Woot! Woot! It’s MONDAY!!!

I’ll tell you why I’m so excited– I’ve already hit my workout for the day. That’s right. BOOM! It’s done. I’ve laid it out for your below. Yes, this is precisely the workout I did this morning and I loved it!!!

Okay, so it also felt good because I may have eaten a DELICIOUS Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake on Saturday. No regrets. And while that was probably my most indulgent moment, you CANNOT allow yourself to remain in the sugar haze. You have to break through and hit it hard on Monday!

Here’s the other reality, I RARELY workout in the early mornings. In fact, I’ve never really been someone who enjoys a super duper early morning workout. I much prefer to knock out my exercise in the evening, and I feel as though I’ve always felt this way. I still haven’t done enough research as to WHY I don’t feel at my best in the mornings.

But I can admit that AFTER working out in the morning, my days almost always roll out more easily. I feel great!!! Plus, when the clock strikes 5 p.m., and I’m still staring down the pipeline at an hour long workout, sometimes it can be a mood killer. As in I have to force myself to switch gears, dress for the gym and get myself and the littles out the door. It can be a challenge.

My point is simply that there are positives to EITHER end of the time spectrum for exercise. I have a lot of respect and admiration for folks who get up super duper early EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. To ensure that their workout is complete!

Whether you are a morning workout star, a 9:00 a.m. fitness fiend, or an evening knock-it-out-of-the-park kind of person, I hope you’re sticking with your fitness goals HARD CORE this fall/winter!

XX, Megan

Workout 5

For this cycling profile all you really need to find is a HEAVY hill-climbing gear that will get you to feel the burn. We are going to do a ladder where each successive hill gets just a little bit longer, and depending on how much you want to challenge yourself, just a little bit steeper!

So if we are using resistance levels 1-10 again, with 1 being almost NO resistance and 10 being so HEAVY you can barely turn those pedals you are looking for resistance in the 7,8,9 range. Remember that you can use this workout for indoor cycling, on a recumbent, with the elliptical machine, out of doors (if you have a favorite hill for your intervals), or even on your cycling trainer at home!

Warm-up

3 minutes, stretch those legs and warm your upper body

3 minutes, pick-ups 30 seconds on (increase cadence) and 30 seconds off (decrease cadence), 3 times

3 minute hill climb add resistance every 30 seconds until you’ve reached your heaviest resistance

1 minute flush, or fully remove all of your resistance, and then you’ll get ready to begin your first hill climb!!!

Profile

2 minute hill climb on HEAVY resistance (a 7,8,9 on a 10 point scale of resistance!)

1 minute flush (remove all resistance from your fly wheel)

2 minute hill climb, HEAVY

1 minute flush (remove all resistance from your fly wheel)

3 minute heavy hill climb, 1 minute flush

4 minute heavy hill climb, 1 minute flush

5 minute heavy hill climb, 1 minute flush

NOW this is the TOP of your ladder, after your 5 minute heavy hill climb you are going to subtract once minute from your hill every set so…

4 minute heavy hill climb, 1 minute flush

3 minute heavy hill climb, 1 minute flush

2 minute heavy hill climb, 1 minute flush

2 minute heavy hill climb, 1 minute flush

Cool down and stretch

YOU’RE HOME!!! Way to ride!!!