When I was at school, the fitness center had plenty of space for me to stretch, do crunches, and lift free weights in a semi-private area. Now that I go to my gym at home, it is always packed and never private. Since I’m working, I can’t go to the gym during the day anymore – I have to go after work at night… AKA when everyone else goes.
I go to the local Y, and the gym there is a good size – lots of machines, weights, etc… BUT they are totally and completely LACKING in space to stretch, do crunches, and lift free weights. The “private” space they do have is usually taken over by senior citizens and their personal trainers OR by children messing around with stability balls. There is also free space over by the lifting benches – but let’s be serious… this is where all the gigantic, scary men lift… and I wear short shorts (cheerleading shorts aka soffes, duh) to the gym. I don’t want them peeking at my vag while I am lying down moving my legs all over the place doing crunches and stuff.
To solve my dilemma, I now head home to complete whatever I can’t get done at the gym. If there’s no space to stretch and crunch, I do it at home. If too many people are hogging the areas to lift weights, I do it at home. I also do some other leg workouts at home anyway because I find them far too embarrassing and sexual to do in public.
Before I get into exercises and stuff, if you don’t have free weights at home, go out and buy some! They have them at Dick’s and other sporty places.
Here are some websites I’ve stumbled upon that have given fabulous workout tips & different exercises that you can do at home:
1. I found this workout on Women’s Health today thanks to Twitter. It is a total body workout… I know that I definitely sometimes only focus on certain parts of my body and ignore others, so this will be great to try out! The workout includes ballet calf raises (aka calf raises while standing in 1st position – yes that is dancer talk) and some free weight exercises I haven’t tried yet. I will be trying this work out tonight 🙂
2. This website www.abc-of-fitness.com gives awesome descriptions, pictures, and videos of how to complete each and every exercise. They have different stretching exercises, free weight exercises, and ab exercises listed. Check it out!
3. This website www.strength-training-woman.com has a lot of exercises listed… They have strength training exercises & core/abs exercises. No videos, but they do give pictures and descriptions.
Now here are some of my favorite exercises:
1. The Penguin – I never knew this was actually called “the penguin”… and I still don’t know if it actually is – It is just what I searched online. Anyway, I do 50 of these a day. Two sets of 25 (reaching for your left foot and your right is considered 1). They are fun and give you a good workout.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJDpjMB5cGM]
2. Crunches where you hold your head and chest up (never lean backwards) and reach to the left and right. I don’t have a name for them. 🙁
3. Leg Curls... We called these “Fire Hydrants” at cheerleading in college… because when you move your leg to the side it looks like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant. Anyway, these are fun too.
4.Everyone knows this exercise as “the sex exercise” I’m sure… This is one of the workouts that I will not do in public. BUT, it is also fun 🙂
5.“Tricep Overhead Extension.” This is probably my favorite free weight exercise. I hate my triceps (don’t we allll).
6.Plank! Plank is not actually fun, but it is one of the best things out there for your abs. Stay there for one minute two or three times and that’s prob good enough for the day.
7.I love lunges, and with weights, they are even better. Do how ever many as you can do at a time without letting your knee touch the floor!
8. BICYCLE CRUNCHES. The best ones.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqoD0Bdggto]
