Wow, how can it be my birthday again already?

Yup, I think we’re gonna go out for some kinda yummy, decadent dinner tonight!

And YES, I’m having dessert!

And, JUST in time for my birthday, I FINALLY got through all the tech glitches and preparation and RELEASED my new “Hot at Home” Program.

WOO HOO!!! It’s finally AVAILABLE!

“Hot at Home” is THE Transformation Solution for People Who Hate The Gym (like I do!).

Are YOU sick of the inconsiderate, intimidating meatheads, the crowds, the inconvenient commute, the long waits for equipment, and wiping everyone else’s greasy sweat off the equipment before you can use it?

YAH, ME TOO!

That’s why I decided to say “SCREW IT” to the gym experience and figure out how to get “Hot at Home” even though I only live in a teensy city apartment.

And, I did it too!!

With barely any equipment and without ever stepping foot in that horrid gym, I got myself a six pack! WOOT!!!

So when people kept asking me HOW I did it and kept asking me to tell them my mindset secrets and tell them what my exact workouts were and what ‘rules’ I followed with my nutrition, I finally decided to put it all in one resource for ANYONE who wants to do what I did.

And THAT’s why I decided to call it “Hot at Home“ … this program really is for people who hate the gym or only have a small space to workout in at home and need to know how to make it work, and work WELL!

Find out more about “Hot at Home“, what is included and where to get it HERE:

Looking for a birthday present to give yourself to celebrate MY birthday? Why, how convenient. “Hot at Home” is the perfect gift!

Go grab it for yourself and get “Hot at Home” … like I did!!

==> Get “Hot at Home” Here

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

13574

Gosh. It’s a nice day out there today.

*Pout* … I wanna go outside.

But, it’s a scheduled “Strength Day” which means staying trapped in my apartment with my weight stack.

Sigh… Things are just not working out for me today, are they?

Okay, so screw it!!

Instead, I decided to head off to a commercial gym, solely because their weight-room is in a huge windowed atrium and at least I get to experience some sunshine while I workout.

DANGIT … I NEVER LEARN !!!

Every… single… TIME I go to a commercial gym I find something else that absolutely INCENSES me about the commercial gym atmosphere or mentality …

This time: Some moron with a bad cold that didn’t seem to give a rat’s patootie if he infected everyone else around him.

Check this out. Who knows? It might just save you from catching this season’s virus …

So, yah. Those good ol’ Home Workouts kinda get more and more and more attractive every time I take a chance on a visit to a commercial gym, don’t they? LOL

Hey, at least I got my dose of sunshine AND my workout in this morning! Good for me!

Are you looking to avoid the germs of unthinking morons and get your groove on in the privacy of your own home, too? Then you MUST get yourself a TRX Training System.

Space is NO issue with a TRX. It’s a teensy little set-up that hides away easily when you’re not using it, but it’s a BIG TIME workout that can get you in better shape fast!!

And, it’s inexpensive and affordable on every budget, to boot! So get yourself set up with TRX and get working out within minutes, minus all the germs!! Woo Hoo!!

Get TRX Suspension Training Here

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

10047

Since I’m still on holiday another couple of days, things here are still in the capable hands of my good friend Jon Coulson.

When it comes to training and fitness, Jon’s got a huge treasure-trove of valuable stuff in his head to share. So I know you’ll get a lot out of these incredible workout ideas.

Thanks Jon.

Progress Your Workouts

Most people associate being stronger with being able to lift the bar with more weights on. Not only is this a very one dimensional view of what strength is, it is also very restrictive for people who work out at home.

With a home gym set up there is usually only so much weight you have access to. There is also usually a limit to how much weight you can safely lift yourself without a spotter being needed i.e. if you get pinned during a bench press, squat etc you need someone about to help you out.

This is where it pays to look at various progressions you can apply to your workout which challenge your muscles.

1)      Add more weight

Ok, so the very basic progression most people have is to just add weight to the bar! It is a straight forward sign of improving your strength levels and is simple to measure and compare against previous workouts for example:

Week  1) Squats – 3 x 10 @ 155lbs

Week 3) Squats – 3 x 10 @ 165lbs

The drawback to this, as mentioned in the open paragraphs is that a home gym set up usually only has access to so much weight and there is only so much that can be safely handled at home without a spotter.

2)      Add more sets

Another straight forward progression that people often use is to add more sets to their exercises. Again, it is another straight forward sign of your muscles being able to handle more volume and therefore getting stronger.  For example:

Week 1) Squats – 3 x 10 @ 155lbs

Week 3) Squats – 5 x 10 @ 155lbs

It is another good progression but the drawback is that there are only so many sets you can keep adding before your workouts end up lasting 90 minutes – 120 minutes.

3)      Adding more reps

This is another good strength progression indicator but not everyone thinks about comparing this to previous workouts. Intuitively it makes sense when you think about it – a muscle that can handle 10 reps of a same weight is stronger than a muscle that can only handle 5 reps of the same weight. The progression would look like this:

Week 1) 3 x 6 reps @ 155lbs

Week 3) 3 x 10 reps @ 155lbs

One potential drawback is that you might only want to work within a certain rep range. This is where you can combine adding weights with this progression in the following way:

Week 3) 3 x 10 reps @ 155lbs

Week 5) 3 x 8 reps @ 160lbs, etc.

4)      Reduce rest times

This is a progression that not many people tend to utilize or even think about as a progression. It is a sign of fitter, stronger muscles where you can handle your workouts in less time. In this case you could follow something like:

Week 1) 3 x 10 reps @155lbs @ 60 seconds rest

Week 3) 3 x 10 reps @ 155lbs @ 50 seconds rest

Once you start getting your rest times down to 30 seconds and less, it might be time to look at bumping the weights or sets up to continue challenging yourself

5)      Increased timed sets

In the previous point, the progression was to look at reducing your rest times. On the other end of the spectrum you can work in timed sets and look to increase the length of time of the sets. This is mostly applied to circuit training but there is another way this can be applied:

Circuit training example:

Week 1

1)      Press ups  – 60 seconds

3)      Crunches – 60 seconds

Week 2

1)      Press ups – 70 seconds

3)      Crunches – 70 seconds

Escalating Density Training (EDT):

This is a method invented by Charles Staley which is a fantastic and brutal self regulating progression. In its simplest form it would look like this:

Week 1) Lunges & bicep curls – 5 minutes – as many reps as possible (AMRAP) in the set

Week 2) Lunges & bicep curls – 6 miunutes – AMRAP

You can work up to sets of 10 – 15 minutes using this method. The simplicity of this method is that you can also use various progressions within this frame work. For example you manage 50 reps initially, once you can improve your reps by 20%, add 5% weight and start again.

6)      Make the exercise harder / Move to single limb

This final progression idea is more obscure than the previous ideas and is another fantastic progression idea. This is mainly due to it being difficult to measure progress in the strictest sense as you are looking to make an exercise harder.

Once you can handle a certain amount of weight in an exercise such as bench press, squats and Romanian deadlifts, look to move to single limb versions of these exercises i.e, dumbbell bench press, single leg Romanian deadlifts, rear foot elevated single leg squats, full single leg squats.

This is also where the TRX kit pays dividends – trying to do press ups in a TRX is a lot harder than trying doing press ups on the floor.

The other way to look at making exercises harder is to use odd objects, bands etc. For example:

1)      Shoulder press with a barbell

3)      Should press with sandbags

The 6 progressions in this article can be used during your workouts. Ideally not all at once though! The main thing that I should point out is that if you use any of these progressions, they do cause your muscles to work harder so watch your recovery and also don’t try and apply the progressions to all the exercises in your workout straight away.  Look to apply one of the progressions to a big exercise in your workout and keep the other exercises the same – trying to push too much too soon with these will fatigue you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow, those are great tricks to progress anyone’s workout … and really appreciated by those of us who work out at home with limited equipment!!

Thanks again to Jon for covering me while I’m away. Feel free to get in touch with Jon on Twitter where he tweets as @JonCoulson.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

9249

Well, I had a very frustrating workout today.

I continuously keep getting reminded why I’m not a fan of commercial gyms and prefer to work out at home.

Well, I actually did go to a gym today … but then had a little run-in with someone while I was doing my thing (and minding my own business).

I’ve ranted about meat-heads in the gym before, but this guy really takes the cake!

A total meat-head decided to make a big stupid show of being a tough guy and, as a result, messed with the groove of my workout as well (which I think was pretty much his intention anyway).

I didn’t ask for it, and I sure didn’t deserve his rude behaviour.

But I found a way to have my fun with it anyway. LOL !!

I don’t let those morons intimidate me anymore. Bring ‘em on. I can give as good as I get.

So, no wonder so many chicks are too intimidated to go to the gym, eh?

And, that’s one of the reasons the gyms have those TOTALLY LAME “Ladies Area” workout spaces in the back room. Man, the equipment back there sucks. (see: “Open Letter To Gym Owners” for my rant about THAT issue!)

All the more reason to get a good home workout in. Then you don’t have to worry about those idiots or the insulting equipment in the “Ladies Area”.

Oh, and btw, a great piece of equipment for home training is hands down the TRX Training System.

If you’re sick of morons in the gym and looking to get yourself set up quickly and inexpensively for some great and very effective home workouts, you definitely have to grab a TRX (see my post: “TRX Kicked My Butt !!” for more information about the TRX System)

Get TRX Suspension Training Here

Okay so now, help me out here:

What do you think was up this dude’s butt anyway?

Why’d he pick on me?

Why’d he ask for the only unavailable bench in the gym?

And why was he rude about it, considering we were the only two people in there and he obviously wasn’t showing off for someone else or attempting to pick me up (thank heavens).

Shoot me your opinion in the comments box, ok? I’m curious what you think his deal must have been.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

ps. be sure to see “Hey, Muscleheads!!” and “Is Banging the Weights Really Necessary?” for my other rants about this breed of gym-goer …

9042

Keeping fit is a challenge in it’s own right.

Exercise is hard to do and sometimes just hard to motivate out the door to get it done.

However, the benefits it reaps far outweigh the difficulties.

Many choose to forego the time consuming and expensive route of joining a gym and then having to travel to and from and wait to use the equipment if it’s busy.

Instead these people choose to get their workouts in the privacy of their own home or apartment or condo gym.

I applaud those people being able to motivate without the energy of other people working out around them.

Heck, I happen to BE one of those people.

But if you are a ‘home workout’ maven like myself, how do you know you’re getting it right?

No gym employees, personal trainers or even other exercisers around you to learn from.

Getting your form correct is vitally important especially when you’re weight training.

If you aren’t careful or don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you could injure yourself … badly.

So, what do you do? How do you keep yourself safe?

Well, when I was first starting out, the answer to all my prayers turned out to be the Internet.

Wow!

What a huge resource of great information there is on health and fitness on the internet.

You can tap into articles, great explanatory pictorial blogs, audio interviews … and MY absolute favourite: instructional videos. There are thousands of them on the internet.

You can find everything from how to do stretches to how to do proper form when lifting very heavy equipment like dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells and even your own bodyweight.

However, let’s get one thing very straight before you jump off and start watching videos and copying everything you see:

Just because it’s on the internet does NOT make it completely and 100% accurate.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s TONS of fantastic tutorials on the Internet. But not ALL of them are as fantastic as others.

Just because ‘Joe with a Website‘ has a swish-looking webspace doesn’t mean that he knows what he’s doing when it comes to doing a proper barbell squat, or lunge … or push-up for that matter. I’ve seen some pretty bad videos out there demonstrating what is very harmful and dangerous form for some exercises.

And don’t be fooled by slick looking videos or polished surroundings in the videos.

If ‘Joe with a Website‘ has a great looking video all that means is he probably rented space in a fancy gym, has a great cameraman, good technical knowledge or an entire production team and another one that knows how to build a great website to host said fancy video.

It does NOT (necessarily) mean he knows his stuff when it comes to exercise.

I mean, he MIGHT be awesome when it comes to proper form and technique with his exercises. But the fancy video alone is not an indication he knows what he’s talking about.

So when you’re watching videos or looking at pictures to get your form right, make sure you view SEVERAL for EACH move you’re trying to learn.

Compare and contrast them. Pay careful attention to how they explain themselves and you’ll soon learn who knows what they’re talking about and who’s a complete hack.

And if you’re still questioning who knows best, start frequenting forums or asking around to other fitness-minded people on the Social Networking sites.

It will soon become apparent who is good and who is not. Usually, the best and most knowledgeable will get recommended by others often and the most.

So be careful out there. Learn as much as you can but learn from the best, not the worst.

Because when it comes to your health, doing it right the first time and avoiding injury is of the utmost importance.

Remember … just because it’s on the internet doesn’t make it true!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not everyone is an “Authority” but Craig Ballantyne, author of the Turbulence Training series is.

Craig regularly pumps out a huge selection of highly informative articles and invaluable instructional videos … and I’ve never seen him demonstrate improper form.

Plus, he knows what it takes to workout hard and smart to get you the body you deserve.

You can trust everything Craig has to say and demonstrate. If you’re going to trust anyone, I HIGHLY recommend you trust him.

You can find out more about Craig Ballantyne and Turbulence Training here:

Try Turbulence Training to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

8646

Hey everyone!! I have something exciting and fun to share with you today to kick off this shiny new week!!

I’ve got a special interview for you! Robert Martin, the guy that developed the “Look Great Naked At Any Age” system joined me for a chat recently.

Just in case you didn’t know this, Robert is in his 60s and… well, LOOK AT THE GUY !!!

He obviously knows what he’s doing when it comes to getting and staying in GREAT shape.

And, since Summer is quickly approaching, we decided to talk about how YOU can get YOUR body “bathing suit ready“.

PLUS: Is figuring out HOW to get that all-important MINDSET a totally confusing issue for you?

I mean you keep HEARING about how you NEED the right “Mindset” to be able to stick with it and stay motivated and see your dreams turn into realities, right?

But, for pete’s sakes HOW DO YOU DO IT?

Well, Robert Martin KNOWS HOW TO DO IT …

… and he tells us in explicit detail the STEPS YOU MUST TAKE to get your “Mindset” handled and on track so you can stop wishing for it and move on to actually GETTING your body “bathing suit ready“…

So? Are ya ready to learn the important details about Mindset and what else Robert does to keep himself looking so ripped even in his 60s?

Okay then!! Without further ado, let’s hit it:

Click the play button to listen in:

To check out Robert’s stuff and choose between having his DVD shipped to you or getting instantly downloadable videos sent directly to your computer, head over to Robert’s site:

Look Great Naked At Any Age by Robert Martin

And, if what Robert had to say about nutrition intrigues you and you want to know even more, this is the resource book he mentioned. Go grab it for yourself:

The 80/10/10 Diet – by Dr. Douglas N. Graham

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

7116

Hey everyone. I hope your week has been fantastic and you have fun stuff coming up for the weekend.

Myself, I’ve got a birthday party to attend. My nephew is turning 10 years old!! He’s growing up way too fast, let me tell you.

Anyway, that ( and a couple of requests from my gang over on Twitter ) got me thinking about how you moms (and dads) with small children that you mind all day can get fit and stay that way.

Is ‘having kids’ REALLY an excuse not to get in shape?

I’d have to say … ummm…. NO !!

“But the kids are always under foot” you say?

EXCELLENT!!! Kids make for a great piece of workout equipment.

You think I’m kidding, don’t you? LOL

I’m not.

There are several ways to get a great workout in within the day if you know just how to ‘play’ it.

Yes, gang! ‘PLAY‘ is the operative word here.

Kids love to play, right?

So, what’s stopping you from either joining them … or better yet, having THEM join you in your workout?

Let’s start with the easy suggestions.

Kids love to tear around the room at the highest mach-speed they can manage right?

Little bundles of energy, those tykes.

I can’t believe how high my heart rate gets when I’m out visiting the nephews and they want me to run around with them, or swing them upside down by their legs (well, the three year old maybe, not the TEN year old! haha, yikes, I’m strong but not THAT strong…)

So, tear around with them.

Play tag in the backyard (or in the house) or hide and go seek.

You could even pull those old clunkers out from our own childhoods like Kick the Can and Marco Polo.

Feel free to offer up piggyback and horseyback rides.

Swing on the swings, if you have them (or if you’re at the playground).

Just because you’re the grown-up is no reason to actually ACT like one!

Merry-go-rounds need pushing … teeter-totters need riding, slides need sliding down. Your kids will LOVE it if Mom (or Dad) plays, too.

If it’s Summer, a dash or thirty through the sprinkler will not only be refreshing and fun but gets that heart rate up quite nicely, thank you very much.

How about setting up a slippy slider and the hose and having some good old fashioned slippery Summer fun in your bathing suit?

Why should all the fun be left to the physically young? The young-at-heart will be more than welcome to play along.

If it’s Winter, build a snowman … or better yet, a snow fort!

Do you know how much kids love forts?

Once you’re finished building the fort you can make up some great games to play in it.

Or grab the sled and head to the steepest hill. Climb up, sled down, repeat ad nauseum and tell me that’s not a great bout of interval training.

And talk about the bonding session. What’s better for bonding with your kids than doing what THEY love to do?

Ok, so you’ve had your fill of kid-oriented activities and just want to get down to some good heavy lifting but you’re worried your kids will get in the way?

Or that it’s not safe for them to be around the equipment?

There ARE ways to manage that.

Make your weight training session into a game. But first, make sure you either have some toy dumbbells or some VERY light dumbbells for the kids to use.

Now, its “Copy Mommy” time. Modify that old game of “Simon Says” that we used to play and make it into a fun session of ‘copy cat’.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with handing your tykes very light or toy dumbbells to follow along with what you’re up to.

Have you ever noticed your kids copying you when you’re doing housework?

This is second nature to kids. They love to learn and grow by copying the grown-ups.

So get to work on your routine and let them know it’s “Copy Mommy” time.

Not only will they get some great exercise but they’ll be so busy trying to copy you and keep up that they won’t have time to think about coming closer to your heavier equipment.

It won’t even be a curiosity to them. They have their own set. Just like that toy vacuum cleaner or toy oven in their toy cabinet.

And hey, if they do decide to wander too close to the equipment, a quick reasonable explanation of ‘grown-up toys and ouchies’ should do the trick.

And if doesn’t then offer to let them try to pick up one of your heaviest pieces. Since they won’t be able to, that should bore them pretty quickly.

But if they’re getting the attention they crave, in the form of a game of “Copy Mommy” chances are pretty good they won’t be hanging on your leg like they might be if you’re doing dishes and trying to get chores done.

If you want to do some good indoor cardio get them to compete with you.

How many burpees can YOU do?

How many can the KIDS do?

Or see who can jump rope the longest out in the backyard.

I bet they beat you.

And believe me, when they beat their parents at something they consider a grown-up activity, that’s the most fun a kid can have.

That’ll be something they can’t wait to brag about to Granny or Daddy when they get home or show up for a visit!

Or, you can make a game of racing to the fence then seeing who can walk back the fastest (over and over and over again).

And that’s GREAT interval training for you.

What if the kids have some pals over for a play-date?

Well, that’s another opportunity for YOU! Grab the wagon, and tell the kids to hop in.

Let the kids have fun trying to get as many of themselves on the wagon as possible then you can have fun trying to pull them around the yard.

Like clowns in a volkswagon!! HAHAHA

Serious fun for kids. Serious work for grown-ups looking for a good workout.

Seriously!

Skeptical?

Don’t believe me that kids are into this kind of ‘playing’ or won’t want to do the “Copy Mommy” thing?

BAH! Here’s PROOF!!

… and MORE proof:

The possibilities are endless, and you don’t have to wait for the kids to be down for a nap.

Involve them wherever possible and feed your energy with their energy.

You’ll be the fittest family on the block, not to mention the CLOSEST!

BY THE WAY!!!

If you liked these ideas you’re going to LOVE Scott Tousignant’s NEW Unstoppable Fat Loss Program.

I’ve never seen so darn many ‘get fit at home’ ideas in one program.

If you want to get at fit at home (with kids underfoot) check it out now, you’ll be amazed.

==> Unstoppable Fat Loss

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day!
Girlwithnoname

Hey everyone!! Another strength training day today.

In my last post “Wanna Share Your Workout? I Just Did!” I shared the Day 1 from the workout I’m winding down.

It’s served me well, so I thought it worth sharing.

This is my Stack of Dumbbells, everthing from 3lbs (which I don’t use anymore for myself, but sometimes for clients with injuries), all the way up to 35lbs.

Plus my “Box of Snakes” (which is what I call the box I keep all my fitness bands in).

Yes, I still have a huge record collection. What can I say? I love music, and anyone who disrespects the vinyl is going to answer to me!! LOL

This is a four day routine, but day 1 and 3 are similar, as are day 2 and 4, so here’s Day 2 (and what I did today), so now you kinda get the gist:

Warmup:

Jumping Knee Raises (touch elbow to opposite knee) x 50
Breakdancers x 50
(yah, it’s a short warmup but I’m a busy chick and it gets my heartrate up and my muscles warm so it’ll do)

Main Workout: Mini SuperCircuit Laddered (ie, increase the weight and/or decrease the reps with each set, NO REST between sets)

Standing Shoulder Press (2 x 15lbs dumbbells x 20 reps)
High Pulls (full body) (2 x 20lbs dumbbells x 20 reps)
Standard Deadlifts (2 x 25lb dumbbells x 20 reps)
I could go heavier but I only have dbs up to 35lbs and need somewhere to progress to in weight (see below)… must be time to buy 40s

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Standing Shoulder Press (2 x 15lbs dumbbells x 15 reps)
High Pulls (2 x 20lbs dumbbells x 15 reps)
Standard Deadlifts (2 x 25lb dumbbells x 15 reps)

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Standing Shoulder Press (2 x 20lbs dumbbells x 12 reps)
High Pulls (2 x 25lbs dumbbells x 12 reps)
Standard Deadlifts (2 x 30lb dumbbells x 12 reps)

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Standing Shoulder Press (2 x 20lbs dumbbells x 8 reps)
High Pulls (2 x 25lbs dumbbells x 8 reps)
Standard Deadlifts (2 x 35lb dumbbells x 8 reps)

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Standing Shoulder Press (2 x 25lbs dumbbells x 5 reps)
High Pulls (2 x 30lbs dumbbells x 5 reps)
Standard Deadlifts (2 x 35lb dumbbells x 5 reps)

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Standing Shoulder Press (2 x 25lbs dumbbells x 3 reps)
High Pulls (2 x 30lbs dumbbells x 3 reps)
Standard Deadlifts (2 x 35lb dumbbells x 3 reps)

Just like in the Day 1 routine, by now I’m breathing pretty heavy.

So what do I do next?

Tricep Body Dips on the corner of my balcony (see picture or also this post: Computers, Hamstrings and New Home Workout Move)

Here’s where I do my Tricep Body Dips, the corner of my balcony.

Yep, I’m kind of high up so it took me some time to get used to looking down at the ground way down there.

I’m over it now.

I’m working on getting my numbers up. Right now I can do about 6 or 7 reps before I tap out, but I do that x 3 sets.

Then, I do some standing alternating Bicep Curls 3 x 10 reps each side with the 25lb dbs… not easy, lemme tell ya.

Then I do my mandatory 1 set x 10 reps of Glute Ham Raises and 1 set x 20 reps of Glute/Ham Hip Lifts like I explained last time, for my stupid hamstrings that always give me so much trouble.

Sometimes I superset my Balcony Body Tricep Dips with my Glute Ham Raises and Hip Lifts and Bicep Curls… just so I don’t have to sit around waiting, I can work something else while the tired part of me rests! Saves time, and that’s what I’m all about these days.

Then Core

Prone Leg Thrusts x 30 reps
Oblique dumbbell twists x 30 reps (holding a 10lb db, but it’s definitely time to increase that weight)
Hanging Knee Lifts (I hang from my pull-up bar) x 30 reps
Oblique Crunches (touch hand to heel) x 30 reps each side
Prone Bicycle (elbow towards opposite knee) x 100 reps total (50 each side)
Bench Pull-ins (pull your legs up to your chest) x 30 reps

And finally…
Opposite Raises x 10 reps (hold for 3 secs each)
Ab Vacuums 5 x 20 seconds held and 5 x 30 seconds held (usually done while I’m in the kitchen prepping my post workout snack)

Then I hit the computer or help some clients through their routines for the rest of the day knowing my personal own ass-kicking is done for the day!

Next week I’ll be moving on to a new routine. As of Sunday, this one will be in the history books.

What’s your workout today? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW…

So POST BELOW in the Comments box and let’s learn from each other.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

]]> http://www.girlwithnoname.com/2010/01/my-home-workout-more-sharesies/feed/ 12 http://www.girlwithnoname.com/2010/01/wanna-share-your-workout-i-just-did/ http://www.girlwithnoname.com/2010/01/wanna-share-your-workout-i-just-did/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:03:18 +0000 Girlwithnoname http://www.girlwithnoname.com/?p=4313

Hey everyone!! You guys all know by now that I do most of my workouts at home, right?

I do have a gym membership but barely ever use it (it’s cheap so it’s certainly not worth canceling so I have the freedom to go use their equipment when the mood strikes me, which it does occasionally).

I prefer to just wander into my livingroom and grind out a workout and then get back on with my day without the hassle of driving to/from the gym searching for a locker and waiting for the popular equipment.

ANYWAY… Life’s been busy and I’ve been slacking on changing up my routine lately, mostly because I never seem to have the time to write MYSELF new programs (mostly cuz I’m too busy writing fun stuff for my clients).

So, cutting to the chase here: I finally found time to write myself a new weight training program so I’ll be changing things up next week.

Therefore, since this particular workout has served me so well for the past few weeks I thought I’d share some of it with you today.

This is a four day routine, so Friday’s and Sunday’s workouts are going to be different than this, but here’s what I did today:

Warmup:

Jumping Jacks x 50
Mountain Climbers x 50
(yah, it’s a short warmup but I’m a busy chick and it gets my heartrate up and my muscles warm so it’ll do)

Main Workout: Mini SuperCircuit Laddered (ie, increase the weight and/or decrease the reps with each set, NO REST between sets)

Flat Bench Chest Press (2 x 25lbs dumbbells x 20 reps)
Standing Bent-Over Rows (2 x 25lbs dumbbells x 20 reps)
Squats (2 x 25lb dumbbells held on shoulders x 20 reps) – first set always hurts like hell

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Flat Bench Chest Press (2 x 25lbs dumbbells x 15 reps)
Standing Bent-Over Rows (2 x 25lbs dumbbells x 15 reps)
Squats (2 x 25lb dumbbells held on shoulders x 15 reps)

This is my bench! A sturdy coffee table with a couple of pillows and a towel and I’m good to go!

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Flat Bench Chest Press (2 x 30lbs dumbbells x 12 reps)
Standing Bent-Over Rows (2 x 30lbs dumbbells x 12 reps)
Squats (2 x 30lb dumbbells held on shoulders x 12 reps)

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Flat Bench Chest Press (2 x 30lbs dumbbells x 8 reps)
Standing Bent-Over Rows (2 x 30lbs dumbbells x 8 reps)
Squats (2 x 30lb dumbbells held on shoulders x 8 reps)

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Flat Bench Chest Press (2 x 35lbs dumbbells x 5 reps)
Standing Bent-Over Rows (2 x 35lbs dumbbells x 5 reps)
Squats (2 x 35lb dumbbells held at sides x 5 reps)
(35lbs x 2 dumbbells is just a bit too heavy for me to get up or hold on my shoulders without assistance)

no rest if possible except for a quick drink of water

Flat Bench Chest Press (2 x 35lbs dumbbells x 3 reps)
Standing Bent-Over Rows (2 x 35lbs dumbbells x 3 reps)
Squats (2 x 35lb dumbbells held at sides x 3 reps)

OUCH! By now I’m breathing pretty heavy. So what do I do next? PULL-UPS!! LOL

I’m working on turning my grip around. Up until now I’ve been doing chin-up grip (palms facing me) because that was the most I could manage.

I've got a Pull-up Bar installed in the doorframe to my bedroom.

Today I did about 5 reps with my hands at the very far edges of my pull-up bar with my hands in the proper pull-up grip (palms facing away from me)… not all at once, but I did them.

Plus I did 3 sets x 5 reps of chin-up grip with my hands as wide apart as possible.

When I get tapped on doing them from a full hang, I do them from a standing position then go VERY slowly on the downward movement, working the eccentric instead.

That little tactic has really helped me get my strength up for the proper pull-up grip.

Then, tricep cable pull-downs using a fitness band with a door anchor 3 x 20 reps.

Of course I have to give my grumpy hamstrings some attention so I also do 1 set x 10 reps of Glute Ham Raises (I anchor my feet under the couch so I don’t need a partner to hold my feet down).

Plus I also do some Glute/Ham Hip Lifts with my feet on the coffee table (aka my bench) – 1 set x 20 reps. Those hamstrings of mine really do need some strengthening. Those exercises hurt. And they’re not even that hard. Eventually I hope to see a marked improvement in my grouchy hamstrings.

Then Core.

Prone Leg Lifts x 30 reps
Oblique dumbbell twists x 30 reps (holding a 10lb db, but it’s definitely time to increase that weight)
Prone Hip Lifts (with a twist at the top of the movement) x 30 reps
Oblique Leg Raises x 30 reps each side
Twisting Crunches (elbow towards opposite knee) x 30 reps each side
Bench Pull-ins (pull your legs up to your chest) x 30 reps

Opposite Raises (like Bird Dogs but not on your knees, from your feet) x 10 reps (hold for 3 secs each)
Ab Vacuums 5 x 20 seconds held and 5 x 30 seconds held (usually done while I’m in the kitchen prepping my post workout snack)

Back to work. :-)

If anything here needs more explaining, just ask, I’ll elaborate!

What’s your workout today? Let’s share!

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

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