Category: workout

March 5, 2013

Weekly Workout Rundown

Monday:

35 min AM run
30 min Jillian’s Shred It with Weights in PM

Tuesday:

30 slow/mod walk at lunch with mom

Wednesday:

45 min run in AM
40 min Tone It Up DVD (arms, abs, long and lean) in PM

Thursday:

Rest
30 min slow/mod walk at lunch with mom

Friday:

20 min circuit training at lunch

Saturday:

60 min run/walk in AM

Sunday:

Rest

Last week was a little bit off-kilter. I was not feeling well toward the end of the week and on Tuesday I turned my alarm off instead of hitting snooze. The universe was telling me to take a break. That’s my story anyway. This week, I’m ready to push it again though. I’ve got money placed on my success, and that’s a fact!

I also have some super exciting news that I don’t think I can make public yet. It will require me to workout and eat even more keenly than I am now for about 5 weeks, but I am stoked about it. I will let you know when I know more.

I won’t have a food breakdown this week as Hubster failed to grocery shop. I’m left with frozen leftovers and good ole PB&J until further notice. Still trying to keep it clean though. I had some clementines and baby carrots to work with, so I should be good.

How was your weekend? What do you usually do when you’ve missed a few days at the gym?

March 2, 2013

What to Pack in Your Gym Bag

Whether it’s your first time at the gym or you’re just curious what other gymgoers are carrying around in their bags, I present to you the contents of my gym bag. Each item is pertinent to my workout habit. For practical reasons, I do not keep anything in my bag that I don’t use regularly.

Like my cute Oakley bag? Me too! The mesh on the side pockets airs out my towel and shoes and the front pocket stores my workout logs. I sound like I’m advertising the thing, don’t I? Turns out, describing products like this is my job.

I bought a cheap-o towel at the store because I didn’t want to haul around one of my plush ones from home. It’s much more portable and I don’t have to worry about how I treat it or anything.

Also, I carry Avon body wash in case the gym soap dispenser is out, Jergen’s lotion to soothe stripped skin (two showers a day will do that to you), Garnier hairspray and face towelettes, and travel-sized Dove deodorant. A friend and I have been hitting up the gym on our lunch breaks, so we don’t have time for or really need full-body showers, just “rinses” as we like to call them and a change of socks and underthings. I sometimes carry Suave dry shampoo too, but rarely end up needing it.

Isn’t this mini clipboard just the cutest? I think I got it in the dollar section at Target. I like to keep my workout index cards on it. I wrote out many of the workouts from Supreme 90 Day so I can do them at the gym instead of being confined to only the TV.

I got this cutie purple water bottle from work. It has a buckled lid to keep me from splashing myself and little notches on it to track water intake. If I take ANYthing to the gym, it is this precious reservoir.

If you’re wondering what to pack for your first foray into the gym world, I would recommend most of the items above, depending on whether or not you’ll be “rinsing” at the gym. Other than what’s pictured, and your workout clothes (of course!), I would also recommend a good lock for the locker room, a magazine for the treadmill (if you can read and run), and a good playlist and headphones. A hand towel for dripping sweat is also pretty handy. I like to bring these pretty mantra towels when I remember them.

What are your main gym essentials? Any other gym packing tips?

February 28, 2013

Women’s Health 15-Minute Workouts Review

I first saw this book at a book fair we had at work and it, of course, caught my eye. A comprehensive collection of 15 minute workouts? Of course that would catch my attention. I passed it by though in honor of my family’s budget (I’m such a martyr, I know). Then, I put the book on my Amazon wishlist, where it’s been for quite some time. Then, the book fair came back to my work months later. I didn’t think they’d actually have the same book again as their selection is ever-changing, but they did! I finally bought it. When something has been on your wishlist for that long, you know it’s time.

So far, I’m loving the book. Instead of all those scraps of magazines lying all around my house, I now have a perfectly bound book of them all in one place. Ahhhh. This must be Women’s Health’s way of creating feng shui throughout the homes of magazine workout page hoarders. Tell me I’m not the only one, please!
Here are the coolest things about owning this book:

1. The variety of workouts: this book has workouts of all varieties–everything from weight lifting to martial arts to yoga and pilates. All in one place. My workouts always depend on the mood I’m in, how sore or stressed out I am, and where I am. There is a workout in this book for every mood and every level of fitness equipment access you have.

2. Doable time limit: everyone has a spare 15 minutes, right? We twiddle away time on all sorts of so-called extracurricular activities (Pinterest browsing, anyone?) We can certainly find 15 minute increments throughout our week to fit in these exercises. See my post on finding time to work out if you’re not convinced.

3. You can easily combine workouts: 15 minutes might not cut it for some more serious exercises. Well, all you need to do is combine two or more routines or perform the circuits a few extra times. Simple as that!

4. Trip-friendly: I plan on packing this book the next time I head out of town. Many of the workouts require little to no equipment. Instead of trying to dig through my stack of magazine workouts to find do-anywhere moves, I can just pack this one book. Simple!

5. Pretty pictures and quality cues: the quality photography and physical cues lead you through the workouts without too many questions. I have not come across an exercise yet that made my eyebrows furrow and wonder “what are they talking about?” Each move is pretty crisp, clear and comprehensively described.

6. Price: the price was super friendly at the book sale–about 1/2 off the publisher’s price. Even Amazon has the book for a cool $9.00 used. That’s about the cost of 1.5 magazines off the magazine stand.

I tried the stress-busting routine earlier last week and enjoyed the heart-pumping workout it gave me. A boosted metabolism and sculpted limbs? Um, yes please.

Guess who I spied on the pages of the book? Tone It Up’s very own Katrina Hodgson. I thought those moves looked familiar! They’re pretty true to the Tone It Up style. Can’t complain about that.

Are you convinced to buy it yet? 🙂 Or, do you know of any Android apps that offer this same type of thing? Because that would probably make me pass out in amazement.

*Note: I was not compensated or solicited in any way to endorse this book. This is simply me giving my personal review.

February 27, 2013

More Mantra Madness

Oh, the power of a mantra! No new DIY mantra ideas have popped into my head lately, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been on my mind–or placed in front of me out of nowhere! Take, for example, my current computer wallpaper. There I was, minding my own business, when a tweet came up on my feed about a free “‘make it happen” wallpaper design. Of course, I immediately clicked.

This beautiful wallpaper is the design of the talented designer, Breanna Rose. Add this wallpaper to your computer background to remind you every day about your goals and that you have the power to make them reality. Go ahead and search your own personal mantra on Pinterest, and you might come across some beautiful prints or backgrounds like this.

Source: blog.imbreannarose.com via Mackenzie on Pinterest

Handstamped Jewelry: Stamping a mantra into a bracelet is another fantastic way to keep your mantra within sight at all times. This particular mantra is something I say to my son every night: “Dream Big.” I want him to grow up knowing that he is only restricted by the bounds of his imagination and determination. I never want him to feel that his dreams are only pipe dreams. He can Make Them Happen. Those sweet little nothings we whisper in their ears can mean so much, can’t they?

By the way, you can buy a basic little handstamping kit at the hardware store for less than $10. Harbor Freight carries them for around $7. Handstamping is such an easy little art, once you learn how to do it. All you need to do is hammer the letters into an aluminum disc like this, color in the letters with permanent marker, and sand over the top to give it shine and remove the surface ink. I went to a craft night at a little local handmade shop and learned just how to do it.

If you haven’t checked out my other mantra projects, check them out here:

Running Mantras

Walking Mantra Meditation

DIY Mantra Workout Towels

DIY Bleach Painted Workout Tank Top

My Favorite Mantra is Everywhere

February 24, 2013

Weekly Workout Rundown

Here is a rundown of my workout schedule for the week:

Monday:

35 min run in AM
20 gym strength training at lunch
15 min PM workout from this book (review to come!)

Tuesday:

35 min run in AM
30 min slow/mod walk at lunch

Wednesday:

35 min run in AM
30 min slow/mod walk at lunch
40 min Shiva Rea yoga in PM

Thursday:

Rest
30 min slow/mod walk at lunch

Friday:

35 min interval run in AM
30 min brisk walk at lunch
25 min Supreme 90 Day Total Body

Saturday:

60 min run (4.5 miles)

Sunday:

Rest

This is a pretty typical workout week for me. I always get 5 days of running and 3 days of strength training in. Then, I walk with my mom on my lunch break sometimes and if I’m feeling super strong, I might do other activities. I’ve just started incorporating foam rolling into my routine. And adding in a regular yoga rotation has been one of my goals for this year.

When my son was first born, I always did a 30 to 60 minute Yoga Today workout every Saturday morning, bar none. I always felt better equipped to handle a newborn after Zen-ing out for awhile. My husband was ever so kind to let me have Saturday mornings to sleep in a bit and do some sun salutations. I’ve been having some issues with stress lately, so I want to make sure I keep calm by incorporating a regular yoga practice. Plus, I sometimes get all hardcore on my workouts, and it’s a nice change of pace to slow down and stretch out (although Shiva Rea is no lightweight). I could use a little more flexibility in my life.

I’m going to try and make it a habit to log my workouts here once a week, just to show you how I’m training and to keep myself accountable. Also, I want to see progress. I think that by posting this, I will have a tangible progress report to pump me up for the next week.

What about you? What is your regular workout routine?

February 12, 2013

Barefoot Running Review

I recently picked up The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard from the library (where else?). Like so many others, I became interested in barefoot running after reading about the concept in Born to Run. Turns out, the book is a fascinating read that I recommend to all my fellow runners or runners-to-be out there. The arguments for running barefoot are quite staggering.

Take, for example, the studies explored in the beginning of the book. They seem to suggest that running in old, worn out, cheap shoes is the best for running. The closer to barefoot you get, the better for your body. The modern cushioned running shoe has led to a higher injury rate. Absolutely no studies indicate that they’re any good for you. In fact, the total opposite is true. One study of over 5000 race finishers shows that “those who ran in expensive shoes (costing more than $95) were more than twice as likely to have been injured in the past year than those who ran in cheaper shoes (costing less than $40).” See page 6 for this fascinating research.

Some takeaway tips and tricks that I will be incorporating into my own training are these:

1. On page 104, Robillard suggests that “a necklace can be a handy training tool. As you run, the necklace should remain more or less stationary around you neck. If it bounces up and down, you are probably over striding. If it sways side to side, your upper body is moving too much or your arms are moving across your body.” I love this simple way to tell if you’re running with the correct form. Unless I have someone following me who is trained in critiquing running form, how would I know if I was doing it correctly? I might feel as though I am running efficiently, but, on my own, I am always uncertain about the correct posture. A necklace! Simple as that.

2. You should practice running in short, quick strides. One way to train yourself to take short enough strides is to set a metronome to 180 beats per minute and keep pace. Reason being that shorter, softer, less vertical movement uses less energy than big vertical movements. Also it’s helpful to focus on lifting the foot versus landing. This way, you’re always thinking of elevating, creating lighter footing.

3. Robillard also offers another handy nugget about proper posture with this super simple exercise. Raise your hands over your head and stretch upward. The posture that this leaves you in is the best posture for running. I have routinely stopped myself on the treadmill when I have felt myself slumping and perform this exercise. It really brings awareness back to the correct body posture.

I have tried a little bit of barefoot running on my home treadmill. I can’t wait to try it out this summer on the sidewalk, as the ground is like permafrost right now in Wisconsin. That’s right–the sidewalk. Robillard emphasizes the efficiency of running on concrete. If you see a goofy blond running around sans shoes, now you’ll know the backstory.

And I’ll leave you with some handy resources reiterated several times throughout the book for further exploration:

Chi running
Kemme Fitness
Evolution Running
Good Form Running
Pose Method
Barefoot Running University: Robillard’s very own website

Have you jumped on the barefoot running train yet? Would you ever consider running barefoot?

February 2, 2013

Personal Trainer Interview 3: Sarah Loranger

Sarah Loranger just passed her personal training test last week. *High fives* all around! Since she’s a brand new personal trainer, I thought she could give us a unique perspective from someone who is just starting out and fresh off the hot-testing-seat. She is also a Tone It Up member, which is how I actually met her.

Thanks so much for being with us Sarah and for sharing your fresh insight!

“My main goals this year are to learn as much as possible working in the fitness industry and inspire as many people as I can!”

1. What was the driving force behind your decision to become a personal trainer?

During college I gained about 20 pounds. I knew I had to do something so I bought a few workout DVDs and instantly fell in love with working out. I loved the challenge of making my body stronger and the feeling of accomplishing workouts. I wanted to turn my passion for working out into a career of helping and inspiring others.

2. How did you choose which personal training agency to certify with?

I Googled a bunch of different certifications and talked to a few personal trainers I knew and they recommended ACE.

3. How did you prepare for the exam? Any tips, tricks, or best practices?

I studied a little bit every night after work. I would also study most of the weekends but give myself a day off. What helped me most was taking advantage of breaks at work. I would bring my study material with me and study on my fifteen minute breaks and during my lunch hour.

4. Could you give me an idea about what the testing day was like?
I always get nervous before exams but a friend told me to stay calm the day of the exam and visualize myself passing and starting my dream career. That helped a lot. The test went a lot quicker than I thought it would. Seeing PASS at the end was one of the best feelings ever!

5. How are you using the web/social media to build your online presence as a fitness professional?

I mostly use Twitter to try to motivate my followers. I also have a Facebook page where I post health-related articles and motivational pictures. I eventually want to start filming workout videos to post on YouTube/Facebook/Twitter.

6. Any health and fitness resources/research publications that you read daily or recommend? How else do you keep up with PT trends?

I love the articles on Fitsugar.com and Shape.com. I also love ToneItUp.com for workouts/recipes. I would like to get a subscription to Women’s Health and Shape magazine soon.

7. These days, there are a variety of places/ways to train—at a studio, in homes, in offices, and even online. Where do you see this certification taking you?

I am going to be applying to several gyms soon. I think that will be the best place to start my fitness career to gain experience and learn more about the industry. A friend of mine is taking her personal training exam sometime soon and we are planning to start our own business together in the future. With the ACE certification it is required to have 20 hours continuing education every two years so I will get my Group Fitness Instructor certification next.

8. What are your plans for using your certificate in the future? Any personal training goals for this year?

My plan is to motivate/inspire/help others to achieve their weight loss goals and live healthier happier lifestyles. I also want to start my own business with my friend within the next few years. My main goals this year are to learn as much as possible working in the fitness industry and inspire as many people as I can!

9. What advice would you give to someone like me who is just starting out and studying for the CPT exam?

Keep your goal in mind and take advantage of any free time you have. Use that time to study-and workout of course 😉

Thanks so much Sarah! Congratulations on passing your exam and good luck to you in your future in the fitness business. I look forward to seeing that pretty face on YouTube!

For more personal trainer insight, check out my interview with:
Erica House
Tamara Treu

January 16, 2013

Personal Trainer Interview 1: Erica D. House

Since I have decided to become a personal trainer, I thought it would be wise to pick the brain of some other personal trainers out there to glean some insight about the certification process and any helpful insider tips they’d like to share. I also thought that doing interviews on my blog might benefit any other readers out there who have any interest in becoming personal trainers themselves.

So, without further ado, meet my first guest, Erica House from EricaDHouse.com. She is a psychology instructor, ACSM personal trainer, and a certified intuitive eating counselor. She’s a fitnesss professional with her own personal weight loss story. Take it away Erica:

1. What was the driving force behind your decision to become a personal trainer?

I lost 50 pounds a few years ago and became the ‘go to’ person people asked for fitness and nutrition advice. I realized that I loved helping other people reach their goals and I knew from being a college professor that I enjoyed teaching so personal training seemed like the best of both worlds!

2. How did you choose which personal training agency to certify with?

I had friends that worked in the industry and I asked them which certifications were the best to go with. The two I routinely heard were ACSM and NASM. I went with ACSM because it is the one I found my local gyms to prefer, but I have heard that both are the ‘gold standard’ in personal training.

3. How did you prepare for the exam? Any tips, tricks, or best practices?

I studied for the exam for one month. I had taken an anatomy and physiology class for fun a few months prior (because I’m a huge dork) and had a good background already in the nutrition side of things so I was able to prepare in a shorter time than suggested (which is usually at least 3 months.) I purchased the study guides and reviewed them for a few hours a day before and after work. I read through the chapters, created an outline for each one, and flashcards for the major terms/concepts. That took a few weeks and the last week I spent re-reading everything I created until I just couldn’t take seeing it anymore!

4. Could you give me an idea about what the testing day was like?

I lucked out and was able to take my exam at my place of employment (a university.) I arrived at the testing center and they took my purse and cell and sat me at an isolated computer area. The exam was all online and I finished in about half the time allowed. I was beyond nervous and the moment the test was over and I saw that I passed I was elated!

5. I know you are a psychology professor—I was a psych minor myself. I’m interested in how fitness and psychology might meld together. Is there anything you’ve learned about the brain or human behavior/motivations that would help in a personal training setting?

There is SO much overlap between the two fields. I teach a drugs and behavior course where I lecture on how to set SMART goals, a topic covered heavily in the ACSM exam. I also lecture on motivation and learning new behaviors in General Psychology and those concepts of forming new healthy habits are important when trying to engage new clients.

6. How are you using the web/social media to build your online presence as a fitness professional?

I actually started my blog with the idea that I would do in-person Health/Wellness counseling. I envisioned the blog being a way to recruit new clients and I didn’t expect that the blog itself would become the main focus! I now see my PT cert as a way to lend credibility to the writing I do in the health/fitness industry and I’m actually finally starting to work as a trainer locally next month.

7. Any health and fitness resources/research publications that you read daily or recommend? How else do you keep up with PT trends?

Every morning I check out Blisstree, Huffington Post Healthy Living and NPR Health Shots to look at the health news for the day. I love learning about the latest nutrition trends or fitness craze and I’ll save the best articles I come across to share with my followers on twitter throughout the day.

8. These days, there are a variety of places/ways to train—at a studio, in homes, in offices, and even online. What has your personal training experience been like? Or where do you see this certification taking you?

My first experience personal training will start in a few weeks at a local facility. I don’t anticipate ever training clients in their homes. I thought about it and the idea of having to travel and lug the equipment around didn’t appeal to me. I may offer online PT at some point in the future but I really like the idea of doing it face-to-face for now.

9. What are your plans for using your certificate in the future? Any personal training goals for this year?

My primary goal is to start my first PT job and learn as much as I can about the field to best serve my clients! I know what types of workouts I prefer (running, barre, circuit training) and I’m hoping to learn many other types (TRX, spin, …) as I anticipate many clients being interested in things I don’t have an extensive knowledge of (yet!)

10. What advice would you give to someone like me who is just starting out and studying for the CPT exam?

Start early! Set up a specific schedule for how much you’d like to have accomplished in a week and give yourself a bit of extra time still for those weeks where life just gets too hectic to stay on track. Also, spend some time researching online what your specific exam will be like and the experiences others had with taking it.

***Thanks so much for your insight Erica! I plan on using these tips as I head out on my own journey. If you haven’t checked out Erica’s fitness blog yet, you need to!

Stay tuned for the next installment of these Personal Trainer Interviews. My next guest is a local trainer whom I’ve personally trained with and who owns her own studio in town. If you have any other burning questions you’d like answered, let me know and I’ll try to incorporate them into future interviews. Leave a comment here or tweet me @StarBasil.

January 15, 2013

Big Announcement

It’s official! I’ve purchased all the supplies to become an NASM certified personal trainer. I’m super excited. The materials are on their way and this is going to happen, because I’m finally going to make it happen.

I don’t have any plans of quitting my day job. This certification is something that I’ve been dying to have for a long time. I’m doing it for my own health, personal enrichment, expanded knowledge, more clout as a health and fitness writer, and perhaps online personal training down the road. I’m toying with the idea of getting a second job as a PT at a gym, but I’ll cross that bridge later.

This was an impulsive, yet planned, buy that I know I won’t regret. I will be entering a new decade of life in about 6 months (exactly the amount of time I have to take the PT test), and I wanted to do something big to take me running strong into this next decade. I kept thinking about how you never regret things you try, but you do regret things you never tried. I am not going to regret anything this time.

I’m so excited to take you along for the ride. I’ll keep you posted on progress, testing tips, workshop updates, and how it’s all going. In the meantime, I can hardly stand the wait until those books get here!

January 6, 2013

Supreme 90Day Overview

Say hello to my newest secret workout weapon: Supreme90Day

I ordered it right after my favorite magazine touted it as comparable to P90X, something I’ve always wanted to try but was reluctant to spend so much cash on. Lo and behold, Supreme90Day is super inexpensive. In fact, you can sometimes find it at some Big Lots stores for like $4. People, that’s $4 for 10 workout DVDs. That’s 40 cents each! Oh yeah, baby!!! For the value of this system, that is one heckuva price.

Let’s get one thing straight. This system will bust your butt! In fact, if you don’t have a strength training base to build upon, you might not want to start this until you do. I am a serious exerciser, and this still caught me off guard. This is not for beginners.

From a person who thrives upon change when it comes to working out, this 90-day workout system is ideal because you’re doing something different every single day. This not only prevents me from getting bored but it keeps every one of my muscles guessing. I can already feel a change in my body. Carrying my son around doesn’t feel as hard but my abs definitely feel harder! Push ups get a little easier, dashing up the stairs isn’t as hard, and now some of my other workouts feel like child’s play.

I’m currently on Day 15 of the system, working on this in conjunction with the Tone It Up Love Your Body series. Whoa! I started at Day 1 (again!) toward the end of December because I had a looong Christmas vacation to get a strong start. In fact, a friend and I just decided to head to the gym on our lunch breaks and we do some of the S90D circuits there. I started jotting the workouts down as I was working through the DVDs, so I can do them anywhere and I won’t get off-track. Here’s a glimpse at the breakdown (most videos pack major power into just 30-40 minutes):

Chest and Back: lots of push up and plank-style variation exercises, presses and flyes.
Ultimate Ball: prepare to work your entire body on the fitness ball.
Tabata Inferno: prepare to sweat profusely! Each circuit is performed 8 times for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest. Some of the moves are strength-based (thrusters, lunges, etc), but you use lighter weights so you can power through them fast.
Shoulders and Arms: you’ll be shaking when you’re done and won’t want to lift your arms. Lots of traditional and functional bicep, tricep and shoulder exercises.
Cardio Challenge: Another sweat-buster. And you won’t do the same exercises twice in this powerful workout. Mountain climbers, plank jacks and burpees, oh my!
Legs: All different variations of lunges and squats abound in this leg circuit.
Core Dynamics: Sure, you’ll work your core, but you’ll also work your entire body. Don’t plan on doing crunches, though. You’ll be put through lots of plank variations and other powerful core exercises.
Total Body: Uses some exercises from the other videos and some new exercises to hit every major and minor muscle group.
Back and Bis: Many variations of what you’d expect with bicep curls, rows, and such. Some of the variations you probably haven’t tried before. Also hits the lower back.
Chest, Shoulders and Tris: Again, many variations on exercises you know like kickbacks, push ups, flyes and such.

Every workout incorporates major core work. In fact, many of them feature a core circuit before getting into the regular workout. The pace is pretty fast though, which is good in a way because you’re burning extra calories along with your strength training. But it can be difficult to keep up with.

You *could* do all of the workouts without a ball, but not without hand weights. And as you progress, you’ll need heavier and heavier weights. Most of the time, Tom Holland shows you how to do the moves without the ball, but there are a few instances where he doesn’t. I would highly recommend a ball. You can get one pretty cheap at Walmart.

In addition to the workouts, the system comes with a complete 90-day nutrition plan written by Tosca Reno. Be prepared for tons of lean protein like eggs and grilled chicken and eating every few hours. I am actually following the Tone It Up nutrition plan right now, but in some ways the eating plans are similar. Both emphasize lean, clean and green foods and eating every few hours. For those of you that don’t know, Tosca Reno is the biggest public personality behind eating clean. If she wrote this plan, I put my trust in it. To me, it seems similar to a bodybuilding diet, which makes sense since Tosca Reno is a fitness competitor.

As long as I keep at it–and I plan to–I will continue to update you on my progress. If you’re interested in learning more, please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer.

*Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with anyone or any system mentioned in this post. Nor am I a fitness or health professional (yet!). This post reflects my own thoughts and observations.