But as I enjoyed Cheerios for one this morning, I was reminded that that was exactly the reason I didn't set specific goals other than feeling prepared to complete the course. So I took inventory of the past couple of weeks. Am I choosing to eat less "bad" food and more "good" food? Yes. Am I getting a solid workout four days out of the week, even if it's not Friday-Tuesday? Usually. Am I drinking more water? Heck yeah. I am on track, folks. I'm chugging along below the speed limit, but I'm still on the track.
I don't like specific diets for the same reason I hate the stupid phrase "No matter how slow you're going, you're still lapping everyone on the couch." (<-- if you've ever posted that on your wall, I've probably cringed) Just like comparison never fails to make you feel worse about yourself (comparing your job, looks, talents, etc. to someone else), comparing your fitness goals to someone else won't be a solid motivator or make you feel any better about what YOU'RE doing. Following a regimen and not taking into account YOUR lifestyle is still just like trying to follow someone else's fitness goal. At least, it is in my mind.
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| jumping off my soapbox... from Life With My Special Ks |
One of my favoritest ways to work out is to do high intensity interval training (HIIT). I started following Jillian Michaels' routines last year and I saw amazing transformation that I had never seen before. The idea is that you do quick workouts at different intensities so that your heart rate is constantly changing. You also work multiple muscle groups at a time with her workouts. Tabata is a variation of HIIT. With tabata training, the intervals of intensity have a longer duration than your periods of rest, whereas HIIT intervals of work and rest are usually the same amount of time. Tabata training is usually done with just free weights and/or body weight, but the same benefits apply when done in a cardio workout.
I often look for different workouts on Pinterest to keep my workout routine anything but routine. But I also enjoy creating my own workouts based on the principles I know. Today I had a great easy-intermediate tabata treadmill workout. It went something like this:
(bear with my formatting ignorance...)
| Time | Incline | Speed |
| 0-3:00 | 1 | 3.5 |
| 3:00-5:00 | 8 | 4 |
| 5:00-5:30 | 1 | 3 |
| 5:30-6:30 | 1 | 6 |
| 6:30-7:00 | 1 | 3 |
| 7:00-9:00 | 8 | 4.3 |
| 9:00-9:30 | 1 | 3 |
| 9:30-10:30 | 1 | 6 |
| 10:30-11:30 | 1 | 3 |
Repeat 3:00-11:30 until you complete 30 minutes.
Cool down for 5 minutes.
On the last stretch of any workout I always push myself just a little harder. I can hear coaches throughout my lifetime reminding me that you tell your body when you're done (or other coaches that took a slightly different approach: if you slow down before you cross the finish line, we're doing this whole set over again).
My encouragement to you is that no matter where you are on your fitness journey, 1) you have to actually get started! and 2) you tell your body when you're done. Yes, you're going to feel tired. But that mental game is tougher to beat than the physical one. If your body wants to quit, raise the incline. When you honestly believe there is no possible way that you can finish your set, give yourself 30 more seconds. For me, this kind of attitude makes all the difference during a workout... and it's the most important part of the TM training!
