Life Outside Of Teaching: Hobby #1 Continued

My After School Workout Routine Continued:

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! I am going to begin my blog post by continuing to discuss one of my favorite activities to do outside of teaching which is working out. In my last blog post, I left off by sharing my after school routine, my pre-workout snack, the online workout program that I use, and a sample lift schedule. I have tried out many programs that can be found on the Beach Body website however, LIIFT MORE was by far my favorite lifting program. If you are someone like me that gets bored easily of doing the same lifts every week, I recommend looking into joining an online workout program as these videos show you exactly what to do. I find the personal training instructors to be super motivating and always push everyone to do their best. If I find that the instructor is going too fast, I have the flexibility to pause the video and go at my own pace which is helpful. In the next section, I will go into more detail about how I begin my workout, how many exercises I do for each muscle group, explain the number of sets and reps I do for each workout. 

Step #1: Remember to Stretch!

Besides fueling your body with a pre-workout snack that is nutritious, I cannot stress how important it is to stretch before lifting weights. Stretching is the best way to loosen your muscles and I find it improves how I perform during a workout. I injured my shoulder last year so this is something that I always take the time to do especially on any arm days. Aside from stretching, I believe it is helpful to do warmups that get your heart rate up. Most workout videos I have done almost always begin by having me complete a HIIT (high intensity interval training) exercise. A few of my favorite warmups include jogging in place, butt kicks, squat jumps, and jumping jacks. What I love about these warmups is they are quick and only last about thirty seconds long. If you need new HIIT warmups before your next workout, feel free to write down the ones that I mentioned above and set a timer for about thirty seconds for each one.

Step #2: Reps and Sets

Before I share a sample leg day workout, I want to break quickly go over what sets and reps mean in lifting terms. After researching the best way to break this down to someone who is not familiar with these terms, Planet Fitness's website explains what each of these terms mean in simple terms. The number of reps that I typically do for each workout is between ten and twelve reps. For example, if I have eight leg exercises, I always do three sets of ten or twelve which means I do ten repetitions for three rounds. Below, I have included a sample leg workout that I encourage you all to try out if you are a big fan of leg day like me. Although the videos that I use have eight leg workouts, my example includes six. I am happy to explain any of these workouts in more detail, please do not hesitate to comment if you have any questions. I will also include a video link to each workout so it is easier to see how each exercise is performed.

 

Sample Leg Day Lift (Hamstrings & Glutes):

-Stiff Leg Dumbbell Deadlift (3x12)

-Alternate Front Stepping Dumbbell Lunges (3x12)

-Single Leg Deadlift (3x12)

-Frog Bridge (3x12)

-Sumo Squats (3x12)

-Bench Hip Thrusts (3x12)

Step #3: Post-Workout Routine

I always love to end my workouts by doing a walk outside or on the treadmill depending on the weather. I prefer walking outside whether it be with my Golden Doodle Bailey, family members, or friends! In a future blog of mine, I plan on sharing some pictures from one of my favorite hikes that I did in Arizona! Until next time, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! :)