Climbing the hill into Week 4 of our September Sweat Sessions challenge! Way to go!!! This workout is all about CONTRAST. You will be climbing hills, and you will be taking to the flats for a couple sprint sets mixed with active recovery. So saddle up, and ride this workout with a smile!

This workout is great for indoor cycling, stationary bike, recumbent, or elliptical machine. You can easily use this as an interval ride outdoors if you already have a perfect hill to hit for 5 minutes!

Here’s to Monday! Energy! Fitness! GO! (Workout below.)

XX, Megan

For this ride you really only have to choose two levels of resistance– the resistance level where you want your 5 minute hill to begin, and the resistance level where you will be sprinting. Ideally you will choose a “gear” somewhere in the middle for your hill so that you will be on a heavy resistance by the time you hit the top of that hill. You will increase the resistance with a right turn on your bike every minute.

After your hill, you will take the majority of your resistance off for a flat. However, make sure you leave some resistance on so that you are not spinning out uncontrollably, especially on the sprint sets! You’ll repeat these two 5 minute intervals 3 times consecutively. Have a great, workout!!!

Workout 4

Warm up– 3 minute stretch on the bike

3 minute cruise easily

4 minutes of pick-ups. 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off.

Profile

5 minute hill adding resistance every minute.

Now release most of your gear to maintain a flat as you recover and sprint.

1 minute active recovery

1 minute sprint

1 minute active recovery

1 minute sprint

1 minute active recovery

Do these two 5 minute sets 3 times!

*If you want to challenge yourself, just add additional sprints to your set on the flat. You could do 1 minute of spiriting on and then a 1 minute recovery alternating for six minutes. That will give you another 1 minute sprint to your flats, before you head up another 5 minute hill!

I didn’t really think you wanted to see another shot of the inside of a cycling classroom, amiright?!? So here’s some inspiration from the ACTUAL road. The climb. The grind. The mind. From a guy that cut off the top of his shoes so that he could finish the race!!!

AWESOME.

Now we aren’t all at that level. That is all well and fine. We can’t all be Olympic athletes. But we can consistently work toward our PERSONAL body best. YOUR best is simply that– YOURS. You don’t have to walk someone else’s walk. You don’t have to eat someone else’s dinner. You don’t have to COMPETE or COMPARE yourself to anyone else.

You simply need to find a way to move your body, engage your body, and consume energy healthily!

I want to make sure that you are clear that the reason I’ve done the September Sweat Sessions, the reason I rolled out Mondays in May Get Moving has very little to do with pant size. It has EVERYTHING to do with health, happiness, longevity, and the enjoyment of the life you’ve created for yourself. (And it definitely had to do with the fact that the ice cream and I had a really great love affair this summer!)

Being fit. Being active is a LIFESTYLE. And it really is a style that everyone should wear.

So coming to the close of WEEK 3 of our September Sweat Sessions give yourself a pat on the back. If you’ve followed along since Monday, August 31st, we’ll be able to eek out 5 weeks of workouts in September. That’s 15 workouts already! That is a GREAT start or a great reset no matter where you are in your exercise spectrum.

I don’t know about you, but I already notice a difference in my physique. These changes are minute, small, maybe unnoticeable to others. But, again, it isn’t others who I am out to work for– this is for ME! This is so that I can play tag, and practice soccer, and climb trees, and jump between rocks, hike, bike, swim, climb, paddle, and be still. I want to breath, and laugh, and live all while feeling healthy, fit, and free to do the things life requires of my BODY.

Now is the time to check in with yourself. What portion of your goals did you accomplish this week? For me, simply maintaining my goal to workout everyday was enough. I have definitely done a better job of choosing healthy eating options over processed, sugar loaded, food-to-go. But I have definitely enjoyed a few sweets here and there (in case you didn’t see the Instagram of my 2 pound bag of Jelly Belly’s, NO I did not eat them all. YES, I could eat them all, but I let moderation reign me in.)

What are some tweaks you will make to your BODY MOVIN’ next week? Will you add in some resistance training? Will you sub a kick-boxing class for one of your cardio days? Will you do a circuit on the treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bike to mix it up? I can’t wait to hear how it’s going!

I hope you move into the weekend with plans to KEEP MOVING! Where will your motion take you this weekend? To the pool, lake, or river? To that mountain meadow you’ve been meaning to visit? To that 5K you’ve been training for? WAY TO GO!

Until Monday, keep that body movin’!!!

XX, Megan

This week’s workout is designed to get you up and out of your seat! That’s right, we’re going to be working on some cycling stands. One important note about a standing climb is that you need to make sure that you have enough resistance on your fly wheel to support your weight as well as your climb. In other words, you should be able to stand fully on your bike without the aid of your handlebars (in theory, for just a few seconds, this isn’t an acrobatic challenge) without feeling your knees collapse.

If you continue to need to support yourself of your handlebars, or your legs are wobbling under you it probably means that you need MORE resistance.

Another note is that this ride is meant to be steady. Maybe not SLOW, but it is not designed to test your speed. If you find that sweet spot at a resistance level of 7 (meaning that you are on a mid-heavy resistance on your bike), you should need to work hard through all of these minutes. Your Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) should match your resistance level on your bike– 7 (see the sliding scale below).

Push yourself to the top of each climb. Your quads and hamstrings should burn. You might sweat. You might be looking forward to that flush (where you pull all of the resistance off of your fly wheel for 1 minute). All of that is AWESOME! Don’t be afraid to push yourself. Don’t be afraid to work hard.

Workout 3

Warm-up:

3 minute seated stretch

4 minutes of 30 second pick-ups. 30 seconds pick up your cadence. 30 seconds back to rest.

4 minute hill climb, adding gear every 30-45 seconds. Find a 6 or a 7 on if you are using resistance levels from 1-10 on your bike for your ride.

Profile:

4 minute standing climb, 4 minute seated climb

1 minute flush

3 minute standing climb, 3 minute seated climb

1 minute flush

2 minute standing climb, 2 minute seated climb

1 minute flush

1 minute stand, 1 minute seated, 1 minute stand, 1 minute seated for 4 minute total. No flush in between.

1 minute flush

Repeat in reverse order, adding a minute to each stand and sit…

2 minute stand, 2 minute seated, 1 minute flush

3 minute stand, 3 minute seated, 1 minute flush

4 minute stand, 4 minute seated, 1 minute flush

Cool down. Spin for 2 minutes. Stretch all the way down.

HOME! You’re DONE!!!! You may be tired, but I hope you’re feeling STRONG! And I hope you have a body movin’ MONDAY!

XX. Megan

HUMOR, HABIT, and HOPE

The second week of any reset is never as exciting as the first, right?

Bah! That’s what it feels like sometimes! Or this:

Or maybe it feels GREAT! You’ve got the wind at your back! You’re hitting the gym five times a week (or whatever schedule you committed to)! You are making healthy meal choices time after time, night after night! You are revving and raring to go! That is FANTASTIC!

Keep it up! Carry on! Don’t Stop! You rock!

On the other hand, if you are a little more tired due to renewing your regular workouts (like I am!). If you are a little more antsy about healthy eating. If you are stressed out or burnt out, TAKE HEART!

These are the doldrums. They happen every time you choose to commit to something. (I am writing this for myself, too, you know.) There really is light at the end of the tunnel. For one thing, September won’t last forever! 🙂 For another thing, my husband never tires of reminding me that it takes 21+ days to MAKE a habit, and 3 to BREAK one.

He really isn’t far off. In fact, it may take 21 days, it may take even longer! Insert surprised (and a little nervous) emoji here! Check out this article, “How Long It Takes to Form a New Habit.” (hint: sometimes 50 days?!!!!!?)

Or better yet, in the words of William James, 3 clear objectives to apply to oneself when seeking NEW HABITS.

1. The acquisition of a new habit, or the leaving off of an old one, we must take care to launch ourselves with as strong and decided an initiative as possible. Accumulate all the possible circumstances which shall reenforce the right motives; put yourself assiduously in conditions that encourage the new way; make engagements incompatible with the old; take a public pledge, if the case allows; in short, envelop your resolution with every aid you know. This will give your new beginning such a momentum that the temptation to break down will not occur as soon as it otherwise might; and every day during which a breakdown is postponed adds to the chances of its not occurring at all.

2. Never suffer an exception to occur till the new habit is securely rooted in your life. Each lapse is like the letting fall of a ball of string which one is carefully winding up; a single slip undoes more than a great many turns will wind again. Continuity of training is the great means of making the nervous system act infallibly right … It is surprising how soon a desire will die of inanition if it be never fed.

3.Seize the Very first possible opportunity to act on every resolution you make, and on every emotional prompting you may experience in the direction of the habits you aspire to gain. It is not in the moment of their forming, but in the moment of their producing motor effects, that resolves and aspirations communicate the new ‘set’ to
the brain.

So much good information there. First, launch with strength (flexed bicep emoji). Then, NO EXCEPTIONS (big eyes emoji). Last, ACT! At every opportunity, reinforce the habit you are seeking to gain!

So here you are, for whatever reason you followed me into this endeavor. I applaud you. I have to applaud you because I am certainly applauding myself, cheering myself on to keep going.

So today. Friday. The end of our Week 2 September Sweat Session, check in with yourself. What have been some high points for you this week in terms of exercise and healthy eating? What have been some lows? What do you plan to improve upon next week? What will you do to continue to motivate yourself? What will you do to build upon what you’ve started?

I challenge you to KEEP GOING!

I’ll be posting another cycling workout on Monday. Remember, you can use it at the gym, at home, outside, on a recumbent bike, or even on an elliptical machine!

Because honestly, as tired as you are from hitting a workout, aren’t you MORE TIRED of the excuses you’ve been using to avoid exercise? I thought so. Check out this article on the Huffington Post to prepare yourself to banish those excuses.

If you need ever MORE MOTIVATION, don’t forget the TUNES! Here’s a good playlist from earlier this year you can tap into. I’ll be talking more about MUSIC next week. Until then. Picture me atop that ugly old stair climber today. Pounding out 40 minutes, cause that’s where I’m headed!!!

XX, Megan

Alright! Wonderful friends and readers, are you ready for your next indoor cycling challenge?!?

Perfect for Labor Day, cause you can hit the road, hit the gym, hit your at-home recumbent, and pump this out and then call it a day!!!

I have affectionately titled this workout BY DEGREES. It’s an honest, straightforward, incremental hill climb with an increase in resistance every 3 minutes.

Workout below!

Workout 2:

BY DEGREES

For this workout you will need to pick THREE distinct gears. One, a medium gear. On your scale of resistance, 1-10, picture finding a gear in the 4-5 range. Something with more resistance than a flat, but definitely NOT a hill-climbing gear. This gear should allow you to keep up a consistent cadence of 90-110 RPMs.

Two, a middle-high gear. This gear will begin to feel like a you are climbing a hill, but this isn’t your Everest. You are looking for a 6 or 7 on your scale of resistance. Three, you will need to find a HEAVY gear. This is that 8% grade, that super steep pitch on the hill. This is where your legs are burning and you are reaching for the top of that climb!

You will maintain each of these “gears” for 3 minutes. So each interval is 3 minutes, with 3 levels of increasing resistance, making each set a total of 9 minutes long. You will cycle through this pattern– 3 minutes middle gear, 3 minutes middle-heavy climb, 3 minute HEAVY climb– 3 times. Each of your 9 minute sets will be followed by a 2 minute flush. You will remove all resistance for those 2 minutes. So let’s get started!

Warm-up: 3 minutes on a true flat, plus arm stretch. 6 minutes of pick-ups meaning one minute on, one minute rest. 3 minute practice climb. Beginning at that true flat add one gear every 30-45 seconds.

3 minutes, Middle Gear. A 3 or 4 on a 10 point resistance scale.

3 minutes, Mid-Heavy Gear. A 6 or 7 on a 10 point resistance scale.

3 minutes, HEAVY Gear. An 8 or 9 on a 10 point resistance scale.

2 minute flush.

REPEAT 3 TIMES!!!

Thanks for stopping by to sweat it out with me! I hope you are able to use this workout 2 to 3 times this week, and then sub in a couple of your other favorite workouts for the rest of the week!

Have a rockin Monday, an awesome Holiday, and a wonderful week!

XX, Megan