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2018 Update: We still think this is a great discussion about The Lunchtime Body Blitz Workout, but you may also want to check out our more recent discussions on exercise.
Today's guest post is by Lindsay Vastola, CFT (pictured), who has a cool new blog we just found for women executives: Be a Boardroom Babe. She's put together a lunchtime workout for us to maximize time…
If you’re as limited on time as I am (or have a limited attention span for exercise), you may want to seriously rethink your workout routine.
I used to think that if I didn’t have time to workout for at least a full hour, it made no sense for me to workout at all. You see, I was taught the “old-fashion” rules of exercise…longer workouts = better results. When I was working long hours at my last corporate job in New York City, I would often forgo my workout all together because I didn’t think I had enough time to get in a “good” workout (not to mention the fact I was continually stressed, tired, and overworked…even though a workout would have been the perfect antidote…sound familiar?).
Since making my career-change from corporate manager-to-personal trainer, I’ve spent a lot of time researching how to create effective fat-burning workouts for my clients who are primarily success-driven working women on tight schedules given the demands of their careers and schedules.
So here’s what I discovered (and what is backed up by loads of research): the problem with the “old way of exercising” is that in a typical workout you might spend 30-45 minutes of slow cardio on the treadmill and then 15-30 minutes of moderate resistance exercise. Problem is, you basically wasted almost an hour of the valuable time you could be getting work done, setting up meetings with your important clients, hanging with the gals, or shopping for that new top-notch wardrobe (recommended by Corporette.com of course!).
Oh…and worse yet, you wasted a great opportunity to set your body up for maximum fat burn. You’re getting ZERO return on your investment.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is my cardio training of choice. Why? Because it works. Plain and simple. And I don’t waste my time. I love working out, but frankly, I’ve got better things to do. I hate wasting time…I bet you do too.
You need to do these high-intensity interval workouts to burn maximal fat and maintain muscle and give up long, boring cardio for good!
Here is an intense workout I call my “Lunchtime Body Blitz” you can do in about 30 minutes or less, start-to-finish. You’ll not only burn maximum fat calories during your workout, but this method of training will amp-up your calorie “afterburn” (basically the calories you burn post-workout for several hours following your workout) and will enhance your results helping you reach your long-term fat loss and fitness goals.
The Lunchtime Body Blitz workout has two parts: part 1 is a HIIT cardio workout and part 2 is a circuit-style bodyweight resistance workout. You can do this workout anywhere since it really does not require any equipment. This makes for a great travel workout too!
Part 1: HIIT Cardio Blitz (print out the workout chart below and take it with you wherever you workout!)
You can do your HIIT cardio workouts on a treadmill, running outside, biking, on a stair climber, elliptical, swimming, stairs at home or in a stairwell, jump rope (great when you’re travelling), jumping jacks….get creative!
The goal is to give maximum effort – you should be exhausted by the end…and don’t do extra cardio!! Long, boring cardio workouts ARE NOT EFFECTIVE for fat burn (unless you are training for a marathon); more does not equal better in the case of cardio for fat loss.
For the time indicated for each round in the “Work” column, you will give maximal effort. On a scale of 1 to 10, you should be working at about a 6-8…out of breath and difficult to hold a conversation. Then for the time interval indicated in the “Rest” column next to it, you'll bring your effort down to a 4-6 level. For example, if you are running outside or on a treadmill, you'll run hard/sprint for the “work” interval, then bring it down to a jog or fast-paced walk for the “rest” interval then go right into the second round. In lieu of running, you could also use the incline function on a treadmill as your “Work” period and then level it out for “Rest” (great work for the legs and glutes).
Part 2 – Resistance Blitz
You’ll do exercises 1-3 for 30 seconds each and rest for 15 seconds before moving to the next exercise. Repeat the complete circuit 2-4 times depending on time and fitness level.
Exercise #1: Wide Squat (legs, butt, thighs, and core)
Exercise #2: Pushups (shoulders, chest, back, triceps, and core)
Exercise #3: Ab throw-downs (abs and core)
1. Wide squat: Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width. Slowly squat aiming your hips slightly back (as if you’re trying to reach for a chair behind you) and return to the standing position pushing up through your heels.
2. Pushups: If you can’t do full pushups (no girlie ones here ladies!), use a table or set of stairs to start at an incline and then as you get stronger, gradually work your way down to the floor.
3. Ab throw-downs: Lie on your back, with a bench or the foot of a bed or sturdy bench at your head. Reach back and grab the “post.” Start with your legs up straight in the air. Slowly lower your straight legs, as low as you can go without allowing your back to arch off the floor (don’t let your feet hit the floor), then bring your legs back up to the start position.
I know you’ll love this high-intensity, time-efficient Lunchtime Body Blitz…try to do what you can in 30 minutes or less. Work hard, push yourself, and I guarantee you’ll feel awesome, burn off some extra stress, and get closer to your fitness goals. Intensity-over-time always wins when it comes to quality fat burning workouts…not to mention it will make it a lot easier to get in those workouts amidst your daily craziness!
Lindsay Vastola, CFT is corporate manager-turned-fitness professional specializing in designing fitness programs for the success-driven career woman. Updated frequently, you can find information on Lindsay’s latest transformation programs, online workouts, and nutrition tips on her blog at http://www.BeABoardroomBabe.com. She is also the founder of Body Project Fitness located in Central New Jersey. Her goal is to help the ambitious career woman get to the top and look damn good while she’s at it!
Readers — what are your favorite lunchtime workouts?
Anon
If you have 30-35 minutes to work out, try the following:
Ten one-minute rounds of different exercises (push-ups, squats, burpees, v-sits, crunches, lunges, dips, etc). One minute per exercise, no rest, right into the next exercise for another minute. Ten exercises = ten minutes continuous work. When the ten exercises/ten minutes are up, one minute break. Then another ten minute set (same ten exercises). Repeat 3 times total for a 30 minute workout that takes 32 minutes. Use a timer and don’t stop – if you have to slow down, slow down, but keep moving!
Anonymous Today
I can’t do cardio at lunch (setting aside the fact that I usually don’t have time to take a real lunch and wind up eating at my desk). Even if I could get out of the office for a full hour, I would sweat if I did this kind of cardio and then would have to shower. There are no showers in my office, so that’s out. And, even if I went to a nearby gym to shower, I would then have to dry my hair, which takes a good half hour. (I wish I was exaggerating and yes, I have a great hair dryer, this is the quickest one I’ve found.) Maybe I could do something like this if I had the time to take 2 hour lunches!
Anyway, I do typically do quick, high intensity workouts like this and I love the results. When I have time, I still take longer, slower runs after work, though (on days when I get out of work a little earlier). I run because I find it relaxing and enjoy it, so I don’t feel that time is wasted.
A-n0n-lawyer
I love HIIT workouts! I’ve read that you really shouldn’t do more than one or two HIIT workouts per week, due to the stress they cause. Has anyone else heard that?
L
Yes, if it is true HIIT (super high intensity), don’t do more than 2 per week – burnout can happen.
Lindsay Vastola
Hi! glad you love HIIT…they’re proven to be incredibly effective. I suggest 1-3 days of HIIT each week and 2-3 days of resistance (and you can combine them much like I outlined above), being sure to give enough rest in between your workouts to recover (for the reason you mentioned). If you’re doing interval training to incorporate resistance training (like the workout I gave above), you’re getting similar benefits in terms of fat-burning and the “afterburn” (basically the fat calories your body is burning for the several hours after you workout). Long, slow cardio doesn’t have the same afterburn benefits as a HIIT/interval workout. So if you’re training effectively, 3-4 days in the gym will get you results (and eating healthy of course!), plus being generally active everyday. Hope this helps!
Chicago K
How does this compare to say, a 30 minute tempo run? Perhaps not running at a full out sprint for 30 minutes, but running at a “hard for you” pace?
Lindsay Vastola
It really depends on what your goal is. If it is fat loss, you’ll need to keep up your tempo run working at about a 6-8 (on a scale of 1-10). Interval training is still the most effective, but intensity is always key for fat loss. If you’re just blowing off some steam and want to get your heart rate up go at a pace that is just about difficult to hold a conversation.
Chicago K
Thanks!
L
Weights are a good thing to do at lunchtime since they don’t result in as much sweat as cardio. I would prefer to leave work at 3 and work out then, but instead have to leave work at the normal time and then work out at 730 after the kids are in bed.
Anonymous Today
True! I am a sweater, though, I swear, I sweat just from weights. I’m sure I would view it differently if I had the added challenge of children. I can leave work at 6:30 and just work out then.
Ru
Have any nightowls managed to force themselves to exercise in the morning before work? This would be the best time for me but I just cannot make myself do it. Any tips?
nonA
Ditto. I realize if I don’t fit it in in the morning it probably won’t happen, but I am just NOT a morning person in the worst way imagineable.
Lindsay Vastola
Hi Ru – I see a lot of my clients have this issue. My suggestion is to set your workout schedule so that it sets you up to succeed. Too many people set the expectation that they’ll workout every morning, when that’s just not realistic. For example, schedule two early-morning workouts earlier in the week (i.e. Monday and Wednesday mornings and then Saturday, Sunday workouts when you have more time). This way you get a solid 4 days in, start seeing results which then motivates you to keep going and maybe add in one more day during the week.
A-n0n-lawyer
I flipped my schedule from being a night owl (up until around midnight) to getting up early in the mornings (bed by 10ish, up by 5:30).
It took a while for me to really flip over, but now I feel like I’ve been at a spa if I sleep until 8 a.m.
The biggest thing for me was consistency and just making myself do it. I was tired for the first few days because my body didn’t want to go to sleep at 10, but I would take a warm bath and start reading around 9 to get myself in the bedtime mindset. After a few days of making myself get out of the bed at 5:30, I was tired enough that I went to sleep at 10 no problem.
Another key is DO NOT let yourself “sleep in.” The latest I will sleep, even on the weekends, is until 7. I even set my alarm on Saturdays. If I sleep until 10 or so on a weekend, it will be hard to go to sleep early enough to get up early and the cycle starts all over.
A-n0n-lawyer
Here’s a pretty good blog post (on someone else’s blog!) about becoming an early riser:
http://zenhabits.net/10-benefits-of-rising-early-and-how-to-do-it/
R.S.
Me too – I’m up at 7:00 am on weekends (and 6:00 on weekdays). Only, on weekends, I don’t set my alarm, I just trust myself to “automatically” wake up on my own. It works 99% of the time, and I don’t wake up with that stressful feeling of hearing my alarm go off.
It sounds nuts, but I really love being up on a quiet weekend morning, and having time to get chores and errands done without feeling so rushed. Much better than sleeping until 9 or 10, and they running around all crazy, trying to cram as much as I can into what is supposed to be my “down” time.
A-n0n-lawyer
I love it too! I feel so much more relaxed all day when I get to wake up and start kind of slowly.
AEK
I did this— and am no longer a nightowl! I made myself commit for two weeks (because I read somewhere that it takes at least this long to establish a new habit). Knowing that I had set a trial period kept me from putting too much pressure on myself: if I was miserable after two weeks, that was good information, and stopping the routine wasn’t a failure to follow through. But it did work, even though it was awful at first. Now it’s almost two years later, and I’m still in the routine. And, I fall fast asleep much earlier than I ever did before, which is probably some combination of the early wake-up and the working out.
Lindsay Vastola
AEK – great point! it’s shown that 21 days is the magic number to forming a habit…good or bad (this is why most detox programs like AA, etc. are based on 3-week programs to meet certain goals/change habits).
anon23
I just work out at night now instead.
Erin
Yes. I am not a morning person at all and I work out at least 3 mornings a week. I am adamant about daily workouts and I normally work out for 45-60 minutes at night but when I don’t know if I’ll get home at a reasonable hour I make myself go in the morning instead. Here are my tricks:
I set my alarm for half an hour before I actually have to get up, so I can lie in bed and listen to the radio for a bit. I also set my coffeepot timer to start brewing 10 minutes before my alarm goes off. Not having to get up right away plus knowing that I have delicious coffee waiting for me makes it so much easier to wake up. Also, I give myself at least 45 minutes to attend to my bodily functions, eat a small breakfast and drink a cup of coffee before I go to the gym. If I don’t do this, I find that either I’m too tired to have a really good workout or I have to go to the bathroom 10 minutes in. I also watch TV while I work out, and TV is a luxury for me, so it feels a bit like I’m relaxing while I work out.
Finally, I am realistic about the fact that there is a limit to how early I can get up. If I need to be at work at 8:30am, there is no way I’m going to get in a morning workout because I’d have to get up at 5:30. On days I have to get to work earlier than my normal 9:30ish start time, I just make sure I don’t have evening plans so that I can get my evening workout in instead. Also, if I am going to work out in the evening and I know I want to work out again in the morning, I don’t do anything that might leave me sore the next day because when I’m sore I don’t want to get out of bed.
One final tip about morning workouts: sometimes exercising in the morning makes me hungrier before lunch. Make sure you eat something with protein and fiber for breakfast to keep you full longer, and if you need a snack make sure you have something healthy and low-cal at hand. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve undone the effects of a workout by heading out for a bagel at 10am.
On the encouraging side, I find that I’m just as energetic on 6 hours of sleep with a workout as I am on 7 hours of sleep without one. Dragging myself out of bed is the only hard part.
Erin
I forgot the most important thing! I constantly have an entire workout outfit draped across a chair and ready to put on – shoes, socks, shorts, tank, bra, hairband, towel, iPod and water bottle. As soon as I get back from the gym I lay out my next gym outfit. I put on my gym clothes as soon as I get up and again as soon as I get home from work. Literally the smallest thing can frustrate me in the morning – if I can’t find socks I’ll sit down on my bed and 15 minutes will pass before I realize I zombied out. Having my gym clothes accessible and in plain view makes it far easier to get ready.
The main point is that you need to anticipate every excuse you might make to not work out and take preemptive steps to eliminate it.
Lindsay Vastola
Great tips, Erin. Eliminate the excuses to set you up to succeed. When you workout earlier in the morning it supercharges your metabolism, so you definitely need to fuel for the day to keep the fat-burning roaring. Eat breakfast like a queen to keep you filled so those afternoon “drops” don’t happen, eating a small meal every 3-4 hours.
N
I’ve heard the morning workout thing, but have never been given evidence of such “supercharging” of a metabolism. Lindsay, could you provide a source? I’d love to know definatively if it is true of a myth.
Lindsay Vastola
Hi N- Great question -I wish more people would look to validate all the “theories” and “opinions” out there fat loss and exercise). Here is a great article by Tom Venuto (probably among the most respected and trusted figures in the fitness industry), he incorporates several medical studies on morning vs. late-day exercise and provides points on both sides (because when it comes to fat loss, ask 10 “experts” their opinion and you’re likely to get 10 different answers).
Here is the link and references are also included at the end: http://www.howtobefit.com/burn-body-fat.htm
Here is a quick exerpt that I think provides a good summary, but it’s a very informative article.
“Of all these benefits, the post-exercise increase in your metabolic rate is one of the most talked about. Scientists call this “afterburn” effect the “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” or EPOC for short.
Looking only at the number of calories and the type of calories burned during the session doesnt give you the full picture. You also need to look at the increased number of calories you continue to burn after the workout is over. Thats right – work out in the morning and you burn calories all day long. Imagine burning extra fat as you sit at your desk at work! Thats the good news. The bad news is, the degree of EPOC is not as great as most people think. Its a myth that your metabolism stays elevated for 24 hours after a regular aerobic workout. That only happens after extremely intense and/or prolonged exercise such as running a marathon.
After low intensity exercise, the magnitude of the EPOC is so small that its impact on fat loss is negligible. Somewhere between 9 and 30 extra calories are burned after exercise at an intensity of less than 60-65% of maximal heart rate. In other words, a casual stroll on the treadmill will do next to nothing to increase your metabolism.
However, EPOC does increase with the intensity (and duration) of the exercise. According to Wilmore and Costill in “Physiology of Sport and Exercise,” the EPOC after moderate exercise (75-80%) will amount to approximately .25 kcal/min or 15 kcal/hour. This would provide an additional expenditure of 75 kcal that would not normally be calculated in the total energy expended for that activity. An extra 75 calories is definitely nothing Earth shattering. However, it does add up over time. In a year that would mean (in theory) you would burn an extra 5.2 lbs of fat from the additional calories expended after the workout.
One way to get a significant post exercise “afterburn” is high intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is done by alternating brief periods of high intensity work (85% or more) with brief periods of lower intensity work. Studies on the effects of HIIT have demonstrated a much higher EPOC, which can add substantially to the day’s calorie expenditure. In one study, scientists from the University of Alabama compared the effects of two exercise protocols on 24-hour energy expenditure. The first group cycled for 60 minutes at a moderate intensity. The second group performed HIIT, cycling for two minutes at high intensity followed by two minutes at a low intensity. The group that performed the HIIT burned 160 more calories in 24 hours than the low intensity group. That means the HIIT group would burn an extra 11.8 pounds of fat in one year if they did HIIT five days a week instead of conventional training.”
I hope this helps!
Anonymous
Laying out my clothes means I dont even need to think for the first 15 minutes Im awake. If I can get myself to the gym or outside for a run, I ALWAYS am glad I did.
I dont know how you get up 45 minutes before you go to the gym. I am at the gym about 10 minutes after I wake up. Then I hav eplenty of time post workout to shower and get ready for work.
Erin
If I don’t give myself 45 minutes or so between waking up and getting to the gym, about 10 minutes into my workout I am simultaneously STARVING and I also have to, uh, poop. Needless to say that’s not good for my workout.
Samantha
I second this. I actually go one step further by wearing my exercise pants to bed a lot of the time! ;) And I lay out the rest somewhere visible.
Anything that creates minimal delay (+ opportunity for excuses). I also limit the number of other things I’ll allow myself to do before I go to the gym e.g. eat breakfast, read the newspaper while eating breakfast or check my email – by the time I do all these things I’ve either dug myself in and dont want to step out, or I’ve spent a lot of time and I need to start getting ready for work.
So for me, its – a quick bathroom trip, change, and leave – sometimes I’ll let myself drink coffee as well, but thats it.
AN
I force myself to go to bed at 10pm latest, that means I get up at 6 (or before) even without an alarm clock. I then grab coffee at home and my run is done by 7am latest.
Anon
This was an unintentional strategy, but it has worked out–my puppy has gotten used to the sound of my alarm and immediately assumes that the buzzing means it’s time for her walk. After being outside, it’s harder to climb back into bed and avoid a gym trip. So thanks, puppy. I think.
Ru
Thanks for all the tips everyone! Just this morning, I was hitting the snooze button and remembered in a bleary-eyed daze that someone on Corporette told me not to hit the snooze button, lol. I really like the suggestions about scheduling certain days for morning workouts and others for evening workouts. I don’t know why I decided that all my workouts had to occur at the same time.
MelD
I’ve done lunchtime yoga in the past in my building and really liked it. You didn’t really need to shower afterward, so it was very convenient. I have fairly short hair and don’t think I’d be able to do a 30-minute cardio workout and be showered and ready to go in one hour, even if the facilities were in the building. Yoga can help you get rid of the tension from sitting at a desk all day and energize you to push through the second half of the day.
Suze
Yah, the whole lunchtime thing is a non-starter for me – I am sweating by the time I get inside the gym and definitely don’t have time to get ready for work twice in one day. My bldg has a lunchtime yoga class, but I haven’t tried it, just figuring the whole changing thing eats too much time.
Early am is the only time for me, and it is hit or miss – I like the suggestions A-non-l and AEK made, I will have to be more dedicated.
FWIW, I have episodically done HIIT (with a trainer) and it is phenomenal. I just haven’t maintained the consistency that I would in an ideal (or just un-crazed) world….
Chicago S
I had great luck w/lunchtime yoga and would even joke that I would deal w/something after yoga since I would be in a better mood and better able to deal w/issues. My office moved the beginning of this year and yoga is no longer next door and I really miss it.
AIMS
This sounds great, but I don’t see how I could do this during the average workday. Even at 30 min, I would still need to change, clean up, & fit in some time for an actual lunch, which would bring this up to way over an hour. Plus if it involves leaving the office, tack on time for that.
It seems sad but there are some people who manage to find the time to make working out & themselves a priority, and then others who cant. I have lots of friends working in the same field who manage to get to a cycling class or yoga at least 3 times a week. I am not sure what the secret is, but I guess I fall into the ‘cant’ camp. Best I can do is try to just be as active as possible during the day — walking faster, taking stairs, getting stuff more frequently from further away, etc. and try to eat smaller & healthier meals.
To those who can do this, more power to you. But, for me, actually working out is up there with manicures in terms of priority — nice when I can do it, def something I ‘intend’ to do every week, but not something I can actually neglect other parts of my life for :)
A-n0n-lawyer
I think your last sentence really gets to the secret of being able to work out a lot. I currently exercise about 7-10 hours per week. I do laundry once per week (and it doesn’t get folded for a few days). The house is a general mess (no rotting food on the counters, but serious dust bunnies and clutter) — I do about 1 hour clean on the weekend and whatever doesn’t get done in that time just doesn’t get done. I watch maybe 1 hour of tv per week. I do spend plenty of time with my husband and friends, so I guess I could be folding socks during that time, but I’d rather be having fun.
So, the other parts of my life (mostly housework/tv) do get neglected, but working out is something I enjoy, so I think it’s worth it.
AIMS
I think you’re absolutely right.
It is all about priorities & trade offs.
Its just depressing to think that something always has to suffer.
A-n0n-lawyer
I know :(
I saw my favorite person in the universe, David Sedaris, speak last Oct and he talked about a stove analogy, where you have 4 burners and you can either keep all 4 burning constantly but at a lower level, or turn a couple up really high but then the others are burning even lower. It rang quite true to me.
A-n0n-lawyer
Ack! Longest runon sentence ever. Oh well…
Erin
My solution is that I don’t have a TV player and so if I want to watch TV I have to go to the gym. It works brilliantly!
Chicago K
I used to feel this way too. Then I realized I was making time for Dr’s appoitments when I needed to, and why shouldn’t I make time to go to the gym too? So I block an hour and a half out on my calender twice a week to go. I ease my guilt by not taking formal lunches the other days, so I feel I can do it twice a week.
But yes, it’s ridiculous that I have to spend 1 1/2 to work out for 30 minutes. I hate it when people say, “Oh, if you only gave up one tv show you could run for 30 minutes.” Totally not comparable. It takes time to walk there, change, run, shower, change again and walk back. All that, and then I eat lunch at my desk while working. And that’s a gym that’s close to my office, if I go at home I would have to drive there taking even longer.
Erin
This is why I find it so much easier to work out at either the beginning or end of my day, so it’s at a time when I’d be changing and showering anyway. I can’t imagine only working out twice a week – I’d feel so lethargic. Running is my cocaine :).
Anon
Cocaine is a hell of a drug!
Anon
Is it possible for you to run outside? Doesn’t eliminate all of the non-working-out time (still need to change, shower), but it would probably cut down on a lot of it.
Chicago K
Oh, I don’t only work out twice a week, I only do the gym at lunch during work thing twice a week. 1 day a week I work from home and I do a longer run outside (5-6 miles) at some point during the day when I can get away. It is sooo much easier to run outside. If I have a 12:30 phone meeting, I know I can slip out at 11:30 and run for an hour and be back in time to attend it. Where as driving/walking to the gym, changing, etc takes so much time.
And then I do iyengar yoga twice a week at a studio after work and on the weekend, and try to go to the gym at home to lift twice too.
So I run 12 miles, do 180 minutes of iyengar yoga and try to lift twice per week.
AMH
Ditto on the lunch time yoga/pilates. I get tomato face when I work out hard so there’s no way I’m doing HIT at lunch. I’ve been adding in sprints/wheezers/jump rope in the morning when I take the dog for a walk. I’ve also read that HIT first thing in the morning revs up your metabolism. It’s also a great way to wake up. Here’s how I look at it – I feel crummy in the morning anyway, so why not exercise? The extra oxygen going in and out of my system definitely wakes me up too so by the time I’m at work I feel pretty good.
MelD
I thought I was the only one who got tomato face. Sometimes it can take a good hour to go away and I also tend to get heat rash on my shoulders/upper arms when I am working out really intensely.
Chicago K
I get that too. Are you ladies super pale like me? I heard it happens more the very pale skinned red headed types.
Suze
Tomato face (yes, I am very fair) and sweat profusely within first 5 minutes of ANY workout – argh. To some extent, what helps ~sometimes/a little~ is using a green tone moisturizer after post-workout. Eucerin and Clinique make them; Shiseido also makes a really sheer green tone stick foundation – but it doesn’t seem to ‘neutralize’ as well as the Eucerin. I’ve also used prescription Noritate (for rosacea – tomato face’s evil stepmother) and it usually has an immediate calming/whitening effect – but it’s sticky/greasy and difficult to do makeup over it…
oh, one other thing that seems to help: I drink literally like a gallon of cold water before, during & after workout and keep sipping (gulping) more for at least another hour – I know it helps cuz sometimes I short myself on the h2o and then the tomato face is worse.
MelD
I’m fairly pale- usually when there are different levels of paleness in makeup, I am between the palest and the second in the winter and am in the second group in the summer. I drink more water than others during workouts, but it doesn’t seem to make a lick of difference for me.
Lindsay Vastola
This workout is definitely a great one for the morning…or anytime of day for that matter. So get it in when you can…the best time to exercise is the time you actually do it! Sometimes we overthink “when” is the best time…especially when your schedules are accounted for nearly every minute!
nonA
For me, and many others, I’m sure, my “work day” tends to run from 9ish to 6:30 or 7ish. That’s a normal day. At least one or two days a week, I’m working either much earlier or much later on top of all that.
I feel like I barely have time to go home, throw together some dinner, fit time into my life to run the most basic of errands (dry-cleaning, groceries, etc.), keep my house at a basic non-health-code violation of cleanliness, and attempt to maintain even a few social acquaintances before collapsing into bed.
I try to fit some physical activity in on the weekends (at least half of which I probably spend a good bit of time working during) … but I just don’t see how to possibly fit it in my weekday schedule.
Anonymous
Wake up at 6 and leave the house by 6:20 with your gym clothes on and your work clothes for the day packed up.
Work out from 6:45 to 7:45.
Shower, get dressed, etc. and be at your desk by 8:45.
Work until 7.
Go home, eat (take out or make something quick), tidy up the house, and go to bed by 10:30.
Don’t watch T.V.
Sleep 8 hours and repeat.
On days that you have to stay late, order dinner at work and/or skip the cleaning.
On days that you have to go in early, go striaght to work without working out.
It really isn’t that hard if you prioritize.
Ugh
How nice that someone was here to figure out your whole life for you, nonA! Isn’t that sweet? Isn’t it so great that a perfect stranger, who only knows you from what you’ve posted on one blog on the Internet, knows enough about your life to give you a complete plan for your day? One that will allow you to meet their expectations of what you should be doing with your time? That is so awesome! We should all have an insufferable know-it-all to give us this kind of snarky constructive advice!
nonA
I know! Thanks for the life plan Anonymous. It will be awesome to die single and friendless, but really really fit!
Chicago K
Am I the only one who commutes for an hour?
Anon
Ouch. I have no idea. My commute is 20-25 minutes by car (large Southern city).
Anonymous Today
Luckily, my commute is only about 15-20 minutes. I know a lot of people with longer commutes, though, and I have to say, I feel bad for you! Sorry I can’t sympathize, but I know there are others out there who can.
On a side note, I’m sure this is because I’m from suburban Ohio, where everyone drives and traffic isn’t bad, but I hate how, living in a city (I’m now in D.C.), it takes so long to get the shortest distance. I live 1.5 miles from work and it still takes me 15-20 minutes to get there using some combination of walking/metro/bus. I’ve thought about getting a bike; I think it would cut down on my commute time (and cost). I’d probably only bike during the spring and fall months, though. I’d sweat too much during the summer and that would just not be attractive.
Erin
My commute used to be that long, so I worked out on my way home. Then when I was done traffic had cleared a bit and my commute was faster. Would that work for you?
Now my commute is 1/2 hour on foot or 10 minutes on the train so it’s much easier :).
Chicago K
Erin, that’s a great idea that I used to do when I lived in a different city where I drove to work. Now I have a commute that combines walking with a train so I am not impacted by traffic.
Ru
My minimum commute time is 1 hour. Sometimes, it can go up to 1.75 hours – go commuter rail!
Ru
I didn’t find Anonymous’ plan that unhelpful or snarky. Granted, my life really couldn’t fit into that schedule but that “no TV” reminder is always good to have!
Liz
You know, Curves Gym has a similar philosophy of interval exercises. I think in general we all just need to push ourselves harder when we work out. Workouts should be “work.”
jc
Any alternatives to the ab-throwdowns that don’t involve lowering the legs in that way? My hips bother me when going through that motion and I would love to find an alternative ab exercise.
MelD
You might want to consider looking into various Pilates exercises. Most work your core in some way, but you should be able to find some that are easier on your hips. I have to be especially careful with my hips too because they are double jointed and tend to pop with some exercises. Something like the single leg stretch or the Pilates version of the bicycle may be better for you. I believe they can be modified so you don’t have to put your legs down all that far to get the abdominal benefits.
Anon
Try a v-sit (if it doesn’t bother your hips). Lie flat on the ground with arms and legs extended. Raise arms and legs up using your abs so that your body forms the letter V. Hold until failure. Rest, repeat.
anonymous
do planks. they are great for abs and back and pretty much anything even near the core, not to mention butt, shoulders and arms (and i’m sure legs too). just go to a pushup position but on your forearms instead of hands. make sure to lower your butt so it’s a straight line from toes to head (thats the hard part).
try to do it in front of a mirror b/c its easy to think you’re straight when in reality your butt is too high/too low. its a great toner. start slowly and try to work up to holding it for longer periods of time. then there are some more variations you can do from there (one legg, one arm, plank butt-ups, etc)
Lindsay Vastola
JC – planks are definitely a winner for your entire body and core – you can do them on your hands in a pushup position or on your forearms. You can also do ab knee-ins – start in a high-plank position (as explained above) and then bring your knee into your chest and alternate sides – do this for about 30-second rounds to start. Be sure to keep your hips down so your shoulders are in-line with your heels. You can add a twist for your obliques by bringing in your knee toward your opposite elbow. So many ab exercises that are so effective so you never have to do a sit-up ever!
Anonymous
For those low on time:
Why not just wake up, get your gym clothes on, and head out the door, doing very rapid interval runs, then stretching and doing squats/lunges/abs at home, then getting ready for work at home?
This saves you the excuse of “I need an hour to get ready at the gym during my lunch break,” because you would be getting ready anyway at home in the morning.
This would take an hour MAX out of your day, which can easily be regained by not watching television, not wasting time on the Internet, not gossipping in people’s offices, etc.
People say “I am not a morning person,” but that really seems to me to be a state of mind. Just go to bed an hour earlier, and you can wake up an hour earlier!
It’s really not that hard people.
Sack up.
Ugh
Maybe you should take your PMS, or hyper-aggro posturing borne out of your own pathetic insecurity – whichever it is – somewhere else.
People are looking for constructive advice here. Telling people to “sack up” isn’t constructive. Especially as this is a blog for women, and women don’t have sacks. Maybe you should be a little more cognizant of your audience, and also stop being such a douche. Just a friendly suggestion.
N
Lots of reasons:
(1) Because you live in an area where you can’t go outside and do interval runs.
(2) Because you have children too young to leave in the house solo / you leave for work at 7 and getting the kids up and in a stroller at 5:30 or 6 is inappropriate because they need 12 hours of sleep.
(3) Because you don’t waste an hour in the internet / gossipping/ watching TV and don’t have it in your schedule.
(4) Because you have other priorities – like work, organizations, cleaning the house, kids, the 10,000 volunteer committees you have been asked to serve on.
(5) Because you leave your office in the city at 9 p.m., you get home at 9:30/10, spend 30 minutes cleaning the house /doing dishes / etc, spend 30 minutes getting things together for the next day (baby bottles, making dinner so your husband can nuke it or crock pot it and feed kids while you’re at work), work anywhere from 2-4 more hours, talk to clients on the other side of the globe, and then wake up by 5:45 so you can shower before kids wake up at 6, so that you can feed them, dress them, and get to daycare at 7, and to work by 8.
Chicago K
I will also add to this list:
1) Because you work from 8:30-5:15 and then run out the door to go to school from 5:30-9 and then don’t get home until 10:15. And when you get home, you are exhausted and have 15 minutes to get into bed if you want 8 hours of sleep because you have to get up 6:30 and leave the house at 7:30 in order to get to work by 8:30.
Working out at lunch works for me. There is absolutely no way I could get up and work out before my long days with work and school. I can barely make it on the sleep I do get.
N
I learned a long time ago to throw perfect out the door. And celebrate what we *can* and *do* accomplish and not dwell on doing it better.
I think it’s awesome that you can work full time and go to school pretty much full time. That requires an amazing amount of discipline!
Chicago K
Awesome attitude and thanks for the kind words. :)
MelD
You must live in some magical world where the weather is perfect and it is safe to exercise before daylight. My area isn’t safe enough to walk/run around at night, and in the summer the heat index is already well above 80 by 7am. I have trouble breathing after going to put something in the mailbox, so there is no way I could do a run/powerwalk for 30 minutes.
Makeup Junkie
I love HIIT! I just started the Insanity workout – that’s intense! I have to work out in the morning, otherwise I just won’t do it. I feel so much better all day once I’ve had my AM workout. I have an incredibly stressful job, but morning workouts just start the day out in the right way.
I agree with the advice to be in bed by 10pm! You don’t have to sleep, you can read or talk or whatever ;), but for me that is the key. I’ve really become a morning person, even though I never thought that would happen.
rockerjd
I just tried the HIIT last night at the gym and it is great! I’m having trouble with the timing of the intervals, however. Is there a blackberry app or something that I could program to alarm or beep when to change? Perhaps a specific playlist for the cardio so I know when to change? I had the instructions taped to my water bottle but that didn’t work that well. The water bottle holder on the elliptical is hip level. I know cardio machines have interval functions but the intervals last way longer and are difficult to program manually.
rockerjd
Duh! Just found out gymboss.com has an interval counter!
kiev services
It’s like the bumblebee (at least I guess it’s the bumblebee): Its physical condition makes it impossible to fly. But you know what? The bumblebee flies on, anyway. It doesn’t know that it can’t fly. How cool is that?