Peas and Thank You

Wacky Wednesday: Work It Out Now

I didn’t want to do it.  But you gave me no choice.

I mentioned I had a workout routine that was helping me sleep like a baby, and in response, I got over 117 comments, emails and Tweets asking for details on what I’m doing at home to keep in shape, keep my sleep cycles in rhythm and keep men who are addicted to root beer and overpriced resort wear interested.  Okay, I added that last part.  Wishful thinking.

I hesitated to post my workout plans because I’m not a trainer.  I’m not a doctor.  I’m not a fitness model.

But it’s Wacky Wednesday, and rather then return 117 emails, I decided to go ahead and post the details here.  And for those of you who could care less how I sweat on my living room floor, I promise I’ll have an amazing dinner recipe tomorrow you’ll want to come back for.

Please note: the information on this website and in the training program are my opinions and are not a replacement for medical advice. You should consult a physician before starting any diet or exercise program. If you choose to follow this workout program without consulting your physician, you are doing so at your own risk. We claim no responsibility for any injuries you might sustain.

I formulated this workout based on workouts I’ve found in Oxygen magazine and fitness books and DVDs I enjoy.

As far as equipment goes for my “home gym,” I have:

• A watch with a timer to set for intervals (I have a Nike Triax)
• Dumbbells with adjustable plates (though SelectTech adjustable dumbbells are on my wish list)
• An iPod with headphones
• My favorite weight workout DVDs (Jackie Warner Power Circuit Training DVD or Chris’ Freytag’s 10 Pound Slim Down DVD)
• A stability ball
• My DVR, packed with Bethenny Ever After and other shows that no one else will watch with me
• A six-year old Epic treadmill from Costco that is crammed between my car, tricycles and Christmas decorations

This is where the magic happens.  Pea Daddy is cringing that I’m showing you our garage right now.

At first glance, the workout plan looks like a lot, but really, each daily workout takes about an hour, so it’s only around 6 hours a week.

Here’s what I’m doing:

Day 1: HIIT (20 min.) + full body/moderate weight (I’m using this day to do the total body workout on my Jackie Warner Power Circuit Training DVD)

Day 2: Steady state cardio (I’m running at ~6.0 mph/0 incline for 30 minutes, then walking at 3.5 mph/10.0 incline for 30 minutes) + ab work (10 min.)

Day 3: HIIT (20 min.) + heavy lower body weights (30 min.) + ab work (10 min.)

Day 4: Steady state cardio (30 min. either running or incline walk) + light upper body weights (30 min.) + ab work (10 min.)

Day 5: HIIT (20-30 min.) + light lower body weights (30 min.) + ab work (10 min.)

Day 6: Steady state cardio (30 min. either running or incline walk) + heavy upper body weights (30 min.) + ab work (10 min.)

Day 7:  Rest

Here are the weight routines I’m using on days 2-6.  On the heavy days, I do 3 sets of 8-10, as heavy as I can go to failure.  You can determine your own weights used on your personal fitness, but don’t be afraid to go heavy!  On the light days, I do 3 sets of 12-15 with lighter weights for sculpting or else I do either the upper or lower body weight workouts, respectively,  from the Jackie Warner Power Circuit Training DVD or Chris’ Freytag’s 10 Pound Slim Down DVD.

Lower body:

Squats (wide stance)

Deadlifts

Lunges

Squats (narrow stance)

Ham curls on stability ball

Single leg squats

Upper body:

Bicep curls

Dumbbell bench press

Lying tricep extensions

Hammer curls

Shoulder press

Concentrated preacher curls

 

Ab work:

1) 40 straight leg crunches

40 raised legs crunches

40 overhead crunches

+ 1 final superset of 20 each

 

2) 40 reverse crunches

40 tummy tucks (hands by your side, crunch in and out with legs in and out)

40 gorilla swings

+ 1 final superset of each

 

For cardio, as I mentioned, I like to do High Intensity Interval Training workouts three days a week. HIIT means doing a number of short bursts of intense exercise with short recovery breaks in between.  Not only are the workouts efficient for those of you who have to make Second Breakfast for the kids, but they are also proven to be more effective at burning calories and fat.

There are several different types of HIIT workouts you can do on the treadmill, ranging from walking on an incline to sprints.  Here are three of my favorites.

The Body for Life HIIT is based on the Rate of Perceived Exertion, in other words how hard you feel you are working.  For me, a “5” is a light jog and a “10” is a full-on sprint.  But you could technically do this entire workout walking.

This workout is from my friend Brittany and was featured on FitSugar. I like it because it incorporates walking and running and switches it up frequently.

This sprinting/jogging workout is probably my favorite and the one I did this morning.  You can adjust the speeds as your fitness level improves.

That’s it!  I’ve been using these workouts for about a month and have noticed a big difference in my moods, sleep behaviors and muscle tone.  It’s key to make sure you are getting enough calories and protein when taking on a new exercise program, especially one as weights focused as this one.  I aim to get between .8 – 1 gram of protein of body weight per day and I always fuel properly before and after my workouts.  (For ideas on balanced meal plans, you can check out the Pealightful Plans.)

Wacky, eh?

And as promised, I’ll be back tomorrow with a dinner recipe that you’ll love, (that happens to be high in protein)!  You may want to press your tofu tonight in preparation…