Pregnancy Workout J - Weeks 28-31 (Last Pregnancy Workout)

Hey everyone,

It has been awhile since we last posted (our apologies!!), but we have been very busy the past month with a move into our new house.  While this did make it difficult to be consistent with our workouts, we did manage a few each week.  We had to be creative, given our lack of gym equipment, and did more bodyweight and kettlebell exercises.

Unfortunately, at the advice of my OB/Gyn, my days of exercising will have to be put on hold for now...  While I will miss my workouts, it is very important to follow the advice of your healthcare provider and do what is best for your pregnancy.  I hope to still do some light exercise such as walking, yoga and stretching for now...

I will post the workout that I was doing between weeks 28-31.  This was a FGB workout that consisted of 5 full-body exercises.  As a reminder, this type of workout consists of 5 different exercises, completed consecutively for 1 minute each.  This is followed by a 2 minute rest.  Repeat 4 times for a total of 5 sets. Unfortunately, we never had a chance to video it for you - but here it is:

Full-Body FGB

1. Kettlebell swings
2. Kettlebell clean and presses
3. Jumping lunges/step-back lunges (I would do 10-20 seconds of jumping lunges and then finish off the minute with step-back)
4. Kettlebell one-arm rows
5. Alternating kettlebell deadlifts

This was a great cardio and strength workout that really got me working.  Feel free to modify as you need with either alternative exercises or fewer reps.  As always, follow your healthcare providers advice on whether or not it is safe for you to exercise during pregnancy. 

This will be the last of my pregnancy workouts series.  For many women, you will be able to continue to exercise further into your pregnancy.  As you find exercise getting more difficult, try to incorporate more walking, yoga and swimming. 

Feel free to send any questions you have our way and stay tuned for more posts in the future!

-Tannys & Alex

Pregnancy Workout I - Weeks 24-27

Hey everyone,

This workout is a great addition to your workout repertoire for both regular exercisers and pregnant women.  We have adopted this workout from an App we discovered by Strong First.  Check out their great app to get many new workout ideas and video demonstrations of exercises.  Much of the content is free!   We found this free workout on the app and thought we would give it a try. 

Pregnancy Workout H - Weeks 24-27

Hey everyone,

One of the workouts I have put together for weeks 24-27 is a another traditional circuit-based workout.  I have chosen 5 different full-body exercises, with a particular focus on back for the upper body.  As your belly continues to grow, you may need to modify the weight you are lifting.  Be careful with all exercises, but in particular, stay strong with the kettlebell swing as your centre of gravity is continuing to change and you may find you get more easily thrown off balance.

Here is what I did:

1. Kettlebell Swings
2. Assisted Pull-ups
3. Kettlebell Goblet Squats
4. Jungle Gym Reverse Pushups
5. Kettlebell Deadlifts

As always, you should already be performing these types of exercises at this intensity prior to pregnancy AND have approval from your health care provider to exercise. 

Give this workout a try!

-Tannys

-Tannys

Pregnancy Workout G - Weeks 20-23

Hey everyone,

Another workout I have put together for weeks 20-23 of pregnancy is a circuit-based workout. 

This workout is comprised of 5 exercises that are completed consecutively, followed by a short rest.  I completed the circuit 3 times, for a total of 15 working sets. As this is not a time-based workout, take rest between exercises as you need it!

Here is what I did:

1. Kettlebell Goblet Squats
2. Pull-ups (negatives)
3. Kettlebell Deadlifts
4. Incline Bench Press
5. Racked Kettlebell Step-back Lunges

For the pull-ups, I had Alex spot me.  I started in the up position and then lowered myself as slowly as possible.  I really felt it in my lats the next day! For the incline bench press, I made sure I was on a good incline, not laying too flat. I also used a lower weight than I would have pre-pregnancy.

As always, you should already be performing these types of exercises at this intensity prior to pregnancy AND have approval from your health care provider to exercise.

Stay tuned for more pregnancy workouts!

-Tannys

Pregnancy Workout F - Weeks 20-23

Hey everyone,

A great workout style to try at this stage of your pregnancy is a Density workout.  This is a time-based workout that is efficient, and combines both strength and conditioning components.

For this workout, I have chosen 10 different upper and lower body exercises.  These exercises are completed as pairs, for 5 minutes per pair.  If you get tired, add in some runs or something like shadow boxing.  I try to perform one set of each exercise, run up and down a flight of stairs, perform another set, followed by another run and one final set.  For most exercises, this can be completed in 5 minutes.  Then take 2 minutes rest before starting the next pair. The entire workout takes 35 minutes.

Here is what I did:

1. Kettlebell Goblet squats
2. Kettlebell overhead carries - I did this just walking back and forth across my basement

Kettlebell Goblet Squat

3. Kettlebell Deadlifts
4. Jumping Toe Touches

5. Kettlebell swings
6. Kettlebell Press

Kettlebell Swing

7. Hip Thrusts
8. Kettlebell Snatches

9. Racked Kettlebell Step-back lunges
10. Kettlebell Cleans

Racked Kettlebell Step-back Lunge

As always, you should already be performing these types of exercises at this intensity prior to pregnancy AND have approval from your health care provider to exercise. 

Make this workout as easy or hard as you like by increasing the weight you use or the number of reps you perform. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

 -Tannys

Back Exercises During Pregnancy

Hey everyone,

As you continue to get further along in your pregnancy, you will need to modify your workouts accordingly.  One area that you should continue to focus on is your back.  Keeping your back strong will help to improve your posture (along with many other benefits).

Check out this article posted by Girls Gone Strong to find out more about the benefits and specific back exercises to focus on:

http://www.girlsgonestrong.com/the-3-best-upper-body-strength-training-exercises-for-pregnancy/

You may find that these exercises (especially pull-ups) become more difficult the further along you get in pregnancy, with the more weight you gain.  If you are struggling with your pull ups, try doing them with a spotter to help you, or use resistance bands to lessen the load.  If you are using bands, ensure you are not bouncing up and down, but still performing controlled movements.

You can also try "negatives" which emphasize the lowering part of the exercise. Start in the top position (jump, use a bench, or use a spotter to get there) and then lower yourself down as slowly as possible.

Make an effort to incorporate these exercises into all of your workouts for a strong and healthy back!

-Tannys

Pregnancy Workout E - Weeks 16-19

Hey everyone,

Here is a second workout that is suitable for weeks 16-19 of pregnancy. 

As always, you should already be performing these types of exercises, at this intensity, prior to pregnancy AND have approval from your health care provider to exercise.

Pregnancy Workout E - Weeks 16-19

Superset A

1. Kettlebell swings
2. Kettlebell one-arm rows 

Video Demonstration - Kettlebell swings & one-arm rows

Superset B

1. Racked kettlebell step-back lunges
2. Kettlebell snatches

Racked kettlebell step-back lunges

Kettlebell snatch - Bottom

 Kettlebell snatch -Top

Feel free to modify the exercises or lower your weights as needed.  As you continue to grow, you might find these exercises are becoming harder to perform with good form.  Keep in mind your ligaments are more lax, thus you are more prone to injury - so if something does not feel good to perform, change the exercise rather than risk hurting yourself.

-Tannys

Pregnancy Workout D - Weeks 16-19

Hey everyone,

Happy New Year!  Now is the time to get back into your workout routine if you've been overindulging during the holidays!