Monday Workout: Lunges!

As much as I personally dislike lunges (I made up a whole song about it while working out once…), I do them and I put them in workouts because they are important.  This week, we are going to add either plyometrics or forward movement to our lunges; that means we are going to do jump lunges or walking lunges.  (Please note:  if your knees don’t like lunges, do something else.  If your body objects to jumping, do the walking version.  As always, adapt to what YOUR body needs.)  Three rounds.

lunges (jump or walking)	30
curls	20
Arnold press	10
plyo/reg/mod jacks	30
squats	20
calf raises	10
high knees	30
rows	20
roll out abs	10

No excuses...

There is a perception that working out requires a lot of stuff:  dumbbells, barbells, Bosus, TRX, kettle bells, medicine balls, stretchy straps, rollers, and the like.  I have all those things and I can say confidently that it is possible to work out without any of them.

All the toys are fun and useful, but that is not the same as being necessary.  Body-weight squats, lunges, dips, and pushups with some cardio intervals can give us a full workout.

What this means is that we are not tied to the gym.  We can walk/run/bike to the park, do some body-weight exercises, and walk/run/bike back with the bonus of having been outside.  Or we can take a few trips up and down the stairs right there at home between sets of body-weight exercises.

No excuses, folks!  We can do this!

Three things

We can work out all day and still not lose weight if we don’t pay attention to what we are eating.  I am not a nutritionist and so am not qualified to give specific dietary advice, but I can say three things with confidence:

1.     Don’t eat too much.  This is not breaking news.  Smaller portions are the first thing to try when we want to take off a few pounds.

2.     Eat vegetables.  It’s pretty much the only thing that all the diet and nutrition gurus and experts agree on.  They are filling, fibrous, and nutrient dense.  And, if we are careful about what we put on them, they don’t have a lot of calories.

3.     Drink water.  We will feel fuller, consume fewer calories, and probably act nicer since dehydration tends to make us crabby.

These three things will give workouts a fighting chance of paring away the extra padding.