Questions about working out...

[ncl]

I like all the travel workout recommendations. Do you ever stay in a hotel with a gym? If so, iTrains and Cardio Coach downloads comes in handy...they have ones for the bike, treadmill (walking or jogging), elliptical or stairclimber). iSculpt traditional 12 with Mimi (another iTrain workout) does not use any equipment. Other workouts with no or minimal equipment

Cathe Travelfit
Cathe Slide and Glide (uses discs and band)
any yoga if you can manage a mat
Any Cathe kickbox workouts, esp my favorite, KPC
P90x if you use the band options
Hi lo cardio if you have the room.
There are some of the new Tracie Long in the focus series that don't have equipment, I THINK, but not sure which ones as I don't do the focus ones that often.
If you're into barre stuff, many of the ballet bodies don't use equipment and you could use a chair for your barre.
Tony Horton has a one on one DVD that is a travel DVD, but I can't fully recommend as I haven't done it.
Jillian Michaels Burn Fat Boost Metabolism uses no equipment.

I have both a gym membership and my home gym. I work out in the morning, so sometimes getting to the gym is a complete pain in the bootay. I go through phases. Sometimes I am a gym rat for awhile. For a long time now I prefer working out at home. However, my plantar fasciitis is acting up so I see myself going back to the gym to use the stairclimber and elliptical as they won't exacerbate the fasciitis. It helps that my husband teaches a class at the gym so our membership is only 20.00/month...I don't feel as guilty when I don't' go.

[Breezy Trousers]

1. For the past 3 years, I've been attending 2 morning kettlebell classes and 1 to 2 evening yoga classes each week with my husband. I do 3 to 4 DVD morning workouts at home in addition to that. I prefer DVDs. The DVD's are more challenging & fun than my classes, so I have no problem motivating myself to work out at home. I wouldn't go to class if it wasn't for my husband pulling me out the door.... It's a couples thing for us, so we continue the classes. The change of scenery is good.

I found the VF daily check-in here very helpful in keeping me on track with exercise. I was in a workout slump when I returned here last fall after a lengthy VF absence. Since returning to VF 6 months ago, I've accidentally lost over 1 jean size (surprising for a 5'2" Dairy Queen/sugar junkie), now routinely do advanced workouts, and have gone up two kettlebell sizes for lifting (8-16 pounds heavier in weights). This was after a two-year plateau. I wasn't seeking those results, but they naturally occurred, and I credit VF's influence for that.

2. Hard to say. I'm a hedonistic VF'er, not a results-focused VF'er, and that affects things because it's all synergistic. If I ate clean & did strict rotations, I could give you a more informed response. It does seem that high-rep cardio like walking/running leans me out noticeably more than weight training.... This spring, adding two Tonique/Insanity workouts each week caused me to drop that jean size in a month without trying. I initially only did them because I was chasing a morning endrophin high --- wasn't expecting the sudden drop in weight! Similarly, between 1990-1996, I did intense step aerobics, but the weight never budged. When I began running in 1997, the weight flew off of me seemingly overnight... and easily stayed off as long as I continued running ...

3. I'd add LaloFit2 to the pile of great recommendations here .... Personally, I'd do my own weight training workout at the hotel gym. Venus Index Circuits and Joyce Vedral paper workouts are great for ideas .... Doing my own weight training routines while listening to the IPOD always gets me in better shape than weight training DVDs. I prefer DVDs for circuits, intervals & bootcamp stuff simply because they're fun.

[neatski]

Originally Posted by Breezy Trousers

I'd add LaloFit2 to the pile of great recommendations here ....

I second this!!! Lalofit 1 and 2 are both super portable and I really enjoy them!

[neatski]

Originally Posted by deesharee

Thank you all for your responses... Neatski, girrl thank you so much - I feel affirmed! I need lots of diversity and I was feeling guilty about wanting to have the best of both worlds - gym and home... Don't ask me why - I just have been very hard on myself and that has left me depressed and paralyzed - and the worst procrastinator. I have to admit that I'm not one of those people who's ever fully followed a rotation - I try but I need to do something different and I beat myself up for my "lack of discipline" when I should just do what I want.

I never do rotations. I can't motivate myself when I feel constrained and have to follow a routine. Just do what you enjoy!

[bubbles76]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

A good traveling series is the X-Factor series. The numerous body weight workouts help supplement the normal treadmill/elliptical drudgery you find in most hotels. Since X-Factor requires no equipment and very little space, they can be done in the hotel gym or even your room.

When I travel a bunch, the X-Factors come with me and I'll also take one resistance band. Between those and the normal hotel cardio machines, I can get my strength/core work in and my cardio with ease.

This! I've been living in a hotel for four months straight due to work, and these workouts have helped me restart my fitness routine. I've tightened and lifted in areas that I didn't realize needed lifting and tightening They also helped with my endurance. I supplement with the hotel cardio machines by using audio workouts. Highly recommend MotionTraxx for audio workouts that can be used on the treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bike. My iPod and the X-Factors have truly helped me. I also really liked two out of the three workouts on Tracey Staehle's Total Body Bootcamp Metabolic Conditioning. You can modify to needing only a medball with that one, and one workout requires no equipment (although that was the one I didn't like).

That being said, I am ready to move on to workouts that require dumbbells But these are great to get started and keep motivated.