Trail running – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Reps & sets…count your way to success!

By Jenna Jamieson | January 27, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

I was thinking about the blog while I was working out this week to determine what might be a good entry. My inspiration came from my actual workout because I am a strong believer in counting reps and sets so that I can track and see my improvement over time. For example, I make sure I do 3 sets of 50 reps of crunches each day. Then the following day I make sure I do at least equal to that or more.

Further, sets and reps can be a great way to improve over time and keep you on track so you don’t lose progress that you have made due to fluctuation in the number of reps you achieve during each set. For example, doing 100 reps one week, 150 the next, and then 90 the following week. It is important to try to build upon your workout and one way to do that is through continuous counting of reps and sets. I do an abundance of cross training, trail hiking, and walking. One thing I always do when I am cross training is make sure that I do 3 sets of reps. So, if I do jumping jacks, squats, lunges, etc I do 3 sets. Rather than doing 3 straight sets of 40 reps when I do jumping jacks, squats, lunges, etc I do a “warm-up” set, “build up” set, and a “cool down” set. First, I usually have a specific number for my total set goal such as 150 reps. I then split my total set goal into reps per set. For example, my “warm-up” set might be 1-50, followed by a “build up” set of 51-115, and my “cool down” set of 116-150. I find this particularly helpful because it allows me to warm myself up to the exercise, then really push myself to the max to build my strength, and then cool down during the last set so that I can be prepared to push myself when I start my next set of exercises.

When I do trail hiking or running, I try to set a distance or amount of time that I will run and I make sure that I meet that goal so that I am not going out for a run without having a distance or time goal set. This helps push me farther and work harder to run or walk longer than I initially might have anticipated if I were to go without setting a distance or time goal.

So, next time you workout, remember that counting your reps and sets is a great way to track your progress, conquer your fitness goals, and help you increase your strength.

~jj

Find your music & motivation!

By Jenna Jamieson | October 1, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

One thing about working out and exercising is that you need to find a way to motivate yourself during each workout and keep yourself motivated. We are all different so what works for me may not work for you, but I will share a few things that help keep me going and loving my workouts!

First, I love the challenge of a hard workout and I am a fierce competitor against myself. So, part of what motivates me is to try to beat my record from my previous week. For example, if I did 130 crunches last week then I want to do at least 131 crunches or more. Yes, I may only do one more, but that one extra crunch equals a win for me. Baby steps forward are a success, big or small. These steps, no matter what the size, count as successes and those successes motivate me to challenge myself to do better each week!

Next, I make sure to find music that speaks to me and my lifestyle. I challenge you to do the same! By this, I suggest finding lyrics (words) that truly dig deep and make you want to reach your fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals rather than simply listening to music with an upbeat tempo. This way when your workout gets tough, you can listen to those lyrics and words to help push you through your workout. For example, I love the lyrics of Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake music because I can relate to the words and emotions. This helps push me farther, makes me work harder, and dig even deeper during my workouts. I also tend to listen to music that provides a certain sensation or feeling. For example, I love the television series Alias and I often download music that I hear during Alias episodes. Then when I am working out and I hear a song from Alias, it brings me back to the episode and stunts that Jennifer Garner does during the show. For those who haven’t watched it, she plays a fierce and strong female spy, so basically she’s a badass! 😉

Lastly, consider finding an athlete that motivates and inspires you. I know that as an avid tennis lover and watcher, I love the athleticism of Andy Murray (the accent doesn’t hurt either) ;-). He appears in a new commercial where he is working out, so I often think of that commercial and use the motivation that he has to help me get through my workouts. Another workout commercial that I love is the Nike “I will run to you” commercial that frequented television screens about a year ago. It has to do with working out and it is fitting for my trail runs and outside workouts.

~jj

Fitness and nutrition goals to the rescue!

By Jenna Jamieson | September 10, 2013 | Comments 2 comments

One thing I always like to do is set goals for myself whether it be in my personal life, fitness/exercise life, career life, etc. These goals can be daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly goals. I like setting goals because they are a great way to push me forward, provide a stronger purpose during my workouts, and give me something to strive for. So, today’s tip is to make sure to set fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals. You might be asking yourself, what is the difference between a fitness goal, nutrition goal, and wellness goal? A fitness goal might be walking for 45 minutes 3 times a week. A nutrition goal might be to eat at least 5 fruits and veggies each day. Lastly, a wellness goal might be to sit and relax for at least 15 minutes a day to allow your mind and body to unwind and de-stress.

Typically, I like to take it a step further by setting objectives within my goals to help challenge myself even more. For example, my fitness goal might be to workout five days a week. Within that goal, I may make several small objectives, such as doing a 25 minute trail run on one of those five days. That 25 minute trail run will then help set an objective for the following week. Since I did a 25 minute trail run on week 1, the following week (week 2) I will make my objective be a trail run of at least 25 minutes (equal to or longer than week 1).

While making fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals for yourself are important, it is equally as important to maintain commitment to your goals. One way to help ensure commitment to your goals is to write them down so that you can visit them often. Consider buying a small notebook or calendar that will encourage you to do this. You can even include fitness quotes and motivational tips within the notebook or on the calendar as I often do. This will help you be accountable and allow you to keep track of your progress. Using the above example, you might write down next to week 1 that the 25 minute trail run objective was met and write the distance you ran. Then, the following week when you reach the objective of running at least equal to that 25 minute run or longer you can write down the number of minutes as well as the distance to see how you improve over time.

In closing, remember that it is important to reward yourself with something small (fitness, nutrition, or wellness related would be most appropriate and beneficial) once you reach a goal that you have set for yourself. I like rewarding myself with a new sports bra, ice cream with fresh fruit on it, or even a few pieces of dark chocolate. Be sure to find something that will really motivate you and encourage you to reach your fitness, nutrition, and wellness goals. In other words, put something big on the line!

~jj