Home Exercise Routines

This workout will combine quick bursts of cardio to get your heart rate up in the right target zone (to find out what this zone is for you check this article out on calculating your target heartrate and then incorporate strength moves to get you lean and toned.  The best part is you can do this routine virtually anywhere, even while catching up on your favorite TV shows!

Jog in place for 5 minutes—it’s always best to warm-up into any routine

15 push-ups—drop on the floor and pump these out without a break

15 chair dips—keeping the momentum, place your hands on a stationary chair or chair step and extend your feet in front of you; lower yourself until your arms are bent at the elbow at 90 degrees and parallel to the floor, and then raise yourself back up until your arms are straight

Jump rope for 5 minutes—if you don’t have a rope, just jump in place keeping your heart pumping

Home Exercise Alternatives

30 lunges—hands on hips and feet together, extend your right leg and drop into a deep lunge until your left knee is almost touching the floor and then push yourself back to the starting position and repeat with your left leg in front. Do 15 on each leg for a total of 30 lunges

15 bicep curls—grabbing either 5 or 10 pound weights, or you can get creative and use filled water bottles or even canned goods; as long as you feel the burn my the last few

Stair stepping for 5 minutes—finding either a step or raised surface alternate stepping your feet one at a time up onto the stair and then down; you will stay in the same place, but with one foot on the stair and the other under you as you quickly switch the positions of your feet

15 squats—squat down low and work to keep your weight balanced on your heels

Home Exercises

15 upright rows—grabbing your weights or water bottles stand with your feet shoulder width apart and arms hanging in front of your hips; pull your arms upward in front of your torso until your upper arms are at shoulder height and bent at the elbow.  Lower your arms and repeat.

Scissor step for 5 minutes—place your hands and feet on the floor and bend at the waist so that your bottom is toward the ceiling.  Alternate hopping your right foot forward and then switch positions so that your left leg jumps forward as your right goes back

30 second plank—placing yourself in the push-up position, hold yourself up concentrating on pulling your abs in and keeping your back straight

30 crunches

5 minutes sideways hops—facing forward with your feet together jump first to the right and then the left; keep yourself working and sweating!

15 side arm raises—with a weight in each hand and your arms at your side, keep your arms straight and lift them until they are shoulder height and parallel with the ground.  Lower your arms and repeat.

30 front punches—with the same weights alternate punching one arm in front of you and then the other for a total of 15 punches on each side.

5 minutes running in place—gradually work yourself into a cool-down

You’ve just done a perfect total body workout while getting your pulse moving and lungs working.  The strength moves will help build muscle and the combined cardio will help you torch calories, and the best part is you didn’t have to spend a penny!

By Caitlin Chock

Starting Interval Training

The best way to start adding interval training into your routing is to pick an activity: running, biking, and using an elliptical are excellent choices, but you can even use a rowing machine, stair stepper, or swim.  Start by doing a warm-up of 5-10 minutes at a relaxed pace, what you would generally do your routine at; on a scale of 1 to 10 your effort should feel like a 7 or 8.  Then, do one minute almost as hard as you can (an effort of 9) by upping the pace.  Follow this by a two minute recovery at an effort level of 6 or 7, and then repeat the cycle and follow it with a short cool-down.  Start with adding a few intervals and then work your way up to doing a total of 10 minutes of hard efforts.

Tough Interval Training

Play around with different types of intervals, by changing the times of your hard efforts and recovery paces.  You can do shorter sprints of 30 seconds hard with one minute recovery, or do two or three minutes hard and then recover.  You can further mix it up by varying the resistance or incline along with the pace.  Intervals are excellent tools to add to your training routine; you can do them up to three times a week, but be sure to rest or do a steady, recovery cardio workout at least a day between sessions.  Soon you will notice that the days you do your steady cardio, they will be feeling easier and you will be encouraged by improvement in your interval days as well!

By: Caitlin Chock, Home Fitness Guru

Stuck in a workout Rut?

If you continue to do the same thing you did years ago, your fitness will stop improving, you will stagnate, and actually start to burn fewer calories.The key to avoid getting stuck in a fitness rut is to change and mix-up your workout.  You can keep doing one routine for a period of 4-6 months, but by having a variety of different moves and exercises to choose from, you will not only avoid boredom (and possibly burn-out!) but always keep your body guessing as to what will be coming its way next.  Adding new stressors to the body will ensure that you are constantly working different muscle groups, doing so by different angles, and thus keeping your fitness level improving.

Hit the Rut Head-On!

This can be done in a number of ways; choose a different machine or exercise even for the same muscle group when you are doing your weight routine.  Do tricep dips one day, tricep kick backs another, and skull crushes a different time.  Build a arsenal of different apparatuses that you are familiar with and an array of exercises.  There are a plethora of moves to be discovered and will make your routine more effective, leaving you more toned and fit.  With your cardio routine, pick different activities: bike, run, stair-climb, play a vigorous game of basketball, or take a new class.  Go shorter and faster in one session and longer and steadier another.  They say variety is the spice of life, so take than and apply it to your fitness routine!

By: Caitlin Chock, Home Fitness Guru

Plyometircs for Exercise

Adding plyometrics to any regime needs to be done gradually and you need to be extra aware of your form through each move.  Because they are powerful, almost all-out efforts, as you tire your body will be more apt to ‘cheat’ or not do the activity correctly and you could be more prone to an injury.  Just be certain to take your time and also know that while you may not feel sore during the workout, you will definitely feel the effort later on, so start out with only one set and then work your way up to three sets that you can do three times a week with at lest a day of rest between them.

Plyometric Exercises

• Box Jumps: Find a box or raised stationary bench or step. Facing the box, load yourself by getting into a low squat and prepare yourself for a leap onto the box.  Return to the ground and do this 10 times.  As you advance, increase the height of the box.
• Single Leg Hops: Balance on one leg and jump forward as far as you can with each hop.  Do 10 on each leg.
• Squat Jumps For Distance: Standing with feet just about shoulder width apart, lower into a deep squat and thrust yourself forward as far as you can.  Think about a standing long-jumper.  Do this 10 times.
• Star Jumps: Stand with your feet together and arms at your sides.  Jump high off the ground and as you do so kick your legs out to the sides and lift your arms over your head.  This moves looks something like a jumping-jack from your old PE days.

By: Caitlin Chock, Home Fitness Guru

Core Strength Exercise

For athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, your core is vital to not only look your best, but to complete your routines and sports to the best of your ability.  Your core is responsible for holding you in the correct form when performing exercises, keeping your posture upright when running, and every other activity you undertake.  By toning and building these muscles you will make yourself more efficient, and improve your overall fitness.

Head Stand Core Strength

It is important to focus on each muscle and to do each exercise correctly. You may not be able to complete them all perfectly at first, because many of the smaller muscles are weaker and unused to being stressed, but be diligent and eventually you will have a stronger center.  Start by doing one set of each exercise and then gradually work your way up to three sets three times a week with at least one day of rest between them.

• Bicycle crunch: Lying on the floor, back flat and raise both legs to 90 degree angles.  Alternately bring your right elbow to your left knee, return to the starting position and then bring your left elbow to your right knee.  Continue until you’ve done a total of 30 (15 on each side).
• Bridge: Lie on the ground with your back and feet planted on the ground.  Your knees will be bent toward the ceiling; while keeping your shoulder blades pressed down, raise your butt upward until your lower back and upper thighs are at a 45 degree angle on the floor.  Squeeze your butt to hold yourself there for 3 seconds then return to the ground and repeat 10-15 times.
• Back Raises: Lie face-down with your stomach on the ground, legs straight behind your.  Interlace your hands and rest them behind your back.  In one motion, raise your upper body and legs off the ground so that your arms reach back toward your legs and only your pelvis is fixed on the floor.  Gently return to the ground and repeat 10-15 times.
• Plank: Resting on your forearms and toes, keep your body straight and parallel to the floor.  Contract your abs, pulling them inward and be sure to keep your back flat.  Hold this position for 30 seconds, rest, and that is one set.  When you’ve mastered that, try holding the position while doing a set of 10 leg lifts for each leg.

By: Caitlin Chock, Home Fitness Guru