Back Workout

All exercises found on bodybuilding.com

One-Arm Dumbbell Row
(these can be done at home as well)
Do 3 sets of 12. Make sure you really squeeze your back when pulling up. Keep your back flat and keep your movement slow going up and back down.

Chin-Ups
(using these machines at the gym are wonderful because you can do them assisted. Meaning you can have help ;) They are very hard! I have yet to do one by myself, but I am close! This is such a great exercise for your body and you should include them weekly!

Straight-Arm Pulldowns
(These are done using cables. Cables are wonderful because the motion is more smooth and the resistance is easy to control). I LOVE this exercise. Don't be afraid to lift heavy on this. Again, 3 or 4 sets of 12. KEEP YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT, BUT NOT LOCKED!

Incline Bench Pull
This exercise looks a little tricky, but it really isn't. Make sure you start light on this! It can be difficult and until you get good form it will help! Again...3-4 sets of 12. Make your movement slow and deliberate.

Chest Workout at the Gym and at Home

I work out my chest once a week. This is what I did this week. All you need is 3-5 good exercises for your chest. (click on link words for video, pics will be below.) Your chest is a bigger muscle and on these larger muscle groups, we are going for a little mass here...all women want a little more "mass" in the chest, am I right?! :) Make your movement slow and concentrate on that muscle group you are working. Don't rush through and if you don't feel anything, you probably aren't doing it right...watch the video for correct form. All video's and most images are from bodybuilding.com

DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

These can be done on the floor as well or on an exercise ball (seen below) Use at least 15 to 20 lbs in the beginning and increase your weight, especially if it feels too easy. Try doing 3-4 sets of 12.BUTTERFLY

This exercise is done on a machine here in these pics, but it can me done so many ways!

Below are pics of how to do the "fly" at home using dumbbells and an exercise ball. If you do not have an exercise ball, then lay flat on the floor. It's important to keep your elbows slightly bent. Looking at the picture of the guy above on the machine...look at how his arms are positioned. If you do this at home or on an exercise ball, make sure your arms are in the correct position. If you have bad form you could injure yourself.

INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS

Here is the another option for at home (below).

So I've given you about 3 exercises for your chest. Remember, make sure your movement is slow and deliberate. Make sure you can do at least 12 reps, 3-4 times, increase your weight if necessary. If you have a mirror, this is a good way to see if you are doing many of these exercises correctly. If you do this effectively, you will feel it in your chest the next day. This doesn't seem like much, because it isn't! Include 20 minutes of cardio when you are finished and that just isn't much, less than an hour! The results from resistance and weight training are so very beneficial if done correctly...so go give it a try and tell me how it goes!

Bodybuilding Exercise Guide

This Bodybuilding Website is a great resource for weight lifting and resistance exercises you can do at the gym. I use it often. On this website it shows each muscle group. If you click on that group, it will bring up video's that show specific exercises for that muscle group. There are ways to modify some of these exercises so you can do them at home.

Five Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Weight Loss

I love to "surf" the web for all kind of new recipes, nutrition advice and workout routines...so in my search I found this article. I completely agree with what is said in it and hope it helps you! Click HERE to read more...

Weight Lifting...Where To Begin?

I have had many people ask me questions lately on weight lifting. Most people have no idea where to even start...How heavy to lift? Do classes work? Do I have to join a gym? Do I need a personal trainer?

For me, hiring a personal trainer was wonderful! I HIGHLY recommend this, however, you MUST find the RIGHT one for you! I watched trainers at my gym for quite a while before hiring the one I wanted. For one thing, I wanted a girl trainer. Secondly, I didn't want a trainer that didn't watch their clients closely to make sure they were lifting correctly (ie:too busy talking or texting or just plain bored). I watched the trainers to see if they themselves looked like they lifted. I also watched to see if they enjoyed what they did! I asked around a lot about who people used and got as much advice as I could. Hiring a personal trainer is expensive. I don't think you need to see a trainer more than once a week. Have that trainer teach you how to work out ONE muscle group (ie: chest, back, arms, shoulder, legs). This way, you can get used to what exercises work best for that one area before learning the next area. Also, I think hiring a trainer for 3-4 months is all you need. This will help you to understand HOW to lift, how often, which exercises work best and you will have notes to help you when you are done.

I've taken weight classes at the gym as well. I did this before hiring a personal trainer. I liked these classes a lot and learned a lot from them, however, these classes work your whole body in one hour. In my opinion you need to work ONE muscle group until it fails, this is the best way to tear down that muscle group so it will build back stronger. You should only exhaust that one muscle group, for instance your chest or arms, ONE day a week, so this gives that muscle 7 days to recover and build back stronger. I have noticed a huge difference lifting weights this way. In these classes, if you choose to take them, really watch what they do for one muscle group and try to do it on your own, at home or at the gym. (There are many schools of thought and I've seen others who can lift effectively working out one muscle group out twice a week, but make sure you have 48-72 hours rest before exhausting that muscle group again.)

How often should you lift? One muscle group, maybe two, once a week. I lift 3-4 days a week for about 30 -45 minutes. Monday...Chest/arms, Wednesday...Back, shoulders, Friday...legs. This is my schedule right now. I then run Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Sometimes I will take a day off, if I'm tired. I always take Sunday off.

Do you need to join a gym? Yes and No. I think whatever works best for you. I LOVE going to the gym. There are so many weights/machines to choose from. I learn new things from the friends I've made at the gym and recruiting friends and family to go with me helps me a lot. However, some days, I pick up my hand weights or resistance bands and do a workout at home and that works too. I've been looking into resistance training with just your body weight (push ups, sit ups, squats and lunges, using only my body weight and no hand weights). This can be very effective as well.

How heavy to lift? Well, there are so many differences of opinion on this for women. I like to lift heavy, and then take one week every month and lift light with higher reps. Women won't bulk up they way men do unless you take supplements to help you gain muscle mass. This is a myth! Also, play around with lifting 3 sets of 12, or 4 sets of 12 or 6 sets of 8-10...your body after 2-3 weeks of doing the same thing, will not respond the way you want and you will plateau. Change things up, all the time! Be creative!

I will try over the next few weeks to put up some of my favorite weight lifting exercises...some will be at the gym and others you can do at home. Stay tuned!

Protein Pancakes

These are soooo good! They are still in the experimenting stage, but until I get them the way I want them, this is what I'm making and it works. They fill me up and taste great!

Protein Pancakes
1/4 to 1/2 cup almond milk
4 egg whites (beat until frothy)
1/4 cup or 30 grams protein powder
(click on link above for the protein that I buy. I love this stuff!!! It is unsweetened, so I can make into anything I want!)
1/4 to 1/2 cup Oatmeal (how much you add really doesn't make a huge difference, just adds more volume)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small packet or 1 teaspoon Stevia in the Raw or any other low cal sweetener.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 teaspoons baking powder (add a little more if they aren't very fluffy)

Beat eggs until frothy, whisk in almond milk, set aside. Mix together dry ingredients. Pour into wet ingredients and whisk only until mixed well. Set aside a few minutes until batter thickens a little. Use a large skillet and pour into pan when hot. Cook on a medium low temp as the egg white can burn quickly. They will puff up, wait until the pancakes "jiggles" (haha) and then flip. Use a large spatula. Makes 2 large pancakes.

Meeting My Goals...How I Did It.

I have lost 40 lbs...I am a size 10, with room!!!!!! WOOT!!! I want to shout it from the rooftops, jump up and down, do the victory dance....THIS IS SO HUGE! I haven't been here since marriage with my weight and I haven't been this size since Junior High!!!!!

September was rough with more cheats than I wanted to have, but I survived and just this first part of October the weight and inches are just falling off again. This has been my goal since...well, since after I had Hailey. It's taken me so long to figure out how to lose it. Really. I have no problem with the exercise thing, although when I began that years ago, it was really tough. The habit with exercise was established but eating right has been the hard thing. I love to eat healthy, but I'm realizing I've been eating too much food. It really comes down to calories in and calories out, but more importantly what kind of calories you are putting in and putting in the right combinations. I've struggled with the "carb" and "fat" issue for years. Do I eat carbs? Do I eat fat? For years the NO FAT thing was huge, but that is so WRONG! So, I added in fat, but then I was eating too much (nuts, cheese, good oils). As for carbs, I lost weight many times before cutting out my carbs. That works temporarily but there is no way you can maintain that, so I would add back in my carbs, but too many carbs, and would then gain back the blasted 10-15 pounds I was always trying to get off.

I'm very grateful for my friend Melanie, who gave me her "formula". She competed in a Naturals Bodybuilding show and trimmed 30+ lbs. She looked amazing! If I could lift weights with her for a year and she could trim down, then so could I, right?! I am grateful for her motivating me.

So, I will give you the formula...it's simple really, but may seem sort of technical. Do with it what you will. I will also post on here a couple of books I've been reading that encourage the same way of eating, plus also have some great ideas for exercise. Check them out at the library! (Look at bottom of post for book titles)

Calories each day: 1500 (to trim last 10-15 lbs, reduce to 1200 calories, this is where I am now)
Fat grams per day: 1.5 grams of fat per body fat percentage you are...so if you are 30% body fat, then you should eat no more than 45 grams of fat each day.

AVOID eating Fat around your workout!!!

Carbohydrate Intake Daily: NO MORE than what you weight...in grams. So if you weight 200 lbs., then eat NO MORE than 200 grams!! I would try to keep my carbs around 100 grams per day. It's important to eat less carbs, but DO NOT cut them out of your diet. You need them for energy. DO NOT eat less than 50 carbs per day. Your brain needs carbs to function ;) It is important to cut back on carbs in order to lose. If you find that you are not losing weight, then really watch where your carbs are coming from and when you are eating them.

EAT CARBS EARLY IN THE DAY!!!! DO NOT eat carbs before bed...why do you need energy to sleep?! You need carbs around your workout, so, if you workout in the evening, eat your carbs (1/2 cup rice, 1 slice whole grain bread, 1/2 cup oatmeal, sweet potatoes, fruit) ONE hour before your workout in the evening. This will ensure you have the energy you need to not die out there!

My husband put together a great template in Excel where I could track all of these things, if you would like a copy, then email me at jen78johns@yahoo.com. I would be happy to answer any specific questions that way as well!

I am on a quest to get to my "ideal" weight, so that is another 15 pounds. I would like to see if I could be a size 4-6. I had a friend on Facebook say to me " be happy where you are, don't keep dangling the carrot in front of yourself, when you've accomplished so much". I agree with her, but then again, this is a lifestyle change for me. I AM happy where I'm at...soooo happy! If I continue eating right and exercising, then it will come off, if need be...and if not, so what?!

Stay tuned....I have a AWESOME Protein Pancake recipe you'll love!

Books:
Body at Home by Jorge Cruise
Body for Life by Bill Phillips