Browsing Tag

exercise

Fitness

Fitness Feature: Jessica Smith

June 5, 2014

Every couple of months I cruise Amazon looking for some new workout dvds. Well, I had the good fortune to stumble across some workouts by Jessica Smith. I have three of her workout dvds in my collection now, Cardio Abs, 10 Pounds Down Better Body Blast, and 10 Minute Solution Ultimate Bootcamp and I must say these are great workouts. While I love them all, Cardio Abs is my absolute favorite. It’s split into three separate workouts (cardio abs, total body abs transformer, and concentrated abs), and each one is about 26 minutes in length. It also includes a bonus 4-minute tabata workout.

10 Minute Solution Ultimate Bootcamp includes five 10-minute routines including: Fat Fighting Skills & Drills focusing on interval cardio training, Ultimate Upper Body Training with weights, Ultimate Lower Body Training, Ultimate Total Body Training, and Six Pack Ab Attack. I do all five to get a full workout and since it’s broken into five segments it makes the overall workout feel shorter.

Finally, there is 10 Pounds Down Better Body Blast. This workout is broken into three 20-minute segments that target arms, legs, and, abs. What I really like about this one is that she’ll often start off with a base move and then progressively make the move more challenging before you cycle back through it.

What makes her so awesome:

  1. Her workouts are actually enjoyable. I remember when I first did Cardio Abs and I was smiling during it. I loved it. My heart was racing, I was sweating, and the moves were tough but it was fun. I felt like I got a solid workout in but I wasn’t cursing the gods as I went through it.

  2. The moves are fresh. I’ve been working out for a while so I’ve seen all kinds of exercises and there were lots of new moves throughout these dvds which I really appreciated. Also, she keeps it as simple as possible. In the quest to be new and innovative, lots of instructors come up with these crazy, convoluted moves that are just really awkward. None of that here.

  3. Her personality is a winner. Nothing can ruin a potentially great workout for me faster than an instructor who is either barking orders at you like she has something to prove or instructors who are so perky with their permanent plastered smiles as they’re going through really challenging exercises. She’s very motivating and upbeat but not in an annoying or aggressive way.

  4. She also has a Youtube channel with tons of free workouts that run the gamut from cardio to barre to kickboxing to resistance training. You really can’t beat that. Check it out here.

Have you done any of her workouts before? If so tell me what you think!
0 Comments
Fitness

Fitness Feature: My Pure Barre Experience

March 19, 2014

I took a barre class this past Saturday at a Pure Barre Studio in Druid Hills and I thought I’d share my experience. I wasn’t going in as a complete newbie. I’ve done barre workouts before (Exhale Core Fusion and Tracey Mallett), but I knew this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. I was right. I got there about 10 minutes early to fill out some forms and was then taken to a room to store my bags and shoes while I worked out (no shoes allowed).

The class was held in a smaller room, more dimly lit with wall to wall mirrors so you could see your form and of course, wrap around ballet bars. I got the sense that a lot of the people there were regulars but there were a good bit of new people as well. It was a smaller sized class with about 15-20 people. The actual class lasted for 55 minutes including the warm-up/stretch and cool-down. While I did recognize a few of the moves, most of them were completely new to me which I loved. For equipment we used 2 or 3lb hand weights depending on preference, resistance bands, and a small ball. We used the ball pretty much throughout the lower body section and it made the moves much more challenging.

My arms were sore from workouts I had done earlier that week and I thought going into this class that I’d be okay because they’d probably just focus on legs. I was wrong. They hit everything. We worked our arms, abs, quads, calves, and glutes. The instructor would come around and correct form, if need be. She corrected mine a couple of times, which was nice because I feel like I got the most out of the moves and the workout. The music was also spot on. Not distracting or offensive but still motivating. At the end of the class, they had some instructors walk around to the students and gently push us deeper into the stretches. I thought that was a nice touch.

Overall, I thought it was a well-balanced and very challenging workout. I felt it especially in my glutes for the next few days which was awesome! Will I go back, perhaps, but it won’t be too often. The first class for new clients is $15 but after that it’s $23 a pop. The price per class goes down as you commit to more classes, but I don’t want to lock myself in to just barre because I want to take all kinds of fitness classes. Stay tuned for more fitness features!Have you ever tried barre classes or workouts before? If so, tell me what you think about them!

0 Comments
Fitness

Seven Steps to De-Rut Your Workout Routine

March 15, 2014

I’ve found myself in a workout rut and it sucks. I don’t want to see exercising as a chore but rather something to enjoy and look forward to. In the spirit of having fun, I decided to implement some of the steps below to re-vitalize my exercise regimen. Now nothing I’m about to write here is groundbreaking, but I’m hoping that it’ll give you some inspiration for ways to keep your workouts fresh and fun.Pure Barre
1. Sign up for a new class. I love my at home workouts. They’re convenient and cost-effective, but they get boring after a while. When you know all of the cues given by the instructor and can cite them in unison with her it may be time to give something else a try (guilty). Why not sign up for a class with the money you’re saving from gym memberships? I’ve decided I’m going to sign up for one new fitness class a month, whether it’s a bootcamp, kickboxing, cardio, spin, or barre class. Today, I kicked things off by taking a class at a Pure Barre studio and I really enjoyed it. It’s nice not knowing what the next sequence is and that’s when time goes by faster.Nike Id


2. Get some new workout gear. Because clothes matter even when you’re working out. When you look good you feel good and that translates to performance. Choose what you like and wear that. Maybe it’s a bright colored sports bra, a bold patterned top, or black leggings. Whatever it is, sport it. Target, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Forever 21, and Old Navy all have cute and affordable workout gear. I’m adding some Nikes to my workout wardrobe. I custom-made these Nike Id’s because I need a new pair of workout sneakers and I think they’re so fun. I can’t wait to get them and put them to work.

3. Get some new workout DVDs. While taking new workout classes can be a lot of fun, workout DVDs will continue to be a big part of my routine because of the sheer convenience. I bought a few new ones from Amazon by Jessica Smith and Tara Lee and I can’t wait to try them out.

4. Try some new workout equipment. I purchased this weighted Nike jump rope and I love it! Incorporating new tools in your workout can help to re-invigorate them and keep things from getting stale.Nike
Other options that don’t involve money:

5. With warmer temps a change of scenery may be just what you need to get out of a workout rut. Try running in a park or hiking a new trail.

6. Switch up the time that you workout. If you’re feeling sluggish and tired during your evening workouts maybe it’s time to make the switch to morning workouts instead or vice versa. I did this and it’s been great! I was coming back from work and I just felt so tired and groggy. It was a big struggle to muster up the strength to workout after an 8-hour workday. So I flipped my schedule and decided to work out in the morning instead. Now I get up at about 5:30 in the morning and start my day off with exercise. I feel incredible after it’s done, and I’ve found that I have more energy throughout the day.

7. Get a new playlist. Music is so important when I’m working out and I imagine most people would agree. It can push you at those critical moments when you find your strength waning and you want to quit. But after listening to the same song for over 100 runs maybe it doesn’t have the same motivational factor anymore. Trying a new playlist with a new crop of songs may help to get you back in the zone.

What are some of the things you do to keep your workouts fresh? Tell me in the comments!

2 Comments
Fitness

High Impact vs. Low Impact Workouts

October 14, 2013

Insanity Core Fusion Barre Basics for BeginnersYoga Workouts

I’m a graduate of the Insanity program. I committed myself to the program for 60 days – no skipping days – and completed it this past May. I had wanted to try the program for a while but didn’t want to shell out the money for it. I couldn’t bring myself to pay $120 for workout DVDs. I finally took the plunge this year after working out consistently for months with only minimal progress seen. I told myself that if it didn’t work, I’d send it back. Well, it worked.

I finally started seeing greater muscle definition in my arms and legs. I was thrilled! After I completed the program, I continued doing Insanity for a few more months just cycling back through the month 2 workouts. At some point in August, though, I felt like my body needed a break. Insanity is a great program, but it’s also very high impact. High impact workouts can place a considerable amount of stress on your joints and ligaments – the tissue that connects your bones.

I knew that I still wanted intense and challenging workouts, just ones that were not as stressful for my joints. In my search for high intensity, low impact workouts, I came across the Exhale Core Fusion workout series. The workouts include a mix of strength training, toning, yoga, and cardio. I purchased the Core Fusion 30-day sculpt program and the Core Fusion Barre Basics for Beginners. I’ve been using them both for a couple of months at this point and I LOVE them. They are serious total body workouts targeting your core, arms, and legs. I especially love them for my legs since they are my body part that’s most resistant to change. The best part is knowing that I don’t have to sacrifice intensity for workouts that are kinder on my joints. I still love a good high-impact workout though, so for me the key will be balance.

Takeaway message: It is possible to get an amazing workout that is both intense and joint-friendly. If you’re looking for low impact, high intensity workouts to try think swimming, yoga, weight training, or cycling. Remember that intensity refers to the level of difficulty of an exercise and the power required to do it, while impact refers to the pressure that is placed on your joints and ligaments.

What workouts are you currently doing that you love? I’m always looking for ways to switch up my exercise regimen, so tell me in the comments!

References:
Medline Plus, “Tendons vs. Ligaments”
Mayo Clinic, “Exercise Intensity – Why it matters, how it’s measured?”

 

4 Comments