The Spartacus Workout

     I tried an awesome workout this morning and I have to say, I'm already sore! (I love being sore though, do you?) Remember this book? I was flipping through it last night looking for some inspiration now that I'm cleared to get my postpartum body back into some real shape and I came across The Spartacus Workout. One of the things I loved about it was that it required minimal equipment and mostly body weight. And you can make it 10 minutes or 30 minutes depending on how much time you have (and my time is very limited with a 7-week-old and a 2-year-old running around).

     The Spartacus Workout is a circuit, you need to treat it as such or else you miss out on the benefits of the workout. Circuits are awesome because they get your heart rate up and you work your muscles well so really, you're killing 2 birds with one stone (which I very much like). You get your cardio, and you get your toning.

     There are 10 stations you rotate through, you spend 60 seconds at each station and allow yourself 15 seconds to move from station to station. Perform the exercise at your station for as many reps as you can within than 60 second period. If you can't make it to 60 seconds, it's okay to take a break but then pick back up where you left off. If you need to take that break, pause only for a few seconds. You don't want your heart rate to drop too much. Repeat the circuit for a total of 3 times (if you can haha) leaving a 2 minute break in between circuits. Ready for the circuit?

Station 1

Goblet squat

Station 2

Mountain climber

Station 3

Single-arm dumbbell swing

Station 4

T-push up

Station 5

Split jump

Station 6

Dumbbell row

Station 7

Dumbbell side lunge and touch

Station 8

Push up position row

Station 9

Dumbbell lunge and rotation

Station 10

Dumbbell push press

I'm Back!

     I'm ready to get Turbo Fit going again (not gonna lie, this blog is an excellent motivator for me!) but I don't always have time to sit down and write a post and come up with workouts. If any of you are blog writers you know, blogging can take a lot of time! So, to keep giving you all something new (and to help myself get back into the swing of things) I'll be posting links to some awesome workouts I find. This way, you don't have to go looking for them, and I can keep posting regularly in less time. Sound good? I thought so. ;)

     Here's a 15 minute equipment-free cardio workout from FITNESS Magazine! Perfect, right? If you have invested in equipment that's awesome, however most people don't invest in their own equipment so it's awesome to find some cardio workouts that also help tone you up with nothing but your body weight and gravity. Enjoy and let me know how you did!

2 Swimming Workouts in Honor of Summer!

     With summer just about upon us (here in Vegas it seems like it's been here for a few months now haha) I thought it might be fun to throw in some great workouts to do in the pool. I decided to keep things basic since I realize that not everyone has competed and knows all of the strokes well enough to utilize them in a workout. However, if you are one who knows all of the strokes, feel free to substitute freestyle out for whatever you want to mix things up a bit. For those of you who are new to swimming and don't understand some of the terminology that I use or don't understand how to read my workouts, please click here for further explanation!

    

     The beautiful thing about swimming is that it is low impact and it works your entire body, head to toe. Whether you're swimming continuously or using equipment and modifications to focus on certain muscle groups, your whole body is getting a great toning workout while you're getting some intense cardio. If there's one thing I love, it's getting both the toning and the fat burning all together! Another beautiful thing about swimming is that it is the perfect exercise for pregnant women! (Which is a big deal to me right now as my belly gets more and more in the way.) Being in the water can ease a lot of the aches and pains that come with pregnancy (and for those with back and joint pain) and I find it incredibly helpful with lower back pain. My lower back is constantly painful but that pain is relieved while I swim and even helps to relive that pain for a long time after I get out.

     I've got two great workouts for you today. I'm going to keep them around 1,000 yards (including warm up and cool down) with some interval training that will give you a nice cardio boost. If you feel that you cannot complete the workout then go ahead and do what you can but don't forget to do your cool down. If you feel that you can do more, go ahead and add more of the same intervals. The second workout in this post focuses a little more on strength and will require you to get up and out of the pool regularly and for this reason I ask our pregnant readers to do this workout with caution. Use your best judgement and please don't hurt yourself. If you have stairs or a ladder close to your lane please use them to assist you in getting out of the pool. If at any time you feel weak, dizzy, or your heart rate is too high, please sit at the side of the pool and rest until you feel you can get back in (and please don't dive back in - diving is a bad idea for pregnant women :)).

Workout #1

Warm Up:

- 1x100 freestyle easy

- 2x50 kicking only (either use a kick board or hold your arms in streamline position)

Main Set:

- 1x200 freestyle, even laps moderate, odd laps faster (not a sprint)

- 4x50 first lap sprint, second lap easy - rest 1 minute in between

- 1x200 freestyle moderate

Cool Down:

- 1x100 freestyle easy (rest 1 minute)

- 2x50 freestyle easy with moderate rest in between

- stretch

Workout #2 (If possible, choose a lane at the end of the pool.)

Warm Up:

- 2x50 kicking only

- 2x100 freestyle easy to moderate

Main Set:

- 4x25 sprint freestyle

- Torture Tens

   - swim one lap across, hop out and do 10 pushups, repeat for a total of 10 laps

- Lunges

   - swim one lap across, hop out and lunge along the side of the pool 25 yards back down to where you started (you'll be making a loop, always swimming down to one side and lunging back to the other), repeat for a total of 6 laps

Cool Down:

- 1x200 freestyle easy

- stretch

* Something I find helpful in my workouts is to write/print out the workout and stick it in a plastic sandwich baggie so that you can have your workout at the side of the pool and it won't matter if it gets wet. Just remember to take it with you when you leave so you don't litter!

    

What's Your Motivation?

     I think one of the biggest reasons we never follow through on our aerobic fitness routine is lack of motivation. We've all been there at one time or another. Over the last year I've been battling this lack of motivation and I don't need to tell you it's hard to get out of because you already know it! 

     18 months ago when I had my daughter I was so excited to get back into shape. I was still in good shape right before I had her (well, good shape for a pregnant woman) because I had been exercising before my pregnancy and was able to do so all during pregnancy. And when I say I was exercising I mean I was really exercising. Weight training, basketball, running, swimming with the team I coached during their practices up until the day I went into labor, volleyball, everything you could possibly think of, I did. As a PE major we were required to participate in all of these things for 2-4 hours a day and I loved it! However, I still managed to gain 52 pounds over my 9 month pregnancy.

    After my baby girl was born I felt great! Being in shape made labor, deliver, and recovery easier on me than I'm sure it would have had I not been in so great of shape, and everyone kept telling me that because of my exercise during pregnancy my body was going "bounce right back." About a week and a half after my natural childbirth I was ready to start running (my mom was there and she said no...always the voice of reason). By the time I hit my 6 week checkup my doctor said I could do whatever I wanted, though he didn't know I'd already had. :) School started up again 3 months later and I was back into 2-4 hour per day workouts. By January I'd started student teaching at a high school teaching aerobics classes 6 hours a day and training for a half marathon in the afternoons. By May 1st, nearly a year after my daughter was born, I ran my first half marathon.

     Now why did I tell you all of this? Because you may be surprised to know that all of my hard work yielded nothing. I lost zero weight. I even gained some weight (and I promise you it was not muscle, I do know the difference and I would have been happy to gain back some muscle mass). This took a serious hit to my motivation. After working so hard I had nothing to show for it. I went from a pre-pregnancy size 8-10 depending on the style all the way to a size 16. If I'd been sitting on my butt the whole time I'd say I deserved it. But after all of that hard work and no results I was ready to quit. And I did quit for a while.

     7 weeks ago I started doing Turbo Jam and I joined Weight Watchers. In that 7 weeks I've lost 21 pounds. I've still got 30 to go, but I love that things are finally working out for me again. The start of weight loss gave me back the motivation I needed to keep going. I've kept up my cardio routine and I exercise 5-6 days a week now because I want to. I love seeing results, I'm so happy with the way things are going, and I want to keep doing it. My motivation is back!
     I realize that was a long story, but I feel you needed the background story and realize just how devastated I was before things picked up again. So, what motivates you? Seeing the weight loss, feeling strong and healthy? Looking better in a swimsuit? Fitting into your wedding dress? Six-pack abs? Find what motivates you and use it to your advantage. Make a list of short term goals for yourself. My short term goals look something like this:

- Lose 5% of my body weight

- Lose another 5% for a total of 10% of my body weight

- Lost 5 more % for a total of 15% of my body weight 

- Have another baby

     Yup, I said it. I want to have another baby. I don't want to keep getting bigger and bigger every time I have a baby so I want to get that weight down before I get pregnant. My short term goals are to lose only 5% of my body weight each time. I've blown away my first two goals and I'm working on my third. Accomplishing one short term goal gave me motivation to accomplish another. Eventually, I'll accomplish my ultimate goal and have another baby (hopefully with less than 52 ponds to go along with it).

     So short, simple, and to the point, my motivation to keep up my cardio routine is that I like losing weight and I want to have another baby.
     Here's the plan, I want you to set at least 3 (feel free to do more) short term, easily accomplished goals for yourself. Even if goal number 1 is to walk for 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week. Next, share those goals with as many people as you feel comfortable with. The more people that know about these goals, the more you feel obligated to do them. They might check up on you, or you might want to report to them to keep yourself in check. Lastly, get to it! Start hammering away on that list right away! Keep your list in a place where you can see it and be sure to reward yourself along the way. My reward for weight-loss is a shopping trip to buy smaller clothes.
     All that being said, leave a comment telling us how you stay motivated and what you do when motivation is lacking. Tell us your story. Feel free to post your short term goals as well!

Killer Treadmill Workout!

                I find that running on a treadmill can be very tedious (especially if there’s nothing good on TV at the gym) and I don’t do it as often as I should because it bores me too much. A few years ago when I was struggling with this and struggling to lose that last 10 pounds I talked it over with a personal trainer I worked with at a physical therapy facility. He gave me this awesome workout that totally kicked my butt! I was in good shape, but this was so hard and I was determined to beat it (I can be ridiculously competitive). I’m sharing it with you in hopes that next time you think of your treadmill run with dread, you can use this to keep it exciting. It’s very hard so if you’re a beginning runner, please don’t let this scare you away from running, modify it so that you can do it and then work your way up. Working out should be fun so if at any time you decide you hate this and you’re cursing the day you ever took my advice, modify! Modify it so it’s exciting for you and will keep you going. So, the workout….

	Incline	Speed	Time
1	0%	walk	3 min
2	10%	4.0 mph	1 min
3	8%	4.5 mph	1 min
4	6%	5.0 mph	1 min
5	4%	5.5 mph	1 min
6	2%	6.0	1 min
7	0%	7.0	1 min
8	Repeat steps 2-7 for a total of 3 times through.
9	0%	walk	5 min

                It should take you a few weeks to really get use to this routine but once you do, step it up to 2 min per interval. Once you’re use to that, step it up to 3 min each. You do NOT need to do this workout every day. You need time to recover. If you like to run every day, go for it but reserve this workout for every other day. Do a different run in between or even a different type of cardio. The following is a list of modifications you can make to make this workout easier for you if you need to work up to it:

1. Start the inclines lower. Do an incline of 5-4-3-2-1-0 until you can successfully complete the workout at that incline. Then take it up to 10-8-6-4-2-0. If you really want to gradually build it up here’s a combination you can do to work up to it:

Day 1: 5-4-3-2-1-0

Day 2: 6-5-4-3-2-0

Day 3: 7-6-5-4-2-0

Day 4: 8-7-6-4-2-0

Day 5: 9-8-6-4-2-0

Day 6: 10-8-6-4-2-0

In 6 runs (remember, you don’t want to do this every day) you’ve built up to the workout and are ready to move it on up to 2 minutes at each interval.

2. Start slower. You can pace it slower so that you are more able to complete the workout without stopping. For instance, you could start off at 3.0 mph and move up by 0.5 mph at each incline change.

3. If you can only make it through once, work on that. Then work on completing the workout twice. Once you’re use to that, go to three times through.

4. Work at a shorter time. 1 minute too much? Move to 30 seconds at each interval. With only going 30 seconds, you have to make your changes in incline and speed quickly otherwise your time will be up before you can fully make the change. I don’t necessarily recommend doing 30 seconds because of this, but if this is what you prefer, start with that.

                I love to have my butt kicked during a workout but if you’re not up for that or if that’s not your style, use some of these modifications to help you fit the workout to your liking. You have to keep your cardio routines fun or you won’t keep doing it. Grab your mp3 player, load it up with intense, fast pace music and hit the treadmill!

Keeping Cardio Fun

                One of the biggest problems we have with keeping up an exercise routine is that it gets boring after a while. If you workout at home you tend to slack off when your 1 workout DVD becomes so familiar to you that you can’t stand to do it anymore. (I now hate Bob Harper after doing the Biggest Loser Cardio Max over and over and over….) The secret to keeping up a cardio routine is to make it fun and change it up!

                You local gym is bound to have aerobics classes you can go to. At 24-Hour Fitness you can find aerobic and step classes, boot camp, dance, cycling, kickboxing, Zumba and more! Gold’s Gym offers similar classes. Many local gyms have various classes you can attend as well, and most gyms offer these classes free of charge (well, besides you membership obviously). Since you’re not dishing out the extra cash to go to these classes, try different ones out to see what you like. The instructors do different routines for all of their classes so even if you go to the same class with the same instructor you will get a different cardio routine each time. They may repeat certain elements but the workout is different. Going to classes like these are really fun and you get a chance to get to know other people in the class and you can even develop a support system to help keep each other on track. Some of the various classes you can take are listed below with a short description of each.

Spinning: Spinning (or cycling) is different than getting on a stationary bike in the cardio room of the gym. The bike is totally different and the workout is much more fun. The instructor will usually teach you the terms they like to use in spinning and how to do the moves (yes, there are different moves in spinning) and then they will guide you step-by-step through the whole workout. The workout is set to music that keeps you on pace (for more on pacing click here) and the music keeps you focused and motivated to kick butt to the end!

Pilates Pulse: I don’t know what kind of pilates you’re use to, but I took a Pilates Pulse class at 24-Hour Fitness and it totally kicked my butt! It was more than toning although you can be sure I was plenty sore afterwards. The moves are done more quickly and the music is more upbeat than relaxing like most pilates classes and it sure had my heart pumping!

Kickboxing: Kickboxing is so much fun. It teaches you self defense while getting a good 

workout. Most gyms offer cardio kickboxing which requires no equipment but some gyms do offer kickboxing classes where you are hitting and kicking a standing bag. I recently tried this and even taught it at the high school level and I had a blast with it. Both ways are fun. You do have some choreographing to keep up with but it’s not like a dance class where you’ll feel completely stupid if you can’t move your body just right.

Zumba: A lot of people I know love Zumba and have become addicted! A lot of gyms are starting to offer these classes now because of its skyrocketing popularity. Zumba is a form of cardio dance that tones and sculpts while you dance. The music is great and the classes are very upbeat and fun.

Step Aerobics: Step aerobics are NOT a thing of the past! Just because you think of calf-covering scrunch socks, belted leotards, and the big hair of the 80s doesn’t mean it’s not a good workout anymore! Many step programs have updates their moves and music to create a fun, challenging workout. I recently taught step aerobics at a high school and we had a blast with it. We used more modern music and more athletic steps and it was great. More and more instructors are moving over to that style and it’s a great workout.

                There are so many more cardio classes out there to try so go try them all! Your local city fitness center usually has a lot of classes to choose from with the cost included in your membership. If you don’t have a membership to you city fitness center, classes are usually a few dollars per class when you go. If you have to work out at home, here are a few tips to help you keep up a fun cardio routine:

1. Have a variety of workouts. I have about 10 different cardio DVDs at home and I like to cycle through them. I went on a Biggest Loser kick for a while, I just finished a 2 month kick with Leslie Sansone’s 5 Day Slim Down, and have since moved on to Turbo Jam (which I LOVE!). As soon as I start to get bored with my video, I change it up and do something different for a while. You can find a lot of great DVDs at the Turbo Fit Store. I recently bought one of Leslie Sansone’s DVDs for $1.49 off the Turbo Fit Store so check it out!

2. Keep it fun! If it’s not fun for you, you’re not going to do it. Don’t go out and buy a cardio dance workout unless you think you’re going to like it. I’m not a dancer but I bought a Dancing with the Stars video and I’ll be honest, I don’t get it out much because I don’t enjoy dancing. If you’re not sure what you like, go to your local city fitness center, pay a few bucks and take various classes to see what type of cardio you enjoy. If you enjoy your workout you’re more likely to stick to it, and you’ll burn more calories simply because you’re really enjoying it and getting into it more than you would with something you didn’t like to do.

3. Ease yourself into it. If you’re not in very good shape right now, start easy and build up. Don’t go out and buy P90X or Insanity until you think you’re ready for it otherwise you’ll quit after your first workout and never go back. Start with low-impact aerobics, something you enjoy doing (remember tip #2) and work your way up the intensity scale. When you’re finally ready, then go out and do the intense, butt-kicking workouts like P90X or Insanity.

                Change it up, keep it fun, and work at your level. Cardio doesn’t have to be this terrible thing you have to do. Find what you like to do and do it! Tell yourself you want to do it. You’ll feel better, look better, and you’ll have the energy to take life on.

Music to Pace Your Walk

I know what you’re thinking. Because I use to think the same thing. Walking? For an athlete like myself? I’m too good for just walking. It’s not enough. That’s for people who can’t do what I did in high school. And that’s where I usually catch myself. I was an athlete in high school. Not now, five years later. High school. The truth of the matter is, walking is for everyone, athlete or not.

Since I’ve finally admitted to myself that I’m in a time in my life where walking is for me, I’ve tried a lot of things. Some may have the discipline to walk and keep a great pace and have an awesome, low-impact workout. I am not that disciplined person. I need help and lots of it.

Music is a great help in any workout, especially if you need help pacing yourself. Runners often use music to pace themselves and walkers can do the same. Depending on how fast you want to walk a mile, you’ll need music of varying BPM or beats per minute. Here’s a simple chart for helping you decide your pace:

150 BPM	16 minute mile	10 minute kilometer
153 BPM	14 minute mile	9 minute km
156 BPM	12 minute mile	8 minute km
160 BPM	10 minute mile	7 minute km
163 BPM	9 minute mile	6 minute km
166 BPM	8 minute mile	5 minute km
171 BPM	6 minute mile	4 minute km

Using this chart you can determine the speed of every mile you walk. This can even be a training tool in helping you work up from walking to running and even prepare you for a 5K, 10K, or something more. As you can see, going from a 16 minute mile to a 14 minute mile is an increase of only 3 BPM. That’s not much. You can easily gradually increase your pace to get in better shape.

When you use music to keep your pace you need to remember that each beat of the music equals a step when walking or running. In other words, following music at 160 BPM means taking 160 steps per minute. Another great thing about using music with a steady pace is that you know how far you went based on the length of time you were walking without having to walk on a track or retrace your route in your car.

By using music to help pace your walk, you end up walking faster, farther, and longer to get a better workout.  It’s all about intensity and increasing your pace means increasing the intensity of the workout. A 12 minute mile pace while walking will definitely get you to break a sweat if you hold the pace, especially if you’re planning on going several miles.

A lot of people who start out walking, or even running, quickly get overwhelmed when they think about how many miles or how fast or whatever blah, blah, blah. Sometimes walking 3 miles sounds too daunting or that you simply don’t have time to walk that far. If we use our music to pace us, things get easier. If I decide to walk for 30 minutes (because we all know that’s the recommended daily amount of exercise…) and I choose to walk with music at 153 BPM I know I can get in almost 3 miles in my 3o minutes. Knowing that you can walk that far in only 30 minutes seems much more doable doesn’t it?

When choosing your music it’s important to choose something that has an obvious, steady beat otherwise you’re not going to heat it and if you can’t hear it, you can’t follow it. There are a lot of websites that allow you to download music of various BPM. A general search can lead you to a lot of music. One website I’ve got a lot of music from is www.powermusic.com and one of the things I love about it is that there are a lot of popular songs on there and the music has been edited so that it’s more appropriate for everyone to listen to. Find some good websites and pick motivating music that will help you focus and want to do your workout. Happy walking!