If following Tina’s Best Body Boot Camp plan has taught me anything, it’s the importance of finding an exercise routine that I enjoy.
When I initially hopped on board the LiveFit Trainer train a few months ago, I thought it would be a great fit since I love strength training and wanted a new challenge. (I was never committed to the meal plan part of the plan.) I quickly found myself bored with the workouts and unenthused. I know many people love the LiveFit program, but it wasn’t the right fit for me.
Sometimes I think we get caught up in fitness trends and feel like we should be doing a certain kind of exercise. When that workout is actually quite miserable for us, we’ll power through and start to dread our workouts… or we’ll quit.
Here’s the thing: You don’t have to run a marathon. You don’t have to practice yoga every day. You don’t have to be a P90x-er or adore circuit workouts. You don’t have to enjoy CrossFit. You don’t have to be the best Jazzerciser in all the land. Find the workout that works for you.
I felt like I should love the LiveFit program because so many other people were singing its praises, but it just wasn’t the workout program for me. Tina’s boot camp is a much better fit for me and I always look forward to the workouts. Most of Tina’s strength workouts are performed in supersets or circuits that pique my interest and make time fly by. She’s a master trainer, that one!
(Picture from the first time I met Tina.)
I guess this is just my way of saying that exercise should be fun.
Sure, some of the workouts that I do basically suck when I’m doing them because they push me outside of my comfort zone, but they also challenge me and excite me and leave me feeling accomplished. In the end, I really like my workouts!
When I find myself in a workout rut or when I’m feeling unmotivated at the gym, I really try to reevaluate my workouts and begin a new exercise regimen that I enjoy. (If you’re going through this feeling right now, you might also be interested in this throwback post: Recharging Your Workout Routine.) I go through workout phases like everyone else. Sometimes I love training for a half marathon while other times I’m all about strength or circuit workouts (um, right now). Variety is where it’s at!
Today’s workout was probably my favorite one from the Best Body Boot Camp program so far, as it included three different circuits with three different exercises that I repeated as many times as I could in 10 minutes. The 30 minutes went by so quickly and I loved it. I’m saving this workout for a rainy day once this Boot Camp program is over!
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning came in the form of pancakes.
I added some chia seeds to the batter and sprinkled some on top as well for some fun texture.
Not a bad way to kick off a Friday!
Question of the Morning
- Have you ever felt like you should try a certain workout because it was “trendy?” Did you end up loving or loathing it?
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Never felt compelled to follow trends. When I can I love natural workouts. I just got back from a wilderness Northern remote holiday of canoeing that included portaging! I dropped 6.8 lbs not even knowing it! Freakin love golf! Love riding my bike long distances and hiking! Just call me the Canuck Nature Girl! Ha
I really like this post. People often ask me about running and how they wished they like running as they want to incorporate it into a weight loss routine. I am always very quick to say that you don’t have to like running – you just have to do something. My something is running + BODYPUMP. I used to think that I had to like Zumba and, with the right instructor, it can be fun. However, I have absolutely no rhythm and get lost in over choreographed sections, which frustrates me. So I don’t Zumba.
My friends were really into a TurboKick class which was pretty fun. But after going a few times I realized it wasn’t for me. The best solution I found was I would go do my own thing in the gym while they were in the class- hooray for gym buddies!
I lol’ed over the fact that your “basically suck” link is to the burpee sandwich! Haha too good
I’ve made it through four weeks of P90X three times, but just can’t seem to stick with it because it’s not enjoyable. While I always see great results while I’m doing it, I just don’t love it. Doing my own thing at the little gym area we have at work seems to be much more enjoyable!
I tried the 10 Pounds in 10 Days by Jackie Warner due to all of the praise I heard. It totally worked and I LOVED the results. Unfortunately, it’s just not a logical diet (for me) to maintain.
PS Your arms look great in that photo w/ Tina! I’m jelly!
It seems that everyone I know around me is doing Cross Fit right now. I feel a bit left out by not trying it and even getting involved, but I don’t find the workouts to be something I would enjoy (or that knees would). Instead, I wish them a happy workout and get to a dance class which feels amazing!
I love this post…it’s such a great reminder! And yes! I’ve definitely fallen into that comparison trap before of assuming that if I’m not doing the “it” exercise right now what I am doing isn’t enough, which is ridiculous….I’ve found that the more variety I put into my workouts and just go with whatever I’m “craving,” the better I feel and the better workouts I get too.
I caved to peer pressure once and tried out a cardio kickboxing class– totally not my thing! Ah well, I do like being able to say that I’ve done it and given it a chance.
Quick note about your almond butter pancakes– I made them at the weekend and totally loved them, but they were a bit too dense for my family. I added a little milk and baking powder and, SHAMBAM, they turned into more normal-textured light and fluffy pancakes. Just in case you might be feeling the same way 🙂
I’ve tried to make myself enjoy yoga and pilates since everyone says that they’re so good for you, but I just think that they’re boring! Nice post 🙂
I was so hoping that when I stopped by your blog today that I would get some exercise motivation. I am in a exercise slump. I tried the live fit too and it didn’t jive with me. I like routines that get me moving around a lot, but still challenge my muscles. I am going to stop by Tina’s site asap.
Exact same thing happened to me with Live Fit – I ended up quitting early! I’m glad I found Crossfit since it’s weight training I love, but i also have to remember that any time exercise starts to seem like a chore I need to reevaluate and take a fun dance class or two:)
I just tried Pilates for the first time the other day, knowing that so many celebrities and my friends swear by it. I felt kind of disappointed in myself that I didn’t like it, but this post is just what I needed to read! I love running, yoga, and many other forms of exercise so I shouldn’t feel bad that one “popular” workout isn’t right for me!
YES I know exactly what you mean. Thank you so much for bringing this up. I feel like everything I read tells me I should be doing interval workouts to “cut my workout in half” and “burn more fat”. But I hate doing intervals! I’ll take my unnecessarily long, steady jogs any day of the week instead.
I LOVE this post! When I first started reading healthy living blogs, I felt like there were all of these different fitness trends that I needed to hop on, when the truth is that I love Jazzercise, and it will always be my favorite workout. When I took a break from teaching Jazz, I found myself skipping out on the gym all the time because I was bored and unmotivated, but now that I’m back at Jazz, I’m rearing’ to go everyday!
You definitely have to find something that you enjoy doing and be open to what you want not necessarily matching what others (even a majority of people) enjoy. I loved the LiveFit program and the FitMixer Bootcamp but I also know they aren’t for everyone. I’m too afraid of spin classes but I know they’re someone else’s favorite. You definitely have to find what you enjoy to make working out FUN!
Great post Julie! I feel like a lot of people out there do this with running, specifically. I can’t tell you how many times I hear people say I hate running and then head out for their daily run. It doesn’t make any sense! Just find something else that YOU like.
For me, I hate spin class. Like haaaaaate it. I was doing it for a long time because I felt like I should and then I took a step back and thought no more! Now I still do spin but I do it once a week and that is enough so that I feel like I am getting some benefit from it but not enough to where I dread my spin day. I can do anything once a week. 🙂
I like your post today. I enjoy working out but I hate running! It is so hard for me. And I live in South Florida, where it is 95 degrees with 100% humidity. I feel like I can’t breath.
I will do any other form of cardio, but I feel like everyone else runs and loves it and I should too. I just can’t make myself like it. I feel better knowing I’m not the only one:)
Word!!
well said jules, it is SO important for people to find what works for them. I tried zumba because everyone just raved about it. After my first class i wasn’t impressed and I use to be a dancer! My focus is circuit workouts @gppfit
I know everybody talks about how awesome Body Pump is, but I have absolutely no interest in trying it. I’ve been doing Livefit and it actually works well for me – i enjoy heavy lifting a lot! Just goes to show you that different workouts appeal to different people.
Although, the last two weeks of Livefit are pure circuit workouts, and I’m looking forward to mixing it up with that!
How funny! Just this morning I was thinking the same thing~that although “no pain no gain”, it can still be fun and exciting. 🙂 Once in a while I’ll try something that people like, like ballet inspired workouts–and I’ll end up loving it! But it’s rare that I do something conventional. For example, I’ve never done group exercises! hohoho.
OMGOSH. I was so frustrated this morning reading this post because I have yet to find exercise that I enjoy. I played very competitive volleyball through middle and high school and then played a couple years for my college. Since ending that phase of my life, I had yet to find something that I truly enjoyed doing that was also considered exercise.
I continued to exercise because, as a former athlete, I had a hard time seeing what lack-of-exercise did to my physique, so I forced myself to run and lift weights, but I hated every minute of it.
I skipped my usual 5am workout to get some more sleep this morning and instead went to the gym on my lunch break. Today I decided to try HIIT for the first time, even though I have been reading about it for MONTHS. And oh for the love of sprinting, was it AWESOME. For the first time since I quit volleyball 4 years ago, I feel like an athlete again. I have always been a very fast sprinter and I was able to fall right back into it. I was nly able to complete 15 minutes of intervals because I had to get back into the office, but it’s safe to say that this will be my go-to workout when I’d rather skip the gym!
Great post! I feel like that about Crossfit….I’ve never actually tried it, but for some reason it just does not appeal to me. I feel like I should give it a shot because of all the hype, but I’d just much rather be running or hitting tennis balls! Guess that’s just me though 🙂
This post came at a really great time. My husband has been having a tough time getting motivated to go to the gym… I think maybe he’s narrow minded in a way he has to work out? I think he might have an idea in his head that as a guy you need to go and lift the heaviest weights you can to have a successful workout. I know I’ve been in the same boat – thinking that the only way to do it was to go on a machine for an hour or attend a fitness class. Variety is the spice of fitness!
I love this blog. The variety has kept me motivated, and even after several weeks I get pumped up to get to the gym and sweat it out!
I agree! Here’s a quote from a triathlon training book I just finished: “goals, in themselves are important. But if you don’t have a clear idea of why you are setting those goals, you might find your motivation waning at critical junctures.”
I think that is true with all workouts. Are you doing this because its a fad and you should like it or are you doing this because you truly enjoy it or want to be better? You have to know your reasons or it’ll just drop off your to-do list entirely. Thanks for posting Julie!
I completely agree with you on that one!!! Even though workouts
May be super challenging in the moment we should look forward to that “me” time and enjoy the workout as a whole!!! 🙂
My sister began to practice yoga about 6 years ago as a way to soothe her muscles from weight training. I always thought it was trendy and that’s why I didn’t try it. I gave in and have been practicing for 6 years and will never stop!
This couldn’t have come at a better time. I tried cross fit for the last 8 days or so and I really don’t like it. I feel like I don’t get the type of workout that I want to get out of it. I’ve been debating quitting even though I paid for more time through a groupon. This has encouraged me to go back to the type of exercise I really enjoy. Thanks!!
Great post! It’s a great idea to try new stuff, but also important to remember that you don’t HAVE to like something just because it’s popular (hahah I guess that would be classified as fitness peer pressure?). I personally don’t really enjoy Zumba, even though it’s having SUCH a moment right now. I also don’t feel like yoga is a super amazing workout for me, but prefer to use it on “off” days for stretching/gentle toning. Some people are HUGE fans of yoga and do it everyday and for them, it’s a fantastic workout; I just personally enjoy doing cardio + traditional weights!
I couldn’t agree more! Getting lost in exercise should be because we enjoy it, not because we are trying to keep up with the trends. Have a wonderful weekend girl!
I feel like I should run- but I’m just not a runner and I despise it. However, I do like doing organised runs- because it’s a fitness challenge and an accomplishment to me. But day-to-day you won’t see my running haha.
Jillian Michaels 30 day shred.. you’re supposed to do each level for 10 days. By day 3, Jillian’s supposedly funny comments were ridiculously annoying, and I ended up learning the workouts and doing them without the DVD. ha.
I have to say the work out I tried and thought would be awesome was “Bikram Yoga”, yoga done in a extremely hot room. It was torture! I think I will stick to yoga in the A/C 🙂 But, I do have to say that I have jumped on the CrossFit Train! Love it!
I enjoy running from time to time, because I feel like I get a good workout and so many people love it, but sometimes I just dread getting on the treadmill to jog for however long I’ve decided to exercise. I tried out spinning about two years ago, and I LOVE it! Doesn’t hurt my knees, I sweat a ridiculous amount i(n a good way) and I feel great afterwards. I was hooked after the first class. Lately, tho, I was getting a little bored with the same spin class I always go to, so I tried out a combination 30/30 Cycle/Yoga class…which is also awesome! Hardcore spinning, followed by a 30 min yoga session. I previously thought yoga was boring, so don’t do it much, but I’ve found that doing it with an instructor, in class, for a shorter amount of time, if perfect and enjoyable. 🙂
Love this. I feel like I should be Crossfitting. But I’m not…and I’m cool with that. I just know it’s not the right thing for me…it wouldn’t fit with my existing schedule. Love my workouts as they are.
I tried zumba.. in the comfort/privacy of my own basement because it seemed like the ‘thing’ to do. I failed miserably lol Me + any form of dancing = epic fail. I just don’t have that type of coordination. 😉