Workout Diary

Some quick Jillian Michaels/high intensity interval training ass-kissing..

Interval training is the new low-intensity cardio training. It promotes a maximal stationary metabolic rate and strength training AKA something most women avoid due to the fear of bulking up.

Since I weighed myself a month ago, I’ve lost 5 lbs from doing a month of Jillian (without dieting). I’ve probably fluctuated since then as I’ve paid no attention to my diet and have missed consecutive days of exercise due to exams. Ain’t no thing.. I plan to pick up right where I left off!

Problems..
Repetitive. Feels as though you can plough through each workout after doing it a couple of times. Instead of three months to plateau, three weeks with workout videos seems plausible.

Solutions..Up the weights! Simple enough. Mix exercises from the different workouts provided from the video; incorporate exercises that attempt to isolate parts of your body. I stole a ToneItUp inner-thighs workout and added it to one of the strength training intervals of my workout. It motivates you to keep going because you know you’re focusing on your own problem areas.

And of course, I hit a wall..Around a month into using HIIT as daily exercise, I was freaking out because I thought my thighs were bulking up. Turns out, it was just my quadriceps underneath a layer of fat that was getting bigger and more solid.

My cousin, who swears by Jillian Michaels, begged me to keep going. She insisted that my quadricep muscles would get strong enough to burn the overlying fat and soon my thighs would be pure muscle; and if my quads were to get too big, revert to low-intensity cardio for muscle-shrinking.

After a week off HIIT and back onto elliptical, I was just like.. fuck this. Even though my legs were noticeably bigger, running/jogging wasn’t for me. Maybe it’s due to a lack of patience. Or because everything feels so leisure-oriented. Don’t get me wrong, I admire runners. Sprinters have that gorgeous streamline body, and the thighs on a jogger are worst enemies (they don’t touch!).

Anyways, I’ve continued on and off (mostly off for the last few weeks) and my legs are getting slimmer. My inner thighs have lost a good amount of fat (when I say good, I mean--I feel good about it), and they’ve accumulated some muscle definition. So proud of myself! I don’t feel as though I have the most rockingest bod as I could, but I’m truly loving and appreciating any signs of all the sweat I put into shaping this body.

Remember..Diet is 80% of losing weight. If you’re not in it to win it, you might as well give up. Shit food = shit body; good food = bangin’ body!

Stairs is great interval cardio training. Maximal energy exertion is key to HIIT. The more you feel like you’re going to die, the better the results.

Never let anyone try to tell you what you should look like. Your body is yours, and as much as some of us hate it, a lot of its blueprint has been pre-determined for us. So, embrace it. Likewise, if you think stick-thin is beautiful, go for it. If you think muscular is sexy, go for it. If you think working out is a waste of time, then congrats to you... you love your body for what it is--no changes necessary. Like I said, be proud of the work you do for your body. Ain’t nothing wrong with being loud and proud of what your body looks like! Self-love is #1.

Continuity..

My summer is going to try its best to consist of a bit of Jillian every single day. I used to be a huge fan of the treadmill (swiftly moving onto the elliptical); but I can’t get over how great it feels to use weights. You feel stronger. My metabolism has definitely gone up since starting--after an hour of eating, I feel that pleasant burn in my tummy that signals digestion.

Bikini bod, I’m coming for ya.. So get scared.