#Mamavation Monday: Making a Fitness Game Plan, Part 1

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working on a game plan to get into top mama shape, so I’m going to break it down over the next couple weeks. This week, I’m starting with goal setting & the workout routine, so let’s just jump right in!

I set my goals first in a qualitative way, then I broke them down quantitatively. In other words, my main goals aren’t necessarily measurable, but the means by which I intend to achieve those goals ARE measurable. My goals are pretty simple:

Goals

1. Finish my pregnancy in better shape than I started
-Gain only 25 lbs during pregnancy
-Get back down to 115 lbs within 6 months of baby’s arrival.
2. Increase stamina
-Maintain single mile time of 10 minutes or less
-Be able to double workout length within 3 months

Pretty simple. To achieve this, I’ve broken down a game plan into 2 parts: the diet and the workout plan. This week, like I said, is the workout portion. I’m keeping it simple and flexible, since I know that running will be out of the question in a couple months. Additionally, variety is a great way to stay motivated and interested in your workouts. Finally, making a routine helps create a habit – you might even find that if you can’t squeeze in a workout, your body will crave it. Crazy, right? But it’s true! So this is my workout plan:

Workout Plan

MWF: 30 Min. Power Walk w/ Toby or Dance Cardio & 10 minute quick-tone
TuTh: Interval Training (10 minute mile or interval swimming) & Targeted Resistance (different zones each day)
Saturday: Targeted Resistance & Dance Cardio or Water Aerobics
Sunday: Yoga

It’s really simple – I’ve scheduled some kind of light to moderate cardio each day, all based on the types of cardio I enjoy. Note how there’s no spinning in there? Yeah, seriously, I did a spin class when I was in top shape and just about died. That was torture. Boot camp was awesome! Spin class? Nuh-uh. But hey! If you like spinning, more power to you.

Also, you’re a massochist.

Anyway, daily cardio to get the blood flowing! I like to do my cardio in the morning, then I follow up with resistance or general toning. On targeting days, I alternate zones, so if I do arms & back on Tuesday, I’ll do legs & glutes on Thursday and core on Saturday. The order doesn’t really matter, but it is important to give each zone time to rest between targeting days.

On the in-between days, I do the following quick-tone workout:

10 Minute Quick-Tone

2 Minutes Pushups (or Standing/Seated Rows)
2 Minutes Lunges (or Moving Arabesques)
2 Minutes Crunches (With Yoga Ball or Without)
2 Minutes Squats (or Side Lifts with Resistance Bands)
2 Minutes Full Sit-ups (or Bicycles)

I’ve included alternatives that work the same or similar sections for different needs (like knee injuries or bigger baby bumps).

So there it is! I’ve done 3 things here:
1. Set reasonable goals.
2. Worked out a way to achieve those goals.
3. Created a schedule that I can reasonably keep.

This is just one way to make a game plan, and while I can’t say it’s the best way (because I haven’t really tried enough ways to really compare), I can definitely say it’s been effective!

What has worked or is working for you?