14 Day Bodyweight Challenge…Day 1

The Journey is starting something new today…the 14 Day Bodyweight Challenge!  We will be going through a variety of exercises for 14 days that you can do at home!

We will be hitting that upper body, working those core muscles and saying hello again to those legs that we thought were only for walking. 😉 Each challenge will take 15 minutes or less…which we all have at least 15 minutes to move a little more, don’t we?

First workout will start on Saturday, September 14th and each workout will be posted the day before right here on our website!  www.smallchangesbigpicture.wordpress.com  Today is our first post and we have the workout below for the first day…which targets your lower body!

Want to join?  Just comment at this blog post to let us know that you are in for the ride.  You can also join our Facebook event at our Facebook page… www.facebook.com/smallchangesbigpicture

I do want to take one second though and make sure EVERYONE realizes what this 14 day challenge is all about…because there is a lot of false advertising out there today that have made fitness and some exercising plans believe more than what you really should.  So, let’s just clear up some thoughts that might be going through your mind as a result of all this false advertising we see and hear.

Will these 14 days help me lose 30 pounds in 14 days? Nope…we aren’t even going to go there with those false claims.

Will these 14 days tighten up my abs so I have a 6 pack? Nope…gotta be honest…there is a lot more to that than just 14 days and 15 minutes each time.  There is a room in all of our homes that plays a big part in the equation of getting lean…and it isn’t the room with the couch.

I don’t want to waste my time with exercises I can’t do.  What will this do for me? 14 days…that is how long it takes many of us to turn things into habits. If you stick with this for 14 days you have a better chance of continuing with more exercises or increasing your activity level. These are small steps that will help lead you to your big picture.

I already exercise.  Should I add these too?  Not really knowing what you do, how long or the intensity…I can’t tell you that for sure.  Best thing though…YOU get to decide if you want to add these.  Here is a rule of thumb though to help you analyze if these strength training exercises should be included…if you are just using the elliptical, bike, treadmill or going for walks as your exercise, I do recommend trying these new things and adding them to your workout for 14 days.

This is really my first time exercising in awhile.  What if I can’t do all of these?  Congrats on starting!  That is a huge step right there and you should be proud that you are saying “yes” to this challenge.  Best thing to do is…do what you can and just try to one more rep the next time you see that same exercise.  Example…day 1 has a wall sit of 30 seconds.  If you can do 10 seconds, do 10.  Next time you see wall sits…try for 15 or 20 seconds.  If you keep trying you will eventually get to that 30 seconds.

Join us, get your move on and help make exercise a habit rather than just something on your to-do list!  Share this with your friends too…the more people that start moving, the healthier this planet will become.

Below you will find Day 1 of the 14 Day Bodyweight Challenge.

Thanks for joining us at The Journey.

– Jessica

Jessica is a mom to three, wife to one and is currently teaching cycling and strength training classes at two locations in Rochester, MN.  She enjoys boxing, cycling and the heavy stuff while lifting.  Jessica has had a journey of getting healthier that includes an injury needing physical therapy or surgery…and she chose the physical therapy option.  You can read about her journey here.

Day 1 of the 14 Day Bodyweight Challenge:

Here are a few links to show you examples of how you should do these exercises…

How to do the perfect squat 

How to do a hip raise the right way (it is from Men’s Health…but Women, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do these!)

Article about wall sits and how to perform these correctly