Fitness Journey - Update
It’s been a while since I’ve written a fitness journey update. I wrote two blog posts about my fitness journey over the last decade. I have always had an on-and-off relationship with my fitness journey. When I say on and off, I mean an all-or-nothing mindset—all on or all off doing nothing. To read my journey thus far, check out my two previous posts written in October 2022.
Since then, I have been working on consistency with my workouts and nutrition. I have been working on improving my muscular foundation and cardiovascular endurance. I still struggle with the on-and-off situation but have been on it for the last two months. I am trying to listen to my body, take rest days when I need them, and take active rest days. I am more proud of myself and my progress in the last two months than during my entire fitness journey.
Workout Split -1st Month
I started by creating a fitness routine that helped build muscle endurance and habits of working out and consistency. I began with basic movements and low weights for muscle memory on all movement patterns.
For the first month, my workout split was as follows:
Sunday - cardio - even just a walk
Monday - unilateral upper body workout
Tuesday - unilateral quad-focused leg workout
Wednesday - cardio - even just a walk
Thursday - unilateral hamstring leg workout
Friday - bilateral upper body workout
Saturday - cardio - even just a walk
I began every workout with a stability/mobility warmup and a core workout.
Workout Split -2nd Month
I adjusted my workout for the 2nd Month, adding in more cardio. I am currently working through the Nike Running Club app 18-week training for a marathon program, which provides five runs a week, which is perfect for what I am doing with my strength training. It was a bit of a struggle the first couple of weeks to get into a good routine, but I have something solid down that works SO well for me.
I began every workout with a stability/mobility warmup and a core workout.
Sunday - cardio - recovery run in the Nike Running Club app - typically 20-30 minutes. I will choose the longest recovery run from the week and schedule it for Sunday. Then yoga and stretches.
Monday - unilateral hamstring leg workout - no cardio
Tuesday - unilateral upper body workout and recovery run 20-25 minutes typically
Wednesday - cardio - Speed run - usually 20-30 minutes alternating between hard and easy running, then yoga and stretching.
Thursday - unilateral quad-focused leg workout - no cardio
Friday - bilateral upper body workout and recovery run 20-25 minutes typically
Saturday - cardio - long run - each week, it increases the distance in preparation for the marathon distance
Workout Split -3rd Month
I am beginning the 3rd Month this week, and I made some changes to each workout by increasing the weights and some exercises, but the overall workout split is exactly the same. I added more chest exercises on my upper body day as that is where my weakness is.
I am very proud of my progress thus far in maintaining consistency. I have taken some days off entirely due to how much energy I have had based on how I slept and recovered from the day before. I have taken time to stretch and walk as I have less energy but more than how I feel when I take an entire day off. But I try not to completely take more than two days in a row off. But I am listening to my body.
The all-or-nothing mindset is still VERY prevalent, but I know rest and recovery are so important. I try to remind myself of this.
Today as I write this, it is Thursday, and I should do a unilateral quad-focused leg day, but I have had zero energy to do a workout all day. I do not think that I am going to work out. It is a struggle in my brain to take the day off. But I know I will benefit from taking the day off and allowing my body to rest and recover.
Also, I have been documenting my whole marathon training journey on social media - mainly on Tiktok and Instagram Reels. But I post it on all platforms that allow short-form content. My socials are linked at the top of this page if you want to follow my journey.
Nutrition
I have learned that tracking my food is not helpful to my overall mental health. SO I stopped tracking completely. I always feel super down on myself if I veer off my plan for the day. Then I go off it entirely and end up severely overeating.
So what I do now I make sure dinner has leftovers for lunch the next day and then have a couple of snacks throughout the day. I have had a much better experience approaching my nutrition this way. Strict tracking is not for me. So a cut/bulk situation may not be something I will be doing during my fitness journey.
Sleep
I am utilizing my Oura Ring to track my sleep and overall recovery. I use it more as a guide in conjunction with how I feel that day. Like today, it shows I should feel recovered, but I do not feel good at all. So I’m taking a rest day like I said earlier.
But I am focusing on creating a nighttime routine with my skincare and giving myself time to read and fall asleep when needed. So I need to wake up at 430am to have time to give my everything in my workout and get ready for work before I have to leave. So I try to go to sleep by 830.
I have had some trouble falling asleep this past week, so I am working on trying to turn that around. I think I have spent too much time scrolling my phone in bed that my brain is not associating the time with sleep. So I am working on not scrolling my phone and reading my book for a while. If it’s longer than 30 minutes, I will lay in another room reading until I feel sleepy again before returning to bed.
How I am feeling
Overall, I am feeling good about my progress. I wish it were faster, but the only way it would be faster is if I was strict with my nutrition, and I am not doing that. So it is okay.
I have PR’s in many exercises and run the longest distance than ever. I have the best cardiovascular endurance I have ever had in my lifetime.
Overall I am very proud of my progress. My overall mental health has improved, my strength is increasing, and I can run longer distances without any struggles. I am proud of the consistency and routines that I am working on.
If you are here and reading this, you are interested in your health and fitness and subscribed to My Active Life Members. That is so good; I am so excited for you! Taking care of your body is the best thing you can do for yourself in the present and the long term.
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for”
— unknown
I find that quote so inspiring. Hard work will pay off in the future, but you also have to live in the moment, and I feel like taking care of yourself is doing both. You are doing good for yourself now as well as for your future self.
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