Welcome to my first fitness note! After posting my recent weight loss I got several messages asking me what my secret was, how do I do it, etc. so I have decided to put together some of my thoughts on health, fitness, and weight loss and share them with those of you who are interested.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: The information I am sharing with you is for informational purposes only. I am not a medical doctor (MD), registered dietitian (RD), and I do not hold any credential from a reputable, accredited governing body of fitness (such as NSCA, ACSM, NASM, ACE), I am not a CSCS or CPT, and I did not major in Kinesiology. If you are interested in weight loss or exercise, you need to consult your physician. Period. End of story. Don’t be afraid to enlist their help. After all, you’re PAYING them to help keep you healthy, right? Your MD is a great resource to get you started and be your biggest cheerleader along the way.
TODAY’S WORKOUT: It comes from The Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises. (Love that book, go check it out). I did day #1 of Jen Heath’s Hard-Body Workout (on page 400). It looks like this:
Exercise Set Rep Rest
1a. Overhead DB squat 2 x12 0 sec
1b. Pushup 2 12 0 sec
1c. DB Bulgarian Split Squat 2 x12 0 sec
1d. Inc DB Bench Press 2×12 0 sec
1e. Hanging Leg Raise 2×12 60 sec
2a. Goblet Squat 2x 12 0 sec
2b. DB Bench Press 2×12 0 sec
2c. DB Lunge 2x 12 0 sec
2d. DB Chest Fly 2x 12 0 sec
2e. V-up 2x 12 60 sec
Do all of the “1” exercises in succession without resting in between (you rest after you do 1e), then do your second set before moving on to the “2”s. I LOVED this workout! It was quick (30 minutes maybe) but exceptionally challenging. I followed it up with 30 minutes of self-led step aerobics. Because it requires you to move from one exercise to the next, it is a circuit so not only are you building muscle, you’re torching fat and calories. Bonus!
TODAY’S TIP: If you are not strength training, get on it NOW! You don’t need a gym and you don’t even need equipment. Use your body weight as resistance. Women who don’t strength train may lose weight but they end up as shrunken versions of their old fat self. Cardio alone isn’t going to cut it, girls. There are so many other reasons why you should strength train that have nothing to do with appearance or vanity. They include: strengthening the bones and warding off osteoporosis and putting muscle on your body so you can become a fuel-burning furnace all day long. And, good news girls: you are not going to ever look like the scary women inside the pages of Muscle & Fitness. Why? You don’t possess the level of testosterone necessary to get bulky and massive.
MY HAPPY THOUGHT THAT KEEPS ME GOING TODAY: This weekend I pulled out a pair of jeans and when I put them on they were baggy. The last time I wore them my thighs felt like sausages tightly encased in denim.
What are you going to do today to get closer to your fitness goals? Comment on this note or drop me a line! Here’s to good health! -Michelle