October is my favorite month as I have been a lover of horror since I was seven years old. I have been getting lax about watching scary/creepy/chilling movies so I need to up my game before the month is over. This has nothing at all to do with the post but I decided to type it anyways.
Just as a random FYI, I guess?
So as you can see from the title, this post is actually about my current workout routine I will be doing for at least a few weeks this fall. As always, I hope you find it interesting and/or inspirational.
The importance of rest
As you all know (or you should), COVID-19 is still circulating along with a lot of other bugs that share symptoms and effects on the body. It seems that COVID-19 may cause worse effects in our bodies- no matter how mild one’s bout of it is, though.
My point is, whatever illness you get struck down by- it is important take time out and rest. Your body really needs it.
I know that it can be hard on you mentally if you are a fitness enthusiast. You may feel a sense of guilt, that you are going to get fat and/or you will miss the mental boost you get from it. The fact of the matter is that, things will be all right if you don’t do your regular workouts for a while.
You will not get fat if you are following a good nutritional plan on your day or weeks off of exercise. Also, if you are letting your body recover from an illness- you are actually being healthier than trying to exercise your way through it.
I have gone through this recently and trust me- it was tough mentally. It all began with a sore throat that progressed into me experiencing a lot of mucus and post-nasal drip. I didn’t have any fatigue or aches and I didn’t test positive for COVID-19 despite quite a few tests (rapid and PCR).
I don’t know what it was.
It lasted for seven days with the last two days involving some chest congestion. I also had a slightly elevated temperature during this time (100 degrees was the highest).
I just knew that I couldn’t workout during and for a little while after the acute phase of the illness. Not only did I have some lingering chest stuff, I also was aware that not taking enough time off from exercising may cause long-COVID.
I have done a couple posts about suffering from long-COVID symptoms for a year (here is one of them). It was pretty bad. What I have learned after going through it was that me not giving up exercise for a while after recovering was what could have triggered it.
I recall having not waited for my sore throat to fully go away before going back to my regular workout routine. Two weeks later- my long-COVID symptoms started.
This time around, I wanted to do things differently to avoid possible post-infection symptoms (if it was indeed COVID) and just to be good to my body in general. So that meant that I wouldn’t do intense workouts for a while. I ended up just doing light stretching sessions for two weeks.
This was so hard for me but completely necessary. I have since done a few intense workouts and I feel that I am ready to fully get back into the game.
My 3 week fall workout
I am finally changing things up more than I usually do! My plan still involves strength training but my cardio days will be different. My schedule now looks like this:
Cardio and Pilates/upper body with cardio/cardio and Pilates/Lower body without cardio/rest day
Cardio and Pilates days-
I have really gotten into workout videos from Eleni Fit on YouTube. So on these days, I plan to do one of her cardio ones and then one of her Pilates ones afterwards. Here are two examples of her videos that I like and will do again:
Upper body with cardio days-
20 minutes of cardio (cardio ladder, stepper machine or bodyweight moves) before the circuits. Group A and B circuits are done three times through. Group C is done twice through. Each strength move is done for 8-12 reps.
Circuit Group A:
- Chest press
- Alternating chest flyes
- Bent over rows
- Back flyes
- Supine push-ups
Circuit Group B:
- Shoulder press
- Lateral raises
- Pullovers
- Hammer curls
- Skull crushers
Circuit Group C:
- Regular pushups
- Narrow arm pushups
- Staggered hand pushups
- Front raises
- Dips
Lower body days-
These days are all about weightlifting. No cardio is involved. I will be focused on lifting as heavy as possible instead of staying at the same weight I have been at for years now. These are straight sets (3 for each)- no circuits or supersets.
- Deadlifts
- Squats
- Sumo squats
- Side lunges
- Reverse lunges
- Weighted thrusts
- Burnout: Single leg thrusts (bodyweight)
- Burnout: Kneeling glute raises (bodyweight)
In conclusion
Time off of intense workouts was good for my body and now I have a renewed excitement to get back into them. I think that this new routine will be great and possibly give me some more definition in my lower body, too.
What is your current workout routine? Also, what is your favorite creepy movie?
Thanks for reading!
Health disclaimer: I am not a medical professional so what I say should not be taken as medical advice. Before you start exercising, it is best to talk to your doctor. Your health is your own and I am not liable for any consequences you get from the choices you make.
#fitness #homegym #workout #fitmom #weightlifting #cardio #youtubeworkouts #Pilates
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