Remember that working your body out and getting in shape isn't about being vain. The lord calls us to be excellent. This is about you being healthy and happy, and the best possible you while you are here on earth. Being healthy and fit is a good witness, it's a way of loving the Lord by taking care of the body He gave you, loving your spouse, and loving your children.
First I want to talk a little about running and working out. My fitness routine changed gradually as I made more and more progress. In the very beginning I tried to run and work out everyday. That didn't always happen because of my daughter or husband's schedule, but I made a good effort to. Best case scenario was work out and run 5 days a week, just in the beginning. When I first was able to start (after the six week waiting period after the birth of my daughter) I wanted to "jump start" my metabolism. Now I run and work out three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I try to schedule an hour and a half to run and work out. My running, depending how far I run that day, takes anywhere between 40 to 60 minutes. Then the rest is working out. If you have a selected day to just work out, you still need to run, you have to get that heart rate up before you start doing anything else, ok? So run at least 1 mile before you get on the floor.
I think it's really important for us gals to get to the gym, or work out at home. Running, zumba, yoga (don't get me started on yoga), swimming, whatever you do; all that stuff is great, however, in my humble opinion, nothing beats sweating it out with an old fashioned kick your butt workout.
Speaking of your butt... work out the largest muscles you have. Your butt, back and thighs, calves, hamstrings/legs. Your goal in losing the baby weight is to burn as much fat and calories as you can in a day/week. You want to get the most amount of bang for your buck, buck kicking workout that is ;) Working out your big muscles with a mix of free weight cardio and using machines if you can, will get you more calorie burning time long after you have ended your workout. Yes, in case you didn't know, you burn calories all day long, and the harder you work out during your workout, the more you will burn throughout the day. If you are like me, your thighs and butt are nice and... how should we say? thick, heh, and your heart has to pump harder when you are working them out, therefor you burn more calories. Why am I repeating myself? Because I know what you are thinking! Yes you! I know what that little snotty voice is saying in that beautiful head of yours; its saying "blah blah Anna Banana, squats, lunges, I've heard it all before!." Well, the reason you have heard it all before on those workout videos you bought that are collecting dust, or from a friend, or from a magazine in the check out line, is because it's TRUE! Squats and lunges have so many benefits, and will kick start your metabolism, I promise! There is just one little problem isn't there? They are hard, and they take a lot of energy, and it burns! They are totally worth the burn, believe me!
Well again, if you are like me, sometimes it helps to know "how it works." I like to know the process of things sometimes, i.e. the reason for the burn/pain. That way, while I'm burning I can reassure myself it's working and worth it. And I do, and it is, and now I LOVE the burn!
First lets pay some homage to the rear! Your butt is made up of three muscles that all form that lovely lady lump in the back. You have the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. We are all pretty familiar with the maximus, that's the biggest of the three and it kind of covers the other two. But don't go ignoring the other two, they contribute their fair share to the roundness, tightness and poky-outyness.
So why am I showing you this lovely picture above? Because I want you to see that just doing one kind of movement, isn't gonna get you the butt you want. You want to exercise ALL of the butt, and all of the thigh, and all of the hamstring, and all of the calf. Why? Because it will burn more calories and get you a pretty booty faster! Pretty booty! Exercises that focus on your behind, hamstring, lower back and thighs are going to help reduce the cottage cheese situation. I'm pretty sure you and your husband or partner want your buns WITHOUT the jelly.
Try to pick exercises that will work out all of your rear. Use free weights (again it burns more calories that way), machines, and switch it up from day to day, don't do the same three exercises everyday. Granted, if you are going from not working out at all, and all you know is three different moves, then go on wich ya bad self! But after a while you will need to make an effort to learn more moves.
So where oh where do you find new moves? There is this thing called the internet, don't ask me how it works, but you are actually using it right now! google and youtube are great for finding new exercises. Fitness mags, fitness shows, classes, oh and, me, read my blog, call me up, come over, and I will learn ya some sweet moves girl!
So remember the burn? Real quick I just want to give you an explanation so you know why I love and crave that sensation like a fat kid loves cake. Well I love cake too, but, you know, that's the fat kid inside of me that you can't see anymore because I love the burn too. So the burn is lactic acid being released in your muscles, now I wont go into great detail here, but what you need to know is that lactic acid is good, that burning means that your muscles are working, being broken down so they can be built back up hard and firm, and best of all.. drum roll please, the burn really truly means that your body is burning carbs, calories and. FAT! So the burn is good, make it burn as much and as long as you can. When your booty is on fire after 50 squats, just remind your self that this is maybe 5 minutes of pain for the amazing butt you will gain. Yes, did you really think I could write about working out without throwing in "no pain no gain"? Come on!
Ok so I think we should get to a quick (as you can see I use the term "quick" loosely) tip list.
Anna's Banana Tips for Working Out:
1) Work out through out the day. Wait what? Didn't I just blab on about getting in the gym and using free weights and machines? Yes, yes I did. But also, try to work-in a work-out through-out the day. Here are some ideas:
- Place dumbbell weights in common walk through or high traffic area of your home. For me it's the counter in our kitchen. Mine are bright pink and are pretty hard to miss. When I'm boiling eggs, or waiting for something in the microwave, or my daughter is smearing banana all over her high-chair trey, I grab those weights and I do some squats, work out my shoulders or biceps, or maybe some weird combo of the two. I might only be able to get in 20 reps, but I do that a handful or more times a day. And it pays off.
- This is going to sound a little obsessive compulsive to some of you, but hey, whatever; do squats, plies or releves while blow drying your hair.
- You have probably heard this before too, but here it is again because it's true. When you go to the store, don't worry about getting the best spot, park far enough to make you work a little on your way in and out. Use the stairs at work, or wherever the day brings you.
- Moms, PLEASE play with your kids! Playing with them is bonding time for you and them, and burning cal time for you and your booty.
- This one my brother Joel thought was funny, but he ended up doing it. Squeeze your butt muscles while driving... (I'm giving you a pause here so you can laugh at me). Yes, squeeze your butt muscles right now if you are sitting while reading this, squeeze hard, as hard as you CAN! Hold it for five counts, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and release, 2,3,4 now squeeze again for five counts... you get the idea. If you keep doing that for the rest of the time it takes you to read this post, I assure you, you will feel a burn. Bizarre? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely!
2) Use free weights and machines.
3) If you aren't sweating, you aren't doing anything worth doing. Get sweaty!
4) Go for reps, not so much sets or heavy weights. I could write a whole post about why and what I mean by this, and maybe I will in the future. Butt (wink wink, nudge nudge), here is the short hand (again short hand is a relative term here): If you are reading this you are probably a woman, either that or a soft pudgy man. Women want: long lean muscles, to burn fat, and are NOT trying to look like Arnold Swarchenegger (before the moob fiasco). Also, if you are just getting back into working out, or getting into it for the first time ever, you have no idea what your limit is, or how many sets are enough, and you definitely don't want to injure yourself. With the weights, go small, for now. With the reps, go high high high, do as many as you can till it burns so much you feel like your butt, arms, back, thighs or whatever are going to fall off. With the sets, just start out with at least two, and then build them up over time. Let me give you an example: Lets say you are doing squats while holding two 5 pound weights, one in each hand. Do as many as you can, nice and slow, strong and with good form. Lets say you do 25 squats, good job! Now do that at least one more time before your work out is over. Next week do it three times each time you work out, and the week after do it four times and so on. After about a month add more weight. This approach will give you long lean muscles and it burns more calories.
5) Squats squats squats and more squats, and lunges WITH free weights.
6) Alternate muscles. So do those 25 squats with the free weights, and then work out your back, and then work out your hamstrings, and then go back to the squats.
Well I think that's all I'm gonna leak for now. My next entry will be about food and what to eat to lose! mmm! Bye for now!
http://www.military.com/military-fitness/workouts/burn-more-calories
http://fitnessblackbook.com/interval-training/how-interval-training-works-lactic-acid-oxygen-debt-and-recovery/
Good stuffs! Even if you you suckered me into reading the whole thing for my name mention at the end.
ReplyDeleteoh and add the ability to use your facebook loggin. Works better for commenter-ing/sharing.
ReplyDelete