Weekly Workout Schedule + What To Do When You Feel Like Quitting

Last week I shared a quote that I really like regarding starting a workout routine or a healthy lifestyle.  Today I want to touch on something that goes hand-in-hand, but it sort of the other end of the spectrum: What To Do When You Feel Like Quitting. Since becoming a Certified Personal Trainer in 2010 and having trained people in person or online, through messages and emails and DMs, I have come across a few consistencies when it comes to the struggles that people experience when trying to stick with their workout routine, stick with their healthy eating, or continue to work to improve the overall health of their lifestyle.

It came up with a handful of my accountability coaching clients last week, and I just felt it was something that I should touch on here because it is a routine struggle for someone trying to live healthier and maybe even lose weight and get stronger. I hope that you come to my blog to find motivation and inspiration of a relatable way of living a healthy, balanced life.  Because of that hope, I can’t miss the opportunities to share my thoughts on something like the feeling of quitting and giving up.  Perhaps it’s because I grew up an athlete, but you just didn’t give up…it wasn’t an option.  You didn’t quit.  Sure I’d have bad days at practice, I lost plenty of games, but that didn’t mean I stopped playing the game.  And whether or not your grew up an athlete or if you even have an athletic bone in your body, you have to adopt the same mindset if you want to succeed.  Your mental toughness and strength has to be just as strong if not more so than your physical strength.  You will not quit.  You will not give up.  You will persevere.

Losing weight is hard.  Getting in shape is hard.  Eating a salad instead of a fried chicken sandwich is hard.  Limiting your wine intake to only 1-2 glasses a couple times a week is hard (just me?! lol).  Doing those things more often than not can be hard. And all of those things take WILLPOWER and EFFORT and the changes each day will be so minuscule you will wonder why the hell you’re even trying.  All of that stuff is hard when you aren’t used to it.  But you have to continue to wake up each morning and find the thing that makes you love it.  Like how confident you feel after a good day of working out and nailing your nutrition.  Like how amazing you feel after drinking lots of water and finally not living in a dehydrated fog.  Like when you finally notice a little bit of new muscle tone that wasn’t there before.

All of that stuff is hard, until one day, it won’t be.  Because of your dedication and because YOU DID NOT GIVE UP, it won’t be.  It will get easier and easier, until one day you do those things without much thought.  It has become your lifestyle.  It doesn’t happen overnight, but you have to start, and you CAN NOT give up when you don’t lose 10 pounds in one week.  You CAN NOT give up when you see the scale go up when you’ve done everything right and it should be going down (because this will happen, for a variety of reasons!). You CAN NOT give up because someone not on the same journey as you makes you feel bad about your choices (pay no mind to these people, they want to bring you down because it makes them feel safe and good about where they are in their lives…sorry to sound harsh but that is generally the truth).  You just cannot give up.

You are a strong, unstoppable woman that deserves to live the life she wants, and you will not give up!!

Lululemon Align Pants | Onzie Tank Top | Nike Sneakers | Hydro Flask Water Bottle

Weekly Workout Schedule

MONDAY: Full Body Workout: Complete each Circuit 3x through.

CIRCUIT 1:

• 20 squats to shoulder press
• 20 RDLs to upright rows
• 12 single arm rows in lunge position (per side)
• 20 alternating knee to elbow planks

CIRCUIT 2:

• 1 minute run in place
• 30 plank jacks
• 1 minute plank on forearms
• 20 alternating hip drop planks on forearms
• 20 glute hip lifts
• 15 jump squats
• 5 burpees

TUESDAY: 30-45 minutes cardio of your choice (I will be running or taking a spin class)

WEDNESDAY: Upper Body & Core Workout: Complete Circuit One 3x, Circuit Two 3x, and Circuit Three 2x.

CIRCUIT 1:

• 20 hammer curls
• 20 upright rows
• 20 front shoulder raises

CIRCUIT 2:

• 20 overhead triceps extensions
• 20 bent over rows
• 20 rear flyes

CIRCUIT 3:

• 40 bicycle abs
• 40 mountain climbers
• 16 pushups with alternating side plank (8 per side)
• 10 side plank up downs (per side)
• 20 weighted crunches
• 10 toe touches

THURSDAY: 30-45 minutes cardio of your choice (I will be running or taking a spin class)

FRIDAY: Legs & Booty & Cardio Workout: Complete Entire Workout 3-5x through.

• 30 seconds high knees
• 10 plie squats + 10 plie squat jumps
• 15 back lunges (per side, one leg at a time)
• 10 squats + 10 squat jumps
• 20 standing leg abductors (per side)
• 20 standing booty kickbacks (per side)
• 10 curtsy lunges w/ single leg hop (per side)
• 20 glute hip lifts
• 20 static glute hip lift hold w/ alternating foot march (bring knees up towards ceiling, lift feet 3 inches off floor then switch)

SATURDAY: 45-60 minutes cardio of your choice (I encourage you to get out and try a new hike somewhere!!)

SUNDAY: Rest Day

Hope you have the best week ahead!!

Let me know, do you have any tips for not giving up?!

xo,

Bess