Fitness Routine Update

Outside of food and diet-related questions, I get asked about my fitness routine all the time. I don’t share about it as much as I used to, other than in my Instagram Stories here and there, and that’s because it really hasn’t changed a ton over the past 2 years. But a few changes have taken place over the past few months, so here’s where I’m at with my routine right now.

I’m also going to pull from some old posts because much has stayed the same, but this way it’s all in one place. First up, everything I do fitness-wise stems from this “mantra.”

My Fitness Mantra

Fitness is not a huge part of my life. It’s a small piece of the puzzle that I include to add to my overall wellbeing – both how I feel, and achieving a body that I feel confident in.

My mantra when it comes to fitness is one that I try to apply to most areas of my life, and that is doing the MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSE (which I learned from the king himself, Tim Ferriss). Basically what that means is “the smallest dose that will produce a desired outcome,” and anything beyond the MED is wasteful. So I aim to do shorter & more efficient workouts as much as possible. Over the years I’ve also found what my body responds to best – as well as what it *doesn’t* respond to – so I stick with what actually works for me and not what other trends or people prescribe.

(You can read why I broke up with my old intense/cardio habit here)

Current Fitness Routine

Because of the MED, focusing on building muscle is my top priority.

• I lift weights (usually as heavy as I can) about 2 times a week, and I do tend to focus on lower body more than upper
• I keep my strength workouts pretty short – max 30 minutes but usually closer to 20
• The moves that I do tend to vary, but I usually follow the inspiration of Abby Pollock. I watch her YouTube videos and her Instagram videos are also super helpful
• Some of my favorite lower body moves that I do regularly are deadlifts (single-leg and Romanian), wide stance squats, leg press machine, weighted bridges (I actually prefer over hip thrusts right now because they were hurting my back), cable donkey kicks, lying leg lifts, clams & kick backs with resistance band
• I do either a Melissa Wood Health workout or a variation of my Hotel Room Workout 2-3 times a week
• I only do intentional cardio about once a week – sometimes twice and sometimes none at all. This is a far cry from my cardio bunny days. My cardio of choice is SoulCycle, boxing, the Stair Master, or sprint intervals on the treadmill.
• I also make it a point to walk as much as possible. I don’t track my steps (I used to and it got annoying) but I try to walk at least 30 minutes each day, which is pretty easy for me considering I live in NYC

Why I’m Loving Melissa Wood Health Workouts

Over the past few months I’ve started to shift my strength training workouts from (heavier) weights to body weight workouts like Melissa Wood Health or just basic mat Pilates/calisthenics movements.

While focusing on lifting weights has completely transformed my body, and I won’t stop doing it all together, I wanted to implement movement that was more holistic, slow, shaping, and just kinder to my body. As soon as I tried Melissa Wood Health workouts, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. Here’s why I love it.

• Because of the smaller movements, I’m able to really focus on doing them correctly
• I also can feel other – almost “deeper” – muscles being activated through Pilates movement
• The combination of strength training and stretching lends to the more feminine shape I am going for (#LongLeanLines)
• The workouts are actually quite calming and meditative for me, I can sense them lowering my cortisol rather than raising it
• It’s so convenient to be able to workout from my home/apartment without having to go to the gym, plus you can do it anywhere (while traveling, etc.)

I hope you found this helpful! For more you can check out the fitness & wellness categories here on the blog, or my fitness Instagram Story highlights. xoxo GG

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Please remember that I am not a health/medical/mental expert, and this is just my own experience/opinions. Please seek a professional before making any changes to your health routine.

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