Strength

Self-Care

Let's take this time together to slow down and really get present—to connect to our body, to the moment, to our muscles, to our being as we move, and build foundational support for the changes we want to create.

BUILD

TO START OR RESUME WITH STRENGTH TRAINING - BUILD is a great place to begin (or resume) your strength training journey, especially after illness or injury (please be sure to get your doctor's clearance first and make any additional modifications to the sessions, schedule or moves as needed). You may want to follow our suggested 30-day rotation and stay in the BUILD season for as many months as it feels right for your body.

AS A MODERATE INTENSITY/RECOVERY CYCLE - If you have been strength training for a while, try the sessions as a more moderate/recovery cycle and focus on heavier weight to continue making progress. This less-intensive training cycle can help your body fully recover from programs or periods of higher exertion/intensity while still allowing you to progress with your training while healing or dealing with more stressful times of your life. (You may be surprised how much you still feel your muscles!)

DURING HORMONAL CHANGES (OR FOR ANY TIME WHEN YOUR ENERGY IS LOWER AND EXERTION IS MORE CHALLENGING TO MAINTAIN) - You may also want to use a two-week rotation of the BUILD sessions during the second half of your menstrual cycle, or while going through a more stressful period of life if/when you feel your energy levels are lower and increased exertion is more challenging to maintain.

And, if you are currently peri or post menopause, this season can be a helpful tool for maintaining strength and muscle. While high-intensity training and lifting heavy weights can be beneficial to combat the body composition changes often experienced with hormonal changes, if your body hasn't been appropriately conditioned for that type of more demanding effort, or if you are dealing with joint pain or fatigue that those changes can often bring, the last thing you may want (or be able) to do is try to force your body into more intensive effort exercise. Build can help create a solid foundation for progressing into more intensive effort over time (of course, you may still need to make additional adjustments and consult with a medical professional for best advice). You may want to alternate two weeks of more intensive training with two weeks of the BUILD sessions to help balance your system and energy.

HOW TO USE THE BUILD SESSIONS:

The 30-minute BUILD workouts include a mix of body part split focused sessions

and several full-body routines to organize and focus your training efforts.

You can begin with the 3-day-a-week total body session week(s) or the targeted body part split week(s), training three or up to five days a week, depending on your schedule and preferences. The workouts average 30 minutes, and are designed not to overtax your system by focusing primarily on one body part at a time (i.e. less compound moves and fewer repeated sets). Follow along with our recommended monthly rotation, or mix and match the BUILD sessions into your routine as desired. You can easily increase the level of challenge when you feel ready by increasing the weight you lift during the workouts when appropriate, and/or easily repeat a second round of the strength work by using our chaptered options to add additional sets once you feel ready for more.

We've also included some short add-in options called "Self Care Sessions" that you may (or may not) want to include in your weekly lineup outside of your workouts to help you continue supporting your health and well-being. Additionally, you'll see our cardio category options for "L.I.S.S." (or low-intensity steady state), "M.I.S.S." (or moderate-intensity steady state), and interval training. Rotating through one of each type on your optional cardio days provides a balanced mix of cardiovascular work for your sessions, but it's up to you how often you want to sprinkle in these additional workouts, if at all. (You may want to focus solely on the MISS or LISS options only during the BUILD phase if you need less intensity during this season). You may also want to sprinkle in some stretching/mobility routines during your day or week for some additional stress-relieving movement (you can find all available options in your library here under our 'workout type' filter).

I hope you will try BUILD and incorporate it into whatever season of life you find yourself in right now, in whatever way works best for you. And, if this type of training differs from what you need, please keep it in mind as part of your toolbox for if/when seasons or circumstances change (we will have more seasons coming soon to choose from too!). I can't wait to start BUILDING with you!

Jessica