At-Home & Gym Workout Routines

Cardio & Strength Workout Routines for the Gym & At Home

Many of us tend to indulge the most during the holidays—let’s be real, there’s just too much delicious food! But then, we often try to hit the gym to “balance things out.” Did you know that the day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest gym days of the entire year?! Now, in reality, that gym workout isn’t going to “burn off” our Thanksgiving feast… But, just getting to the gym for a workout at all is a great start! If you’re looking for workout inspiration, here are some at-home and gym workout routines you can try!

For most of us, the hardest part about exercising is just actually doing it. If you want to start a workout regimen but don’t know where to begin, these workout routines can give you some guidance. Or, if you’re tired of your old workout routines, these might give you some new ideas! There are workout routines here suited for beginners, those with an intermediate fitness level, and those who are more experienced. And, there are adaptations and modifications for each workout to lower or increase the intensity.

As I mentioned, if you’re looking for a workout that will reverse any holiday overindulging, that workout just doesn’t exist! While exercise is definitely an important part of a healthy lifestyle, nutrition is the bigger factor in terms of weight loss. The majority of the progress we’ll see is affected by the foods we eat on a regular basis. But, exercise can still help with weight loss goals. And, more importantly, exercise can improve many other areas of our health, like our heart, muscles, bones, and mental wellness!

Tips for Starting a Workout Regimen

If you’re just getting started with a fitness plan, or if you feel confused or overwhelmed at the gym, you’re not alone! We all have to start somewhere. Because getting started can be the toughest part, here are some basic workout tips:

• First and foremost, find a workout that you enjoy. If you want to make exercise a habit, it helps to actually like what you’re doing! But, the only way to find workout routines that you enjoy is to try different workouts. Experiment with weightlifting, explore new cardio routines, or try a group fitness class. There are lots of options out there—be patient and stay open-minded!
• Start wherever you’re at. We’re all at different fitness levels, and some of us are dealing with injuries or other limitations. That’s okay! Be honest with yourself and shape your workout routines to meet your fitness level. This is crucial to staying healthy and preventing injuries. We want to work hard, sweat, and get our heart rates up. But, we don’t want to overwork our bodies, or hurt ourselves doing an overly challenging exercise. It’s a process! Set goals and work towards them. And, if an exercise or workout routine feels too easy, increase the intensity a bit and see how you feel.
• Drink plenty of water. This can be tricky when just getting started. We may not think to stop and drink water, or we may not want to bring a water bottle with us while we workout. But, we lose SO much water while working out. Dehydration can cause us to lose intensity during the workout, get lightheaded and dizzy, or even faint. Because of this, it’s important to be well-hydrated before a workout, and to replenish during AND after exercise.
• Warm up and cool down. Don’t underestimate the importance of this! Our muscles need time to get loose and our heart rate needs time to transition. Take 5 minutes at the start and end of your workout to let your heart rate rise gradually and then fall gradually. This will prevent overworking yourself too early, or feeling woozy when you finish.
• Stretch. This is also severely overlooked when it comes to exercise, even in people with lots of fitness experience. Stretching should be the start of our warm up and the end of our cool down! Again, our muscles and fibers need to be warm and ready before intense exercise. And, stretching after a workout can help prevent tightness and injury.
• Use proper form. No matter what kind of exercise you’re doing, learn the proper way to position and move your body while doing it. Using improper form is a sure-fire way to get hurt! Especially with weightlifting, knowing the proper form before you start an exercise is paramount.

Elliptical Workout Routine

The elliptical machine isn’t meant to be easy, and it doesn’t have to be boring! It all depends on how you use it. You can adjust the ramp and resistance in an elliptical workout, but the SPEED is up to you and how hard you work. And, as with all workout routines, what you get out of it depends on what you put into it. This elliptical workout will get your heart rate up, while keeping you engaged and working hard! Plus, you can download the workout PDF on your phone or tablet to bring to the gym, so you stay on track during the workout.

Get the workout PDF:

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Stair Mill/Stair Master Workout Routine 

The StairMaster and StairMill can get pretty monotonous, but not this workout routine! Intervals keep things interesting, so you won’t be doing anything in this routine for longer than 1 minute. And the time will pass quickly! Be sure to pay attention so you don’t fall or injure yourself. Although it’s common to hold the bars on the StairMill, try not to (as long as you feel safe)! Use the bars for balance, but holding onto them too much means we’re resting on the machine and our legs aren’t working as hard. Again, there’s a PDF you can download to your phone with the workout info!

Get the workout PDF:

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Treadmill Workout Routine

If you’re not a fan of running but wish that you were, this treadmill routine was made for you! Separating the workout into intervals helps the time pass quickly. And, there’s only 7 minutes of actual running in the entire half-hour routine! Plus, interval workout routines can increase our calorie burn, since we work harder to get our heart rate up after each period of active recovery. Download the workout routine PDF to your phone so you can take it to the gym!

Get the workout PDF:

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How to Do a Pull-Up

Pull-ups are HARD—there’s no denying it. But, anyone can learn to do a pull-up if they’re willing to practice! This tutorial on pull-ups can help beginners and experienced fitness gurus alike. It’ll walk you through using the assisted pull-up machine, resistance bands, and finally the real deal. It’s all about learning the proper form and technique first, then developing that back strength to get your chin above the bar. While other exercises like pull downs and row machines can increase our back strength, pull-ups need more than just back strength. You’ve got to PRACTICE doing them!

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No Equipment Workout Boot Camp

Get your cardio and strength workout all in one—without even going to the gym! Here’s a workout routine you can do at home in your living room or backyard, and NO equipment is needed. You can workout with the video to guide you, or use these boot camp exercises to formulate your own workout routines! High intensity interval training (HIIT) like in this routine is one of the best ways to increase your calorie and fat burn. As always, be sure to do a warm up before getting started. And, pay attention to the proper form for each exercise, which you can find written out for you in the PDF!

Get the workout PDF:

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5 Minute Abs Workout

This home workout routine only takes 5 minutes, but you’ll feel the burn for days! Core strength is so essential to all kinds of fitness—both cardio and weight training. And, let’s be real, we’d all love to have six-pack abs… This is a great workout routine that you can do quickly and without a gym or equipment! Again, be sure to check out the PDF for full explanations of proper form, as well as modifications of the exercises! (There are also tons of fun ab exercises you can try at the gym.)

Get the workout PDF:

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Seriously Scary 4 Minute Workout

This workout is quick but it’ll get you sweating! The mixture of cardio and bodyweight exercises will have you feelin’ the burn. Plus, you can get it done in a time crunch, all in the comfort of your home! The key to at-home workout routines is to push yourself to keep working hard. Repeat this seriously scary routine for an even longer workout! And, you can also build your own at-home workout routines by rotating different exercises in tabata intervals—20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest.

I hope these workouts gave you some inspiration! Whether you’re trying to workout post-holiday feasting, making a New Year’s resolution, or just wanting to start a new workout regimen, these are just some options for workout routines. Find what you enjoy and keep doing it!

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What to Do After Over Eating? Top Tips

https://youtu.be/iR0d_mmlG4M