Jumpstart Your Strength Training Routine With This

Pulldown exercise to the front (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It's tough to get a strength-training regimen going when you're not sure where to start, but when I saw this print-out this morning, I thought it was a great way to at least introduce a few exercises to those who have yet to take the plunge—particularly if you have a gym membership at your disposal.

While I don't believe in remaining stagnant in your strength-training plan, I do believe in incorporating as many muscle groups as possible in order to give your body the balanced, toned, and strong look so many of us crave.

My suggestion is to use the above routine as a template—a nice starting point—and then, as you gain strength and confidence, vary it to make it more amenable to what you need and want for your body.

For those who might be wondering if it can be incorporated into a home workout, trust me it can.

If you don't currently subscribe to a gym, your best bet is not to concentrate on the exercises, but rather on the muscle groups they are meant to train. For instance, the wide-grip pulldown (shown in the picture above) focuses on the upper back and the shoulders. Exercises like tricep push-ups, wide grip pull-ups (using a chin-up bar), incline/decline push-ups, and dumbbell flys all offer a great alternative to those same muscles.

It might take a little extra research on your part to find the home alternatives that work for you, but it certainly can be done.

It's Monday...Again!

Okay, true confession time: I hate Mondays!

My weekends are typically very relaxing, enjoyable. and laid back. Unlike some of my more hard core fitness fanatics, I trust in my weekend activities for my "exercise" as opposed to actually conjuring up a routine. That said, by the time Monday gets back to town, I am not motivated or ready to put on the sports bra and get back yo business.

The cure for me is to go to my on-line vision board or my Facebook page—where I subscribe to tons of health and fitness pages—to find something to get me going. I usually succeed and manage to get Monday conquered in short order.

So, straight from my timeline, I share with you this gem for the gym:

But I'm So Hungry!

My biggest issue post-workout is to not grab the most readily available food in my path because while I try extremely hard to keep fresh fruits and veggies in the house at all times; I'm a mommy on a tight budget. And as grocery day nears you are less and less likely to find the good stuff—or much of anything that doesn't have to be cooked—in my golden pantry. 

That said, I've tried to make sure I always have a low-calorie protein shake available so I don't launch myself towards that granola bar, or worse, that box of Cheez-Its because I know that would be like a giant eraser to my theretofore productive exercise day. 

Most of us who have hit the dreaded plateau are always looking for ways to continue progressing in the healthiest way possible, but I've often found that it's the simplest of solutions that can sometimes offer you the best way out of a doldrum. 

For instance, do you know how many calories you're actually burning? Sure, there are calorie-counters on bikes and ellipticals and the Fitness Pal app has plenty of guesstimates at what you burn doing everyday tasks as well as actual exercises, but the truth is neither you nor I are likely burning anything close to what we think we are:

..."People grossly overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise, especially when they think it's high intensity," says Eric Doucet, Ph.D., a human kinetics professor at the University of Ottawa. It doesn't help when your boot-camp instructor says each class blasts 1,000 calories (a total exaggeration) or you check the counters on cardio machines (ellipticals have been reported to overestimate expenditure by 42 percent).  

"Estimating calorie output can be an inexact science," says Georgie Fear, a registered dietitian for Precision Nutrition. That's because it involves factors like age, weight, body temperature, metabolic rate, and hormonal changes (to name a few) that are complicated, difficult to track, and ever fluctuating. Many cardio machines, for example, factor in just age and weight—and are calibrated for men. What's more, at higher intensities, or as the machines get older, the readouts may become less accurate. 

So basically what you're likely doing by eating big after going big is negating every calorie you've burned in the process—and possibly tacking on a few unkind ones in the process.

The safest bet is to keep it simple. Prepare your post-workout snack before you actually workout and try to increase your training efforts as much as possible; really challenge your limits and see where that takes you.

We are always capable of more than we think and if progress is what you're looking for, you're going to have to work hard to get it.

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Fit: Once You're Committed, There's No Turning Back

Each morning as I prepare for the day ahead, I sit down with my notebook—filled with every single routine I've completed over the past 14-months—and I plan my routine.

Some days focus on getting the heart rate going via a tough cardiovascular workout, while others focus on building strength via weightlifting, but the main ingredient is always the same—F-O-C-U-S.

I've devoted myself to the idea of fitness for better than two-years now and what started out as a surface-level goal of netting a nice mid-section and killer arms has become a lifestyle that feels empty minus the presence of a healthy diet, an exercise routine, and an attitude that always feels I could be doing more to get better—I just know I haven't reached my best "me" yet.

That said, fitness is not a goal, it's a lifestyle. I don't know how much I can stress that point to those who are reading, but it's something that I strongly believe. You have to make the decision—sometimes every day—that the choices you'll make will be ones geared towards keeping you healthy in the long-term.

Am I perfect day in and day out? Absolutely not! If you read this blog with any regularity you know I have days where I fall off the wagon of health and want to throw it all away just to go back to the bliss of eating without precaution—to live in a world where being "skinny" is enough. But that ship sailed for me long ago, with knowledge came a bigger responsibility to myself. And that responsibility means that I am always fully aware of the choices I make regarding food and exercise.

I could never go back to being the person who threw caution to the wind because I am no longer that person.

The point I'm trying to make here is being skinny is not the goal, being fit is—whatever your definition of that word happens to be is up to you. You choose your focus and you make the decision on how you'll get there, but once you enlighten yourself with all the knowledge that commitment to good health involves, please remember, there is no turning back.

Motivation Monday: Keep The Excuses to a Minimum

It's Monday and I am definitely feeling the hate from the tired genie who has decided to hex me with a little extra exhaustion to start my week. However, as always, the motivation to get/stay fit is always infinitely more powerful than the outside forces that look to thwart my efforts. So for you, my trusty followers, I offer another "Pin" for motivation to start the week off right.

Source: helpwithweightloss.org via Kimberley on Pinterest

Now...let's get it done!

I Welcome The Spoils

The one thing I always tell myself when I'm at the point in my workout where I feel like one more set might kill me is: to be better than I was yesterday and stronger than I am now.

Pretty simple.

I approach each workout full bore because I want to challenge myself. I don't care if it's hard and I'm not looking for anyone to pat me on the back and say, "good job", I just want to be the very best physical version of me that I can and I know that won't come without me doing the necessary work.

So, I welcome the spoils of my labor—sweat, pain, and more of both where that came from—because I know that I am headed somewhere good physically if I never allow myself to get too comfortable with where I am now.

I know I can always get better. 

Source: Uploaded by user via Danielle on Pinterest

You Mean It Doesn't Matter When I Eat?

I love reading informative fitness articles, even when they touch on things that I already know after years of self-study, and the link below should be a bookmark on everyone's laptop because it is an invaluable resource to anyone who is either just starting out or considers themselves to be somewhat informed. 

It speaks of the "26 Myths..." of fitness and two in particular are heard by me on a regular basis:

...Myth #1 – If you eat after 7 p.m. you will gain weight.

Truth: Energy balance determines your bodyweight. If your energy intake (food and drink) is greater than your energy expenditure, then you will gain weight. If your energy intake is less than your energy expenditure, then you will lose weight. What time of night you eat does not make you gain weight!

G-Tip: I would suggest decreasing your carbohydrate intake later in the day and into the night when you are less active. Eat lean proteins, fiber and fats.

Myth #2 – If you are a woman and you lift weights, you will get bulky.

Truth: Women do not have enough natural testosterone to build large muscles. You will only get harder, leaner and firmer! Lifting weights will also help you burn calories and fat— during and after your workout.

G-Tip: Lifting weights is an essential component in any fitness program. No matter what your goals are, lifting weights will help build not only an amazing, well-sculpted, firm body, but keep you strong and build overall confidence and self-esteem!...

...Myth #10 – The best time to exercise is in the morning.

Truth: The best time to exercise is based on you. Some people are “morning people” and find they are most productive before noon. If this describes you, then you should exercise in the morning. However, others, whether through personal preference or due to their schedules, find it easier to work out in the afternoon or evening. This is what they should do. You will build the same amount of muscle in the morning or in the evening.

G-Tip: There are theories about when is the best time to do this or do that and everyone has their beliefs. For everyday lifestyle living, the bottom line is to get in your daily workouts no matter if that means you do so in the morning, afternoon or evening. Everybody's lives and schedules are different so you have to do what is best for you.

And that's just a few of the common misconceptions.

Personally, I've always heard the one about when to not eat and wondered how much sense it made simply because, like the article states, just because it's past 7 doesn't mean your day has ended. You could conceivably burn just as many calories in your nighttime activity (dancing, playing a sport, swimming, running, or otherwise) as you did during the day.

Quite frankly, during the summer months, when the days are longer, it's not unusual to find me in the yard or out and about.

So it makes sense that you would eat according to what your body needs but just resolve to eat smart. 

I highly suggest giving the link a look if you're even a little curious as to how many of those tried and true "facts" of fitness you might still be hanging onto for yourself. You might be surprised what you find.

26 Fitness Myths Revealed

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A Pin for Motivation: You Have to Work For It!

Source: Uploaded by user via Melissa on Pinterest

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Fit Takes Sense, Not Dollars

I'm as obsessive about my workouts as I am about just about everything else in my life so that means I am almost always looking to challenge myself in new ways. Now, I have to admit, I'm all about being frugal these days so if I can't do it in the comfort of my own home, I'm not likely to do it at all.
(True story: massive debts built in college lead to massive accumulated debt once you become a married couple with kids to raise. I freely admit that I have a lot of work to do to get as financially fit as I am physically. That said, I have always been a sucker for being creative and using this rather expensively built brain my mama paid for to get the job done minus a gym membership).

So, back to my obsessiveness.

For those of you who might not know it, I am a football fan....wait, let me rewind that statement, I am more than a football fan, I am a GEORGIA BULLDOG fan! I love the Bulldogs and I love talking Bulldog football on college football Saturdays in the fall. And, one of my favorite all-time players is former Georgia Bulldog running back Herschel Walker.

Walker grew up in the rural south, and he didn't have access to great equipment or fitness programs. However, he never let that stand in the way of his success. And though many have questioned the truthfulness of his claims over the years, I believe it when he says he never used a weight or supplement to look like the physically chiseled specimen he did whilst playing running back for the University of Georgia because my personal experience planning and executing my own fitness plan has proven to many around me that much is possible if you're truly motivated.

That said, if you don't have a structured environment to walk into everyday, you have to be diligent in finding new techniques and avenues by which you can better assist your body in reaching it's potential.

At present, my home gym consists of several sets of dumbbells, a 20-lb barbell, a pilates ball, and an exercise bike. Those are my staples. However, using just those items, I am able to create a diverse workout routine that helps me build muscle, increase physical stamina, and tone and lift the parts that I most wish to emphasize when the weather is warm.

For example:

(using 20 lb dumbbells)

shrugs: 1 set/15 reps 
100 jumping jacks
shrugs: 1 set/15 reps
rest :20
curls: 1 set/12 reps
100 high knee runs in place
curls: 1 set/12 reps
rest :20
overhead tricep extension: 1 set/12 reps
Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds
overhead tricep extension: 1 set/12 reps
rest 1:00

The above is the upper body portion of my workout from last week.

I always do full body workouts because that works well for me and each workout typically includes 6-8 exercises per muscle group. So on that particular day I also did arms, legs, glutes, back, and abs. It was a 70 minute workout with a total rest time of 5:00 minutes.

Some days I increase the sets and decrease the repetitions just so I'm not overtaxing my muscles—leaving them susceptible to injury.

This is an approach that has worked well for me and I'm fairly satisfied with the results I've attained over the last year or so.

My point in sharing this with you is only to say that if you're honest about your fitness goals and you truly want to make a positive change to your body, you have to be willing to think outside the box.

My dedication to getting my family financially fit and debt free means that I am less inclined to spend money on luxuries like going to the gym. That's the plain and simple of it.  But by no means am I willing to let that be an excuse for me to not feel or look how I want.

Source: healthy-is-the-way-to-go.tumblr.com via Kimberley on Pinterest

Nuff' said.

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How Vain Are You?

I'm not a fan of overly arrogant people because, by and large, their attitudes stink. They don't appear to have any genuine humility and often act like they are most entitled people in the world. It's a particularly unattractive trait in a man—I'm sure that opinion has to do with my being a woman—and it's certainly a personality marker that can make or break any personal relationship I attempt to foster with an individual.

That said, I readily admit I'm a vain about being "fit" and though I don't go around shoving my fitness methods in people's faces, I am aware that I work hard to have the body I do and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm proud of its progress compared to where it was two years ago.

In my opinion, some level of vanity is necessary if I hope to get to the "goddesss" body that I am always referring to. You simply can't reach your best you without being a stickler for things like food and how much, and the kinds, you consume or getting serious about how you approach your workout sessions. 

You have to say to yourself 'I'm going to do this the right way or not at all' because, otherwise, you're not on a fitness mission, you're just exercising.

Complete attention to detail is necessary in order to reach your maximum potential.

So, you're likely wondering who am I to say this to anyone? After all, I don't have any fitness products attached to my name and, as far as you know, I might not even work out everyday.

Being an unseen blogger can give the wrong impression I'm sure.

Well, without letting loose a barrage of photos, I'll only say you'll have to trust me when I tell you I take being fit very seriously and I do exercise on a regular basis—five, sometimes six, times per week.

It's not a hobby for me, it's a lifestyle. And that lifestyle is built on one principle: maximizing my efforts to reach my greatest potential physically. I'm not satisfied with only being able to fit into a particular size jeans or looking great in a bikini. I want to be able to look in the mirror and say 'damn, girl' and know that I did that all by myself.

Is that a little vain?  Probably.

Still, though, what's wrong with a little vanity between the mirror and you?

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The Importance of Scheduling Your Workouts

I would not describe myself as an exercise fanatic, but I will say that my exercise regimen is something of great importance in my life. A typical week consists of about 300 minutes worth of scheduled physical activity (60 minutes of strength training, 120 minutes of yoga, 120 minutes of aerobics/cardio).
I make time each day for these things because I know that they are of great value to me—physically and mentally.  So, the message I wish to convey here is a simple one: schedule your workouts.

So much of our days are filled with family, professional, and social commitments, that we often aren't able to find the time to exercise. Of course, if you've read enough of these posts, you already know how I feel about making excuses. Even so, I recognize that it's tough for most of us to keep the momentum going once the thrill of seeing results has passed us by.

However, never forget that complacency is the mother of failure where attaining your fitness goals are concerned, so it's of the utmost importance that you evaluate each day and try to find time to where fit in a workout—even it's only a 15 or 30 minute one.

A solution that has worked well for me has been to either offer myself a make-up day or the option of  adding in a second workout on an otherwise uneventful day.

For example, if I find that I will not meet my 60-minute goal on Monday, I resolve to move that session to another day during the week. That might mean taking an early morning bike ride on what might have otherwise been my off-day or opting to participate in a late evening yoga session on a day I normally would only do cardio.

These are adjustments I am willing to make in order to keep my fitness goals on track.

That doesn't mean that I haven't encountered a week or two, here and there, where I miss multiple days or completely flake out on a workout session—I have my days of complacency too—but the point is to not allow one missed day to become a habit for the next string of days, weeks, or months.

Schedule time for meeting your fitness goals and make them a part of your day-to-day life.

The Most Important Part of Your Exercise Routine Is Y-O-U

I'll admit that one of the hardest parts of getting into a fitness routine is actually starting one. Many of us look in the mirror and make a mental judgment of how much we have to do in order to get to our "ideal" size and we feel overwhelmed. It is in that moment we manage to kill any chance we have at succeeding because we have already decided the outcome won't be positive or quick enough in coming.

It's an easy train of thought to fall into when you've spent years neglecting your body.

However, trust me when I tell you that there's not a woman or man alive who wants to look in the mirror and not like what they see. We are all vain in that aspect, and none of us wish to feel as if the beautiful canvas God gave us is somehow marred.

That said the solution to the above problem is a simple one—although many of us fail to recognize it—stop self-sabotaging your goals.

Does that sound too easy? Too cliche'? Sorry, but it's the plain truth.

We all make far too many excuses for why we choose (and understand in most instances it is a choice) not to exercise: no time, no money, no energy, no space, etc. Give. Me. A. Break!

Two things are required to cultivate a successful exercise routine: you and your body's weight. All of the special gadgets you see others using (weights, mats, bikes, elliptical machines, gyms, etc.) are just aids. Those things might help give you focus when deciding how to personalize your personal routine, but none of them are necessary for you to reach your goals.

Your body weight gives you the best challenge to building strength because you have to be able to control it as well as execute the moves. I can lift a 25 pound dumbbell 10 times with no problem, but if you challenge me to do 20 push-ups, I might need a break. Why? Because you not only have to concentrate on lifting it, but doing so with proper form as well—and that's not easy.

If you're worried about a lack of cardio, how about running in place while watching your favorite television show or doing mountain climbers in 30-second intervals. Have some stairs in or just outside of your home, use them as your stairmaster.

Want to build better buns? Try lunges...with weights.

Creativity is a great asset to developing a challenging routine that can bring you great results.

Don't believe me, just take a look at this guy...no weights, no gym, and no supplements. He's a work of art and he formed the foundation for that body by using whatever he had in and around his home. Oh and, by the way, he's almost 50.

My point is simple, there is no excuse for not exercising. If you can move, you can lose. It is that simple. And while I don't expect any of us to be able to duplicate what Herschel Walker was able to do, his dedication to doing a body weight workout everyday should serve as an inspiration for those of you still struggling to get off the sofa.

Now, get out there and move something!

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Exercise Jolt: Don't Fall Victim To Laziness

I get tired.

I get so tired, in fact, that sometimes I don't want to eat right, exercise, or put on one piece of exercise gear—some days I just don't feel good. And, it is on those types of days that I choose to do one of two things: 1) not exercise at all, or 2) exercise more vigorously than usual.

You don't have to be a workout warrior 5-6 days a week—every week—no one will flog you if you miss a day, but you should choose to take breaks when they are necessary, not simply as a result of laziness or lack of motivation.

If you're mood is due to fatigue or health issues, then maybe you should listen to your body and accept that day as one that's long overdue—there's no glory in pushing a tired body past the point of exhaustion. That type of dedication might impress some, but your body will pay for your overeager ways at some point.

However, if you're just having a bad day or feeling lazy because you broke your nutritional routine by having that extra slice of chocolate cake, well, maybe you need to let that be your motivation instead of your reason to stagnate.

It's on those days, that we feel the least ready to get going in our routines, that we should strive the hardest to do so—trust me when I tell you that you will feel so much better if you do than if you don't.

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Fitness: The Constant Struggle To "Keep Up With The Joneses"

If you've read enough of my posts, you know by now that I am a proponent of living a life free of the external—don't worry about what others think, just do you.

Well, as the blog description says: I am human. I make mistakes. I make them often. That said, my biggest fault, where maintaining my personal fitness goals are concerned, is in not allowing other like-minded individuals to influence my opinion of my accomplishments.

It never fails, I walk out my door—looking my pretty girl rockin' self—and I see some other woman whom I perceive looks 10 times better. And, instead of giving her the props she deserves, I make a mental note of just how much further I have to go.

That mindset has been both a positive and negative influence on my life.

On the one hand, I'm never at a loss for motivation but, on the other, I am never able to stop and appreciate what I've already done to better my physical self without finding faults in the process.

Let me espouse to you a not so secret idea: you will never be as skinny, as toned, or as healthy as you imagine others to be. That's an unreachable goal for the modern woman who isn't spending her life devoted to health and fitness—we can't all look like Jillian Michaels or Elizabeth Hasselbeck (although some of us will kill ourselves trying).

I know I can't. I've got a lot more on my plate than just reps, sets, and cardio.

So, what's the solution? Hmmm, I don't know really, but I enjoy the learning process this constant self-evaluation offers me in my day-to-day struggle to be fiercely fit and fantastic.

In the meantime, I can only suggest that you give yourself a break. You likely look a lot better than you think and, trust me, at some point, you have inspired another woman to do just five more minutes of cardio or one more set of leg curls.

So, take a moment to celebrate yourself. Flex a little in the mirror, give yourself a wink and a nod, then break out your best smile, walk out the door, and do your pretty girl rock—proudly!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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