Homeschool Mom Fitness: A Realistic Week of Workouts

Hey everybody. Welcome to the Wall Dock Way. I'm Jessica. Today's video is going to be a realistic week of workout. I am lucky enough to have a home gym because the nearest gym is 45 minute drive. So we built this so that I would have no excuses not to work out. I am currently doing a push pull leg split. I used to do strength training four to five times a week, but unfortunately, due to illness and injury in life, I have had about two months off from the gym. So coming back, I've decided to do push pull legs. That means I'll be strength training three times a week. It also means that only one part of my body will be sore at a time, which is a win because if my entire body is sore, I am really, really likely to be like, I'm not working out. Everything hurts. I am aiming for cardio two times a week in addition to the three times a week strength training. My cardio go-to's are rebounding or rucking. I like them because I feel like both of them give me bigger bang for my buck. If I'm going to spend 30 or 45 minutes walking or moving, I want the biggest bang for my buck possible. They both get my heart rate up and there are little, very little stress on my body and my joints. That's the plan is at some point this week, we will get all five of those things in, but follow along and let's see what actually happens in real life. I started the week with push day, my absolute favorite day of the week. I love that it kicks things off on a high note and gives me something to look forward to on Monday. There's just something about chest, shoulder, and triceps that makes me feel powerful. And when you're a homeschool mom juggling a million things, that boost of confidence, especially on a Monday, matters. After a quick warmup, I got into chest press, shoulder press, and cable chest flies. I love that the stretch and burn the flies give me. It feels like they're actually working. Then I moved into lateral raises. Ooh, y'all those never get easier. Tricep pushdowns and I finished strong with tricep extensions. My arms were shaking by the end, but in the best way. What I love about push day is that it is consistent. I know what to expect and I enjoy almost every moment. It makes me feel strong, grounded, and like I'm doing something just for myself. On days like this, the gym feels less like a chore and more like a reward. Tuesday was pull day, and if I'm being totally honest, this is one of those workouts I kind of have to talk myself into. I've never really loved back workouts, but I've learned to respect them. They support my posture, improve how I feel throughout the day, and they make a difference in my overall strength. After warming up, I started with landmine t-bar rows. I always feel a little intimidated by them at first, but once I get into the movement, they feel pretty solid. I followed those up with lat pulldowns and seated rows. Thank goodness for the cable machine, because it makes these moves way more enjoyable. Then I shifted into biceps with cable curls, face pulls, and hammer curls. That combination hits my arms just right, and by the end, I could definitely feel that good kind of fatigue setting in. Pull day isn't flashy or exciting for me, but it's a steady part of the plan. And honestly, sometimes consistency is more important than enjoyment when you're building habits again. I didn't skip it, and that's a win. Wednesday, I left the weights behind and went for a ruck. I strapped on my 20-pound weighted vest and headed out for a three-mile walk. It took me just about an hour, and I loved every minute of it. Rucking has quickly become one of my favorite forms of cardio. I've tried running, but my knee just doesn't agree with it. And I finally stopped trying to push through the pain that doesn't serve me. Rucking gives me the same heart-pounding, calorie-burning benefit without all the joint pain. It also feels like a break. I don't have to count reps or follow a program. I just walk. Sometimes I listen to a podcast, audio book, or music, but other times I just let myself be completely quiet. No noise, no multitasking, nobody saying mom a thousand times in a minute, just movement and breathing. It's kind of therapeutic in a weird way. I come back feeling lighter, not just physically, but mentally. And that's a pretty big deal in a busy season of life. Thursday was supposed to be a leg day. That's what my plan said anyway. But I'm going to be real for a minute. I woke up with my period, felt crampy and drained, and the last thing I wanted to do was lug around a bunch of weight. I've pushed through workouts like that before, and I normally regret it. So today, I pivoted. I started with a low-key core circuit, something slower and more intentional. I did heel taps, dead bugs, lying leg raises, and reverse planks. I did each move for a minute, repeated the whole thing three times. It was gentle but effective. After that, I moved out onto my rebounder. No plan, no structure, no routine. I just turned on some music and jumped around for 30 minutes. It might sound silly, but it always shifts my energy and puts me in such a good mood. I dance, I bounce, I move however I want, and it doesn't even feel like exercise, though it totally is. It's low-impact, easy on my joints, and honestly, it really did make me feel a thousand times better. I gave myself what I needed today, and that's what sustainable fitness looks like. Friday. We've finally made it to leg day. I've been dreading it all week, and let's just say, I did not exactly bounce out of bed for this one. Leg day has always been my least favorite. I know how important it is, I really do, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. Still, I showed up. After a solid warm-up, I went into leg presses. Sometimes I do barbell back squats, but again, PMS means I'm not trying to load weight on a barbell this week. Followed by Romanian deadlifts. Then, it was time for the hip thrust machine, which I don't actually mind. It's awkward, but you really feel the payoff. After that, I hit leg extensions and leg curls, then wrapped up with glute kickbacks on the cable machine. I moved slower than usual, and I had to pep talk myself through every single rep and set, but I finished it. I walked out of the gym sore, sweaty, and honestly, a little proud. Not because it was fun, but because I did something hard that I didn't want to do, and that's growth. I didn't plan any workouts for the weekend. I only planned for five days because, well, life happens, so I was able to use Saturday as one of my active rest days, and instead of a traditional workout, I spent the afternoon practicing archery with Kevin and Emily. Kevin actually built us a mini backyard archery range, and it's been such a huge blessing. We have seven 3D targets back there, from a tiny armadillo all the way up to a full-size buck. We also have a groundhog, a raccoon, a turkey, a hog, and an antelope. We have field targets too, but with an upcoming 3D competition on the calendar, we focused on practicing on our 3D animals this time around. I used my bow, which pulls approximately 20 to 25 pounds, and we spent about an hour out there shooting. It's always way more fun than it feels like fitness, but it definitely works my shoulders, arms, and back, and I usually feel it the next day, even though I'm just thinking about aim and rhythm in the moment. Honestly, archery is one of those things that checks all the boxes. It gets us outside, it gets us moving, and it brings us together as a family. It doesn't feel like a workout, but it totally counts. So, that is what a full week of workout this particular week looked like. I am so sore since I haven't worked out in a few weeks, so I am actually in the gym just to do some foam rolling today to get some of that soreness out. It's Sunday evening, so I will do that before I head to bed, and then we'll start this whole thing again tomorrow. The only thing that you guys did not see this week in the workout video is that in addition to that, I averaged 10,507 steps a day. That is mainly just from being on my feet more. So, I know because I'm a numbers person that I can average 100 steps in a minute. So, like, for example, I pace back and forth in the gym. On my rest times, I can normally leave the gym after my hour-long workout with about 2,000 steps. I will march in place when I brush my teeth. I will march in place when I'm cooking in the kitchen or waiting on the microwave to heat something up. Occasionally, depending on what I'm reading aloud and what my step count looks like, I will pace or march in place when I read aloud to Emily, and then typically, we go for a walk as a family after dinner. So, I averaged, like, 3,000 to 4,000 when I first started this journey every day, and I just, like, have slowly built up. 8,000 on average a day is normally my goal, like, for the week. This week was a little bit higher because we had one day where we ran errands all day, and I think I got, like, 14,000 steps, so my average is a little bit higher because of that. But that's something that I do in addition to working out, is try to make sure that my step count is at least 8,000 or higher on average for the week because I know how important it is to make sure that I'm getting that movement in outside of just that hour each day of exercise. If you have any questions, leave them down in the comments, and also, if you work out, I would love it if you would tell me your ideal workout routine as well.