Tag Archive for ‘gym’ rss

Booty Kickin’ Moves


I’m a big believe that every little bit of exercise adds up. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car at the last parking spot to get in some extra steps to the store, etc, etc. It’s a great way to burn extra calories and boost your metabolism. I’m all about that! Sometimes I don’t have the time to get in a good long workout at the gym (or even at home), so I always try to get in a little bit of extra calorie burn where I can.

When I do go to the gym, I like to have a game plan. If not, I’ll wander the gym aimlessly, not knowing that to do and most likely ending up on the treadmill and blah that’s it. I’ve taken this (mostly lower body) workout below with me to the gym and knocked out some killer calories in the process…

Booty Kickin’ Moves

  • Warm-up: Walk, Jog, Run, Repeat for 5 minutes.
  • Sumo squats (4 times) then high jump, repeat 10 times
  • Lunge-back w/ weights raise to chest (10 each side)
  • Scissors plank (1 minute)
  • Side plank – raise top leg to sky 5 times, repeat 6 times (3 each side)
When you exercise do you have a plan or just go with whatever you feel like doing that day?

2 Things that I used to be scared of…


 

And 1 I’m still scared of…

As I was working out the other day, I was thinking of the areas in the gym that used to make me nervous to try…

1. The Free Weight Station

Source here

There’s something very intimidating about the free weight station at a gym… Its not necessarily the weights itself, or the display of said weights. No, its the group of people who hang around the weights… as if they own the weights and the weights are only to be used by them. Its happened before that I’ve gotten enough bravery in my stomach and picked up my little 5lbs weights and found a bench to park it at for my sets. And then it happens, a ridiculously over-muscled man comes up and looked irritated that I have his bench. Never mind that either bench on each side of me is open and free… but no, I have the exact bench that he wants. Oh the drama. Years prior, I’d probably have gotten nervous and just stopped my workout and left. Oh, but not now… I pay to use these weights too buddy, and I’m not going to be intimidated to get my workout in. Boo-Yah! I’ve come to realize that the gym is such a funny place, a resemblance of “high school” even. You know, those snotty kids that think you’re at “their table”. Oh the drama. At any rate, I’m no longer scared of the free weight station due the people around me. I’m there to get my workout done and that’s all that matters to me!

2. The Stairmaster

 

Ok, so first off, this thing is huge. I remember my first thought when I saw it “um, how do you get up there?… without falling?” The first time I ever attempted the stairmaster, I was 18, very overweight (and very much so aware of my size), my friend and I went to the gym for our normal treadmill workout. My friend thought it’d be a great idea to try the stairmaster this time. I hesitated, but I agreed to go along with it. What a nightmare that was… I guess when I started it I some how put it on a high speed and pretty much went flying off the machine. Embarrassed and feeling like a fool, I vowed never to get on that evil machine again. Well… years later, it was time to conquer the stairmaster. Once I got over the fear of being embarrassed again and learned how to work the machine properly, I found that it was a challenging yet rewarding cardio exercise. I enjoy adding this baby bad to my cardio routines.

And now a fear I haven’t quite faced….

3. The Gym Pool 

 

I mean really… I have no idea where to begin… what to do… when to go, what to wear (bathing suit, duh… but what type?!). Ya know, so much to wonder about and yet I want to take up swimming laps… maybe I need a swimming buddy? Any gym swimmers out there? What tips do you have for a newbie?

There you have it people… those are my 2 things I used to be scared of a 1 that I still kinda sorta am scared of. ;)

What about you? Have you ever been intimidated by something at the gym? What was it? 

 

Workout Wednesday, Get Your Sweat On!


New to Workout Wednesday? Click here.

Is there a machine at the gym that’s always intimidated you?

That you just won’t even bother trying because well… you could totally embarrass yourself in front of people?

Mine was this…

*insert dramatic music* the STAIRMASTER!

It took me years to get the nerve up to get on that thing. Back story… I got on it once, only to fall off gracefully and then leave embarrassed.

Finally when I decided that the stairmaster wasn’t going to master me anymore and I was going to make this machine submit to me, I discovered something pretty cool…

I loved it! This machine was hard, yet simple. It made me break into a sweat pretty quick, and it challenged me to keep going. I remember the day I made it to 10 minutes on it… that was HUGE! I normally could only stand the thing for 3-5 minutes. I remember the day when I made it to 30 minutes! Each time pushing myself a little harder. It was so rewarding to finally try something that I had so dramatically work up in my mind to be scary and too hard.

Sometimes the biggest thing that holds us back in life, is ourselves. What I’ve learned through working out and trying new exercises is that, the only person holding me back, is me. It sounds cliche, but you CAN do anything you put your mind to. If you commit to something, commit with your whole heart, not just your head. You can accomplish more than you ever thought you could, in or out of the gym!

Now its your turn, what are/is your workouts this week? also, has there ever been an exercise machine or class that’s ever scared you to try?


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Words to Sweat By {Giveaway!}


Ever been on your way to the gym and realized you didn’t have a gym towel with you!?

Yep, it’s happened to me too, but if you had one of these fantastic towels…

how could you not remember to bring it!? Talk about MOTIVATING!

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and check out these awesome KEY CHAINS!

And one lucky Team Giles reader is going to win one!!

There’s many ways to Enter:

  • Head over to Words To Sweat By and in the comment section tell me which one you want to win.
  • Link this Giveaway back to your blog
  • Tweet about this giveaway, be sure to @TeamGiles so I know :)
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Giveaway ends Monday, May 3rd, and the Winner will be announced Tuesday, May 4th. Good Luck all!!

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