Critique my g/f circuit program.

[bigpurp]

Trying to help my g/f with a little circuit routine she can do at home.

Forward Lunges x15
Elastic Band Curls x20
Jump Rope 1 min
Side Lunges x15
Rowing with elastic band seated on stability ball. x20
Jump Rope 1 min
Chest press with elastic band, seated on stability ball. x20
Steps. (up on fireplace ledge, approx 14" high) x20
Jump Rope 1 min
ab exercise: lays flat on her back, holds 4lb medicine ball between her feet, does leg lift, passes ball to her hands and then extends her hands back behind her head... reverse motion and pass ball back to feet, and flat to ground. repeat x15.

Rest 3 min, then repeat sequence. 3 times total.



I think I have covered all of the major muscle groups, some core stability exercises, and a decent cardio workout in something she can easily do at home in about 45min.

Thoughts? Ideas?


Oh shes 26, 5'5" around 118lbs, and runs 3 miles 1-2 times a week. (has been slacking off on that recently) Has no major medical issues to speak of.

[Insex]

Originally Posted by bigpurp

ab exercise: lays flat on her back, holds 4lb medicine ball between her feet, does leg lift, passes ball to her hands and then extends her hands back behind her head... reverse motion and pass ball back to feet, and flat to ground. repeat x15.

I think these are called Jackknife Sit-Ups (if I'm picturing it correctly).

Overall, I think the circuit workout you made for your girlfriend looks good.

One good addition I might suggest is Squats. She can do them standing, or she can place the stability ball against the wall at chest height, lean against it, and do Squats that way.

[Italianangel]

I would suggest a shoulder exercise, tricep dips and lower back extension done prone on the floor.
Linda

[bigpurp]

Ok after a couple weeks we have done some fine tuning. The band was too weak, she said it didn't feel like she was doing anything so we upgraded to some 10lb dumb bells and added in some freeweight training.

Version 2.0
Forward Lunges x15
Seated (on stability ball) dumbell Curls, 10lbs x20
Jump Rope 1 min
Side Lunges x15
Bent over row with 10lb dumbells . x20
Jump Rope 1 min
Chest press with shoulders on stability ball, 10lbs x20
Steps. (up on fireplace ledge, approx 14" high) x20.. now added 10lb dumbells
Jump Rope 1 min
ab exercise: jack-knife situps with 4lb medicine ball x15.
squats with ball against wall. x15
shoulder press with 10lb dumbells, seated on stability ball.

Rest 3 min, then repeat sequence. 3 times total.



I have started doing some stability exercises as well. Mostly having her drop the weight in 1/2 on the 2nd set, and only use one foot to stabilize herself when sitting on the ball. Keeping the other leg extended straight out.

Will have to try the back extensions and see if shes strong enough for tricep dips.

I'm trying to work her up gradually, hopefully she won't get super sore and be turned off to the whole thing. Seems to be working well thus far.

[Italianangel]

great!! Tell her 'go girl'! We are cheering her on!!
Linda

[MissytroN]

wow i wana try that one myself! i love circuit training, thats a great routine! *high five!*

[bigpurp]

Thanks, it's been working fairly well for her. No significant fat loss but thats because her diet sucks and she knows it. Her muscle tone, strength, and overall feeling of being 'in shape' has improved dramatically though.

Luckily she got over the fear that using free weights would immediately lead her to building a ton of muscle and looking like a man. HA, if only it were that easy.

[Italianangel]

What do we need to do to spark motivation toward her diet.
Is is fear of hunger, lack of flavor, laziness to prep and cook, not sure what to eat, what seems to be the obstacle? Let me know, maybe we can figure out a way to make it click for her.
Linda

[bigpurp]

Originally Posted by Italianangel

What do we need to do to spark motivation toward her diet.
Is is fear of hunger, lack of flavor, laziness to prep and cook, not sure what to eat, what seems to be the obstacle? Let me know, maybe we can figure out a way to make it click for her.
Linda

She has terrible eating habits, and IMO is just inherently lazy when it comes to making decent food, which could also be a lack of understanding on what is 'good'...

She likes some of the stuff I make, grilled chicken breast with grilled veggies and such. But doesn't care for much other meat, and eats lots of carbs (bread, pasta, and fatty cheeses etc.)

Shes latin so heavy, cheesy foods are kind of in their culture.

I've even tried doing baby steps, just getting her to eat smaller meals 5-6 times a day and thats hard for her. Her bad eating habits seem to get exponentially worse during that monthly issue, which drags on for 6-8 days with her.

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

[Italianangel]

Well the pms thing you just have to go with but the other 3 weeks of the month, you may have to get creative with her if she is willing. Once she is willing to make some changes you can introduce her to great recipes, alternate to what she is used to but similar so that he is not so shocked.
There are ways to use lower fat versions of her choices.
The main thing, she has to want it bad enough to try, and for now, get her going 45 mins per day on some cardio for 4-5 days per week, see if a few weeks of that makes a dent. It may also make her appreciate the work it takes to get there and she may then want to watch her diet. - just one idea.
Linda
Linda

[tellico]

Perhaps either you or she could learn to cook some of her culture's dishes as a good way to investigate diet and make it interesting??

Being Latin doesn't necessarily mean terrible diet; in fact, everywhere I've lived in latin america (both above and below the equator) has had great diet options, and very protein heavy (except in the jungle). on a side note, I've yet to find anything resembling the original source of the heavy "mexican food" as we see it in "authentic mexican restaurants" here- maybe this comes from farther north?

Almost every meal was quick, cooked at the time of serving, and involved a flap of meat cooked on the stove plain, or shredded and cooked in something tasty (spices, wine, or something like orange juice, if you're craving a rich meal- top with a slice of ham and maybe a slice of cheese for a really really rich meal), avacado- usually mashed into a spread on a sandwich or in a tortilla, roma tomatos, corn tortillas, beans, shredded meats in all varieties and flavors, lots of soups, corn, and deserts were yummy fruits. The longer cooking meals (shredded meats, soups, etc) were very crock-pot friendly- again, low effort, lots of flavor, ready to serve when you get home. Also, being on lower income (myself included), fresh fruits and eggs and yes, cheese made up most of snack time rather than expensive carb-y sugar-y snacks.

while some things were inherently fatty and fried (like empanadas), most things were much more figure friendly- hopefully this helps.



Also, wearing a calorie counter when exercising helps- When you see what it takes to burn 300 calories, it is much less tempting to undo a 20 minute jog by eating a rich 300 calorie snack! And looking at restaurants' nutrition guides is amazing- who would have thought that the Zaxby's chicken sandwich meal deal is like 1200 cals without a drink? yet at subway you can eat a Mini sub (same amount of insides as a 6", just 100 cals less bread!), a soda, and a chocolate chip cookie for around 400 cals? Chickfila's chicknminis are the devil- a 3 pack is around 400 cals by itself! you could eat an 8 pack of the chickfila nuggets for about the same calorie content, and get more protein in at the same time (though I'm NOT suggesting either is a healthy option, one choice is clearly better than the other!) Subbing a coffee mug of cold green tea instead of OJ in the morning can save you 100 cals or more. invest in 100 calorie packs to have around the house rather than anything that requires you to determine your portion. Keep SOMETHING chocolate and small around the house at all times to avoid munching on other things that don't satisfy that craving- one 100-200 cal chocolate snack when the craving hits is better than three 80-100 cal snacks that leave you wanting something else.

These are just some easy, non-threatening and not-over-the-top things that have helped me, as I have also been reluctant to do any drastic diet changes (been through the yo-yo diet game too many times).