in my perfect world... i'd go back to the gym.
i didn't learn how to work those machines for nothing.
Today is about working out, gym related, exercise-y things and maybe some dipping into the healthy snack pool. It should be noted this is the CPW version of a fitness-y post, and it’s all coming from a girl who still consistently purchases PopTarts as a snack and/or occasional dinner. Just saying!
Last week, I filmed, edited and posted my first YouTube vlog???? I don’t even know. This is what happens when like three of your close friends tell you to start a channel, and you take it personally. I love to create and I always have (hence why this newsletter was born), so maybe YouTube will be another sort of creative catharsis for me.
My next undertaking is styling the metallic pants I received in the mail last week (all covered in said aforementioned vlog), so I will be scrolling Pinterest for the foreseeable future. Highlight of last week was visiting home (and getting my nails done at my favorite salon, truly nothing better.) Lowlight was that I don’t have Hogwarts Legacy to play on my Nintendo Switch. That’s not really fair as it doesn’t relate to my week but… it’s real to me.
I am historically an anti-gym individual. My “working out” in the past consisted of walks. And maybe the occasional cycling class that my friends dragged me to. Or maybeee, if I was feeling really out there, a treadmill workout. Still, all of those were few and far between. Once a month, if even.
Let’s just say I’ve had a change of heart. Kind of.
I spent the fall semester getting trained by one of my best friends. Learning how to use gym equipment. Learning how to keep my heart rate steady after walking into debatably one of the most intimidating places on my college campus. After about four months of her holding my hand, I took the leap. I was ready to workout on my own.
It’s been a process. I've had to learn how to cook healthy meals, learn who has the best workout clothes that don’t ride up or cling or fall down and learn how to prioritize getting a workout out in amidst a pretty busy schedule.
These are my tips and tricks, and let it be known, I am absolutely still a novice when it comes to these things. Take it with a grain of salt. Take away only what works for you. And know that as I write this, I haven’t been in the gym in two weeks, and last night I had a hot fudge sundae at McDonald’s. Transparency, people!
CPW: WORK OUT EDITION
Tired of the treadmill? Try strut playlists: I discovered treadmill strut playlists on TikTok and will never walk on the treadmill with normal music playing again. Allie Bennett is TikTok’s resident treadmill strut playlist aficionado, but if you search your preferred artist and then “treadmill strut,” plenty of other playlist compilers have created quality line-ups. They vary in length - some 30 minutes, some an hour - and the key is to listen in order. You start the first song at whatever pace matches the beat, and with each song that plays after, you up your pace accordingly. The perks: 1. You feel like a supermodel and 2. it makes your workout go by much faster, at least in my experience. When I say millions of these playlists exist with all kinds of music, I mean it. Early 2010s music, Glee soundtrack… pick your poison and STRUT!
Softest leggings? Set Active Luxform Leggings: I wouldn’t recommend these for anything high intensity, but my Luxform leggings were absolutely perfect for a recent yoga class (where I discovered I will never be a yogi.) I never understood when people described clothes as “buttery soft”; after wearing these leggings, I do. I have them in both hot pink and navy and I genuinely enjoy wearing them, which is something I don’t often say about tight clothing. More of a baggy clothes individual.
So apparently, protein is important: protein this, protein that. I didn't understand the importance of protein before I started to (somewhat) consistently workout, but now it’s something I try to prioritize every day. I’m usually running around on campus which means I can’t cook nutritious meals around the clock. I opt for Pure Protein when it comes to bars (always chocolate flavor) and keep one in my backpack at alllll times. For shakes I go Premier Protein, and while they’re a little pricey, they taste the best and actually fuel me for the day. When it comes to meals, that’s still a work in progress. So far I’ve enjoyed roasting vegetables and freezer cauliflower pizzas, but we’ll save the more in depth cooking details for another time.
Your fit friends are your best friends: as I mentioned before, one of my best friends doubled as my personal trainer. She gave me confidence, a crash course on how to use the machines and most importantly, a workout schedule and exercises to do. You might not have a personal trainer friend in your back pocket like I did, but you probably know someone who’s a regular gym goer. Ask those friends what kind of workouts they do. Maybe even tag along! My most positive gym experiences have been when I accompanied my friends.
Look good, feel good… work out good? So we know the coziest, ~butteriest~ leggings… but what about the ones where you look in the mirror and think “I feel good right now.” And mind you, that’s a very essential part of going to gym; if you haven’t noticed, they have mirrors everywhere. My favorite, “I feel snatched” leggings are the 7/8 High-Waist Airlift Legging from Alo Yoga. There’s something about the slight sheen on Alo’s leggings that elevate them. I grab my black pair on the days where I’m really not in a gym mood, and they get me there and feeling good. When I feel good, I find that I work out the best.
Morning juice before coffee: this doesn’t necessarily fall under the fitness category, but I’d classify it as wellness… so I’m sharing anyways. In a rare trip to Whole Foods (Trader Joe’s is my grocer of choice), I saw some Vital Proteins Collagen Powder on sale. People love Vital Proteins products. I am skeptical. It definitely can’t be bad for you, but is it really doing all that much? I decided to purchase anyways (it was on saaaale!), and walked out with their Morning Get Up & Glow™ Collagen Powder. Though it’s taken some time to interweave into my morning routine (I have a strict schedule), I mix the powder with orange juice and sip (chug) it as I journal. It contains collagen, vitamin C, biotin, hyaluronic acid and 90mg of caffeine. Yes, I know I don’t technically still need a cup of coffee after that, but, the coffee stays.
Don’t do what you won’t do again: my dad has run every single day for about 5 years. No exaggeration. It honestly might be more than that now, but the point is, he laces up his shoes and goes out to run consistently. He always told me never to do something to the point where I hated it. AKA, don’t start something you can’t maintain. Don’t go to a spin class and torture yourself if spin isn’t really your thing. Find what schedule, what exercise, what gym works for you. If you don’t like it, you won’t do it again. It’s okay to say “this isn’t for me,” even if it seems like something that works for other people. Take breaks and exercise in a way that you’ll want do it again.
Although I slightly feel like just another voice speaking into the abyss, dictating what to do and what not to do to be healthy, this was fun to write and recognize what I’ve learned. And now I feel inspired to go back to the gym. A win-win if you ask me.
In my perfect world… my outfit mood boards for my upcoming Mexico trip will come to fruition! The wheels are already turning for next week’s post.