Get the most out of cardio machines at the gym

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Today's Workout: 35 min on treadmill

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We've all been guilty of it at some point: Getting on the elliptical and moving for 30 min but barely breaking a sweat so we can tell ourselves that we worked out. If you have somehow never done this, I am in awe of you. Other crimes I'm guilty of: Skimping on resistance, doing the same workout over and over, and allowing the machine to do too much of the work. Don't get me wrong, something is better than nothing, but here are some tips I try to keep in mind to ensure I get the most out of my gym cardio time:

Weight Machines at the Gym

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Today's Workout: 3 miles running

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It's no secret that I am a big fan of body weight workouts that you can do almost anywhere, but that doesn't mean you should avoid weight machines if you have access to them!

Next time you are at the gym, try out this workout!

Leg Press: To target your butt, position your feet higher on the plate and adjust the seat so you can bring your knees very close to your chest. For your quads, put your feet lower on the plate. Avoid going on your tiptoes unless you want to tone your calves. 3 x 15

Prone Hamstring Curl: This is better than the seated hamstring curl because it allows you to fully contract the muscle. 3 x 15

Cable Machine Standing Leg Lifts: This is an improvement on the seated inner/outer thigh machines because standing allows you to target the thigh, and the cable helps you work the right places. To work your outer thighs, set the pulley at the lowest level, then stand with your left side facing the machine and put the cuff around your right ankle. Hold onto the machine with you left hand and, keeping your right leg straight, bring your right foot directly out to the side as high as you can. To work inner thigh, with your left side to the machine, put the cuff around your left ankle and hold on to the machine for balance. Bring your left leg across to the right side so that the left foot is to the the outside of the right foot. 3 x 15 each leg inner thigh, 3 x 15 each leg outer thigh

Cable Machine Biceps Curl: The cable machine allows for multiple planes of motion and therefore uses more muscle fibers. Also, standing up while doing curls helps engage your core. Set the adjustable pulley on the machine so it's as close to the floor as possible and curl the bar up toward your chest. Do a full extension (lower the bar all the way down to your thighs), then a half extension (lower to your waist so elbows are at 90 degrees), and count that as one rep. 3 x 15



Cable Machine Overhead Triceps Extension: Set the pulley at the top. With your back to the machine and feet staggered, start with elbows bent 90 degrees by your ears, holding the bar behind your head. Pull to extend arms over head, keeping your elbows close to your ears throughout. 3 x 15



Lateral Raise Machine: Unlike the shoulder press, a lateral raise really targets the round part of your shoulder, which gives your upper arm a sculpted look. Raise your arms to shoulder level, parallel to the floor (don't go higher or you could injure your shoulder), then lower to your side right before the elbows touch the body. 3 x 15

Assisted Chin-Up Machine: The wider the grip, the more you'll work the top portion of your upper-back muscles (lats). A closer grip will hit more of the lower fibers near the bra band. 3 x 15

To rest muscles in-between sets, either alternate a leg exercise with an arm exercise, or hit the floor for 60 seconds of core (plank, crunches, bicycle twists, etc).

Photos and exercises by Fitness Magazine.

Friday During Finals

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Today's Workout: At home total body (see below)
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I feel like a Friday during finals week is just a tease. Especially this one - as I am flying home to MN after work this evening to attend an event on Saturday, and will fly back on Sunday. While I am so excited to see my family briefly, I am going to be studying on the plane, in the car, pretty much anytime I can get.

I was up late studying so that morning run before work I had on the books got scratched off....so I'm going to bust out a little workout at my parents house when I get home. Something along these lines...

Happy happy happy Friday to all!

New Month, New Goal

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Today's Workout: 45 min on stationary bike, 3 mile run

Monthly Health Goal - Sculpt 3 Times a Week:

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I leave for Italy in ONE MONTH! I can't believe its almost here. I know that while I am abroad, I will be limited mostly to running and at-home workouts, so I want to make sure I get my fill of sculpt this month before I go - and I'm shooting for 3 times a week. I have raved about sculpt on here over and over - but seriously - go check it out!! Do you like yoga, barre, or body pump classes?? Well this is all three tied into one. And better yet - you get your first week of classes free - so what do you have to lose??? Go here and find a studio near you and I promise you will be glad you did.

I have to cut this post short because work and finals are ruining my life. I will leave you with this little gem though. Cracks me up every time I see it.

Weekend Things - Running, Shopping, Eating

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Saturday's Workout: 12 miles

Sunday's Workout: 3 miles, Sculpt Class in the evening

Monday's Workout: Rest

Monthly Health Goal - No Eating After 8:00 pm

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Is it really Monday already??

Friday was welcomed with open arms after a tough week. I stayed in and got through my mountain of hw. I know - so riveting - I expect Bravo to contact me about a reality show any day now.

An amusing part of Friday - we had been told by neighbors that the home we moved into used to be the residence of Jenna Bush - but we always figured they were pulling our leg....until we got her mail.....

Saturday I met up with a friend who will also be running the Nike Women's Half this upcoming weekend, and we decided to run the majority of the course - per her request - it's her its half and she is a little nervous.

Saturday afternoon we made some rounds picking up craigslist goods for home updates - more on this later. Saturday night was spent soaking up good weather on Lauriol's rooftop.

Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. We all had plenty leftovers.

Sunday called for a quick run with the roomie, ending on M Street for a little shopping.

Sunday night I sculpted-it-out at CorePower yoga. I forgot how much I loved to hate this class. Such a good workout. So rewarding. Here is an awesome article about the Sculpt classes in the Washingtonian.

And during my weekly trip to the grocery store, as I was looking for some frozen fruit for smoothies, I saw that Jamba Juice has pre-packed mixes now. I had to snap a photo to send to my dad. He loves loves loves Jamba Juice. He always gets a smoothie after long runs, and talks about wanting to open a location once he retires. You read that right, once he retires, he wants to start a business.....

And before you say anything (MOM!) I know I need a manicure. I know I know. Its on the list.

Happy Monday, All!

Spring Things and a Couples Circuit Workout

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Today's Workout: 40 min cross train

Monthly Health Goals - No Eating After 8:00 pm:

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I wonder if other former Track and Field athletes have a similar feeling when they walk outside in the spring and have flash backs to old track seasons. The smell of lilacs and freshly cut grass, the itch of allergies, all remind me of spring nights after school running around with my high school besties.

Spring is especially pretty in D.C., that is, once the Cherry Blossoms come out to play.

I was soaking up the gorgeous spring weather in Chapel Hill this weekend. Lots of grilling out, long walks and runs, and a little picnic too.

I made time for a little shopping, maybe its just me but I love shopping for the boy almost as much as I like shopping for myself. We got him some goodies for the spring, and I came across this robe that reminded me of last week's Wish List Wednesday...carolina blue love. 

We also put together a workout for us to do side-by-side (sorta). A couple that does circuit training together, stays together.... or something like this. We used UNC's Belk Track for this workout:

I got back to D.C. in time for a classic run around the monuments before sunset.



After a long weekend I slept like a baby dreaming about the future travels on the agenda. Tubbs just dreams about more fetch.



Cut your workout in half

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Today's Workout: 7 x 400's repeats, biking 4 miles.

Monthly Health Goal - No Eating After 8:00 pm:

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Most runners enjoy the sport because you get out of it what you put into it. We know if we log those long runs, and spend some quality time at the gym, we will see results. However, there has been a lot of research recently about how shorter, higher intensity, workouts may be the key to getting and staying fit.

Prevention Magazine discussed the topic here and said,

"Researchers at the American College of Sports Medicine women who alternated just 8-seconds of high intensity cardio exercise with 12 seconds of low-intensity activity for 20 minutes, 3 days a week, slimmed down faster than steady-paced exercisers who worked out twice as long. Those that did interval training lost up to 16 pounds, shrunk their bellies by 12% and their thighs by 15%, and gained, on average, 1 1/2 pounds of metabolism-revving muscle in 4 months - without dieting."

Here are some of the sample workouts they provided:

Obviously, if you are training for a distance race, you will still have to log some serious miles, but these workouts are a great way to get (or stay) fit when you are short on time.

Aqua Jogging - Injury Recovery and Prevention

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Saturday Workout: 13 miles

Sunday Workout: 3 miles recovery

Today's Workout: 6 miles biking

Monthly Health Goal - April: No eating after 8:00 pm:

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We have all been there...a little nagging pain in the knee (or insert other problem area), that we try to push through because hey, that's what runner do.  You have a big race coming up and you have put in a lot of work and miles, and you don't want all that training to go to waste by taking zero day after zero day. I had my fair share of injuries while I was a college runner. We were fortunate enough to have an amazing training staff that helped nurse us all back from injuries. One of the greatest tools at their disposal was an aqua jogging pool. While many people think of aqua jogging being reserved for elderly people or really elite athletes - everyone can benefit!

source

Being injured really is a drag. No matter if you are training for the Boston Marathon or your first 5k, being sidelined with an injury is draining emotionally and mentally. There has been extensive research about the benefits of pool running, and Competitor Magazine has this to say:

Aqua jogging is great because it mimics the movement of running without the impact of your legs hitting the ground. Not only will it keep your cardiovascular fitness up, it keeps your running-specific muscles active (which can't be said for biking and swimming).

Good aqua jogging form should closely imitate your natural running style. You will submerge yourself in a deep end of a pool (use a aqua jogging belt/vest if you are new to the exercise, after awhile it won't be totally necessary).  Do your best to keep your body as upright as possible and not lean too far forward. You will want to use a higher knee lift and a more compact back kick turnover compared to when you run on dry land.  Below is a video demonstrating good aqua jogging form:

Studies have shown that aqua jogging can enable a well-trained runner to maintain running fitness for up to 4 to 6 weeks! Competitor Magazine mentioned two impressive studies, one in particular, where a group of ten runners trained exclusively with deep-water running for four weeks and compared 5K race times pre-deep water running and post-deep water running. The researchers found no statistical difference in 5K time or other markets for performance (oxygen consumption or lactate threshold).

Research shows that aqua jogging isn't just great for injured runners, but is also a fantastic recovery tool to help repair damaged muscles after intense workouts.

All you need is a pool! Check out local gyms in the area to see if any have a lap pool you can use for some aqua jogging training. If you are interested in purchasing a jogger belt, go here.

Circuit Training on the Track/Treadmill

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Today's Workout: 6 hill repeats, 4 miles biking

Monthly Health Goal - No Eating After 8:00 pm:

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I came up with a less archaic way to track my monthly health goal process, just in time to highlight my slip-up last night. I was attending a birthday dinner for a friend and I definitely wasn't going to miss out just because the reservation was for after 8:00 pm. I choose to follow this lady's perspective, that you should live by the 80/20 rule when it comes to dieting. 80% of the time, follow the rules and eat what is good for you. Allow yourself some wiggle room so your diet doesn't start to control your life or become unmanageable.

It's no secret I love (love/hate) me some circuit training, and I wrote up this little workout so I could do it at the track and let the 4-legged monster get some quality outdoor time in as well. You could easily adapt this to do with a treadmill if that is more your thing - although the gym probably isn't dog friendly - so no help on that front :)

Have a great weekend!

Sleep Deprived

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Today's Workout: 4 miles biking, Sculpt Class at CorePower Yoga
Monthly Health Goal: No eating after 8:00 pm:

Monday April 1 - success

Tuesday April 2 - success

Wednesday April 3 - success

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Grad school is running my life right now and I haven't sleep much in too many nights.

Me this morning...

Somehow Tubby pulled off this look cuter than me...

I have to rally because tonight I will FINALLY get to visit my beloved CorePower Yoga studio that just opened this past weekend in Georgetown. I have been blowing this place up because their sculpt class is just that good. Former teammates and I would go here religously to get worked in the off-season. I have a group of gals joining me and am dying to see their reactions.

I'm hoping I don't get too destroyed because this weekend calls for 2 events that require heels and my last long run before the Nike Women's HAlf at the end of the month....

Happy Thursday all!

Tank Top Arms

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Today's Workout: 6 miles biking

Monthly Health Goal (April - Don't eat after 8:00 pm):
Monday - success
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Last week I posted some tough leg workouts, and I know most of you noted I was neglecting another problem area - good ol' arms.

Fear not, I gave my chicken wings a work over too... here is what Friday's workout looked like:

With lent ending this past weekend, I got thinking about how doing something for a month consistently can really be effective in turning it into a habit. So, with this new month, I have decided to commit to another healthy act to accomplish everyday, with the hopes that come May 1, it too will become habit. I'm starting small: I want to try to refrain from eating after 8:00 pm.

I'll keep track on my progress up with my workout logs.

Leg workout so I can wear shorts this summer!

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Today's Workout: I grabbed my stability ball  and dumbbells and got some serious burn in my legs - see below. (second leg workout of the week)

After work, I jogged over to a nearby hill and did 7 hill repeats.

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(for demos on how to use the stability ball for these exercise, go here)

These are a few of my favorite things

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Today's Workout:  3 miles with Tubbs before work
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I am off to NYC this weekend to celebrate the birth of one of my favorite people and to catch up with some family. NYC is one of my favorite places, and in honor of it, I'm just going to dedicate this post to some of my other favorite things that have been making appearances in my life as of late...

Night runs around the monuments



Georgetown Cupcakes

Pyramid Interval Workouts



Riding in cars with boys this boy

Random statement jewelry stand on campus the other day

Take a look around and see how you've been surrounded by your favorite things! Have a great weekend everyone!

Two-a-days, ya dig?

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Today's Workout: 6 hill repeats

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If any of you were high school athletes, particularly in the fall sports, you probably had "hell week(s)". This was the time frame at the end of summer where the varsity athletes had to come back to campus, while all our friends were still lounging around or making money, and spend our days doing two-a-day workouts. These weeks were meant to be intense physically and mentally. For teams that needed to cut people, these weeks would weed out the stragglers. When I moved on to college, two-a-days were usually reserved for the runners that needed to hit higher weekly mileage to train for their events. So for the average joe like ourselves, there really doesn't seem like a point does there?

Not so fast.  I know what you're thinking, who has time for two workouts a day? And won't I get injured? But people like me on a time crunch, or people like me that are looking to improve their overall health, can actually benefit from two-a-days.

Will you benefit from occasional two-a-days? Definitely if you fall into one of the below categories described in Runner's World:

Obviously I am on board with fitting two-a-days into my routine for all of the above reasons. Any of them making you contemplate a training plan change??

Pyramid Interval Workout at the Track

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Today's Workout:  3 miles in the morning with the roomie and pup before work.

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I love a good pyramid workout, whether in weight lifting or running. I think it is a great way to break up monotony, which seems to be a common goal in my workout regime.

Here is a great one for my recent home away from home, the track.

Treadmill Intervals and Study Intervals

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Today's Workout: warm up, 4 x 800 meter intervals on the track bright and early.

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DC weather has been in a cold funk lately. I know what you're thinking, hello captain obvious its winter! But the thing is DC likes to play with your emotions. It will throw you a random 70 degree day at the end of January and then you will be living in the 30s for the next three weeks. Running club last night was not immune to this weather.

Makes me cold just looking at it. I decided to try to bring my own sun into my day the only way I knew how.

Top - Pam Breezly Top from Modcloth (yes, I have this gem in multiple colors), Pants - Grey Modern Boot from Express, Watch - Michael Kors

This morning called for repeat 800s, and since I know my running motivation tends to baseline when I am enjoying myself out of town, I decided that I will get a second workout in over the lunch hour. Two-a-days make up for upcoming zero days, yes? Let me pretend.

While I enjoy a good long run, the treadmill is not my ideal location for this. So I was scouring the internet pinterest for some workouts I can do to spice up the big ol' hamster wheel.

Enter Minka Kelly Interval Workout: 

Do I want to look like Minka Kelly? Um, lets just say I would be ok with it.

(from pinterest)

Even if it doesn't work, now I have a great conversation starter if I ever meet her. "Man, the 4th rep of the treadmill interval workout is the worsssst!"

As I was studying last night, I realized my love of intervals had spread into my academic life. Spending 6 straight hours reading dense material....yawwnnnn. Spending 6 straight hours cleaning.....no thanks. Spending 6 straight hours watching Real Housewives....... I'm listening. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a way to get all my hw done while watching housewives, but I have found that when I break up my reading into sections with the goal that "once you finish this part you can do ________ " helps significantly with morale. This actually makes me focus harder so that I can get to the other deed, and when I hit the lights at the end of the night, I feel like I have accomplished  a lot more. Reading? Check. Bedroom clean? Check. Laundry done? Check. Caught up with the Bachelor tells all? Check. (p.s. I'm going to miss Des). Just like intervals can break up the monotony of running sometimes, this helps me break up my to-do list.

Kettlebell

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Today's Workout: 6 miles with running club
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I have started squeezing more kettlebell workouts into my routine, and I have to say, I love how that little sphere gets my heart pumping. Back in my collegiate athlete days, variations of these workouts were used just as the warm up for our weight lifting days. Then again, I was in the best shape of my life.

I have been seeing sample exercising popping up all over fitness magazines, fitness blogs, and fitness boards on pinterest. Here are a few gems to get you started.

Beginner Friendly (From ryfinq.blog.com)

Another option (From womenshealthmag.com)

Pretty Girl Kettlebelll Workout (From fifisfatfarm.wordpress.com)



The Shaky Leg Kettlebell workout (From fifisfatfarm.wordpress.com)

Total Body Kettlebell Workout (From fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net)

I hope some of these help you shake up your workout routine! Happy hump day!