Protect Your Workout
The No-Equipment Workout for Fitness on the Road
The most important part about staying in shape while traveling, for work or vacation, is packing workout clothes.
When you have a chance to exercise, the excuse “I don’t have sneakers and a pair of shorts” stops way too many people before they even get started. It is worth finding room in your bag because of the stress, bad food and sitting involved in traveling. Your body wants you to move. You’ll get rid of stress, burn calories and release those feel-good endorphins.
If you don’t have access to a gym or weights, there are plenty of things you can do with your own body’s resistance. Here are 10 of the 20 moves that make up my exercise-on-the-road routine. In my next column you’ll get the other 10 moves, and they get more intense.
1) Warm-up. Start with a simple march and then jog in place for a minute. Move to a step-touch while lifting arms to the sides. Add an alternating hamstring curl and biceps curl with both arms. Then finish up the five-minute warm-up with light jumping jacks.
2) Push-ups with a glute raise. Start with regular style or add a multi-tasking move by lowering to the knees and adding lower-body sculpting. After the first modified push-up raise your right foot to the ceiling. Repeat 10 times on the right side after each push-up and then 10 times on the left side. You’ve just worked your pecs, triceps, core and glutes.
3) Low leg low ab crunch. Next, lie on your back and straighten your legs 80 percent straight, knees together and feet on the floor. Put your hands behind your head and crunch up for 50.. Be sure to keep your eyes on the ceiling, knees together, neck long and chin lifted.
4) Cardio interval. Jump rope (pretend to hold the rope and swing it for extra biceps work) for one minute or count to 100 — alternate from one leg at a time, to feet together and hopping. Maybe hop twice on one leg at a time. Have fun with it. For all cardio intervals in this workout, march in place for at least 20 seconds afterwards to get your heart rate back down to a comfortable level.
5) Triceps dips. Sit on a bench, footstool or chair with your hands at your sides and palms on the bench knuckles up and fingertips curling around towards the floor. Lift yourself off the bench and slightly forward. Lower your backside toward the floor while bending your elbows at 90 degrees. Finish the move by pushing back up so elbows extend again. You can make this more difficult by straightening the legs or lifting one leg off the floor.
6) Inner thighs. Lie on your right side and balance on your right elbow and right hip. Bend your left knee to place the left foot in front of your straight right leg. Be sure to keep the right foot parallel to the floor and lift the right leg 30 times. Repeat on the other side. Next lie on your back with your legs extended over your ribcage. Turn the toes out and flex the feet. Begin to open and lower the legs to the sides, away from one another. To finish the move, bring the heels back together. To intensify, only bring heels in halfway and press against your inner thighs with your hands for a true “thigh master” resistance move. Repeat step one on the left elbow and hip.
7) Cardio. Stand up and do 20 jumping jacks with the right foot in front, 20 with the left foot in front and 20 alternating and crossing feet.
Outer thighs. Now lie again on your right side, and prop yourself up on your elbow but this time in a half-side plank. Bend the right leg lift hips off the floor. Keep the left leg straight as you lift it for 25 reps. Keep the abs tight because you’re working them as well in this multitasker. Repeat on the other side.
9) Planks. Alternate from a middle plank (looks like a freeze frame of the top of a push-up) to a side plank and hold each for a count of 10 seconds. middle, right, middle, left equals one repetition. Complete 5 repetitions.
10) Cool down. Do a 5 minute cool down with the same moves in the warm up and then stretch your hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, hip flexors, inner and outer thighs, glutes, triceps, pectorals, trapezious and rhomboids (upper back), and lower back with standing rolls or cat/cow.
Remember to drink a lot of water, and maybe treat yourself to a new exercise clothes as a souvenir to celebrate your healthy habits on the road.
Hard Core: Long Weighted Abs
It’s the Heavy Holidays, so our middle is on our minds!
Everyone asks about abdominal toning moves, and between Thanksgiving and January 30, I get the most questions about great moves for this area.
Here is one that I love, because you can change it to 3 different levels, from modified to advanced, to athlete.
I will explain the “athlete” or level 3 as pictured here, and then explain how to modify it.
Athlete (Level 3, pictured): Lay on the floor with one weight the size of what you would use to challenge yourself with 15 bicep curls. I usually use 10-15 pounds.
Hold the fat ends of the weight in each palm and lay on your back.
Extend our arms and legs long – this is set position.
To crunch, lift the weight with your arms straight, like a lat pull-over, while you bend your legs into your chest. LIFT THE SHOULDERS off the mat as you reach your hands toward your shoelaces. You will be crunched in as tight as you can, with your gaze on the ceiling to keep the neck in line with the spine.
Return to set position WITHOUT resting legs on the floor, let them hover about 3 inches from the floor for each rep.
Do as many of these as you can while keeping your lower back pressed into the floor. Remember the number you can do in the first set and take a break while completing some of your usual workout moves or cardio. Return and try to do close to the same number again. Break and repeat for a 3rd set. You will likely be able to do more the first time and work down as your abs fatigue.
To modify:
Beginner (Level 1) – do not use a weight. Extend arms overhead and straighten legs up to the ceiling instead 90 degrees from the floor, feet over hips (set position). Reach your straight arms up to ceiling and down towards your shoelaces as described above while bending the knees into the chest and lifting the shoulders off the mat. Return to set (feet to ceiling).
Advanced (Level 2) – follow the athlete instructions, but use a 5-8 pound weight and set position for your straight legs is a 45 degree angle between the ceiling and the floor, or about 2 feet off the floor.
Don’t forget that half the battle is 3 days of cardio per week and every day following a diet of lots of water, and 5-6 small meals of lean protein like fish and chicken, whole wheat carbs (yes, even pasta), natural fruit and veggies, and calcium from sources like skim milk and yogurt. Include nuts like almonds and walnuts and always plan ahead to keep your tank 1/4 full. When you are running on empty is when you make poor food choices.
Hard Core Abs with Chest, Thighs and Back
Crunches are for amateurs. Anyone can put their hands behind their head and lift their shoulders off the ground. Soon your abs will master this move and no matter how many times you to it, the plateau will hold you back. When this happens, you need to take your abdominal workout to a whole new level… a Hard Core level.
My new Hard Core Abs workout DVD uses weights and innovative moves to work your abs in a whole new way in just half an hour. The bonus is that the rest of your body gets a workout as well. I selected moves that also use your other muscles to assist you in forming that 6 pack. Here is a sample that also hits your chest, inner thighs, and upper back (the opposing muscle group to the chest) for a well rounded workout that flattens your stomach.
1) Starfish Crunch:
Lay on your back with medium weights (5–8 pounds) in each hand. Straighten your legs directly over your hips, feet flexed and reaching for the sky. Hold the weights so that your palms face each other, arms straight, directly over your chest. Open your legs by dropping your feet out to the side as you open your arms into a check fly. As you bring the feet and hands back together, crunch the weights toward your shoelaces by engaging the abs and lifting the shoulders off the floor as shown. Do 20 reps.
2) Upper Back Planks:
It is important to work the upper back after working your pectorals for posture and muscle balance. Roll over on your hands and knees, and place two heavy weights (8–15 pounds) under each hand. Lift knees off the floor and balance on your toes and weights in a plank position (feet, hips and head all in one straight line). Shift your weight into your right hand as you lift your left elbow towards the sky and your left hand toward your left ribs. Lower weight to the floor and shift your weight to the left. Lift the right hand and weight towards your ribcage as you reach this elbow to the sky. Repeat for 15 reps.
Do 3 sets alternating these two moves for a hard core start to your workout!
Fit Travel Workout
All week I have been teaching my fitness classes without using equipment, so that my class members can take these moves along with them for Thanksgiving and other holiday travel. It’s easy as pie to work off those desert calories without needing to get to a gym or pack a suitcase full of dumbbells. All you need is my Fit Travel Workout DVD shot in China, Mexico, Italy, Chicago, NYC and Tampa that proves you can work out wherever life takes you. If you don’t have the DVD, you can also print out my three Military.com fit travel columns for free.
Here is a 10 minute portion of the 30 minute workout that slims you with cardio and sculpts you with muscle toning.
1) Traveling push-ups (works chest, triceps, shoulders and abs): Start in a plank position (the top of a push-upon your toes and hands wider than shoulder width apart) perform one push-up by bringing the chest to the floor and keeping your arms wide so that your wrists and elbows remain in line. Push back to a plank position while engaging your abs. Take right hand and cross it over the left and then bring left hand out to the left and under your left shoulder, moving your body in a counter clockwise direction. Do a push-up here. Cross left hand over right and return to start. Do a push-up. Cross left hand over right again and move body toward the right in a clockwise direction. Move right hand out again to a normal push-distance and do another push-up. Return to start by crossing right hand over left and moving back towards center. That completes one rep and 4 push-ups. Perform 5 reps for one set.
2) Squat, rock and lift (works glutes, outer thighs and quads): This is also a great move to perform if you are around kids for the holidays. I perform this one with my baby in the Baby Bootie Camp DVD. Even without extra weight, its a great booty burner. Start in a standing position, feet shoulder width apart. Squat by shifting weight into the heels and bending knees to 90 degrees. As you return to standing, rock the weight to your left leg and lift your right leg out to the right with a flexed foot. Place right foot back on the ground and squat again, this time shifting weight to the right and lifting the left leg to the left to complete one rep. Do 20 reps for one set. This hip abduction works the outer thighs and quads. Target the glutes by doing a second set and instead of lifting the leg to the side, lift it behind you between squats.
3) Down dog shin reach (works abs, shoulders, chest): Start in a plank position like in move 1. Tightening your abs, lift your hips to the sky and shift weight back into the toes, keeping heels lifted off the floor. While shifting the weight back, also take your right hand off the floor and reach it toward your left shin for an oblique challenge. Move back into plank and return right hand to the floor. Push weight back toward down dog with hips lifted and weight into the right hand while reaching your left hand towards your right shin. That completes one rep. Perform 15 reps for one set.
4) Airplanes (works upper and lower back, glutes, hamstrings and rear delts): Lay on the floor, face down, with both arms extended away from the body at shoulder level forming the letter “T”. Lift your legs, arms and head off the floor by contracting your glutes, upper and lower back. Hold in the “up” position and move your arms to the front of your body reaching past your head. Return to the “T” position and lower the entire body down for one rep. Do 15 reps for one set.
Cardio Intervals: Perform jacks and jump rope moves for 3 minutes in between each set. Keep it interesting by changing the feet to knees up, one leg hops, pogo stick hops, heel taps, etc.
Pack this workout, an iPod and a pair of sneakers to stop you from packing on the pounds this holiday!
Read more: http://military-fitness.military.com/2010/11/fit-travel-workout.html#ixzz1ab4fqfRx
Military-Fitness.Military.com
Average Joe
You don’t have to be a yoga guru to get your stretch on. Here is a flexibility routine anyone can do after a gym class, bike ride, or strength training routine.
While the jury is still out on stretching before you work out, everyone agrees stretching for about 20 seconds per muscle group after a workout is a must to stay flexible, injury free, be less sore and knotted up, and turn your body long and lean.
Some tips for the average Joe who is not used to stretching:
Breath deeply as you stretch, filling up the lungs as much as possible with a full long exhale (think yoga breath). Dont bounce because what trainers call ballistic stretching is a one way ticket to injurytown, hold and go deeper into each move as you feel yourself loosening up. Dont strain, but aim- for eventually more flexibility.
Many people do abs at the end of a workout, so we will start the stretches from a seated position.
Seated Hamstring Stretch
Straighten legs out in front of you and fold over them from the hips. Stop when your knees start to bend and lengthen as you inhale, fold a little lower as you exhale and lengthen. Reach toward your feet, but try to to curl the back, it is not important to get your head low, but more important to elongate the hamstrings. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Outer Thigh Seated With Twist
This will also work your glutes. Keep left leg straight and bend right knee, dropping right foot over and to the outside of your left leg. Sit up straight and hug the knee into the chest. Stay there or add a twist (good for the back and helps digestion and hangovers) by anchoring your left elbow above the bent right knee. Put right hand behind you and twist the torso. Look over your right shoulder. After 20 seconds, repeat on the other side.
Stand up. With both feet flat, begin to stand with hands on quads, and slowly round the back up, head last.
Calf Stretch With Triceps
Place left foot behind you, about 3 feet back into a lunge. Make sure the heel pushes into the floor as you lean on your bent right leg. The right knee should be directly over the right ankle. To multitask this stretch, stop leaning and move the shoulders over your hips. Extend the left arm overhead and then bend the elbow to drop the hand behind your neck, elbow to the sky. Extend right arm overhead, and place hand on left elbow. Push the elbow toward the head to increase the stretch. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Hip Flexor
Keep the right leg back and wiggle it back even farther, about a foot, so that the heel can no longer touch the floor. Frame your left front foot with both hands on either side. Left knee is directly over the ankle. Think about making the back leg as straight as possible and dropping the hips closer to the floor. You should fee a stretch where your right pants pocket would be. Repeat on other side.
Quadriceps and Shoulder
Your left leg is behind now from the last stretch. Straighten the torso over the hips again and bring left leg in about a foot, bending the knee underneath the shoulders and hips. To multitask, extend left arm across the body at shoulder level, toward the right side of the body. Use your right hand to gently press above or below the elbow joint pushing the the left arm into the chest. Repeat on other side.
Inner Thigh
Open the legs out to the side in a plea squat, wider than shoulder width. Knees should point out to the sides and be bent close to 90 degrees, directly over the ankles. Tip at the hip and gently press hands into inner thighs, opening up the legs a little wider and increasing the stretch. Slowly roll the back up after holding for at least 20 seconds.
Chest Stretch
Interlace the fingers behind your back and try to press the heals of your hands together, closing palms into each other. Lift the straight arms up behind you toward the sky and hold.
Upper Back
We are basically going to reverse the last move and interlace the fingers in front of the body. Scoop the belly back, and tilt the shoulders and hips forward. Slightly bend the knees and press hands away and in front of you at shoulder level.
Side Stretch Abs
Separate feet again at least as wide as your shoulders. Support yourself on your left elbow into your left hip as you lean to the left. Extended right arm overhead and to the left. Hold the stretch and tilt your head up to the sky, looking under your arm to the ceiling. Repeat on the other side.
Take a deep breath in and remember how good you feel. Long, lean, toned, and not so average!
Check out NikkiFitness.com for a FREE stretch video. All stretches above can be found on the Nikki Fitness Military Wife Workout DVD.
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