Lockdown, Glow Up: I worked out like a Blue for two months and this is how it went

During the past couple of months, I have satisfied my urge to be productive by working out every day. But instead of going out for a run, or finally paying attention to that bike I bought when I was thirteen, I’ve fully embraced the Cambridge lifestyle and decided to go for “Strength and Conditioning” vibes. If you are not familiar with the world of the Blues, most uni teams have weekly S&C sessions where they work out in a gym and suffer together; truly a bonding experience. Due to the Spanish government deciding that I was not allowed to take even a daily walk, recreating these sessions was my only option. And – trust me – it has been a painful, yet very rewarding Lockdown Glow-up experience.

The Workouts

The best part about lockdown is that it has happened in 2020 and not 2010. Imagine how horrible this would’ve been without proper technology. So, I decided to take advantage of Instagram and started my workouts through a local gym’s Instagram that went live every day. To be fair, this didn’t last very long because the workouts were way too long and, I don’t know about you, but I usually can’t work out for two straight hours. Let’s say it is due to me being “very busy” (and not lazy as hell).

Once I discovered the Nike Training Club app, however, I actually stuck to the daily workouts. This free app has free and fast workout plans that you can follow, with explanations for each exercise and even a timer! Very useful, even if it got a bit monotonous after a while for me. I think it was the lack of music and overall humanity, because the robot voice just didn’t do it for me.

At this point, I searched “cardio workout” in YouTube out of curiosity and ended up discovering the type of workout that actually works for me. There are many fitness YouTubers that walk you through different targeted workouts in a more interactive and fun way. My personal faves are Chloe Ting, MadFit and Holly Dolke, although there are a lot more that you can choose from. They have workouts for beginners, making it really easy for you to work your way to the more intense videos. I really recommend giving it a try.

Am I a fitness influencer already?

The Experience

I’m not going to lie and tell you this was all fun and easy. Sticking to the routine has been very annoying and there were days where I told myself I was done with the fitness lifestyle. However, what proved to be the most effective motivation was having a workout partner (or two). For me, this was my parents, and even if they complained a lot about the difficulty of some workouts, they pulled me out of lazy moods and helped me stick to the routine. In the end, I ended up sticking with it even after we were allowed to take walks and exercise outside, because I could feel that the targeted workouts were way more effective for me than going for a run. Sometimes, however, they worked too well, making me feel like I was dying the next day. It interesting to note that muscle soreness goes away if you work out even more. It’s like a vicious circle and now I can’t get out of it. Help.

Post-workout snacks are my favourite part of this whole thing

The Results

Ok, so I suddenly have a line in my abs and (according to my mum) my butt looks better, but this hasn’t been the coolest part of working out. I also feel a lot stronger and energised in general, which has proven to be great for revision. After working out, I feel happier (because endorphins and all that sciencey stuff), so this has been super useful to get out of the bad moods that come with being locked at home for so long while revising. I’ve also spent more quality time with my cat because he seems to be super interested in yoga mats/people doing weird movements. 10/10 would recommend as a bonding experience with weird pets.

I think my cat is broken

All in all, this has been a really fun experience that has made my quarantine life a lot more bearable – and even exciting, once I started noticing results. Now that we all have a lot of time on our hands (and quite a bit of stress, with exams being in a couple of weeks), it is the perfect time to finally start exercising. Trust me, you will discover new muscles you didn’t know you had.

All images author’s own