Weekly workouts + an at-home stretch session
Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. To start the week off right, I like to take a look back at all the workouts I completed over the past seven days. As someone who works in the fitness industry, I’m pretty active, and because of that, it’s important I consciously strive for balance. I hope you enjoy this Monday morning focus on my fitness and can take away something beneficial from the recaps each week.
Stretching it out at home with Shaun T
It’s no secret that I love trying new classes and workout programs. Since researching and writing a post featuring a Q&A with a Beachbody Coach, I’ve continued to see more and more talk about people working out at home and seeing great results. Well, low and behold, this week I received a special care package in the mail from that very same Beachbody Coach and was able to try one of the program’s signature home workouts. Here’s the package …
Shown above: Two Beachbody workout DVDs, a card and a chocolate Shakeology.
I tried Shaun T’s T25 Stretch DVD, which of course, is 25 minutes of stretching and part of the T25 Focus product line. I set out my yoga mat, popped the DVD in my laptop, and next thing you know, we were starting to move. This was my first time experiencing a DVD from the Beachbody line, and I was super impressed with the quality. Not only does the 25 minute video take advantage of every single second of the workout, but it also offers some user-friendly features. For instance, the name of the exercise we were doing showed up in a little box on the lower-right-hand corner, as well as the duration that we had left of that exercise. Then the name of the next exercise would appear before we moved on. I know from teaching group fitness classes that the time it takes to transition to a new move can take people a minute to figure out, and when a workout is just 25 minutes, you don’t even have that to waste. Although I only got to see Shaun T’s coaching style during a video designed to stretch the body, he appeared to be an excellent instructor. I’m interested to see more.
Now let’s get to the weekly workout recap …
Weekly Workouts
- Monday – Taught one-hour BODYATTACK class, foam rolling
- Tuesday – Completed a 30-minute four-move total-body dumbbell workout, attended one-hour Avant-Barre class, foam rolling
- Wednesday – Taught one-hour BODYATTACK and BODYPUMP classes, foam rolling
- Thursday – Attended one-hour Avant-Barre class
- Friday – Completed Focus T25 stretch DVD, taught one-hour BODYPUMP class
- Saturday – Taught one-hour BODYATTACK class, foam rolling
- Sunday – Rest day
What was good about my week of workouts?
Variety! Three sessions of cardio, three sessions of resistance, two barre classes and even a stretch session all in one week. I really enjoyed the short, but intense, heavier weight-session I completed with dumbbells this week, which was my only 30 minutes of working out alone outside of the group setting this week. My upper-body was pretty sore from it, so I know I had the rep range and weight selection right. This week was good for me, because I didn’t go overboard with extra classes, and I even took a full day of rest.
What could have been better in my week of workouts?
For the past few weeks, I’ve been great about getting in one session of yoga, which I didn’t do this week. In fact, I struggled yesterday with the thought of doing an at-home yoga workout or taking a full rest day. In the end, the full rest day won out. But I did stretch plenty with the T25 DVD, so I’ll let the void of yoga slide for this week. However, I had a major fail on Friday. Right after I finished teaching BODYPUMP that evening, I went to meet Dave and a couple of his coworkers in the City at a bar. Sneakers, sweaty clothes and backpack in tow, Dave and I went to a sushi dinner together after we left the bar. So by the time we got home, I showered and put away my things, I completely neglected my usual stretching and foam rolling session post-BODYPUMP, which I always do when I get home. I woke up pretty stiff on Saturday morning and didn’t feel great at the start of teaching BODYATTACK. But I eventually loosened up and was sure to recover after that last workout of the week.
Oh well! That’s it folks, be sure to stop by again soon for some fun posts completely unrelated to fitness. And I’ll leave you with this thought of the day: Get up and move a little. It’s that easy. Take a walk, stretch your chest while standing in a doorway, just move around every once in a while. Believe me, you’ll feel better.
Questions of the day
What’s one way you’ve been active lately? Did you have any highlights in your weekend? Do you ever go places in your sweaty workout clothes or is that just me?
Nice mix of workouts last week 🙂 My latest workout addiction is using my Bosu ball that my husband surprised me with for my birthday a few weeks ago. I love using it for cardio and strength workouts. I’m always running errands in my sweaty workout clothes … my husband thinks it’s disgusting but I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
We had a pretty low-key workout which was a nice change. The past few months have been go, go, go so it was nice to sit back and relax!
Hi Catherine, a bosu ball as a gift is so sweet. I love doing bosu ball burpees, but I don’t incorporate them that often. Glad you had a relaxing weekend!
Nice workout week! I should count the classes I teach as workouts. Spin I’m always super sweaty during. I’m trying to get in more runs which is proving difficult with my kids being sick…blah! I love ShaunT. Nothing but a “literal” butt kick.
Hi Renee! Yes, if you’re doing the workout, you’ve got to count it. I was definitely impressed with Shaun T and plan to give the 21-Day Fix workout a try this week, so we’ll see how that goes. Hope your kids get better soon. Have a good Monday.
Wow, your week of workouts was great.
I definitely have gone on 10-15 mile hikes, and then met up with other, non-sweaty, people for dinner. Fortunately, I think the west coast is pretty chill. I’ve seen a ton of other people dining in lululemon, nike, and more.
Hi Kay, I’d agree that the West Coast allows for sweaty people in workout clothes. People are always in workout clothes, whether they’ve actually exercised or not. 🙂
I high-fived Shaun T last weekend in Chicago at the Men’s Health Urbanathlon! I would love to check out his workout DVDs!
Hi Katie! That’s awesome! He’s pretty darn intense, so I’m interested to see him in a format outside of stretching.
I’ve never done any of Shaun Ts stuff but I have the Body Pump DVD through Beach Body and it’s great! I’m sure as an instructor you wouldn’t care much for them since you have a wide array of you own but I was still impressed with the quality.
Hi Sarah! I’ve never seen the at-home BODYPUMP, but I support any kind of DVD or program that gets people lifting weights. How often do you do it? I hear it’s pretty good!
Shaun T is awesome. I did his insanity workouts last year and I loved his teaching style. Plus he is great to look at 😉
Sounds like you had a great week of workouts, and as hard as I try, I do end up going places in sweaty workout clothes too!
Hi Alice, Yes it happens, and of course the Bay Area is very welcoming to casual attire. That’s awesome you’re into Shaun T and Insanity. That’s the program I need to try out next.
Oh my gosh, I always go out in sweaty workout clothes!! I try to ‘freshen’ up before leaving the gym but sometimes I figure if I’m out already I better run around doing errands before showering and ‘getting pretty’. Plus most times I’m coming home right after the gym to walk the dog…and that requires some mud, dirt and sweat..so why not just add to it! 😉
Hi Fiona! I totally agree. I always walk to and from the gym anyways, so errands in my sweaty clothes is a natural progression. Happy Monday:)
I am all about wearing workout clothes everywhere (even if I haven’t worked out). So much more comfortable and so easy….plus, I fit in with everyone in the Marina that way 🙂
Hi Brittney,
Thanks for stopping by. And yes, people in the Marina are always in workout gear. I wear gym clothes nearly every single day and sometimes when I put on normal clothes I feel so confined hehehe 🙂
Nice mix of workouts! I think it’s cool that you look at the week and evaluate where you did well and where there could be improvement. Have a great week!
Thanks, Lauren. I’ve definitely been more careful about balancing my workouts throughout the week since I started this weekly feature. Have a great night!
BA!! Such a great class!!
I need more yoga type stuff in my life…..but when?! Haha
I know! It’s hard to fit it all in.
I’ve also been trying to do yoga weekly. I just can’t figure out why it’s so hard to prioritize and why I can’t get motivated to do it at home. Argh!
Hi Kelly! I know, it’s not easy to fit in yoga. It would be awesome to make it a regular date with a friend or something so you can’t skip. But I’ve resorted to at-home yoga to at least get some stretching in here and there.