adidas Routine Refresh - Keep your Body Guessing

Now that the weather is getting colder in Michigan I have to bring all of my workouts inside. Bundling up in layers and going out for a winter run is not appealing to me. I rather get a good sweat on indoors!

As you know from other posts of mine, I LOVE kettlebells. I discovered kettlebells about 4 years ago and haven’t turned back since. It only took me 28 years to find a sport that I love! Year round, I mix in cardio, circuit training and weight lifting with my ketttlebell workouts. I like to keep my body guessing as to what kind of workout it’s going to get. This can also be referred to as ‘muscle confusion,’ which basically means to constantly change up your workout routine so that your muscles are always exposed to a new stimulus (as defined on fitjerk.com). 

I not only like to keep my body guessing, but it’s also fun to switch it up! Here are a few example workouts….

Circuit training

The gym my husband and I belong to, Funk Fitness, has circuit training classes a few times a week. A workout usually consists of body weight movements, kettlebells, TRX, ropes and big tires. We usually spend about 20-40 seconds on each move, with a 10 second rest, and then repeat 4-8 times (depending on how many stations there are and how many people show up). It’s a ton of fun, and a great way to incorporate new moves into your workout.

Kettlebells

I’m currently training for a competition (Worlds Kettlebell Competition) and I’m less than a month away! My workouts right now consist of competition training, using my competition size bell (16kg) to do long cardio sets and a heavier bell to build strength.

Indoor cycling

I’m certified through my work, so I can only teach spin to my coworkers. This is the best cardio…for me. I can’t run for hours like some people can, and quite frankly, I think running is boring on a treadmill! I put together fun, fast paced classes to energizing music to keep everyone up beat and wanting to push themselves. I usually put together a 45 minutes series of sprints, climbs, rolling hills and jump drills to crazy up beat music.

Weightlifting

I also belong to a regular gym with your typical cardio machines, free weights and weight machines. Sometimes a girl just needs to do deadlifts and squats with a squat rack! 

I also switch up my gear depending on which workout I'll be doing. Tanks, capris and shorts are pretty standard. But if doing a competition workout for kettlebells, I also like short sleeve tees, like the adidas tee I have on in the above picture. The sleeves protect my arms so the kettlebell doesn't hit my biceps during my clean (kettlebell move!), and make my arm red. This shirt also wicks away sweat, keeping me cool. 

I'd like to encourage everyone to try a new workout with the changing seasons. Not only will you keep your muscles guessing, but you never know, you may find a new life changing workout too. 

Have you tried a new workout lately? If so, please share in the comments below. I'd love to hear about it!

adidas Women designs innovative performance products to help women commit to their best self and conquer their fitness goals.   We inspire women to look and feel their best - be pretty, be tough & be confident.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by adidas via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of adidas.

Outdoor Workouts

A physician's assistant (and friend) once told me that the shape you're in when you're in your 30s has a direct correlation to what you'll be like 'fitness-wise' when you're in your 50s and beyond. I don't know if this a scientific fact, but it makes sense, and is why I prioritize fitness so much in my life. Not only does working out make me feel good, but I want to be able to set good examples for my children some day by living a healthy, active lifestyle. 

I travel a lot with my current job as a sales account manager, and sometimes its hard to find time to fit in a workout. Even worse, sometimes we stay in hotels that don't have gyms or if they do, it's one treadmill. So, I usually have to get scrappy when it comes to fitting work out in, because I believe in NO EXCUSES! I always pack my shoes (adidas Springblades) and a sports bra (adidas Techfit is my new fav), and now that it's getting colder out in the midwest, my new adidas Ultimate long tights and adidas Ultimate short sleeve top.

Sometimes I'll do a circuit in my hotel room, but that can get kind of cramped and limited, so I started taking my circuits outside. I'm not a huge runner (can't just lace up my sneakers and run for 5 miles). So I incorporate run/walk intervals, with other body weight moves, to get my heart racing and a good workout in. For example, here's what I did last week in Chicago:
30 second sprint/30 second walk x 30 rounds (30 minutes)
50 body weight squats (in a park)
50 knee ups on park bench
Stop in a park (or back in hotel room) and jump rope (20 seconds jump/10 second rest x 8)

Not only am I getting a massive amount of cardio in the morning, revving up my metabolism for the rest of the day, but I'm getting to see a new city first hand! 

I also do workouts like these at home. If I know I have late work night coming up, I'll usually wake up early and workout. Here's another example of an outdoor workout I'll do at home and around my city:
30 second sprint/30 second walk x 30 rounds (30 minutes)
Break in between sprinting and do 20 alternating lunges (every 10 rounds)
Run down and up hill in my backyard x 3
Jump rope on back patio (25 seconds on, 10 seconds rest x 8)

Yes, sometimes I get weird looks if I'm on a street and a car drives by, but it really doesn't bother me. There's something very rewarding to me about being awake and working out as the sun is coming up in the morning! 

Now I want to know, what are your favorite outdoor activities?  What do you do to make working out fun?

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adidas Women designs innovative performance products to help women commit to their best self and conquer their fitness goals.   We inspire women to look and feel their best - be pretty, be tough & be confident.

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by adidas via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of adidas.