Your Fall Fitness Plan

A full fall fitness plan featuring lots of workouts you can do at home. 

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful day. It’s been a bit of a crazy week, so I wanted to re-share this post which has tons of new ideas for your fall fitness plans. I can’t believe the first day of fall is next week!

Fall is usually such a great time to turn over a new leaf, adjust your fitness plan, and set/assess goals as we head towards the end of the year. The last few months of the year are filled with so much joy… but also events, stress, and changes. This year is also going to be a different kind of year, with extra layers of stress and unknown. With the impending holiday season, it can be even more important to take time for your health and wellness, even though it’s more challenging.

lacing up

Just like last year, I put together a full fall fitness plan for you! This is a mix of strength, cardio, and rest, and as always, you can shuffle it around to fit your unique needs and schedule. As always, check with a doctor before making any fitness changes and honor your body.

squat

If you’re following along the barre bootcamp (wahoo!!), you can head into this plan when we finish up! Of course I’ll be posting lots of workouts in the meantime (and finally getting back into updating my YouTube channel and doing IG live workouts!). Then before we know it, Winter Shape Up will be here again. 🙂

Here’s what the weekly plan looks like:

A full fall fitness plan! Perfect for the next time you don't know what to do at the gym, or are looking for a plan to change up your routine. Cardio, strength, HIIT and rest. fitnessista.com

Sunday: OFF

Monday: HIIT + Core

Tuesday: Easy steady state (for this one, you’ll do 30-45 minutes of easy steady state cardio. Keep your heart rate in the same range for the workout, and pick something you enjoy, like walking, running, dancing, kickboxing or spinning)

Wednesday: Total body strength + sweat

Thursday: OFF

Friday: Upper body blast + quick cardio

Saturday: Lower body burn + Hills

HIIT + Core workout:

This workout combines HIIT training with some of my favorite core moves. Here is the standing core exercise how-to, and remember that you can always keep it low-impact by eliminating the jump of the movement. Keep one foot on the floor at all times if you need to. To modify the planks, you can do these against a wall, or on the floor on your knees. Make sure to keep your hips down and in line with your torso.

Total body strength + sweat

This is a total body workout with some HIIT intervals mixed in. Remember that you can keep it low-impact and can modify the push-ups by completing these on your knees, or against the wall. Try to do more push-ups in each round!

Upper body blast + quick cardio

This workout includes some challenging and intense upper body moves. Try to go heavy on the weights, so you really have to push yourself to finish the last couple of reps. (Make sure that even though you’re challenging yourself, you’re still using proper form. If you don’t have access to battle ropes, no worries. You can do push-ups or medicine ball slams instead.

Lower body burn + hills

This is another one that I want you to challenge yourself with the weights! If you’re used to doing these moves, try adding a resistance band loop, or holding a heavy plate or dumbbell. If the single leg squats are too intense, try lighter single leg presses on the leg press machine. If you don’t have a TRX, try the hamstring curls with your feet on a stability ball.

So friends, I’d love to hear your personal and fitness goals are we head into fall!

Here are mine:

Fitness: Be back to my strength training fitness by the end of the year. I’ve been doing tons of cardio this entire time, but have really slacked on the strength training front. I want to feel strong again, so I’m making this a focus.

Personal: Bring back the meditation practice. When I get busy or stressed, meditation is the first thing to drop out of my routine, which makes zero sense since it’s the time I need it the most! Anyway, I’m bringing it back because as the year goes on, I know I’m going to need it.

Have a wonderful day and I’ll see ya in the am with Friday Faves.

xoxo

Gina

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38 Comments

  1. Carly on September 21, 2017 at 6:58 am

    As always, thank you so much for the time and effort you put into these fitness plans! I started a new position at a new school this year that winds up leaving me with a lot less time for workouts, and while I am getting to crossfit 3 times per week (more than I expected!!) I love having home options for the days I can’t/don’t want to go out again. Yours are always the best! Thank you!

  2. Bethany on September 21, 2017 at 7:16 am

    Love these ideas! I am so ready to get back to working out regularly!

  3. Cassie on September 21, 2017 at 7:20 am

    I keep trying to convince myself to add a meditation practice to my daily routine too but I’m not sure where to start. Let me know if you do 30 day Challenge or anything. I’m feeling good about my current exercise routine. I walk around 2 miles evert day, get about 10 minutes of wake up yoga in, and alternate days with an additional 20 to 30 minute yoga practice which is new and I’m loving it.

  4. Christina @ montessoriishmom.com on September 21, 2017 at 7:37 am

    Your fitness plans and workous are always amazing, thanks for sharing this!

  5. Lisa on September 21, 2017 at 8:02 am

    I thought today was the first day of Fall too….where did we get this information from?! Apparently it is tomorrow.

  6. Alexandra on September 21, 2017 at 8:24 am

    I’ve been devouring all the pumpkin and lighting the fall candles for a month now, but fall actually begins tomorrow… the 22nd. 😉 A small, nit-picky detail.

  7. Ali on September 21, 2017 at 9:00 am

    Oops! Fall starts on the 22nd this year! I look forward to trying this out. I need to get back to meditation more. I’m likely having surgery soon and the sickness and pain leading up to it and nervousness about the surgery is really starting to get to me.

    • Fitnessista on September 22, 2017 at 9:48 am

      fail on my part haha
      i was just too excited!
      thinking of you as you head into surgery. i was so anxious leading up to mine, and it ended up being fine. you will do great <3

  8. Karen on September 21, 2017 at 9:31 am

    I love your workout plans – they’re so inspiring. I’ve been really consistent with Strength training, HIIT and Pilates this past year after I recovered from my surgery. Yay! I’d like to be more consistent with some steady state cardio – I always feel the need to hit the treadmill- but I hate running. I know I can do something I enjoy – but I just need to get over my brain hurdle of cardio = running. This is just the boost I need!

    • Fitnessista on September 22, 2017 at 9:48 am

      <3

  9. Elisabeth on September 21, 2017 at 9:58 am

    First day of fall is tomorrow, the 22nd 🙂

    • Fitnessista on September 22, 2017 at 9:47 am

      whoops! hahah

  10. Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups on September 21, 2017 at 10:50 am

    Thanks for the workout ideas, I was in need of some inspiration. Hope you have a great day!

  11. Erika S. on September 21, 2017 at 11:13 am

    Love this…and I def needed a fitness refresh! Love that you’ll be doping IG live workouts AND we’re in the same time zone…woohoo!!!

  12. Ashley @ A Lady Goes West on September 21, 2017 at 11:19 am

    Yay for fall! Good variety of workouts here! I like it. I don’t have any fitness goals for the remainder of the year, obviously, but I do plan to work on my meditation practice too. I met with my doula last night and she encouraged me to get the meditation thing going by childbirth time hahah! I don’t have much time! 🙂

  13. Amy Ramos on September 21, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    My #1 goal this fall is to get healthy where I can workout consistently and I am changing up my workout routine!
    I am recovering from a hip//lower back injury as a result of strenuous workouts from OTF (hello all out city) and I did not take the time to stretch. I am scaling back on the OTF workouts to 2x a week (which is great for my wallet too!) and incorporating different workouts. I want to try barre (I know you have some barre workouts) and there is a new kickboxing studio that opened up near my house I want to try as well.
    I also want to do more lifting too!

    • Fitnessista on September 21, 2017 at 9:03 pm

      so happy to hear you’re listening to your body and what it needs <3

  14. Tracy on September 21, 2017 at 2:43 pm

    I know fall is great but I’m sooooo sad to see summer go! My favorite season! The good news is it will eventually come back 🙂

    • Fitnessista on September 21, 2017 at 9:03 pm

      same! it was such a great summer <3

  15. Juliana on September 21, 2017 at 5:13 pm

    So I moved over the summer and turned my 2-hour roundtrip commute into a 20-minute one. OMG, THERE’S SO MUCH TIME FOR ACTIVITIES!!! And energy. Who knew commuting was such an energy suck? I signed up for an adult ballet class this fall with my newfound time and energy… um, yeah. it’s been a few years haha. But it’s also given me lots to work towards.

    Random question, have you ever done a post on overtraining? My friend and I were talking the other day about how because we’ve always been fairly athletic, but for various reasons have both recently come out of fairly sedentary periods in our lives. It’s hard to tell sometimes what level of fatigue is normal (are we just tired because being 33 is tiring?), and what is not.

    • Fitnessista on September 21, 2017 at 9:02 pm

      LOVE that you’re taking ballet!
      yeah, but it was so long ago: https://fitnessista.com/when-its-too-much/ i need to do an updated one <3

      • Juliana on September 21, 2017 at 9:17 pm

        Thank you for this!! <3

  16. Sara S on September 21, 2017 at 7:37 pm

    Love the Fall Fitness Plan! Thank you for putting it together again 🙂 I have it printed out and ready to go

    As for goals…
    I would like to maintain my momentum of being consistent in my workouts while still honoring my body and letting it rest when it needs. I have a tendency to be all or nothing and this is the first time nothing seems forced and I am truly enjoying my workout days as well as my off days.

    As for personal, I would like to clean out my closet once and for all. I have things that I have never worn (and I bought them like 5 years ago!) I really want to declutter the whole house but I figure starting with one area is best and then work from there.

    • Fitnessista on September 21, 2017 at 9:01 pm

      wahoo! please let me know what you think
      those are awesome goals, too. <3

  17. Morgan on September 21, 2017 at 9:17 pm

    Love love these seasonal plans – thank you so much for putting this together! My fall goal is to keep up with my running, and also not beat myself up if I have to miss a workout. My two year old has been going through a weird sleep regression and some nights were up more than were awake. A workout on no sleep does me no good, and not being rested does me no good. This will pass. (Right!?)

    • Fitnessista on September 22, 2017 at 9:46 am

      p is going through a sleep regression, too! i can’t wait for it to end haha
      hang in there!

  18. Jennifer Hoffman on September 24, 2017 at 12:18 pm

    Any subs you recommend for medicine ball and assisted pull ups? Also, hills with no treadmill? (I’m thinking just hills outside)

    • Fitnessista on September 25, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      yes outside hills is great! for assisted pull-ups, you could do lat pulldowns with a resistance band if that works

      • Jennifer Hoffman on September 25, 2017 at 2:23 pm

        Thanks so much!!

  19. Katie on September 25, 2017 at 6:40 am

    Any modifications for during pregnancy? (20 weeks this week). I was making some up today during the Monday workout, but if you have any suggestions, would love to hear them! : )

    • Fitnessista on September 25, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      yes, let me look through it!

      • Katie on September 25, 2017 at 9:43 pm

        Thanks!!

  20. Natalie on September 25, 2017 at 8:39 am

    What’s a “hover reach and knee tuck”? Thinking it’s a plank variation based on what I find via google but I’m just not sure.
    Fitness goal: fall 5k with friends
    Personal goal: incorporate some family play time in the evenings

    • Fitnessista on September 25, 2017 at 2:21 pm

      yes! you will side plank, lifting the top leg (so it’s hovering over your bottom leg). bend the knee in towards your chest, then press it back out to the hover.

      • Bethany @ Dose of Discovery on October 2, 2017 at 12:06 pm

        Well I’ve been doing these totally wrong LOL There’s a hover reach and knee tuck in the standing core workout that you linked to above that is a standing exercise?

        On another note – I love this plan! Started week two repeating this week.

        • Fitnessista on October 2, 2017 at 1:21 pm

          THAT WAS THE ONE I MEANT when i made this plan. sorry! hahah! this is what happens when i have too many exercises in my brain that sound the same but are different
          so happy you’re enjoying the plan!

  21. Stacey on September 25, 2017 at 3:52 pm

    I love this! I am always looking for ways to switch up my workout routine and lately I have felt like I have been in a rut. I may just have to try this workout plan. Thanks for sharing.

    xoxo
    Stacey
    @stylingsofstacey | http://staceylyynn.wixsite.com/stylingsofstacey

  22. Jason on September 27, 2017 at 5:16 pm

    No treadmill included? Love this workout though. Will try for sure but lately i have been experiencing knee pain after lunges and squats. Is it because of the posture or intense workout i can’t figure it out?

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