Back In the Swing

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday but I did get back into the gym! I am fighting off a cold and I often try to find a good balance of "sweating it out" and oh my I'm so sick I shouldn't be exercising. I am certainly struggling to get back into beast mode like I was this summer and I keep reminding myself that it will be a process. My workouts usually consist of a 5 minute cardio warmup followed by 40 minutes of weight lifting and 15 minutes of high intensity cardio to wrap up. If I am in need of weight loss, I would simply increase my cardio by adding more time or getting a 15 minute spinning workout in as well. Cardio is my enemy most days. I am just not into running (especially on a treadmill) and I often suffer from stomach craps while running which is annoying to say the least. I find that my pre workout meal is very important in whether I am prepared for good cardio or not. Ideally, I would eat a fairly light meal but substantial enough to feel perfectly full. This meal should also include high protein (ex. plain chicken breast and vegetables). When I am on the treadmill I always have a reasonable goal in mind... say 15 minutes. I always try to push myself as much as I can for as long as I can but never deny myself a walking break if I need it. When I'm on the treadmill one of the best tricks I've found to be helpful is when getting close to my goal, I bump it up a little bit more. "I can go two more strong minutes" I tell myself. Or if I am at 225 calories burned... "I want to get to 250". So I start with a goal and almost alway end up adding more unless I'm crunched for time. The final trick that really works for me on the treadmill that I read in a Jillian Michaels article is that running or walking on an incline burns a lot more calories in the same amount of time. I always have the incline on at least 5% while running and go up to 15% while walking. Always remember to not do the same thing for 15 minutes straight. Challenge yourself. You will get out of your workout what you put in. "I regret that workout" said no one...ever.

"You can rest when its over. You won't make your goals if you give up now. Determination. Determination. Do not stop or you will never get there."