Workout of the Month: December

I believe that fitness has to be something that becomes a lifestyle instead of a fad.  Working out, eating clean, and taking care of yourself has to become a part of you, a part of who you ARE.  However, monumental lifestyle changes do not happen overnight.  It takes time and repetition for something to become a habit or a part of your every day routine.  Do not over do it! If you are just starting out on the journey to being fit, start small and work your way up.  If you train too hard, change your diet too much, or make too many drastic changes, chances are that you will burn out before you ever really get started.  Make modifications, get plenty of rest, and take it one day at a time.  We only get one body and it is imperative that we care for, respect, and love it!

I hope that you guys enjoyed last month’s workouts.  December’s training program will focus on overall strength, core, flexibility, and cardio with a special emphasis on upper body strengthening.  As women, we sometimes neglect our upper body in favor of focusing on legs and glutes (I know that I have totally been guilty of this) and aside from creating imbalances, forgoing upper body conditioning can set you up for injuries, poor posture, and more.  A strong back and shoulders will improve your posture, prevent chronic back pain, and ease tension headaches.  Plus, did you know that just standing up straighter makes you appear leaner, longer, and more confident?  Need any more reasons to focus on that upper body? Didn’t think so. Enjoy!

DAY ONE
WEIGHTS

CARDIO

  • Varied Incline Sprints (run at a medium pace for one minute on a 0% incline, then increase incline and up speed to a sprint. Sprint for 20 seconds and then return to medium pace run on low incline for one minute. Repeat for 20 minutes).

DAY TWO
WEIGHTS

CARDIO

  • 20 mins jumprope or stationary bike

DAY THREE
WEIGHTS

CARDIO

  • Set treadmill incline as high as it will go and set pace to around 3.6 Keep head and eyes straight forward, take long strides to stretch hip flexers, and walk at a brisk pace for 20 minutes.

DAY FOUR
WEIGHTS

  • 10 mins on foam roller (focus on quads, inner thighs, pecs, lats)
  • Plank (3 for a minute each)
  • Bird Dog
  • DB/Kettlebell Swings (30 sec rest between each set) Start with 5×10, second week 8×10, third and fourth week 10×10

CARDIO

  • You can take Day Four as a rest day from cardio, or run for ten minutes for extra burn

DAY FIVE (no weights today)
CARDIO

  • 20-45 mins of cardio. Go all out! Choose from sprints, spinning, run, incline walk, kettlebell swings, jumprope, zumba, whatever makes you sweat!
  • Finish with leg raises

And for inspiration……

Thanks for reading! Muah <3