Who really knows what day it is when each day is looking quite the same now in the up-coming to my very last high school exams! Basically wake up, sweat it out, eat some delicious foods, study study study, go to bed. Not much else happens and quite frankly, that is fine for the month or so I have left until it's all over- just temporary and that's what is getting me through!
On the topic of sweating it out, I wanted to talk about something I realised the other day when I was thinking about my current workout schedule.
Recently I've definitely upped the stakes with the intensity, length and quite frankly; sweat-inducing characteristics of my daily sweat sesh's (there is most definitely a rest day thrown in there to recovery though my friends!!) and I have never felt stronger or more capable of so many things ever in my fitness journey (which probably started when I first got into running around 3 years ago when I was 14).
This has included quite the increase in my weight-training sessions (yeah, I used to be one of those cardio bunnies who only really ran... and ran) which has left me feeling so much more powerful and as a side bonus, given me some awesome gains! Leg day and arm training days have become some of my favourite days as i enjoy that slow burn that doesn't require an elevated heart rate to achieve said burn, just the slow torture of lifting the weight up and down (or squatting that weight down and doooowwwwnnn :P). Sure, I still love running, but it definitely is not the main feature of my workout routine anymore- I have a lot more variation now-a-days.
Which leads me onto this: Whilst upping my training, taking on bigger and better challenges, becoming so much stronger, there has been one thing that has remained constant this whole entire time. That is the awesome-ness that is Blogilates.
I first came across Blogilates after doing PurelyTwins workouts (featuring Tabata and HIIT style routines that I instantly fell in love with having only experienced steady state, long runs) and watching some of their videos online. Whilst I loved their stuff so much, I much preferred following along with someone throughout the entire workout than printing off a whole bunch of paper for each different workout (seriously, I had a gigantic stack of PurelyTwins workouts).
So, in the recommended bar along the side I came across the infectiously bubbly, energetic and motivating Cassey Ho and instantly fell in love with Pop Pilates and the challenge it brought to my body, targeting muscles I wasn't even sure I had!!
In the early days I would do one or two of her videos before breakfast/ school, sometimes not even changing out of my PJ's and that was great for me then; just the kind of quick, efficient, heart-pumping workout I was after that still left me so much more toned and strengthened in areas that simply running cannot achieve. My daily Blogilates workouts were around 10-30 minutes long max and I fell in love with fitness all over again.
So, wouldn't one think that in these recent 5 or so months when I've stepped up the ante of my workouts and began focussing more on lifting heavier weights and becoming a heck of a lot stronger, working out for longer, that my quick little Blogilates sessions might just fall down to the way-side??
Oh no, my friends! How you underestimate the power of pilates. Sure, it may seem like an easier, girl-version of a workout, but I dare you to try out one of the Extreme Abs and not end up screaming on the floor (trust me, the screams become less frequent the more times you do it!). Blogilates has a huge range of workouts from beginners to more intermediate to insanely challenging 100x burpees burnouts. So to say I'd become bored and not challenged... yeah not gonna happen.
It's when you start doing more of the tougher, more advanced workouts that you come to realise just how strong Cassey herself is and how powerful and challenged you can be through these pilates based workouts.
When I said that leg day and arm day were on my top favourites for my workout sessions, that was just under my Blogilates days, where recently I've been known to go for about 1 1/2- 2 hours straight of doing her videos because I love them so much and that's how far my fitness has taken me. I could end up completing the equivalent of 3 HIIT sessions doing a range of her videos and not even realise it as she ALWAYS keeps you on your toes, brings new moves to every video and creates a fun and exciting challenge that leaves you motivated, excited and surprisingly sweaty!!
The sweat is real my friends!!
On days when I want to run, but not looooong distances, but still want that burn and challenge, I simply complete a tough Blogilates HIIT workout prior to a run (you will be sweating, believe me!) and then I just pop on my shoes and head out. If you want to feel the burn, that is how you do it. On days when I want an epic leg workout but maybe not all those weights crowding up the place, I'll do a leg PIIT
It was cardio ab day and I simply did an 8 minute cardio workout, followed by a 10 minute ab workout, 6 minute oblique workout, 2x ab PIIT,
Cassey is probably one of my ultimate role models because not only does she motivate me on the daily to move my booty, but she promotes so much good health, body positivity and simply loving-life mantras that she really does offer the entire package and the fact that she posts all of these videos to YouTube for free.. it doesn't get much better than that!
So, yes, that is the long-winded answer as to why Blogilates workouts still make up probably more than half of my entire fitness regime and why I absolutely love it!!
Your turn:
What's your favourite workout of the minute?
Morning or night or in the middle of the day workouts?
Favourite fitness YouTuber you follow?
I hope you found this a little interesting and perhaps even give Blogilates a go (because it really is just so much fun!). As usual; be kind to your body, be kind to others, do something you love and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends!! :D
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