5 Tips for Working out on Vacation

February 15, 2019 by

Ah, vacation. A great time to connect with family and friends, eat amazing food, and go somewhere new. Luckily, you can do all of these things and also not forget about your health and your workouts. Here are 5 tips for working out on vacation that have worked for me over the years. I leave for a trip in less than two months, so I’m gearing up for my workouts while I’m away!tips for working out on vacation

1.) Don’t Stress out about it. You are on vacation! If you don’t work out as hard or as much, it’s ok! Just do what you can, when you can.

2.) Take advantage of your new surroundings. One of the reasons I love working out on vacation is that it’s somewhere new to run, with new scenery and places to visit. It makes the workout go by faster!

                                          

3.) Mix it up: If you have access to a pool, swim or tread water while your family catches some rays. Or, you could go for a walk and explore a new city, your resort, or the beach. Surf or snorkel in a tropical paradise. Play golf on a new to you course, or make new friends and play beach volleyball.

asics shoes


4.) Check out the hotel gym. Sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised at the nice equipment or a great view out the windows. It makes a difference!

5.) Workout early: Get your workout done before your day starts so then you have extra energy and don’t have the thought of exercise weighing on you all day. Then you can just focus on your family, friends, and creating memories.

QOTD: What is your favorite vacation workout?

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Bobby’s Workout Routine Part 3

November 28, 2018 by

This is the final installment of my husband’s workout routine. Check out parts one and two if you missed them!

Welcome back to part three, and the conclusion, of my workout routine.  As a recap, make sure you are being consistent with how often you work out and that you are putting in a healthy effort (intensity).  Today’s post will cover days three and four of the four-day rotation; a cycle that often includes a rest day in the middle and possibly a long run after day four.

I would like to briefly touch on warming up.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that I have to spend more time warming up to prevent pulling something.  I generally spend 3-4 minutes on the treadmill at a jog pace or do a 500m row.  After I’m warm, I do a mix of shoulder rotations with leg stretching.  Lastly, I do a couple of pull-ups and push-ups followed by pretzel stretching to loosen my back.

Day three is focused on biceps with a secondary second pass at back.  I also try to add in a run or some other form of cardio such as bike; this day being more for endurance than speed like day one.  I start with three sets of overhand pull-ups, followed by two sets of side grip pull-ups, and then two sets of normal grip pull-ups.  This emphasis on pull-ups is more due to my personal goals than anything else.

The true bicep focus begins with 4×12-14 on seated curved bar curls.  I like to change the grip up between the two widths for each set.  Next is 4×14-15 standing dumbbell curls; alternating which arm is coming up at a time.  I follow that with a similar set of 4×14-15 standing dumbbell hammer curls.  I will finish off the workout with either bent over rows or some form of row-like pulling on a machine.

Day four is primarily for shoulders, though I touch on chest and triceps again.  This is a day I have to make sure I do a really good job of warming up as I have had shoulder issues in the past.  The workout begins with 4×12-14 barbell overhead press.  The key here is to keep your base solid and do not use your legs to press it (unless you’re doing some kind of full body workout and want to engage your legs).

Next up is 4×12-14 dumbbell overhead press.  Yes, this is very similar to the first exercise, but it helps develop your stabilizer muscles and is a slightly different angle.  I follow this with 4×12-14 dumbbell side lateral raises and then a matching set of front raises.  By this point, my shoulders are usually spent.  I will wrap up the workout with a few sets on peck deck, dips, and/or triceps extensions.

This concludes my normal workout routine that I’ve been doing for the past few years.  I hope it’s been helpful to someone.  If you have any questions, please post them.  And remember, be consistent and intense.

 

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Bobby’s Workout Routine: Part 2

November 20, 2018 by

This is part two of a guest post by my husband Bobby. Enjoy!

Time for part two of my workout routine. (Check out part one here) The main takeaways from part one were to be consistent and intense with your workouts.  You also have to learn your own body and what works for you.  I have learned that if I push too hard, I know I’m going to be dragging for the rest of the day.  I now know the effect that taking pre-workout has on me and have to alter my plans if I don’t take any for some reason.  You will even learn, over time, how your body performs differently in the morning versus evening workouts.

Back to the actual workouts.  Day 1 was focused on upper back and legs with the goal of increasing max pull-ups.  This also hits on biceps, which will be the focus of day 3.  I don’t think I mentioned it in the first post, but I like to run on day 1 and 3.  Day 2 and 4 are my Tabata days (see below).

Day 2 is good ole chest and tris.  We do one day, ONE people, that focuses on chest…not chest day four days in a row.  My personal focus here is to increase my push-up rep count with a slight focus on chest bulk.  I like to stick to the 12-14 rep count for 3-4 sets like I did on day 1, however, this is the day that I alternate rep counts on more than the others.  From time to time I will increase the weight and lower the reps in an eternally failing attempt to increase bulk and raw strength.  I also like to put my bodyweight on the bench and go for max reps for four sets (which is a fairly well-accepted standard for measuring performance).  For now, I’ll just cover my normal rotations.

I like to start off with bench press 4×12.  After bench is done, I start to add in the Tabata rotations.  The Tabata concept is that you push hard for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds, in cycles.  The idea is to get your heart rate up and to consistently push hard.  I tend to do six pushes per exercise.  When doing an entire workout of Tabata, I will do the six set cycle and then rest for one minute before going back at it.  When I’m working it into a normal workout routine, I just do the one six push set and go back to the next weighted exercise.  There is a free Tabata app that would tell you when to start, when to rest, and when do recover.  Here are a few examples of exercises that you can do for your Tabata sets: jump rope, box jumps, burpees, stationary bike, elliptical, or the best: row machine.  I have also successfully used Tabata to help me improve my running speed.

My next weighted exercise is usually decline dumbbell press, 4×12 if my back is feeling up to it (know your body).  4×12 incline dumbbell press is next followed by three sets of max effort dips.  If you have a pec dec machine, do 4×14 on that, else you can lay flat on a bench and use dumbbells or cables to get a similar workout.  In between all of these weighted exercises, I like to do a set of Tabata.  My heart rate stays at a good level for the entire workout.  At the end, I will do either triceps push-downs or push-ups as a form of burn out.

Hope this has been useful to at least someone out there.  Let me know if you have any questions.

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Bobby’s Workout Routine: Part 1

November 13, 2018 by

Hello! I asked my husband Bobby to do a guest post about his workout routine. He has been consistently working out, in particular, lifting weights, since junior high, so he has a lot of experience! Feel free to comment if you have any questions.

My workout routine is below, though I will first talk a bit about my philosophy.  There are a ton of trendy workouts that pop up each year, some better than others.  The most important thing about any workout is that it gets you doing something…anything.  The new fad in workouts is great by default if it causes people to stick with some form of exercise (maybe with a few exceptions).  The two most important factors when it comes to working out are consistency and intensity.

You will not see significant results if you aren’t consistent with doing some form of exercise.  If you want great results, you also have to be intense.  Not all workouts have to be killer, but if you don’t even break a sweat…

Ask yourself, when was the last time one of your workouts left you gasping for breath, dizzy from exertion, or nauseous?  Note: it’s important to know your body and not hurt yourself.  I’m not advocating for being stupid.  Just make sure you are pushing yourself if you really want to improve and meet your goals.

My workout routine, when I am able, consists of a four-day cycle.  I generally workout on Monday and Tuesday, rest on Wednesday and get back to the gym Thursday and Friday.  I could go four days straight, but my body responds better with a rest day in the middle.  That also allows me to a bit more flexibility regarding the part of my body I want to focus on.

I started my current routine about two years ago.  I change things from time to time, which is important (for time sake, I’m not going into the reasoning behind that thought #AvoidRabbitHole).  I based my rep count off Dwane Johnson’s routine because…well look at the guy.  Most of my main exercises are four sets of 14.  My goals include a practical form of strength and fitness, not just massive growth and heavy lifts, which would utilize lower reps of heavier weights.  When I’m doing my fourth set of 12-14, I should have trouble getting that last rep or two.  There should be times where I can’t get that last rep, which goes back to intensity.

On day 1 I focus on upper back and lats.  My goals also include being able to do a good number of pullups and weighted pullups, hence the focus of day 1.  I generally start with three sets of weighted pullups (either wearing a vest or holding a dumbbell between my feet).  I like to mix in legs into day 1, so I alternate from upper back to deadlifts (3×10) for my second rotation.  I’ve had issues with my low back, so I tend to do lower weight on deadlifts.  It’s important to activate your legs.  If you usually skip leg day, add it in and see if you don’t get better all-around results.  Your legs are some of your largest muscles and working them out produces testosterone, which benefits your entire body.

I usually like to do three sets of max effort pullups next (again with personal goals in mind).  Next is standing 4×12-14 barbell rows.  This is the opposite direction of what a pull-up works.  Notice, a lot of these exercises also engage my biceps, which is intentional.  Two days a week touch on bis and back, while two days touch on chest and tris.

I like to do seated lat pulldowns, 4×12-14 next.  After that, it’s on to dumbbell rows on a flat bench and dumbbell shrugs, both 4×12-14 in a sort of superset.  At this point, I’m usually spent, but if I have a bit left in the tank I will add in a set or two of inverted row or curls.

Throughout this workout, at least after the deadlifts, I will add in leg extensions and leg curls.  Since this is an entirely different muscle group, I can add them in between other sets to keep the pace of the workout going.  I generally only do three sets of each.

I’m going to stop the post at this point, but will follow up with the other days of the cycle in a separate post…provided anyone actually reads this.  In fact, if you’ve made it this far, include “the force” in any comment, so I’ll know if anyone got this far.

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7 Weight Loss Tips for Faster Results

October 17, 2018 by

When you decide you want to lose weight, you don’t want to wait until next year or next month to do it. It’s hard to even think about having to wait a couple of weeks to start seeing results. While there is no magic pill to get to where you want to be, there ARE ways to make sure you are on the fastest path safely possible to reach your goals. Here are 7 weight loss tips for faster results:

7 weight loss tips for faster results

1.) Eat All the Veggies: Not only will veggies fill you up so you won’t want to eat junk food, but they are rich in vitamins and nutrients your body loves to stay healthy and happy. You will feel better, look better, and be on your way to weight loss in no time. Don’t like veggies? Search Pinterest for recipes that “hide” that veggie taste. People are so creative and have come up with amazing recipes!

2.) Drink at Least 8 Glasses of Water: Water is great for your skin, fills you up, and keeps your systems running smoothly. It’s such a simple thing but just doing this ONE action can jumpstart your weight loss.

3.) Move 10,000 steps each day, with 4 days involving getting your heart rate UP HIGH (even if only for 15 minutes): Get a step counter or Fitbit* and get to walking! You should be moving a MINIMUM of 10k steps a day, plus several days of higher intensity workouts. Keep in mind doing hours of cardio isn’t the answer. Short bursts are super effective too!

4.) Track Calorie Intake…For Awhile: I use My Fitness Pal when I feel like I need to get back on track after a vacation of several days of not eating properly. It’s free, and a great way to give you a visual of exactly how many calories you are consuming in a day. That in itself is eye-opening enough to help you lose weight.

5.) Don’t Drink Your Calories: I will always remember this phrase from back when I used to watch The Biggest Loser. Jillian Michaels used to tell the contestants to never drink your calories! They are empty, you will still be hungry after, and they add up quick. Just look at a Starbucks menu and you will see what I mean. So many drinks have MORE calories than an ENTIRE MEAL and people drink those drinks PLUS eat a meal and then wonder why they aren’t losing weight. Stick to water except for an OCCASIONAL treat and it will quickly make a difference!

6.) Find A Workout You Love: Not all workouts are for everyone. Some love running, some love stand up paddleboarding, and some love tennis. Experiment and find what you love because then you are way more likely to stick with it. I would much rather play a game of volleyball then run for an hour, and that’s ok!

7 weight loss tips for faster results

7.) Get More Sleep: Cramming too many things into your schedule makes you less likely to want to work out or eat properly, so right there you are sabotaging your efforts. On top of that, your body will be stressed and you are more likely to get sick, so then you won’t be able to work out either! Studies show that getting enough sleep can help aid in weight loss because only getting a little bit of sleep can mess with your metabolism.

I hope you enjoyed these 7 weight loss tips for faster results!

RELATED: 7 Fitness hacks for the unmotivated

*If you purchase through this link, I will get a small percentage in commission.

Photos by rawpixel, Sara Dubler, Arek Adeoye, Jennifer Burk on Unsplash

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7 Fitness Hacks for the Unmotivated

October 12, 2018 by

I get it. In our society, there are so many things clawing for your attention. We are all just flat out busy all the time. This leads to burnout, and it can be hard to get motivated to workout. That’s why I came up with 7 fitness hacks for the unmotivated to kickstart your fitness journey and help you reach your workout goals. Follow these tips, and you will be headed in the right direction in no time, no gym membership required!

1.) Drink more water: It seems so simple, but it has such a HUGE impact. Not only is drinking water a super duper easy hack for getting fit, but it is like the swiss army knife of health. It does so many good for you things, so it’s high time you get to chugging! Not only will drinking more water keep you from getting headaches and feeling sluggish, but it will help you feel full, flushes out toxins, is great for your skin, can boost your immune system, and helps keep you regular (aka not bloated). Aim for 8 glasses a day, and if you are like me and drive the struggle bus on this one, try drinking fruit infused water, drinking out of a fun glass, or getting an awesome fancy Hidrate water bottle that helps you track intake and has its own app! (I have the teal one and love the accountability. It glows when it’s time to drink!)

2.) Workout during commercials: This one seems silly, but I use it a lot on days I don’t feel well but know I need to so *something* or when I’m feeling worn down and don’t want to do a lot of high impact movements. It’s also great when you are short on time. Most of us watch some sort of TV at night whether it’s regular TV, Netflix, or something else. My quick hack for when you are just not feeling it is to work out during commercials. I will do a set of crunches, some squats or lunges, or even plank. I will repeat a quick “circuit” until my show comes back on, and I know I will get about 10-15 minutes of work in during an hour. easy peasy!

3.) Wear fitness clothes more often: I often talk myself out of working out because I either don’t have clothes with me or I’m too lazy to change (I know sad but true.) I have combat that by keeping a bag of clothes in my car, and when I AM at home, I wear workout clothes that way I have no excuse. If there is a break in the rain I can go for a walk around the block. While I wait for dinner to cook in the oven I can do jumping jacks or sprints up and down my street. No fussing with finding clean clothes or talking myself out of it because I have to change, it’s already done.

fitness hacks

4.) Follow fit people on Insta: Motivation from others can go a long way, even if its a stranger (hey, you are reading this right? heh.) Search fitness hashtags and follow some encouraging and motivating people online. Some people are great at giving you the little push you need to get off the couch. (By the way, are you following me? (@HeathersLG)

5.) Put it in your schedule: I have always found that when I write my workouts into a day planner or put them in my Google calendar on my phone, I am much more likely to keep them as I would any other appointment. Make yourself a priority!

fitness hacks

6.) Grab an accountability partner: This is actually how my blog came to be! So not an individual PERSON, but what turned out to be a whole bunch of people! When I began training for my very first half marathon back in the fall of 2009, I started this blog to hold myself accountable for my training. It clearly worked, because I have run around 30 half marathons, four full marathons, and countless other race distances since then. Start a blog, find a friend, ask your spouse to hold you accountable (ok, maybe not that one. I can see that ending badly), but anyway you get the point! (PS if you sign up for my free email course in the “start a blog link” you will get free fitness and goal tracking printables emailed to you!)

7.) Practice self-love: You guys, this is the most important one, and honestly the other things will work SO MUCH BETTER if you have this number seven at your foundation. You have to love yourself enough to workout. These fitness hacks can only take you so far. You have to realize that you are worth it, the time you spend is worth it, and that it will allow you to be an all-around better person for your family and yourself. <3

*May contain affiliate links meaning if you purchase through my link I make a small commission. 

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5 Things Friday XXXIII

July 6, 2018 by

Another Friday, and we are officially a week out from my birthday, which happens to be Friday the 13th. Thank goodness I’m not superstitious right? I would be hiding in my house and that’s not a fun thing to do on your birthday. I have a lot of fun things coming up to share with you, so let’s kick off another 5 Things Friday:

1.) Another cruise post: This time, I’m recapping my favorite 5 food and drink spots on the Carnival Horizon. Trust me, it was hard to narrow down! There are so many delicious spots on the ship, but click here to see which made my personal final cut.

2.) Poshmark: Did you know I am on Poshmark? I have several things for sale, kids and adult clothing, so check it out if you are looking for some new duds. I am currently obsessed with how easy it is to buy and sell on there, and I don’t even have to go to the post office!

3.) Best pre workout: I have been experimenting with pre workout, so tell me your favorite that doesn’t cost eleventy billion dollars and doesn’t make you so amped up you can see sounds, mmmkk? I’m looking for some suggestions!

(This is an old photo I am not injured!)

4.) Disney Sports FAM: As I mentioned last week, I am headed to Disney next weekend for a sports FAM specifically dealing with the ESPN WWOS complex. I just found out we will be staying at the Boardwalk, so I’m super pumped about that! EK has never stayed on the Boardwalk and it’s my favorite place to run in the early mornings (or swim as we like to do in the humid summers). We leave next Saturday and I will of course be documenting everything in true blogger style.

5.) Early birthday bash: Tomorrow we leave with EK and my parents for a fun filled weekend at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek! I have never stayed in the summer, so I can’t wait to check out all of their summer blast activities. It may involve swimming with mermaids and ice cream and more, so don’t miss it! I will again (duh) be posting on IG stories and Twitter throughout the weekend.

Have a great one everyone! Stay cool!

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Better Body Jump Start FREE Email Challenge

January 1, 2018 by

2018 is upon us, as is the time we all make goals or resolutions for the new year. Let me ask you a question. How many goals do you ever actually keep? Let me make it a little easier…how many do you keep for at least a month? That number is hopefully higher, but the sad truth is that so many of us have GREAT intentions, but then fall off the wagon because we have no support or accountability, or we just plain don’t know where to start.

I want you to be successful in 2018, and actually stick with something. I realized 2 things: 1.) Changes can and need to be SMALL if we want to really make them stick, and 2.) it truly does take a village. I don’t know about you but when I’m working out with a group, I push harder than when left to my own devices. So I figure in health in general, if we are left to fend for ourselves, we may be likely to cheat, skip, and give up all together.

 

I want to put an END to excuses and an END to goals that never get met. That’s why I created the Better Body Jump Start 7 Day Email Challenge. This is a completely FREE challenge. When you sign up, you will get 7 days worth of emails in your inbox, one each day, with ACTIONABLE tips, motivation, ideas, and calls to action to get you going.

 

 

Remember, little changes add up to BIG things, so don’t discredit the small shifts you make in your schedule, habits, and life. I KNOW you can do this, and I want to help you prove to yourself that you can.

The emails may only go on for 7 days, but I CHALLENGE you to keep up the thins I discuss all the way through the month of January. At the end of January if you don’t feel stronger, healthier, more energizes, and better about yourself, then you can stop. BUT, if you do the things I talk about, then I know you will feel amazing and want to keep going!

All you have to do is click this link to sign up (make sure you confirm your subscription when it hits your inbox, and be sure to check your spam!) Please email me with any questions, I’m happy to help any way I can.

Let’s make 2018 the year you become the best version of yourself. To get you really thinking about your goals and what you want out of 2018, I decided to share with you something that I actually started a couple weeks ago but was nervous to share out loud, but I am letting go of fear and taking action in my life.

I started a podcast! It just so happens that my very first episode is all about goal setting. I encourage you to listen to it if you are on the fence about the challenge (it has nothing to do with the challenge itself) or if you are telling yourself NOT to make goals because they never happen for you. After you click the link, check out the December 18th episode. I hope you enjoy, and then will join in the email challenge.

 

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August 2017 Goals

August 3, 2017 by

And just like that, my birthday month is over. So sad! To keep myself occupied, it’s time to start getting excited about fall! (Even though around here “fall” means temps in the upper 80’s as opposed to the upper 90’s!) I’m so ready for football, a crisp fall breeze, and pumpkin spice lattes (YES I said it. Don’t hate.) Anyway, let’s take a look back at my July goals and see how I made out before looking ahead at this month’s goals:

1.) Work on my e-course at least 4 hours a week: A+ YES! I worked on my social media manager e-course 5-10 hours a week, and got a lot accomplished! I am by no means done, but I am chipping away at it. I can’t wait to release it!

2.) Workout 4-5 times a week: B+ There was one week I only worked out three times because I hurt my back, but otherwise, yes I have been doing much better with this, and planning ahead is what has really helped me so there are no surprises.

3.) Clean up extra room: F Big fat fail. Not only did I not clean it, but my parents brought even more furniture that we stored in there so now I can’t even get in the door. Oy. Another day, another day.

August is going to be a great month, I can already tell. I have a good attitude about my workouts and the possibility of cooler temps coming in the next two months, as well as my course, and then our cruise in September! Here are my goals:

1.) Research and get ready for the cruise: We are cruising to all new ports, and on a cruise line I haven’t sailed in almost ten years. I hate not knowing things, so I want to make sure I have a plan for the sea days and port days. I know if I’m not prepared and feel in the dark I won’t relax, and I DEFINITELY need to relax on this vacation, so this is a priority.

2.) Workout 5+ days a week: That’s right. I’m bumping it up. last month it was 4-5 days, and this month I want 5+ days. I expect a lot from myself and know I can deliver if I really want it, so here goes nothing!

3.) Set a date for my course launch: Setting a date for a course or book launch is very scary, because you are promising people it will be ready by a certain day. I’m not to the point where I am ready to nail down a day, but want to be by the end of the month at the latest. So scary but also exciting!

Looking for a way to help you reach your goals? I have always found that having them printed out and taped to my mirror or refrigerator help me. Click here to access my FREE fitness and goal tracker printables.

QOTD: Do you have any goals for August? Name one!

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July 2017 Goals

July 3, 2017 by

Happy July! This is the bets month of the year, because it just so happens to be my birthday month! I can’t believe we are halfway through 2017, and on the downside to 2018. Makes me want to work quickly to achieve my goals! Speaking of which, let’s look at my June list and see how I did.

1.) Get my pre-sale for my new course up and running: C My course isn’t finished yet, but I made some great strides this month and am confident it will be ready by the end of the summer. I need to do better about setting aside blocks of time to work on it. I had a lot going on in June and it got pushed to the side.

2.) Read a book: D I did not read a book…however I did start one, and I read a magazine, so that counts for something, right?

3.) Make at least two new brand connections at BlogHer17: A+ Woo hoo! I crushed this one. I made about 5 brand connections at BlogHer and I can’t wait to see what comes of them!

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Moving on to my July goals…..

1.) Work on my e-course at least 4 hours a week: I know just saying “work on my course” is not a measurable and actionable step, so I am going out on a limb and saying 4 hours a week. So one hour a day 4 days a week, and I will be keeping track. At that pace, I should be on track to finish by the end of the summer!

2.) Workout 4-5 times a week: It’s been SO hot, I have been slacking. I go to Orange Theory twice a week, but other than that I have only been working out maybe one other time because the heat is unbearable. I need to either suck it up and just go even though my runs will be slow, or find another form of exercise. I’m working on it.

3.) Clean up extra room: My parents brought over some furniture that will eventually be Emma Kate’s “big girl” bedroom set, and I need to make room for it in one of the extra rooms upstairs so we can get it out of my garage!

Looking for a great way to keep track of your goals? Sign up for my free goal and fitness tracking printables at this link. Have a great July!

QOTD: What are your goals for July? 

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