This week, we're still on the same schedule as last week, but with a few extra challenges. Your nutritional goals will also be a bit harder this week, so run through the weekly assignments so you can get ready--you'll need to hit the grocery store and buy fruits, veggies, and more.
Checking In
Before you get started, how'd you do last week? Were you able to get in all your cardio and strength training workouts? Even if you missed some workouts, don't beat yourself up. Give yourself credit for everything you did do and realize that making exercise a part of your life takes time. Every day is different...do the best you can!
Take a moment to fill out this checklist to see where you succeeded and where you may need a little more work.
Cardio
This week, your cardio assignment is to do 3 cardio workouts for 25 or more minutes. Last week, your workouts were about 20 minutes long, so we've added on 5 minutes to your workouts. If you were only able to do a few minutes of cardio, that's fine! Just try to add on a few minutes to each workout until you can make it continuously for 20 minutes. Take your time--remember, you need to start where you are, not where you want to be. You can do the same workouts you did last week or use the new ones I've provided. Your challenge is to add 3-5 minutes of time to each cardio workout this week.
Oh, and make sure you're keeping track of your Perceived Exertion with this PE Scale.
Strength Training
Your assignment this week is, again, to do 2 full body strength training workouts with at least one day of rest in between each workout. I've assigned the same workouts (hey, you have to do the same thing for awhile!) but given you an added challenge: you should add one more set to each exercise AND add a heavier weight (if you're using weight). If you're not using weight, you could consider adding light weights to some of the exercises as well for added intensity.
Flexibility
Stretching should be part of every workout you do. This week, I've given you a new stretching workout that also targets muscles of the upper body. Feel free to do these stretches between sets of weight training, as well. Don't forget, you can stretch all day long to work the kinks out.
Nutrition
Last week you started keeping a food diary, learned how to calculate your BMR and, hopefully, figured out how many calories you're really eating each day.
This week, we're focusing on meals--breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Each day you'll concentrate on a different meal--namely, making it healthier than it usually is. You'll find some great recipes to choose from, so go through your assignments for the week so you'll be prepared with your grocery list.
Motivation
Are you feeling motivated? It's important to remember that your initial enthusiasm in starting this program is sure to wane over time--after all, nothing lasts forever. So what do you do when that excitement fades? How do you keep going? That's what I'm going to help you do over the coming weeks. I'll be helping you, but it's your job to figure out what motivates you each day. And what motivates you one day may not work the next. Don't worry...I'll help you dig deep to find reasons to keep exercising.
Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Week 2 Calendar | Week 1
