Workout Journal (Week 1)

Hey guys! So I decided to try to get back into working out again. I had a whole routine during the summer for a good two to three months, but when the fall semester started for school and I also got a part time job, I couldn't find the motivation to keep working out. :( I've been feeling really sluggish lately and really miss the amazing feeling I got after a good workout, so I decided that I NEED to find time in my schedule somewhere for it.

With my last workout routine, I focused mainly on building muscle with our home gym machine. I told myself that all I needed was to tone up, but the reality was that I just didn't want to do cardio. Despite the fact that so many articles I read stated that I needed to incorporate both weight training and cardio in order to see results, I ignored them and told myself that I didn't need it. I had a specific weight training days for my arms, legs, and chest and a quite extensive ab routine. This time I decided I need to just suck it up and do cardio; in fact, my routine will focus mainly on cardio rather than weight training this time, as you will see from my day to day breakdown. 

Starting back up again was not easy. Taking such a long break from working out changed my excited attitude I developed toward working out back to the dreaded attitude I had before. I didn't expect much on the first day. If you're trying to get back into a workout routine or even just START working out in general, don't get unmotivated. You may say to yourself, "What the hell are these workout freaks talking about when they say they feel amazing after a workout?! I feel like complete, utter shit. How could anyone enjoy this?" It may feel as though you didn't do much and you may think that you're far away from reaching a strong and steady routine, but trust me when I say that it gets easier! Just give your body some time to ease into it, and eventually you'll be able to see what these 'workout freaks' are talking about.

I am honestly at awe with how fast I progressed with my cardio! Here is a breakdown of my week:

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
60 Seated Bench Presses	60 Seated Bench Presses	60 Seated Bench Presses
60 Triceps Pushdowns	60 Triceps Pushdowns	60 Triceps Pushdowns
60 Leg Extensions	60 Leg Extensions	60 Leg Extensions
200 Jumping Jacks	300 Jumping Jacks	800 Jumping Jacks

As you can see, I didn't increase my weight training exercises. Because I want my routine to focus mainly on cardio, I tried to avoid overworking myself with the weights and then becoming too exhausted to have a good cardio workout. This week may not seem so amazing to some people, but knowing myself and just how much I absolutely despise cardio, I can't help but feel proud of my progress. I felt extremely exhausted after doing 200 jumping jacks my first day, and to see that number multiply by four on my last day and knowing that I didn't even feel as exhausted as I did on the first, I know I'm on the road to getting somewhere. Now I did not do those hundreds of jumping jacks all in a row. Like I said, you have to let your body ease into it. On Day 1 and Day 2 I did reps of 20 jumping jacks, and by Day 3 I increased the reps to 25 jumping jacks. I feel as though this is the best way to build endurance and also allow your body to do the most it can do without wearing itself out.  

I would never post a selfie like this on my social media sites. /.\ I feel so naked without makeup, and not to mention that this was also taken mid-workout. But I'm hoping that I feel more comfortable posting whatever I want to my blog and not feel as though I have to pretty myself up in order to take a picture.

I also found out something today! I think that my left leg is longer than my right because when standing in a resting mode I noticed that my left foot is always placed slightly higher than my right one lol. This might explain why I'm so damn clumsy.

One thing that I realized I hated about doing cardio exercises was how dizzy I felt. When running or jumping I feel as though my brain is jumping around in my head! Standing in front of this reflective door allows me to look at myself while doing my jumping jacks (sounds a little conceited, but it really helps). Looking at my reflection moving up and down as I move up and down prevents me from getting dizzy. I feel as though when I try to stare at a still object, I can't help but notice my vision is moving. If you guys have this problem maybe you can also try standing in front of a mirror or reflective object??

Wow, this was a long post! Hopefully I keep myself on this routine. I want to see some changes this time. Catch you guys later!