Getting Back At It

After the joys of not one but TWO long-term back issues this year, I'm trying my best to come up with a plan that keeps me active as well as injury free. Just before last Monday, I hadn't picked up a weight in several weeks, so I'm sticking with a straight-forward lifting plan. No complicated movements or anything high impact. I'm also keeping my weight relatively light. Nothing over 15-20 pounds depending on the movement. 

Here's how my week of strength building looks at a glance:

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Back/Biceps
Wednesday: Chest/Triceps
Thursday: Glutes
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday: Total Body (though I'm thinking of switching it to a core specific workout)

Each of these workouts are usually about 30 minutes (as long as I don't fudge around) and follow the rule of reducing the number of reps with each set, while increasing the weight. So for example:

Parallel Squats

Set 1 (15 Reps): 10 lbs
Set 2 (12 Reps): 12.5 lbs
Set 3 (8 Reps): 15 lbs

In the past, this has proven successful for me, I've just majorly reduced the weight this time around. It's important to me that I do better with form and comfort with weights rather than put myself through yet another injury this year. 

My cardio is not being neglected either. I pair each of these strength workouts with time on the Peloton bike. I never exceed 30 minutes. However, I do try to find slower rides with heavier resistances so it's not like I'm doing hardcore cardio workouts every day. I haven\"t yet come up with a good routine in that regard, but I'll definitely figure it out. 

And if you didn't think that was enough, I like to do yoga each day. I think it's been a great addition to my routine in the past. Lately, it's been beginner type stuff for about 10-20 minutes each day since more advanced poses can aggravate my back right now. Though, on Sundays (my rest day) I'll usually go 45+ minutes. Right now, I do classes from Peloton, my favorite instructors being Anna and Aditi.

Now that I caught you up on what my current fitness routine is, here's what today looked like:

I started the day with a ride (Robin's 30 Minute Pop Ride from 11/19/21)

I shortly followed it up with Back & Biceps. Here’s a clip (Don’t come at me about the song choice, it was on my playlist today):

And finally, an easy 20 minute flow (Anna's Focus Flow from 10/4/21):

Now, you're turn!

1. Do you pair cardio and weights? Or do one or the other on specific days?
2. What's your favorite Peloton ride?
3. Do you do yoga? Do you consider it a workout or more of a recovery?

Hello? *echos* Hello...hello...hello...

Holy shit, y'all! It's been a minute. Okay, but like maybe over 4 years. 

I kinda always thought that I'd end up back here, but not in the way I have returned. 

So let's recap...

In January of 2017, my husband, Peter, and I packed up all our things and moved from Maryland to California. Talk about shock to the body and mind. It has taken me quite some time to adjust to the move. YEARS.

My running habits decreased DRAMATICALLY. To be honest, I thought moving to southern California would've actually increased my drive to run, but it did just the opposite. I have run a few races here and there, but I haven't actually run since September, and before that...well...it was MONTHS. 

I have worked in several gyms over the past 5 years. I first started as a front desk rep at a local Orangetheory, but decided to use my personal trainer certification to actually coach fitness classes. So I left Orangetheory and had jobs at Crunch, University of California San Diego, Cooper Fitness, and F45. I am still working with most to some degree, even if it's just a subbing opportunity. 

I've steered away from the MLM life. I honestly thought being a part of a health and wellness company that aligned with what I wanted to be was going to be perfect, however, it ended up having damaging effects on my mental health. 

I've become certified in several areas of fitness. In just the last year, I pursued and completed both a 200 hour yoga certification and spin certification. My goal is to get a Personal Training certification with NASM on top of the one I currently hold with ISSA. 

I've physically hurt myself A LOT over the past year. I have suffered a couple of pretty bad back injuries. I've had to go to physical therapy and a chiropractor religiously to get myself back to where I was and although I am feeling a lot better at the time of writing this, it's going to be an ongoing battle to keep my back healthy as I age.

I've become a hardcore Peloton fan. Having the bike not only led me to get my spin certification, but it's been a great way to keep myself moving when my back has been damaged. It was the only exercise I could do when my back was at it's worst. My favorite instructors are Cody, Kendall, and Robin. 

I briefly streamed on Twitch since we got both a Switch and PS5 during the pandemic. My favorite games to play were Tetris 99, Mario Maker 2, and Fall Guys. 

But that's been my life in a nutshell!

While I can't be too certain on whether running will become a part of my life again and share those race recaps, I can for sure say that sharing any part of my physical fitness journey and workouts with you will be the biggest part of this blog. My goal is to not only talk about what I'm doing, but share with you things you can do too. Ideally, I'd love to teach virtual classes like I had during the pandemic. Whether it be spin, strength, or my favorite MMA-style workout class. 

And while I am not the same person when I left this blog 4 years ago, I'll keep most of my old content up as it shares some great memories of past races, training, and recipes. 

So yeah...glad to be back! Let's be friends again. :)