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My story
Yep, this was me. Pretty much my whole life my entire fitness routine consisted of running, ab exercises and a few unused gym memberships thrown in at least once a year. And once I had started to put on weight, I really struggled to know what different workouts I could try to not only get results but also workouts I actually enjoyed and wanted to do.
The types of workouts I was exposed to mostly focused on cardio, and a lot of it! Strength based workouts and exercises weren’t really popular until I was in my late 20’s, and even then the exercises I was seeing were using gym equipment that seemed very intimidating.
I had dreams of “really getting into my fitness finally”, but every time I started at a gym I either lost momentum within a couple of months and ended up back at the treadmill.
Yep, this was me. Pretty much my whole life my entire fitness routine consisted of running, ab exercises and a few unused gym memberships thrown in at least once a year. And once I had started to put on weight, I really struggled to know what different workouts I could try to not only get results but also workouts I actually enjoyed and wanted to do.
The types of workouts I was exposed to mostly focused on cardio, and a lot of it! Strength based workouts and exercises weren’t really popular until I was in my late 20’s, and even then the exercises I was seeing were using gym equipment that seemed very intimidating.
So I found working out became harder and harder to commit to when I either didn’t know what to do and was bored with simply running, or didn’t have time to spend hours at the gym.
I had dreams of “really getting into my fitness finally”, but every time I started at a gym I either lost momentum within a couple of months and ended up back at the treadmill. Or, when I finally figured out how to use the equipment and free weights, I found it took up so much time: getting to the gym, setting everything up at different machines, warming up, cooling down.
Trying to do this 4 times a week, it was taking its toll on my own time and my enjoyment in exercise.
A lot of what we see on social media, I find, is many high intensity workouts, or high strength workouts. And yes, strength workouts (using squat racks, barbells etc) can be great for building muscle, but it shouldn’t have to be (and isn’t) the first place we need to go to just to lose weight. Add to that the hype we see around doing high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, when these actually cause a lot of stress on our body and can stop our progress if we are doing too many of them.
When I was so ready to lose the weight, when I had had enough of not knowing what to do to see a change in my body, I took a good hard look at what I truly wanted to do for fitness, and what was good for my body.
I focused on doing some cardio but not as my whole workout, I focused on dropping the weights, the squat rack, and instead focused on smaller changes. Building on a foundation of core strength, stability, and using smaller weights with more focused form and lower intensity cardio, or if it was higher cardio I would be doing a lot less of it!
Alongside my nutrition changes I started to lose weight. I started noticing a difference in my strength and body shape. I was losing fat but also gaining muscle and strength, my clothes started fitting better and I felt amazing. I was no longer fixated on what my body looked like but I was getting results, and I was able to do this all with just four 30min workouts per week!
Then during my study as a personal trainer and studies around weight loss, I found that what I was doing was exactly what we should do when the goal is weight loss or maintenance.
Of course, building muscle or body building is a different story, but for the weight loss goal this is what I found to work best.
Then during my study as a personal trainer and studies around weight loss, I found that what I was doing was exactly what we should do when the goal is weight loss or maintenance.
Here are my top tips for starting an exercise routine and seeing results!
Of course, building muscle or body building is a different story, but for the weight loss goal this is what I found to work best. Here are my top tips for starting an exercise routine and seeing results!
-Starting slow and simple with strong foundational exercises first
-Leaving high intensity workouts to maybe once per week (or even every two weeks) as this is extremely stressful on our body
-Using beginners yoga workouts for core strength and balance as a great foundation for more challenging strength workouts later on
-Mixing cardio into each workout, without the high intensity type
-Building up to use smaller free weights (dumbbells, kettlebells) as well as body weight once you have the correct core engagement and correct form for your workouts
-Stick to 3-4 30 min workouts per week, which includes warmup and stretches (I know it seems simple but trust me, it will help in getting those results!)
-And aim to be active each day, even if it’s just walking around the office throughout the day, keeping your body active keeps your metabolism ticking over
Just enjoy!
Within a year I had lost the weight, and I had started to build up more strength than I had ever before. Plus I was actually loving my workouts out the gym. I didn’t have to spend hours there, I was coming up with new and fun workouts and exercises all the time and I was no longer worried about losing weight, and simply focusing on the enjoyment in my fitness.
This is why I love showing other women how to truly use fitness in a way that is enjoyable, simple and gets results!
About the author:
Jo is a trained teacher and have mentored women in many different areas. She has also studied the essential areas for weight loss, including the fundamental nutrition elements to focus on, best exercises for weight loss, mindset shifts that are vital for getting results and stress management. She has used this exact information for herself when she was struggling with her weight, and for her current private clients she works with.
Jo is passionate about working with women who want to lose weight naturally and get long-lasting results. She gives you the tools and information needed as well as the guidance and support to implement small changes that will then become habits and create lasting results.
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