Welcome to Block 3.

This is a total body day with an upper body and shoulder focus. We’re hitting legs with the front rack lunges, then moving into shoulders and finishing with cable work. Four exercises, all with intention. Trust the process and keep adding weight where you can.

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I like to throw these in whenever I’m feeling like I want a good sweat and something challenging outside of my regular weight days. Sometimes I do this twice a month, sometimes less. It really just depends on when my body is craving something different. It’s a great way to switch it up, get in, get out, and know you did something that got you going.

Feel free to save this and pull it out on a day where your body is craving something a little outside of our weight training days. It’s a total body burner and it delivers every time.

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But here’s what I’ve learned from years of actually paying attention: good skin is less about the products and more about the habits. And just like anything else in life, without a routine, you don’t get results.

Consistency over everything

You don’t need twelve products. You don’t need a ten step routine. What you need is a handful of things that work for your skin, used consistently, morning and night. A cleanser. A serum. A moisturizer. SPF in the morning. Something more nourishing at night. That’s the foundation.

I’ve found myself drawn more to cleaner, ingredient conscious brands over heavily medicated skincare. Not because medical grade is bad, but because I’ve personally gotten the best results from products that work with my skin rather than aggressively at it. Less stripping, more feeding. That shift made a real difference for me.

Start from the inside out

If you are someone who has struggled with your skin, I always recommend starting with your gut before you start with your products. What’s happening inside your body shows up on your face. Inflammation, poor digestion, imbalanced hormones - all of it comes through.

Water is the most unsexy skincare tip and also the most true one. The more hydrated you are from the inside, the more your skin reflects that on the outside. Drink your water. I know it sounds like the most basic advice, but it works.

Sleep, stress, and the supplements you take all play a role too. I’ve talked about my supplement routine in a previous article if you want to dig into that, because what I put in my body is a big part of why my skin looks the way it does.

Hydration is everything

Moisturize morning and night. At night I use something deeper and more nourishing because that’s when your skin is doing its repair work. In the morning I keep it lighter with a few products and always finish with SPF.

Speaking of SPF. Game changer. I have very fair, freckled skin and I spent way too much of my younger years tanning. I cringe thinking about it now. Protecting your skin from the sun is one of the single best anti-aging things you can do, full stop.

That said, getting ten minutes of morning sun exposure is actually really good for you. Sunlight isn’t the enemy. Unprotected sun exposure over time is. There’s a difference. Just be mindful that some products, especially certain acids and actives, make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so always read what you’re using and apply SPF accordingly.

Know your skin type and what it actually needs

I’m not acne prone and I’m genuinely grateful for that because I know how much it affects people’s confidence and daily life. If that’s you, please start with your gut health before anything else. What you’re eating, how your digestion is working, whether you’re dealing with inflammation - that’s where the conversation starts.

If you’re someone who just wants more glow, better hydration, or that youthful dewy look and you’re not sure where to start -that’s exactly why I’m here. I have many recs on what actually works and I want to share it, even as I try new products out!

What’s coming

Every month I’ll be sharing the specific products I’m currently using, loving, and recommending -with exactly how I use them, what order they go in, and where to get them. That’s dropping monthly for paid subscribers. 🤍

In the meantime, the most important things you can do for your skin cost almost nothing. Drink your water. Sleep. Manage your stress. Eat clean. Protect your skin from the sun. Build a simple routine and stick to it.

Consistency is the most expensive thing in your skincare routine. And it’s free.

Ash xx

Single leg work continues to be the focus because it’s one of the most effective ways to isolate the glute, eliminate compensation patterns, and make sure both sides are pulling equally. Every movement today is chosen intentionally to keep the glute in zee driver’s seat. (small waist round booty lean legs for the MF win)

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You keep repeating the same freaking thing and wondering why you’re not getting different results. Or just the wrong ones.

Here’s what I want you to hear: it’s not your genetics. It’s not that your body just grows legs. It’s not that you’re doing it wrong. You’re just doing the wrong things. And there’s a difference.

The body you actually want, a round full glute, a smaller waist, legs that are strong but not bulky, is completely achievable. But it requires understanding how your body works and why what you’re currently doing is working against you.

There are a few reasons this keeps happening. I’m going to give you the biggest one right now. Because once you understand this one, the others are going to make a lot of sense too.

The real reason: exercise selection

Most women who want to grow their glutes are doing exercises that are primarily quad dominant. Meaning the quadriceps, the front of your leg, are doing most of the work. Not your glutes.

Think about a standard squat. A leg press. A walking lunge. These are all great exercises but they recruit a significant amount of quad. So if you’re building your entire lower body program around movements like these and wondering why your legs are growing faster than your glutes, well. There’s part of your answer.

And here’s the thing, these movements are not off the table. You’re not going to stop squatting. But there’s a difference between a traditional squat that loads your quad and a squat variation that keeps the glute in the primary position. Same movement pattern, completely different result depending on how you’re doing it and which variation you choose.

Glute dominant movements, think hip thrusts, certain squats + lunges, kickbacks, reverse hypers, abductions, are the ones that put the glute in charge. The leg still works. You can’t avoid that. But you can absolutely make sure the glute is doing the heavy lifting.

And even within the right exercises, foot position, stance width, range of motion, and the order you do things in all play a massive role in whether you feel it in your glute or your legs. Two people can do the exact same exercise and get completely different results based on these details alone.

Why I know this works

I’m a personal trainer with a degree in health and exercise science. I learned from the best of the best. I’ve trained hundreds of women. I also ride horses competitively which means I think about lower body function, glute activation, hip stability, and leg strength in a very specific way. My sport requires it. And well…. I’ve accomplished the exact thing you are looking to fix.

My personal goal has always been a strong round glute, a small waist, and legs that are athletic but not bulky. I’ve figured out exactly what works for that and exactly what doesn’t. This is the programming I use on myself and the approach I take with my clients.

It works. And it’s not complicated. It just requires knowing what you’re doing and why.

Here’s what’s waiting for you inside

For less than the price of a protein smoothie, the rest of the reasons, exact exercises, cues, sets, and videos are waiting for you. Easy to follow with zero guesswork.

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You walk into a gym for the first time. There are machines everywhere. People who look like they know exactly what they’re doing. Men taking up half the floor. It’s loud. It’s crowded. Someone tries to talk to you. You have no idea what you’re supposed to be doing or where you’re supposed to go. You just kind of... wander. Maybe hop on a treadmill because at least you know how that works. And then you go home feeling like you accomplished nothing.

That was me. I started out in a college weight room full of football players and I was completely lost. And I’m someone who ended up making fitness her career. So if you’ve walked into a gym and immediately wanted to turn around and leave, I get it. Completely.

Here’s what I know now that I wish I knew then.

The reality check first

Most women who decide to get fit do the same things. They go hard immediately. They try to overhaul everything at once. They crash diet. They try every supplement. They do an hour of cardio every day because that feels like the most logical thing. They look for the quickest fix possible.

And then they quit. Because none of that is sustainable and none of that is actually how it works.

Why the common approach fails

Too much too soon is the number one reason people quit. Your body and your mind are not ready for a complete overhaul in week one. When you try to change everything at once, nothing sticks.

Wrong movements and bad form are the second reason. You end up hurt, sore in the wrong places, and confused about whether what you’re doing is even working. Then you second guess everything and eventually stop.

No structure is the third. Going to the gym without a plan is like going to the grocery store without a list. You wander, you grab random things, and you leave feeling like you wasted your time.

And then there’s the newest thing everyone is turning to: peptides. And listen, when used correctly they are amazing. But they are not a substitute for doing the actual work. Using peptides to lose a bunch of weight without building any muscle behind it is setting yourself up for a really hard future. Because when you hit your thirties, forties, fifties and bone loss starts, you need muscle to support you. If you skipped that part and just lost the weight the fast way, good luck with that long term. Your body will tell on you eventually.

The gym is not a quick fix. It is a long haul. It’s something you want woven into your daily life like brushing your teeth. If you’re going in looking for a fast result, you’re already setting yourself up to quit.

So here’s what I’d actually do

1. Get clear on your why

Before you set foot in a gym, you need to know why you’re going. Not a vague answer. A real one.

Maybe you want to feel better in your clothes. Maybe you want to look good naked. Maybe you want a nicer butt. Maybe you’ve never been in shape and you’re tired of being in the same spot. Maybe it’s for your health, your kids, your confidence, your sex life. Whatever it is, it needs to be real enough to get you out of bed on the days you don’t want to go. Because those days will come. And motivation will not always be there. Your why needs to be bigger than your excuses.

2. Find a gym that actually works for you

I am not a corporate gym person. I will always choose a small, uncrowded, privately owned gym over a big box gym. And if you are someone who is already overthinking walking in the door, do not go to an LA Fitness or a Lifetime or an Equinox for your first gym experience. Those are great gyms but they are not beginner friendly environments if you are already someone who is in your head walking into a space that size with that many people.

Now I will say this: people in the gym are in their own world. Everyone is there working on themselves and nobody is paying as much attention to you as you think. But I completely understand walking in not knowing what you’re doing and feeling like people can sense that energy. And beyond that, maybe it’s not even about what people think. Maybe you just want somewhere quieter. Somewhere with less commotion where you can go in, focus on yourself, do your work, and leave. That’s a completely valid reason to choose a smaller gym too. Know what you need in order to actually show up.

Be honest with yourself about which one you actually are. If you love energy, people, and that environment motivates you, a big gym might be exactly right. If you’re already overthinking who’s going to be there, who you’ll run into, and what people will think, save yourself the added stress and find somewhere smaller.

Group classes are also an option and there is nothing wrong with them. I do Pilates once a week. I love a yoga class. But ask yourself what your actual goal is. Because group classes alone are not going to teach you how to weight train on your own. And that is the skill you want to build.

Working out on your own is a life skill. Even if you have a trainer, you should be able to walk into a gym on the days you don’t have one and know exactly what to do. That’s the goal. Whether you have an in person trainer, an online program, or a knowledgeable friend showing you the ropes, the point is to learn the movements, learn your body, and eventually be able to do this independently. That independence is what keeps you going long term.

3. Structure your week before you start

Four days a week. One hour. That’s it. Put it in your calendar like an appointment you cannot cancel. Because that is what it is.

You get up an hour earlier. You skip the cocktails one night. You go to bed an hour later. You find the time. Everyone has it. The question is whether you’re willing to prioritize yourself enough to use it. Your workout should be on the same level as your hair appointment, your nail appointment, your work meeting. It is not optional. It is not something that comes second. It goes in the schedule and it stays there.

4. Get some guidance from the start

Hire a trainer if you can. Work out with someone who knows what they’re doing if you can’t. Find an online program with real structure if that’s your option. But do not go in blind.

You are going to have questions. Am I using the right muscles? Why do I feel it here instead of there? Is this form correct? If you don’t get those questions answered, you will either hurt yourself or convince yourself you’re doing it wrong and quit. Getting guidance from the start speeds everything up. It teaches your body correct movement patterns immediately and saves you months of trial and error.

Group classes are also worth mentioning here. Some really good ones will teach you how to weight lift in a group setting and those are great. But you have to dig to find them. If you are someone who thrives in a group environment or needs that energy around you, that might be exactly the right fit. If you need more one on one attention, that’s also completely valid. There’s nothing wrong with trying a little of both to figure out what works for you. But if you do go the group class route, make sure you’re going somewhere that is actually teaching you the fundamentals and foundations of how to lift correctly. Not just putting you through a sweaty workout without any real instruction.

If a one on one trainer isn’t in the budget right now, that’s okay. That’s literally what I’m here for. My workout blocks are inside for paid subscribers and super easy to follow for this very reason.

5. Lift weights. Stop being afraid of them.

You cannot spend your first thirty days on the treadmill and expect your body to change. You have to lift. The heavier you lift, the more calories you burn, the more muscle you build, the more fat you lose. That is just how it works.

Pair that with eating clean, prioritizing your protein, and getting your steps in and you have a formula that actually produces results. But it starts with picking up the weights.

6. Be realistic and be patient

Genetics are real. Everyone’s body responds differently. Find people who have a body that feels realistic and attainable for you and use that as motivation. But do not compare your first thirty days to someone who has been training for years.

Think about how long you haven’t done the work. Changing that takes time. And in your first thirty days the signs of progress are not always going to be visible in the mirror. You have to start paying attention to the other variables too.

Your energy. Your sleep. How your clothes are fitting. How you feel walking up the stairs. How your mood has shifted. Those are all signs that it’s working. You do not need a six pack or a fat a** in thirty days to know that something is changing. Those things are coming. But the other stuff shows up first and it matters just as much.

Your first thirty days are not about a transformation. They are about building the foundation. Get those right and every month after becomes easier.

7. Know this before you even start

You will never leave a workout feeling worse than when you walked in. Not once. You will never finish and think, wow, I really regret that. It just won’t happen.

What you will feel is better. Every single time. Because movement is medicine for your nervous system and your dopamine. We are literally built to move. Our bodies crave it. And the sooner you internalize that, the less intimidating starting becomes and the easier staying consistent gets.

Maybe you’ve been to the gym before and fallen off. Maybe you’ve started and stopped more times than you can count. That’s okay. This time, get all of your ducks in a row first. The why, the gym, the structure, the guidance, the realistic expectations. Carry all of that with you.

Because once you get through the first thirty day hump and you start to feel better and better with each week, you’re not going to want to stop. That’s the whole point. Push through the beginning and let your why create the habit that sticks. It feels great btw don’t try to deny it.

You know what you want. Now you just have to go get it.

Ash xx

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Today is total body with an upper, abs, and banded lower focus. And yes, it’s a circuit.

I ride horses competitively, so my goal has never been a big, bulky upper body. I’m already strong. What I’m after is the toned, lean look, and I’ve found that Pilates-inspired upper body movements are the best way to get there. These movements are deceptively hard, they also engage your core on almost every rep, and they keep your shoulders, arms, and back looking exactly how you want them to.

We’re doing four rounds of the full circuit. Move through all seven exercises back to back, rest, and repeat. You can keep the band on the entire time to make transitions easier.

Seated on the bench for the upper body movements throughout. Let’s go.

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I see you. And I want to tell you something important before we get into any of this.

It’s not a willpower problem. It’s not a discipline problem. It’s a mindset problem and that means it’s completely fixable. Here’s how.

1. Stop the negative self talk it’s holding you back more than anything else

Before you ever set foot in a gym, the conversation in your head has already started. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” “I’m going to look stupid.” “I’m not the type of person who works out.”

That voice is lying to you. And as long as you believe it, you will keep quitting.

The first step to getting consistent isn’t finding the right program or the right gym. It’s catching those thoughts and replacing them with something true. You are capable. You are allowed to be a beginner. Everyone in that gym started exactly where you are.

2. You don’t need to know everything before you walk in

One of the biggest reasons women avoid the gym is because they think they need to have it all figured out first. The exercises, the machines, the program, the diet. And because figuring all of that out feels overwhelming, they just… don’t go.

Here’s the truth: you learn by doing. You don’t need to know everything. You need to know enough to start. You can make it simple and start with three exercises and be out in thirty minutes. The rest comes with time and repetition.

That’s exactly why I built these workout blocks so you never have to walk in without a plan again.

3. Drop the belief that the body you want isn’t available to you

If you believe deep down that you can’t have the body you want, you won’t. Not because it’s impossible, but because that belief will make you quit every single time you hit a hard moment.

This is a mindset flaw, not a physical one. The body follows the mind. And the mind has to go first.

Start telling yourself a different story. Not “I can’t” but “I’m working toward it.” Not “I’ll never look like that” but “I wonder what’s possible for me.” That shift changes everything.

4. Make the habit small enough that you can’t say no

Consistency doesn’t come from going hard. It comes from going often. And the way you go often is by making the habit so small it’s almost impossible to skip.

Three days a week. Thirty minutes. That’s the whole plan. Not six days, not two hours, not a complete overhaul of your life. Just three days. Show up for those and build from there.

Small daily actions done consistently will always beat big sporadic efforts. Always.

5. Stop saying you dont have time. Start saying it’s not a priority yet

Everyone has time. What we don’t always have is the willingness to prioritize ourselves.

You have to be a little bit selfish with your health. Not in a way that takes from others, but in a way that protects the one hour a day that belongs to you. Book it like an appointment. Put it in your calendar. Treat it like something you cannot cancel.

Because here’s the thing: when you feel good in your body, you show up better for everyone else in your life. Prioritizing yourself isn’t selfish. It’s necessary.

6. Don’t quit before the results show up

This is where most people fall off. They go for a few weeks, don’t see dramatic change, and decide it’s not working.

Think about how long you’ve been in the same body, with the same habits, and the same mindset. Changing that takes time. It doesn’t happen in two weeks. But small shifts will start showing up before you even notice them. In your energy, your sleep, how your clothes fit, how you feel walking into a room.

Be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself. The results are coming, but only if you stay.

Every time you quit and start over, you’re adding time to the clock. The fastest way to get there is to just not stop.

The art of showing up

Consistency isn’t a personality trait you either have or don’t. It’s a skill you build. And it starts with one decision. To show up today, even when you don’t feel like it, even when it’s not perfect, even when you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.

That’s the whole secret. Show up. Keep showing up. And be kind to yourself while you do.

You’ve got this. 🤍

— Ash xx

If you made it through all four weeks of Block 1, good!! That’s the work. Now we build on it :)

This block introduces something a little different - an all Smith machine workout. If you’ve never used the Smith machine for more than squats, you’re about to see how versatile it actually is. We’re hitting glutes, legs, shoulders, and back all in one session. It’s a full body day with a lower body emphasis and I love this one.

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So here it is. The honest truth.

Consistency isn’t always about motivation. Sometimes it’s about survival.

I’ve been moving through life taking leaps for as long as I can remember. At twenty something I packed up and left New Jersey for California without having it all figured out. No perfect plan, no guarantee it would work. Just a feeling and a decision to follow it. That set the tone for how I’ve navigated most things since -leading with instinct, trusting the leap, and figuring out the landing on the way down.

In the last few years I got back into riding, which I always knew I would. I just didn’t know when. When it fell into my lap it was beautiful and completely right. However, coming with that has been navigating an industry that is as complicated as it is passionate. The toxicity that can exist within it caught me off guard, not because I’m naive to it, but because I’ve spent years intentionally removing that energy from my life. Low vibrational people, environments that don’t push you higher - I’ve worked hard to keep that at a minimum. And somehow it found me again in a world I love. As of recently, even trying out Texas to further that passion (a leap I wouldn’t have known wasn’t right unless I tried). That’s the thing about taking chances. You have to do them to know.

In the middle of all of that I’ve navigated a relationship that took a long time to heal from. There are personal things within that chapter that I’m not ready to share in full yet and maybe one day I will. But what I will say is that it was hard in ways I wasn’t prepared for, and getting through it required more of me than I knew I had.

I’ve also like many navigated deeper losses in life, losing my brother being one of them. The kind of loss that doesn’t fully leave you, it just eventually finds a place to live quietly inside of you. Years later it still surfaces. Grief doesn’t follow a timeline no matter how normal it starts to feel.

And through all of it, the moves, the industry, the relationships, the grief, the patterns that kept showing up asking me to look at them - life has also been incredible. Some of the most meaningful experiences of my life have happened inside of the hardest chapters. The two exist at the same time. I think that’s the part we don’t talk about enough. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Life is ebbs and flows. Hard and beautiful, sometimes in the same week, sometimes in the same day.

But here’s what has never wavered through any of it.

My health. My body. Showing up for myself physically even when everything else felt uncertain.

I am not some perfect fitness girl who has her entire life together. I have emotions and feelings and things I’m still navigating just like everyone else. What I do have is this: a deep belief that your physical health and your mental health are the only true foundations you have in this life. Everything else gets built on top of them. When they’re solid, you can move through almost anything. When they’re off, everything else starts to wobble too.

And what I want you to hear is this: you can choose your health no matter how low the low is. No matter what you’re going through financially, relationally, professionally, personally. No matter what the industry did to you or what someone you loved put you through or what grief you’re still quietly carrying. Your body is always available to you. Movement is always available to you. That control, in a life where so much feels out of your hands, is one of the most powerful things you have.

I’ve had seasons where working out wasn’t about getting stronger or looking a certain way. It was just the one hour of the day where I felt like myself. Where I had agency. Where the noise stopped and it was just me, the work, and moving my body. That is worth protecting at all costs.

This Substack exists because I wanted a place to share all of it. The workouts, the supplements, the riding, the beauty and the routines yes. But also this. The real stuff. Because I think women need spaces where someone just tells the truth. Where staying consistent isn’t sold as a hack or a motivation trick but as something deeper. A practice. A lifeline. A form of self respect that nobody can take from you.

Whatever your version of “a lot” looks like right now, I hope you keep going. And I hope this is a place that helps you do that.

Ash 💗

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So horses and fitness aren’t the only things I care about - shocking, I know.

One of the things I’m going to start sharing more of here is the stuff I do to maintain myself outside of the gym and the barn. Call it upkeep, maintenance, self care, the point is I’ve found things that actually work and I want to tell you about them.

Let’s start with hair, be…

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We’re starting up top with shoulders — a barbell shoulder press and a frontal raise — then moving into one of my favorite things to program: assisted pull ups. If you’re working toward getting your first unassisted pull up, this is exactly how you get there.

Instead of jumping and kipping, you’re going to use th…

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I’m Ashley. I’m a show jumper - which means I ride horses competitively and yes, it is a real sport, and yes, it is absolutely a full body workout, and no, the horse does not do all the work (I get that a lot). This is my joy in life and I have so much to share about this journey alone.

I’m also a fitness trainer (most know me as Ass With Ash in this part of my life) with a degree in health and exercise science, and I suppose a content creator you could say. So my life is basically between the barn and the gym (also while trying to figure out the creator thing) Substack just felt like the next logical step. A place where I can go deeper than a caption allows and actually share a bit more. Also does anyone else feel they cannot openly share on Instagram but they can everywhere else or is it just me ? lol

Here’s what you can actually expect from me: my real workouts (that really work) -which I’ll be sharing regularly for subscribers - the supplements I actually take, what I eat, and honest thoughts on health as a woman who’s constantly trying to figure it out. And because I genuinely believe that feeling good goes beyond just working out, I’ll be sharing the other stuff too. Skin, beauty, the things that have actually made a difference for me. Think of it as the conversation I’d have with a friend who asks “okay but what do you actually do” that’s what this is for me.

If you ride, cool, you’ll feel very seen here. If you’ve never touched a horse in your life, also cool. Most of this is for any woman who just wants to feel strong, confident (in the saddle or out) look good, and actually enjoy the process (that I know can be SO up and down).

Yes I have the degree, yes I have trained 100s of women with results, And yes, my horse is still my entire personality. Here we go!

— Ashley

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