Workouts for the Week

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With the stay at home order due to the coronavirus, I am finding that I am having to get a bit more creative with my workouts. This is due partially to not having all of the same equipment that I am used to having at my gym. I’m also finding that I don’t have quite the same level of motivation when not seeing others working out around me.

Are you guys feeling this same way too?

By planning out my workouts for the entire week, I find that I’m much less likely to skip a workout when I’m not feeling quite as motivated after a day of working from home. But one of the best things about having workouts planned out for the week is that I can swap days if the weather is not cooperating or if my rapidly growing pregnant body is just not feeling that type of workout for the day. (Typically, I’d ignore those feelings pre-pregnancy and do whatever workout I had that day, but during pregnancy, I am spending a lot more time listening to what my body truly needs from its workouts.)

Here are my upcoming workouts for the week – tailored to be appropriate for the end of the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, but anyone will benefit from these workouts as well. If you give any of them a try, let me know what you think in the comments section below!

Monday’s Workout

20 minute HIIT workout

Monday’s HIIT workout will primarily focus on the legs and glutes, strengthening them for delivery in the future. I really enjoy HIIT style workouts since they can be squeezed in in a short amount of time, and yet, I still feel like I got a really good workout. For those of you who are pregnant, with a HIIT style workout, make sure that you are keeping it at an appropriate intensity. The best way I gauge my intensity level is to make sure that I could still talk while doing the workout.

This HIIT workout is designed to be Tabata style. And if you have never done a Tabata workout before, it is 4 min. of work with 20 sec. of the assigned exercise followed by 10 sec. of rest. For example, if there are 4 different exercises, you would do them 2 times through.

Today’s HIIT workout is designed to focus on strengthening the legs and glutes while also getting a good dose of a cardio workout.

Warm-up: 2 rounds, 30 sec. cat/cow stretch, 30 sec. bodyweight squat, 30 sec. alternating lunges

TABATA 1 (with a light set of dumbbells):

• 20 sec – Forward lunges, right foot, dumbbells in the front rack position
• 10 sec – rest
• 20 sec – Goblet squats
• 10 sec – rest
• 20 sec – Forward lunges, left foot, dumbbells in the front rack position
• 10 sec – rest
• 20 sec – Glute bridges with dumbbells on the hips
• 10 sec – rest
• Repeat 2x through

Rest 1 min

TABATA 2

• 20 sec – Jump rope
• 10 sec – rest
• 20 sec – ski jumps
• 10 sec – rest
• Repeat 4x through

Rest 1 min

TABATA 3 (with a light set of dumbbells)

• 20 sec – Reverse lunges, right foot, dumbbells in the front rack position
• 10 sec – rest
• 20 sec – Goblet squat hold
• 10 sec – rest
• 20 sec – Reverse lunges, left foot, dumbbells in the front rack position
• 10 sec – rest
• 20 sec – Glute bridge hold with dumbbells on the hips
• 10 sec – rest
• Repeat 2x through

Rest 1 min

TABATA 4

• 20 sec – High knees (be mindful of how high as your growing belly may be in the way)
• 10 sec – rest
• 20 sec – Mountain climbers
• 10 sec – rest
• Repeat 4x through

All of these exercises can be performed without equipment, but having dumbbells helps amp up the intensity of the workout. For this workout, I’d recommend either a set of 5 lb. dumbbells or 10 lb. dumbbells. If you do not have a jump rope handy, then you can just perform the jump rope motion without the rope. Also, be sure to hydrate appropriately before, during, and after workouts. With this type of HIIT workout, I will typically go through this water bottle twice.

Happy Monday workout!

Tuesday’s workout

15 mile bike ride

Here in Texas, we are having unseasonably beautiful weather this week. Highs are predicted to be in the mid-70’s with sunshine every day. Pretty tough to beat, right! A great way to enjoy such beautiful weather but still maintain social distancing is to get out for a bike ride. Just be mindful of any other people who may be out sharing the bike path or road that you are on. I love riding my bike – it has always been exercise that doesn’t actually feel like you are exercising.

Since I’m now well into my pregnancy, the risk of falls makes riding a non-stationary bike off limits for me at this time. However, I still plan on hopping on our Peloton bike, opening all of the windows nearby, and riding as if I’m outside :). I like adding cycling classes or bike rides throughout my workout plans to be able to get in a great workout without the same impact on the joints, as some other workouts may cause.

If you live somewhere where maybe the weather isn’t quite as nice, but don’t have an indoor workout bike, an indoor bike trainer is a great way to use your outdoor bike indoors. My husband and I used ours frequently before we bought a Peloton bike.

Wednesday’s Workout

Prenatal Yoga

As a yoga teacher, I try to spend time on my mat at least 3-4x a week. Sometimes it is simple a morning stretch routine that lasts about 10 minutes to help get my day started. And, other times, it is my full workout for the day, focusing on both strength and flexibility. If you’ve read my previous post about my favorite at-home workout apps, you’ll know one of my favorites is Alo Yoga. They offer a ton of great yoga classes, which includes a couple of prenatal classes focusing on each different trimester.

I’ve been dealing with some hip and back pain towards the end of my 2nd trimester, and Alo Yoga offers a few great options for prenatal classes focusing specifically on these areas. If you do not subscribe to an app, there are a couple of great options on YouTube that you can find pretty easily.

Another benefit to yoga during this particular time is its effect on mental and emotional wellness. I find yoga to be wonderful in reducing anxiety, especially during this time when there is a lot of unknown with the coronavirus pandemic.

To help support my rapidly growing pregnant body, I find that props are extremely useful for my yoga practice. A set of yoga blocks, a strap, a yoga blanket and a bolster help support your body through different poses. They are also useful for preventing overstretching during pregnancy. The hormone, relaxin, causes our ligaments to become looser (necessary for childbirth), but during yoga, you do want to be mindful not to overstretch into a potential injury. I also find that the props help provide further relaxation, especially during savasana.

Thursday’s Workout

Dumbbell Clean and Push Jerk WOD

For ease of working out at home, I’ve found that Crossfit WODs modified to use dumbbells instead of a barbell tend to be easier. We bought a couple of additional sets of dumbbells to use while working out at home. We found that having 20 lb, 25 lb, and 35 lb dumbbells available have been sufficient for a majority of our workouts.

As I get later in my pregnancy, I’ve found that running is becoming more difficult, and I am substituting in some walking during the running portions of the workouts. If you have a rower or assault bike, these would be great substitutions as you get further along in your pregnancy, and running may not be included in your workouts.

With any CrossFit workout that requires a weighted movement, make sure to build up in weight during the warm-up to the weight that you will want to use during the workout. I plan on using 25 lb. dumbbells for today’s workout, so I will warm up to that weight for both the cleans and the push jerks.

WOD (for time)

• 20 dumbbell rows
• 400 meter run
• 40 double dumbbell power cleans
• 800 meter run
• 40 double dumbbell push jerks
• 400 meter run
• 20 dumbbell rows

If you do not have enough space to do the longer runs, you can substitute 30 x 10 meter shuttle runs for the 400 m run. And then, substitute 60 x 10 m shuttle runs for the 800 meters.

Friday’s Workout

Prenatal yoga

Friday’s are an interesting mix for me regarding what I like to do for a workout. Sometimes it has been such an exhausting week of work that I am looking for something a bit more chill. And, other times, I am super motivated to crank out a really intense workout. During our time staying at home, I am finding that after a week of remote work that a really playful yoga practice is right up my alley.

I still make all of the necessary pregnancy modifications during my practice, but I also use this time to practice some inversion or arm balances. Some find during their pregnancy that arm balances or inversions do not serve them, and this is more than okay. I’ve taken all deep backbends out of my practice, but still find that arm balances and inversions bring joy to my practice.

Let me know if you are still including inversions and arm balances during your pregnancy!

Saturday’s Workout

Dumbbell Thrusters and Burpee WOD

Saturday mornings, I always try to get my workout in earlier in the day. This way, nothing else pops up, which makes it difficult to find time to get in the workout later on that day. While staying at home, we found that we have been a different kind of busy then we were before. Our current project has been turning our office into a nursery for our baby boy or girl 🙂

This Saturday, I plan on doing another Crossfit WOD that includes full-body strength and cardio.

WOD (for time)

• 1 mile run
• 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1:
  • Goblet dumbbell thrusters (35 lb dumbbell)
  • Burpees
• 1 mile run

To modify the runs in this workout, I will run 200 meters and then walk 200 meters. This is about my threshold for running now, and the walking breaks will allow me to complete the full mile. Read more from my post here, about how to modify burpees while pregnant.

Sunday’s Workout

3 mile walk/run

Sundays are a great day for a refresh, which is why I usually leave the day open for a long run, or in this case, a long walk. Sometimes my husband will join me for the Sunday workout, and it’s a great time for us to talk while being active. If we both aren’t available to go together, then I love getting some “me” time while being outdoors.

I’ll fully admit that if I’m out on a walk by myself listening to one of my playlists, then there’s definitely a little dancing mixed in with the walk 🙂 But exercise should be enjoyable – even though it’s not always easy – otherwise you won’t be as motivated to stick with it.

Let me know how your workouts for the week go in the comments section below!