Current Fitness Routine

Posted byashleepedlowPosted inUncategorized

My original goal with this post was to give you a glimpse into my current fitness routine and when I went to write it out I realized just how all over the place my fitness routine has been in the year of 2022. So yes I will share my current routine with you, but I also wanted to recap where we started 2022 and the transitions we’ve moved through to get here.

I ended 2021 and began 2022 rehabbing a lower back injury. I have struggled with recurring low back pain for many years and it finally got to the point where I knew I needed to do something about it so just before Christmas I booked a physio appointment and started the rehab journey. I am not usually one to take it slow and easy so rehabbing my back was a journey. But I put my faith in my physio and trusted the process and in only a few months I was back doing most of what I was doing before (while obviously working slowly back towards those things). What did I learn through the process of rehabbing my back. A couple of things, but one of the most important lessons I learned was don’t neglect mobility work. If you don’t know this about trainers…here’s a secret….most of us love what we do, we love high impact workouts or lifting heavy weights but the one thing that many of us often neglect is the things that we preach up and down to our clients…don’t neglect things like mobility and stretching. I also learned about what works best for my body (specifically when it came to sitting and positioning my chair, and no…it’s not what’s typically “normal”). Slowing down was a much needed part of the process but it was definitely not an easy one for me. Although I don’t skip my mobility work anymore…so there’s that.

After trusting the process and being able to return to exercise without restrictions I couldn’t believe how good I felt. I was seeing progress with the amount of weight I was lifting and I was falling into a great routine. This lasted a month or two before it all went south again…insert COVID-19.

If you know me at all you know that throughout this entire COVID-19 pandemic I have been one of the most cautious people out there…and yet it still found me. I learned a hard lesson the day I tested positive…and I was angry about it for a short period (mostly because I did everything right and followed all the public health guidelines and it still found me). Thankfully, I was very blessed that it didn’t hit me super hard. I had very mild symptoms but the biggest challenge was the fatigue (were talking a few weeks here). It was one of the hardest mind battles I’ve ever played with myself because movement makes me feel better…when I need a pick me up, I always go to movement…but this was not doable. I did everything I could to get gentle movement in over those few weeks (walking became my best friend) but it was not without it’s challenges. I pushed myself to stick to at least some gentle movement and thankfully in only a couple weeks was able to get back to feeling like myself.

Which brings us to today and my current fitness routine. I’ve outlined my current routine below and expanded on it below that.

  • Push Focused Workout
  • Anterior Chain Focused Workout
  • Pull Focused Workout
  • Posterior Chain Focused Workout
  • Full Body Workout (this workout I usually have prepared, but depending on the week it doesn’t always happen).

I’m also going to mention here as well that I teach a full body conditioning class once a week as well which usually leaves me doing weight focused activity on 5-6 days per week

Push Exercises: Typically I use push focused exercises once per week. This includes movements like the chest press and overhead press. I usually include Tricep movements on push days as well and some core work.
Squat and Anterior Chain Movements: When targeting the anterior chain typically you are using movements that target the quadriceps muscle group. Typically I will use a combination of squat and lunge movements in these workouts.
Pull Exercises: On pull days I include exercises like rows as well as lat pull downs. I will usually pair with with Bicep accessory work as well as core work.
Hinge or Posterior Chain Movements: When targeting the posterior chain we are typically focusing on the hamstrings and the glutes. The hinge movement will focus on the hamstrings specifically.
Glute or Posterior Chain Movements: Exercises like the Hip Thruster, among others will help to focus on the glutes which allows you to target the second main component of the posterior chain.
Walking: when in doubt I walk. If I feel like I need a rest day I walk, if I’m feeling sluggish I walk, if I’m feeling too lazy to lift I walk. Walking is good for my soul and it always lifts my spirits. If I have the choice to walk outside I 100% will but I’m grateful to have access to the treadmill, especially when the weather is cold. I use a combination of flat and incline walking as well.

Now that I’ve offered you a glimpse into my current fitness routine…what does your current fitness routine look like? No, it doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. 5-6 days a week isn’t realistic for a lot of people and that is completely okay, but it works for me at this point and time in my life. And honestly, it just makes me feel so much better when I get movement in so I don’t have force myself to do it. Fitness routines may also change with the seasons of your life. What works for you today may not be what works for you in a year or two and that’s okay. Fitness is meant to ebb and flow. The best routine at the end of the day is the one that works best for you.

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