As for today, I wanted to pop in with a recap of last week’s workouts. This post is part of my monthly Week of Workouts series that shows what a full week of workouts looks around here like during one week of every month. In a previous post I expressed concern over whether or not these posts are of interest since my workouts have chilled out quite a bit from the days when I first began blogging and regularly made my way to the gym five or even six days a week. Thanks to your encouragement, I plan to keep this series going.
It is my hope that these posts will resonate with some of you out there who may be looking for workout ideas but also recognize that certain phases of life may warrant less traditional exercise. I fully believe that an active lifestyle doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the gym. (In case you missed it, I wrote a more in-depth post about all of this in this post: A Shift In My Fitness Mindset.) Right now most of my movement comes from motherhood but todays post focuses on the more intentional workouts I managed to squeeze in last week!
Week of Workouts: November 2021
Monday: Biceps / Chest / Shoulders
Monday’s workout was an early-morning garage session before the boys were awake. I streamed an anterior upper body Burn Boot Camp workout but swapped out almost half of the exercises for exercises I preferred instead. (My version of the workout is posted above.) It was a great way to kick off the day and reminded me of how good it feels to knock out a 5 a.m. workout on the days when I’ve had a decent night’s sleep.
I was kicking myself for this one a little bit, however, since Ryder ended up staying home from school due to his runny nose and I wasn’t able to work during the day like I anticipated. I often feel like I have to choose between exercising and work during the 5 – 7 a.m. window before the boys are awake (and also during Rhett’s nap time) which is another reason I’ve learned to embrace a less-regimented exercise schedule. While work almost always wins over a workout, I thought I’d be able to manage both on Monday and it ended up back firing. It was a lesson to myself to use my mornings for work and cross my fingers for a nap time workout if I have something I really need to get done that day.
Tuesday: Leg Workout
On Tuesday, I managed to get Rhett and Ryder napping at the same time and knocked out a leg workout in the driveway. Since I created my own leg workout, I incorporated a lot of my favorite lower body exercises like hip thrusters and deadlifts for some hamstring and glute work.
Wednesday: 3 Mile Family Walk
I didn’t do a traditional workout on Wednesday but Ryan managed to get done with work at a decent time so we went on a three-mile family walk after an early dinner on Wednesday night. Post-dinner walks are my favorite and while they don’t happen often around here due to the need for bath time and kid bed times, it’s such a nice way to unwind after the day and enjoy some fresh air together.
Thursday: Triceps / Back / Core
Since I targeted by biceps, shoulders and chest during Monday’s workout, I wanted to make sure to work out my triceps and back to round out my upper body workout and threw in some core exercises as well. I formatted the workout similarly to Monday’s workout but with different muscle groups as the focus.
Friday: Rest
I didn’t sleep very well on Thursday night and so I opted out of an early workout on Friday before I dropped Chase off at school and drove on to Savannah for my girls’ weekend. This was probably the least-active day I’ve had in a long time since I slept a lot of time driving and lounging with my friends before dinner and drinks on Friday night.
Saturday: Rest
Saturday was another rest day. A bunch of us hoped to be able to walk all over Savannah on Saturday but the weather was in the 40s and raining non-stop so that plan got squashed!
Sunday: Rest
Sunday was a travel day back home from Savannah. I was out and about with Ryan and the boys once I arrived home but no long walk or traditional workout happened on Sunday.
Question of the Day
What does your workout routine look like these days?
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You have probably mentioned this somewhere before, but what ‘vehicle’ do you use for the older boys when you go on walks? My 3yo no longer likes to ride in the stroller, but gets tired/bored of walking if we go too far. I’d love to go on more walks with him, but cannot carry him if we get to a point where he is tired of walking. He has a little balance bike but is still learning that, so I don’t think that would work more than 1 or 2 houses down our street. Thanks!