Strength Training X Pilates: One Week Workout Plan
Raise your hand if for most of your exercise career, all you did was the elliptical machine.
(Hand raised.)
The hard truth is: strength training is arguably the most beneficial exercise out there.
And I’m really not sure why I avoided it for so long?
In my personal experience, it has by far been the most game changing activity in terms of making my body feel (and look) good.
Like, really good.
There are tons of benefits of weight training but here is my absolute favorite:
Lifting weights increases the amount of lean muscle on your body. As the amount of muscle increases, your metabolism increases—therefore you burn more calories throughout your entire day. Even at rest.
This rise in metabolism isn’t huge, according to research. But is still significant.
One way to approach incorporating strength training into your routine is by balancing it out with other forms of exercise.
Two of my favorites: pilates and HIIT.
Pilates uses body weight exercises to achieve goals such as strengthen, tone, and improve balance and posture— with a large focus on your core muscles.
HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. It consists of short, super intense (hence the name) bursts of energy followed by short periods of rest.
HIIT is designed to get your heart rate up and burn a large amount of calories in a short amount of time.
Combining these different approaches creates a holistic workout plan that will target your whole body and leave you feeling amazing.
Remember that nutrition is also hugely important in terms of gaining muscle, losing weight, or whatever your specific health goals are! Check out this clean eating post or this post about the psychology behind your relationship with food.
Here is a five day (completely free) exercise plan focused on strength training with pilates and HIIT added for balance.
All you’ll need for these workouts is some dumbbells and a pilates mat. (I’ll link some suggestions below.)
Monday: Upper Body Strength Training
Via Fitbymik
Tuesday: Abs + Glutes Pilates
Via Move with Nicole
Wednesday: Full Body Strength Training
Via MadFit
Thursday: Pilates HIIT
Via Eleni Fit
Friday: Lower Body Strength Training
Via Fitness kaykay
Things you’ll need.
Dumbells. These are the most affordable ones I’ve found and the ones I personally use.
If you’re super committed, you might want to consider investing in these. I wish I would have. It will save you money in the long run.
Pilates mat.
Wearable weights to intensify your pilates workouts. Optional but totally worth it.
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