Episode 72Jun 1, 2026· 6:14

I Caved (And I'd Do It Again): What Happened When My Workout Plan Went Out the Window

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About this episode

Ashley Grant recounts a Thursday where bad weather derailed her planned hike and sent her back to the gym, which she'd been trying to cut back to three days a week. She completed a Pilates class and a Tabata class — two and a half hours total — and reflects on why daily movement still matters even when the specific plan falls apart. She discusses her reasons for reducing gym frequency (balance, outdoor activities,…

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You made a commitment to yourself about changing a habit, and then the first real-world obstacle showed up and you bent the rules — and now you're not sure if that makes you a failure or just flexible.

You're trying to build a fitness routine that actually fits your life, not just grind harder — and you're figuring out what 'balance' even means when you're used to going all-in.

You want to move your body with someone you love, not just solo grind, and you're trying to weave that into a routine that actually sticks.

You're somewhere in the middle of a long fitness journey — not a beginner, not where you want to be yet — and you're holding onto the small wins to keep going.

You're someone who treats getting healthier as something you're genuinely learning, not a program you're executing — and you find comfort in other people being honest about not having it all figured out.

Questions this episode wrestles with

Is changing your plan the same as giving up on it?

open question

Ashley calls going to the gym 'caving' but immediately questions whether it really is — she sits with the tension without landing on a clear answer, noting that doing something still felt right even if it broke her commitment.

"headed there right now. On the one hand, it feels like I'm caving in the sense that I was trying to commit to a full month of switching to this new schedule. But on the other hand, it's like, well, if the weather is not so great and I can't do the outdoor activity I had planned, well, shouldn't I still do something? And I kind of"

Can you really want balance if you keep choosing more?

open question

Ashley describes cutting back gym days specifically to find balance and work out with her husband more, but on the first bad-weather Thursday she ends up at the gym for two and a half hours — she doesn't resolve whether that contradicts the goal.

"of not going to the gym as often was simply to try to have a little bit more balance. Try to do additional activities outside of the gym. Part of the reason that I did this is because I wanted to start working out with my husband"

Does anyone actually stick to their fitness plan, or is it always winging it?

answered

Ashley frames her whole journey as something she's figuring out as she goes — she says she doesn't know what the future holds with her own plan, and describes it explicitly as a learning journey rather than a program she's executing.

"not sure what the future holds, honestly, but I'm excited and I'm grateful that I was only struggling, like I said, with one exercise today."

Setting expectations: This episode is not about how to design a workout schedule or what to do when your fitness plan breaks down. It's Ashley narrating a single Thursday where bad weather meant she skipped her planned hike and went to the gym instead — something she calls 'caving' — and then reporting back after two and a half hours of Pilates and Tabata.

Tone & style

Ashley starts the episode already en route to the gym, having abandoned her Thursday hiking plan because of bad weather — framing it as caving on a commitment. She returns post-workout, reframes the detour as still honoring the spirit of daily movement, and lands on quiet pride after getting through Pilates and Tabata with 20-pound dumbbells and only struggling on one exercise.

Personal day-in-the-life account narrated in real time. Ashley explicitly says she has a lot to learn and attributes tips to others, not herself.

toneCandid & upbeat

focusAshley had planned to hike on Thursday, the weather was gross, so she went to the gym instead — and she's calling that 'caving.'

stylepersonal_confession

energymedium

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Textureself-deprecating, cheerful, quietly proud

Notable quotes

"what I did. I caved. Oh, if you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you know I've been trying to be as transparent as possible on my journey. And one of the things I said recently"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"headed there right now. On the one hand, it feels like I'm caving in the sense that I was trying to commit to a full month of switching to this new schedule. But on the other hand, it's like, well, if the weather is not so great and I can't do the outdoor activity I had planned, well, shouldn't I still do something? And I kind of"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"me. And I will report back as soon as I'm done with the brutal torture that is about to be thrust upon me that I signed up for. Okay, I am back"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"it and I still used my 20 pound weights and I'm happy actually, because, you know, using those 20 pound dumbbells shows me that I'm, I'm finally getting stronger and finally able to handle more than I was able to handle before. So, um, we're"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 3 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:001. Caving on the Hiking PlanAshley explains that she had committed to hiking on Thursdays as part of a new three-days-a-week gym schedule, but bad weather pushed her back to the gym instead — which she calls 'caving.'1:382. Two and a Half Hours of Pilates and TabataAshley reports back after completing a Pilates class and a Tabata class — more than her usual Thursday workout — and reflects on why staying active every day still matters even when the plan changes.3:163. Favorite Classes and Morning Stretching RoutineAshley shares her class rankings — Zumba first, Tabata second — and talks about her daily morning stretch habit, plus a tip she's heard about bedtime stretches for better sleep.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

personFamous Ashley Grant

The host of More Movement Please, sharing her personal fitness journey and the decision to go to the gym instead of hiking due to bad weather.

websitefamousashleygrant.com/fitness

Ashley's website where she invites listeners to share bedtime stretch recommendations with her.

Key themes

Caving on the plan

Ashley calls going back to the gym on a scheduled hiking day 'caving,' then spends the episode wrestling with whether that's actually a bad thing.

Weather forcing a plan adjustment

Bad weather on a Thursday makes hiking impossible and sends Ashley back to the gym instead of the trails she had committed to.

Gym vs. outdoor activity

Ashley had deliberately cut gym days to make room for hiking with her husband, so returning to the gym on a hiking day feels like a step backward from that goal.

Moving every day no matter what

Ashley frames the decision to go to the gym despite the schedule change as consistent with her core commitment to daily movement, even if the specific activity shifts.

Balance vs. consistency

The whole reason Ashley cut back gym days was to try to have 'a little bit more balance,' and this episode shows the tension between that goal and her pull toward just doing more.

Working out with her husband

Ashley mentions that wanting to hike with her husband was part of why she restructured her schedule in the first place, connecting the fitness change to her relationship.

Tabata as a new favorite

Ashley ranks Tabata as her second favorite class after Zumba and says there's 'something truly special' about it, specifically for full body work plus weightlifting.

Morning stretching as a daily anchor

Ashley describes doing stretch classes almost every morning as her 'necessary thing,' saying it wakes up her muscles and sets the tone for the day.

Getting stronger — the 20-pound weights

Ashley points to still using 20-pound dumbbells during today's harder-than-usual session as concrete evidence that she's building real strength.

Fitness as a learning journey

Ashley frames her whole approach as something she's figuring out as she goes, mentioning plans to reach out to fitness experts and acknowledging she still has a lot to learn.

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