Top/ Leggings/ Shoes
I get asked daily about the types of workouts I do, the program I use and how I manage to squeeze it in with two kids a lot so given the fact that a lot of us are working out at home right now, I wanted to put this information all in one place for you. So let me rewind and fill you in on how I got to where I am today. January 1st 2019 I started the Bikini Body Guide program workout regime. The Bikini Body Guide is an entire program the guides you through weekly circuit training workouts you can do at home with minimal equipment. You pay for it (annually is a little less than paying per month) and you can either print out the guides and physically have them OR do the program on their amazing app, called SWEAT. I do the workouts on my phone on the app or on my computer. I did the program religiously for 9 months and saw incredible results in my body. I was strong, lean and the most fit I’ve ever been in. my. life. You can read my initial review at 7 weeks here and see my 6 month progress here.
In September, I started to not feel great. My workouts felt different and much harder and I felt like something was off with my body. My cycles were crazy. The Holidays came and I decided to give my body a break. I went to spin once per week because I enjoyed it but pushed the pause button on BBG as my doctor wondered if my working out was impacting my symptoms in any way. After many doctors appointments, tests, and months of monitoring my cycles, my OB decided to schedule me for a minor surgery to see what was going on with my uterus. She found one large and two regular size polyps and removed them! Crazily enough, that was the 1st Friday in March and right before Covid-19 starting to really ramp up.
So essentially, about SIX MONTHS went by without me really working out. And honestly, I could have done more (walks, low impact weights). Looking at where I am now is frustrating because I know where I was and how hard I worked to get there. It feels like I let myself down in a way. My favorite Soul Cycle instructor, Janelle, always talked in class about how our bodies are a gift and how we should treat them well and be grateful for them. Her mindset was…you are lucky that you GET to be here and workout. It isn’t a chore, it’s a gift.
The week of our shut down, I was cleared to workout again from the surgery. My anxiety about Corona Virus was through the roof. Coco was home from school. We hadn’t adjusted to our new normal yet and it felt like a huge tidal wave was coming. I’ve long debated how much to share here about my anxiety. I have a post that was written about my struggle with it that is 2 years old and I have yet to hit publish. I will share that one of the main things that causes me anxiety is the thought or idea of myself or someone in my family getting sick. My friends poke fun at me for being a germaphobe but it is a deep rooted fear of mine. Enter global pandemic. OMG. The first week of the shut down I began to feel my anxiety sky rocket. My heart was racing. I would lie in bed at night and feel the blood pumping in my veins. My chest felt tight. I was emotional and snappy. Working out has always been one of if not the key way I manage my anxiety so I knew that in a time like this, I couldn’t NOT workout. I needed to keep my anxiety in check as best I could. So I started! That was truly my motivation to get going again. That was 7 weeks ago and I have to say…I feel great mentally. But here’s the crazy thing. Prior to Covid, I would have NEVER considered working out with both kids around. If I didn’t have a sitter or Austin to watch the kids, it didn’t happen. It’s so funny how we can make things work when we need to. Now, I don’t even think twice about getting my workout in (although I do get interrupted about 43 times!). I just get it done. I prefer to work out in the morning while my kids are waking up and having their breakfast. Each day is a little different and sometimes it goes better than others. But I always feel so good when it’s done and as I’ve said before, there isn’t one area of my life that isn’t positively impacted by working out. What I love so much about the BBG program is I know exactly what to do each day and I know exactly how long it will take. The only part I need to do is show up and do the work. Below are some questions I got yesterday regarding my workouts that I wanted to share:
What are your goals? Weight loss is never a goal of mine (although I’m about 7 lbs heavier that when I was at my peak BBG fitness level thanks to the Holidays and some Covid indulgences!). My goals are to feel strong mentally and physically. I want to be able to easily do a push up, lift up my 5 year old, chase after Griffin on his scooter. In general, I want to be healthy and fit. I always think it’s great to have a goal in mind when you start as it’s something to strive for.
Do you need equipment? I see you using bands. In my first round of BBG, very little equipment was needed for the first few months. They’ve changed it a little and now use weights and bands. I got these bands and use a variety of free weights! You could absolutely do it without though and still get a great workout in!
Did you change your eating? In non-Covid times or the Holidays, I generally always eat the same. I’m super boring when it comes to food in that I can eat the same few things over and over again and not get sick of them. Since Covid, I’ve been indulging a lot more than I normally would and I’m so ok with that. I drink alcohol daily (one drink usually), treat myself if I have a craving and don’t stress about it too much. I do try to eat pretty clean though during regular life, lol! Having a salad each day for lunch really helps me get my daily servings of veggies in. I could be better about my water intake during the day!
Can you link the bright pink shorts in your workout highlights? Yes! These are my favorite shorts to workout in when the weather warms up! I wear a size 6 and have 3 pairs of these. They’ve updated them to make them not so low rise too, which I’m SO happy about! The pink color isn’t available but there are a lot of color options here.
Anything you suggest to improve posture? Gosh, I do not know. Mine isn’t great. I think in general, doing upper body strength workouts will help and being mindful of pulling your shoulders back. Our lifestyles are not conducive to great posture (staring at computers or our phones)!
When you’re doing BBG, are you streaming it on your phone? When I was going to the gym, yes. But at home, I watch it on my computer! You can also stream it on your TV if you have a smart TV!
How do you manage/balance being a Mom, work, fitness and a healthy diet? Such a great question. The truth is? I don’t! Rare are the days where I’m operating on all cylinders. I try to accept that there are only so many hours in a day. On days I feel like I’m nailing it at work, I feel like my kids are having too much screen time. I’m a perfectionist at my core and like to get. it. all. done. In my perfect world I’d have happy kids blissfully playing together, my house picked up, dishes and laundry done, a sparkling kitchen, toys put away, fridge stocked with healthy foods, my blog posts done for the week and an empty e-mail inbox. None of those things ever happen in conjunction with one another but I sure try, lol. There are a few things that I’ve prioritized lately though. My workouts and my kids. Everything else I try to let go of (even though it kills me!).
You always play such fun songs. Do you have a playlist for working out? Music MAKES my workouts! I listen to Apple Radio while I workout and usually the Pure Pop channel. I need it to be upbeat and fun! Occasionally I’ll be in the mood for an album. The last album I listened to during a workout was Taylor Swift Lover. I’m a big country music fan thanks to Austin and his family. Maybe I need to jump over to Spotify and create some playlists!
Do you workout in the align leggings? Or are those another type? I do! I know some people don’t think they have enough compression but I wear them for EVERYTHING and love them! They are well worth the investment.
How often do you Peloton? The BBG program has workouts slated for their circuits and workouts slated for cardio. I try to walk each day a little and ride twice each week. Three bike rides is a GREAT week and would require a double up of workouts which time rarely allows for.
I hope this helps and as always, thank you so much for following along! xx
Workout Must Haves
