First Trimester Pregnancy Training

First, I need to stress that every single woman is different and every pregnancy is different. I’m learning all that I can from my own experience to help clients and other women in the future. But keep in mind that you may feel way better or way worse than I did during my first few months of pregnancy. You may also experience complications or your doctor may give you specific restrictions.

I strongly encourage women to get in shape before they decide to get pregnant (even though it’s hard bc you know you’re going to lose that ‘shape’ and gain weight no matter what!). It bothers me when I hear people say that they can’t work out at all because they weren’t doing anything before they got pregnant. Many books and articles emphasize that when you are pregnant it’s not a good time to start a ‘new’ workout. I

agree that it’s no time to go crazy or take up anything super challenging, but you can absolutely go for walks or work with an experienced trainer to start some lighter/easier workouts to keep you moving and prepare you to jump right in after the baby is born. I haven’t read a book yet that encourages becoming a complete couch potato during pregnancy (again…with the exception of anyone who has been restricted by a doctor!). Sleep and down time are certainly more important now than at any other time, but I bet you can sqeeze in a few workouts a week and still find some relaxation time. 🙂

I’ve already shared with you all that I felt great in the very beginning of my pregnancy. I didn’t change my workouts much when I found out that I was pregnant, but had a few days here and there where things felt weird or I just felt too tired to complete a workout. For the most part, I went about my normal workouts although I did tone down the intensity on many things since I was really pushing myself this past summer.

During the second half of my first trimester I designed workouts specifically for me and how I was feeling. I used lighter weights for most exercises and took longer breaks between sets/exercises. I decided that I would focus on 3 good kettlebell workouts each week and try to fit in one run and one additional conditioning workout at the gym. I have read about other women using kettlebells to train during pregnancy and I knew I wanted to use them as my primary tool during this time. Not only are my kettebell workouts effective and efficient, but they are easy to do at home and easy on my joints.

Here is a sample workout I did during the second half of my First Trimester:

Part 1:

1. Bulgarian Squats – 6R/6L
2. Single Arm Bent Over Row – 8R/8L
3. One Arm Swing – 15R/15L

*Repeat all 3 or 4 times

Part 2:

1. Single Kettlebell Front Squat – 6R/6L
2. Plank – 1 minute
3. Alternating Swings – 20 swings

*Repeat all 3 or 4 times

I have some new workouts that I have been doing in my 2nd trimester and will share those soon!