6 Workouts You Could Do Today: Fitness Inspiration

Tweet this!

Have you been perusing Pinterest all week for some fitness motivation... but are still finding your butt sitting on the couch? Quit it with the excuses, already! Here are 6 workouts you should do today...

P.S. Don't have much time? Pick your workouts based on how much time you have, here!

Go On A Run

"That's not sweat. It's your fat cells crying!" 

The trail by my parents' house really does have a sign that says that. I'm pretty sure it's an old one from some high school cross country meet... but it's a darn good sign to see mid-run! 

To make things more fun, try making your run into a game using intervals. Either download or stream these workout playlists, which will time out Tabata-style intervals for you (sprint for 20 seconds, walk or stand for 10) or use the scenery to make it happen. The above picture is taken on a trail that has both shady and sunny spots - I make it a point to always sprint through any parts of the trail that are shaded. You can also incorporate high knees and butt kicks, using the same methods!

Get Insane With Insanity

Did I mention I'm an Insanity fan? Shaun T of Beachbody's Insanity series is a goofy, hilarious guy who somehow gets away with bossing me around for an hour at a time!

Check out the Insanity Series for more information.

Not ready to shell out the dough for Insanity? Try this HIIT workout, which works off of a very similar method.

Watch TV... On The Elliptical

Yes, that is Courtney from The Bachelor. After all, what's better to get you fired up than a crazy bimbo who's trying to steal Ben's sanity? Whether you're a Courtney fan or not, scheduling an entire hour (or more!) on the elliptical will help you get the cardio you need!
Try out Megan Fox's interval workout, amended for the elliptical, here!

Hang Out With Jillian

I have periodic dates with Jillian Michaels. See the candles glowing in the above picture? Yeah, that happens. I set up some candles, place a fan to blow perfectly in my face, lay out a mat and do her workout. It's like a date with fitness. What could be better?

Check out Jillian's videos:
No More Trouble Zones (pictured above), which incorporates light weights and tones and lifts what most people consider their "trouble zones," like triceps, inner and outer thighs, glutes, and abs.
Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, which incorporates cardio exercises to ramp up your heart rate, burn fat, and speed up your metabolism.
Don't Want to Wait For Jillian to Come in the Mail?
Try this workout while you're watching TV! Set yourself up the same way... candles, fans, luxury... and your very favorite TV show!

Rip Your Abs

Whether you're using a video like P90X's Ab Ripper X or a good old self-guided ab workout, you really can't go wrong when you get some good ab ripping in. No, I don't mean ripping your muscles--- I mean getting ripped. Don't have a video? Perform sets five and six of this workout for 10 minutes of ab insanity! 

Go On a Bike Ride

If you've got a bike, head out on an adventure. You can bike to work, bike to a friend's house, bike to the beach, bike through the woods... You can head toward a destination or simply ride in a loop, taking in the scenery as you go. Either way, if you can make it about 2 hours, you've burned between 500 and 1,000 calories! Consider downloading an interval app or downloading this music to force yourself to alternate between hard-as-you-can pedaling and coasting! :)

P.S. Don't have much time? Pick your workouts based on how much time you have, here!

Fit | Intense Cardio Boxing Circuit

Tweet this!
My girlfriend, Kelsey, introduced me to boxing about a year ago and I've been 'hooked' ever since.  The first time we boxed, I woke up the next morning with a good kind of 'sore' feeling... like when you're 12 years old and spent an entire day tubing with your cousins and your entire body feels totally wired the next day. I just felt solid.

I've been doing this workout once a week for  a month or so and have had great results both physically and mentally (by mentally, I mean that I haven't come to dread the workout and have been able to continue raising the bar quite effectively).  Why am I doing it only once a week? Because my body needs to recover from this workout... and so will yours. Boxing really does a number on your upper body and core in a unique way, so it is important to give your body that rest in between attempts. That said, there is no reason you couldn't combine this with other exercises - in fact, I've been doing just that. I generally follow up on this exercise with a yoga the next day, then finish the week out by alternating cardio, weights, and rest.

I begin the workout with a Tabata circuit for a few reasons. First, it gets me legitimately pumped up. Second, boxing seems much less intimidating after completing a Tabata circuit because I'm too busy thanking-my-lucky-stars that I survived the 4 minute Tabata. Third, Tabata gets your heart "in the mood" to raise and lower quickly, which is exactly what it will be doing as the workout progresses.

****Get the free printables of this workout here!****

Part One: 4 Minute Tabata
Summary: For 4 minutes, alternate between 20 seconds of exercise (pushing yourself to your maximum intensity) and 10 seconds of rest. You will end up doing 8 20-second exercises, going through the list twice.
Note: For a bit more information about Tabata workouts, read this article.

Burpees (Suicide Jumps)
Switch Kicks (Similar to high knees but kicking each time. You should feel a bit like you're in a kicking line, except that, rather than lifting your legs straight up, you can bend your knee a bit to increase your speed).
Jumping Jacks
Jump Rope (I don't actually use a jump rope. Instead, I just mimic the motion).

Part Two: Boxing
Summary: Each round of boxing includes a specified number of body shots, hooks, and upper cuts. You may rest for 10 seconds at a time during the round, if you need to take a break between each set of punches, but try to complete each set of punches as quickly as possible. In between rounds, complete 2 minutes of moderate cardio activity (treadmill, elliptical, jumping jacks, etc).
Note: For this part of the exercise, you will be alternating between the prescribed boxing moves and any cardio workout. I typically jump on an elliptical or treadmill, but doing jumping jacks, for example, would also work. The idea is to allow your heartrate to slow down (but only slightly) by doing a moderate cardio exercise.

Round One:
Beginner:
    Body Shots 30 punches per arm (60 total)
    Hooks 30 punches per arm (60 total)
    Upper Cuts 30 punches per arm (60 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio
Intermediate:  
    Body Shots 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    Hooks 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    Upper Cuts 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio
Advanced:
    Body Shots 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    Hooks 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    Upper Cuts 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio

Round Two:
Beginner:
    Body Shots 40 punches per arm (80 total)
    Hooks 40 punches per arm (80 total)
    Upper Cuts 40 punches per arm (80 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio Intermediate:  
    Body Shots 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    Hooks 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    Upper Cuts 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio
Advanced:
    Body Shots 80 punches per arm (160 total)
    Hooks 80 punches per arm (160 total)
    Upper Cuts 80 punches per arm (160 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio


Round Three:
Beginner:
    Body Shots 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    Hooks 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    Upper Cuts 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio Intermediate:  
    Body Shots 70 punches per arm (140 total)
    Hooks 70 punches per arm (140 total)
    Upper Cuts 70 punches per arm (140 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio
Advanced:
    Body Shots 100 punches per arm (200 total)
    Hooks 100 punches per arm (200 total)
    Upper Cuts 100 punches per arm (200 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio


****Get the free printables of this workout here!****