How Do I Get the Most Out of My Workout?

Pre and Post-Workout

Want to hear something pretty cool? This past week, I had a fitness brand out of North Caroline hit me up to write a post about what I do before and after my workout to get the most out of it. As this was something I wanted to cover anyway, I was like, "well, why the hell not?" 

Disclaimer: If you know nothing about me, let's get acquainted. I am not a fitness expert. I am just a girl with anxiety that does a bit of research and really doesn't want to have to resort to medications. Nice to meet you. (:

Let's get back to the topic at hand. The brand? ETB Fit. As I said, they're based out of North Carolina, where they have a store full of high-quality fitness goodies. I've done a bit of perusing on the site, and, from what I'm seeing, they are all about not adding random things to your supplements. They state that all of their ingredients are listed on the packaging. No additives, no fillers, no junk. 

What you eat is important.

I have a very sedentary job, and all I hear all day is crunching. Chips, crackers, candy, etc. It's scary, guys, and it's a huge motivator. I don't want that. In fact, I hate sitting all day. So, to keep from munching all day, I have my meals and snacks on a schedule. Same time every day.

Now, keep in mind I get up at 4:30am throughout the week. Almost every morning for breakfast, I have a whole wheat tortilla with a small amount of cheese and an egg. It's my simple, go-to breakfast.  Breakfast is around 5:20-30am. I'll also either make an iced coffee or pick one up at Starbucks on my way to work. Sue me, it's the only not clean thing I can't give up. Around 8:30-9am, I'm getting hungry. So, I'll either have a banana or I pack a greek yogurt cup or some veggies and hummus; just something light. 10:30 is my lunch time. 

Now, I typically go to the gym straight from work. By 3pm, I'm changed and on my way to an elliptical. The problem is, I can't workout if I've just eaten, and I can't workout if I'm starving. I'm typically too preoccupied by my full/hungry belly. So, around 1-1:30, I'll have a protein bar. I've been in love with the Promax protein bars lately. No joke, check out my drawer:

They're soooo good. Clearly, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is my favorite. 7g fat, 37g carbs, and 20g protein. I could probably pick out a better one, but it's so good, ok?

You'll only get out of your workout what you put in.

If you're dreading your workout, chances are, it's not going to be a great workout. Same goes for if you're just tired. Which is where I am on a normal day by 2:30pm. I'm ready to lay in bed. Some days, I'll get lucky, and I'll be really motivated to get to the gym. Those are good days. On not so good days, I help myself out with some pre workout. Now, I'm currently using a "generic" (I guess) brand, because I was worried about how the pre workout would interact with my anxiety. Of course, the first time I used it, I was so worried about my heart rate getting too high that I triggered my own anxiety. However, with a few more uses, I realized I was fine. And it helps so much. Now that I know I won't stroke out after using it, I'm definitely into trying some new kinds. EBT's Uncaged 2.5 might be that next one, because it's fruit punch flavored. Yum. And again, no fillers, artificial colors, or dyes.

It's also a good idea to have some music going that keeps you motivated throughout your workout. I personally prefer hardcore music. Favorites? August Burns Red, blessthefall, We Came as Romans, Underoath. Anything with a pretty fast drum and some cymbal-crashes. It seriously helps when I'm running, and I think I might die. Or fall.
If that's not your jam, load your phone with your favorite dance, hip hop, pop, whatever music. Anything that keeps you going!

Change up that routine.

Basically, your body is going to get used to doing the same routines week after week, and you'll stop seeing results. My week typically goes: arm day, leg day, arm day, leg day. I have different workouts for each of those days to work on different muscle groups. After about a month of doing those routines, it starts to feel easier. That's when I know it's time to change it up.

Look around the gym. Join a group fitness class. Find a new machine you've never tried. Or, for me, one I've been wishing my gym had. If I had taken the time to glance around, I'd have known they did. Now, I can't wait for leg day so I can use it! Either way, changing up your routine keeps you from getting bored in your workouts. 

Set small goals during your workout. I have a polar watch that tracks my calories I'm burning. Every workout is a competition with the last. I want to either do better or get pretty close to that last number.

If all other forms of motivation fail, make an inspiration board. Cut out photos that inspire you, whether it's quotes, pictures, or your ideal body.

How do you guys stay motivated?

Current Routine

Health / Fitness

Health

So, you guys know I've been a vegetarian for like, 4-5 years now. I do my best to stick to that, there are times when I have my moments, and honestly, if I lived near the ocean, I'd probably be a pescatarian. Don't prosecute me! I much prefer the vegetarian life over meat. It just a generally lighter feeling. I don't feel over stuffed or gross after I eat. Recently, I've been doing clean-eating (or ya know, mostly). 

If you don't know what clean eating is, it's simply eating non-processed foods. My grocery cart is typically at least 50% fresh fruits and vegetables. No white bread or white rice. Typically, if you don't know what the ingredients in something are, it's not clean. It's really not that hard. But I love my sweets, let's be honest. So, through the week, I eat as clean as possible, and on the weekends, I'll allow small treats here and there. Not too bad. But let's be real here. I'm not giving up my morning grande caramel soy iced coffee. Nope, I can't do it. 

If you're interested in getting started in clean eating, check out Fit Girl's Guide. I found them while perusing through fitness things on Instagram, and guys. There is no body shaming in this community. Every single person in that community is just ridiculously motivating and positive. It's really great. (:

Fitness

In the last three to four weeks, I've changed up my workout routine. I was following a 12-week guide from Fit Affinity, and while I really liked all the weight-lifting, I wanted to start seeing slimming results faster. I'm impatient, ok? So, now, I've been doing 30 minutes of cardio 4 days a week, as well as 45-ish minutes of abs and arms/legs. This has been really working for me. Within these 3 weeks, I've already noticed my work pants fitting more loosely, which is just so motivating. So, I'm going to keep that motivation and momentum up. Keep in mind that everyone's body is different and finding what works for you is what's important.

Here's a sample of my typical leg day:

• Cardio. I  typically do 30 minutes on the elliptical with the setting on interval hill. During the lower resistance time, I keep my speed around 6-7mph. During the higher resistance time, I speed up to stay in the 10-11mph range. Seriously gets your heart rate up, and the intervals kick up the amount of calories you're burning.
• Stretch. I do a few minutes of stretching my legs and arms out after cardio.
• Abs. I alternate daily between abs and obliques (sides). On the days when I do abs, I'll typically do weighted sit ups (with a 10 lb. plate), leg lifts, and reverse crunches.
• Legs. If you guys don't know, I love leg day. It's just my favorite thing to work on. Lately, I've been doing pyramid reps of squats. So, 10 times at one weight, add some weight and do 8, add more and do 6, add more and do 4, then back to 6, 8, and 10.  I'll also do hip abductors/adductors, and weighted lunges.

Typically, my workouts last 1-1.25 hours, and I don't find this to be unreasonable.  Each week, I'll typically workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 2 days of arms and 2 days of legs. Abs and cardio happen on every day. Which, can I just say, I loathe abs. I don't even want them, but I do want a smaller waist, so...

I'm surely not claiming to be a health expert (I'm definitely not). These are just the things that seem to be working for me lately!

Motivation Monday

I hate running. Hate. It. As a busty lady, it just doesn't work for me. No thank you, it hurts. Literally, the last time I ran on the treadmill, both straps on my sports bra came undone. Well, isn't that just so helpful!? But I suck it up, and I do HIIT on the treadmill.

HIIT stands for high intensity interval training, and it's supposed to burn more calories for longer. I like the sound of that. So, the goal is to get your heart rate way up, then normal, then way up, etc. My personal favorite for this on the treadmill is to lunge for a 1.5 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 1.5 minutes, walk 1 minute, and repeat. Slowly, I'm building my endurance, and my lunge/run time will increase.

Literally, the only way I get through 25 minutes of that is my music. I haven't really touched on the type of music I listen to, but let me assure you, it helps. A lot of it is hardcore, with the occasional upbeat pop song.

What do you guys listen to at the gym? Do you have anything else that gets you through a workout!? I'd love to know! (:

Motivation Monday

Weight Training

I love weight training. It's a great way to get out my frustrations... with life. Somehow, only my right arm is sore from my workout on Friday. So, that's cool. I hate the myth that weight training bulks women up. In reality, when I added weights to my workout routine, I saw way more change than when I was just doing cardio.

C'mon, ladies! The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn just sitting on your ass during the day. 👍 Who doesn't like that?

Motivation Monday

I made it!

Last week, I made it back into the gym for 3 days! Wooooooo! This week, I'm aiming for 4, as that's my goal every week. Tonight, though, I'm doing yoga at home.

As a psychology lady, I love knowing that I can fix my own problems with a balance lifestyle. I've done tons of research on exercise, food, and how it relates to your mind. I have self-diagnosed myself with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. (I don't need a doctor to tell me what an anxiety attack is.) I loved the Health Psychology class I took in college, and I think that sparked my interest in the mind and health. I started exercising after my first couple of anxiety attacks, and it did wonders for my daily stress/anxiety levels. Once I got out of a dorm, I began eating a healthier vegetarian lifestyle, and I realized this also made me feel a whole world of difference. I was able to better control my stress and anxiety (although, it's still prevalent, especially with the job I hold now).

I always contemplate going to the doctor, telling them I know I have anxiety and that it's a huge issue sometimes, but I don't want to be on medication. Not when I can control this.

Working out and a well-balanced diet can manage a TON of common mental issues, including anxiety and depression. It can also help to manage symptoms of more severe mental disorders and developmental disabilities, such as autism. While in my Health Psychology course, we watched a video of a woman that had extremely advanced MS that changed her diet to the hunter gatherer diet and completely reversed all of her symptoms. It was amazing.

Here's a little something I found on Pinterest about the effects exercise has on your systems and mind!

This was my empty gym last week. It was marvelous! (:

Motivation Monday

Mondays are a complete drag for me. I usually stay up way later than I should on Sunday night and have to fight to wake up in the morning. And I know I do this every week, so you think I would change it... nope. I want every second of my weekend. Even if I have to pay for it on Monday.

So one thing I don't want to do in the morning is anything extra. Like make breakfast or a smoothie... or brush my hair. Which I typically don't do. Ever. This morning, I made a super easy smoothie that just required me chucking all the ingredients in my ninja and blending. Here is a little recipe I made this morning (oats measurement is a guesstimate, as I'm too lazy for measuring cups):

Later today, after work, I AM HITTING THE GYM. It's been forever, maybe almost a month, and I feel extra lazy for not going. I have a love for the elliptical, and that's typically what I do my cardio on. I usually do about 30-45 minutes. After, I'll do some strength training. Today is leg day, because it's my favorite, and I just want an ass. The strength machines I typically do on leg day are the leg press, leg extension, leg curl, glute machine, squats, and lunges. When I'm feeling fancy, I'll throw in some other exercises. I found this little elliptical workout on Pinterest last night and thought I'd give it a try. Typically, I'll do HIIT training, but whatever. Either way, the struggle will be real tonight.