SP WEEKLY: HOW'S THIS FOR MOTIVATION?
Whether this is your Day 1 or you've lost track of your days, welcome to a new week with Street Parking! A new week means a new Vault workout, more #ProjectApril fun with dumbbells, and we're only one week away from Jacked by June kicking off!
As always, if you are newer to this "at home" fitness thing, don't worry! This has been our routine for years -- which means you've got the Street Parking crew of coaches and staff -- along with thousands of new online fitness friends -- ready to answer questions, cheer you on as you adjust and support you every step of the way.
Read on for a dose of #MondayMotivation from Street Parking members and find out how current members can get a FREE month of SP...
STAYING MOTIVATED...?
Let's take time for some real talk. We get it -- working out by yourself may not be your 'first' choice for how you get your fitness in each day. Maybe you come from a background of team sports or group fitness classes, where the push from other people doing the work with you helps you feel motivated. Maybe you've tried to do it on your own, but when you're home it's a slippery slope of good intentions but not following through. Or maybe you just miss your crew of garage gym buddies these days.
So what's the key to staying motivated on your own? You could ask any of the Street Parking coaches and staff and guaranteed you'd get some ideas and perspective, but we put this question out to some OG Street Parking members who have been doing the "working out alone" thing for YEARS now too!
These are people who have jobs, families, responsibilities and not necessarily a fully decked out garage gym. (Psst...the key to motivation isn't about having all the equipment to start!) So instead of giving you the one-size-fits-all answer for how to stay motivated, we will let you hear how they answered questions about things like adjusting to working out alone, the kind of equipment they started with, how they stay motivated, and how they push their intensity or challenge themselves within the workout...
Last September, Julian surprised OG member Blair Parkin at the Las Vegas locals meet up to present Blair with his 1000 workout banner!
"I’ve worked about by myself for approximately 5 years now (3 with Street Parking). Initially it was difficult when I was doing my own programming as I would only do things I “liked”. SP helped me immensely in that with the variety and not having to think about it.
In the beginning, in addition to using the goal time, I would look at the whiteboard to get a feel for the workout. Now I don’t bother. I will watch the timer though and keep rests to 5-10 seconds if possible. That’s the hardest thing, forcing yourself to pick up the bar when you don’t want to. It’s gonna hurt anyway though, so might as well get it over with.
Motivation for me comes from internally. At the end of the day you've got to want it! I’ve been working out for long enough that it is just a habit, and I don’t feel complete unless I have worked out. I draw accountability from the SP community rather than motivation. I feel like if everyone else has suffered through a workout, I should too.
I sometimes miss the camaraderie of a box, mainly when doing strength, and I used to have a buddy come over occasionally, but for the most part I prefer the freedom of being able to do what I want without impacting others. Plus, it’s my gym, my rules, my music!"
- Blair Parkin, @blair_street_parkin
You can often find Stephanee over on Instagram crushing the daily workouts with her 4 kids running around the garage or driveway right along with her. Sometimes her parents even join in to make it three generations getting their Street Parking fitness on!
When we moved back to FL I was pregnant with baby #4 and the closest gym was 40 minutes away so that was out. I started doing super basic things in the garage and really liked it, but still missed coaching, a structured workout program and my gym friends. Thankfully in May 2018 just after my youngest turned 1, I joined Street Parking...
I started with an old rusty men's bar and no plates for it. We also had a few 5 & 10 lb Dumbbells and my jump rope. I used a hand towel wrapped around a door handle to do ring rows. I slowly added things- a wall ball, kettlebell, plyo box, stall mats, more dumbbells & plates as I got stronger. Eventually I ordered a super cheap squat rack and have added a rower and Assault Bike.
Talking with my SP friends, especially mom friends, keeps me motivated. I love working out and after having 4 babies in 4.5 years and never being allowed to workout a full pregnancy, I appreciate all it's taken to get where I am today and what my body can do.
I go into every workout with a goal in mind no matter how small. Some days the goal is just move through, not for time. Or I'm going to try to run all the 400's at a similar pace, no peacocking! A few times a week I go all out and set myself a time or # of rounds I feel is a challenge for my personal abilities. … I’ve also been using the WeTime app to video my full workouts lately. It's helped me stay consistent on each round.
My results with Street Parking are amazing! I wouldn't change it for anything! I only wish I had found it sooner after baby #4 and that I had started the nutrition template right away when I joined (instead of a year later).
I was either pregnant or just coming back from having a baby so I never got to do some of the high level technical stuff at a Crossfit box. In the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter, I'm in this to get a great workout and not sacrifice family time. I don't need to be able to do those things to get a great workout."
- Stephanee Neshek, @chickatthegym
Sean is one of the most trusted faces of consistency in the community, always keeping it real with a no-quit attitude... and some of the best bonus footage when he sings!
"When I moved, all I had was a kettlebell and a pair of gymnastics rings. I'd go out in front of the apartment I lived in for my first month and hang the rings from a tree to do pull-ups and dips in workouts. Now, I have a barbell and bumpers, dumbbells, KBs, a pull-up bar, wall ball, sandbag, rower, bike, plyo boxes, and a climbing rope!
I've become pretty good at self-motivating with my fitness. When I started exercising back in college I was severely overweight and the desire to never go back to that kind of shape is enough motivation to keep me consistent. I also like knowing that my body is capable of great things.
I also find the Instagram community to be really helpful in keeping me motivated. To have had people reach out and tell me they find my posts motivating was such an eye-opener for me (a recovering social media cynic) that I want to keep putting myself out there. If my consistency and openness can help even one person to make the same fitness journey that I did, then it's worth it.
The desire to improve on a past performance is always a good motivator to push the intensity, but the community is also a major boost for a lot of workouts. Seeing my friends get excited and knowing how hard they pushed is great mid-workout motivation to keep myself moving! I also find it helpful to set workout goals that are ambitious but also realistic; it's a delicate balance between peak intensity and peacocking!
Going to a gym with a full-hour class four or five days a week is just not feasible in my life right now. Besides, the ability to get a great workout in a reasonable time is exactly what I love about SP!"
- Sean Kufel @singingsean_sp
So how about you? How do stay motivated? Especially right now if there's extra stress or changes to when, where and how you 'normally' workout and your daily routines? Give it some thought and we'd love to hear you share it with the your Street Parking community!
What else can you do?
Head over to the private Street Parking Facebook group and share what your weekly goals are or use the community as your "accountabilibuddies" to check in and share that you got the workout done!
Host (or join) a Zoom workout or FaceTime workout a friend! Sure, maybe it sounds awkward or different than what you are used to at first, but what do you have to lose?!?
Use your Street Parking Gym Gypsy journal for planning and writing out your workouts ahead of time for the week! Use the bonus pages to reflect on your "why", not just "what" you are doing this week.
Listen to the More Than Nothing podcast. Start at Episode 1 if you need to, but ultimately it's about adopting the mindset that doing something is better than nothing! Tuning in regularly can help be the good fuel in the mental tank!
JACKED BY JUNE STARTS NEXT WEEK!
Our third annual Jacked By June Nutrition Challenge kicks off next Monday, April 20th and it's FREE this year for all Street Parking Members!
We want everyone to have the chance to participate in this 4-week challenge, as something positive to focus on that will hopefully keep you motivated and connected to our supportive community.
Get all the information you need over on the Jacked by June Challenge page on the Members Only website AND your link to register too! YES... even though it's free, you DO need to register to participate!
GET ALL YOUR JACKED BY JUNE INFO HERE!
7 WORKOUTS YOU CAN DO WITH NO EQUIPMENT!
Speaking of sharing Street Parking... check out this selection of 7 Bodyweight Workouts available to EVERYONE on our public website complete with demo videos, full written descriptions and tips to make it work for you!
We have ALWAYS had bodyweight only workouts programmed and available but now all Street Parking members can find a "BODYWEIGHT" section on Members Only complete with a downloadable PDF of 50 Street Parking workouts!
3 THINGS TO KNOW....
Just like we say about SHIFT workouts, simple does not mean easy! As long as you bring your intensity, these workouts will challenge you!
These workouts are great for the kids of all ages! Fun idea: print out the PDF and have them pick their workout of the day and check it off when they get it done!
You'll see the original date of the workout listed with each workout -- use that to log the workout in Wodify to keep working toward your free gear!
DID YOU KNOW...
Have a question about ANY workout or movement? Tag #spcoaching on your Facebook posts as it's the easiest way for our Street Parking coaches to jump in and help. It's like a summoning spell without a wand.
Same is true for our Nutrition team! They can't come hide your snacks for you, but if you tag #spnutrition our coaches can give some guidance and direction as you do your best to fuel yourself or figure out the Street Parking Nutrition Templates!
"LOW HANGING FRUIT"
Yeah I’m talking about gossip. Do you ever wonder if maybe you resort to gossip because it’s easier than connecting with someone on a deeper level? If you couldn’t talk about anyone subjectively that wasn’t physically present, what would you have to say?
AVAILABLE HERE
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QUESTIONS or feedback about your SP membership or need help accessing the Members Only website? Email support@streetparking.com
COACHES are always here to support you, answer questions, even give feedback on movements! Email coaches@streetparking.com
SP MAMAS whether pregnant or postpartum, have resources, tools, modifications, and even private Facebook group! Email mamas@streetparking.com for more information or to connect with Coach Carolina!
NUTRITION support and guidance, as well as opportunity for some one-on-one coaching is available to anyone with a Street Parking membership! Email nutrition@streetparking.com