5 Ways to Modify Your Workouts (If you’re just starting out or if you just aren’t feeling)
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Have you ever felt overwhelmed or lacked motivation in your fitness journey? It's time to embrace the idea that modifying your workouts is not just acceptable but essential for a well-rounded and sustainable fitness routine.
Welcome to this episode of the “Embrace Your Real” podcast. In this episode, we explore five practical ways to modify your workouts, perfect for beginners and those seeking motivation. Learn why the black-and-white approach to fitness is outdated and how modifying your workouts is a key element of self-care. Tune in for the five empowering ways to adapt your exercise routine that will encourage you to take control of your fitness journey with flexibility and compassion.
What I discuss:
Take your time, it's not a race!
Lower the weight or go body weight.
Reduce reps
Leave off a round
Progress over perfection!
If you loved this episode, be sure to tune in to…
Episode 363 - Navigating Your Fitness Journey According to Your Menstrual Cycle
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
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Website: www.juliealedbetter.com
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with Me, Julie Ledbetter. A podcast where I empower you to just be you with each episode and issue a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get hands, girl. Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Real podcast. I have a PSA for every single woman. I know. We're in a very busy kind of off season in terms of especially showing up in your workouts. It's cold, it's dark, it's busy. Our schedules are out of whack. We have holiday parties. We have Christmas programs. There's so many things going on in this month. And I think we oftentimes get super discouraged if we're not following our 100% or what we normally do. We're not showing up the way that we normally do. And I just want to encourage you and remind you that your 100% is going to look different from today to tomorrow. And that's why we need to be okay with modifying our workouts based on what our bodies need, our season of life needs in each day from week to week, month to month. You know, fitness doesn't have to be so black or white, especially if you're following a workout plan. And so I just want to empower you to take control of your workouts and know that it is okay to adjust your workouts as needed. And so that's why in today's episode, I want to share with you five ways to modify your workouts. This is perfect for those who are just starting out in your fitness journey, maybe after a long break, or you've never really shown up consistently in your fitness, or maybe you're just going through a really busy season, you're kind of overwhelmed, you're lacking motivation. [00:01:36][96.1]
[00:01:37] This episode is going to be perfect for you. This was actually inspired by just a conversation that was happening in the Facebook group of a girl that was feeling frustrated and discouraged. And, you know, so many people flooded to that post to just encourage her and remind her, hey, you can modify your workout, you can do this, you can do this, and just sharing all these ideas. And so if you are an active subscriber inside the movement with Julia, we have over 10,000 active subscribers who follow these weekly workouts. You guys are amazing. There's actually a private Facebook group inside that group inside that you're able to communicate with. Are there active subscribers who are doing these workouts week to week? So if you do want that link, you can always shoot me a message inside the app. You can also just go into Facebook and type in movement with Julie and you'll see a private group. Just make sure it's a group, not a page, and you can request to join and make sure you add all of your details like your name and your email that you have for your active subscription. And I'm just telling you, this is one of the most supportive groups on the Internet. I love every single one of you guys. You guys are what keeps me going. Like when I'm feeling discouraged or when I'm lacking motivation, I pop into that Facebook group and give me, you know, two, three minutes and I'm like, okay, I can do this. Like just seeing other women who are completing the same workout, other women who are sharing their victory, sharing their hardships and everything in between. So it is so, so cool. So if you are an active subscriber, make sure that you join that Facebook group. [00:02:57][79.9]
[00:02:57] If you're not an active subscriber and you want to join, you can learn more by going to sale. That's Sally Diamond, which you. Before we dive in, though, I wanted to share this review. It comes from Jenny W a she says, I'm a smarter, wiser woman listening to this podcast. Hi there. If you're like me and get so much joy from exercise and eating healthy, but may have found yourself on the border of having an unhealthy transactional relationship with movement and food during your journey, I highly recommend listening. I'm so grateful I found Julie and embrace a real. Over the past two days, she has helped me shift my mindset and I feel empowered to make small shifts to make sure I'm fueling my body optimally and also quiet. My inner critic, Thank you so much for creating this content that will change lives for the better. I love this so much. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review and thank you for tuning in. I'm so grateful. This is honestly my hope and pray every single time we release an episode is that it either empowers you and encourages you, educates you in some way, shape or form. So thank you for scootch in over to Apple Podcasts and doing that if you could and you haven't already left a rating interview or maybe you haven't left one in a while and there was maybe a specific episode or just this podcast in general, how it's speaking to you in this season of life. I would love to hear about it. So you can go to Apple Podcasts on any Apple device. So your computer, your iPad, your iPhone typing embrace are real. First, make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode and then you can scroll all the way down and leave a rating and review. [00:04:22][84.2]
[00:04:22] Like I said, it really does help us out and we appreciate you so, so much. Okay, so here we go. Five ways to Modify Your Workouts. Again, this is perfect for those who are just starting out on your fitness journey, maybe coming back after a long break, completely starting from scratch, or you're just lacking motivation. Maybe you're in a very busy season. Your schedules are a little bit wacky. This episode is for you. Number one, take your time. It is not a race. This is one of the top reasons why I'm a firm believer in the go at your own pace style workouts and why my specific program follows that versus one long follow along style video. I know that people have their workout preferences. I'm not saying that one is better than the other, but there are just a few things that I've learned and why I am such a big proponent in the go at your own pace. Because if there's one thing that I wish I would have learned sooner on my fitness journey is that listening to your body is more than just a catchphrase. It's a fundamental aspect of sustainable fitness. And so this means that if you're doing those follow along style workouts where you are. Following an instructor, you're following specific time intervals, etc.. I just want to encourage you that it is entirely acceptable to press pause or simply just ignore the instructor altogether and just do it at your own pace. Fitness should never really be about blindly adhering to a schedule at the expense of your well-being or at the expense of potentially putting yourself in a place where you could be injured. And so for me, having the ability to have the looping demo videos, but doing it at your own pace, like in my program, I give you, you know, three sets of ten reps. [00:05:57][95.3]
[00:05:58] But I always tell people if you are low on time, but you're really wanting that mind to muscle connection, I would much rather you do six solid reps and if that's maybe two sets of six wraps versus three sets of ten reps, I would much rather you do, you know, two sets of six reps that are completely mine to muscle connection. You are really focusing on slow and controlled movement, really feeling every single muscle fiber in that movement because that's going to yield you results versus you just rushing through the movement, just going through the motions. And so I want to just encourage you to give yourself permission to pause a bit longer and really allow you to show up and get the work done and know that six solid reps is better than ten rush reps, right? Two sets of six. Very slow and controlled. I would have I would want you to do that all day long versus you rushing through the sets and rep. So if you're, you know, struggle struggling with time and you just feel like, man, I'm just rushing through the motions, I'm not really, you know, engaging my muscle fibers, I want you to slow down and know that that is okay. In fact, I'd rather you do that than you rushing through the movement. If you are a person that does follow along style workouts, I want you to slow down. If you need that time, never feel guilty about it. I want you to celebrate what you are doing, showing up for yourself. And also I would much rather you left smart versus you just trying to rush through those sets and reps. Number two, lower the weight or even go bodyweight. Some days you're just not going to lift as heavy. [00:07:32][94.2]
[00:07:33] And that's okay, right? You're feeling tired. Maybe you're on a specific time in your menstrual cycle, whatever it is, you're you're just going through life. It's amazing to know that you are able to lessen the weight. You're able to go even drop down to a bodyweight movement. There are so many good body weight movements. And if you follow my program, I program just about I would say 97% of the moves always have an alternate exercise. Oftentimes, if it's a lower body day, oftentimes it's bodyweight movements. If it's an upper body day, you know, I'll give you some other alternate exercises, some that are easier, some that just utilize different equipment. But it's okay to use that. In fact, I'd rather you use that than you just, again, going through the motions and just know that if you're not feeling up to lifting heavy weights or going all out with equipment, just consider switching to bodyweight exercises for the day. The week bodyweight workouts can still be incredibly effective, and at the end of the day, movement some movement is better than no movement. So whatever that movement looks like for you today, it's still better than nothing. Maybe you do have your leg day with weights and have half of your leg day without like whatever it is. It's okay. And just know that we are here for is for sustainable results and not quick fixes. And this is a journey where you are on and you are pushing for consistency, not perfection. So congratulate yourself on being consistent even if that weight is lighter or no weights on that day or that week. Number three, reduce the wrap. So on the days that you're just not feeling your best, don't hesitate to reduce the number of repetitions you can do. [00:09:05][92.0]
[00:09:05] It's perfectly fine to lower the volume of your workout. This not only prevents burnout, but also the like I mentioned earlier, it allows you to focus on the quality of each repetition. So form and control matter more than the quantity of reps that you complete. And if you're pushing, you know, just to try to get the workout done, that's not going to be the best long term. And so I don't want you to feel guilty for not getting in the reps as you should or as they're programed, just to remind yourself that pushing through fatigue or discomfort that sometimes can lead to injuries that might set you back significantly. And so just take the assessment, assess where you're at today and say, okay, is this something where I'm going to be okay reducing like a completely different round, which I'll mention in a second or just reducing the reps and being okay with that. That's the reason why I created the app the way that I did. It's so customizable in the sense of, you know, ten reps might be programed in there, but you can easily just click that negative sign two times to go down to eight reps or two more times to go down to six reps. Like you are able to customize this to your preference and what you are able to give each day. Number four, leave off around. So like I mentioned earlier, you can leave off an entire round. I would much rather you get those quality repetitions versus you just rushing through them. Movements and the workout itself. So maybe you are a 60 minute person. Like maybe if you're inside the app, you know, I give a 60 minute and a 30 minute. The 60 minute oftentimes takes people anywhere from 45 minutes to 60 minutes to complete. [00:10:38][92.9]
[00:10:38] And then the 30 minute typically takes people anywhere from 25 to 32 minutes to complete depending. But just know that you are able to delete around. So for the 60 minute, it's a variation of like single exercises. We have triceps, we have circuits, we have super sets. And I will always program, you know, three sets of the superset or four rounds of the circuit you can always leave off around if you want to do that. Like totally. Okay. And this is again where I want to empower you to make those decisions for yourself and say, if I'm going to do this long term, if I'm going to see myself doing this in six weeks, in at six months, in six years, I'm going to do what I can today to make sure that it's sustainable for me. And if that's taking off around if that's taking off a few sets, that is okay. Again, just focusing on that quality. And then for the 30 minute workouts inside my community, the 30 minute workouts are programed as one giant circuit. So it's about 6 to 7 exercises. You're doing one round of each exercise back to back resting and then repeating that two more times for a total of three rounds is typically how it's structured. I always tell people you're getting a very efficient and effective workout, even if you do 1 to 2 giant circuits of that workout in general. So if you're like, Man, three rounds is not in the cards, totally fine, delete one round, you delete one round off of one movement inside that giant circuit. It's going to take off that round for every single movement. So you don't have to go through each movement and take off the round. [00:12:07][88.9]
[00:12:08] You just do it for one movement. You take off round three, it's going to take off round three for all the movement and then you're able to log the workout. You got a crazy efficient workout. Maybe it took you, you know, 15, 20 minutes to get two giant circuits in there. And just know, I cannot stress this enough that your fitness journey is your journey. And this means that you have to listen to your body and you have to cater your workouts to what you need that day. And sometimes that is giving yourself permission to reduce the reps, the weight, the number of rounds that permission is all you need to get yourself to show up. But most of the time, once you show up, I'm telling you, you find that inner strength to push harder. And that's that's a beautiful thing about our fitness journeys is that man, our mind is so powerful and it goes both ways, right? On the days that we're struggling, our mind can be like, This is the worst thing ever. I don't want to do this. But then once we push through that, our minds say, Oh, it's not that bad. Oh yeah, we can go another round. Oh yeah, we can go another round. Oh third round. Yeah, let's do it. And then before you know it you're, you know, 30 minutes in and you got a killer workout and you were going in saying, I'm just going to do one giant round, right? So our minds are awesome in the sense that they work both ways and that they will really help you. And so, again, just remember sometimes that showing up is the hardest part. And once you get going, then you'll have the energy and motivation to push through. [00:13:27][79.6]
[00:13:28] And lastly, number five, progress over perfection. So there's going to be some days where, like I mentioned earlier, 100% of your effort is going to look different than the day before. And that is perfectly okay. What matters most is that you showed up and you made an effort, and consistency is what matters above all else. You cannot make progress if you don't show up and showing up even when you have to modify your workout. This is a testament to your dedication and your commitment to yourself. So I want you to embrace those days when you need to take it a bit easier and make the adjustments. They are a natural part of the journey towards becoming the best version of yourself. So I hope that this episode helps you realize that your fitness journey is in this constant state of flux, and you can't. And you shouldn't just be too rigid with it, right? And you need to remember that you have the ability to adjust on the days that you need to adjust and not feel guilty about it. And again, just remembering that the hardest part is oftentimes showing up. And I think we oftentimes get in this all or nothing mindset. And it comes from I'm sure it stems from many different parts growing up in our life, but one of them being the diet mentality, right? This all or nothing mindset like, oh crap, I screwed up on my diet, so I'm just going to go all out this weekend and then I'll start fresh on Monday. We have to learn to take it day by day, hour by hour, workout by workout meal by meal. And just remember that every single time we have a new meal, every single time we have an opportunity to shop or workout, that is an opportunity to make progress. [00:15:03][94.7]
[00:15:04] And just knowing that it is not perfection that we're striving for, it is consistency, right? Consistent, imperfect action over time that compounds and leads to massive results. I do have an episode that I think you'll find very helpful if you're struggling with finding out or figuring out how to kind of navigate your fitness journey according to your. Menstrual cycle. This is something that's really trendy. It's going around. I think that this resource will be really helpful for you. But one thing I want to mention, even more so than this episode that I'm about to recommend to you, is to just listen to your body. You know, somewhat menstrual cycles, you might be crushing your workouts and you're like, Man, I'm able to like, lift heavier. I'm feeling really good. I'm not like having to lessen my workouts. And I think sometimes we get in this mindset where, oh, you know, I'm on my metro cycle, so I have to lessen it. If you have the energy. Go for it. I tell people, please listen to your body above all else, because I never want you to get locked into this box mindset where you know, Oh, my menstrual cycles here. So I better navigate through according. You know, my my fitness journey and my workouts according to that. That's a great resource to have. Of course, if you are struggling, you're able to listen to this episode and say, okay, yeah, this is how I can modify my workouts based on where I'm at. But if you have the energy, go for it. So just learn to kind of balance those two things and listen to your body. But the episode is 363. It's called Navigating Your Fitness Journey According to Your Menstrual Cycle. And again, I think that that's going to be really helpful for you. [00:16:33][89.6]
[00:16:33] It will be a great resource if you're struggling in that area. But let me quickly recap what I talked about. Number one, take your time. Remember that it is not a race. Number two, lower the weight or even go down to body weight. Number three, reduce the reps. Number four, leave off around. Number five, progress over perfection. So if you want to learn more about my movement with Julianne, five brand new workouts every single week, programed directly to your phone, all you need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. So our weekly schedule is lower body, upper body, cardio core, shoulders and glutes and full body. I give you a 60 minute and a 30 minute variation for every single workout, so you pick based on your time constraints. And like I mentioned within this episode, the app is super user friendly in the sense that it is programed 100% to go at your own pace. So you are going to be required to be interacting with the phone. And that's specifically programed for a reason because I want you to do this at your own pace. I don't want to set a timer and have it automatically go to the next movement because some on some days that might be great. On other days you're you're not following it 100%. Right. You're going slower, you're lessening the reps, you're at lessening the sets. And so I want you to be able to customize it the way that you can so you can learn all about the app, what's included, as well as join the community by going to sale that's as elite which Slate.com. I will link that in the show notes as well as that episode that I mentioned. 363 Navigating Your Fitness Journey according to Your Menstrual Cycle. [00:18:08][94.3]
[00:18:08] I hope that this episode was helpful for you. If you have a friend or a coworker or someone in your life that you feel like would really benefit from this specific episode. I just ask you, share it out with them. You can copy the link, send it to them in a text message. You can also screenshot this and post up on your Instagram story. I always love connecting you guys, but that is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so much. I mean it and I'll talk to you next on. [00:18:28][20.2]
[00:18:36] All right, sister. That's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you. You're not already following me on the gram. Be sure to do so, Julie. A Ledbetter. Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that Daily Post workout, real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real because you're worth it. [00:18:36][0.0]
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