Week of Workouts: January 2024

Kindly disregard the fact that the last couple of days of this January edition of my “Week of Workouts” series actually took place in February please! I still wanted to squeeze it in and share a glimpse into what my workouts are looking like over here these days.

Last week I actually managed to make it to Burn Boot Camp three times which is pretty good for me lately! I’ve had a hard time fitting it in ever since my local Burn changed their camp times so they don’t fit quite as seamlessly with preschool drop off. (I do not like going in the middle of the morning because I feel like it blows up my rare kid-free time and also often use the super early mornings for work time so the early camps aren’t ideal either.)

I’ve had a number of friends and two of the trainers encourage me to come to the camp right after preschool drop off, even if it means arriving late. (There’s actually a small group of moms who do this so I’m not the only one!) The first-born rule follower in me hates being late, but I’ve found that I can generally arrive right as the workout is starting and pick up the workout fairly quickly thanks to years of Burn behind my belt. All this to say, it felt great to make it to Burn a bunch of time again!

Here’s a peek into what my Burn-heavy workouts looked like this week!

Week of Workouts: January 2024

• Monday: Burn Boot Camp Full Body Workout

I love a full body workout on a Monday! This one was a good one and exercises in this Burn Boot Camp workout seemed to focus most on lower body lunges, chest and back exercises.

• Tuesday: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders YouTube Workout + 3 Mile Walk with a Friend

Oh Caroline Girvan, you wonderful workout wizard! Since Monday’s full body Burn workout didn’t include exercises that targeted my biceps, triceps or shoulders (with the exception of one), I streamed one of my favorite Caroline Girvan workouts — this Beast Mode Shoulder and Arms Workout — and did it from my kitchen as Rhett and Ryder played before preschool drop off. It’s a great one and, true to most Caroline Girvan workouts I’ve tried, is fast and effective. I just love the fact that her workouts are so visual so you can listen to whatever you want to listen to as long as you just watch for her countdown and exercise cues. I’ve turned a number of my girlfriends onto her workouts for this very reason!

I also met up with my friend Lauren for a 3-mile walk with Pepper right before preschool pickup. It felt good to get outside and get a little exercise for Pepper, too!

• Wednesday: Off

No workout for me on Wednesday!

• Thursday: Burn Boot Camp Core Conditioning

Truth talk: I’ve seriously neglected core training over the past few years. A lot of this has to do with the fact that my personal training education lead me to believe a lot of core engagement is pivotal during everyday life and happens naturally during most other exercises, as your core is key for stabilizing your body. That being said, I also know planks and other core exercises absolutely have their place for strengthening abdominal muscles and I do believe my body could benefit from a stronger core. It felt good to focus on core work on Thursday and is something I hope to sprinkle into my routine a little more moving forward. My abs certainly were sore after this one!

• Friday: Burn Boot Camp Leg Day

If there is one Burn workout I try to fit into my schedule every week, it’s leg day. They’re always challenging and they also make a leg strength workout fly by which I feel like it a big bonus since leg workouts in the gym by myself can feel like they drag a bit. Friday’s leg workout was right up my alley, as it included a few of my favorite lower body exercises: Deadlifts, banded monster walks, hip thrusters and stability ball hamstring curls.

• Saturday: Off

No traditional workout for me on Saturday, though Ryan and I did go on a walk with the boys and Pepper to the trails near our house.

• Sunday: 50 Minute Run/Walk with Pepper

On Sunday morning, Ryan and I swapped workout times and once he was done working out, I leashed Pepper up for a solo run/walk around our neighborhood. Pepper is tiny but she’s an energetic little girl and we’ve slowly worked up to covering slightly longer distances together. She can now easily handle a 50-minute run/walk minutes if it’s not hot outside. Our run/walk consisted mostly of walking but it felt good to get outside and enjoy some fresh air together. I listened to my latest thriller audiobook, Frieda McFadden’s Never Lie which easily held my interest during our time outside. I’m about halfway through the audiobook and have no idea where it’s going so it felt like a treat to have some solo time to listen and get outside with Pepper on Sunday morning.

Question of the Day

Do you have a set workout schedule you’re following these days? Do you mostly wing it? Please share! 

I have a loose schedule I follow — I try to get in at least one or two upper body and lower body strength days every week (or a full body day) — and then try to sprinkle in movement of some kind (a Burn cardio workout, a long walk with Pepper, mobility work, a treadmill incline walk, etc.) on the other days. For a while now, my “sweet spot” is about 4 traditional workouts a week.