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TRY THIS BOSU BALL LOWER BODY TABATA WORKOUT

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Hi, friends. Welcome to another edition of Workout Wednesday! Last week I told you about how I was nursing an arm/shoulder injury that is preventing me from lifting any weights or even running. 

I decided that I would focus on what I could do instead of what I couldn't do and return to the basics. While I am on a temporary hiatus from weight lifting and running, I am working on balance and stability which is the foundation of any good workout program, especially for runners. 

I have a (affiliate link) BOSU ball in the ShredShed that has been collecting dust. I've always loved my BOSU ball I just hadn't made the time for it lately in my strength training routine. Now with my arm injury, I have all the time in the world for it. 

I put together this lower body BOSU Tabata-style workout. It is great for runners because it challenges the core, works the glutes and includes some lateral movements. You can complete the whole workout in 25 minutes. Don't have a BOSU? No problem. You can do the workout without one.

I like the Tabata-style workout because you move in a circuit fashion which keeps the heart rate up for a cardio and strength workout all in one. 

TABATA-STYLE

Try downloading a free Tabata app in the app store for an easy free timer. I use a GymBoss timer it makes it so easy to set varying interval times. Here is how it works:

Round 1

Exercise 1: 20 seconds

10 seconds rest

Exercise 2:  20 seconds

10 seconds rest

Exercise 1: 20 seconds

and so on...for four minutes.

Rest for one minute then move on to the next round.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Like this post? Please consider sharing.

 

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE
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Forget the pressure to "end the year strong." This December, I am exploring a different approach: ending the year soft. Learn how compassion, rest, and grace can set you up for a healthier New Year than pushing ever could.

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The Stories We Tell Ourselves (And My Big Leap)

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Beyond the Gym: Blending Health Into Your Day For Best Results

You put in the work at the gym, but what about the other twenty-three hours of your day?

Workouts are a great start, but true well-being is woven into your whole life: through your sleep, recovery, stress management, and micro-movements. These small, one to five-minute actions, like taking a mindful breathing break or choosing the stairs, are not just for beginners; they are essential for optimizing the results of your hard work.

Discover simple, intentional micro habits in movement, focus, nutrition, and recovery that enhance your health all day long, ensuring your body and mind are working effectively, not just during your workout, but every single day.

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Holiday Health Without The Hustle

We often hear about the need for a "holiday survival kit," but just using the word survival suggests the season is something difficult we must simply endure. The truth is, the holidays provide a wonderful chance to build connection and lean into celebration.

This season, avoid the all-or-nothing trap of thinking you must "start over in January." The most lasting success is built by practicing flexibility now. Learn to use the Dial Mindset Method to adjust your effort based on life's reality and the Nutrition Continuum to make small, incremental upgrades to your eating. Your goal is not perfection, but consistency, which leads to confidence and long-term health success beyond the holidays.

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Unlocking Your Daily Energy Budget For High Performance

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Simplifying Your Half-Marathon Fueling Plan: A Nutrition Experiment of One

A lot of nutrition guides for half marathon training are overly complicated and aimed at elite athletes, which can be intimidating for the average runner. This blog post is about taking the pressure off by treating your fueling as a personal, no-math-required experiment throughout your 12-to-16-week training cycle. As a health coach and personal trainer, my goal is to give you simple, straightforward guidelines so you can figure out what works best for your body, ensuring you have the energy needed to train well, recover fully, and cross the finish line feeling strong.

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Rethinking "Clean Eating" Why Your Food Language Is Keeping You Stuck

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How the End of Daylight Saving Can Help You Rebuild a Morning Workout Routine

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Manage Stress and Energy Like an Athlete with the RPE Scale at Work

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Why You Know What to Do But Still Don’t Do It: The Missing Piece in Behavior Change

Even when we know what to do, sometimes getting started can feel harder than the workout itself. This post explores why resistance shows up, why willpower alone doesn’t work, and how developing skill power, small, repeatable habits that fit real life, builds lasting consistency.

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Digital Wellness in the Fourth Quarter: How to Reclaim Clarity and Focus

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Gift and Opportunity: What Struggle Taught Me About Growth

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51 Lessons Learned in 51 years

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Why You Can't Buy Your Way to Wellness Success (In Business or Life)

I recently found myself scrolling through yet another inbox full of pitches. You know the ones - "Get 100 new clients in 30 days!" or "Scale to 10K months with our lead generator!" Sound familiar? Here's what I've learned after years in the wellness industry: you absolutely cannot buy your way to lasting success. There's a world of difference between writing a check and hoping that solves all your problems, versus putting in the deep, committed work yourself alongside that investment. True progress requires patience and resilience, whether we're talking about personal wellness or creating healthier company cultures.

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How to Make Time for Fitness When Life Already Feels Too Full

One of the biggest reasons I hear that people don't have a fitness routine is that they don't have time. And while this can often be true, if we dig a little deeper, it's often more than just a time issue. Sometimes it's energy, which requires a different solution. And sometimes it's a lack of boundaries or support. Let's figure this out together. If you feel like you don't have time to move your body or take care of your health, this one is for you.

When movement falls to the bottom of your priority list, the challenge typically falls into one of three areas: Managing time and habits, Boundaries and Energy, or Support and Delegation. Once you identify which one best fits your situation, you can choose a strategy that feels manageable.

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10 Things I Learned at 2025 SCW Fitness Professional's Convention That Can Help You Now

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From Workouts to Work Wins: Mindsets For Success

I’ve seen firsthand how fitness mindsets don’t just transform bodies, they transform careers and businesses too. The same principles I’ve taught clients for years, celebrating small wins, staying consistent, avoiding all-or-nothing thinking, and focusing on what you can control, turned out to be the exact tools I needed when I started expanding my workplace wellness business. Applying them outside of fitness gave me new empathy for my clients, because I was suddenly the one battling resistance and self-doubt. What I learned is that these principles go beyond workouts or business strategies. They’re universal tools for behavior change and goal achievement, no matter what area of life you want to grow in.

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Running A-to-Z Q is for Running Quotes

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Welcome to another edition of Running A-to-Z. I am having a blast writing these posts each week, covering a running-related topic following the order of the alphabet. If you missed any past Running A-to-Z posts you can catch up on letters A-P in the archives. 

In these posts we talk a lot about running technique, tips and tricks, but sometimes what we need is a dose of motivation. Q is for Quotes. I've compiled a list of my top 10 favorite running quotes and even included my own at the end.

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”
— John Bingham
“Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic.”
— Tim Noakes
“I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go.”
— Dean Karnazes
“I don’t run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days.”
— Ronald Rook
“But I also realize that winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself.”
— Meb Keflezighi
“Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up.”
— Amby Burfoot
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
— John Bingham
“As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are”
— Joan Benoit Samuelson
“And, finally, I run because there’s no better way to see the sun rise and set.”
— Amby Burfoot
“I started running to lose a few pounds but I ended up finding myself. I set out to change my body but instead I changed my life. ”
— Lea Genders

What is your favorite running quote? 

Like this post? Please consider sharing. 

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

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Why You Should Ditch the Scale and What You Should Do Instead

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You know the feeling all too well. You did great last week. You worked out hard. Really hard. You worked out even when you didn't feel like it. Your food diary was glowing with good choices. You meal prepped like a boss. You skipped the lunch out with coworkers at the burger joint, packed a salad every day and ate a balanced healthy dinner every night. You skipped the candy jar and passed on the birthday cake. You killed it! But then you stepped on the scale and the number flashing up at you seemingly wasn't reflecting all your hard work from the week. Your heart sinks. What gives? 

 

IT TAKES TIME

A healthy weight loss goal is 1-2 pounds per week on average over time. Any more than two pounds per week and you are likely losing muscle along with fat which can be detrimental to your metabolism. 

A 1-2 pound per week goal doesn’t mean that you should expect to lose two pounds every single week. Weight loss rarely happens in a straight line. With exercise and a small reduction in calorie intake you can probably expect to lose between 12-20 pounds in 12 week period as an average. That doesn’t mean there won’t be weeks when you don’t lose any weight or even gain a pound on the scale. The important thing is to watch the downward trend over time rather than obsessing over the number week to week. 

Practice patience and consistency. Life is not a 12 week challenge. This isn’t the Biggest Loser, this is your life. (News stories were reporting that most of those contestants put the weight back on anyway due to the unhealthy way they lost it.)

DITCH THE SCALE IF:

You focus too much on the number on the scale from week to week.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO INSTEAD:

Be consistent with your healthy habits and lifestyle changes. Focus on the process. Give it time.

 

WEIGHT LOSS VS. FAT LOSS

The problem with focusing too much on a goal weight is that the scale only tells one small piece of the story. A mistake that a lot of people make is that they focus on weight loss rather than fat loss. Muscle and fat weigh exactly the same, of course. One pound of fat = one pound of muscle. However, muscle is much more dense and takes up a lot less space in your body. If you are losing fat but gaining muscle, the number on the scale may stay the same, but you may wear a smaller pant size. Focus on fat loss and lean muscle gains. Alter your body compensation by exercising and eating healthful foods. 

If you lose too much weight too quickly, you are almost certainly losing lean muscle along with fat. Someone who is too focused on scale weight may be thrilled to see a lower number but the truth is that it could be a bad thing if they are also losing muscle. 

DITCH THE SCALE IF:

You are more worried about weight loss than fat loss.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO INSTEAD:

Forget weight loss and focus on fat loss. Track your fat loss progress by measuring your body fat percentage and taking body measurements. Perform weight bearing exercises to build and preserve lean muscle and do a mixture of moderate and high intensity cardiovascular exercises to burn fat.

 

NON-SCALE VICTORIES

Some people decide on an arbitrary number they want to reach on the scale and won’t be satisfied until they reach it, but you can’t bully your body into cooperating with your unrealistic goals. If we focus on fat loss and other non-scale victories then we can find success regardless of the number on the scale. How do you feel? How well are you sleeping? How do your clothes fit? How are your energy levels? How has your athletic performance improved in sports and in life? Can you carry the groceries from the car to the house without trouble? Can you chase the kids (or dogs) around the back yard or climb the stairs without getting winded? These are all non-scale victories that deserve to be celebrated. What if you had positive responses to all the above questions but your scale weight stayed the same? That would be great because it would prove that your hard work is paying off. You are now healthier, more athletic with improved body composition. 

DITCH THE SCALE IF:

You can’t see past the scale to appreciate the successes in non-scale victories.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO INSTEAD:

Keep track of non-scale improvements as diligently as you are watching your scale weight.

In the end the number doesn’t matter. It’s great to have fat loss goals and fitness goals, but picking a number that you think you should weigh and then going after it by any means necessary is unhealthy. A healthier alternative is to learn to love movement, healthy foods and find joy in the process and see where it takes you.

People who have a healthy relationship with the scale should continue to use it as one of the many tools they use to track progress. However, if you struggle with scale or become obsessed or discouraged with your scale weight, then I recommend you ditch the scale and never look back. 

Any of this sound familiar? Any questions? Let me know in the comments. 

Like this post? It helps me when you share!

 

Would you like help losing fat and building muscle? Check out my personal training services page. 

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE!
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Stop Chasing Shiny Objects and Start Making Real Progress

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Stop Starting Over: The Busy Person's Guide To Staying Active

You don’t have to wait for life to calm down to take care of your health. The people who stay consistent aren’t relying on perfect conditions. They build habits they can lean on when things get hectic. It’s not about finding more time, it’s about using the time you do have, five or ten minutes at a time, to stay connected to movement. That’s what keeps the momentum alive.

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10 Ways to Harness the Power of Self-Control to Elevate Your Potential For Behavior Change

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The Fine Line Between Reasons and Excuses

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BACK TO THE BASICS: RECOVERY AND FOUNDATION BUILDING PLAN

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For workout Wednesday I have some bad news to share. I'm not perfect! Gasp! Shocking! I know. 

It happens to the best of us. I got injured. I know I talk a lot about injury prevention for runners here, but this wasn’t a running injury…but it is preventing me from running. If you’ve even been injured, you know it sucks.

I was working really hard on my pushups. I was progressing quickly. I was feeling so great and confident about it that I pushed my progression too quickly. I know better. Slow progression should always be the goal, but I got overconfident and pushed too far. I pulled a muscle.

This is real life and I am far from perfect. I made a mistake by pushing myself too hard but I was ready to take corrective action. After I realized I did some damage I immediately stopped lifting any weights. You don’t get better by pushing through, you get better by resting. After I hurt my arm, I started running more than usual. I still wanted to workout and instead of dwelling on what I couldn’t do, I decided to focus on what I could do. Besides I love to run, I didn’t think twice about it. 

But time had passed and it wasn’t getting any better, in fact, it seemed to be growing worse. My shoulders felt sore and tight all the time and that pain in my arm wasn’t going away. It occurred to me one day after a six mile morning run when I was in a lot of pain that the arm swinging motion from running was making the problem worse. If I was going to get better then I needed to rest it. Really rest it and that means no running. 

I spent about a week feeling sorry myself and not doing anything but my bare minimum goal of 10K steps day (which, by the way, is a lot harder when you don’t run). It's time to get over it. I decided that this is a great opportunity to get back to the basics. 

“I will focus on what I can do, not what I can’t do.”

 

What does that mean when you can’t lift weights or run? It means focusing on lower body, core exercises, balance, mobility and flexibility. It is a great opportunity to return to the basics and rebuild a strong foundation while my arm and shoulder heels. 

It will be frustrating to eliminate weights even from my lower body exercises. Lifting a water bottle with my left arm hurts so I have to be careful not to put any unnecessary pressure on it. Even holding a weight while performing lunges or squats will be too much. I am mentally prepared that this will feel like a giant physical step backwards, but to stay positive as to how consistent work on the basics will propel me forward in the future.

I am breaking out the BOSU ball to work on balance, foam rolling to work on mobility and flexibility and bodyweight exercises for hip, ab and glute strength. 

Who knows? Maybe this was a good thing. It is forcing me to take a step back and rebuild my foundation. Once my base is strong and balanced again and my arm is fully healed, and I will be in a better position to get stronger than ever. 

Stay positive, right? 

So what does that plan look like? It looks like a lot of exercise plans I have shared with you here, so I thought I would round up my best recovery and foundation building exercises.

FOAM ROLLING

Foam rolling plays an important role in muscle balance, injury prevention, mobility and flexibility.

PREHAB

I will need to regress some of these exercises as to not put any pressure on my arm or shoulders, but many of these will work in my recovery plan. Back to the basics of clam shells, hip raises and glute bridges for me.

LOWER BODY STRENGTH

There is always benefit in working on lower body strength and this is a great opportunity for me to focus on balance and unilateral strength since heavy weights are not an option.

CARDIO

Since running is not an option, I will continue to walk on the streets with hubby, but will also work on treadmill hills to increase the intensity of my walks. I think I should be able to do it without much arm motion. I will let you know how it goes. 

I know I can't push recovery any more than I could push progression, but I am hoping to be able to run again by the end of September. I am running the rock 'n' roll half marathon in Vegas in November and I will need the time to get back up to speed with my training. We'll see how it goes.

Next week for workout Wednesday, I will break out the BOSU ball to show you some fantastic effective balance and stability exercises. Despite my injury, I am looking forward to rebuilding and coming back stronger than ever. 

Have you ever felt my pain? Wish me well in the comments. Stay tuned next week for some fun on the BOSU ball.

Like this post? Please consider sharing.

 

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

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7 Foam Rolling Mistakes to Avoid

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Run Stronger With These Fabric Loop Resistance Band Exercises

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One Dumbbell Exercises Upper Body and Core When Equipment is Limited

If your gym equipment is limited it is a perfect time to focus on unilateral exercises. Use this time to focus on what you need, rather than what you want. Single-side exercises using one dumbbell can build independent limb strength, even out imbalances, and build stability. Try this one dumbbell upper body and core-focused workout when you can’t get to a gym.

 

 

 

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Running A-Z: P is for Pacing How to Find Your Perfect Running Pace

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Hi, friends. Welcome to another edition of Running A to Z. Each week I cover a running related topic following the order of the alphabet. This week we are on letter P. P is for pacing, how to find your perfect running pace. If you missed any Running A-Z posts you can catch up on letters A-O in the archives. 

Pace seems like something you shouldn't have to think about. Strap on your shoes and hit the streets. The average time it takes you to move through each mile is your pace. But in order to run most efficiently you don't want to start off too fast for your abilities or your goals. It's the biggest mistake I see in new runners. It not only makes for a poor running experience, but you risk burnout and injury. So how do you find your perfect pace? You'll need to determine the appropriate pace for easy runs and for speed work. 

P is for Pacing

P is for Pacing

 

CONVERSATIONAL PACE

I am a big fan of running according to how you feel because you don't need any fancy equipment like a GPS watch or treadmill. You run by feel, your rate of perceived exertion (chart below) and the talk test. Conversational pace is exactly what it sounds like, it's the pace you can maintain while holding a conversation without pausing to gasp for air between words or sentences. On the RPE chart (below) this would be between a 4-6 on a scale from 1-10.

RPE = Rate perceived exertion

RPE = Rate perceived exertion

As a running coach I recommend that most of your runs (especially your long runs) should be at this pace. There is room for speed work and hard workouts in the week, but you have to give your body adequate time (usually 48 hours, but depends on the athlete) to recover in between hard sessions. Run easy enough on easy days to allow your body to recover. 

5K PACE

A lot of runners want to train to run faster. Some training plans that are designed to increase speed are based on your current 5K pace. The example below is adapted from the RRCA Pace Chart developed by Amby Burfoot (www.ambyburfoot.com). The chart gives you the appropriate pace to run different types of speed workouts based on your current fitness level (your 5K time). For example, if you currently run a 5K in 29 minutes (or a 9:21 pace) then your tempo pace should be 9:49, your long interval pace 9:10 and your short interval pace 8:25. If you try to run faster you could risk injury. It is important to reiterate that the 5K pace on the chart is your current pace, not your desired pace. If you currently run a 5K in 33 minutes but want to improve your time to 29 minutes, you would follow the paces on the first line, not the middle line. You always train to your current fitness level, not your desired level. Once your 5K time improves you can then increase your speed workout paces.

5K PACE 5K TIME EASY & LONG RUN PACE TEMPO PACE LONG INTERVAL PACE SHORT INTERVAL PACE
10:48 33:30 13:24 11:20 10:35 9:43
9:21 29:00 11:36 9:49 9:10 8:25
8:13 25:30 10:22 8:43 8:03 7:24

The best way to determine your 5K pace is to run a 5K. If you never ran an organized 5K race, you can map out a 3.1 mile course on the street (choose a flat route), on a track or on a treadmill. Run your 5K at a comfortably hard pace, about a 7 on the RPE chart. You should be working hard but not an all-out effort (because you won't be able to maintain it for three miles). 

If you would like help with a running plan, I can put together a workout schedule for you that safety and systematically increases distance and speed over time based on your current fitness abilities. Check out my run coaching services for more details. 

The main lessons to learn are to run your easy runs at conversational pace and run your speed workouts based on your current fitness levels, not your desired fitness level. If you train at the correct paces and master these two concepts you'll run longer and faster with little risk of injury or overtraining. 

Any questions about pacing? I'd love to help. Let me know in the comments. 

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.