My Fitness Journey

Ok, so….I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time – today I’m sharing the details of my fitness journey that started back in November 2017. I’m hoping this serves as a source of information and potentially motivation for your fitness journey. Now I’ve always been a “fit” person naturally – I’ve been a dancer my whole life and always used that as a crutch. I really didn’t start working out in combination with dancing until I was about 22 – that was when I started to see a difference in how my eating habits impacted my weight. 

I never really thought that I needed to workout since I always had dance to fall back on – even worse, I didn’t think I was going to find a workout that would kick my butt like a ballet class could. November of 2017 was the first time I heard about BBG – apparently I was super late to the game! I felt like everyone and their mother would say “oh yea, I’ve done that workout before”. At the time I was coaching a high school dance team back in Chicago and thought it would a great program for the team to do together – 28 minute workouts sounded efficient and the results that people shared online were amazing.[ezcol_1half][/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end] [/ezcol_1half_end] Well, the rest is history and here I am one year and two months later – now I can’t imagine a life without it. AND thank you to those who submitted questions on things they wanted to know! Hopefully you’ll find your replies below!

WHY BBG?

I loved the idea that everything lived in an app and that the system held me accountable. It seemed easy, approachable and wouldn’t be something that would completely throw my life routine off. The commitment: three – four days a week for 27 minutes – easy! When I first started the program, a lot of people would tell me that they quit just after four weeks – that it was too hard to keep up with or it wasn’t motivating enough. Well, the program really benefits those who are self-motivated. Don’t expect to have someone yelling at you through your phone telling you to get out of bed – only you can do that.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THE PROGRAM – DOES IT OFFER A VARIETY OF EXERCISES

I started the program back in November of 2017 and never looked back. Don’t wait for the new year or some other moment in your life to start, cause you know what? There is never a good time to start something. I started the program right before Thanksgiving, Christmas and a two week trip to Africa and I still made it work. The great thing about the BBG OG program is that it requires minimal gym equipment and can be done anywhere. I did a workout in my dads office and used books for a step. 

The programs offer a variety of exercises that will come up again and again, so just get used to that. Each program is broke out in to thirds – four week sets. Within each four week set, week 1 + 3 are the same workouts and week 2 + 4 are the same workouts. Does that make sense? 

DO YOU ONLY DO KAYLA OR OTHER INSTRUCTORS FROM THE APP

Here is a quick look at the BBG programs I have done so far and my review of them:

• BBG 1.0 {Coach: Kayla Itsines | Hand weights, mat, jumprope required | 27 min workouts }
  • This is the original program, with Kayla, that can be done at home with minimal equipment. Be prepared to meet your match with burpees! There is a lot of jumping in this program, but jumping gets the job done! You will 100% see results at the end of the 12 weeks and you will be beyond surprised with what your body is capable of by the end of the program! 
• PWR 1.0 {Coach: Kelsey Wells | Gym Equipment Required | 45 min workouts }
  • This is a weight lifting based program. It’s less circuit training and more pyramid based. That means that you get an exercise and have to complete 15 reps 3x – each time you add more weight. By the end of the program I saw a lot of muscle definition, but there is minimal cardio in the workouts and they take almost 45 min to complete.
• BBG Stronger 1.0 – 3.0 {Coach: Kayla Itsines | Gym Equipment Required | 27 min workouts }
  • I have done this program consecutively for the last 9 months and found it to be the MOST effective program. Not only does it combine the intense cardio from the original BBG, but it adds the weight training elements from the PWR program. Doing this program requires a little planning as it requires the use of gym equipment. I’d recommend not starting this program until you have completed BBG 1.0. 

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MY WEEKLY SCHEDULE + MORE

When you start something new or are trying to create a new habit, it’s important to not overwhelm yourself – instead of thinking that you need to complete a 12 week program, think about completing one week at a time to give yourself those “mini wins”. Week by week the program will become more manageable and achievable! In today’s overachieving society it’s hard not to go in to something with that “all or nothing” attitude, but in reality, changing your life overnight isn’t feasible.

Every Sunday night, I map out my week from errands, work, social events, to my workouts and set meeting invites for myself so that I’m held accountable. This way, I’ve “made the time” for the workout and will need to commit to that time.

Below is quick snap of what my workouts look like for the week – they are completed at varying times each week pending on my schedule. 

WHAT TIME OF DAY DO YOU COMPLETE YOUR WORKOUTS

This is all dependent on my week, BUT I base all my workout planning on my energy levels. I know that my energy levels are high in the morning, cause I’m a morning person, so I schedule MANY of my workouts in the morning. Mondays I save for ABS + the BBG Challenge – those two workouts combined take me about an hour. Knowing that, I complete those workout after work so that I don’t feel rushed in the morning. If / when you starting blocking your week, set yourself up for success and plan based on when you know you’ll have the time and most importantly, the energy!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE HIIT WORKOUTS

To keep myself engaged each week, I “treat” myself to two workouts outside of my BBG resistance and cardio training – one cardio (SoulCycle) and one HIIT (Orange Theory). As a former dancer, SoulCycle is a BLAST – it’s a cardio escape with amazing music and all the feels. They do offer their version of HIIT called Soul Activate which I’ve taken here and there. My recommendation –  find a teacher you like that gives you what you need to push yourself and stick with them!

For HIIT, my husband and I go to Orange Theory together – it’s our weekly thing that we do together and also serves as my HIIT for the week. Barry’s Bootcamp is opening in Seattle in a few months, so I’ll likely swap back and forth between the two. Barry’s Bootcamp is insane and soooooo good!

BUT, if the goal is to make it easy, do it home and not spend money, there are so many other options. One that I’m interested in trying is Obé Fitness – it’s a streaming service that gives you access to variety of different classes, all that can be done at home. They have a free trial period and the monthly fee seems affordable!

HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED

I thought this would be easier to address than it is, but truthfully, it’s hard to answer. Initially I started BBG to help me get stronger and more defined in my muscles. Little did I know that it would completely become part of my life the way it did. Working out more frequently changed my views on a lot of things – eating, clean beauty and even deodorant. I was inspired to make so many changes for the better – changes that I knew I could make and manage, because of how it all made me feel.

The workouts feel less and less like a chore and more like second nature – time blocking my workouts has REALLY helped with this. My workouts before were always an after thought or if I had 30 minutes here or there for the elliptical. I stay motivated because the alternative is not doing anything – that mixed with guilt is a terrible combo that I don’t want to experience. Going back to giving yourself those “mini wins” and making your change achievable, look at each workout for what it is – just a little time out of your day.

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MUST-HAVE BEAUTY PRODUCTS (post-workout)

Since I workout 5 days a week, and mostly in the morning, I don’t have time to wash my hair every time. I typically wash my hair Monday after my AB workout and then on Friday after my SoulCycle workout. Tuesday – Thursday I become one with my dry shampoo – I SWEAR by the DryBar Detox Dry Shampoo. There aren’t many products that I re-purchase on a consistent basis, but this is one. When I workout, I try to keep my hair in a high pony so that the top layer of my hair is somewhat protected. Following my workout, I will dry it and then add dry shampoo – in seconds it’s all like new!

If I don’t have the time to shower, yes that happens, I’ll use these body wipes. Call it what you want, but I’d rather the workout versus the shower 🙂 These shower sheets make for a close second to a shower and work for when you are on the go! The Clarsonic is my go-to after a workout – it’s important to make sure you’ve cleaned your sweat off before putting on your make-up for the day. No one has time for pimples! For that extra inch of cleanliness, I like using these bio-peel pads – they are really great and mild on your skin!

FAVORITE FITNESS BRANDS

There are so many fitness brands that are out there and to be honest, I like them all. I like shopping at a variety of different places so that I can try different fabrics and styles. I know what works for certain workouts and what doesn’t. For example, I won’t wear a cotton legging to Soul Cycle. Why? Because I have walked out of there after a class with a big ole sweat stain on my crotch – cute right? I save the cotton based leggings for the BBG (resistance) workouts and the lyrca spandex for the cardio ad HIIT classes.

Touché LA has THE cutest sets – yes, they are pricey, I only own one, but I wear it all the time! I’ve washed it a ton of times and the material has still held up! There is no doubt that what Lululemon makes is great, but it’s just not practical all the time. If I go shopping there I focus on purchasing what I need and what I know works. Their high-waisted leggings are BY FAR the best leggings I’ver tried for a few reasons – 1) the fit is impecable, the waist band stays put and 2) the material lasts through anything! Below I’ve put together some of my favorite brands and pieces right now!

Shop some of my favorite activewear items under $50 HERE at MY SHOP or below:

Ok, here is a quick list of my favorite go-to brands for workout gear:

• Touché LA and here
• Bandier
• Carbon 38
• Target
• TJ Maxx
• Outdoor Voices 

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SHOP THE LOOK:

Nike Sports Bra | High-Waisted Leggings | Nike Air Max 270