What side do you start on with unilateral work?

I love this question because it shows me that you guys are actively thinking about what you’re doing and how to make it more effective. So get it girl. 

I love unilateral work because it helps create symmetry through the muscle systems in the body. Fancy. Really it helps create balance. 

None of us are balanced. We all have certain muscle systems that are stronger on one side than the other, we have one side that’s stronger with balance, all those things. The predominate side of our body always makes whatever work we’re doing feel easier. It’s just nature. 

I like to work unilaterally or one side at a time because it helps to bring that balance back to the body. And (without getting super into the science) the more you balance you have, the less likely you are to hurt yourself. Unilateral work also challenges your core in a whole NEW kind of way (just trust me).

So when I’m doing a new exercise that’s unilateral, I start on my dominate side. Not only because it makes the movement feel “easier” because my dominate side is more coordinated, but it also helps give the movement more dexterity. 

Regardless of how you start, it’s imperative to be taking notice of how your body is moving and how things feel from side to side. The ultimate goal is that eventually both sides will feel exactly the same, whether you start on your dominate side or your side of opportunity. 

Which all makes me sound super smart. 

It also helps create neurological pathways, giving your body more awareness of what it’s doing so by the time you get to the second side, you don’t feel like AS much of a hot mess. 

That being said, it could be an extra mental challenge if you start with your non-dominate side first, so if you’re looking for that extra push, I say go for it. Give yourself that extra physical and mental challenge.

And keep doing it. Make unilateral work a regular part of your fitness programing so you can increase not just your mind/body awareness but also the symmetry in your body.

You Can't Expect Me to Remember a Workout When I'm This Tired

I’ve never been as tired as when I first became a mom. This is coming from someone who was training to be in the military, and those training experiences look like child’s play in comparison to the fourth trimester. Like seriously, I remember being up for DAYS on Army training exercises, but giving birth and then the first few months that followed sucked WAY more. That kind of exhaustion is completely indescribable unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Even then it’s that nod of acknowledgement because I still can’t find the words. 

I remember turning around and going back home one day because I forgot to brush my teeth. That kind of tired. 

So I don’t even know how you can live in that space of exhaustion and be expected to remember a workout, much less be motivated to workout in the first place. Hard pass. 

But yet, if you want that baby weight to come off you have to do more than just breastfeed. You have to eat well and you have to move your body. It doesn’t have to be crazy, it doesn’t have to be aggressive, no one’s going to give you a medal for going bat shit crazy on the workouts but you have to do something. 

My 3 Tips for Post Baby Workout Plans:

1. I wrote down my workouts. Like in my planner every single week down to the hour I could work out. And then I scheduled a back up time with a potential back up workout in case my first plan fell through. Writing it down meant I knew what I was supposed to do and it wouldn’t get lost in my mom brain fog.

2. I walked Sully. He hated it, it’s not my favorite thing BUT it meant I was getting fresh air, moving my body and doing something in case #1 didn’t work out. And it was the easiest thing to do that included Grace. Plus the low impact aspect of walking meant I could do it after I got cleared to workout by my doctor but while I was still building up my strength.

3. I asked for help so I could workout. I asked people to come over and watch Grace so I could get a workout in. Granted this wasn’t a regular request, but it was a nice option to have every once in awhile so I could get my workout done and have a second to myself.