“The workout that is the most effective is the one you want to do the least.”

A friend told me this once and I always remember it when I’m in the middle of a workout I just want to quit, or I’m dreading a workout (rarely anymore but use to happen a lot). The workout that you dread, the one that is out of your comfort zone, or is the hardest, is probably the best one for progress and results.

Last weeks workout schedule:

This weeks workout schedule:

For the next couple weeks my goal is to finish up Gina’s Summer Shape Up 2013 (SSU 2013) Workout program at www.fitnessista.com, which I’m a couple weeks behind on do to the graduation and moving festivities. While I am not following her schedule exactly (this week I’m sticking to it a lot closer than last week) but you can find Workout #2 and 3 at her site along with some of my planned cardio.

WHY SCHEDULE WORKOUTS?

I usually invest quite some time into planning my workouts because I found the time to be really worth my while. If I sit down and really think about my week and what I have time to do and when I’ll have time to do it, I’m much more likely to stick to my schedule. Planning workouts makes them a part of my day, I think of them like any other appointment I can not miss. I write down my plan in a notebook where I keep track of my planned workouts and what I actually did. Sometimes if my week is really busy I will also put them on my google calendar like an appointment I can not schedule over. I don’t have to find the motivation to go to the gym anymore because it has become part of my daily routine. I look at my plan in the morning so I know what time I’m doing what later. I noticed that even Paul does this too, although he doesn’t write it out like I do in a notebook. He knows which days of the week he is going to play basketball, weight lift, or use the elliptical roughly in his head. While this rough estimate doesn’t work for me, the point is both men and women can take the time to plan their workouts and make them part of their routine schedule.

Here are some tips on planning:

 

1. Give yourself two days off or active recovery

I can’t lie I usually schedule my days off first. I pick my most busy days, or days I know that I won’t have time to workout and plan around those. Active recovery can mean an easy mile or two walk, or an easy 30-60 stretching/yoga class for me.

 

2. Schedule in some of your favorite group workout classes

Group workouts are great because they are structured and there a lots of other people there in the same boat (for instance you know if grandma in the corner can tough it out so can you, or follow the speed as the super fit girl in the front for a challenge). Although I see some guys in fitness classes I mostly see them playing basketball or doing other group activities which fulfill the same idea. At my old gym at the Drayson Center in Loma Linda I use to LOVE this class called BATS (Buns Abs and Thighs) I looked forward to that day every week. After my sampling of classes last week at my new gym I think my favorite will be Zumba, but I enjoyed the other ones too. This week I didn’t schedule any because it didn’t really work with finishing the SSU 2013 workouts, but they will most likely pop back in my schedule in the weeks to come.

 

3. Think about what you will have time to do and when you will do it and WRITE IT DOWN

For the remaining days I usually start scheduling in workouts and write down what I will do and what time I will do it. For example Monday and Tuesday I know I’m going to get off work, change, grab a snack and head to the gym by 430pm. So in my notebook it says my workout and time 5pm (takes 20 ish minutes to get to my gym).

 

4. MIX. IT. UP!!!!

Two reasons: 1) Your muscles get use to the same movements which means you burn less calories over time and 2) You’ll get bored and lose interest. So change each days focus (upper/lower body strength, classes, cardio, total body workouts, jump in the pool etc.) Remember the hardest one is the one you see the most results from!

5.

KEEP TRACK!

This isn’t really a planning tool but whether your goal is to lose weight, promote health, or improve your physical ability…keep track of what you did every day in a notebook. This is one of my most encouraging and motivational tools I have. It helps me focus on what my body can achieve and my abilities instead of trying to fit into a certain image. I’m proud when I go flip back through my notebook and see all I’ve done and all the progress I’ve made. When I repeat workouts, I try to beat my previous time or distance.

Here is a glimpse at my notebook from last week….

Today’s Workout was based off a PBfingers workout that I found on my pinterest board 🙂

Plus I also did the 20 minutes on the stairmaster on calorie burn mode, starting with level five and working up to 8, trying not to use the handrails… total was 1.61 miles (77 floors) in 20 minutes.

Helpful resources:

Basic 7 Day workout and meal planner (By YumYucky)

July 2013 Month Workout Planner (From 24 hour fitness)

Questions of the night:

Do you plan your workouts?

What do you schedule first?

What motivates you to get to the gym?