“I squatted and deadlifted heavy weights until my due date.”

“I did burpees and box jumps well into my 3rd trimester.”

“I ran a half-marathon at 34 weeks pregnant.”

WHY? 

I’m not judging when I ask this question. I’m truly interested in why someone would choose to do these things.

Is it because these exercises felt GREAT? Is it because they didn’t know that there could be potential risks to the body long-term from say, high impact training?

Is it because of an attachment to certain exercises? Is it a fear of not doing certain exercises for a period of time? Oy – I’ve been there!

Is it because they felt super “hardcore”? (NOTE: many women have told me this very reason).

This is probably going to rub some people the wrong way, but now, I don’t think it’s hardcore or badass or enviable to do exercises just because they might look “cool” for a pregnant woman to be doing those things with her body. 

I’m not into doing or programming exercises that I don’t whole heartedly believe to be effective for our bodies.

I’m choosing exercises and workouts that SUPPORT my body.

For me, that means swapping hill sprints for hill walking at this point in my pregnancy (28 weeks) – on a sunny spring day in Calgary 🙂

This past weekend I presented to a group of trainers and told them my 3 goals of exercising in pregnancy are to: 

1). Have a comfortable pregnancy

2). Prepare for labor and birth

3). Prepare for postpartum recovery

My exercise program reflects all of these. And, it changes in each training phase. 

YES. I know everyone is different. I’m incredibly well aware bodies are not the same and respond differently to pregnancy and postpartum.

I know that some women would be able to physically perform these exercises.

Here’s the thing, though: I would be able to physically perform heavy squats, deadlifts, do burpees and run…IF I HAD TO.

The good news? I DON’T HAVE TO!

Simply because you CAN perform an exercise doesn’t mean that you should.

I’ve not been doing such exercises because I know that the benefits do NOT outweigh the risks.

A few weekends ago, I was filming and demonstrating exercises with Girls Gone Strong.

There were many exercises that I said NO to demoing, or only demoed a quick couple of reps because anything more didn’t feel quite right in my body.

I’m not going to push myself through discomfort, pain, and strain because it would look cool to have a shot of a pregnant girl doing a certain exercise.

This is an example of what I’m doing for heavy lower body training at 28 weeks pregnant: Step Ups. 

If there’s an exercise where I feel pressure and strain on my abdominals, pelvis, pelvic floor, or uncomfortable pulling on my belly button, it’s done for now. Zero attachment to it.

Onto a different exercise. Good thing is, there’s one million to choose from 🙂

There seems to be this really interesting idea in pregnancy exercise where we’re convinced it’s so hardcore to perform ALL the exercises and ALL the workouts all the way through pregnancy.

We’re tough. We’re strong. We can workout at a challenging level when we’re pregnant.

All those things are true.

Here’s what’s NOT true about pregnancy exercise:

Your strength training program should remain the same throughout pregnancy. No.

You should be able to continue doing the same exercises in pregnancy because you’ve been strength training for years. No.

The body is undergoing incredible changes in pregnancy. My goal is not to deadlift heavy weights just because I COULD get through it.

I’m not going to do planks and pushups just because I COULD get through it.

Example: could I continue to do pull-ups, as in, would my strength level would allow it? Yes.

Will I? Not unassisted, at this point in time. I feel too much pulling on my abdominal wall and I’m not comfortable with that sensation on my core.

I’m in my 3rd trimester now. Things are changing, as they should be (more specific details on how my exercise program is changing going out in my email list week – you can see that here).

What is the benefit to the exercise you’re doing?

For my coaching gals and for myself this is #1. Every. single. time.

I’m not programming exercises in workouts because they look “cool” or because you’ve been doing them a long time.

I’m programming them for a specific effect.

If there’s an exercise that is causing an issue, we adjust it. Sometimes that means exercises come out of a program.

I don’t have any strict attachments to exercises anymore. A few years ago if you told me I’d have to not deadlift or do pull-ups (my top 2 FAVE exercises) for what could likely be another 6+ months, I’d probably would have lost my mind.

Now? I don’t care. It’s just an exercise. I’ll do them again when my body is at a safe place to do them.

I’m sick and tired of seeing ineffective exercises being thrown around in pregnancy. At some point we need to leave the ego outside the gym and start focusing in on what the body truly needs in training.

Does the body really need burpees, box jumps, and heavy front squats in the last half of pregnancy?

Jess