Here is a link to some of the zoom workouts we did during the shut down of 2020. It’s hard to believe that was 3 years ago! All of the workouts on these videos are either bodyweight or with household objects you’ll have around the house. And I have to admit, they are pretty tough! Please excuse the beginning of each video as we sign on and get situated. Also, you can skip to the next workout through the playlist as needed.
I hope you’ve been working on standing up without hands! Here is a video to help mobilize your hips and then stand from the ground….
WORKOUT #3: Descending Ladder
Complete 10 reps of each exercise, then repeat performing 9 reps, continuing through until you reach round 10 performing 1 rep of each exercise. Good luck!
While the cats away, the mice will play…… Not today! I can’t leave you without some kind of challenge or homework to do! First, keep working on your ability to stand up off the ground without using your hands. In addition, try sitting or standing from your dining room or office chair on 1 leg. Attempting a couple of these a day will make these significantly easier in the gym.
EVERYDAY MOVEMENT TO WAKE AND WARM YOU UP:
WORKOUT #1: The Backpack Workout
Fill a backpack with some books or sweatshirts. This will be your weight for the workout.
Complete 3 Rounds:
15 Backpack Squats
10 X Woodchops per side (squat and swing bag up and across your shoulder)
15 Tricept extensions (lifting bag behind then overhead)
30 wall sit with bag on thighs
30 second Plank with bag strapped to back or front of body
We know this is an uncertain time, and if you are practicing social distancing, there is no need for you to neglect your fitness.
Follow along these warm up and cool down videos before&after your workout, or to just get your butt off the couch after Netflix and chillin all day. Plus, we’ve included 5 at-home workouts listed further below. Visit our YouTube page to see more exercises.
5 Bodyweight Workouts You Can Do At Home
10 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout
Perform a bodyweight squat to reverse lunge for 1 minute.
Perform a push-up to slow mountain climber (incline if necessary) for 1 minute.
Perform glute bridges for 1 minute.
Perform bird dogs for 1 minute.
Rest 15 seconds between exercises.
Complete the circuit twice and you’re done!
15 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout
Set a time for 15 minutes.
Perform 10 split squats each leg.
Perform a side plank for 20 seconds each side.
Perform 10 plank to push-ups alternating arms each time.
Perform 20 feet-elevated glute bridges.
Rest 15 seconds between exercises.
Do as many rounds as possible with good form in 15 minutes.
20 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout
Perform 10 push-ups or 10 incline push-ups.
Perform 10 bodyweight squats or 10 bodyweight jump squats.
Perform 10 bear crawls.
Perform 10 jumping jacks.
Rest 15-30 seconds between exercises and 30-60 seconds between circuits.
Do as many rounds as possible with good form in 30 minutes.
25 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout
Set a timer for 25 minutes.
Perform 10 bodyweight squats.
Perform a bear crawl forward and backward for 5 yards each.
Perform 10 reverse lunges on each side.
Perform 10 slow mountain climbers on each side.
Rest 15-30 seconds between exercises and 30–60 seconds between circuits.
Do as many rounds as possible with good form in 25 minutes.
30 Minute At-Home Bodyweight Workout
Perform 10 walk-outs (can add a push-up, if desired).
Perform 10 bodyweight single-leg RDLs on each leg.
Perform 10 dead bugs each leg.
Perform 10 wall slides.
Perform 10 lateral lunges each leg.
Rest 15–30 seconds between exercises and 30–60 seconds between circuits.
Do as many rounds as possible with good form in 30 minutes.
Walk or run 1 lap around the block after your workout at Definition….
Why?
More light exposure……If (hopefully WHEN) you read The Circadian Code, you will learn that light is a main regulator to our natural rhythms. The hormones cortisol and melatonin, the hormones that help regulate blood sugar to give the body the appropriate amount of energy that is required throughout the day, are effected by the signals light sends through the body’s nervous system. Read the Satchin Panda’s blog “Light therapeutics: How light (or darkness) affects our circadian clock, sleep, and mood,” for a great explanation. Plus we all need more vitamin D- skip the pill and go outside.
Trigger your parasympathetic nervous system….In Chris Kresser’s article Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic State: How Stress Affects Your Health getting out in nature is listed as a way to help get your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system back in balance. A simple walk around the block could go a long way in reducing stress and triggering your rest and digest mode.
Get happy….exposure to green space has been shown to improve your mood. And have you seen our neighborhood? It’s gorgeous! So go take a look around!
More Steps… for those of you tracking your daily steps taken, this will help you get more. ‘Nough said.
At the end of the month and challenge, what do you get?? You get to Move Better… Feel Better… aannnddd Look Better!
Hi everybody!! While we are all in the voting mood, Definition Fitness small group participants will be able to participate in an election day of of our own….Have strong feelings about burpees? Are lunges taking over your life? Sick and tired of the robo calls about the benefits of kettlebell swings?? Well now’s your chance to let your voices be heard! Vote on the exercises you DO want to see added to your workout this Friday by clicking the title of the blog above, and writing your selections in the comments section. It’s your civic duty, after all, as a small group participant;)
We keep hearing and reading that we should obtain 10,000 steps per day. Even most fitness trackers are automatically set to 10,000 steps daily. So where did this number come from? Well, it all started back in 1964 when Japan was preparing to host the Summer Olympics in Toyko. Fitness, health and wellness were gaining more awareness in the Japanese population especially the benefits that came from regular exercise, such as fighting obesity, diabetes, hypertension, etc. During this time, the development of the modern pedometer was introduced and sales took off! The number 10,000 was derived from the Japanese term, Manpo-kei, which translates to 10,000 steps meter. From that point 10,000 steps became the minimum number of steps to walk on a daily basis.
So, now you’re probably thinking, how far is 10,000 steps? Well, that number will have some variance to it based on each individual but roughly it’ll equate to 4-5 miles (1 mile roughly yields 2,000-2,500 steps).
Now, let’s take into account our daily lifestyle. It tends to be more on the sedentary side. Let’s think about this for a minute…driving, meetings, desk jobs for 8 hours a day, watching TV, etc. All these different daily activities add to our poor posture, aches, and pains.
Getting 10,000 steps can seem intimidating and almost impossible to achieve to some but in reality it’s not. First off, start tracking your steps as soon as you wake up. Keep your pedometer or fitness tracker on in order to track your steps throughout the day. Here are some simple tips to reach that goal:
Break up your time at the desk by getting up to get a drink a water or even get a simple stretch in
Take the stairs vs. the elevator
Park a little further in the parking lot
Go for a walk after dinner with a friend/dog/spouse/kids
Go window shopping
Go for a walk on the beach
Talk on the phone while going for a walk
If you’re not close to 10,000 steps yet, then find your starting point and try to increase your step count by at least 500 steps each week! A little improvement each day is better than none.
Now, here’s the fun part…jump into our 10,000 Steps Challenge for the next four weeks. The goal is to get:
10,000 steps per day = 70,000 steps per week = 280,000 steps for four weeks
Those who reach the minimum of 280,000 steps by the end of the challenge will get FREE access into our Mobility Class! The person that gets the most steps overall will be able to enjoy a FREE 30 minute foot massage!!
So get those walking/running shoes on and your pedometer or fitness tracker ready and get moving!!!
You are 17 minutes into an hour-long session with your rockstar Trainer and it happens….
You feel so weak that every rep feels like it could be 3 tons….
Dizziness and a light-headed feeling begin to overcome your brain….
The hands get clammy and a cold sweat starts to bead up on your forehead….
“I need a minute….”
but even with recovery and some water, you know the training session has essentially been lost. You had no energy to give and your body shut down as a result.
What happened and how can this be avoided?
I’m willing to bet that we can start with what you ate (or didn’t eat) leading up to your workout.
What you eat prior to and in the hours after a workout can significantly impact performance and recovery. In this article, I will cover basic guidelines for pre and post workout nutrition for normal, everyday people. If you are an endurance athlete, looking to put on significant muscle or have a specific event you are training for (hello, Gate River Run) other considerations will likely be needed.
On to everyone’s favorite…..eating!!!
2-3hrs prior to a workout:
This is an ideal amount of time to take in proper nutrition and allow for digestion with a normal sized, well-rounded meal. In this timeframe, meals should consist of a quality carbohydrate (such as potatoes, rice or berries), a lean protein source (chicken, fish or lean meats) and a small amount of wonderfully delicious fats, such as nuts, nut butter or oils.
The carbohydrates prior to working out will help fuel your workout and jump-start the recovery process, while the protein will reduce muscle damage and improve body composition. Fats eaten prior to training will not directly affect the performance of the workout itself, but help provide much-needed nutrients and also slows digestion, keeping blood glucose levels nice and even (remember our lightheaded/dizzy spell at the beginning of this article? That was most likely because blood sugar levels dropped very quickly)
But Pat…..
I workout at the butt-crack of dawn!
I don’t have time to eat that far in advance of my workout.
What will I do???
Glad you asked, my curious friends.
1-2hrs or less prior to training:
If you don’t have the time to eat a full meal in advance of training, the focus shifts slightly. Change your mindset to more of a light snack that you are familiar with and digests easily.
…..read that second part again.
I don’t think I need to explain the importance of digestion in this case, do I?
A quick banana/piece of fruit or a scoop of protein in water (not dairy) is fine to keep the hunger at bay, but make sure in this scenario that you take in a nutritious meal soon after your workout. Training extensively in a fasted state can lead to muscle tissue breakdown, impaired recovery and a significant drop in performance.
But Pat….I’m just not hungry in the morning, before my training sessions.
Ok, fine. Be sure to stay hydrated (whenever you are training or working, or shopping….just stay hydrated, it’s pretty important) and a small amount of caffeine is ok. Again, the main point prior to training is knowing what you are comfortable with. If you normally have a cup of magic black gold before working out, then cool, drink up…..but if you aren’t a coffee drinker (I don’t even know who you are!) don’t load up on caffeine. The only exercise you will be doing is the bathroom squat.
Post Workout Meal:
The timing of your post-workout meal really depends on what you ate prior to training. If you go to the gym in the afternoon or evening and have had a full meal or two well in advance, you don’t need to run immediately to the kitchen or, despite what the muscle guys will tell you, reach for that protein shake within seconds of finishing your last rep.
On the other hand, if you do train very early in the morning or in a fasted state, then a post workout meal within the first hour after the session really becomes important to replenish the body, restore much needed muscle glycogen for recovery and other sciencey stuff that will just make you feel and train better. Isn’t that what we want?
Your post workout meal should be a well-rounded meal of lean proteins, whole food carbohydrates, and full fats. Simple carbohydrates (simple sugars like pop tarts or candies) have been thought to spike insulin and refill glycogen stores quickly, and while this practice can be effective for endurance athletes or training sessions that last well over an hour, the normal person will benefit the most from taking in a quality, longer digesting carbohydrate source.
The makeup of your plate will depend slightly on your goals and training. If fat loss is a priority for you, then maybe a smaller portion of carbohydrates would be good (note: I didn’t say eliminate them….you need them, they are important, they are delicious), while on the other hand, if putting on some quality muscle mass is a goal for you, that large sweet potato will serve our needs perfectly.
All plates, no matter what the fitness goal is, should have a high-quality protein source and all the veggies you can stuff in that beautiful face of yours. If every meal you eat has a protein and tons of veggies, the other variables can be adjusted to suit your particular needs.
Nutrition is a highly individualized practice. No one diet or method will work for everyone and even a diet that works for someone might not work forever, as the body adjusts amazingly fast. The important concept is to build your nutrition around a few essential principles and then experiment to find what works best for you and your body.
Use these guidelines to come to your workouts ready to perform at your absolute best and get the most out of your training sessions.
If you have any food and fitness questions or feel like sharing great recipes that have helped you make nutrition easier, feel free to email me at Patrick@Definitionfitness.com
