Workouts

How lucky are we that we have the choice to move our bodies in ways we love!

01
Form

02
Intensity/effort

03
Consistency

These are just three factors of working out that I would like to highlight before we begin (you can find more on the tips and reminders page!)

01

Form

Form is listed number one here for a reason! In my opinion, it is one of the most important components of exercise. I want you to think of your form as the foundation of a building, without a solid foundation everything you’re trying to build will crumble. This means that without proper form you cannot build sustainable strength and you can bring yourself into a higher risk for injuries/pain. Having proper form is what’s gonna help the exercises you’re doing actually work for your body instead of against it. In the long run having proper form is going to lead to better results, lower injury risk, improved body awareness, consistency, etc. The goal isn’t just to do the movement, it’s to do it well. With that being said, good form isn’t about looking perfect, but if you’re feeling the exercise everywhere except the target muscle, reset and try again.

02

Intensity/effort

Next up, the intensity/effort you put into each workout. Now, you do not need to feel insanely sore and exhausted after every single workout for it to count as a “good workout”, this can actually be counterproductive, especially when our goal is consistency and reaping the mental benefits. In order to see progress in your fitness journey, it is very beneficial to put solid effort into progressing your weights and feeling muscular discomfort, but I want you to try and use the mindset of just showing up no matter what and giving it 100%. Even if you’re showing up feeling only about 30%, give 100% of that 30%. This allows us to step away from an all or nothing mindset (see tips and reminders for more info) and into a mindset that supports consistency and longevity.

03

Consistency

Last, but definitely not least, is consistency. Consistency is where you’re gonna see all the mental and physical progress. This does NOT mean you need to be perfect every single day. Your body and mind respond to what you do repeatedly, not just every once in a while. One hard workout won’t change you, but missing one day won’t either. Results will come from the habits you repeat week after week. I wanted to highlight motivation vs consistency here as well. Motivation is a temporary feeling that can be super strong sometimes and a flat line the next, consistency is repeating actions regardless of your mood. This is where you can ask yourself some questions in order to keep your consistency alive, here are some of my favourites :)

  • Will I regret skipping this more than doing it?

  • What’s the smallest version of this workout I can do today?

  • If I only had 10 minutes, what could I do?

  • What would future me thank me for?

  • Does this workout need to be perfect to count?

  • What’s better zero effort or partial effort?

  • How will I feel when I finish it?

Now into the juicy stuff…

I’m going to have these workouts split into upper, lower, and full body strength workouts! I will also have sections for beginner workouts and then intermediate/advanced to allow you to better integrate these into your journey no matter where you’re starting from.

For most of these workouts all you’ll need is some dumbbells/barbell and a yoga mat (if anything else is needed it will be listed) I want these workouts to be as accessible and simple as possible. All workouts will be set + rep based! This allows us to introduce progressive overload and really see if our weight choice is correct for the movements we’re doing.

You may be asking, well how do I know where to start? Which weights should I choose for each exercise? That’s where experimenting comes in! Within your workout you can use the first set of each

  • Reps (repetitions) = amount of times a single exercise is done (6-10 squats)

    • These will always be shown as a range (6-10, 8-12, 12-15, etc.)

    Sets = a group of reps (3 sets of 6-10 squats)

    • This will be shown as 3×12

      • 12 squats, rest, 12 squats, rest, 12 squats, rest = 3 sets of 12 squats

    These workouts will differ with how long they take, depending on how long your reps take to complete and how much rest you take, but I generally try to aim to program 35-45 minute workouts.

  • You may be asking, well how do I know where to start? Which weights should I choose for each exercise? That’s where experimenting comes in!

    Each exercise will have a rep range that you want to fall into. With those ranges I never really want you to reach that top number and breeze all the way through, you want to aim to get to around the middle of that range.

    Let’s use our example of 3×6-10 squats

    • If you breeze through all the way to that tenth rep and think “I could’ve done more” → increase your weights slightly

    • If you struggle to get that sixth rep in and are crawling around feeling like you’re about to die → decrease your weights slightly

    • If you get to that eighth rep and think “that was super challenging and if I pushed super hard I probably could’ve gotten one more rep in” → keep your weights where they are!

    Key signs that it’s time to increase your weights:

    1. Your form is correct and feels good for your body (if not please reach out to me!)

    2. You’re consistently getting to the last rep in your range and thinking you could’ve given it more

    3. You finish all your sets and feel like you still have a LOT left in the tank

    Key signs it’s NOT time to increase weights:

    1. Your form is breaking down

    2. You’re compensating with other muscles (lower back)

    3. You’re lessening your range of motion (depth) for the sake of heavier weights

    4. Your current weight choice is still challenging

    With all that being said, some days you may need to use lighter weights and some days you may feel super strong and want to use heavier weights. The most important thing to focus on is that the exercises still feel challenging and you’re still showing up!

  • This is very individual, but I want to give you some example schedules to help you navigate adding these into your journey! A good rule of thumb is to try and work each muscle group 2-3 times/week anything beyond that isn’t super necessary or beneficial. Something I’d also like to highlight, especially for your professions, is structured flexibility. Nothing is set in stone. If you can’t fit your workout in one day then move it to the next and adjust your week accordingly!

    Beginner

    • Just starting can be intimidating enough and we don’t want to go from one end of the spectrum (no training) to the other end of the spectrum (training everyday). Small changes are going to be the most sustainable ones!

    • I highly recommend a 2-3 day training split when you’re just starting out. Here’s some of my recommendations.

      • 2-3 full body days/week

        • Ex/ Monday- full body, Tuesday- rest, Wednesday- full body, Thursday- rest, Friday- full body, Saturday + Sunday- rest

        • Always try to take a rest day from weights after your full body session to allow your body to recover for the next session

        • Feel free to make any of the rest days an active rest day by adding in some moderate intensity cardio! Try to keep one day a full rest day to allow your body and nervous system to recover :).

      • 1 upper, 1 lower, 1 full body days

        • Ex/ Monday- Lower body, Tuesday- rest, Wednesday- upper body, Thursday- rest, Friday- full body, Saturday + Sunday- rest

        • This can really be structured however you’d like. Generally, we like to have a rest day before and after your full body days. It’s also recommended to do your lower day before your upper day since we tend to lift heavier on lower body days and don’t want our upper body being sore to hold us back. BUT, it’s really not that deep. Whichever way works for you is the way to go!

    • The best option is going to be the one you’ll enjoy the most and that you’ll stick to!

You got this!

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You got this! 〰️

Full Body Workouts

1
2

Lower Body Workouts

1

Affirmations (sneaking these in here again) :)

    • I am ready to step into my power

    • I am willing to be uncomfortable if it helps me achieve my goals

    • I am building my future and I know this takes time

    • I realize the best way to reach my goals is to discipline my mind

    • I have the power within me to achieve amazing things

    • I believe in myself and my ability to reach my full potential

    • I give up the safety of staying comfortable, and I’m excited about the risks that come with changing

    • I genuinely wish to grow and learn

    • I trust in my ability to succeed

    • What I do has meaning

    • I prioritize my future happiness over today’s comfort

    • I am incredibly proud of my capacity for changes

    • I do what brings me happiness

    • I have the power to overcome all challenges, obstacles, and difficulties

    • I refuse to let anyone hold me back, especially myself

    • I refuse to be deterred by setbacks and view them as learning opportunities on the way to my goals

    • I maintain my discipline, even when progress is slow

    • I am committed to doing something new every day to improve myself

    • I put my energy into things that matter

    • Exercise is improving my mental health, too

    • I am proud of every good choice I make for my body

    • I am in control of the choices I make for y body

    • I make a new healthy choice everyday

    • I am making incredible progress toward a fitter, healthier version of myself

    • I am proud of my body for all the incredible processes it achieves everyday

    • I love how exercise boosts my mood

    • A short workout is better than no workout when I am running low on time

    • I am proud of my commitment to fitness

    • I am worthy of feeling and looking my best

    • Every workout makes me stronger and more resilient

    • I have the power to change my body

    • Exercise is a beautiful way of expressing gratitude to my body

    • My body is strong and healing

    • I am loving my healthier lifestyle

    • I choose to be active because it makes me feel good

    • I feel better when I nourish my body with healthy foods

    • I make myself a priority

    • I am making healthy choices for my future

    • Exercising gives me confidence

    • I am creating a new fitness habit and that takes time

    • Small progress is still progress

    • Big changes come from small steps

    • I care for my body so it can care for me

    • I am proud of myself for each goof choice, big or small, that I make for my body

    • My body deserves love just as it is

    • I am beautifully and wonderfully made

    • I work on loving my body more everyday

    • My body is healthy and strong

    • I focus on activities that make me and my body happy

    • I love and accept my body just as it is

    • My body is an instrument, not an ornament

    • I am incredibly proud of my body for all it has gone through and overcome

    • I respect my body’s need to rest

    • I let my body know how much I love and appreciate it

    • I am grateful for the body I have and that it allows me to hug my loved ones

    • I am proud of my body for what it accomplishes

    • I take care of my body with love

    • My body is perfect in its own way and doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s

    • I am worthy of love for my inner and outer beauty

    • I am the proud owner of an incredibly generous heart and beautifully flawed body

    • I deserve to feel proud of how I think, look, and act

    • I love ho strong and resilient my body feels

    • I love my body because it’s mine

    • This body is my forever home, and I cherish it

    • I invest in the health of my mind and body