LOL. In my mind, I can hear my friend Cindy kinda laughing at me for saying this, but I’m gonna go ahead and say it anyway.
I love working out.
I really do! Granted, the fact that I work at a desk, and it’s very sedentary, probably has something to do with it. When I’m not working, it feels good to actually utilize my body.
I love that loosey-goosey feeling I get from dancing or running or stretching, especially in my upper back and my shoulders, where I hold a lot of my tension… Ahem! Pardon me while I pump out some quick shrugs.
I am not a gym rat, though. I used to be much more so (Gold’s Gym was my jam back in the day), and I still go to a gym a couple times a week because my HIIT class is held in one, but I don’t spend an inordinate amount of time there because, ya know…I got stuff to do.
So I do most of my workouts at home now in my living room watching a YouTube video on the TV.
Thank goodness for YouTube…
I’m always looking for new workout videos, too, if you have any recommendations for me, but here are the ones I’ve been into lately…
This first one is a dance video, and even if you’ve never taken a dance class in your life, I think this one is SO MUCH FUN. It’s 40 minutes long, but yet those minutes just fly by.
By the end of it, you’ll be drenched in sweat (a good thing in this case). Also, your “bootyshake” will be #legit.
I’m not kidding.
Also, I just started doing pilates, and we as yet have a kind of complicated relationship… I mean, I like it, but it’s soooo much harder than it looks.
While it might seem like you’re just laying down on a mat, which you might think would be somewhat chill, yeah…no. It’s very challenging for me, which I like. Plus, I’m in my living room, so who’s gonna judge??
In these two beginner tutorials, which are examples of what I can handle at the moment, there’s a ton of core work, lots of legs, lots of booty, and lots of upper body exercises. By the end of one of these, I’m wasted, even though there aren’t any high-impact jumping or running moves.
The thing is, though…I have to really concentrate and totally BE IN IT when I’m doing these video because I have to constantly remember to squeeze certain muscle groups, so it does require paying attention.
So these aren’t the kind of videos you’d do when you just wanna zone out…
Now, those HIIT classes I take two times a week, I’m not gonna lie… In those classes, everyone there is freakin’ real deal, and I struggle to keep up. Everyone is so intense, and they’re in good shape, and I have to push hard to keep up with the rest of the class, so in my other workouts during the week, I can’t always push so hard. I need some easier, less intense workouts too, you know? And this workout is one of those perfect low-impact cardio workouts, but I’m hesitant to call it “easy,” in air quotes, because I’m still sweating like a mofo by the end of the 30 minutes.
Like the pilates workouts, I have to really concentrate on squeezing certain muscles and maintaining proper form. This workout, by the way, is a great one to do while you’re traveling because you don’t need any special equipment.
I mean, you could use a yoga mat, but a towel works too.
Sometimes I also like doing resistance band workouts when I’m traveling. Those are the over-sized rubber bands, and they don’t take up much room in your luggage.
Particularly good for lower body (booty and thighs, especially).
This is a total body resistance band workout that also includes short bursts where you do as many reps as possible of a certain exercise, like burpees or push-ups or whatever, and by the end of this one, I feel WORKED.
OK, last one — hip-hop tabata.
OOH! Tabata…
Whenever I do this one, I start questioning, WHY AM I SUBJECTING MYSELF TO THIS!?
Feels great to finish it, though.
Tabata workouts are basically like short sprints or interval workouts with short breaks between the exercises, and you repeat a particular exercise a few times before taking a slightly longer break.
This one is a super fun, super sweaty hip-hop dance one I really like.
Have a good workout! 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Hi Karen, thank you so much for these videos! I need some heavy duty motivation! I don’t go to the gym except for Zumba classes, and winter in Montreal is brutal, so I don’t get out much! Have a great holiday!
Thank you! I’ve never seen the Fitness Blender channel before. Looking through their videos, I like the simple movements and not-cheesy instruction. I’m looking forward to trying them.
I do aerial a few times a week (usually) and see a trainer twice a week, though I’m thinking about switching that up. Warm-ups are usually yoga based for me, and I try to be really good about stretching.
I need to try to make it to my trapeze teacher’s hand balance and contortion classes more often though, and my friend Kay teaches an aerial boot camp I want to get to.
Thank you for the videos Karen! Last week I started using YouTube videos to work out too because the weather here in the Midwest is terrible and I hate running on a treadmill! Check out madfit on YouTube for some good 20 minute total body workouts.
I love hip-hop dance exercise classes. I like to pretend for 45 minutes that I’m an actual hip-hop dancer. Have you ever done U-jam? Classes can be hard to find but they are incredible!
I love Jessica Smith workouts! She’s on You Tube and her community is great! Also like Refit. On YouTube too and you can join their Refit on Demand for 10 a month.
I only do these kinds of workouts any more too, and once a week a dance class. Fitness Blender ist great, PopSugar too, but I just cannot get on board with Pilates. I tried, many times, and Caseys version is the only I do occasionally, but other Pilates classes? No way.
these are wonderful! thank you!
I love working out at home! More so since I’ve had kids; it’s been a must since it’s my only guaranteed “me time.” If you like HIIT type stuff that are similar to Fitness Blender, try The Body Project. They’re very body positive and don’t try to push products. I am not a dancer but feel the need to move my booty once in a while. Shine Dance Fitness is a steaming service but they have free videos on YouTube. I just make a playlist to string about a 20-30 session. I can follow the steps pretty well despite my two left feet. For more advanced dancing, check out DanceBody. Another steaming service that’s a little pricy but I believe there’s a 2week free trial. The music and energy are pretty amazing. Terri Walsh does some Pilates related workouts and also has free videos on YouTube.
Forgot to say I’ve found some great instructors and workouts on PopSugar Fitness, which you already know about. One of them was OBE Fitness. Megan Stroup was the one featured in popsugar but the OBE has many other instructors—dance, HIIT, more traditional resistance workouts.
If your next post is about how you love cleaning, I’m really going to be hanging my head. HAHA! I was just saying how much I hate working out but it’s a necessary evil. The last time I tried doing one of the HIIT vids you suggested, my mirroring onto the TV was malfunctioning. Now that it’s sorted, I’ll have to try one of your new recs. 🙂