20 Weeks Preggo Cardio + Weightlifting Recap
I cannot believe that I am halfway along! It doesn’t feel real as this pregnancy is surely flying by a lot quicker than my first (maybe it’s because I am always busy chasing a toddler around)?
The first half of my pregnancy has been quite wonderful. I only had a little nausea in the first trimester whenever I went too long without eating, but that quickly passed. I also had a slight meat aversion, too! Luckily, that has passed as well because this girl loves her steak and seafood.
My cardio routine has been 5 days per week even before getting pregnant and it’s honestly stayed the same. I do 30 minutes of incline training on my NordicTrack Incline Trainer at 3mph and I mix up the inclines from 5%-15% throughout that half hour period to keep my body guessing. The machine actually goes all the way up to 40% and 12mph-HOLY COW! I always aim for at least 20 minutes-no matter what because it takes around 15 minutes or so for your body to actually tap into the fat burning mode. To be honest, this is the only form of cardio I have been doing, in addition to HIIT exercises. On the weekends, I have been adding a 6th or 7th day to my weekly cardio routine since the discomforts have begun (low back pain, round ligament pain). It truly helps to ease the pain!
My weightlifting routine has stayed the same though-5 days per week. I do not do abs. I REPEAT: I do NOT work my abs. Why? Firstly: there’s no point. Secondly: I do not want to risk tearing my abs in two. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I do 15 minutes of lower body weights and on Tuesdays & Thursdays, I do upper bodu weights.
Here’s a sample of my weekly cardio & weightlifting routine (I change exercises every week):
Monday: 30 minutes cardio 15 minutes weights: barbell squats, barbell lunges
Tuesday: 30 minutes cardio, 15 minutes weights: dumbbell curls, overhead barbell press
Wednesday: 30 minutes cardio: barbell squats, barbell lunges
Thursday: 30 minutes cardio, 15 minutes weights: dumbbell curls, overhead barbell press
Friday: 30 minutes cardio, 15 minutes weights: barbell squats, barbell lunges
Saturday: Rest or 30 minutes cardio
Sunday: Rest or 30 minutes cardio
Again-I change up my exercises every week so that it keeps things fresh. As I ease into the second half of my pregnancy, I do not see things changing up much. I will modify here and there if needed, but I plan to keep doing 5 days a week until the very end-just like last time!
Your trainer and friend,
