Category: Workout

Wednesday Workout: Spin & Total Body AMRAP Workout {Featuring TIEM spin shoes}

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Good morning! Before I get to the workout, I wanted to remind you that tonight, I am hosting a workout at the New Balance Flagship Store in Brighton at 6:30pm. You can find more details & sign up here.

For now, though, let’s talk about spinning. Confession: Up until about 4 years ago, I hated spinning! I didn’t understand why people would want to use their time at the gym to sit on a bike- however, now that indoor cycling has become a “thing”, I am totally on board with spinning. Why? I like that the classes are to the beat of the music, use weights and do exercises to work body parts besides just the legs. I realize that they do not mimic an outdoor ride, but no one ever said they’re supposed to 😉 They’re just a great cardio workout.

Now that I have a spin bike at home, I love spinning even more. It was so great to have a source of low-impact cardio that could be done in the comforts of my own home throughout the cold winter months, but there was something I was missing: spin shoes. I didn’t really “need” them when it came to going to classes since most studios rent them to you (or they’re included in the price of the ride), but at home I really wanted a pair as they do make the whole riding experience better.

TIEM Athletic couldn’t have contacted me at a better time because I had just been researching various shoe brands to check out. What I love about the TIEM slipstream shoes is that they look and feel like a normal sneaker. They aren’t the big, clunky, non-bendable spin shoes that we all think of when we think of spin shoes. These could be worn as a shoe to and from the gym and no one would know they were spin shoes!

True story: Monday at the gym, one of  the trainers was wearing a pair of TIEM slipstream shoes and I told her I had the same ones. Her client was shocked to hear that the shoes on her feet were spin shoes and not just regular sneakers. The trainer said she was tired of lugging around multiple pairs of shoes and that the TIEM ones were great because she could wear them to train AND teach her spin class. We agreed we wouldn’t wear them to go running or do any sort of high impact workout- because they are really not made for that- but that they work great for what she was doing with them.

Want to know what else they work great for? This workout I’m sharing with you today! Why, you ask? Because this workout has you going from the bike to off the bike every other song, which is a much more enjoyable experience with the sneaker-esque TIEM Athletic spin shoes.

The way the workout works is you’ll do one song on the bike, then you’ll do an AMRAP of the exercises listed above for “off bike” songs for the duration of that song. You’ll need a pair of dumbbells (or two pairs if you want to go heavier/lighter on some exercises). For the spin songs, I’ve also included suggestions in terms of position & resistance if you decide to go with the play list I’m showing you below.

I’ve only had these shoes for a few weeks, but I’m already totally loving them- they really just enhance the spinning experience so much! I’m considering getting SPD pedals for my road bike, too, although clipping in and out at stop lights & intersections kind of scares me, lol.

If you’re in the market for a multi-purpose spin shoe, definitely check out TIEM Athletic- they’ve got various colors to choose from & the staff is so nice! They often do pop up sales at the various spin studios in and around Boston, so if you follow them on Instagram you can stay in the loop.

Thanks, again, TIEM, for providing me with some awesome spin shoes!

Questions for you: Do you like spinning? Do you bike outdoors? Do you have your own spin shoes?

When you only have 10 minutes to workout

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The other week, I had 10 minutes to workout. The day was crazy so I wasn’t able to go at lunch and then I had to teach after work. I had planned on taking the class before mine, but traffic was so bad that I missed it. After my class, there was literally 10 minutes before the next event started, so I just got to work doing what I could in that time. By the time 10 mins was up, I was sweating and felt like I had gotten in a pretty decent workout.

I shared this tip with a friend who was talking to me about how she’s struggling to find time to workout since she’s had a baby, even though she knows that it’s exactly what she needs to do. When I told her to just start with 10 mins, maybe 3x per week, she said it made it seem so much more DOABLE, rather than thinking she needed to spend an hour in the gym 5 times a week.

The thing is, if we have this mindset that we need to do X days for X minutes/hours per day, it’s daunting, overwhelming and quite frankly, setting us up for “failure” (or at least that’s how we may feel, even though that’s not the case). It’s hard to keep that up! And what happens when we only get in 30 minutes of working out 4 times in a week, rather than the hour a day for 5 days? We feel like we didn’t do enough. That we can’t keep up on our goals. That our hard work has gone to waste. We feel like “what’s the point in tomorrow’s workout? I’ve already messed up?”

I don’t know about you, but that’s no fun to me. That, and I don’t want anyone to feel like they “messed up” or “failed” because they didn’t get in X amount of workouts per week. Shit happens, life happens, things unexpectedly take up our time. And you know what? IT’S NO BIG DEAL! If working out/getting movement in is a priority and part of your lifestyle, a few days off- or even a week off- is not the end of the world. And in this case, 10 minutes is certainly better than nothing.

Actually, 10 minutes is always better than nothing. 5 minutes is better than nothing. 1 minute of big belly breaths to center your thoughts is better than nothing.

We are all busy, so doesn’t it sound so much better and easier to just have to focus on getting in 10 minutes of exercise? Bonus? If you get 15 in you’re feeling REALLY good! On top of the physical benefits that movement has, the mental benefits are also huge. When I’m stressed or feeling overwhelmed, sad, etc., movement usually helps turn things around. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout, and in fact, often times when we are filled with high emotions (good, bad, etc), a lighter movement choice is often even better for us- think: long walk, nice bike ride, gentle yoga flow, stretching, etc.

At the end of the day, though, we all have 10 minutes in our day 3-5 days a week that we can dedicate to movement- and that movement can be whatever YOU need/want on any particular day. Wondering how you can find those 10 minutes? Scroll through social media one less time during the day, watch one less TV episode, do something while you’re on the phone (I always call my mom when I go for walks!)… these are just a few of the things that I know suck up my time during the day, which may differ for you.

I promise, if you’re struggling with keeping a consistent workout regimen, take a closer look at why. Is the regimen too intense or too time consuming? Does it always require you finding time to go to a class or to the gym? Does it require too much equipment? Is it too expensive? Once you pinpoint what’s holding you back, think about ways you can  fix it. If the workouts you have planned are too long- decide on 10 minutes 3 times a week. That probably seems WAY MORE doable, right? If you don’t have the proper equipment at home or don’t like using all the equipment at the gym, start with finding bodyweight exercises! I’ve got tons to choose from 😉 Too expensive? Google “free fitness in X city” and I bet you’ll find so many- with Seaport Sweat in Boston this summer, there are over 8 classes a week to choose from!

Working out doesn’t have to be- and quite frankly, shouldn’t be- a huge issue/inconvenience/weight on your shoulders. Let’s be real, we don’t have time for that. Once I started letting go of “fitness rules” and comparing myself to others (usually those who have fitness as their full time gig and generally have more time & convenience to workout and do fancy things), it all seemed so much easier, so much more doable. And at this point, if I can only fit in 10 minutes, I focus on the fact that I was able to do that rather than beating myself up because I didn’t do more. I challenge you to do the same- your self worth is not measured by how many minutes you spend working out or in the gym- life is too short for that.

 

Questions for you: Do you have “fitness rules” in terms of what constitutes a workout? How long is your standard workout? Do you alternate between high intensity and low intensity?

Wednesday Workout- 6 Exercise Band & Dumbbell Circuit

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Hey there! Happy Wednesday. I’m glad I have some workouts in reserve for you guys as I have barely worked out since last Wednesday- kinda crazy! I’ve been battling a nasty cold and have finally reached a point where I know, understand & embrace the rest that is required during these times. I have to say, it’s such a nice feeling being able to be OK with resting. Sure, I’m going a bit stir-crazy, but I’m doing my best to listen to my body and give it what it needs.

That said, this workout kind of goes along those same lines of listening to your body. I was pretty sore the day I created this, but really only in my glutes & shoulders. Otherwise I felt fine and was actually looking forward to a lunch break sweat sesh. Sometimes when I’m really sore I decide to rest,  other times I try and think about what’s sore and how the rest of my body feels. If there are plenty of things I can do that do not affect the sore parts of my body and otherwise I feel good, I continue with my workout, just scaling it back where necessary. This workout reflects that, and I’ll say that I actually felt less sore after I finished because I think my body needed some movement to loosen up tight muscles!

This is a simple circuit, working in lower body, cardio, upper body and core. You can choose to do 3-5 rounds, OR AMRAP for 20 or 25 minutes. I think I did 4 or 5 rounds, but I can’t remember now 🙂 To finish, I threw in a tabata or 4 high knees + 2 jumping jacks for exercise A and plank jacks for exercise B.

As always, let me know if you try this or if you have any questions- Happy Sweating!

 

Wednesday Workout: Quickie Upper Body Finisher

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I’m a fair weather runner. I don’t put myself through running in the rain, snow, cold weather or super hot weather. I guess you could say I’m a running diva- #sorrynotsorry. As I am not running many races requiring strict training at this point in my life, this works for me. In fact, I’ve realized that I enjoy running much more when I do it because I want to, not because I have to.

That said, the weather lately has been making me CRAVE running outside. Not only does it feel good to get outside for my workout, it also serves as a way to get a little bit of a tan 😉 Last week I ran a 5K and got some color- all during my lunch break. Win-Win! On top of that, I had enough time left over to do a little arm workout to round out my workout for the day.

All you need for this workout is a set of medium (or light) dumbbells and a resistance band. I also did this outside, but that’s optional 😉 Three- Four rounds and your arms will feel like they got their workout in, too!

I uploaded this demo video to help you see what the moves look like, as some of them are not commonly used on the blog. This is a great supplemental/finisher workout if you’re looking for a little extra, or it could certainly be done on its own if you’re looking for a strictly upper body-based workout.

As always, I love when I see that you’re trying these, so be sure to tag me @Burpeestobubbly

Questions for you: Do you run in any weather or are you a fair weather runner like I am? Do you like to workout outside?

Wednesday Workout: 25 Minute (or less!) Shoulder Burner Workout

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Hey there! Look what I have here for you- a new workout! I haven’t been making my own workouts lately as I’ve been playing along with Jen Sinkler and her #30daysofkettlebells training program. As part of this, we would get an email each day with a new KB focused workout. I did *most* of them and absolutely loved them- some were super short so I could double up, while others were longer so I kept it to just doing one of them. I think what I loved the most was that the workouts were not complicated, but they required me to use KB’s (or DB’s if I was at home), which is a piece of equipment that I still need to work at getting comfortable with.

But, sadly, the #30daysofkettlebells is over, which means I’m back to making my own workouts. I did this one on Monday and loved the way the exercises flowed from one to the next, obviously with a heavy emphasis on shoulder work, as indicated by the title 😉 I went heavy-ish (for me) with the exercises as I’m trying to increase my shoulder strength, which is why it’s only 8 reps for the non-cardio exercises. I used 20 pounds for the single arem OH press and 25 pounds for the side lunge double arm press.

In case you’d like to see demo’s, I’ve uploaded the videos from my Instagram story to YouTube:

On top of it being a shoulder burner, you’ll notice that your core is getting a workout, too- especially the obliques in the single arm OH press since you have to work to not lean away from the weight. I did 5 rounds and it took me a little under 25 minutes- just in case you need an idea of how long it will take you.

I really enjoyed this total body workout – let me know if you try it!

Questions for you: Have you been following any new workout routines lately?