I probably receive the most questions about this subject, so I wanted to make a place to direct you to for all the information on it.
One thing I’ve committed to long ago was moving my body everyday. It started out specifically for how I looked and that’s what had me motivated to keep going. I wanted to change the way I looked. As the years have gone by and I’ve changed, I work out for much different reasons now. I’ve learned that it makes me feel good, it makes me show up to life a better person. If I don’t show up and commit to this practice, then I can’t show up in ways that I do now as a mom, wife, friend, etc.
I think it’s important to also note that it takes time, practice and experimenting with what you like. What works for someone, might not work for you. Everyone has a different formula thats designed for them, and everyone likes to move their bodies in different ways. You have to experiment and figure out what you like and how you want to move your body every single day.
When I started, it was experimenting trying to look like a Victorias Secret model, shaming my body, punishing it for eating certain things and moving it as a form of punishment to control it to look a certain way.
Fast forward to now, I move my body how I love to as a way of celebrating my body for its health. I nourish my body now as a way of celebrating it giving me energy. I don’t starve myself as a form of punishment anymore.
Thats a different subject, but you get where I’m going. It takes time and experimenting, so if you haven’t found your thing yet, thats okay, keep going, keep experimenting and trying new things! This is a lifestyle change, not a fad, not a diet, not a quick fix, YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. This is something you will do forever. So always have that in the back of your mind. I sometimes will find myself falling back into the “oh no! Have I ate too much today?” trap, and can quickly pull myself out by giving myself grace that, number 1, I’m human, and number 2 our bodies need different things each day, and may be more hungry. It’s a gift to be able to eat and have an appetite, not a punishment.
Okay back to working out, I’m going off on a tangent. So I used to think you had to work out super hardcore everyday single day and be sweating buckets to see results, which is so wrong. Its the consistency of it all. It adds up over weeks, over months and over years. Every. Single. Bit. COUNTS. If you’re what I like to call “binge worker outer” I know those aren’t real words, but lets call it that. Say you’re a beginner and find a plan, and say “hey I want to look like her” you follow her plan , do exactly what it says and you haven’t worked out in a year, and this program is pretty advanced. You follow it and you’re so sore, its 6 days a week, you then get burnout because it’s too hard. You overcommit yourself. So you stop because it’s too hard for you and then you end up just stopping all together in general. You feel defeated. Killing your confidence, then lacking energy because you think you can’t do it. That is what I like to call a binge worker outer. This, my friends, is why a lot of people give up.
Start SMALL. You can’t do what (lets call her sally) sally does thats been working out 5+ years consistently. Dip your toes in, try 20 minutes of something 3x a week. Then gradually add things onto your schedule. You’ll start to build momentum this way and start to feel good, therefore giving you more confidence because you’re actually following through with your commitment. When you over commit, and take too big a bite off of more than you can chew, you’ll end feeling overwhelmed and quit. This is why taking baby steps towards your bigger goal is important.
Now I’m finally going to share with you my schedule. I wanted to share that story first, but just know that I’ve been in this game for 10+ years now of experimenting with different things, from types of exercises, how many times I worked out and for how long, from all types of different diets. The last 3 years I’ve really have figured out what I actually love and how I want to move my body.
Here is the rundown of what my weekly work out schedule looks like. I post most of my work outs on my fitness instagram @lovebylynnfitness, and currently working on a new website to launch this year on everything I do from diet, to exercise! Now, I don’t just “make it happen” I actually carve out time everyday for my practice because I know the mental shift that happens when I do. I feel so much better and can show up as the best version of me.
The schedule I’m about to show you is
Monday: Legs and Glutes
Tuesday: Biceps & Chest
Wednesday: Abs & Shoulders
Thursday: Back
Friday: Glutes & Abs
Saturday: Full Body
Sunday: Cardio & Stretching (walking at a incline, stair master, cycling)
So most of the work outs I do include cardio, but If I’m feeling a really good sweat dripping sesh, I’ll either go cycle on the weekends at the gym (because thats when Tj is home from work) or I’ll pull out my LOVE HIIT BODY GUIDE. Because hot damn that will kick your ass! I’ll usually walk at an incline on a treadmill at 11.0 and speed 3.5 for 10-20 minutes after my work out and answer emails and DM’s while I do it. Not everyday, but about 3x a week.
This is my perfect week, It’s not perfect all the time, but for the most part this is exactly how it looks. It doesn’t matter what order you put them in, just as long as you’re designating a day to focus on 1-2 muscle groups and exhausting those muscles with rep after rep. Every single week. That will give you the most results, at least from my experience. You don’t need fancy equipment to get a work out in, you don’t need much.
If you’re like me and have kids, make time every Sunday and write out your plan of the week, from what time, to whose watching the kids, or if you’re going to squeeze it in early in the morning before they wake or nap time. Then write out the muscle you’re going to work, save work outs on instagram to pull up and do. Then when you have your schedule done, make it non negotiable. You’re committed to that time and day. When it comes time to work out, don’t do anything else, but your work out, don’t text, don’t scroll through social media, time batch your 30 minutes and get it done.
Life happens too, so if your kids throw you through a loop and the time you were supposed to work out, your baby woke up. Thats okay, just do something more simple next to your baby while they’re playing. This has happened to me countless times, but I’ll always find a way to get it in, even if its just 10 minutes. I’m going to say this a thousand times, consistency is everything. AND TIME.
I’ll work out anywhere from 20 mins to 50 mins. It depends on the day, but it on average its about 30-40 mins. It’s about consistency. I get my work out done during Liv’s first nap of the day, and I’ll either have Oaks playing outside, or on his bike in our drive way, or he’s watching a show. Or I’ll get it in early around 7am while my husband is still home to watch Liv, Oaks is asleep until 9am.
EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS.
Put in the work, little by little, week after week, month after month. Be in it for the long haul. Change happens. Be patient, trust the process. Give yourself grace and the time. Big things don’t happen quickly. Little things everyday add up to the bigger goal. I’m telling you it’s so worth it! It gives me so much mental clarity and helps keep me in alignment with my highest self.
Another thing that helps me get to the gym or to my garage gym is saying to myself “I’m so proud of you for doing this, you’re one step closer!” and then celebrating that for yourself! It sounds cheesy, but it works.
I swear by this method and I keep learning more and more each week. I can’t wait to show you whats in store for LovebyLynn Fitness. I really really hope you guys enjoy it!
So my friends, show up for yourself, again and again…keep trying. Fall and then pick up the pieces, again and again, learn and experiment, try something new, keep going. Keep showing up for YOU. Because who else will?
I love this brand Strut This. I have so many of their pieces and they’re are one of my top favorites. So comfortable and snug in all the right places. I love a tight waist to suck it all in, especially if you’ve got a little lose skin from babies like me.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to read this post! Appreciate it so much.
xoxo,
Sara Lynn