Sometimes the best workout is the one you can fit in.

As a personal trainer I preach specificity. You have to workout for the results you want. I knew I had to run to train to run a marathon. In order to get stronger you need to lift weights that will make you strong.

But as a real life person I say screw the trainer and preach doing whatever workout fits your schedule and budget. And sometimes that workout isn’t the one that’s going to 100% fit your fitness goals.

Adjusting to being back on a more traditional 9-5 schedule for my internship has been a struggle for me, TBH. Fitting in a workout 6 days a week is still a priority for me and my sanity. I prefer working out in the morning… but I’m also not a morning person. 10:30PM is my prime time and when I feel the most creative. It’s pretty inconvenient.

But, I also suck at evening work outs. It’s just a total struggle fest and I’m always hungry or uncomfortably full and just want to veg out afterwards.

So, early morning workouts it is for me these days. And I’m talkin’ like 6:15AM / 6:30AM start times. Aggressive, my friends.

Because of this, my current workout regiment has become whatever class I’m willing to get out of bed at 5:15AM for and is on FitReserve because #gradschool budget.

Granted, my fitness goalz have been pretty non-existant as of late.

At the end of the day, though, I do want to both feel confident in my body while also feeling awesome mentally thanks to them exercise endorphins. As much as I tell myself I don’t give a crap about the aesthetic benefits of working out, that’s total bullshit. I’m a 26 year old girl with a love of crop tops.

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A few weeks ago I had my body fat analyzed. It’s become a bit of a tradition for me to get an InBody test every December. Comparing the results over the last three years has been interesting. Especially considering I took the test last year shortly after running a marathon.

I’m happy to say I gained back some of the arm muscle I lost thanks to marathon training. Unfortunately I did not lose those leg muscles gained thanks to marathon training 😂

After the test I chatted with the personal trainer and he mentioned I should focus a bit more on traditional strength training, like the Body Camp class at Body Space Fitness.

I love the Body Camp class. But it doesn’t fit with my schedule. So instead I’ve been taking Cardio Strength at 6:15AM at least once a week. It’s what works with my schedule right now.

In a perfect world, I’d have the perfect workout regiment.

For starters, I’d be able to afford to visit all my favorite studios as many times as I want during any given month. And my schedule would allow for me to cherry pick the best classes that fit my aesthetic goals. Yes, in this scenario I still take group fitness classes because I love them after all.

But this isn’t the perfect world. I’m still a grad school student on a budget and limited to classes I can attend before my internship at the crack of dawn. And that’s okay.

It’s better than nothing. It’s better than saying f*ck it, I’m just not gonna work out! It’s better than torturing myself with an evening work out that better suits my fitness needs.

Sometimes the best workout for you is the one that works for you and your needs right now.