Lets Get This Started

 May Our Treadmills Get More Use Than This One!

Before I post anything, let me add in this teeny tiny disclaimer. I'm not an athlete. I'm not a trainer, but I do know a small thing (or two) about working out. Ok, so maybe I don't know all that much. I know what I've read, researched, and done (and I'm learning more all the time), but I'm nowhere near knowledgeable enough to give any real advice to anyone. I'm simply posting what I DO just in case you might need a little more inspiration. If I post something that you don't think you can do, then don't do it. Or check with a trainer or your doc first. Deal? Ok then let's get this show on the road.

The general structure of my routine is pretty basic:

Warm up- You know, get my heart pumping a lil bit.

Daily walk - I like to change the locations of my walks so that the scenery is always fresh and new. But I also like to spice up the TYPE of walk once in a while too. 

Daily Strength Moves - I do strength moves daily. My laziness and procrastination requires this. It doesn't take much for me to fall out of the habit. However, we have to remember the Number One Rule for strength training: Don't do it on consecutive days! So how do we get around this so that we can work out two days in a row? We get creative.The following is an example of what I might do in a given week:

Day 1 - Cardio & Upper Body (arms and shoulders)
Day 2 - Cardio & Lower Body (Legs)
Day 3 - Cardio & Core (Back and Mid-Section)
Day 4 - Cardio Only
Day 5 - Repeat Day 1
Day 6 - Repeat Day 2
Day 7 - Repeat Day 3

Of course, Day 1 and Day 5 of the following week will be days of Cardio Only.

By doing the routine this way, we are still obeying the rules. We are never working out the same muscles two days in a row. One thing to make note of: Some moves work out more than just their main targeted muscle groups. For example, some upper and lower body moves also target the core. However, if you just did the core the previous day (or if you are going to do the core the following day), pick upper and lower body moves that have minimal core interaction. We don't want to over stress your muscles. This could cause injury.

If you have a move that you love that targets multiple areas significantly, you could go ahead and combine those areas for that day, making sure that you don't do them again the next day.

Cool Down - This is usually similar to my warm-up. The idea is to ease your body into less activity while still moving. An effective cool down can limit or prevent soreness the following morning.

So, that is the basic skeleton of my workouts. Since we all know how much I like to change things up, some weeks might look different, but I'm still going for the same goal: Getting my rear off my desk chair and getting outside.



The photo can be found here.