Sometimes life can become very overwhelming when you are working for a consistent 8 hours or more, and then have to come home and run errands, whether that be taking care of children, renovations, grocery shopping, cleaning the house or some of you may even have another job!
I remember when I used to work 9-5pm in an office doing stressful financial work and then head to the gym right after work to train 2-3 clients. On top of that I would TRY to workout myself and found that I was slowly but surely running out of will power, motivation and eventually I had to take some time off to rest. I ended up quitting my personal training position to see if that would give me some extra time after work! It’s funny how life works sometimes though…
My 9-5 job had become so overwhelming and the piles of papers on my desk seemed to be multiplying each day. Phone-calls would pour into my office phone all day and I found that by the time 5pm hit, the last thing I wanted to do was change into some gym clothes and train for an hour and a half! I wanted to go home and sleep and eat of course!
I developed a few ways of staying in great shape from home to help me cope with my 9-5 work schedule and sometimes extra hours at work and I hope that some of the workouts I have recorded can help some of you out there that have a hard time getting to the gym on a regular basis.
Lower Abdominal Workout
When it comes to the cardiovascular portion of a workout, what better than to get some fresh air and go for a brisk walk or jog out doors? You see, 80% of results when it comes to getting into tip top shape come from your kitchen and NOT from endless hours spent at the gym.
The most important thing is to eat adequate amounts of protein from natural sources. I find that for females 15-20 grams of protein – about ½ can of tuna or 5-6 egg-whites and for Males 20-30 grams of protein –1 can of tuna or 8 egg whites for example, every 2-3 hours is more than enough to keep your energy levels high and your metabolism going throughout the day.
Of course you need dietary fats and vegetables as well. Olive oil, walnuts/almonds, avocado, light cheese, eggs are all excellent sources of healthy fats just to name a few. Broccoli, lettuce, spinach, cauliflower are all excellent sources of vegetables that are very high in fiber and low in sugar.
Pushups and Crunch Combo
If you are craving sweets you can always just make a boiling hot cup of cocoa using 2 tbps of fry’s unsweetened cocoa, splenda or stevia as a sweetener and add some 10% cream. If your diet is low in carbs your body will rely on fat its main fuel source. Many “experts” like to argue and say that you NEED oatmeal and whole grains in your diet but that information is false. Protein is actually converted into glucose through a process called “gluconeogenesis” therefore our bodies are quite smart; they can manufacture their OWN glucose if it is needed that badly.
You can’t go wrong with fat as a fuel source because not only do dietary fats help lubricate your joints, help lubricate your colon to pass a better stool, help fuel your brain but they teach your body to burn excess stored fat when at rest. By lowering your carb intake or even eliminating starches out of your diet completely you are teaching your body to become more efficient, use up and burn off its stored fats!
Upper Back and Rear Delts Workout
I am not going to write an essay on ketogenic diets; I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding them. One thing I can say though is I do not agree with eating barbaric amounts of fat either. Moderation is key! But, if you asked me what my fuel sources are I would certainly have to say that I rely on Fats as a fuel and Protein to help me maintain good bone density, toned and sculpted muscles and I like to eat green vegetables for increased fiber and energy as well.
Rear Delt Workout
So I’ve touched on a bit of nutrition there, now let’s get to the “working out at home” portion of this article! Throughout the article are a few video clips that when done as a circuit can give you a total body pump. I would suggest for beginners doing 2 sets of 12-15 reps of each move and a brisk 20 minutes power-walk outdoors if weather permits (If you have a piece of indoor cardio equipment you can use that as well).
For intermediate exercisers, you can do 3 sets 12-20 reps with less rest between sets (try 20-30 min. of cardio). For advanced exercisers you can use a medicine ball for the planks/pushups or find another form of small at-home equipment that can help add a challenge to the workout; try doing 3-4 sets 12-20 reps with minimal rest between sets; this is just a suggestion and what has worked for me too!
In terms of cardio, do what works best for you. As long as you can do 20 minutes 3-4 times a week minimum is sufficient as long as your eating habits are good. Remember that ANY activity as little as it may seem is better than NO activity!