The Great Workoutdoors

One of the biggest excuses people have for not getting into shape is that they don’t belong to a gym. Or even worse, they do belong to a gym but they find 100 reasons why every other thing on their “to-do” list trumps a good workout. With the weather getting nicer, access and/or attendance to a gym becomes a moot point.

Most people like going to the gym because its purpose is no-nonsense—you’re there to get on the machines, go in the classes, or take the advice of the fitness professionals around you. You can’t succumb to the laundry that should be folded or lawn that should be mowed the way you could if you chose to focus on your workouts at home.

I’m calling all of you “would-be fitness fiends” out now that the weather is getting nicer. I have a challenge for you. Make your body your machine, and make your “outside” your gym.

You have the opportunity to get a workout completed in more places than you can imagine. You don’t have to stay in your house and fight with the chores, and you don’t have to organize your day around getting to the gym.

You simply have to go outside.

Take a walk. Go on a hike. Find a bike. After 20 minutes of good old-fashioned cardio, get creative with strength training by using your own body weight to tone shoulders, chest, arms, core and legs. Push-ups are always in style in the fitness world, as are squats, burpees, and crunches. If you own a pair of TRX straps, your gym just got much bigger as every tree, fence, post and parking meter can become the anchor point for a kick-ass workout.

Whether you live in an urban environment or a rural environment, the great outdoors can become the great workoutdoors.

Have an idea for a killer outside workout? Post it here!

Shoulder Push-Ups? Yes, Please!

What’s better than a regular push-up? An upside-down push-up on the wall that travels along the track. Somehow this exercise makes the workout feel less like work and more like fun.

In all seriousness, if you’re new to “inversions” while you exercise, look for a buddy to help support you and get comfortable in this non-traditional position before you attempt it. A good starting point is to put your feet up against a wall or secure ledge, and simply do the push-up in place, without traveling. As you get more comfortable, you can allow the body to dip deeper and/or incorporate movement as I am demonstrating in this video. Be cautious when you exit from this exercise, as you may feel light-headed when you go back to the upright position.

Happy Valentine’s Day to YOU

Don't forget to love yourself

Valentine’s Day is about celebrating the one you love—and I think that should include YOURSELF!

Many of my clients over the years have been moms who have shifted their focus from themselves to their families, losing that precious time to indulge in a good workout, read a book, or just spend time alone enjoying peace and quiet. While it’s important to recognize the relationships with your friends, families and significant others, it’s also essential to nurture the relationship you have with yourself in order to be the strongest YOU in every role you play.

So before you make your way to that dinner reservation, or dive into an evening of chocolate and champagne, take a little YOU time to get your body and mind in the perfect mood for company. You only need an hour.

Start by putting on an outfit that makes you feel GOOD about your body. That’s right, you’re on a date with yourself, so dress the part. Wear a bright colored top, or the pants that make your booty look good. Set the mood with a little music. Make a playlist of songs that you enjoy—or listen to a book on tape or podcast if you want to feed the mind with an interesting narrative.

Next, get creative. We don’t want to bog down the moment with too much structure, so we’re going to do a loose version of a circuit-training workout that will get you moving enough to burn some calories, but slow you down long enough to sneak some toning in, too.

Begin by warming up for 10 minutes with a brisk walk or easy jog. After that, alternate between 10 minutes of cardio and 5 minutes of strength/toning until you’ve gone for 50 minutes. Use the last 10 minutes to cool down with an easy walk for 5 minutes, and some stretching for the last 5 minutes. Below is a sample workout to fill your time. The important thing is to have fun with this!

0:00-10:00 min: Warm-up

10:00-20:00 min: Fast-paced run (fast enough that you can’t talk while you do it); jump-roping; dancing; jumping jacks, burpees, or any combination of these cardio movements that lasts for 10 minutes.

20:00-25:00 min: Do 1:00 min plank, switch to side plank left for 1:00 min, then to side plank right for 1:00 min, then back to regular plank for 2:00 min

25:00-35:00 min: Repeat cardio from before, or substitute new movements in

35:00-40:00 min: Do 1:00 min of squats, drop to the floor for 1:00 min of push-ups, then back up for 1:00 min of right leg lunges, then 1:00 min of left leg lunges.

40:00-50:00 min: Do one more cardio session and push it hard until the cool down

50:00-60:00 min: Cool-down

60:00 min – ?: Go warm-up again ; )

Rae’s TRXmas — 12 Days in 12 Minutes!

On the twelfth day of TRXmas, my trainer gave to me, a 12-minute circuit, piking pine-tree push-ups, snow ball power pull-ups, side-lunge leaping reindeer, gift-wrapped-rippin’ shoulders, present-peeking push-ups, tree-topping twisters, snow angel core strength, snow scooping side swipes, an early-morning rising, a tummy-tone toboggan, and a sleigh ride on Santa’s knee…

Today’s the day! We’re combining all of the exercises from the 12 Days of TRXmas into one big circuit, clocking in just under 12 minutes long. The number of reps varies from one exercise to the next, and you can adjust how many reps you want to do based on your level of fitness. Watch the video below if you want to follow along with me. This is a great circuit because it hits all of the major muscle groups in the body while getting the heart rate up at the same time. That means you’re burning calories, getting toned, and consistently engaging that core through the whole routine.

Rae’s TRXmas — Piking Pine-Tree Push-Ups

On the eleventh day of TRXmas, my trainer gave to me, piking pine-tree push-ups, snow ball power pull-ups, side-lunge leaping reindeer, gift-wrapped-rippin’ shoulders, present-peeking push-ups, tree-topping twisters, snow angel core strength, snow scooping side swipes, an early-morning rising, a tummy-tone toboggan, and a sleigh ride on Santa’s knee…

Here we go with our last TRXmas exercise, before we combine all 12 days of TRXmas into one big circuit for tomorrow’s finale. Today we’ll be doing a similar exercise to the present-peeking push-ups you did earlier in the series, only this time we’ll be focusing our attention a little higher up the tree. Get in the same starting position as you did before, only now we use our core to push the bum up, so that our bodies look like the triangular shape of the ol’ Christmas pine tree. It’s fine to do 10 reps of this exercise and then rest before completing two additional sets, OR give yourself a challenge and see how many you can complete before having to stop. Watch the video below for a demo, and be sure to come back tomorrow morning for the full 12 Days of TRXmas circuit!

Rae’s TRXmas — Snow Ball Power Pull-Ups

On the tenth day of TRXmas, my trainer gave to me, snow ball power pull-ups, side-lunge leaping reindeer, gift-wrapped-rippin’ shoulders, present-peeking push-ups, tree-topping twisters, snow angel core strength, snow scooping side swipes, an early-morning rising, a tummy-tone toboggan, and a sleigh ride on Santa’s knee…

This powerful pull-up exercise isolates the work to one side of the body at a time, combining a bit of a shoulder row with a dash of bicep curl (and of course, the omnipresent ab work, courtesy of the twist as you lower and heighten the body during the exercise). To bring the holiday spirit to life here, let’s imagine we’re using one hand to hang on to a tree branch to support our weight as we twist behind us using the other hand to scoop up a hefty ball of snow during a friendly snow-ball fight with the neighbors. Watch the video below for a demo. Aim for 10 reps on each side, repeat the set 3 times.

As we near the end of our TRXmas countdown, don’t forget to check back on this blog to see me go through all 12 days of TRXmas. Want a refresher on the previous 9 days? Check out the link to my YouTube channel from the menu on the right side of this page.

Rae’s TRXmas — Side Lunge-Leaping Reindeer

On the ninth day of TRXmas, my trainer gave to me, side-lunge leaping reindeer, gift-wrapped-rippin’ shoulders, present-peeking push-ups, tree-topping twisters, snow angel core strength, snow scooping side swipes, an early-morning rising, a tummy-tone toboggan, and a sleigh ride on Santa’s knee…

It takes a lot of time to cavort around the world with Santa’s sleigh behind you, which could get old after a while! To make the voyage a bit more festive, we’re going to bring a little merriment to Rudolph’s gait by adding some side lunges and hops to our movement. This exercise works the legs, but it’s actually a cardio workout in disguise thanks to the jump in between lunges (come on now, did you think reindeer could schlep all those gifts about without a little cardio in the mix to stay fit?). Watch the video below for a demo, and aim for 10 reps on each side, three sets total. Tip: The bigger the jump, the more cardio you’ll get out of this.

Rae’s TRXmas — Gift-Wrapped Rippin’ Shoulders

On the eighth day of TRXmas, my trainer gave to me, gift-wrapped-rippin’ shoulders, present-peeking push-ups, tree-topping twisters, snow angel core strength, snow scooping side swipes, an early-morning rising, a tummy-tone toboggan, and a sleigh ride on Santa’s knee…

We keep the focus on the upper body in this next exercise, which focuses on the back and shoulders (this will help give you that ripped look through the deltoids!). By keeping the hips up during the movement, you’ll also continue to engage the core. The key to this exercise is moving smoothly from the starting position up into the “Y” position. Your hands will begin close together at the bottom, and then open up wide at the top—think of it as the same motion you might use to unwrap a big present, revealing the gift from beneath the paper. Aim for 8-15 reps depending on your fitness level, and 3 sets total. Watch the video below for a demo.

Rae’s TRXmas — Present-Peeking Push-Ups

On the seventh day of TRXmas, my trainer gave to me, present-peeking push-ups, tree-topping twisters, snow angel core strength, snow scooping side swipes, an early-morning rising, a tummy-tone toboggan, and a sleigh ride on Santa’s knee…

This exercise moves up from the core to give the upper body a little bit of love (don’t worry, the core is still engaged too!). The movement is known in the TRX world as an “atomic push-up,” which combines a push-up and a crunch. But to make things sound a bit more festive, we’re going to pretend we’re sneaking a peek under the tree at all of those gifts during our push-ups! Watch the video below for a demo. You should aim for 10-15 reps of EACH exercise (one push-up, followed by one crunch, then repeat). The other option is to do the exercise “until failure.” That’s just lingo for going until your body won’t let you do another rep.

Rae’s TRXmas — Tree-Topping Twisters

On the sixth day of TRXmas, my trainer gave to me, tree-topping twisters, snow angel core strength, snow scooping side swipes, an early-morning rising, a tummy-tone toboggan, and a sleigh ride on Santa’s knee…

As a child, I just couldn’t wait to see the star on the Christmas tree. It was a symbol of the holiday spirit having arrived to our home. A tree just doesn’t look finished without that perfect topper, and a great six pack of abs just doesn’t look finished without those sexy oblique cuts that come from the twisting motion in this exercise. Watch the video below for a demo. Aim for 10 reps on the left side, then switch immediately to 10 reps on the right side. Repeat this sequence 3 times.