Boot Camp 101

Here's one of my sample "boot camp" workouts that combines multiple muscle groups and keeps your heart rate up at the same time to scorch fat and calories! If you have questions, email or comment me. (Sorry for the lame pictures!)

1. Lunge with dumbbell lateral/front raise combo: While holding 5-10 lb. dummbells, do walking lunges while raising arms out to side shoulder heighth. Do 20 alterating legs and then turn around and repeat only raising arms to front, shoulder heighth. Do another 20 reps.


2. Alternating lunge jumps: While in place in lunge position, jump off ground and switch feet landing back down into lunge. Do for 1-2 min.


3. Plie squat with dumbbell bicep curl: Standing feet wider than shoulder width apart with toes pointed out, squat down to 90 degrees while tilting pelvis/butt back (like sitting in chair). Make sure not to "round" back and to keep heels planted on ground to avoid knee pain. Hold 5-12 lb. dumbbells in between legs and do bicep curl as you come up.


4. Plie jump hops: Same position as above (only without weights), jump in place for 1-2 min.


5. Medicine ball torso rotations: Sitting on ground, lean back with feet off ground (preferably) and while holding 6-10 lb. medicine ball, rotate torso/ball from hip to hip for 1-2 min.


6. Push-up row combo: In a push-up position with 5-10 dumbbells in hands on ground, do a push-up and as you come up, bring one dumbbell up into row while squeezing shoulder blade back. Then do another push-up and switch sides, alternating for 20-30 reps.


7. One legged squat: Standing on one leg, squat down while pointing opposite hand towards toe. Do 15-20 reps each side.


8. Speed skaters: Stand on one leg and then hop laterally (to the side) onto the other leg, while squatting slightly (think Apollo Anton Ohno). Move quickly side to side for 1-2 min.


9. Mountain climbers: In push-up position, step feet in alternating quickly while holding upper body stationary.


10. Step-up with medicine ball/or dumbbell overhead press: With chair or bench and holding 6-10 lb. dumbbells/ball, step-up with one leg while pressing ball overhead at same time. Don't touch other leg to bench, bring knee up and do 20-25 reps each side.


11. Alternating fast step-ups: Step-up and change legs to come down and repeat quickly. Do 1-2 min.


12. Bench dips: While facing away from bench with hands on bench (facing out), lower body and bend elbows to 90 degrees. Do 20-25 reps, holding every 5th rep for 5sec.


13. Wall sits: Sit back against wall with knees at 90 degrees. Hold for 30 sec, then rest for 10, hold for 45 sec, rest for 10, hold for 60 sec, rest for 20.


14. Bench jumps: Standing in front of bench, squat down and jump up on top of bench using legs and momentum. Do 1-2 min.


15. Ball crunches & side crunches: Laying on ball on back, do crunches while squeezing belly button in and holding at top for 3 sec/rep. Do 25-50 reps. Then, lay on side on ball with feet against wall (staggered) and do 15-20 side crunches and repeat on other side.




16. Jump rope: Jump rope 30 sec, double time 30 sec, one leg 30 sec, other leg 30 sec.

17. REPEAT ENTIRE SEQUENCE WITHOUT REST!!!!!!

Common Strength Training Questions Answered

I get a lot of these questions from people about strength training, so I thought I would answer a few...

1. Is it best to split muscle groups and work different muscle groups on different days?
For most people (probably about 90% of the population) that just want to lose body fat, firm up, and strengthen and tone their muscles, the answer is NO. The most common mistake people make here is they REST TOO MUCH in between sets because they're only working 1-2 muscle groups. How efficient is that? The only people that benefit from these kind of workouts are body builders! Plus, how many calories are you really burning (keeping your heart rate up) when you split muscle groups like this. A total body workout is the best way to go.

When you combine all the muscles (esp major muscles such as legs, back, torso, etc), you are going to burn more calories=burn more fat AND you will still see the same results as far as toning and strengthening the muscle groups. Essentially, you're getting strength training AND cardio when you workout this way!


2. How often do I need to strength train?
If you do the above workout with little to no rest, EFFICIENTLY, combining muscle groups and moving quickly from one exercise to another, you really only need to do this 2-3Xweek (for most people twice/week is plenty). Committ a good hour too and make sure you rest 2 days in between strength workouts.

3. If I'm trying to tone up my abdominal muscles, should I do those everyday and how many repititions?
No, just like every other muscle group, abdominals need rest days too. They need to recover and rebuild in order to see improvement. 3 days/week is good, and make sure to always mix it up by doing different exercises, at different angles, with different resistance levels, etc. I don't think there's really a good "goal number" of reps and sets to reach, because it's more about efficiency, HOW you do the exercise, HOW LONG you hold each repitition, and the kind of exercise. You should work them until failure (until you can't do anymore).

4. Am I going to bulk up if I lift heavy weights?
This a common misconception in women when it comes to strength training. The answer is NO, and the reason is without high levels of testerone, or human growth hormone (like men, or women who take these as supplements), it's nearly impossible to increase muscle mass like our male counterparts. Women who think they're bulking up are deceived by the extra "fat layer" on top of the muscle they need to shed to see real definition!

5. What is best, machine weights or free weights?
Really, machines are a waste of time, a wasted workout, and do little for you. Why? One, machine weights only work one muscle at a time (and usually seated, how does that raise the heart rate to burn calories?), and two, they only work the muscle in a limited range of motion. Real life isn't in one plane of motion, so we need to challenge our bodies and muscles (and balance) in different ranges of motion!

On the other hand, free weights, which consists of dumbbells, bars, cables, stability balls, BOSU balls, rubberbands, etc are awesome because they will challenge you in different planes of motion (you have to balance and maintain good posture), there is more variety, and the most importantly, you can combine an endless number of exercises (and muscle groups) to get an efficient workout (and kill two birds with one stone).

Stay tuned for next weeks' post-I'm going to give you a SAMPLE WORKOUT that will do ALL of these things. It will be hard if done correctly and with no rest, and you will feel a DIFFERENCE! Keep in mind, you won't want to do this everytime because you need to always change it up to challenge the body, but for those of you out there lacking the knowledge, experience, and/or creativity, this will be a good start. Pictures included!

OH, and please leave me comments and questions, I will be more motivated to post more if I know I have readers out there (hence part of the reason for my slacking lately!)

5 great CORE moves

Again, sorry for the time span between posts, it's been super busy lately plus, I've been out of town too! I wish I could promise I will get better at posting more frequently, but I'm going to stop promising things I can't deliver (at least right now)!

For this post, I thought I would enlighten many of you out there that don't know the right strength training moves for your core. All of these moves require little to no eqiupment and work your ENTIRE midsection efficiently! Some of my faves!

1. Plank (with or without ball): For this exercise you want to be on your forearms either on the ground (or on the ball) and feet/toes on ground. With only those two things supporting your body weight, hold your body in a straight (plank) line up off the ground (incline if using ball) and concentrate on squeezing your abdominals (or belly button) in towards your spine as you hold this position 30-60 sec. Repeat 2-3 times. If using ball (which can be harder because it's more unstable), make sure you're not "resting" your upper body against your forearms.




2. Side rotations: Sitting on a mat or soft surface, lean back slightly and bring feet off ground, knees bent. Find a weight of some source (medicine ball or dumbbell preferably) and while holding position, rotate side to side (hip to hip) for 30-50 rotations. Make sure ONLY torso rotates, not legs.



3. Mountain climbers: In push-up position with hands about shoulder width apart, step feet in a little, switching quickly. Remember you don't want your butt/hips coming up-keep level, with only your lower legs moving. Do 30-50 reps/each side.



4. Ball side bends: Using a stability ball, lay on your side with ball under one side/hip. You will need to anchor your feet against a wall of some sort also, and make sure it's a wide staggered stance. With hands behind head, bend all the way over the ball (outside elbow tapping ball) and then come up all the way so that your torso on that side stretches and then bends. Do 20 or so and repeat on opposite side.



5. Reverse crunch on ball: In push-up position with feet/lower legs on top of stablity ball, roll ball in towards your hands while raising butt/hips up. Concentrate on using abdominals and not legs to do this exercise. Repeat about 25 reps.

How to get out of your rut

Let's face it, we've all been there. We feel like we've been working hard to lose that weight or even those "last 10 lbs". We're eating pretty good, working out, and nothing is happening! Isn't it the most frustrating thing in the world?! So, let's talk about some ideas on how we can get over that "hump" and start seeing results again. The first thing we need to do is re-evaluate our progress and then make small changes. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I doing the same routine with my workout?
2. How do I feel when I'm working out? Is it easy to carry on a conversation, or am I breathing so hard that I'm forced to stop or slow down after awhile?
3. How long is my workout and how frequent?
4. Am I recording down what I eat? If so, am I writing down portion sizes (measuring out, counting calories, etc) or just eye-balling it? Also, am I counting everything, even those handful of the kids' M&M's or that soda I drank?
5. Am I getting enough sleep?
6. Lastly, how is my stress level?

All of these questions factor into your success (or lack of it) when trying to get over that rut. Now I will go back over these questions and list suggestions/ideas on how to make those little changes that will help you to start seeing results again.

1. Most people love routines, feel comfortable with their routine, and hardly ever venture outside of their "comfort zone" or don't push themselves probably as hard as they should (hence, the reason most people get trainers!). If you fall into this category, then here's some suggestions on how to push yourself farther and get a more effective workout:

Find a workout partner (and someone that is preferably in better shape than you). When you have someone to work out with, you are more likely not to make excuses and can hold yourself accountable. Appointments help! Just be sure that your workout sessions aren't "talk sessions" and save the chit-chat for when you're done exercising.

Invest in 3 or so Personal Training sessions to learn a few new exercises to incorporate into your routine.

Go to a new aerobics class and make it a goal to do that twice/week. Numerous studies have shown that you will work harder in a group exercise environment. Cycling classes, boot camp-type classes, or high intensity ones are best.

Do intervals in your workout to "mix it up". For example, if you like the treadmill, add 30-60 sec. sprints every 2 or 3 min. Or do 2-3 min intervals on a steep incline to work your muscles differently and to get the heart pumping. Jump rope is another AWESOME way to incorporate high-energy intervals into your routine. Especially with strength training and to keep it aerobic! Spurts of "anaerobic" zones are good for pushing that aerobic capacity and increasing its capacity.

Incorporate 2 strength-circuit training workouts a week where you're working the entire body. AND add plyometrics to it (ie. jump squats) for extra benefits and to scorch even more calories.

2. Most people aren't completely aware of how hard they're working out. We put on our I-Pods, read a book/magazine, or watch the TV and aren't paying attention to our workout. Here's some suggestions on how to monitor your intensity:

Wear a heart rate monitor. And that doesn't mean use the heart rate handles on the machines! Those aren't always accurate. I'm serious, you can invest in a $30 one at Costco and by wearing it, you can ALWAYS see where your heart rate is. I even suggest getting one that you can set your "heart rate zone", so that it will beep when you're under or over that zone.

Go by perceived exertion. Along with monitoring your heart rate, use the 1 to 10 scale. 5 means you're breathing steady but not hard. A 7 is you're breathing pretty hard, and a conversation is hard at this point, but somewhat do-able for short periods of time. A 9-10 is anaerobic, meaning you're breathing so hard that there's no way you could talk to someone, PLUS you can only sustain that level for very brief periods of time. Try to stay between 6-8 for most of your workout, BUT with short bursts of 9-10 (aka intervals) in at least 3 of your weekly workouts.

3. Some people might be surprised to find out that they're not working out long enough. For weight loss results, you really should be getting 60 min workouts, 5-6 days/week. If you're already doing that, then try these suggestions:

Add an extra 10 min to the end of your workout of high-intensity cardio or maybe go on a bike ride/walk with the kids a couple days/week on top of your workouts. That adds up to 50 extra min A WEEK or an extra 400-500 calories burned!

Or go back the gym twice/week at night and do 30 min or high intesity, interval-training cardio.

4. Keeping a food journal is VITAL to success. Eating is about 75% of the results you see with weight loss anyway. If you're not doing that already, then start doing it today, it will make you more aware of what you put into your mouth, and it will make you think twice for dessert. Here are some suggestions if you're already doing that and not seeing success (or if you aren't):

Count everything. It might be a pain in the butt, but if you're frustrated that you're not getting anywhere on the scale and you feel like you're eating pretty good, then this is where I would start. Counting calories/portion sizes as accurately as you can will help you see if you're truly in that range you need to be in. (Most people need to be around 1300-1500 cal/day to lose weight.)

Make sure you are eating at consistent intervals throughout the day (and recording it). Important for stabalizing that metabolism and keeping blood sugar levels to a minimum. (So you're not craving sweet foods and starving yourself.) This will help keep your portion control in check too. A good rule of thumb is if you're hungry you've gone too long without food. You should be eating when you're NOT hungry, just smaller amounts. Same goes for water intake too actually.

Stop eating after 7:30 at night. Even if you're under your daily calorie allotment by the end of the day, it's those evening hours that we tend to blow it and snack the most. Make it a goal to stay busy at night and away from the fridge. Another trick is to do something with your hands such as knitting, cleaning, scrapbooking, typing on the computer, etc. It will keep you from thinking about food!

Up the water intake. If you're not getting 100 oz a day, start adding an extra bottle of water each day. This will help stabalize hunger levels too.

Eat protein in every meal! A little protein goes a long way to cut calories, help you feel satisfied, and eat less! If you're eating oatmeal for breakfast, add a 1/2 scoop of protein powder to it. Or eat cottage cheese with your toast. Don't eat carbohydrates by themselves. You'll be more likely to crave them constantly.

5. Sleep. It's a necessity for weight loss goals and something most adults don't get enough of. Lack of sleep can actually sabotage your weight loss efforts. Try going to bed an hour earlier or getting a cat-nap in when you're kids are at school (or napping). Sleeping will help you feel more energized, and your workouts will also be more effective.

6. Oh, the big one-STRESS. Did you know stress can make you fat? Or it can keep you from achieving your healthy weight? Here are some suggestions to "de-stress" your life a little.

Prioritize. Don't worry about every little thing on that "TO DO" list, it can be overwhelming when we're concentrated on checking off our to-do things. Managing your time can help you better assess what really needs to get done, what can wait, or something maybe your husband can do!

Exercise might be no-brainer, but exercise especially in the morning can help manage your stress levels that day.

GET SOME "ME TIME" which is hard to get if you're a mom, but even 30 min of doing something you enjoy will help curb your stress levels.

Meditate for 10 min/day, preferably in the morning. This can help clear the mind and calm the body and give you the energy you need to get through the day. Make sure to do it in a quiet, peaceful spot. This really works actually!

Hopefully these suggestions and tips help, as I get so many questions on how to overcome these obstacles. If you can incoporate these into your life, you will feel better in more ways than just physically!

Exercise equipment you should invest in (and it's cheap!)

First of all, I want to apologize for my lack of blogging lately. I was out of town last week on vacation with my family and well, this month has been crazy for me. When I initially started this blog, my goal was to have at least 2 posts/week, but that really hasn't happened so far, and so now I'm just hoping to have 1 post/week for now. When I get more readers/comments, I plan to add more to this blog. For now, it's a lot of work on top of everything else I do (plus I have a family blog which takes precendence). Sorry again!

For those of you out there that hate going to a gym and would prefer to do exercises at home, I have some great suggestions of exercise equipment you can buy for a minimal price. Keep in mind that I also have selected equipment that you can do A LOT with, and will also last a long time. They are even better than machines because you can work multiple muscles in one exercise, you use your core/trunk muscles better, and you work on balance/coordination. If you have any questions on it, let me know! Stay tuned for some exercise ideas with these tools...

Stability Ball-you can buy these at sporting goods stores, Walmart, Target, etc (only cost about $15-20)

Dumbbells-preferably the rubber ones. You can also buy these anywhere and I would suggest having set of each: 5 lbs, 8 lbs, and 10 lbs at least. A wise investment ($7-10/set?)

Exercise mat-any kind will do, although I prefer one with a little "padding". Found at any of the above stores listed. (Cost: $10-20)

Resistance bands-find a couple with different levels of resistance. I prefer a medium-level and a difficult-level for most people. A TON of exercises can be done with these and they can also be found at any of the above stores listed. (Cost: $7-15/band)

Dyna-disc-a must-have for core and balance training! This will work you abdonimals better than anything! You can find this at: http://www.amazon.com/Dyna-Disc-14-95-Price-24-95/dp/B00077E32C (the cheapest I have found: $15)

Jump rope-easy to use, and great for interval training. Can be found anywhere as well. (Cost: $5-10)

BOSU ball-one my all-time favs and so much you can do with these. Cheapest I have found is located at: http://shopping.discovery.com/product-59700.html?jzid=40602653-0-0&seqStr=BOSU+ball (the link wouldn't work) (Cost: $100)

Medicine ball: I prefer one with no handle, and ideally 6-10 lbs. You can find these anywhere as well. (Cost: $20?)

Thera-bands-Physical Therapists use these a lot, but they're great for doing all kinds of exercises. It's good to buy a couple different resistance levels too. The pre-cut ones can be bought at: http://www.yogaaccessories.com/TheraBandsIndividual.asp (the link wouldn't work) (Cost: $5-10/band)

10 Small Tricks for Big Weight Loss

1. Drink more milk. Consuming 1,800 milligrams of calcium a day could block the absorption of about 80 calories.

2. Get watered down. Drink 100 oz of water a day. You will obviously be well hydrated (and less bloated), but you will also eat less.

3. Go smaller. Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. Studies shown that putting your portions on smaller dishes means you will end up eating less at a meal.

4. Think about eating. Eat without doing anything else-no TV, no working, no reading. It's important to chew slowly too, think about each bite, what it tastes like, etc. You will end up eating less.

5. Don't drink your calories. Usually those are "empty calories", however, if you must have the occassional cup of juice, dilute it water or drink V8 (Diet Splash is best) to get your vitamins/minerals.

6. Stop mindless snacking. Chew a strong flavored gum like cinnamon while you're cooking. Sneaking a taste of the food will be less appealing.

7. Tighten your belt a notch. It may sound silly, but by doing so you are reminding yourself that you want to be a size smaller when you feel a craving or that temptation to gorge coming on.

8. Put the fork down. When you're eating a meal, put the fork down after every bite and take a drink of water. You will eat slower, and EAT LESS.

9. Prepare ahead. One day a week, prepare a bunch of snacks ready to go and store them somewhere. For example, cut up veggies and put them in zip loc baggies, or even cook some chicken and cut it up to add to a salad. Planning will reduce impromptu decisions of what you're hungry and you're on the go (aka McDonalds runs with the kids).

10. Don't eat after 7:30pm. Studies have show that you are most likely to overeat in the evening hours. If you have to though, stash some popsicles, or fugdge bars, to get your sugar fix without overdoing it on the calories.

When your sweet tooth strikes

Did you know that women are twice as likely as men to scarf sugary foods under stress-AND they feel guiltier when they do? THE LIKELY REASON=HORMONES!!!!!

Here's some good advice/info on controlling your sugar intake as well as some low-sugar snack ideas for when that sweet tooth strikes.

The first thing you need to do to control your sugar intake is to find out how much sugar you're actually eating. Read labels for a week and jot down how much sugar you're taking in (Beware of and include other forms of sugar such as dextrose, rice syrup, and cane juice). You'll probably find that it far exceeds the approximately 10% of your daily caloric intake the federal dietary guidelines recommend (that's about 20 grams, or five teaspoons, per 1,000 calories consumed). This will open your eyes when you realize that many products touted as healthy are still high in sugar. There are no laws regulating the use the words "all natural" on food packaging, so manufacturers can label their products with abandon. For example, one ounce of dried pineapple has about 21 grams of sugar, compared with 2.6 grams for the same amount of fresh pineapple. Once you know how much sugar you're really eating, you can control your intake. Here are some tips for cracking down on the most seductive tabletop substance known to man:

1. Eat breakfast. Pure and simple. Ninety percent of sugar addicts skip breakfast. When you eat breakfast, you prevent the drop in blood sugar that makes you crave sugar later.

2. Pick fruit. Satisfy your sweet tooth with apples, bananas, peaches, berries, etc which will temper natural sugar with fiber and loads of antioxidants. Dried fruit and fruit juices will also do the job, but they don't have nearly as much fiber and are more concentrated with calories.

3. Think 100. When you simply must have a cupcake or candy bar, stick to 100-150 calorie portions and 16 grams of sugar or less.

4. Indulge right after dinner. Late-night ice cream fixes give you a pure, unadulterated sugar rush. Have a small scoop after dinner instead and you'll reduce the insulin-spiking effect (plus, you won't consume as much because you're still full from dinner).

5. Cut out "overt" sugars. Take the worst offenders first: sucrose-laden treats like candy, ice cream, and soft drinks.

6. Enter sugar rehab. Like any sugar addict, you need to detox before you fully recover. It takes five days to fully overcome your cravings for sugar, and you'll feel awful for three of them. Prepare to be edgy and irritable starting by day two; by day five, you'll feel like a whole new person. After you've recovered, you'll find that a little sugar goes a much longer way.

REACH FOR THESE SNACKS WHEN THAT SWEET TOOTH STRIKES:
1. Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa- 8.5 g of sugar, 60 calories
2. Kashi GoLean Chocolate Caramel Crunchy bar-14 g of sugar, 150 calories, 6 g fiber
3. Edy's Orange and Cream bars-15 g sugar, 80 calories
4. Breyer's All Natural Vanilla ice cream-14 g sugar, 130 calories
5. Skinny Cow Skinny Dippers ice cream bars-7 g sugar, 80 calories, 2 g fiber
6. Bare Fruit Bake-dried cinnamon apple chips-7 g sugar, 29 calories, 1 g fiber

SOURCE: Women's Health