See that friendly-looking woman cooking in her bikini? Underneath that nice expression is a secret that only a few people know... she has penchant for perfect exercise form, maximum muscle contraction, creating lactic acid burn in others, and chiseling bodies like a master sculptor. I honestly thought that working out with Shannon wouldn't be "hard enough", and I'd have to go back to my super intense gym workouts at some point in order to see the results I wanted.
To the contrary, I’m lifting lighter weights and cut back cardio by 90% (hate cardio and could only do it at my old gym on the stair master or spin class), and now I’m leaner than before shelter in place. So many of our members have been experiencing weight loss as well, and we all attribute it to the consistency provided by the community we've created.
I’m now doing all the exercises that I would never dream of doing on my own: things like... dynamic planks and tempo push ups. Honestly, I find it so challenging and extremely boring. But watching everyone's happy faces on our virtual training video calls is everything. Plus, it's all scheduled out for the week, and I don't even have to think about, what is my exercise going to be for today? Just removing one decision from having to be made in a day is life-changing while I'm juggling 5 million other work and mom-life duties!
Like I was saying... give me 250 pounds to pull off the floor or a grueling CrossFit EMOM any day over the slow, body weight burn. I am humbled by these workouts every single time. I cannot believe how much my core strength has built up. I honestly thought I was resigned to that post-2nd baby belly pooch for life.
But I digress. The point is, how I used to train and how I want to feel in clothes were always a mismatch. Turns out, hitting up the stair master and spin class 6 days a week plus lifting sups heavy was overdoing it. I know, I’m a lunatic, but I loved it. I needed to feel annihilated every day. Pretty sure my family has directly descended from the hunters and warriors of my Nordic and Mediterranean roots.
But at what cost? If you’re gonna train like a warrior, you need to rest and refuel like an athlete. Who has time for that? Enter, inflammation. That thing that takes over in your body instead of metabolizing fat as it tries to recover constantly.
And, this chronic inflammation can come from overdoing it on cardio alone. I can’t tell you how many clients come to us as cardio bunnies, which can actually deter progress. How many of us have turned to running and biking during SIP while our gyms are shut down? And how’s that working out?
We tend to do the exercise that is the *least* challenging for us.... for me, lifting heavy and sprinting is like brushing my teeth. Slow, tempo-controlled, body weight, unilateral movements that burn like hell?! Ugh. So hard.
