So I think the last time I posted my workout routine was 3 years ago when I wrote about how I lost 30lbs. But just like my life, it’s gone through a few drastic changes, so here’s an updated one!
Back then, I was a die-hard cycling class fanatic, going almost everyday, and then of course weight training a few times a week, because that was back when huge asses were still all the rage. And by the way, huuuge thanks to social media for making body types a trend like they’re some kind of commodity and for fueling my body dysmorphia that I’ll probably never heal from! But anyway, back in good ‘ole 2020 when everyone was like soo happy and the world was absolutely thrivinggg, I was obsessed with high-intensity workouts. Probably because I had an unhealthy amount of rage stored in my body, itching to be released and stomped out on those poor stationary bike petals. Going to those classes was like going to therapy. They were completely mandatory for the sake of maintaining my sanity, which is why I loved them so much.
But these days, I’m feeling quite calm. Most days. So now, the cycling classes just don’t hit like they used to. So I began dabbling into different forms of workouts. Megaformer pilates, mat pilates, barre, HIIT classes. And then finally yoga. Yoga came last. Because after years of repeatedly trying to love it in the past, I never could. In high school, college, and during quarantine, I would always go through phases where I was like, “Ok! I’m going to give yoga another chance!”, I wanted to be one of those chill, hot and bendy yoga girls soo badly. So I’d open up Youtube, search “yoga workout”, and click on the video with the hottest girl in the thumbnail. Preferably one with a duration of 15 minutes or less. I set out my yoga mat and gave it a go. But here’s the thing. I’m an extremelyyy impatient person. I know because my mom would always tell me this growing up. And I get bored incredibly easily. Like, if I’m not entertained within the first 7 seconds of anything, a volcanic wave of anger will flood into my entire body. And the yoga workouts were so. fucking. slow. I know yoga is supposed to make you feel soo calm and at peace, but no. They filled me with complete rage. I found myself verbally assaulting the instructor through the screen. We’d be in one pose for 10 seconds, and I’m in it like, “Oh my god OK! Get to it! Can we please fucking move already??” I lasted about 3 minutes into the workout until I aggressively grabbed the remote and hit the power button. So, evidently, I came to the conclusion that I hated yoga.
The gym I go to offers quite the variety of workout classes. Pilates, barre, cycling, HIIT, strength training. There’s even one called “Best Butt Ever” which I obviouslyyy attended. And of course, yoga. I went to all the classes, tried every single one, except yoga.
And then, one day, while I was browsing the class schedule, the yoga class was like heyyy to my brain. So I was like, “UGH! Fine! Why the fuck not. Since you’re begging me.” Because I had only experienced yoga through video format, this would be my first live, in-person class. So I went. And…I hate to say it, but it was life-changing. Like, I actually finished the class, which was an entire hour. Walked out the door being like, “Hmm I think I’ll be a good person today:)” And of course I usually am a good person! Outwardly. Inwardly I’m like, “God I hate people” the minute someone does or says something even slightly annoying. The class was “vinyasa” yoga, which I had never tried before, and I also didn’t know what the fuck vinyasa meant when I signed up. But it was so flowy, and it connected our breath to every movement. And holyshit, I neeeeded that. One time, an acupuncturist told me I’m a “shallow breather”. Not as in, I’m someone who breathes and is shallow. My college dating history is proof I’m not! But I do take small breaths when I breathe. Sometimes I’ll even start coughing out of nowhere because my body won’t breathe (concerning? but ignoring). But this class made me consciously aware of my breathing. I didn’t realize how much the way you breathe affects how you feel. Yoga became my new form of therapy. It became what cycling used to be for me. And of course when my selective ass finally finds something I actually like, I slightly obsess over it. But this is a healthy obsession, because it’s my main form of exercise that I do throughout the week.
It’s weird because even though my workout routine now is significantly less intense than what it used to be, I’m the leanest I’ve ever been. This time last year I was doing two 50 minute cycling classes a day but was so much…fluffier? than I am now. I did some research (like the intellectual I am) and found out that cortisol most likely played a huge role in that. Those vigorous cycling classes shot my cortisol/stress up. And with the added component of overexercising, my body never got a chance to relax. It was stuck in fight-or-flight survival mode. So, in response, my body held onto any fat I had. But now that my body feels “safe”, it’s able to actually function the way it’s supposed to yayyy thank you body:)
So here’s what my current workout routine looks like:
Monday – power vinyasa yoga class
- 1 hr
- more intense/strength-focused than regular vinyasa
Tuesday – light leg day
- 30-45mn
- focused on single-leg exercises (lunges, split squats, one-legged RDL’s, cable kickbacks)
- 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
- I also use lighter weights but go super slow through the movements to reaaally feel it
Wednesday – either a rest day or 1hr of moderate cardio
- moderate cardio is on either a treadmill or stationary bike
- treadmill settings: pace: 3.3 incline: 5.5 (I don’t like super high inclines, because it spikes my cortisol and I’m just trying to chill while getting some movement in)
- bike settings: light to moderate resistance with a fast-ish pace
Thursday – either 1hr of moderate cardio or power vinyasa yoga
- (explained above)
Friday – leg day
- moderate weights, I never really go super heavy anymore
- hip thrusts, glute bridges, leg press, squats, RDL’s, hamstring curls
- 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
- 35-50mn
Saturday – vinyasa yoga
- 1hr classic flowy vinyasa yoga
Sunday – either vinyasa yoga or a rest day
- (explained above)
And that’s it!! I’ve been working out consistently for 10 years, since I was 16, and have tried just about every type of exercise/workout class, and I go through phases. But this is what I’m currently enjoying the most. And that’s the most important thing, just find whatever you like the most and do it:) inspirationallll