Hey, hey, hey!
It has been fo-or-ev-er since I’ve really written about exercise and the like. I’ve been slacking with the posts, but not with the workouts (I swear!!). ETB Fit, a nutritional supplement company, inspired me to tell you all about how I fuel my fitness before, during and after my workouts. Feel free to check out ETB Fit for healthy pre workout supplements to help fuel your workout! While I have not tried them myself, they are something that I would incorporate into my routine. I figured that writing this post would be a great way to get back onto the fitness-writing train!
Anyway, all aboard 😉
Here are 5 things that I need to do in order to get the most out of my workout! I’m not one for being at the gym longer than an hour or an hour and 15 minutes, so doing these things are important for getting in and out.
1. Eat before I workout
I used to be a super early riser and super early exerciser, so I would eat half a banana with peanut butter and be on my way. These days, I usually fit in a workout mid or late morning, so I eat a substantial breakfast that will keep off hunger until I get home. My favorites are:
Oatmeal // fruit // almond milk // peanut butter // cinnamon (and coffee if it’s early enough, but not too close to working out)
Or eggs // cheese // toast with butter // spinach
Both of those breakfasts sit nicely through my workout, but things like cottage cheese and yogurt…not so much.
If I’m hungry during a workout, I get lightheaded and weak, and I’ve been known to leave the gym, go get a snack, and come back. I really can’t push through hunger!
2. Music or Netflix!
Ugh I love the gym, but I also kind of…hate the gym. Treadmills and other cardio equipment are great places to do intervals and get in a good workout, but dear Lord, those cars driving by the gym are only interesting for so long. A good, upbeat playlist or Pandora station is my favorite way to really push myself on the cardio equipment. Click here and here for my favorite Latin playlists! My favorite Pandora stations are: Summer Hits of the 2000’s, Pop Fitness Radio, Wake Me Up Radio, Prince Royce Radio, and Taking Back Sunday Radio for a trip down memory lane. When I feel like drowning everything out and just doing some steady-state cardio, Lorelai and Rory (Gilmore Girls) keep me company 😉 
We all want to be a Gilmore. Noooo shame over here.
Of course, if Gilmore Girls isn’t your thing (what? how?) there are other Netflix and Pandora things to keep you rockin’ and rollin’ on the cardio equipment. My dad listens to Jim Gaffigan Pandora, which makes him crack up and chuckle while he’s exercising. He’s the crazy man that thinks the elliptical is just too funny!
3. Switch it up.
Exercise should be FUN and it should be something that makes you feel good. With that being said, cardio machines and weights can get SO BORING if that’s all you do! I really try to switch it up with different exercise classes interspersed into the regular gym workouts.
A regular week of workouts:
Sunday: long run outside
Monday: Cardio & Nike Training Club
Tuesday: Bootcamp workout
Wednesday: Spinning
Thursday: Kettlebells Class
Friday: Short run and abs
Saturday: Rest.
I love boot camp-style workouts, as well as spinning and kettebell classes. Interval workouts are also great for helping the time pass on the cardio equipment and getting in an awesome, sweaty workout. See my workout tab for interval workout inspiration. When all else fails, or you don’t have access to workout classes, Nike Training Club will give you an incredible workout and keep things moving. Also- take your workout outside! Go to the pool, go for a run, go for a hike. This all brings me to my next point…
4. Go outside!
A great workout does NOT have to happen in the gym, and often, my best workouts happen outside. Go for a run and get a little lost or see a new place/ trail. Take a couple weights outside with a water bottle or a towel and exercise in the grass. Go to the local pool and swim laps. Go for a hike or a run with a friend (this is my favorite thing!) Going outside and doing something new makes working out so much more fun and leaves you with a nice tan 🙂
The view during last weekend’s run.
You can also incorporate local races into your workouts. I love “fun runs” like color runs, and local road races where the entire community is out cheering! Incorporate these into your weekend routine for some fun weekend exercise.
5. Refuel.
The first, first, FIRST thing I do when I get home is chug water and then eat… IMMEDIATELY. I’m usually pretty hungry by the time I get home, so I have to eat. If I do a tough lifting workout, I’ll drink a protein shake and then eat something more substantial, but more often than not, I just go for the food. My favorite post-workout meals are eggs, salads with some sort of protein, or dinner leftovers.
Post-run meal
Another post-run meal (plus a lot more food!)
It’s important to eat enough throughout the day to make sure you’re getting the most out of your workouts.
And lastly…
Nothing beats a couple ice-cold beers after a good workout! Gotta make it worth it somehow! 🙂
And one more for good measure:
Drink plenty of water!!! My water bottle is like a 5 apendage and is always full! I can never get enough water, and during these summer months, it’s especially important. We don’t want any heat stroked people out there! I drink plenty before, during, and after my workout and my favorite thing to do is to add a little pizzazz in the form of mint // cucumbers // lemon // lime, in any combination that fits your fancy.
I hope you’ve enjoyed and learned from my 5 Steps for Powering Through my workouts! If you have any questions or tips to add, feel free to get in touch via e-mail or twitter/ instagram!
Disclaimer: ETB Fit inspired this post topic. As always, all comments and opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!