Alright everyone, break out your leg warmers and reeboks with the strap, its time for BUNS OF STEEL. And thighs and hammies.
SQUAT WITH FRONT RAISE
Works glutes, hamstrings, quads
You will need: a chair or bench, dumbells
Stand in front of a chair, feet shoulder width apart, knees soft. Keeping your chest up, slowly squat, while bring your arms, palms face down up to horizontal. Lightly tap the chair with your butt, push through your heels, and lower your arms and return to standing return to standing. Dont sit on the chair.
SQUAT JUMPS
Works glutes, hamstrings, calves, quads
You will need: a chair
Stand in front of chair, just like in the exercise above. This time, squat, keeping chest up, tap bech with butt and jump into the air as high as you can. Land softly, bent knees and repeat. Go for speed and height.
1 LEG BUTT LIFTS
Works glutes, hamstrings
You will need: Your lil ol’ self
Lay on your back with both legs bent. Straighten one leg in the air, keeping knees together. Push through your heel and lift your butt of the ground, raising your hips toward the ceiling as high as you can. Lower back to start.
1 LEG LUNGES
Works glutes, hamstrings, thighs, helps build lateral stability in the knee
You will need: a chair or bench, weights if desired
Stand facing away from chair. Place one leg backwards onto chair, top of the foot laying flat on it’s surface. You may need to hop your front foot out a bit, just to make sure that when you lower, your knee does not pass over your toe. Keep your chest up and lower your hips to the ground. Push through your heel and return to start.
These are my favorite butt exercises.
1 LEG SQUAT TO CALF RAISE
Works glutes, hamstrings, calves
You will need: a chair with a back
Stand next to a chair who’s back you can hold onto lightly for support. Raise one leg in front of you just enough that it will not touch the ground. Keep your chest up and lower into a squat. Press through your heel to standing and rise up onto your toe. Lower back down into squat. This is on fluid movement up and down.
I have a ton more but I will save some for later.
Just for the sake of vanity, I would like to let you know that I always take these pictures after I work out. I dont always look like I just spent 3 monthes lost in the wilderness.
Hey Kiala- you like my sweatshirt? its American Apparel. EAT YOUR HEART OUT.
Im on a running kick, so depending on my schedule, I will either run at home or at the gym on the treadmill. Im a little tight from yesterday so ill get a good stretching sesh in also. Maybe some weights. Depends on my mood. I throw caution to the wind. Im dangerous.
Maybe I wont stretch. Gasp!
Actually I will or else I wont be able to walk tomorrow.
Every Gym's Nightmare 
who is snapping the photos?
I need to lure friends over to film my videos with the promise of cookies (ok wine. but cookies sounded/felt more appropriate)
M.
Its the boyfriend. Instead of offering things i threaten to with hold sexy time.
Just kidding. I cant remember the last time we had sexy time.
Right, Jerome?
I love that you took these pictures in your slippers.
THAT MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD.
My husband? too jaded and cynical to get lured into that trap 🙂
came back to leave you a message and see if youd wanna do a guest chef thursday at some point (skim todays post—it’s really laid back, simple and just about the HEALTH).
I can send all 5 of my readers your way 🙂
Carla
mizfit08@yahoo.com
Oh my god. I loved those Reeboks. But not as much as my LA Gear.
You blog has become my fav!
Did you learn all these moves as a result of being a personal trainer or did you know them due to gymnastics. It seems like there is a lot to know to be a good personal trainer like yourself!
I have a question about cardio workouts. A lot of people feel they get a better workout running than they do on an elliptical or other cardio machines. I read somewhere that a workout on the elliptical machine is just as good (burns the same number of calories or has as much cardiovascular benefit–i can’t remember which) but it doesn’t feel like a hard workout because there is not as much wear and tear on you knees/body. Do you know if this is the case?
Thanks. Oh and I too love the fact you are wearing slippers!!
In one of your posts you said that you used to not used stability balls but now like them. What is so great about them? Honestly, they seem annoying. Are bosu better or just different?
Also, I have read that you are supposed to switch up your routine. Would using the same weight dumb-bell and using a stability and or bosu be sufficient, or would you still need to increase weight to stimulate muscle? Thanks!
Allison- those are my momo’s! Moccassins to normal people. My boyfriend got them for me and i practically live in them. I wear them outside, too, which is bad for them but they have a rubber sole so its not too bad.
Arielle- for sure. did anyone else have those stupid plastic rings so you can put your giant tee shirt through it to cinch it around your waist? or jellies? oh man, im so bringing those back. I just decided.
MizFit- Hell yeah, ill do that. Just let me know what you need me to do. Thanks for asking!
Lindsey- some of them I learned through training, some of them from gymnastics and then some from just tweaking things to try and make them harder/encorporate more muscle groups/ sounds fun, etc. There is a lot to know but its kind of easy and fun when you are actually interested in the subject. I had never experienced that before and I find myself reading and learning more just for fun and so i can further help my clients. Thank you for the compliment!
Jen- it all depends on how hard you are working (intensity, duration, speed, etc) Generally you can get them to be about the same, and higher impact activities tend to feel a bit more strenuous because of the impact. But impact activities are alot better for your bones because it makes them stronger. Its all about how hard you work.
Sarah- Stability balls allow to you to mess with the level lengths of your body, making them shorter or longer to change the resistance and intensity. You can also just do stuff on them you cant do without. Its all about preference. I just gave them a shot and ended up actually liking them. I tend to make judgments about things I dont know, and this time, turns out I was wrong. for me anyway.
Yes you are supposed to switch up your routine. Your muscles get used to whatever you are doing and wont progress or get stronger if you dont challenge them. When creating routines, us trainers tend to start with a routine, increase the weight/intensity, switch the exercises while lowering the weight/reps, the increasing the weight/intensity then new exercises agin, so its a combination of both.
Thanks! I can’t afford a regular trainer right now, but I could go to a few sessions. If I learn to routines and keep switching b/w those would that be sufficient? Or should I constantly be changing the routines I switch b/w. For example, people who do pull-up seem never to take those out.
How do you have the energy to work out at night…..I think that’s better for my schedule but I am always so tired. Do you eat dinner first? I know you are supposed to eat after working out too, but I hate eating so much at night!
These are great, I am really excited to try these exercises!
I still want to be a trainer now. 🙂 I’m super scared I won’t know any exercises to do though! Maybe I need to spend my newly unemployed time cutting moves out of magazines and making my own book… while drinking beer of course. Craft project! hahaha…
Sarah- maybe i didnt say that right, its a slow progression. It takes about a month for your muscles to get used to the routine. You can slowly add more weight or reps as they seem to get easier but you only really need to switch your routine about every month or two. you can keep certain moves in if you like them, but try and change them a bit.
Nicole- It just suits me better. I have to be at work at 5ish am so i definately cant do it before work. I do some things here and there at work when i dont have much to do, but for the most part i work out right after work. So i get off at 2:00 or 2:45 depending on the day, go home, have a snack ans play with the dog a bit, change, go to the gym around 4 or 5, then come home and have dinner. It relaxes me after work, its my “me” time. Its something I look forward too so energy doesnt really come into play.
Pheobe- let me know how you like them
Chandra- you learn exercises as you study and you learn so much about the body that you can think of some on your own. The hard part is when, like today, i have a client who is getting a hip replacement. she is very young and in good shape, so she can handle strenuous exercises, but cant do anything from the waist down. its hard to find thing that will challenge her, keep her interested and help her progress without hurting her condition. You also learn from other trainers, because everyone has different styles.
Funnily enough, i do that too! I dont make them into a book or anything but i get ideas from magazines and stuff. I find myself thinking about work when im not there, and not in a bad stressful way. People are putting their goals in your hands so you want to help them. its great, you should give it a shot.
But i do drink beer while I do it. Cant forget that. Thats where the creativity comes from.
I’m always at my creative best when I drink. 🙂 haha… riiiight… or so I think at that moment!
…unless you got buns hun.
love the slippers! and the sweatshirt! and the movie poster. love love love old movies.
now I gotta work my buns.
I am most def gonna try those out during my workout tomorrow! I have a question for you too… I heard that doing weights/strength is supposed to be better BEFORE doing cardio but I do cardio first to get my heart going. Does it really matter or is doing one more beneficial if it’s done first?
seriously lovin the blog!
You are looking good 🙂
Super random question.
Do you buy your spinach lettuce in a bag? I would like to try non-bagged baby spinach lettuce but heard it’s hard to wash- it seems more economical though. Thanks!
I have another question about heart rate monitors:
I have 2, a Polar and a Timex, but the Polar just died. While I’m waiting to get it repaired I’m using the Timex. My question is: is it possible to burn almost 750 calories in 50 minutes? That’s what my Timex read this morning, but usually my Polar gives me a number around 450 – 500 for the same 50 minute spinning class. The timex also seems to measure a heart rate almost 10 bpm higher than the Polar (I’ve noticed this before too). Which do you think I should rely on or is this something I shouldn’t worry about too much?
Sorry for the rambling question, I wasn’t sure how to word it in a less confusing way!
Betsy- its my favorite poster. She curvy, too, which is nice. Shows people didnt always value super skinny.
Cara- ha thanks. im going to have to put up a glamour shot or something so you dont all think im a hobo.
Crissy- if you get your heart rate up before you do weights, the weights will keep it up longer increasing your calorie burn. weights alone dont really get your heart rate up, so id say if your goal is to burn more calories, do cardio first. If by better you mean gaining muscle or something, id say it doesnt make a difference.
Nicole- Random questions are always welcome. i buy it in a bag but i got it at grocery outlet so it was like $1.50. Ive never gotten it not in a bag so i dont know how hard it is to wash.
bikergurl- 750 in 50 minutes seems super high. 450-500 sound about right. Polars are the best anyway so i would trust that one. honestly, I dont like heart rate monitors. I think they encourage people to be too mathmatical and calculating about their workouts. Just sweat alot and make sure you enjoy it. thats how i measure the intensity of a workout. The only reason we use them is to make sure people on beta blockers dont have heart attacks. Some people like to just know though, which is ok. Thats why i wear a pedometer. Or some people have very specific goals, like keeping a certain heart rate for an extended period of time, but other than that i would say you dont have to neccessarily be exact. 750 and 450 is a big difference though.
im rambling.
Thanks, I don’t usually pay too much attention to the calorie counts but I thought that was a huge difference and just wanted an opinion!
Thanks so much for your answer.
Hey! Quick question… When you’re doing squats aren’t you not supposed to allow your knee to go past your toes?It looks like yours IS, in your picture, but perhaps it’s just the angle? I heard from many pt’s that that’s bad for your knees aka why my knees always KILL me when I’m doing squats! Just curious and figured I should ask YOU bc, well, you ARE our virtual pt 🙂
You are right, you arent supposed to let them go over your toe. Even looking at the pictures, my knee is right in line with it, not over. It is rough on the knees to go over, but a big part of saying that is to also make sure your weight is on your heel and you are leaning backwards. Good eye!