Caity can you offer some advice on how to get in shape?
Hell yes I can! This is going to be wicked long so prepare yourself!
1. Remember that exercising is only part of it. You’ll get the best results if you eat healthy too! There are lots of blogs like @undressedskeleton and others that have loads of great recipes that are yummy and fairly simple!
Some of my favorite easy snacks / drinks:
Smoothies!! Mix up some strawberries, banana, orange juice, ice and vanilla yogurt for a refreshing and healthy drink that’ll fill you up too!
Fruity Dessert Pizza — one of my all-time favorites!!
Sliced Apple with Peanut Butter
Chicken on bed of cooked veggies
Infused water (slice up a lemon, lime, or orange for tasty water that also helps curb your appetite–always eat when you’re truly hungry, but sometimes thirst is mistaken for hunger, and infused water can help ya tell the difference!)
Anything high in high fructose corn syrup
Salty snacks (Cheezits, Fritos, Chips, Pretzels, Bugles, etc.) – these foods are designed to make you want to eat more of them, which is scary!
Sugary cereals (replace Lucky Charms with Honey Bunches of Oats, Captain Crunch with Go Lean / Kashi cereals, etc.)
Soda (I stopped drinking all soda except Ginger Ale because I love it so much, and that’s made a huge difference!)
Sweets (I’m the kind of person who can’t skip dessert, but I’ve learned to have smaller portions)
Alcohol (oh no!!) – I’m not saying you have to stop drinking, but you know that college Freshman 15? A lot of people gain that by drinking too much. At the very least, take shots of vodka instead of beer or wine, and try not to go for another round of that delicious but really sugary drink if you’re already feeling good. Not that I’m encouraging drinking or anything…just giving tips on how to do it in a healthy way if that’s what you choose to do!
2. Exercising is still part of it, so try to find things that are both fun and active. I personally love running, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I’d start out going for nice long walks, or jogs if you want, as well as core exercises. I try to work out as much as I can during the week, but I switch things up between calisthenics & cardio at the gym, simply walking around campus to get to class, and dance / zumba classes. Zumba is really fun and easier than you’d think, plus the music is awesome!
3. Here are some of my typical workouts (I don’t do all of these every day so don’t freak out!) My main tip here is to pick a workout that targets a certain area and do that one day, then another the next day, etc. You’ll hear gym buffs talk about “Leg Day” or “Arm Day” all the time…now you know what that means! Finish out the week by combining your favorite calisthenics from each target area for a full-body circuit!
15-25 minutes jogging on the treadmill (usually about 2 miles)
30-40 minutes jogging outside (I usually end up going about 3 miles outside but it took me a while to work up to that distance–2 years ago I couldn’t even do 1 mile!)
Running may suck at first but it does wonders for your whole body!
Ballroom Dancing (this is specific to me, but hey, if you have any interest in a fun and social low-impact, low-intensity workout, try it!)
RECOMMENDED APPS: RunKeeper Free – Uses GPS to measure distance, pace, time, calories burned, etc. and tracks your progress across weeks / months. You can also sign up for challenges through the app that other users will also partake in, like 5K’s.
30 second sprint, 30 second rest, on treadmill. Repeat for 10 minutes.
Zumba (okay, maybe it’s not super high intensity, but it’s a lot of movement and impact!)
20 leg lifts with hip raise
20 straight-leg jackknifes
30 raised-leg sit-ups with twist
20 glute lifts (works the booty too!)
***remember to keep your core tight when doing these exercises! Otherwise all you’ll get is neck and back pain when what you really want is to feel the burn in your tummy!***
***since how much you can lift depends on how long you’ve worked out, I’ll just list the exercises and not the number of reps, because for me it still varies even workout to workout! Just do as many as you can, and stop if you feel you need to.***
***My Advice: Even if you CAN lift a 15lb hand weight right now, start out with 5lb weights and work your way up to the heavier ones to avoid injury.***
Simple Press – Lie on your back with your weights in hand and push your arms up towards the ceiling as if you’re lifting a big bar weight. Lower arms back down but don’t let them rest on the ground before pushing back up again.
Push-up Position lift – This one takes a lot balance! Hold yourself as if you’re in the “up” push-up position. Balance yourself with one weight-free hand and lift your other arm with the weight up toward your body until your elbow is at 90 degrees. Repeat.
Arm Exercises without weights!
Push-Ups (normal, modified, incline or decline)
Tricep Dips (on chair or on floor)
20 Side Leg Lifts – Lie on your side, one leg straight out on the floor, the other resting atop it. Lift top leg as high as you can; you should feel a stretch in your inner thigh. Lower leg to starting position and repeat for 20 reps then roll over to your other side and work the other leg.
10 Squats with 10lb medicine ball
The Peeing Dog (Okay, I made the name up) – Get on your hands and knees and lift one leg like a dog does when it pees. Keep your knee bent as it was on the floor. Alternate between legs. You’ll look a little silly but it’s a good stretch!
RECOMMENDED APPS FOR CALISTHENICS: Pump Up App Free – Gives you workouts to do, number of reps, etc.
RECOMMENDED WORKOUT PROGRAMS IF YOU WANT SOMETHING MORE STRUCTURED: Kayla Itsines BBG Program Weeks 1-12 (Caity-tested, Caity-approved!) – Inbox me (off anon) and I can hook you up!
Can’t have a good workout without good tunes, right? Here’s some of my go-to jams, loosely organized by workout type:
Work This Body – my 8tracks playlist that’s good for low-intensity cardio!
***I plan to make these 8tracks lists as well so follow me there!***
Ultimate Running Playlist:
Five Minutes to Midnight – Boys Like Girls
Permanent Vacation – 5sos
Hallelujah – Panic! at the Disco
Move Along – All-American Rejects
Talk – Against the Current
Come With Me Now – the Kongos
I’m A Freak – Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull
Joker and the Thief – Wolfmother
La Mordidita – Ricky Martin
Baby You Don’t Wanna Know – Sum 41
What Are You Waiting For – the Saturdays
Push It to the Limit – Corbin Bleu
The Reckless and the Brave – All Time Low
Boom – Major Lazer et. al.
Push It Playlist (for calisthenics):
Dancing With the Devil – Krewella feat. Travis Barker & Patrick Stump
Fuck U Betta – Neon Hitch
Pound the Alarm – Nicki Minaj
Remember the Name – Fort Minor
Do Or Die feat. Childish Gambino – Flux Pavilion
Seven Nation Army (Glitch Mob Remix) – The White Stripes
I’m So Sorry – Imagine Dragons
Victorious – Panic! at the Disco
Beamer Benz or Bentley – Lloyd Banks feat. Juelz Santana
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark – Fall Out Boy
Fairly Local – twenty one pilots
Medusa – The Dirty Heads feat. Ward 21
Take Me To Church (YONAS Remix) – Hozier
Misc. Advice / Words of Wisdom
Take progress photos every two weeks and mark the dates on them.
Remember that the scale is not the end-all, be-all. It’s fine to set a goal weight, but don’t get discouraged by the numbers. And remember that you may actually gain weight because of muscle formation, as muscle weighs more than fat.
Don’t be afraid of the gym!
Everyone started out just like you are.
Give. Yourself. A Rest Day. Do not run yourself into the ground! Your mind and body needs a day to do nothing (I usually pick Saturday, so I can go out Friday and not worry about having to get up and run the next morning).
Push yourself, but stop if you feel dizzy or sick.
Invest in high quality workout clothes, especially sports bras if you have titties! Don’t work out in a normal bra, it’s not fun at all! (Dick’s is my go-to for tops, running jackets, spandex, leggings, sneakers and socks)
Workout shorts are the one thing I’d say don’t have to be super high quality (try Old Navy or Kohl’s before you go to Dick’s or Athleta for shorts; you’ll save a lot of money), but I’d advise you to get some with a built-in lining.
If you won’t eat something good for you, you can’t be that hungry.
If you plan on running, you’re going to want actual running shoes, not volleyball shoes, Converse, etc.
Don’t give up!! Deciding to work out is the hardest part, but give it a few weeks and it’ll become habit.
You’re stronger than you think you are.
Anyway, I hope this helps! I know it’s a lot of info but you can read through and decide what works best for you. You got this!
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