Hello, Nutrition with Chelsea readers! I am so excited to be a part of this beautiful community Chelsea has created for you all. I’m even more fortunate to have made a friend with such a sweet and caring soul. I write over at The Wellness Rookie where I give women the rookie advice they need from the wellness expert they can relate to by making sense of the health and fitness BS that’s out there. Chelsea is kind enough to let me share a little piece of advice on working out here.

Staying on task with your health is hard…like really, really hard.

With February in full swing, the fitness goals of 2016 are starting to fall slowly behind us. Maybe we aren’t going to the gym as often or our daily runs are turning into weekly. Maybe we are choosing the snooze button over those 6 AM workouts or maybe we’re doing two rounds of our squats instead of three.

I get it. Motivation can only last so long when you set such high goals for yourself. Sometimes those lofty goals can feel unattainable if you don’t see the fruits of your labor right away.

As human beings, we naturally crave success. If that success doesn’t come easy, we are hard on ourselves and sometimes, too hard. I believe this can be detrimental to your progress, both physically and mentally. We have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture as a whole. We have to celebrate our wins (no matter how small), recognize the areas that need improvement, and love and accept every part of the process.

Once we get ourselves in a healthy mindset, we can then refocus our attention to the physical aspect of health.

So how do you jumpstart your fitness routine?

A big reason a lot of people start to fall off the workout grind during this time of year is because a lot of us only know how to workout one way, while others have no idea how to workout at all. Which is why I’m here.

I’m here to spice up your routine and show you that working out is a lot easier than you think. Here are 5 training styles that you can start to incorporate into your workouts that won’t leave you bored or confused.

1. TABATA

The first style of training is one of my all-time favorite’s; Tabata. It’s a quick and efficient workout that is great for someone on the go. The best part? It only takes 4 minutes! Tabata training is done by first choosing 2 exercises. You then set your timer for 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds (or 4 minutes). You alternate back and forth between the two exercises until the timer goes off. You can also complete a Tabata circuit using 1, 4 or 8 exercises instead of 2. You can do as many Tabata circuits as you want or have time.

EXAMPLE: Squat Jumps + Push-Ups

Squat Jumps for 20 sec. Rest for 10 sec. Push-Ups for 20 sec. Rest for 10 sec. Squat Jumps for 20 sec. Rest for 10 sec. Push-Ups for 20 sec. Rest for 10 sec. Repeat.

2. LISS

LISS stands for “low-intensity steady-state” cardio. It can be anything that is relatively easy for you to maintain for 30-40 minutes. It’s meant to be performed on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. The reason for this is that LISS targets a different energy source compared to a higher-intensity type of workout. It’s also great at restoring your muscles’ oxygen levels and helping you bounce back faster after an intense workout next time. I recommend incorporating LISS into your routine once or twice a week.

EXAMPLE: Walking, Light Jogging, Yoga, Stretching, Light Biking

3. HIIT

You’ve probably heard of HIIT, which stands for “high-intensity interval training.” HIIT is all the rage right now. It is an interval style of workout that gets your heart rate up and down and burns some major cals. There is a lot of ways you can perform HIIT, but my favorite is with a 30/15 workout. First, you will choose 4 exercises; one upper body, one lower body, one core, and one cardio. Then, set your timer for 30 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. You will complete 3 rounds of this circuit with a 1-minute break in-between each round. These exercises are meant to be performed at your highest intensity possible in order to get the most bang for your buck. Feel free to increase or decrease the “working” time to suit your level.

EXAMPLE: Tricep Dips + Walking Lunges + Plank + High Knees

Tricep Dips for 30 sec. Rest for 15 sec. Walking Lunges for 30 sec. Rest for 15 sec. Plank for 30 sec. Rest for 15 sec. High Knees for 30 sec. Rest for 1 minute. Repeat for 2 more rounds.

4. AMRAP

AMRAP is a style of workout that you can find in most cross-fit gyms. It stands for “as many rounds as possible” and is meant to really get your sweat on. You first choose 4 or 5 exercises and a time limit. You will complete a set number of reps for each exercise. You will move onto the next exercise with little to now rest and keep repeating the entire circuit for as many rounds as possible in the allotted time.

EXAMPLE: Squats + Plank Jacks + Step-Ups + Sit-Ups (10 reps of each)

10 Squats. 10 Plank Jacks. 10 Step-Ups. 10 Sit-Ups. Repeat for a total of 15 minutes.

5. REST

Yes, you read that right. Rest and recovery IS a type of workout. To me, it’s the most important workout you can do. A lot of people don’t recover when they should, which results in overtraining. Overtraining is just as problematic as not training enough. We can become irritable, fatigued, have trouble sleeping, constantly inflamed, and even notice weight gain. The best recommendation I can give for choosing your recovery days is listen to your body. If you feel absolutely drained, you should probably take a rest day. So sore you can’t walk right? Take a rest day. Tune into your body and treat it accordingly.

EXAMPLE: Foam Roll, Stretch, Light Yoga, Hot Bath, Sleep, Absolutely Nothing

Health doesn’t have to be boring and neither should your workouts. These 5 new styles of training will help get your fitness goals back in gear. Enjoy!

XO, Cass

Cassidy is a self-dubbed “Wellness Rookie” with a serious obsession for burpees and good eyebrows. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Health Coach and Blogger living in beautiful Bozeman, Montana. When she isn’t writing about all things health, you can usually find her skiing, searching for the perfect green smoothie or trying out a new workout class. Check out her blog www.cassidywendell.com or follow her on Instagram @thewellnessrookie_ to see more!

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