My Gym Routine

Fitness:

So, I’m finally writing this! I get a lot of requests from people to write about how I stay fit, and what that means to me. And usually a few texts a week from various people asking for my gym routine or just to workout with me. And, I am SO flattered and honestly kind of amused because I honestly don’t see myself as some sort of fitness “guru”. There is so much that I don’t know, so take everything i'm about to say with a grain of salt! This is all just what I’ve found works for me. But to those of you that have asked, no I won’t be starting a fitness account because I am definitely not qualified.

My fitness journey:

I’ve always been an active person, however since high school ended and I was no longer an official “athlete” I sometimes felt like I didn’t know what to do with myself. My senior year of high school I was lucky enough to start taking classes at a local gym and that way when I went to college I knew HOW to workout. And I’m still learning more and better ways to workout every day. However, starting in February life events happened and I felt out of control in my life and I was in a bad place mentally. But, I remember one night sitting on my couch crying and I thought ; "I'm not going to waste this" and I used all that anger/hurt to drive myself to make myself the best version of myself. I knew I needed some sort of outlet/goal for my emotions– and the healthiest way to do that would be the gym. Also I wanted to be jacked for the summer. So I really buckled down and started going everyday.

What I do in the gym:

Most weeks I try to go 5 or 6 days– usually my off day will depend on my work schedule or whatever plans I have that week. Usually I block for an hour and a half to two hours each time I go. But, if there’s a day I can only dedicate an hour or even 45 minutes I will definitely still go! Every Sunday I sit down and look at my schedule for the week and figure out which time during the day works best for me to workout during the coming week. That way, I already know what to expect and how to plan my life around working out.

Non-Swim Day:

Now, I’m totally going to derail from what is professionally recommended here– but I really like my workout schedule so I do it anyway. Usually I’ll do 5 miles of cardio to warm up– I love to use the bike or elliptical because I have bad feet and can’t really run more than a mile. After that, I usually lift. I do cardio before I lift because while I do still want to build muscle, I want to lean down as well so I don’t want to exhaust my muscles by lifting before cardio. Usually I lift for about 45 minutes and I do various exercises. I just had my friend teach me how to use the barbells at the gym so I’ve been taking advantage of that! I try to separate my push and pull days for my arms– both because it’s better for your workout and I feel like switching it up helps me not get bored. I try to do a mix of low weight and high rep, and intermediate weight with intermediate rep. A lot of times I’ll start with a higher weight and move down progressively as I feel like I can’t continue with that weight anymore. After I lift, I like to finish up with a cardio and more muscle intense workout– rowing. I always do 2,000 yards which is about a mile and half. Typically that takes me about 10 minutes. Whenever I finish rowing I feel so accomplished because I know I’m almost home free for the day. After rowing, I’ll just do 15-20 minutes of abs (until I feel like I’m dead) and then I’m done!

Swim Day:

Because I am currently training for an open water race in August, I do mix swimming in with my workout (highly recommend even if you aren’t swimming in a race. It is an amazing full body workout). Usually I swim 2-3 days a week longer distance, or 4 days shorter distance. I aim to get about 10 miles in a week– but I’ll adjust based on how I’m feeling, the intensity of the workouts, or even time. I can do two and a half miles in an hour and a half or so.

On swim days, I’ll come in and do my swim and then I will actually finish up with a light lifting session. Definitely not long or intense as usual because swimming is an upper body and core workout in itself–but I just hate skipping things! I love how I feel after a well-rounded workout, although a lot of more serious lifters will separate things into different days.

Rest Days (Hot Girl Walks):

I try to go for a hot girl walk most days! If I have a spare half hour or so I’ll do a short one, but there are days that I’ve taken hot girl walks as long as 6 miles. Especially aim for a hot girl walk (or some light yoga) to turn a rest day into an active rest day! I honestly love just walking around and taking the scenery in. Sometimes I’ll bring a book with me and sit somewhere and read before I come back. But, there are also weeks I use my rest day to do absolutely nothing. I just try to listen to my body and figure out what I need. Consistency is key, but you aren’t going to be consistent if you burn yourself out!

Diet:

Diet is super important– especially being as active as I am! To be in a healthy calorie deficit (for healthy weight loss) I need about 2,100 to 2,000 calories daily. I do count calories loosley, just to make sure that I am actually eating enough. If I find that I haven’t had enough for the day, I’ll usually just make a protein veggie/fruit shake at night and that will typically bridge that gap. Right now I’m in the process of starting to switch from a deficit mindset to a maintenance one. Currently, I’m actually at a very healthy weight (essentially the best since I was a sophomore in high school) but I don’t really need/want to lose anymore! So I’ll be integrating more calories into my diet. I try to do about 160 grams of protein daily as well.

As of now, I do try to avoid meat and animal products when possible, but I’m definitely not strict with it. If I do, I try to only eat lean meats. Switching from pork to chicken or tofu sausage will make a huge difference and you won’t even realize it. I’m huge fan of eating with “ingredients”. AKA I try to avoid premade things– like a processed granola bar for breakfast. Eating in ingredients lets me have more food, and better food. Instead for breakfast, I’ll have carrots and some vegan dip. And for a late night snack, I’ll do dried cherries for something sweet. If it could be an ingredient in something else, it’s probably better for you! I don't eat fast food either. Honestly you can definitely eat whatever you want-- I'm just more for getting the most "bang for my buck" or the best deal for the number of calories. I'd rather eat more, than waste half my daily calories eating one meal at mcdonalds.

However! A lot of people have asked me how in the past few months I lost a lot of weight and that they wanted to try it. Full disclosure– I was just really sad and a broke college student who had no idea how many calories she was supposed to be eating. Leading to me probably being in a larger calorie deficit than what was needed. With school and life, I was just in survival mode. After talking to a nutritionist and taking time for myself, I was then able to kind of amend things. I only say this to remind everyone not to compare themselves to others and that slow and steady definitely wins the race. Just because you don't see amazing immediate results that look like they should be on a weight watchers commercial does not mean you're doing anything wrong! Taking care of yourself is the most important piece. Simply skinny ⍯ happy! Instead, I'm trying to focus on taking care of myself (mentally and physically) and creating healthy habits!

Why:

Why do I workout? There are many reasons. I’ve highlighted a few of them here.

1. Regularity: I feel like having somewhere to go everyday and a goal often helps me keep my life on track.

2. Control: when I don’t feel like I can control anything else, I can always control if I’m going to go to the gym and what I’ll do there. I don’t need to rely on anyone else for that. So, for me, in moments where I feel like the world is spinning out of control I really rely on it to ground me.

3. I think it’s fun: I really do think it’s fun most days! I love seeing myself be able to do things that I used to not be able to.

4. It’s good for me! Nursing school made me realize how many terrible things can happen to you as you age. And I don’t want that. Working out even a few days a week starting when you’re young really will make a world of difference as you age.

5. I like how it makes me look. And no, it’s not selfish to say that. Yes I enjoy going to the gym, but I also like looking at my progress physically. For example, since I was a swimmer I’ve always had larger arms and shoulders. I might as well embrace and go to the gym to make them as muscular and strong/defined as possible.

6. An extension of number 5: I like having abs.

Progress Pictures:

Take them! Muscle weighs more than fat so you may start to see your weight fluctuate (I don't recommend weighing yourself at all), but if you are gaining muscle that totally may be why. Your weight may just be shifting. Pictures help you see what is actually happening. One thing I noticed was how I have this cool muscle in my neck you can see now, how my clavicles were more pronounced, how my face slimmed out, and have I have veins in my arms from lifting that I never had before.

Extra Notes:

I do love when people ask me about my workout routine, but I promise I am no expert! This is just a general overview of what I do because I’ve been asked. I think one of the most important things is trying to find something that will work for you and your life and interests, as well as keeping it fresh and switching it up. Try a new yoga or spin class if you’re tired of your regular routine. Don’t be afraid to go up in weights (ladies I promise you won’t get “too” jacked. Consistency will be hard at first, but over time it really does get easier as you build it into your routine!

I would also say, don't be afraid to ask other people for help! I've learned everything that I know from other people over the years-- and I still ask people questions all the time. Most people have at least a couple of pieces of really good information. You just have to ask for it!