Tag: YMCA

Weekly Workouts: Tough workouts, being sore & putting myself first

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Hi, friends! I hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was very relaxing compared to last weekend, but I’ll catch you up on that later. For now, let’s talk workouts, like we do every Monday morning. I use this as a way to reflect on my workouts from the previous week, look ahead to what I want to accomplish this week and hopefully motivate all of you to think about your workouts and to make a plan.

Last week, I had some awesome workouts. I was supposed to rest more than I did, but since the weather was back to summer-like temps, I had to take advantage of the warm evenings and the fact that there was still daylight after work, so I went on some runs. I also had some intense lifting workouts, which left me veryyyy sore (nothing like rolling over on a Sunday morning being completely sore from BodyPump!).

On top of that, I did something I never do: I said “no”. And, you know what? It felt pretty good. It was just one of those days where I really needed MY OWN workout. Teaching is amazing and I love it, and when I first started, I thought teaching would still be MY workout, but I quickly realized that it’s not my workout at all; I am there for my members and ensuring that THEY have a great workout. So, when I was teaching a crazy amount of classes, I noticed how much my own workouts started to slack and it really bothered me. Now that I don’t teach as much, I focus on making my “off” days from teaching for me and it’s done wonders for my fitness levels!

And, rant over… let’s get to the workouts!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I said last week that I was going to rest on Monday, but the weather was great and I found out I was going to dinner with coworkers on Tuesday after work so I wanted to make sure to get my planned Tuesday workout in on Monday since I had more time. I ran 4 miles and it was awesome! But, on the way back I felt like I was racing the sunset.

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  • Tuesday- I ended up having a lot of time after work until dinner, so I headed up to the gym in my building and had a surprisingly good and strong strength session. I think I’ll post the workout for you soon because it left me pleasantly sore! I also did my Fall Into Fitness challenge; I had forgotten how much I love lunge & knee lift jumps!

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  • Wednesday- After saying no to subbing the class before mine, I went for a 3 mile run along the Charles. The views never get old and there’s really no better way to clear your head! Since I was so sore from my Tuesday strength session, I didn’t do much of the class with my members when I taught UXF Burn. It was a great class, though. That class loves to work hard

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  • Thursday- I felt back to my normal self on Thursday so I did all of SHRED and Kickboxing with my classes. I taught a timed circuit, Tabata cardio and Tabata abs class, thanks to a suggestion from Athena. My members loved this format, so I am definitely doing it again!
  • Friday- I did the glute press and hydrant for the Fall into Fitness challenge and walked .75 miles to the bar and back, but besides that, I rested.
  • Saturday- I warmed up with 20 minutes on the elliptical before going to BodyPump. My glutes were still sore from Thursday, so I went lighter on the leg tracks, but pushed myself with the upper body tracks. I’ve gotten stronger lately and I love it.
  • Sunday- Rest, besides walking around the mall. I was sore and since my workouts had been strong and intense all week, I thought rest was best!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I will probably run after work and then do some ab work.
  • Tuesday- Less cardio and more strength focus.
  • Wednesday- Cardio before teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- Teaching SHRED and Kickboxing, probably using the same format in SHRED this week as I did last week.
  • Friday- Rest, besides my Fall into Fitness move of the day.
  • Saturday- Teaching Kickboxing at the YMCA.
  • Sunday- I think I am going to Maine this weekend so I will try to do something there, maybe even with my mom!

Questions for you: Are you participating in Athena’s Fall into Fitness challenge? What’s a new fitness goal you have? Instructor friends, do you feel you need to work out in addition to teaching since when you teach you’re more focused on your members’ workouts?

Weekly Workouts: Lots of Booty Burner Workouts!

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Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? I was totally lovin’ the weather- how perfect was it?! I went apple picking with some of my college girlfriends and we had a blast, but I’ll catch you up on that tomorrow 🙂

Last week, even though I had planned to take it easy on Monday or Tuesday if I needed to, I realized that I was feeling refreshed and ready to be active. So, active I was, but always being mindful and listening to my body. With a that said, a few workouts left me sore, in particular, my booty and my abs… 2 areas that I love being sore after a workout! Athena said I should post my “Booty Burner” workout, so I think I’ll do that for you Wednesday!

This week’s workouts are going to be a little “TBD” for the later half of the week since I’m going to Michigan with my parents, but I’m hoping to come up with a few hotel room workouts that I’ll be able to share with you!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- After my tour of Eastie last weekend, I was itching to run to Piers Park and use the little outdoor gym area that they have. It was a nice, cool, fall night so it was great weather to run and I got to “play” in the gym which was an added bonus! Let me tell you, my abs were SO SORE for a few days after some decline leg lifts and sit ups. WOW. loved it! This gym area is a really neat resource to have for the public. They offer different level, 4 move strength and stretching workouts using all sorts of different pieces of equipment.

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  • Tuesday- I got the schedule mixed up for the East Boston YMCA and Pilates was actually on Tuesday, not Monday, so I hit up the 6:15pm class Tuesday after work. It was very slow-paced, but it was nice to stretch and work my incredibly sore core. The class incorporated weights and I was able to take some of the moves into my classes- win, win!
  • Wednesday- I went for a really hot 2.5 mile jog before teaching UXF Burn. Lots of members told me how sore they were on Thursday from the class, so I guess it was a good one!

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  • Thursday- I taught this workout followed by cardio kickboxing. A member asked me to include my “Booty Burner” since skinny jean weather is coming up, so I was more than happy to oblige 😉
  • Friday- I’ve decided that I don’t like to go to the gym on Fridays, so, I did 10 rounds of this work from home workout which was plentyyyy. 10 rounds ends up being 100 reps of each, which is a lot!
  • Saturday- I taught the same kickboxing routine, including the Booty Burner, from Thursday at the YMCA. I also had time to squeeze in abs at the end!
  • Sunday- I planned on going to BodyPump, but I realize I was a little sore so it wouldn’t make sense to go to a muscle class. Also, once I walked outside and saw how nice it was, I knew I wanted to go for a walk or run. I ended up running 4 miles (no idea where that came from), and felt great! I wore my older running sneakers and they felt so big and bulky and I felt like I was stomping around! I guess I’ve just become accustomed to running in the more “minimalist” style of sneaker.

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday-Since I didn’t do weights yesterday and did lots of cardio, I’m going to go to the gym after work and do just strength and maybe this ab burner that Athena posted yesterday.
  • Tuesday- I have after work drinks with my team at work and then dinner at Jessi’s, so I’ll get up and run before work.
  • Wednesday- I am subbing Kate’s 5:30 Sports Conditioning class before teaching my UXF Burn class. Since I won’t be teaching on Thursday, I figured I’d pick up an extra class!
  • Thursday- I’m going to get up and do something before my parents pick me up. Or, maybe not. I feel like I’ll want to workout before being in the car for 8+ hours, but I may also need a break! If I do anything, it will be light (maybe yoga).
  • Friday- Not sure. I think we are getting on the road early to make the last leg of the trip, so if I haven’t slept well, I won’t get up to workout.
  • Saturday- Hopefully my sister will want to workout with me in the morning, and then hopefully lots of dancing at the wedding!
  • Sunday- Likely nothing. I have a 12:30pm flight and will probably be ready for rest.

So, there you have it! I hope you all have a great week!

Questions for you: What’s a good Pilates studio to try out? Are you interested in seeing “Booty Burner” workouts now that skinny jean season is coming up? Does weather influence your workout?

Weekly Workouts: Taking some time to rest

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Hi there! How was your weekend? Mine was really great, but I’ll catch you all up on that tomorrow. I like to use Monday’s as my “weekly workout” post day with the hope that it helps to get you motivated to stay on track and get workouts planned throughout the week. It’s harder to skip a workout when you’ve written it down and held yourself accountable, right?

As I mentioned on Friday, I decided to give myself a little break from any sort of intense physical activity over the weekend. My old injuries started to flare up and I was just feeling continuously exhausted, which told me it was time for a little T.O. from the gym and working out. Surprisingly enough, it was easier than I had imagined! And get this- I even enjoyed it 🙂 Friday is generally my rest day and Saturday and Sunday I kept busy with other things so I didn’t get antsy and feel like I needed to do something! I am going to take this week light, too, which is totally fine.

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I was home in Maine and completed a workout in my parents living room. It was 2 short, 4 move circuits that I repeated 3 times before doing cardio and moving to the next circuit. I think I’ll post it for you this week because it left me sore!

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  • Tuesday- I got up and ran 3.5 miles before work. It was a beautiful morning for a run, but the last 3 blocks to my apartment were brutal as they are up a BIG hill.

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  • Wednesday- I ran 2 miles before teaching UXF Burn. It was a great class- lots of people and lots of energy!
  • Thursday- I taught another similar format to what I have been teaching as everyone has been loving it. It was 2 strength moves (15 reps each), 60 seconds of abs, 2 minutes of cardio. I repeated a workout in kickboxing from months ago, but I don’t think anyone noticed 😉
  • Friday- rest! I walked .5 miles to Shaw’s and back, but that’s it.
  • Saturday- nothing!
  • Sunday- I went to bed on Saturday night at 9:30 and didn’t get out of bed on Sunday until 8:15! After Friday night’s festivities, I cannot tell you how much that was needed; I woke up feeling like a million bucks on Sunday! Since the weather was amazing, I laced up my sneaks and went for a nice morning stroll, making random stops to do a little stretching and light core work. Felt great!

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I think there is a Pilates class on Monday nights at the East Boston YMCA, so I may try to go to that.
  • Tuesday- Pending on how I’m feeling, I may run or just do some light cardio at the gym… or rest.
  • Wednesday- Teaching UXF Burn. If I do anything before class, it will just be a walk or something else low impact.
  • Thursday- Teaching SHRED and kickboxing. I think I may teach a tabata themed class in SHRED, thanks to a reminder from Athena!
  • Friday- Not sure! If I’m feeling rested, I may workout before or after work, but I’m going to play it by ear.
  • Saturday- Teaching kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA! yay!
  • Sunday- Not sure- I’d love to get to a BodyPump class 🙂

Questions for you: Do you like to take your rest days during the week or weekend? What’s your favorite Tabata combination?

Wednesday Workout: Pyramid Workout

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Hey there!! As I’ve mentioned, my posts will be light this week as I am still in the midst of settling into my new apartment, but I was able to put this workout post together for you since I know you all love Wednesday Workout posts, right?! 😉 I taught this last week and even though I forgot to go back DOWN the leg pyramid, it was still an awesome workout.

We worked our way up the pyramid, meaning we started with 10 reps then went to 20, then 30 and finally 40 reps. Before moving back down the pyramid, I had us hold a 60 second plank. In addition, I had us do 3 minute cardio blasts before each pyramid- a great way to get the heart rate up!

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Now, I realize that it looks like you’re going DOWN the pyramid first, but when I wrote it out with the 40 rep exercise at the top, it looked weird; my eyes looked immediately to the top exercise in a diagram, meaning it made me think I was starting with the 40 rep exercise, so I switched it. ANYWAY… clearly big issues 😉 I hope you get the idea of what I mean by this pyramid workout: 10, 20, 30, 40- 60 second plank- 40, 30, 20, 10. Makes sense, right?!

Once I get myself some weights for my new apartment, I look forward to doing this workout in my living room when I don’t want to go to the gym.

Speaking of gyms… Look what I came across during my evening jog:

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Love it!! The class schedule looks ok, but more than that I love that I’ve found a gym a 1/2 mile from my apartment. There’s also an awesome park with lots of great running trails- makes me so happy!

Let me know if you try this workout 🙂

Questions for you: Have you ever done a pyramid workout? What’s the gym closest to your apartment? Do you choose your gym by the location or the classes/equipment offered?

Weekly Workouts: An exhausting week

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Hey there! I wanted to pop in quickly to say hi since I feel like I’ve been totally MIA from the social media world (besides posting a few Instagram photos). As most of you already know, I spent the weekend moving into my new apartment! I’ll post about that hopefully later this week (once I get real internet- I’m connected to my work iPhone’s hotspot right now and it’s SO slow!). I’m incredibly thankful for my parents and sister for helping me move, though- there’s no way I could have done it without them!

But let’s get to the workouts, shall we? I was SO sore yesterday- a mix from doing Tabata TRX abs before teaching kickboxing on Saturday and moving all weekend- yikes!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I ran 3.5 miles before work. Again, I ran pretty much as fast as I run when I run after work. It must be because my body is getting used to waking up and working out first thing.

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  • Tuesday- I was out late on Monday night so my plans of getting up to workout before work went out the window. I was going to go after work, but my sister reminded me that I hadn’t really rested much lately and when you pair that with being tired, she suggested I rest. So, I did. We met at my apartment and she brought champagne and treats- so nice of her!
  • Wednesday- I worked from home on Wednesday so I had extra time in the morning to workout. I’ve been rather stagnant with my running, doing just 3-3.5 miles each time, so I decided it was time to up that. I ran 4 miles and although it wasn’t fun, it wasn’t terrible! I then taught my UXF Burn class and introduced the new 3-2-1 format. I don’t think people really liked it that much, but I am not sure if it was because it was new or they just didn’t like it. Regardless, I ended up doing most of the workout to try to keep the energy up and the class exciting (yes, that means running and jumping around like a crazy person).

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  • Thursday- I taught a pyramid workout in SHRED that I hope to post on Wednesday for you. I loved the workout, but was so bummed when I realized that we never went back down the pyramid on the legs section. Ugh! That drives me crazy!! I used to get so annoyed at instructors when they lost count or forgot to do something, but I find myself doing that now. It’s so hard to talk, instruct AND count AND remember everything, right?! After SHRED, I taught kickboxing!

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love this shirt!!

  • Friday- I went for a 5K run after work and made a new PR (personal record) of 25:46. I hit stop, but apparently it didn’t stop, hence the time on the watch. It was fun running after work for a change.

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  • Saturday- I taught the same kickboxing routine that I taught on Thursday and then I spent the rest of the day moving. So many things carried, so many stairs run up and down, so much shopping and lifting. I was literally spent by the time we got home at 7:30pm. Talk about a long day!

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  • Sunday- More moving, lifting, carrying, shopping, walking. I didn’t stop besides sitting down to eat lunch with the family.

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I am working from home in the afternoon and taking the morning off since my life is still relatively in shambles (although I am REALLY impressed with how well my apartment came together in such a short amount of time) and I need to deal with Comcast. After work, I’ll head to the Wellington BSC to lift and do cardio (would love to make it to the 5:30 BodyPump class!)… unless I’m exhausted, then I’ll rest or maybe walk around my neighborhood.
  • Tuesday- I would love to run around my new neighborhood after work, but if I don’t rest today, I’ll probably rest tomorrow.
  • Wednesday- I am subbing Kate’s Sports/Cardio Conditioning class at 5:30 and then teaching my UXF Burn class- come join me for a double:)
  • Thursday- Another double. Woof. SHRED then kickboxing.
  • Friday- Potentially another rest day, especially if I feel like I want to run errands and/or meet people for dinner.
  • Saturday- Probably BodyPump and cardio since I’m not teaching!
  • Sunday- Depends on how the rest of the week went. If it was heavy on the workouts and I feel like I need rest, I’ll take it, otherwise I’ll do something.

Questions for you: What’s your least favorite part about moving? Do you like doing “two-a-days”? Are you someone who counts in class and/or gets annoyed when instructors don’t count and forget stuff?