Your Monday to Friday Workout

Here is a great workout combination to really make the most of your time at the gym.

The other day I was at the gym and I realized since I´ve had kids I haven´t gone to the gym during the weekend. Not because I don´t want to, but because I want to teach my kids (3 & 4) to enjoy exercise and so, on the weekends, we spend our time outdoors climbing trees, running around at the park or taking our tri/bicycles for a ride.
If you, like me, hit the gym Monday to Friday, here is a great workout combination to really make the most of your time at the gym. I make certain assumptions:

1. You have 60 minutes at the gym; that´s 15 minutes in the locker room pre and post workout and 45 minutes to work out.
2. You want to do both cardio and weights.
3. Your objective is to lean out.

For this five-day workout, 4 of those days include weights and one is strictly cardio. Which cardio? The one you like best: swimming, treadmill, elliptical, bike… I don´t care which one it is, as long as you are keeping your heart rate between 65-70% of your max.
That being said, here is a great 9-5 workout, as I like to call it, and on the weekends, get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air!

Monday & Wednesday

Start off with 2 minutes of low intensity cardio to warm up: walk on the treadmill or the elliptical. You are then going to do 2 sets, 12 to 15 reps per set, resting 15 seconds between each set. You can use free weights or machines, whatever you prefer.

• Squats
• Lunges
• Bent-over Row
• Lat Pull Down
• Biceps Curl
• Crunches (each set to failure)
• Reverse Crunches (each set to failure)

Once you are done with your weight workout move on to:
20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (65-70% heart rate) and cool down for 3-5 minutes. Make sure you stretch!!!!

Tuesday & Thursday

Once again you will start off with 2 minutes to warm up and get your blood pumping. This will be the same concept as your M&W plan: 2 sets, 12 to 15 reps of each exercise, resting 15 seconds between each set. Your choice: free weights or machines!

• Bench Press
• Chest Fly
• Shoulder Press
• Lateral Raise
• Triceps Extension
• Kickbacks
• Russian Twist (each set to failure)
• Bicycle Crunches (each set to failure)

Once you are done with your weight workout move on to:
20 minutes of medium intensity cardio (65-70% heart rate) and; Cool down for 3-5 minutes.

Friday

Friday is the day when I like to focus on my cardio and give a little extra time to that part of my workout. I usually mix up my cardio workouts to end my week on a great note and start my weekend with something fun and new. Most Fridays I try a cardio class like Zumba, Spin, or kickboxing, but if the class schedule does not fit my work schedule, then I will just hop on the treadmill, elliptical or a bike and spend 45 minutes on there.
I do try to mix it up to keep it fun. I like doing cardio, so unless I am getting ready to run a race then I tend to do something other than running on the treadmill. If the gym I´m using has a pool, then I really enjoy swimming since it is a full body workout. I find it is one of the best ways to stay in shape and for me, it allows me to totally disconnect mentally which is such a plus at the end of a busy week.
So what do I do on the weekends? I live in Barcelona, which has lovely climate and allows for a lot of outdoor time. The easiest thing for me to do is to put on my sneakers and go out for a morning run. I usually run for an hour. If I don´t get to my run I don´t stress. With the kiddos, we usually go to the park or the beach and we run around and jump and climb trees and play on the monkey bars. They are 3 & 4, so they have plenty of energy!
Enjoy your workout!