The 2-3-2 Workout + Body Fat Schmody Fat

Published 6/30/2017 • Updated 11/27/2020

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Linley and I are sitting at Penny’s Coffee Shop right now in downtown Minneapolis. I just drank the most amazing homemade date-sweetened almond milk latte I’ve ever had. It made me think that I’ve never actually made my own almond milk at home! I’ve seen it done and know it’s easy, so it’s safe to say that you WILL be seeing something similar on the blog. Plus the Penny’s lads told us exactly how to make it #srynotsry

Anyways, the topic of body fat has been on my mind lately because we are doing an 8-week challenge at Switch where we get our body fat and muscle mass tested at the beginning of the challenge and at the end of the challenge. I went in for my test on Saturday with Linley and was sort of surprised by my 25% result because the less body fat you have and the lower the number on the scale is best, right? WRONG. Just because I don’t have 17% body fat doesn’t mean that I am not strong and being strong is my goal. My weight has been quite steady over the past year between 147 and 153 (I am 5’8″ for reference), but I can definitely tell that my body fat to muscle mass ratio shifts quite frequently. Actually- when I am on the lower end of my weight is when I seem to have a higher body fat percentage– hence muscle weighs more than fat.

It’s normal for weight and fat percentages to fluctuate in women. It’s also normal for women to have a higher body fat percentage than men. Our bodies are preparing to birth children, after all 😀 For me, my ratio definitely corresponds with my period and time of year. I naturally have a more muscular build, which means a heavier number on the scale. I also have huge boobs, which play a role in my fat percentage number being slightly higher. As you know I’ve had a few serious injuries over the past year (broken foot, tarsal coalition, and sprained neck) and this definitely played a role in my shifting ratio. A girl’s got to recover and sometimes that means losing muscle and gaining body fat! Basically what I’m trying to say is everyone is different and a number is a number is a number. All bodies look different and that’s the beauty of life.

As someone who has been obsessive over her body, it’s nice to be able to get this test done and be content about it. It’s taken me years to understand the body. It’s also taken me years to find happiness. To me happiness includes beer and pizza and not feeling guilty about it. I’ve been that girl who restricts what she can and can’t eat and did that make me happy? NO. I wouldn’t trade that for 10% body body fat any day! One thing I do want to note is that I am still human. I’ve been pretty down on myself lately about my boobs because they seem to keep growing. I recently changed my IUD to one that has more hormones and I’m almost positive it has something to do with this. The whole injury thing does, too. As I gain fat, my boobs are one of the first places to get it.

Now that I got that out of the way, it’s WORKOUT FRIDAY. The 2-3-2 workout is a format we do at Switch quite frequently. It’s composed of 3 different circuits. You do circuits 1 and 3 twice and circuit 2 three times.

The 2-3-2 Workout

There are 3 circuits. Complete circuits 1 and 3 twice and circuit 2 three times.

Circuit #1 x 2 Sets

15 Renegade Rows
15 Arnold Press
15 Concentration Curls (on each arm)
2 Minutes Jumping Jacks

Circuit #2 x 3 Sets

15 Punching Oblique Twists
15 Bear Crunches
15 Flutter Kicks (on each side)
1 Minute Burpees

Circuit #3 x 2 Sets

15 1.5 Squats
15 Single Leg Deadlifts (on each side)
15 Single Leg Weighted Hip Thrusters (on each side)
2 Minutes jumping Jacks

Fitness disclaimer: I am not a certified personal trainer. Please consult your doctor before starting a new fitness routine and know that you are participating at your own risk. Listen to your body and modify as needed!