Questions about working out...

[deesharee]

Hi, it's been a while since I've posted... my job has kept me traveling and busy and frankly, I hate it. I haven't worked out like I wanted to... just walk once a week with a friend and I'm really struggling with eating right and working out. I won't talk about eating plans and nutrition here, but I do have several questions for my fellow VFers...

1. Do any of you work out both at a gym and at home? How do you manage it? Do you do cardio at home and weights at the gym or vice versa? I impulsively joined a gym because I thought that would get me going, but I haven't been for the last several weeks...how do I motivate myself again?

2. What home workouts have leaned you out the most?

Any advice on traveling and working out would be appreciated. I wish to God I can quit this job of mine. I am looking but it's just hard when you have all this work and planes to catch. I'm so miserable right now... sorry for the venting. Don't get me wrong - I am grateful to be working right now. But frankly, I've taken over the jobs that 3 other people once had and it's just too much. I've talked about this to my boss, but she says it's this way for everyone - sort of "take a number and get in line." It's affecting my health and well-being, so that is why I am trying to get on a good eating plan and workout routine. Sigh.

[bfit]

I have a portable DVD player that did not cost too much at Target. I take Leslie Sansone workouts plus an exercise band when I travel and just make myself get up extra early to work out in my hotel room before the work day starts. Cathe's Travel Fit is a good band workout for traveling. You can play DVDS on a laptop computer too if it's set up for that. On the other hand, I travel only a few times a year so maybe you would get tired of that if you're traveling all the time. . .

[PeakFitness]

Do a tag search for "travel" to find recommendations for other travel workouts. For tag search: Click search then click tag search before you type in the search term.

[neatski]

Oh, this is such a good thread for me to respond to.

I work out at a gym and at home. I work out at home when I don't feel like going to the gym or I want to use my equipment (especially heavy kettlebells), and I go to the gym when I need some social motivation by working out around other people. I reeeeeally like this arrangement. When I'm short on time, I have my home gym, but when I have time and want to be around others, I use the gym. They also complement each other because I can work on new exercises at home without having to worry about someone seeing me fall over .

I am a big traveler and in fact I'll be working away from home for 6 weeks starting in June, so I have many, many travel-oriented workouts- mostly my own. I do a lot of bodyweight circuits. I also have a TRX suspension trainer and door anchor, which I take with me when I travel. I have Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit and the Insanity workouts for cardio. I also have an Ultimate Sandbag. They just came out with new filler bags that can be filled with water, which I'm planning to buy soon.

As far as leaning out.... strength training, strength training, strength training. Exchanging cardio for strength training has consistently made me leaner. Paul Katami's Hollywood 4x4 only requires dumbbells (and when traveling, I have used resistance bands instead) and it's a great and portable circuit workout.

[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.

Bfit - you confirmed it for me! I'm going to buy the portable DVD player I've had on my Amazon wish list for the past 2 months!!!

[KarenP]

Originally Posted by deesharee

1. Do any of you work out both at a gym and at home? How do you manage it? Do you do cardio at home and weights at the gym or vice versa? I impulsively joined a gym because I thought that would get me going, but I haven't been for the last several weeks...how do I motivate myself again?

Hi desharee,

Sorry you're in an exercise funk right now. Hopefully, you'll be out of it soon.

I do all my workouts at the gym. I also walk outdoors as much as I can. I find it really helps to plan your workouts in advance. If I know today is my strength day and I'm going to lift weights or there's a spin class at a certain time or whatever, I'm so much more likely to get there AND be productive. Remember, if you're coming back from a period of not working out, start easy and work up slowly. But have a plan.

Any advice on traveling and working out would be appreciated.

Again, when I know I'll be out of town I plan in advance. I'll look on-line and find a gym and then plan workouts for that gym. And/or I'll plan a walking tour of the city I'm visiting.

[icebergslim]

The Brooklyn Bridge Bootcamp is a very good workout which can easily be modified in the cardio aspect. It uses bands and body weight. This is ideal for working out while traveling. Cathe has a travel fit workout but it is not cardio intensive in my view, but a good workout. The Men's Magazine Body weight workout is another good one, broken up in 10 mn segments. You can jump rope, try Micheal Olijade's Aerojump which is a fantastic conditioning workout and if you don't have a rope, imitate it or get airope (which is great). I think any workout that incorporates weights can be altered by using bands. Lastly, you have to jump start yourself. Make sure you are getting enough sleep at night and once you are off work continue to move, change your clothes and workout. I don't have a gym membership because everything I do is outdoors or inside, but I do have all the things needed to workout at home. There are many times when I want to just chuck working out, but I continue to move, I don't stop, I change my clothes, I turn on my dvd/tv and put my workout in and just keep going. Easier said, than done, but it in the end you just have to do it.

[bk1]

I also like Slim in 6, Keep It Up, and Firm It Up for traveling. I'm going on vacation soon, and I plan to take those, along with Travel Fit and my band, and I'll be swimming along with the dvds for exercise.

[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.

[superfit41]

I travel a TON now for work, and I understand your struggles. I carry my laptop, and do a lot of workouts in hotel rooms. I mostly do Leslies, and I also do SI6/Burn it Up a lot. I do find some workouts to be akward with the laptop, especially ones that have you on the floor a lot. The simpler, the better. I also like the original 10lb Slimdown set, and the Powerfit workouts. The 20 min length of these are perfect for when you are short on time, plus they only require a set of 5lb dumbells, (band for the Powerfits) which is also great for travel. To be honest, I really don't care for all of the traveling either, but like you, I don't have much choice right now.Just gotta make the best of it

Sherry