Did you catch the Women’s World Cup final last weekend? What a match—what an incredible moment for the USA women’s team. As someone who played competitive soccer through college and even joined a club season at the University of Minnesota, watching that victory brought back a rush of memories from team sports. It inspired me to think about joining a co-ed recreational league here in the Twin Cities. If you play adult rec league sports—anywhere—I’d love to hear about your experience. Rec leagues are a great way to meet people, get active, and have fun.
Summer SWEAT Series — Week 5: Core and Upper Body Focus
We’re now four weeks in and heading into the fifth week of the Summer SWEAT Series. This week shifts the emphasis toward strengthening the core and upper body. Each session still delivers a full-body challenge and includes cardio components, but the primary focus is on building abdominal strength, improving shoulder and back stability, and sculpting the upper body.
Week 5 workout lineup:
Monday: Core and Cardio Crank
Tuesday: 10 to 1 Lower Body Workout
Wednesday: Long and Lean Full Body Superset Tabatas
Thursday: Upper Body + Core Stability Workout
Friday: Interval Cardio Workout
Every workout in this series is designed to be adaptable to different fitness levels. If you’re new to some of these moves, reduce the number of repetitions or the duration of intervals and focus on controlled form. For more advanced modifications, add resistance, increase interval length, or shorten rest periods. These programs are intended to build strength, enhance core stability, and keep up your cardiovascular fitness throughout the week.
If you’re wondering whether the workouts remain accessible after the Summer SWEAT Series finishes, the answer is yes: the workouts will remain available on Fit Foodie Finds (FFF) and Ambitious Kitchen (AK). That makes it easy to catch up if you’re behind or to continue using the program as part of your ongoing routine.
Nutrition and Meal Planning
Food matters when you’re committing to a focused training block. For this week’s meal plan and grocery list, check the downloadable resources on Ambitious Kitchen to help you stay fueled and recover well. The meal plan emphasizes balanced meals with lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and smart snacks to support workouts. And yes—there’s room for balance and treat-focused moments, too; enjoying dessert in moderation is part of a sustainable approach to healthy eating.
Community Reminders & Updates
- Join the Summer SWEAT Series Facebook group for schedules, insider updates, and the weekly nutrition plans posted every Friday. The group also hosts exclusive giveaways and community support throughout the series.
- Share your progress on Instagram using the hashtag #SummerSWEATSeries for a chance to win the grand prize: $500 in cash. Tagging your posts helps build community accountability and inspires others to keep going.
- Don’t miss the Aloha giveaway associated with the series—you can enter for a chance to win a large prize pack of curated wellness products. Entry details are provided on the giveaway page.
Final tips for Week 5: prioritize core stability by engaging your midline during every movement, balance cardio intervals with controlled strength work, and remember that recovery—hydration, sleep, and proper fueling—is essential to progress. Whether you’re training for sport, looking to improve general fitness, or just enjoying the community challenge, this week is a great opportunity to strengthen your core, tone your upper body, and push your conditioning.
If you play adult recreational sports or belong to a local league, please share where you play and how you got started—those recommendations could help others looking to join a team or find a new way to stay active.