don’t dread it, SHRED IT!

No matter how you slice it, some exercises are just plain brutal.  Nobody, and I mean no one gets giddy with glee when it’s time for a set of burpies!   In my opinion, the same goes, for heavens holy sake, running lines and bleachers or stairs.  ARGHHH!

If you have had the privelege to be coached in school or trained by a professional I’m confident you have experienced more than two of these gosh awful strenuous movements during a sweat session. I would be willing to bet that in the back of your mind you were looking for the exit sign.  (what’s up with all of my rhyming today?)

You start talking to yourself, say things like, “I’m paying for this torture what the heck am I doing this for?”  RIGHT??

Maybe it crossed your mind to give it your best Oscar (← click here for a fun workout video) worthy performance and fake a sudden injury.  Your thoughts rampant and wild with endless ideas of escapisms like quitting, running away, faking an illness, or taking/making an important call!  Baby doll, I have so been there!  Some exercise just have that mental choke hold effect.  It’s true, workouts are uncomfortable.  So are a lot of other things…but we do it.  (cough cough)  The real reward comes when you push through the discomfort and break free.

Go ahead girl, despise the alternating lunges and ladder drills.  Whine a little and roll your eyes when forced to do inchworms across the room.  Secretly cuss me out when it’s time for spider push ups, med ball slams and plate pushes!  Let me know how that it works out for you!!

All I can say is that if you strongly dislike something it’s most likely the motion you need the most!  The harder movements are usually the most effective. Girlfriends, I’m going to be straight up,  I HATED almost all of the following exercises with a passion when I was a beginner.  I felt so uncoordinated and inept and I was often embarrassed at my lack of balance.

• mountain climbers
• walking single leg deadlifts (my balance was so poor)
• the duck walk,
• the ladder, burpies
• rack pulls
• running laps and lines

What I discovered was, all of my eye rolling and whining was contagious. It was spreading through my mind and into my body like a cancer.  It made each movements harder because I wasn’t open to it.  I was mentally closed off.  I also realized that pushing through the first set was by far the hardest part.  If I could get past the first set, the next two were not as difficult. I gradually grew mentally and physically stronger and the dreaded 40 reps of mountain climbers weren’t so terrible! My core began to strengthen and my mood was in way better shape.  My stamina was increasing each week and I felt like a champion.  Please note that none of this positivity exempted me from the any one of the exercises.   Now, I just GET to do more!!!   

Mind over Movement

Workouts also equal warfare.  I get my mind right and talk or chant it out as I go.

• I need some more push ups because push ups make my arms and chest look ripped!
• Bring on the decline reverse crunches because I want shredded six pack abs!  ← Click here for your path to a 6 pack!  
• Heavy squats lift and tone which make my butt look hot!
• Jump squats keep my legs lean and looking good in my tight jeans!

See how I flipped it?  TAKE THAT hard exercises!  I’ll bully you right back!

FUNNY THING

Now as a professional, I often forget sometimes how badly my clients detest →TABATA ← sessions or running laps or side shuffles up and down the street.  I usually quickly demonstrate the exercises and closely watch for a frown, a heavy sigh or maybe a dramatic head toss in angst.  NO YOU DIDN’T JUST have a baby tantrum up in here!!!  I’m fast to point out the sign in my gym that plainly reads…NO WHINE ZONE!  It doubles for no whining and no wine-ing! lol   I gotta make sure my workout warriors give and get positive vibes.

So watch out burpies, lunges, mountain climbers, etc etc… mama ain’t playing or dreading you any more.  We about to USE the heck out of you and shred the fat off!  Ready or not…

WHAT EXERCISES DO YOU LOVE THE MOST?  SHARE YOUR APPROACH…

Love, shred and end the dread!!

Angi xo