One of the most common questions that I get is “What is your workout routine?” I used to share my Weekly Workout Schedule every single Sunday (for years!) on my blog prior to having Emma, and then once I had her I wasn’t working out for those first 6 weeks, so I took a break from posting it and just never really got back to it! SO….I think I am going to start doing that again just so it is helpful for people to see that each week for guidance. But in this post I wanted to touch on my workout schedule now and give tips for how to create a workout routine.
I also get questions about how I am so dedicated to it and I’m going to give my “secret” to that, too.
My Workout Schedule
For probably the last 5-6 years now I’ve roughly followed this exact same workout schedule. I find it gives me a really good mix of cardio/running since that is something I genuinely enjoy doing and get a great workout from along with circuit style strength training. The circuits each M-W-F have changed my body composition, made me a faster runner, and have all around just given me a lot more confidence from the inside-out.
Once you find a workout schedule that can deliver those things to you: enjoyment + results + confidence, I think you’ll have found something you’ll stick with! I’ll give you some tips for finding that below but here is my workout schedule:
Monday: 30 minute Circuit Workout (legs)
Tuesday: Cardio (usually 3-4 mile run)
Wednesday: 30 minute Circuit Workout (arms + abs) + yoga*
Thursday: Cardio (usually 3-4 mile run)
Friday: 30 minute Circuit Workout (full body)
Saturday: Cardio (usually 3-4 mile run)
Sunday: Rest day, maybe a slow, easy walk
PS-You can find a ton of circuit style workouts under the “fitness” tab at the menu above and then click “workouts”.
All of my workouts are done generally in 40 minutes or less. I also usually get in at least 1 small walk during the day, usually at lunch. Since Craig has been working at home since stay-at-home started, we go on a little walk as a family during his lunch break.
If ever I’m not feeling a run, instead I will just try to do a nice, long walk. Those are good for the body, mind, and soul!
*Wednesday evenings have recently become our yoga nights. We both were noticing we have been neglecting our stretching and so on Wednesday nights after Emma goes down, instead of immediately making dinner and watching TV, we do a 30-45 minute gentle yoga routine and then have a quick dinner + go to bed early!
How to Create a Workout Routine
I know creating a workout routine can seem intimidating at first, but largely I think the primary obstacle to most people are simply mental blocks. Lack of confidence, lack of knowledge of what to do, lack of motivation, or some other excuse about why you can’t do it…these things are in your head. Here are my tips to get yourself out of your head and into a consistent workout routine:
Make it a part of who you are. I mentioned above that I was going to share this “secret” with you…here it is. Working out and being someone that works out is a large part of my identity. Why is this important? Not because that makes me a better person than someone that doesn’t but because identity is what drives long-term behavior maintenance. And consistent behavior is what drives success. So, you must make it a part of who YOU are and make it a part of YOUR identity. Otherwise, the incongruence can & will cause inconsistency with following a workout schedule and, ultimately, not reaching goals. Believe that this is who you are…and yes, you can wake up one morning and just decide this about yourself. Make the decision to be that kind of person…and then be that kind of person.
Find a routine that works. Once I started doing my routine above, I saw I was able to workout in roughly 30 minutes a day, see great results, feel good, and it worked well for me. I can’t spend an hour or more every day on a workout…nor do I need to. I think the workout schedule I shared above can really work for a lot of people, then finding the specific workouts to slide into those days can be a bit more person-specific. For example, if you hate running for cardio…well, I say give it a couple months, running sucks until you get more conditioned to it, then it sucks less & less 😉 …but if you still hate running then find something you do enjoy instead: biking, walking, hiking, etc. Once you have the schedule, all you have to do is input the workouts.
Schedule it into your day. I know you’ve heard this before but it is so true and so crucial. I usually think about my day the night before and see when is best for me to workout…but I do plan my day with my workout in mind. It can’t be an afterthought. That’s how workouts get pushed aside and don’t get done. Of course life happens and sometimes this is out of your control, but the more you schedule it into your day like an appointment you can’t & won’t miss, the more likely you’ll be to stick to it and not let excuses win out.
Find what you enjoy. I say this with a caveat that you might not enjoy the workouts at first especially if you’re just getting started. It is hard to condition your body to do new things but that is where the magic happens, where the change happens. So you need to give things a couple months at least to try them out and see if after that time you still don’t like them, that’s fine. Time to find something else you can stick with long term. But oftentimes, things suck at first, then you see results, and then you start liking it because it’s working! So be patient in this process and know things don’t change overnight.
Be consistent. Consistency really is key and again this is why a schedule is so important and knowing what you’re going to do each day is so important! I know 5-6 days a week might not be best for everyone and that’s okay too! For consistency’s sake I think you need to do at least 3 days a week at a minimum. I realize knowing what you’re going to do everyday ahead of time isn’t always the easiest thing to do. So like I said, I’m going to get back to sharing a weekly workout schedule on here each week and VERY soon I’m going to be doing a 2-week workout challenge. I will share the schedule and workouts for 2 weeks. They say 2 weeks makes a habit, so I think doing this challenge with me would be a great kickstart for getting you going. I’ll be sharing more details about that soon…be sure you’re following me on Instagram @besshcarter for when exactly it’s happening!
My Biggest Tip
My biggest tip that I want to leave you with…is that you know that YOU are worth this investment of your time and energy. Taking care of your body through exercise can be very transformative for all aspects of your life and I know it’s something worth doing and you are very much worth it!!
xo,
Bess
Leave a Reply