Finding A Rhythm: My Gym Routine

Over the years, I've varied and experimented with my exercise routine and discovered what's most effective, what works and what doesn't work for my body.  I've also completely transformed my relationship with it.  I know how it feels to be a victim to excessive exercise and previously used it to compensate everything I ate down to the last calorie.  Ironically, on a "healthy and fit lifestyle" journey, my lifestyle ended up far less healthy and fit than it ever had been before.  This was unpleasant, long-winded and often at times it seemed impossible to even begin imagining changing my habits, reverting to a healthy relationship with working out and enjoying it again.

As far as fitting exercise into my lifestyle goes, nowadays I try not to be as strict. It's not the end of the world if you take one day off- your body will forgive you.  It took me a while to completely accept this but it's ridiculous now to think that I was convinced for so long I could visibly see the effects of any food I ate if I didn't exercise straight away.  One rest day made me feel SO lazy and convinced me that I was losing muscle tone and gaining fat. 

Sometimes I still struggle with this concept, but what I have learned is that it's so important to listen to your body.

It can be so easy to overestimate what your body is capable of, once you make a habit of exercise it can be hard to break it and acknowledge when your body is telling you it's tired.  Now, I use it in a positive way to wake myself up and dodge that drowsy feeling, as a stress release and (obviously) to stay fit.

A Typical Day

Generally, I start and end the day with stretches and calisthenic exercises (mainly squats, crunches, push-ups, jumping jacks) that boost your metabolism as you're working at high intensity for short periods of time:

• 60 crunches (2 x one set of 30 reps)
• 40 squats (2 x one set of  20 reps)
• 40 push-ups (4 x one set of 10 reps)

I variate this with sets of:

• leg raises
• reverse crunches
• flutter and/or bicycle kicks 
• jackknife sit-ups

Then I complete 40 deep side (lateral) lunges, 40 leg lifts, 20 standing leg raises and 20 side leg extensions to work my inner thighs (demonstrated in the diagrams below).

Diagrams showing fat-burning, muscle-building leg raises, lifts and strengthening exercises

I try to go to the gym every weekday but realistically this doesn't always fit in around work, uni and a social life.  If I'm busy that week, I aim to get most of my gym sessions in at the beginning of the week so I can ease myself into the weekend with less stress!   For me, I find Mondays and Wednesdays work best.  As a student, I make use of my uni's gym so I don't miss out when I'm away from home.  I've also saved a lot of money by freezing my gym membership that I use at home because I can't always be there.

At The Gym

My gym regime primarily consists of cardio at the moment:

I warm up with 15 minutes on the stationary bike.  By default, one session (as set on the touchscreen) on the machines at my gym runs for half an hour- so I half this to warm up and then spend another 10 minutes on either the cross-trainer or the rowing machine.  I use this warm-up to work my legs and  arms, the perpetual motion makes it easier for me to find a rhythm and focus-point.

I use the treadmill for 30 or 45 minutes, with bursts of 2 minute sprints between jogging or steady running.  Normally, I have a goal distance in mind (ie- 4 miles), it's tracked and calculated on the touchscreen as you run.  If you have one at your gym, the stair-treadmill is another great way to increase your activity levels.

Setting distance goals keeps me focused, determined but also makes sure
that I know when to stop

When I finish with the treadmill, if I haven't already I spend another 10 minutes on the cross-trainer, this works your whole body and is also the piece of equipment I have always found the most challenging and tiring.  This way I know I've nearly finished my gym session anyway so I'll be determined to get through those final few minutes!

I normally warm down with another 15 minutes on the stationary bike.  By now, your body temperature is probably not telling you to put a jacket on but it's an important process to keep your muscles warm.  This helps the lactic acid produced by exercise to distribute easily throughout the body.  You're more susceptible to catching a cold (particularly at this time of year) and you'll find the weather outside after your gym session will be cooler than you anticipated.  If you don't allow your muscles to relax gently by keeping them warm, they can freeze up causing stiffness, discomfort and cramping.

To relax my muscles after an intense training session when you get that rigid, tight feeling, I apply an ice pack to the problem area.  A hot water bottle or heat pack works better for aches and heavy or burning sensations in your limbs over the next few days by encouraging them to loosen up so you can move with less pain.

Typically, to wind down or if I haven't gone to the gym I repeat the same calisthenic exercises and leg raises that I did in the morning and stretch.

My focus is best first thing in the morning or at night, the gym is usually quieter or even empty and you have more resources available to you for longer periods of time (shown above at my uni gym as photographed)

Remember, it's perfectly normal (especially if you're new) to feel "wobbly" when you leave the gym.  This is your body's way of coping with higher intensity activity levels than it's used to.

Plus: you're exercising even when you're not consciously aware of it!  Walking often boosts your exercise levels for the day by almost a third, and domestic activities like cleaning, food-shopping and gardening also burn more calories than you would bargain on.




With that in mind, it's time to get back down the gym again!

M o n d a y s 🙂🙃

A post shared by H A R R I E T | B O N D 👸 (@harrietbond_) on May 1, 2017 at 12:23pm PDT