Do the Work

If you don’t do the work, this isn’t going to work for you. 

Let me be clear: I don’t train idiots.

We all know the power behind eating healthy and working out consistently. We know the positive impact it has not just on our immediate future but also the longevity of our lives.

We know working out needs to be a priority, and yet it’s the first thing to fall down the list of our priorities.

We also know it’s the thing that no one else can do FOR you.

After over 10 years of training people from ALL different backgrounds and with all different goals, this is what I know for sure:

The people who SEE change are the ones who consistently put their health back on their priority list.

They’re the people who get creative with the type of workout they’re doing so they can continue to workout regularly.

They’re also the type of people who are flexible with their workouts. The time, the type, even the day because they know that working out needs to be a regular aspect of their routine.

Ultimately, they know if they don’t do the work, the work isn’t going to happen and then the work won’t work for them.

There are No Shortcuts

I’m not trying to sell you a shortcut. 

Shortcuts with a healthy lifestyle will NOT get you a healthy lifestyle. They’ll earn you a temporary fix that’ll soon disappear when the work is done.

This is why I’ve never been a proponent of “diets” or time limited programs. I get the incentive behind it. We all want results quickly, but do you want that fast result if it won’t last?

I ask my clients that all the time when they tell me they’re doing something wild.

Are you willing to do this for the rest of your life?

If not, you haven’t found a solution that works for you.

Don’t search for the shortcut, search for the SOLUTION.

I’m here to do the work with you.

I believe that every single person can create a healthy lifestyle.

A lifestyle that:

✔️ has you working out consistently 

✔️ has you eating well 

✔️ feels balanced

All without feeling like you’re sacrificing.

I believe it so fervently that I do the work right beside you, so we can hold each other up and encourage each other along the way.

Gratitude

There is not a day that goes by that I am not grateful for being able to move.

Truth: I never used to talk about my injury. Since you can’t even tell I’m disabled by looking at me, a lot of clients didn’t know what I went through.

Then one day, one of my clients asked me how I came up with all the motivating stuff I say during class.

I told them I never remembered what I said when I taught BUT I always had the same image in my mind:

Being 19 years old, on bed rest in my parents’ family room, not knowing if I would ever walk again and if I COULD, what my life would look like. I didn’t know if I would need a cane to walk, if I would be able to live independently, if I would need further surgical repairs, or even if I would be able to get well enough to graduate college.

Things turned around obviously better than what I could ever dream of for myself.

But that being said, I’m not a huge fan of the process. I would totally rather sit on my couch most days than do a set of Tabata.

That’s just me.

But even on the days I hate it and would rather do my taxes, I’m grateful I can do this for myself.

I’m stronger for it.

I’m more capable because of it.

I’m happier with it.

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4 rounds

Bridge hip taps

Bench press

Froggie crunches 

Renegade rows

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Take What You Need

Take what you need from you workout today. 

Workouts don’t always need to be these insane pushes that leave you feeling like you’re going to fall over when you’re done.

Sometimes your workout needs to show up for you more than you show up for it.

So you can move the stress and all the BS out of your body.

I don’t know how you slept, if your toddler had a tantrum, if work is blowing up, or if you’re just exhausted.

Please know that your workout does not always have to be what you think it should be or what you originally set out for it TO be.

It’s ok for your workout to be a way to get rid of stress, to rid yourself of the BS of the day, or to just have a minute to yourself.

Remember: self care is NOT selfish. 

Self care is sacred.

Self care is the time you deserve to have in your day to let go of whatever isn’t serving you IN that day so you can get through your day.

Today’s challenge: when you start feeling guilty about taking time in your day to give to yourself, remind yourself that when you’re done, not only will you feel better but your day will feel better too.

Dream Bigger

Dream  so big that it scares all the small minds around you.

Here’s what I don’t understand: 

• Why do we get so embarrassed about sharing our workout goals with the people around us?

I’ve been there. I remember one morning I PR’d on this Olympic lift and I was SO damn proud of myself.

It was a lift I struggled with, that I thought I could never improve upon but I had been practicing and when I PR’d, I PR’d in a BIG way. Like a drastic jump.

I felt so freaking good.

I went to work that day and made a comment to my co-worker about how I could conceivably lift him above my head. His response to me was something along the lines of “ew are you trying to be a man?”

Hello unnecessary. Don’t even get me started on all the aspects of that statement that were amazingly horrid.

I remember feeling SO embarrassed by that comment that all my confidence from what I accomplished melted away.

But then as time went by, as I recognized that individual for quite frankly the asshole he was in every aspect of life, I realized that I SHOULD be proud. I did that and no one could take away my hard work.

Sure, we’ll whine all day long about how we can’t get to the gym, or how we can’t drop the weight, or how there’s never enough time to workout.

But when it comes to ACTUALLY sharing about the actions we’re taking to make those dreams come true, we clam up. Even though E V E R Y O N E around us would support us on our journey.

Here’s my tip to you:

✔️ have an accountability buddy. That one person you know will support you, love you, encourage you and NOT leave you feeling embarrassed about the things you’re working on accomplishing.

Snack Prep for Success

I forget to eat. It’s not that I don’t WANT to, I just get caught up in life.

I see this with clients all of the time. The majority of private clients I work with do not eat enough and it’s the combination of a couple things:

• Life is busy, we get caught up in all the tasks of the day and we either forget OR we don’t prep food to bring with us when we’re out.

• Society, the media, things of the past have drilled into our heads that to “be skinny”, we have to starve.

Both totally screw us over.

When you workout, your body needs fuel to support that process. Going into that much of a caloric deficit (for some women) can create a hormonal response that makes your body think it’s starving and then you end up gaining weight because your body is holding on to every little thing that comes its way.

Couple that with being starving and then once you can eat, you’re going to shove every single thing you find in your face because you’re just that hungry.

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All of a sudden, cheese sticks have become your dinner. Along with your kid’s leftover Mac n cheese. The gross one from the blue box.

Looks like prepping my snacks needs to start happening again. 

Just as you are intentional with your workouts, you need to be intentional with your food as well. If you’re leaving what you’re eating, even if it’s for a snack, to chance, you won’t win. Then all that hard work you’re putting in, all that time sacrifice you’re making to workout, will be for nothing.

Circle of Trust

Can we be in the circle of trust right now?

I’ve gotten to train a TON of people over the years. Really, I tried to count one time how many people I would see in a week and I astonished myself.

I’m not saying that for bragging rights, I’m saying it to make this point hit home even more.

I have NEVER heard SO MANY freaking people complain that they get to move. Dang. If y’all spent as much time on your workouts as you did WHINING that you get to workout…anyways, I digress.

This is something that all of my people have in common. You complain.

Let’s talk about why this hits home in a unique way for me: 

• You complain you don’t have time to workout and then you complain when you make the sacrifice in your day TO workout. It’s like there’s no winning. You’re stuck in the proverbial rock and hard place dilemma.

• Every time YOU complain, I think about all the times I would’ve given literally anything to be able to get out of bed, get rid of my injury and workout. I know that this doesn’t apply just to me. Every time you complain, there’s someone who would willingly take your place. While giving anything to do it.

Don’t complain that you get to workout . Be thankful that you get to workout.

Think of it like this: Your body is capable of amazing and wonderful things. Your workouts are an example of those capabilities. How freaking blessed are you that your body can do this for you today? That you can move today?

I used to end my classes with: You woke up today. It’s a good day to have a good day. Go out and make it great.

Because even when the workout sucks, in the bigger picture of life, you can move and that alone is an amazing thing.

Don’t get me wrong: complain all day when the workout gets hard. The workout SHOULD get hard, you should be challenged but dang how lucky you are that you get to do it.

Don’t complain that you get to show up for yourself in the first place. 

It’s an amazing thing that your body can do this for you today, that you can move, that you can show yourself your strength, AND that you can take the time out of your crazy day to do it.

Approach your workout from that place. Ya the work might be hard, but you can do it and you’re stronger for it.

It All Adds Up

You are a sum of all your choices.

That’s really what healthy living boils down to, a series of choices. It’s those incremental choices that will eventually lead you to the healthy lifestyle you’re seeking.

This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect all the time. That’s not realistic. Neither is healthy living that requires you to cut out all the things you love. Healthy living needs to incorporate the things that you know if you gave them up, you would binge tf outta them once you had the chance to have them again.

Like wine. Or chocolate. 

That’s why getting healthy, working out regularly, and eating well consistently is hard. Because it’s about balance just as much as it’s about learning why you’re making the decisions you’re making in regards to healthy choices. Then understanding how to have those things you love with moderation.

But how do you get healthy and not give up the things you love? Like pizza?

Grab Your Dumbbells!

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I encourage my clients to have what they want, I don’t adhere to cutting out every single treat you love or working out to the point where you feel like you’re going to break. Those paths, as my time training people has taught me, are not sustainable. 80% of the time, you need to be making the healthy choices even if that’s not the choice you want to make. It’s showing up for the workout when you would rather be doing anything else, and eating well when you would rather have take out. 

Then it’s you allowing yourself those treats in moderation. Over time, you’ll learn that you don’t actually need the WHOLE bag of chips, but just a bowl. 

So have your chocolate. Drink your wine boo and be ok with it because you know that you’re doing it in moderation. You give yourself those allowances so you don’t go overboard like a college kid at her first frat party. 

And know that with each one of those choices you’re creating balance and a strong foundation for a happy and healthy life. Also know that with every single choice, making those choices will become easier and more routine.

I Want Your Arsenal of Whys

Ok ya I’m a curious person by nature. I like observing and listening to people, I like understanding why they do the things that they do. I think that’s why I went into psychology for my formal education and really why I liked working with victims of violence. Sure it was all really intense, but I liked hearing people tell their stories, I liked learning about them, and figuring out what drove them to engage in specific behaviors.

Maybe that’s why I like serial killer documentaries on Netflix…

When I moved into training people full time, my curiosity expanded into learning why someone would workout. I know why I workout. I know that on a superficial level, I’m working out to keep my weight in check and my chronic pain in check so I don’t need further intervention on any of my previous injuries, specifically my food. On a deeper level, I know I workout because I want to show myself that even though I suffered this life changing tragedy, I’m still strong and still capable.

We all have a reason WHY we workout 🏋️‍♀️. Why we take time out of our busy days, with all things our families, our work, our friends need from us.

Your reasons are most likely not the same as my reasons, but you still have them. You still have your reasons, superficial or not, that bring you back to what you’re doing time and time again. Those reasons are obviously insanely valid, otherwise you wouldn’t keep coming back.

I’ve heard so many of your why’s over the years. I’ve been so fortunate to be in a place of confidence with you that you’ve even shared some of those deep, dark, don’t share them with anyone else why’s. You’ve confided things in me that you’ve never told a single soul, and I’m grateful for that level of trust. Not just because it shows me how valuable I am to you, but because that understanding helps me HELP YOU.

But I want you to have 200 reasons WHY. Ranging from the superficial reasons to the deep, dark reasons that no one else knows.

You know when you get into an intense workout, it’s going to start to suck. You know you’re going to hit a point where you can very easily justify cutting an interval off early or stepping away from a workout early. Because really, if you leave 2 minutes early on a 30 minute workout and you’re by yourself, who’s going to know besides you?

It’s in those moments you’re going to need all the reasons in the world to keep coming back.

So when your workout gets to the point when you start to question your life choices and the first 20 reasons why you show up aren’t good enough, I want you to fall back on all the other reasons.

Think about those why’s, maybe even write them down so you have a direct reminder in those workouts for why you’re doing what you’re doing.

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grab the free workouts!

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I Just Need to Sweat

There are some days where I just need to sweat. It doesn’t even matter if I’ve been on my feet all day working, and I’m totally exhausted, sometimes I just need to move. 

Maybe it was a tough day, maybe I just need to burn off some steam, or I need a place to put my stress. Regardless, it’s those days when I know without a shadow of a doubt, I’ll feel better when I’m done.

I know you have those days. When the workout is serving a bigger purpose than just moving your body.

To sweat and be able to leave my day in a puddle on my mat.

On days like those, I know I need workouts that are going to push me. I need the workout that has me focusing on nothing else except the work that I’m doing. 

That kind of challenge.

I need a workout that was hard enough to forget about all BS.

To give me space to breathe, to focus on something other than all the things I need to take care of or things that are pulling at my energy.

All the laundry, the dogs need to be walked, and dinner that needs to be prepped, I just needed a minute from it all. Sometimes I know that I need to walk away for a minute so I can actually get those things accomplished. 

Before, I used to neglect that need because I didn’t think I had enough time to get a good workout in if I only had 20 minutes. Shoot, being honest, more like 10 minutes. But then I found myself getting frustrated at everything. My fuse was super short and I had NO patience for anyone or anything.

Now I know I can get a quick little burn in if I’m smart about my time and how I’m utilizing it for my workouts.

HIIT workouts are my Go To workouts for those times. They’re designed to be short and if you push yourself hard enough (and pair it with some sold post workout nutrition), you can continue burning calories AFTER the workout is over. 

It’s a process called Excessive Post Oxygen Consumption or EPOC. When you go into a HIIT workout, your body goes into oxygen deficit. As a result, when the workout is over, your body works harder to restore that loss of oxygen, so you can return to your pre-exercise state. Your body does this process by increasing your metabolic rate and burning more calories. 

That process kicks in once the workout is over, which is why you can continue to burn calories POST workout. It’s an awesome thing our body can do and one of the reasons why people gravitate to the harder, more intense workouts. Because they know results will keep coming.

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Today’s Workout

Tabata

10 Rounds

Even number rounds: swings

Odd number rounds: push press

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Go To Dinner Recipes

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