My EVERYDAY Workout Routine!

One of the first things I was most excited about when I moved away for school was the fact that I would now have access to the three gyms Appalachian State University has on campus. Prior to my enrollment, I had really only completed workout routines in my bedroom. The basic crunches, push-ups, light hand weights, jogs around the neighborhood, etc.

One of my main goals, that I am sure I share with thousands of others, for the summer has been to get in serious shape. Today I am going to share with you my everyday workout routine that anyone can do. I encourage you to modify or divide up this routine as needed and to not get discouraged if you cannot endure it from the get-go. Progress is key to the process!

My favorite gym of the three on campus to attend is the Student Recreation Center because of its enormous size, and the fact that it is complete with an indoor swimming pool. Even though I chose to workout at a gym, I like to do a lot of my workouts utilizing my own body weight. Majority of the workout that you will see can be completed without a gym membership under your belt.

The Workout

Disclaimer: Before we begin, it is important you always stretch before doing any physical activity, as it decreases the risk of potential injuries.

Stretches: Begin with ten arm circles per arm. Five lunges per leg, holding the position for as long as possible. Four hamstring stretches, two per leg, holding the position for at least thirty seconds.

Warm Up: On the treadmill, sprint for five minutes and then walk for five minutes. Repeat this twice.

Upper Body: I like to start out my conditioning with push-ups, incline dumbbell press, supermans and pull-ups. For each of these four exercises, I set a minute timer and complete the maximum number of exercises possible within this interval, striving to beat the record set from the day before. Rest somewhere between thirty seconds and one minute between sets.

Lower Body: More lunges! I will usually lunge from one area of the room to the other and back because I can see the progress I am making with each step. Try some now holding hand weights to increase the intensity. Proceed then with twelve squats with weights, repeating this set twice. End with flutter kicks for one minute. Rest somewhere between thirty seconds and one minute between sets.

Ab: By this point in the workout I am feeling the burn, and need time to rest. I typically complete two sets of planking and four sets of both sit-ups and crunches for one minute, once again striving to beat the record set from the day before. Rest somewhere between thirty seconds and one minute between sets.

Growing up, I swam competitively for ten years. Swimming is one of the best workouts to do because it works every muscle in the body. There is a reason it is commonly used as a method of recovery during physical therapy! I always like to end my workout with some laps in the pool because the water is rejuvenating.

Swim: I like to swim laps in sets of four, to keep the intensity up. Do not let this discourage you if you are not capable of this or if you are new to swimming. My time in the pool includes is ten sets of four laps, alternating each type of stroke (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.) Try to sprint the butterfly and freestyle laps of each set. After one set of four, I will rest somewhere in between thirty seconds to a minute.

This routine is intense and took some time to tweak before it was finalized. I hope that this post provides you with some new methods of staying in shape and/or the motivation you need to achieve the body you desire. Again, I encourage you to modify or divide up this routine as needed. Push yourself to your full ability, but remember that results take time and you must stay safe.

Thank you for reading my SECOND post! Until next time...

Charlie Sanderson