4th set

Anyone else getting tired of the same old exercise routine? 3 sets of 12-15 reps for the same old exercises 1 minute cardio in between...blah blah blah. Me too. On a whim I decided to change things up. So I cut down the number of exercises from 6 (for legs) to only 3. I changed the repetitions from 15-20 to about 10-12 and added significant weight. And I decided to do 3 minutes of cardio at the end of each set instead of 1 minute between each exercise. That's a lot of numbers. What does it add up to? Soreness! Pretty simple tweaks, less to think about and less total time and you've got yourself a great new workout. Here is what one of my Leg days looks like:

• Smith Machine Quarter Squat 12 reps with 85 pounds
• Single Leg Curl with Stability Ball 10 reps each leg
• Single Leg Smith Machine Squat 10 reps each leg with 65 pounds
• 3 minute elliptical on Level 10

Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 sets

• Hanging Crunch 15 reps
• Weighted Back Extension 30 reps with 25 pound dumbbell
• Incline Reverse Curl 25 reps
• Weighted Standing Side Bends 15 reps with 20 pound dumbbell
• Plank 2 minutes

Repeat AB section once more for a total of 2 sets

I like to supplement this with another leg workout that same week of only body weight exercises and one arm and ab circuit boot camp style.

Cardiovascular....it's Nuclear

Okay, it's not really but I like to rhyme. So...getting bored with your same old cardio routine? First off you should try my circuit routine. Because you are doing cardio inbetween sets you are getting a full cardio and strength workout at the same time. Here are some other ideas to change it up:

-Cardio Jam DVD
-Tae Bo DVD
-Play the Tickle Game (see if you can tickle your husband [or boyfriend or dog], then when he gets pissed and starts chasing you around the house you scream and run and dodge him...then the kids get involved and they try to tickle you and you try to catch and tickle them....you get the idea! The trick is in the laughing while running around....great core burner and calorie burner not to mention good parenting, and pretty funny to see you hubby get so mad)
-"4 is Not a Bore" Do 15 minutes on 4 different cardio machines at your gym for a total of one hour (bike, elliptical, treadmill, stairstepper, arc trainer, row machine)
-Body for Life 20 minute Interval Workout:
20-Minute Aerobics Solution™ — The Official Body-for-LIFE Cardio Plan
Warm up the first 2 minutes at Intensity Level 5
Minutes 2-3 move from Intensity Level 5 to 6
Minutes 4-5, 6-10 and 11-14 work your way from Intensity Level 6 to Level 9, maintain for one minute.
Minutes 15-19 work your way from Intensity Level 6 to Level 10 (High Point at Level 10), maintain for one minute.
Minute 20 cool down to Intensity Level 5 for one minute.
-Spinning class at the gym
-Kickbox class at the gym
-Leisa's (at home) Bootcamp:
*soccer taps 1 min
*jacks 1 min
*windmills 1 min
*squat thrust 1 min
*jog in place 1 min
*take a break 1 min
*shuffle tap 1 min
*lunge jump 1 min
*stair step (basic) 1 min
*squat front kick 1 min
*ski jump 1 min
-take a break 1 min-
Repeat once for 25 minutes total
-Walmart Dash: before grocery shopping take 3 laps around the inside perimeter of the store as fast as you can, when you are done shopping take your full cart around the store for 3 laps-works best with super Walmarts and Targets-also works at the mall
-Take the Stairs: find a tall building with a stairwell or track with a stadium (highschool) and run up as many floors as you can-walk down and do it again--you can also take two stairs at a time or walk up and run down--try for 20-30 minutes
-Jump Rope: probably the best cardio workout of all time--it's cheap, you can do it anywhere, and it is NOT easy--start with 5 minutes and work your way up to 15-20

There you have it. No more excuses. Get out there and get your heart rate up!

Quad Burner Video

Some of you may have been confused by the The Quad Burner post a few weeks back. Here is a clip to give you a better idea of how it looks. Hope this helps!

Circuit/Interval Training

Need something new for your 2008 workout routine? I know I do. If you are smart you didn't take time off to gain weight for the holiday's, but instead kept on truckin' and doing what you normally do. Now that things are going to slow down maybe you would like to switch things up and shock your body.

Here is a weight training and cardio circuit that I like to do three times a week. You will do two leg days and one arm day (you burn more calories doing legs because they are a bigger muscle group than arms). The weight is just enough that you can complete at least 12 reps and then really push yourself to finish 15 reps with good form. Start out with 2 sets for about 2-3 weeks then add the third set when you can. The workout should take no more than one hour including warm up, abs, and stretches.

Good luck, have fun, and let me know how it goes. If you want a printable version or have any questions on the exercises just ask and I can email it to you. Here is to a strong and sculpted year!

BW=body weight
DB=dumbbell
SB=stability ball or swiss ball

ARMS

3 min cardio warm up

BW push up
1 min cardio
BW pull up (or use upper back machine)
1 min cardio
DB lateral side raise
1 min cardio
DB incline bicep curl
1 min cardio
DB skull crusher (use one DB and while on back bring weight to forehead keeping elbows in)
1 min cardio
DB bent over row
1 min cardio

ABS:
30 bicycles
15 ball pass (on back, pass SB from feet to hands and touching ball to floor each time)
20 hanging crunches
30 back extensions on SB
60 seconds plank hold

Cardio options: jump rope, jacks, soccer taps on step, elliptical, jogging, run in place, etc.

LEGS

DB or BW quarter squat (squat all the way down, come up halfway, go back down, then up)
1 min cardio
side steps with exercise band-20 reps each leg
1 min cardio
SB hamstring curl (on back, feet on ball, lift hips and curl heels to glutes)
1 min cardio
DB or machine one leg press
1 min cardio
BW lunge jumps (fast paced, jump from right lunge into left lunge and repeat 10-12 times)
1 min cardio
DB plie squat (feet wide and at 45 degree angle, squat low and squeeze glutes on the up)
1 min cardio

ABS
30 weighted ball crunch
30 weighted back extension (on ball or machine)
15 each side oblique pulses (lay on side on elbow and feet, pulse up and down)
30 reverse curl
60 sec plank with elbows on SB

So it looks like this:
Monday-leg circuit 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps (unless otherwise noted)
Tuesday-cardio of your choice
Wednesday-arm circuit 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps (unless otherwise noted)
Thursday-cardio of your choice
Friday-leg circuit 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps (unless otherwise noted)
Saturday-cardio of your choice
Sunday-active rest (walk with family, yoga, cleaning, marathon sex;), etc.)

Uuugghh!

Okay, so I can't stand to look at that picture every time I pull up my blog so I am adding this post in hopes of pushing the last post down out of site unless I scroll down.

You don't have to gain weight over the holiday's!

Okay, so this picture is a little far fetched. Especially for my fellow bloggers. But this is why we workout and watch what we eat, right?

Of course the holiday's are filled with sugar-laden, fat-filled, carbo-loaded, yummy treats but that doesn't mean you have to gain weight this year. For any of you that really know me you know that I don't gain weight during the holiday's. I actually lose weight. I figure I could make a million bucks if I were to write a book and tell my secrets, but unfortunately I don't have any secrets. Good bye $100,000,000.00. What I do have are some fairly common sense habits that help me to lose a couple pounds between Halloween and New Years.

1. Exercise--Yep, just good 'ol exercise that you do every other day during the year. The difference is that even though I am super busy I DO NOT skip my workouts. They are really the only thing that keep me sane and grounded during this sometimes chaotic season. Six days a week you will see me doing any one of these workouts: circuit, weight training, running, walking, sledding, Tae Bo, boot camp, shoveling the driveway, and/or spinning.

2. Eat what I want--I know this sounds counterproductive but hear me out. I love everything about this season. Especially the food. What I love about it is that there is a party or get together every three days. So, I can eat a little bit of what I want and then stop because I know that in a couple days there will be another yummy treat for me to try. On the day's that I don't have a special occasion planned I can eat really well (usually because I am stuffed from the party the night before). I eat the same thing day after day:

-Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal and coffee for breakfast

-Skippy Natural peanut butter and sugar free jelly on whole wheat and soy milk for lunch

-Fiber One bar or Kashi cereal and a piece of fruit for a snack

-lean meat (chicken, turkey, or fish), a vegetable (about half the plate full), and either brown rice, whole wheat roll, or wheat pasta for dinner.

I don't deprive myself this time of year and because I am treating myself I am more likely to eat for pleasure and not boredom, anger, or stress.

3. Stay busy--I am the sole food and present shopper, present wrapper, house cleaner, cook, and activity planner (for the kids). This keeps me pretty busy every day through the holiday's so there is not much time to sit around and get lazy. There is also not a lot of time to eat so it's easier to stick to the 'diet plan'. If I find a moment to myself I like to sit by the Christmas Tree and soak in the holiday spirit. I also like to do stuff with the kids...playing in the snow, playing games, going ice skating or sledding, and such. These are fun things (except the cleaning) which makes me happy, which makes me emotionally satisfied. Not to mention all the extra calories burned on top of the rest.

So as you can see there is no secret. Just a mind set that I WILL not gain weight this time of year and an awareness that I am in control of me. I can sit around and eat everything in site and skip workouts, or I can turn this time of year into an opportunity to to be at peace with my body.

Have a HEALTHY Happy Holiday this year. May all your activities be heart pumping and your food choices decadent. And forget about the typical New Year resolution...you won't need it!

Quad Burner

Okay, here is a quick post to tell you about a great leg exercise. Do this: Grab an 8 pound dumbbell or a pretty large book (think Harry Potter). Put it on the floor horizontal to you and stand with just your heels on the ends of the dumbbell. So, you should be standing on your toes with your heels on the sides of the dumbbell. Now squat all the way down so your chest is on your thighs and glutes close to the floor. Without taking your chest off your thighs straighten and bend your knees. Hands can be on the floor in front of you if you are flexible enough or they can rest just above your knees. You want to straighten and bend several times until you feel the "burn". Just when it really starts to hurt hold a halfway position for 10 seconds then resume the straighten and bend. Do you get it? Just try it and then leave me a comment to let me know how you felt. Thanks!

You Gotta EAT to Lose

Yep, you read right. You've got to eat to lose weight. I know...it goes against all reason and common sense but it's true. If your body thinks it is starving it will do all it can to hold the fat you already have hostage. It's not going to let go of it's only energy source if you continually under feed yourself. This is under 1300 calories for the average woman. 1500 if you are a little taller, bigger, or exercise a lot. About 1600-1800 is under eating for the average man, dependant on size. Now this is not gospel and you can take it for what it is worth, but I have a story for you:

My sister-in-law, Heather, had been working so hard to lose the weight gained by a number of things; kids, holidays, medications, stress, etc. She came to me this past summer frustrated that even though she worked out an hour a day with either cardio or weights and had cut her calories way down she couldn't get over the plateau that she was on. I asked her how many calories she was eating and she told me 1200! Keep in mind that she is about 5'7 and exercises regularly. The first thing I told her was to eat. Of course that doesn't make any sense but she trusted me (thanks Heath!). She started out adding 100 calories each week until she had reached about 1700-1800 calories. Feeling energetic for the first time in a while she started shedding the last couple pounds she wanted to lose. Now she looks great in her new smaller body. She still exercises daily and watches what she eats but now she can have what ever she wants in small portions. Heather has also told me that now that her stomach has shrunk, she gets fuller faster making it easier to stick to a healthy food plan.

Just goes to show that you gotta EAT to lose. It doesn't mean you can down a pint of Ben and Jerry's or finish off a whole package of Oreos. Add healthy fruits and veggies, "good" fats and whole grains, and extra protein and calcium rich foods. Don't forget to feed the fire (your body) and it will keep burning for you. Trust me, will ya?

Working On Your Weak Area's

You know what they are...the parts on your body that just have the hardest time firming up or slimming down. Mine, for example, are my legs and booty (sorry, glutes). Sure they are strong but they also hold the most fat deposits on my body. One way to help this is a very advanced program that involves doing one set twice a day until fatigue for that particular body part.

Here's how it works. Say a man (or woman) wants to beef up his chest/shoulder area. What ever he does he just cannot build the type of muscle that he is looking for. So every morning he gets up, drops to the floor, and does push ups until he can't do anymore with good form. Then every night he brushes his teeth, puts on pajamas, and drops to the floor again for another set of push ups until failure. He does this everyday, 7 days a week for a month. What does it do? It forces the muscles to work again and again without much rest in between. This results in muscle strength/gain.

Same goes for women trying to slim down a certain body part. If it's your lower body, lunge jumps are great for this. Starting in a split stance (one foot in front of the other) bend knees with back knee close to the floor. Then jump up and switch your lead foot mid-air. Without stopping repeat left right left right until fatigue (when you no longer can do the exercise with proper form). Click here for an example of a correct Lunge Jump http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zLTDUFjbXA . Doing this every morning and every evening for one month.

The trick is to pick an exercise that requires no equipment so you can do it anywhere. That does mean no excuses either. You also do your set even if you are sore, tired or sick. Remember, it is just one set then you're done until later that night.

If anyone wants to try it, let me know. I can help you pick an exercise for the body part you want to work. By the way, this probably doesn't work for the brain....sorry!

Tough Girl Training

Well, it just wouldn't be right if I didn't try to sell myself on my own blog. I am a personal trainer with an in-home studio. I am now accepting clients who want to jump start their fitness regime, get fit, fall off a plateau, and/or become lean and strong. I am located in the Traverse Mountain area and specialize getting tough. It's affordable, convenient, and fun. I promise that you'll sweat and love it! Email me today to set up your free consultation.

toughgirltraining@hotmail.com