Create your own @Home Gym on the cheap!!

**Don't miss out on our newest addition to the site.  Click GEAR from the top menu to browse Good Life-approved gear that will assist you on your path to a healthier and FITTER you!

I get asked all the time how I fit workouts into my day, what I do and when i do it, what I use, etc...  So to help answer these questions, I've come up with the Top 3 things everyone needs to work out at home!

1. dumbbells.  You need varying weight sets.


• Light: for small upper body lifts (delts, tris, core work, etc...)


• Medium: for bigger upper body muscles (biceps, shoulders, etc...) and for additional weight when performing body-weight exercises (lunges, squats)


• Heavy: for lower body moves (dead lifts, weighted squats) and some more inclusive upper body exercises (chest press)


2. bench.


• The bench is a super-versatile piece of equipment.  It can be used for its typical purpose (laying on your back or for seated lifts) because it allows for the ideal 90 degree angle @ the hip and knee.  It can also be used as a step (much more stable than a kitchen chair, although I won't deny that I've often used the latter!) or as an elevated medium for corework!


3. resistance bands




• If you never heard of the Push-Pull approach to working out, I'll just share very simply that it's super important to work your muscles with exercises that involve both pushing AND pulling.  For example, when you work on chest press (push), you should also work back rows (pull) so that you are evening out the load that your muscles place on your shoulders.  You will have to do a higher number of reps, since the "weight" is much less than what you would get using a cable machine, but using a Heavy Resistance Band will definitely get the job done!

Some other super helpful pieces of equipment are an exercise mat (helps cushion the tailbone/elbows/knees!), a workout towel, a barbell w/interchangeable weights, a stopwatch, and OF COURSE a water bottle!)  Click here to browse some GOOD LIFE-approved fitness gear that will make reaching your fitness goals more stylish, more fun, and most importantly, most EFFECTIVE!

Happy Home Gym-ing ;)

-Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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TONE IT UP Tuesday: From Head to Toe!!

Be sure to check out previous editions of TONE IT UP:Tuesday!

In response to popular request, this edition of TONE IT UP Tuesday is hooking you up with a super-basic example of a full-body workout.  A video workout guide is in the works as well.  My video workouts have not yet launched, but they've not been forgotten! They're coming.  Here's your guide for now, leave any questions in the comment section and they'll be answered asap!

roxyB Full Body Basic:

Jumping Jacks
Wide Leg Squats

Chest Fly

Bicep curl to Shoulder Press

Step Ups

Bent over Back Row

Lateral Delt Raises

Walking Lunges

Tricep Dips

Oblique Bends

Crunches

The idea here is to keep your heart rate elevated throughout the entire workout.  Do each exercise for 45 seconds before moving on to the next one. Complete the full list of exercises with no rest.  Focus on breathing through each exercise and holding correct form! Once you have completed the circuit, take a quick drink of water (and up to 60 seconds of rest) and then repeat.  Do the same thing for a third set.  You should have labored breathing.  You should be sweating.  Your muscles should be big time fatigued.  That's what it feels like to pump up that metabolism, tone those muscles, and strengthen your heart/lungs!  

*bonus tip*

Give yourself at least 48 hours of musculoskeletal recovery time before repeating the same workout.  Work some cardio in (jog, walk, cycle, whatev...) on the day in between your workouts to keep the calorie-burnage going AND to assist in working out muscle soreness! Annnd,remember to re-fuel your body after a workout!

TONE IT UP!! 

-Peace. Health. RoxyB

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Get Fit ...w/a deck of cards!!

So earlier I shared a cardgame that doubles as a workout...to be played with friends!  This one is just to give you a fast-paced workout using nothing but your bodyweight when you need to squeeze in some quick exercise @ home or on the road!  Super effective and SUPER easy!

Write down the same list of exercises from yesterday.  Or, if you don't like those, choose your own!  Just be sure to involve all of the major muscles in your body so that you get a great full-body workout!  Flip one card @ a time and go down your list.  Do the number of reps on the card (face-cards & Aces are 15!)  You can go through the full deck once OR set a time and continue until that time is up. 

K, now go find a deck of cards and get your sweat on!!

 -Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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A Fitness Twist to that good ol' cardgame from our childhood... WAR!!

Do you like cards?  Do you like competition?  Do you need to spice up your calorie-burning life? If you answered yes to ANY of the above questions (or even if you didn't...) try this one!  All you need is a piece of paper, a writing utensil, & a deck of cards.
HINT: You'll get a better workout if there are more than 2 of you playing!

Here's how it works:
Write down the following exercises on a piece of paper:

1. jumping jacks
2. classic push-ups
3. squat jumps
4. sit ups
5. burpees
6. lunges
7. chest push-ups 
8. wide leg squats
9. v-ups
10. tuck jumps
11. high knee sprint in place
12. dips                    

Next: Deal out the full deck and flip your first card!  Everyone but the holder of the highest card must now do jumping jacks to the count of the winning card (e.g. if the highest card is 9, do 9 jacks, if it's a face-card or Ace, do 15!).  The winner collects the cards and when everyone is done with their exercises, play the next round.  You continue through the game, going down the list of exercises, until there is a winner!  When you have reached the end of the exercise list, just start over at the beginning.  Imagine it's on a continuous loop :)  Goooood luck!  Be sure to stretch for a good 10 minutes when the game is over.

Keep your form!  Keep those abdominals tight!  Drink H2O!  Have fun!  Get Fit!!

-Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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LUNGES. Make them your BFF.

Lunges are one of the single greatest lower-body exercise in existence.  Want to perk up those buns?  Care to tone up those thighs?  Then lunge it up, my friends. This super-efficient exercise incorporates the major lower-body muscles all at once, leading to a strong & toned lower body!

Come back tomorrow to learn proper lunge form.  Correct form is extra-important both for injury prevention and for exercise effectiveness!

--Peace. Health. RoxyB!

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Sneaky Ways to Burn Calories!!

I'm gonna go ahead and assume that most of you intend to exercise a little more and consume a little less in 2011. Whether you've made it an official resolution or not, it's a great goal...and one that you will be SO thankful you stuck with when you're lighter on the scale and overflowing with energy come 2012!  Here are my 5 tips for the day to help you up the calorie burnage this year!

TOP 5 SNEAKY WORKOUTS for 2011:

1. Park in the FIRST empty parking space you see.  Everywhere you go.
   Make this your new normal and you'd be amazed to know that you will burn thousands more calories than you would have otherwise.
2. Boycott the elevator! 
   Unless, of course, you're lugging a way heavy load with you.  Not only will you burn {lots} more calories by taking the stairs, but over time you'll tone those stems big time!
3. KINECT w/your inner gamer.$149.99 will be worth the splurge.  Whoever came up with the idea of playing a game AND burning a ton of calories simultaneously needs a BIG kiss.
4. Two Words: DANCE. PARTY.
   Dancing is one of the top calorie-burners around!  Pump up your fav tunes while you're getting ready to go out, doing dishes, cooking, cleaning...and brush up on your moves!
5. Embrace the Frugal Lifestyle
   Wash your car yourself instead of taking it in.  Clean your bathrooms/kitchen top to bottom once a week and give your housekeeper a break!  Pack & move yourself (w help of course!) instead of hiring packers/movers.
    

The key is this: The little things add up!  It's about changing your LIFESTYLE, not making temporary changes.  These suggestions may not seem all that appealing to you, but give it a shot.  I would venture to say that if you stick with it, you'll be quite fond of the results!

*Peace, Health, RoxyB

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Squeeze it In!!

I don't know about you guys...but I am in a phase of life where my days are anything BUT regimented.  With 2 babies at home, I have to be flexible to allow for their needs and just kind of go with the flow!  Plans change at the last minute on a very regular basis!  And free time is hard to come by! For this reason, my workout schedule is completely and totally random.  I'm not following a detailed workout plan.  I don't workout at the same time every day.  And, since my baby is too young for the gym's childcare area, I RARELY make it to the gym.  So, I typically work out at home.

Make a commitment to yourself this week!  Dedicate 10-30 minutes of each day to exercising.  Whether you go on a 15-min run (or jog/walk!), work in some squats/lunges/push-ups in front of your fav TV show, or bust out those dusty dumbbells to do a quick upper body routine, just commit to making it happen!  Creating a habit is the hardest part, but you've gotta start somewhere!  Let this week be the week!  You might be surprised how much better it makes you feel!

--Peace. Health. RoxyB!

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