Happy Mondaaaaaay!! I hope you had the best weekend yet! Mine was quite delightful because it was spent in the gym, at a wedding, on the couch, in the backyard, and at a new restaurant. Pretty much everything I want in a weekend!
I spent the weekend thinking a lot about progress. It’s pretty easy to feel like progress isn’t actually happening. I watch it happen with people in the gym or talking to people online and I’ve even witnessed it with myself. We give ourselves a week or maybe even a month, and when we don’t “see the progress” that we hoped we would, we self-sabotage. I’ve seen it over and over and I’ve done it myself. We let social media or the people around us dictate how we feel about our own progress instead of patting ourselves on the back for all the hard work that has gone into what should be a long road, not a short one.
Everyone comes from different backgrounds. Some of our genetics make us pack on muscle easily, some make it hard to gain weight, some make it hard to lose weight. We all have different backgrounds, genetics, influences, and life situations. Every single one of us. So why would we ever compare ourselves to another person? Those questions like, “Why can they eat that and when I even look at it, I gain weight?” or “I work just as hard as that person but don’t look like them, how is that possible?” Well, because you aren’t that person. And asking questions that you’ll never be able to answer won’t ever get you anywhere. And that’s where progress ends. When we compare, when we doubt, and when we self-sabotage is where progress no longer prevails.
Progress is a funny thing. For some, progress comes in days and for others, it may takes years. And that can be so incredibly frustrating and upsetting. But that’s life. Life has it’s own way of throwing curve balls, no matter who you are. And since we can’t write our own genetics or our own progress, hard work continues to be the factor that sets all of us apart. If you want something – then work for it. Not for a week or a month or even a year. Work for it forever. Never stop working hard.
I say all this because for the longest time, I thought I would never see change in a certain part of my physical appearance. I told myself that those were just my genetics and that was that. But even with those feelings, I kept working. I didn’t let that self-doubt take over my life. And guess what? After 7+ years of working hard in the gym and eating healthy, I’m finally seeing some change. 7 years. That’s a good chunk of time. Which makes me think – what progress can I make in another 7 years of continued hard work and perseverance? I can’t wait to find out.
It’s Monday. Get rid of the comparing, get rid of the self-doubt, get rid of the pity. It’s time to work hard – every day. That’s what life is all about!
Sunday – Rest Day
Monday – Orange Theory Class – see workout here
Tuesday – CrossFit Broadway Class
470m Farmers Carry For Time (2 x 55/35) – I finished in 3:43
“TBH III: (20min time cap)
3 Rounds For Time:
500m Row
30 Wall Ball
I finished in 16:46 rx
Wednesday – CrossFit Broadway Class
Max Unbroken Pull Ups (in 1 or 2 attempts) – I got 26
Total Strict HSPU in 2 mins (break up as needed) – I got 10
15 min AMRAP Of:
10 Push Jerks (135/95)
10 Front Squats (135/95)
50 Double Unders
I got 7 + 4 using 75#
Thursday – Rest Day
Friday – Orange Theory Class – see workout here
Saturday – CrossFit Broadway Class
Partner workout –
800m run together
100 kettlebell swings (55/35)
80 burpees
60 front squats (135/95)
40 pull ups
20 strict handstand push ups
800m run to finish
We finished in 25 something using 65#
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Free Travel Workout:
5 rounds for time:
10/10 one arm DB thrusters
15 burpees
20 v-ups
25 tuck jumps
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Did you do kettle bell swings and burpees in one circuit or break them up? I might die trying to do 80 burpees LOL!
break them up with your partner. so we both did 40
Always love your Monday posts! Very motivational and also strike a chord 🙂
Thank you Juli! I really needed to hear this. So many things in our society is instant gratification. I struggle with that . I work so hard on eating well during the weeks and then I sabotage on weekends. It is so frustrating! I have started to slowly get out of the vicious cycle of sabotaging during the weekends and it is a slow and hard progress but damn it if I can’t do this! Baby steps. I will get there, not this week, not this month, heck probably not even this year, but I will get there at some point.
Thanks again Juli for your relentless inspiration.
i use to do the same thing and for me, that sabotage was a coping mechanism for emotional issues i was having. i wasn’t able to break that cycle until i confronted the issues head on. but it definitely took some time. good luck finding your own balance, marie!!
So true! Comparison is the thief of joy!
Thank you for this message today! It came at just the right time. I have been struggling with weight gain over the past three years, some of it was from health issues and subsequent medications. This is a new issue, as I have always been a healthy weight, but haven’t had body issues until recently. It’s hard to just not give up altogether. I have changed my focus from losing weight to just giving myself a break and being healthy. I have been eating better and working out more and overall feeling better. When the weight comes off, if it comes off I will be okay with that. Just the other day a woman that I frequently see in my Orangetheory classes commented how I am looking healthy and slimmer and that totally made me think more positively about myself – if other people could see that I was working hard too. I really appreciate how honest and real you are with your struggles too, I have to remind myself that I’m not the only one who feels this way. Thanks!
it’s amazing what can happen when you change your focus and just concentrate on health and happiness instead of a specific number. hope you’re loving your OTF classes!
Thanks for posting these workouts. For the partner WOD, does one person go at a time until they need a break and then the next person goes and you switch off until the burpees are done or pull-ups are done, for example?
the runs are together then you switch on and off with the movements. so we split our kettlebell swings into sets of 10 then burpees into sets of 5 and so on. and yes, you don’t move on to the next movement until those reps are finished
Thank you, as always, for the Monday motivation! It’s a constant reminder to keep focus inward on personal progress and triumphs. So much appreciate your honesty! 🙂
always focusing on your own progress is key!! xoxoxo
Hi Juli. What are your fitness goals now? You have an amazing body, are very fit and don’t want to lift heavier again. How do you set further goals when you have achieved so much already?
Also, congrats on your mention in the latest Paleo Mag!
i don’t really have any specific goals. my constant goal is to feel comfortable in my skin and be proud of my hard work that i constantly put into the gym and into my diet. so no short term goals, just trying to be as healthy and happy as possible moving forward!
I have been following you for years and this is your best post to date, Juli! It takes a loooooong time, but you have to stay focused on yourself. It isn’t always easy to do….especially as women, for some reason. It gets you nowhere, though. Time and effort in the gym and in the kitchen, is where it is at. Thanks for ALWAYS keeping it real, and for the reminders that we are ALL human. 🙂
agreed!! life is all about continued hard work!!
I needed to hear this today! Thank you!!
xoxoxo