Workouts

Here’s where you can find explanations and demonstrations of some of my favorite exercises as well as a categorized list of some of the workouts I do.  When I’m looking for a workout to do, I sometimes come to this page to search for one, and I hope it might serve as a resource for others as well.  Feel free to adapt any of the workouts or exercises to meet your specific goals, needs, and fitness levels.  I sometimes come up with my own names for certain moves, or they may just be new to some people, so hopefully this page will serve as sort of a reference guide.

For most of the moves, I have tried to find simple YouTube clips that will give you the basics of how they are done, but if you need further explanations, don’t be afraid of the power of Google.  I’ve tried to categorize the following exercises by the area of the body they primarily hit, but of course some work more than one, so don’t go solely by which group they are under!

I know I personally love to always be learning fun, effective new exercises, so I will do my best to update this page regularly so that there’s never an exercise mentioned on the blog that goes unexplained.  Feel free to ask about any move you see or suggest some of your own!

Here are some of my favorite resources for new moves:

• The Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises - This is a fantastic book full of detailed explanations of a comprehensive list of exercises for every part of your body.  With color pictures, tons of variations, and tools for both beginners and exercise buffs, this book has something for everyone.
• Self Magazine and Website - Self Magazine offers tons of health and fitness advice for a relatively cheap subscription rate.  Each month’s issue includes tear-out workouts cards, lots of interesting articles, and tons of healthy recipes.  In addition, as an e-mail subscriber, you get even more, and most of their workouts I’ve tried are simple, fun, and totally effective.
• Women’s Health Magazine and Website - This is another really great magazine, with lots of great, super informative and interesting articles.  Again, e-mail subscribers constantly receive awesome advice, tips, and ideas, and the website is a wealth of information.  I frequently find fun new workouts, complete with pictures and detailed descriptions on how to complete each move.
• YouTube - You’ll notice that a lot of my exercise links come from YouTube, and this isn’t a coincidence.  Many popular and highly accredited trainers have their own YouTube channels and create YouTube videos that can be viewed by the public for free.  All you have to do is search the name of an exercise or browse around for new ones, and you have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips.
• Other bloggers – Other blogs (like Love Eat Run, Peanut Butter Fingers, Sweet Tooth Sweet Life, and The Fitnessista, to name a few) are a fantastic resource.  Some of my favorites are written by certified trainers and some are not, but I’m always finding fun, new moves that I’d either never heard of or never thought to add into my routines. 

Upper Body

• Pushups
• Dumbbell push press
• Pushup position rows
• Bent over dumbbell rows
• Single arm dumbbell swings
• Bent over lateral raises
• Bicep Curls
• Dumbbell Shoulder press
• Overhead tricep extensions
• Twisting dumbbell curls
• Dumbbell tricep kickbacks
• Lateral dumbbell raises
• Bench press
• Skull crushers
• Dumbbell chest flies
• Inverted shoulder press
• Hammer curls
• Tricep dips
• Lying dumbbell tricep pullovers to extensions
• Swiss ball cobras
• Bent arm lateral raise and external rotations
• Dumbbell diagonal raises
• Julie’s shoulder move

Lower Body

• Dumbbell side lunges
• Dumbbell deadlifts
• Split jump lunges
• Single leg hip raise
• Goblet squats
• Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)
• Single leg Romanian deadlifts (RDLs)
• Reverse lunges
• Prisoner squats
• Bulgarian squats
• Calf raises
• Plie squat
• Sumo squat
• Single leg bent knee calf raises
• Overhead dumbbell squat
• Hamstring roll-ins with Swiss ball
• Side-lying clam shells
• Marching hip raises
• Fire hydrants
• Kneeling leg lifts
• Dumbbell step ups
• Dumbbell deadlifts

Core

• Hip crossover
• Crunches
• Plank
• Side planks
• Sit ups
• Plank with 3-2-1 Pushups (10 sec plank, 3 pushups; 10 sec plank, 2 pushups; 10 sec plank, 1 pushup)
• Mountain climbers
• Reverse crunches
• Dumbbell side bends
• Prone Cobra
• Swiss ball jackknifes
• Swiss ball crunches
• Swiss ball hip crossovers
• Russian twists
• Swiss ball pikes
• Reverse crunches with ball
• Overhead side bends
• Rotating planks
• Prone oblique Rolls
• Ballet twist
• Squat thrust and twist
• Incline mountain climbers
• Extended arm plank
• Side planks with elevated feet
• Plank with elevated feet
• Vertical leg crunch
• Swinging-leg side planks
• Straight arm crunches
• Marching side planks
• V-sit holds
• Lying windmills

WORKOUTS

Cardio

• At-Home Cardio
• Cardio Kick Routine
• YouTube Zumba Class 1
• YouTube Zumba Class 2

Cardio & Strength

• Best Body Strength & Cardio Circuit
• Cardio Leg Circuit
• Jump Rope Core Circuit
• Total-Body Pyramid Workout
• Football Field Leg Workout
• Cardio-Strength Interval Workout

Strength Workouts

• How To: Circuit Workouts
• Total Body Workouts – Phase One
• Circuit Workout #1
• Circuit Workout #2
• Circuit Workout #3
• Circuit Workout #4
• Lower Body Burner
• Total Body Circuit Workout

At Home/No Equipment Workouts

• Belly Blaster Workout
• Problem Area Workout
• The 100 Workout
• Living Room Core Workout
• Hotel Room Workout
• Total-Body, No-Equipment Workout
• 30-Minute At-Home Workout

Workout Reviews

• One Month TurboFire Review