Hi ,

Around this time last year, I wrote a blog about how I quit my gym membership and as a result, my physique results were better than ever. Mostly it was due to the fact that I was forced to think outside the box (literally) to put together my workouts, and I ended up with training that was both more intense in some ways and less intense in others, but the results were insane.

See, I had gotten into a bad habit at the gym, where I would come in and feel like, "Meh, I'll just do some incline walking and a few sets of whatever." Bottom line, I was bored and because of that, ended up doing more "moderate" workouts--nothing too strenuous but also nothing easy enough to help reduce stress. 

And while it's not that moderate workouts are "bad," it's just that when we get into the habit of doing nothing but them day after day (as is easy to do because sometimes we just don't feel like working that hard, or have can harness that much energy), it can detrimentally raise our stress levels, without eliciting the kind of physique results we're really after.

An example of this when you see someone who's been at the same gym for years doing a bunch of moderate-intensity cardio classes weekly year after year, and their bodies never change. Not that they need to, but man they are putting in a lot of work to simply maintain!

That was me: my workouts became more moderate, less intense, boring, and monotonous. I had low energy, low motivation and zero inspiration to get out of my rut. So, I just up and quit my gym membership. And though it was scary, I trusted myself to figure it out. 

And it turns out, working out at home was just the thing I needed to make an effective transition from boring, ineffective workouts to intense, body-changing sessions.

Immediately, 2 things happened:

1) My workouts got more intense. I only had weights and a track at my disposal O_o. So naturally, things got intense really quickly. Steady-state cardio was no longer an option and so I sprinted. And I did metabolic conditioning. And my workouts got shorter and faster and stronger. And my physique responded in kind, as is expected considering intensity is the #1 determinant of results. 

2) My workouts also got more leisurely. Why? Because it being summertime and with no gym access, I took to the streets. Literally. I walked my ass off. Not power walks, but long, leisurely strolls. Leisure walking, especially in nature, has been shown to decrease the stress hormone cortisol and give the metabolism a mini-reset.

So, in essence, I effectively pulled myself out of the rut of day-after-day just doing the same mid-range intensity workouts--that not only bored the hell out of me, but also weren't getting me results--and I worked the extremes. High-intensity workouts for fat loss and muscle gain, and low, low intensity workouts for stress reduction and recovery. 

YES!

If you are in a rut at your gym, I get you. Totally. It can feel like a chore if you don't have the tools or the energy to change things up. And let's face it--sometimes you just want to phone it in! Ha! I get that, also :) And of course, including those days at times are fine, too.

But just don't make the mistake of not checking in with your results. Besides, if you are working out every day and not seeing something change--your shape, muscle tone, strength, stamina, body fat, whatever--it's time for YOU to change something. Just like I did.

Are you ready to work out at home?

JillFit Ambassador Lori Musselman, owner of MusselFit and creator of MusselFit Boot Camp just released her 6-Week Workout At Home Boot Camp program that features the EXACT WORKOUTS she puts her ladies through every morning at 5am! It's an invaluable program for those who want to make the change to more intense workouts at home (they are only 20 mins and all you need is a set of dumbbells!), but DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. She's got your back. 

I know she only has limited spots in the program (since it includes some coaching with Lori too!) and TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to grab it! ALL THE DETAILS ARE HERE.

Email Lori if you have any questions!

Cheers to an amazing summer of high-intensity workouts AND low-intensity workouts! *clink clink*

Ox,

Jill