Workout and Body Currently

Hey there, classy people!

Yeah, not too sure where classy came from , but hey, decided to roll with it today!!

I hope you're all having a smashing week and that there are plenty of good, good things happening in life at the minute (sometimes it just takes a simple look around at your life to see just how brilliant things are) because I know I'm sure struggling to keep that positivity bug floating around my head. Being bogged down with test and assignment after assignment, gosh the weeks do fly-by, but so do any chance of appreciating the day!!

Any who, that's not what I want to talk about today. Nope, today is a little catch-up on the recent recently's of my exercise routine. You may remember my last little catch up from a post a little while back stating how much I was loving my workouts at the minute and really felt like I was in the 'crushing it' season of my life.

Currently? Not much has changed! It's kind of odd that in the middle of deep, dark, cold Winter is when my body decides it wants to work hard, sweat heaps and challenge, challenge, challenge itself, but hey- I go with the flow!

So, what have I been up to recently?

I've definitely been focussing much more on strength and stability, like I mentioned in my last workout currently post, and am really loving the changes I've been seeing in my body as a result of all those heavier lifts and slower, but more stabilising and challenging workouts (combined with cardio on other days- still need to get the jitter-bug out of me!)

Took a picture of my legs the day of my leg-workout and couldn't help but grin stupidly at the fact that my usually spindly little legs now have muscle!! And quite a bit of it!!

I've started to incorporate certain days to certain body area; ie. Monday being leg-day, Tuesday a HIIT session to up that cardio and fitness, Wednesday generally a run of some description; long-run, interval sprints, hill-sprints etc. Thursday might be focusing on arms/ back/ chest (upper body stuff), Friday usually focusses on working those abs and core and Saturday is another run day which could either be a more challenging run; beach run, interval sprints etc. or a nice, easy paced, steady state, low-intensity long run- like this past Saturday.

This one is me prepping for my early-morning (read:5:30am) beach run... the beach is a scary, scary place when it is pitch black and you can only hear the waves to your side, hoping a surprise surge of water doesn't splash over you legs without you realising!

I think my face already knew the fears that would unfold! Just kidding- it was quite the challenging, leg strengthening (and wearing out!!), fitness inducing workout and yet it's these workouts that leave me the most satisfied- yep I challenged myself today; now I can do anything!

These are my legs after the brutal length of sand that never seemed to end. Yep, they were ready to collapse upon entering my house...

And this picture of me and my crazy hair- hey the beach is a windy place!- reveals just how early this run must have been if this is the post-run picture!

The coolest thing about my current workout routine I think is that I can feel and see the results. No, not just in that narcissistic, body-obsessed, mirror-watching way, in the way I can do daily things. Like shock people at how easy I can open a jar they've been struggling with for a good 10 minutes or so. Or lift 5 chairs at a time when setting up for the weekly school assembly as most of the other girls take 2 max.

I seriously am quite proud of my arms; purely for the fact at how far they've come! A big goal of mine was increasing my upper body strength (I used to have a lot of it as a gymnast and acrobat) and I think I'm reaching that goal!!

Or even simply waking up full of energy, feeling strong and powerful and knowing that this training; this challenging of myself is not only making me physically stronger but also so much more mentally powerful.

The prospect of lifting one more rep of a weight that just seems so impossible and then doing it? Heck, if I can do that, I can finish this entire maths chapter and crush my literature oral assignment. I can walk tall among my peers. I can breath confidence and I can succeed. And that's what I think is the most important thing about my new 'currently' in fitness.

Sure I could spend a post talking about how much more shredded I look, or how much any of my previously softer and squishier parts have firmed up and are looking toned and muscular, but you know what, that's just the added benefits for me. The extras. Because ultimately, if my workouts can make me feel positive, strong and powerful, then I am one happy, happy lady. And I think that's what we should all focus on too when we workout and make new goals- I'd rather be feeling like I'm utterly crushing it and still sporting my scrawny little runner legs, then be miserable and dreading life with super toned and beautifully muscular legs.

How about you?
Have you had a change-up of workouts/ exercise routined recently?
Favourite strength-training exercises?
Ever run on a pitch-black beach? My advice: don't, unless you're not even in the slightest little bit scared of the dark... because this just revealed to me that I am!

I hope that was a little inspiring/ insightful and hopefully made you want to get out there and move your body in any way that will leave you feeling strong, powerful and ready to conquer the world. Smile, love and be happy and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends! :D