So some of you have asked quesitons about the workouts.....Here is something I put together for a few other gals a while back. I hope it can help.
WORKOUTS:
When I’m getting in shape for a special event or something like a vacation I usually work out about 6 days a week. If it’s just general “maintenance†or wintertime it’s more like 4 or 5 days a week. I try and get 4 days of weight workouts in, and then take a day of just cardio in between. Andy and I both structure our weight workouts between “push†days and “pull†days. I’ll explain……
Push days are chest presses, shoulder lifts, triceps (dips or kickbacks), and chest flys. You can change it up, but you get the general idea. On the push days I do dead lifts for the backs of the legs.
Pull days are biceps, back, and lats. I do two different back exercises (row machine), two different lat pull down exercises, and bicep curls with the free weight bar. On pull days I also do the squats and lunges.
Go here for animations of what workouts should look like:
Body-for-LIFE Training Demonstrations
It’s really good to work the different muscle groups on varying days. For cardio I usually switch between the elliptical and treadmill, or spin classes. I go for 15 minutes on the elliptical, then go to the treadmill to run for 15, then back to the elliptical for 15 (total of 45 minutes) Mostly I do it that way because I get really antsy and bored so I have to change it up. I found it actually gives me a better workout to change it up like that since it is working different parts of my body.
Here is a typical week:
1: Push Weights & 35-45 min cardio
2: Pull Weights & 35-45 min cardio
3: Just cardio (about 55-60 minutes or one hour long cardio class like spinning)
4: Push Weights & 35-45 min cardio
5: Pull Weights & 35-45 min cardio
6: Just cardio (55-60 minutes/ some days I run outside/walk outside/etc.)
7: day off
Once quick piece of advice that I have personally had to deal with.....it's not enough to just show up to the gym and get through your workout. You really have to work HARD. That was my problem for a long time. I'd go to the gym and just kind of go through the motions without really pushing myself. I had to switch it up and add in some different classes and things to shock my body into getting over a plateau.