Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine.
Cassidy Kmetz is a certified personal trainer based in Miami, Florida. She’s renowned for her strength training programmes for women, with a following of more than half a million across Instagram and TikTok.
But Kmetz hasn’t always been confident in the weights room. “It took me two or three years [of training] until I actually picked up a weight,” she tells Fit&Well.
“I started out with resistance band workouts and I was afraid of lifting. I was afraid of being bulky and I had no idea how to use the machines. All of that was really intimidating and there was a lot of fear around it.”
Now, she’s not only got a solid strength training routine for herself, but she’s developed a programme that women all over America are using to build strength.
Kmetz’s training focuses mainly on building strength in her core and glutes. She does incorporate some upper-body training, but prefers to focus on her lower body and core. “I found that I was already engaging my upper body a lot during daily tasks and it’s easy to engage it in full-body moves,” she tells Fit&Well.
Here's what an average week of training looks like for Kmetz…
Cassidy Kmetz’s weekly workout routine
Monday
Glutes and hamstrings workout
Tuesday
Core and glutes workout
Wednesday
Back, biceps and core workout
Thursday
Glute-focused leg workout
Friday
Upper-body and core workout
Saturday
Glute-focused leg workout
Sunday
Rest day
Cassidy Kmetz’s tips for developing a consistent exercise routine
Find active hobbies
Kmetz strength trains most days, but on days she feels tired, she’ll skip the gym. Instead of spending the day on the couch, she has active hobbies she can turn to. “My goal is to work out at least five times a week but if I have an off day, I’ll play padel or go on a walk,” Kmetz says.
Choose micro goals
“Pick one micro goal each week – maybe that means finally hitting your protein goal or aiming for 30g of protein with each meal,” Kmetz says. “Giving yourself those micro goals are key to keeping yourself motivated so you feel like you’re getting somewhere. You have that sense of achievement, and you feel motivated to keep achieving things and eventually turn it into a part of your daily routine.”
Workout according to your circadian rhythm
“I’m not a morning girl,” Kmetz says. “I like to work out during the time that I usually crash. So that’s around three or three thirty in the afternoon.”
Reflect on your goals regularly
“If I was really trying to figure out how to motivate myself, I would reflect on my goals and understand where I want to be, and try to remember how I’m going to get there by showing up for myself,” Kmetz says.