym but regardless of whether I'm in the gym or at home, just know that I'm achieving my two goals. I'm being consistent in that I'm working out twice a week and I'm making progress as I watch my numbers and strength steadily increase.

So, wish me luck and be on the lookout for updates as I go!

What are some things you'd recommend for me to do now that I'm getting back into my workout routines?!


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3 comments

  1. I did horribly over the holidays as well but got myself together during the new year. I quickly lost moment at the beginning of February so it's been a whole month since I've been in the gym. My plan this month is to focus on nutrition and to get back into the gym slowly, so I'm going to go today. I've always felt like I needed to go to the gym three times a week minimally. I never considered just going twice per week. That may actually be a lot more doable. Silly me, so thanks for that thought! Let's keep each other motivated where we can. Staying fit is tough (especially if you don't really care for working out).

    ReplyDelete
  2. At this point just focus on being consistent and then your body will want to increase your workouts eventually.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm getting back there myself! I find that setting a schedule and holding myself accountable works. Maybe start with two days a week, then add more as your strength returns. The good thing is, our muscles and bodies remember and usually bounce back.

    ReplyDelete

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