Rocking My At Home Workouts

Lately, I have been working out at home more then at the gym. Between my hectic work schedule, school and family life, it’s been challenging to get to the gym. I used to workout at home and follow different fitness DVD’s, but they didn’t keep my interest enough and I would get bored.  Now, I do my own “circuit/interval” type of training at home. By researching different workouts online and in magazines, I find the workouts that work best for me and do different sets at home. I build out routines that include everything from jumping jacks to burpees to mountain climbers and so much more and I’ll do about 3-4 sets of them. Sites like YouTube (of course) and various health and fitness magazine sites like Women’s Health, Fitness and Oxygen magazine as we well as fellow blogger sites like Yum Yucky and Fitnessladies.net has been a godsend to helping me develop routines and ensuring that I have proper form.

I have to be honest, I find my at home workouts to be so much more intense and effective them my gym workouts. I think this is due to the fact when I go the gym I am always rushing and stressing out. When I go after work, I have limited time to workout because I am rushing to get home, so I would either take a group class or quickly hop on the treadmill then do a few of the weight machines. When I would go to the gym in the morning, again I am rushing because I have to allow for time to shower and prep to get to work.

I realized that when I work out at the gym, I don’t spend time preplanning what I want to focus on for my body that day. Where as at home, I plot what areas I want to target with each workout, whether it’s legs one day, arms, etc. I really put a lot of thought into my routines at home to ensure they are impactful. Also, at home I have the flexibity of my schedule. I can workout at anytime of the day that is most convenient for me. If I want to workout at 4am, I can (not that I want to exercise that early). I also live near a park so it’s easy to get my cardio in by either running or walking.

I am learning a lot about at home workouts. Aside from researching what types of exercises to do, it’s also important to have the right equipments. I have a few of the basic items but think I need a more exercise tools to really take my workouts to another level. Currently, at home I have the following:

-       Resistance Band (Which is truly my all-time favorite equipment. It’s the most basic and super effective item that          everyone should have in their fitness arsenal)

-       Ankle weights (my ankle weights come in handy for my leg workouts)

-       5LB dumbbells (definitely need heavier weights)

-       Yoga mat

-       Jump rope (you can never go wrong with jump ropes for an effective cardio workout)

I want to invest in heavier weights. I am also thinking of getting either kettle balls or a medicine ball to round out my routines.

Now, I am not completely poo pooing the gym, it’s just that where I am in my life right now exercising at home works for me. I also plan on supplementing my at home workouts with bikram yoga classes and other small group, boot camp exercise classes that I am going to sign-up for.

Whether you workouts at home or at the gym, for as long as you are moving, that’s all that matters. So get moving!

Are you a gym diva or an at home exercise queen? If you exercise at home what equipments do you use? I am looking for suggestions and ideas and would love to hear what you use.