I don't tend to write a lot about my workouts, but in my former life I worked in corporate fitness for five years, and I'm still a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor (oooo, ahhh!).
Despite this experience in the fitness world I, like I'd venture to say anyone else, tend to get bored in the gym. I have this weird thing where I don't like to take classes I'm not teaching (which at the moment is none), with the exception being yoga. I can't run due to a terrible IT Band, and the elliptical/stationary bike/stepper/AMT circuit gets tedious.
I decided I wanted a workout I could do at home for those times I don't feel like physically going to the gym, because we all know that getting up, getting dressed, and getting ourselves there is half the battle. I still have to get up and get dressed (for which my neighbors with adjacent windows are very thankful) but it takes away the step of having to physically be at the gym, and it can be broken up over the course of the day if I so choose - though I usually get it out of the way with early.
I thought I'd share a sample circuit workout that I did today, for those who might be feeling the same apathy about gym workouts, or just want something different. It might seem easy, but let me tell you, the first couple of times I did a workout like this it kicked my ass. Embarrassingly so.
50 jumping jacks
:30 high knees
:30 kick butt
20 squats (no weight but I guess you could use it)
15 pushups (the "normal" way if possible, knees or wall if not)
:30 jump rope (I don't have a real jump rope so I fake it)
20 alternating lunges (so 20 each leg, alternating)
:30 cross punches (alternate punches across your body)
:30 uppercut punches (alternate)
60 jumping jacks
:30 jabs, each arm. Add the little kickboxing bounce. Best way I can describe it.
30 kneeling side leg raise, each side. (video if needed)
10 squat jumps
30 front kicks each leg (one leg at a time, you can put your foot down slightly in between kicks)
50 jumping jacks
20 squats
30 second "football run" (where your legs are wider than shoulder width and you run in place)
This took about 15 minutes. I then repeated it again, and replaced all of the "30 seconds" with "45 seconds", keeping everything else the same. Total, it took about 30 minutes. I didn't stop for breaks, though I did have a water bottle and take sips here and there in between exercises.
The great thing about circuit workouts is that you can rearrange the items, add knew ones in, take some out, and it gives you a great variety.
Note: I did another workout that included mountain climbers and burpees. However, with my bad knee and bad IT band, they really hurt me, and not in a "oh that's painful because it's a good workout way" but in a "oh I could be injuring myself" way. They are, though, great exercises to throw into the mix.
Second note: PLEASE be careful transitioning from standing up to on the ground and vice versa. I tried to put the exercises in an order that eased into these transitions - ie not going from jumping jacks to pushups, but putting squats in between to slow the heart rate slightly - but everyone's body is different.
Do you have any interval/circuit type workouts like this, or any exercises that could be included that you find effective? I'd love to hear them!
Happy sweating!!
Despite this experience in the fitness world I, like I'd venture to say anyone else, tend to get bored in the gym. I have this weird thing where I don't like to take classes I'm not teaching (which at the moment is none), with the exception being yoga. I can't run due to a terrible IT Band, and the elliptical/stationary bike/stepper/AMT circuit gets tedious.
I decided I wanted a workout I could do at home for those times I don't feel like physically going to the gym, because we all know that getting up, getting dressed, and getting ourselves there is half the battle. I still have to get up and get dressed (for which my neighbors with adjacent windows are very thankful) but it takes away the step of having to physically be at the gym, and it can be broken up over the course of the day if I so choose - though I usually get it out of the way with early.
I thought I'd share a sample circuit workout that I did today, for those who might be feeling the same apathy about gym workouts, or just want something different. It might seem easy, but let me tell you, the first couple of times I did a workout like this it kicked my ass. Embarrassingly so.
50 jumping jacks
:30 high knees
:30 kick butt
20 squats (no weight but I guess you could use it)
15 pushups (the "normal" way if possible, knees or wall if not)
:30 jump rope (I don't have a real jump rope so I fake it)
20 alternating lunges (so 20 each leg, alternating)
:30 cross punches (alternate punches across your body)
:30 uppercut punches (alternate)
60 jumping jacks
:30 jabs, each arm. Add the little kickboxing bounce. Best way I can describe it.
30 kneeling side leg raise, each side. (video if needed)
10 squat jumps
30 front kicks each leg (one leg at a time, you can put your foot down slightly in between kicks)
50 jumping jacks
20 squats
30 second "football run" (where your legs are wider than shoulder width and you run in place)
This took about 15 minutes. I then repeated it again, and replaced all of the "30 seconds" with "45 seconds", keeping everything else the same. Total, it took about 30 minutes. I didn't stop for breaks, though I did have a water bottle and take sips here and there in between exercises.
The great thing about circuit workouts is that you can rearrange the items, add knew ones in, take some out, and it gives you a great variety.
Note: I did another workout that included mountain climbers and burpees. However, with my bad knee and bad IT band, they really hurt me, and not in a "oh that's painful because it's a good workout way" but in a "oh I could be injuring myself" way. They are, though, great exercises to throw into the mix.
Second note: PLEASE be careful transitioning from standing up to on the ground and vice versa. I tried to put the exercises in an order that eased into these transitions - ie not going from jumping jacks to pushups, but putting squats in between to slow the heart rate slightly - but everyone's body is different.
Do you have any interval/circuit type workouts like this, or any exercises that could be included that you find effective? I'd love to hear them!
Happy sweating!!
Eeeeugh!
ReplyDeleteI feel very very ashamed
Hahaha I hadn't been doing much working out over the past month due to travel! I had to find a way to motivate myself on days I didn't want to go to the gym!
ReplyDelete