My Fitness Routine!

Hello everyone I am so excited to finally be sharing my fitness routine with you all! This has been long overdue and I was hesitant to post it at first because I am no fitness expert by any means. Then I thought about it and I realized none of us are perfect and one of the most important parts of this journey of becoming a healthier person and losing weight is exercise. This is my routine when I am ready for a hard workout which is most likely two nights a week and on the other nights I do something more relaxed. I tried to explain each move in detail as  best as I could so bare with me and ENJOY!

When I first started working out, I would mainly power walk/jog throughout my neighborhood and that was it. I loved going late evening and it was the one time out of my day where I could put my headphones on and clear my head. Well as you could guess, that got very boring for me and I was not motivated to work out knowing that I would just be walking then jogging, walking then jogging etc. I started to look on Pinterest which you guys already know I am constantly on already, for fun, not time consuming exercises that I could do myself at my house. There was so many, but I found that I loved that I still follow through with today. I have added and taken away certain moves but I love working out at home now. 

Step One

First thing first, STRETCH! This is probably the most important step when working out. 

- I start with a wide stance and reach down and touch each foot. Right then left or vise verse. This stretches out the back of your legs and your hamstrings. Make sure to keep your knees straight, this will create a deeper stretch but if you have to bend your knees then do so, because you don't want to pull a muscle. 

 

- Next, sit down on the ground and pull one leg in towards your while stretching the opposite leg out to the side and make sure to point your toes. Follow by bending down over your stretched out leg and try to hold onto your shoe. This will definitely take some practice, again you do not want to pull a muscle. Just like the first one keep your leg straight and try not to bend your knee. This will stretch the inner thigh and back of the leg. 

- Repeat step two, but with the opposite leg. A good technique I like to use each time I use this step is to try and touch my nose to my knee. As you can see by the picture I have finally mastered that, but that will take a lot of practice.

- Step three is to sit up very straight and bring your legs together and flex your toes towards you. Bring your arms up high above your head and keep your back as straight as you can while bending over your legs and grabbing your shoes. This also like all of the other steps will take some time and patience to be able to grab your shoes, but I have very short legs so this did come easier for me. Also just like the other stretches, keep your legs straight and try your hardest not the bend your knees. 

(I do not have a picture of the next step, but all I do after this is stand up and roll my head around in circular motions stopping at each shoulder and pulling my neck towards my shoulder and stretching out my neck to loosen everything up!) 

Step 2

LUNGES! I love love lunges but at the same time hate them because of how much pain I am in after, but the good kind of pain! 

- Start with your feet shoulder width apart and place your hands on your hips for better balance. 

- Start with whichever leg you would like to first and take a large step forward and while you step forward bring your opposite leg down like you are going to kneel down.

- Making sure not to touch your knee to the ground but just above the ground. 

- It is very important to keep your back straight and to try your hardest to keep your knee from not going over your foot. 

- This deep lunge is going to stretch the muscle on the top of your leg along with your calves. - - - After each lunge, step back into the first position. Repeat 10 reps for each leg totaling to 20 reps all together.

Step 3

I call these the "Kick Back's" (original I know). I love doing these because they really tighten your tummy and I can feel them in my calves as well. 

- Begin by laying down your yoga mat or in my case a towel because I have yet to purchase a mat (I NEED ONE). 

- Next get into position one, where you are on your knees and you have a flat back. Keep your hands flat on the towel shoulder width apart.

- Begin with whichever leg first and kick your leg back behind you while at the same time kicking up. 

- While you kick back, tighten your ab muscles and keep your calves and leg muscles tight as well while pointing your toe. 

- After you kick back, bring your leg back into position one.

- Do 20 reps for each leg, totaling 40 reps all together.

With this move it is very important to keep all of your muscles tight as well as keeping your back straight.

Step 4

This is not the most flattering picture of me, but working out isn't pretty! Anyway, these are amazing for working out your abs! 

- Begin by laying on your back and slightly bending your knees while keeping your feet flat on the ground. As well as placing your hands behind your head and putting them flat on the ground on either side of your head.

- Bring one leg up towards your face while bending it. Bring the other leg up as well but keep the opposite leg stretched out with a pointed toe. While you bring your bended leg up towards your head, bring your upper body to meet your leg and touch the opposite elbow to your bended leg. I don't know how well I explained that but hopefully you can understand by the picture (I'm sorry!)

- After you finish step 2, keep your legs up and continue to switch between each leg and elbow.

- Do 20 reps total, not per leg.

Step 5

This move is also another Ab move which is extremely hard, but also works those pesky love handles. 

- Begin by getting into push up position.

- Bend the left leg and bring it forward to touch the left arm while keeping your left leg horizontal to your body which you can see I tried my best to do but it is so hard to keep the leg from pointing down! 

- After step 2, bring your leg back into position 1

- Do 10 reps per leg, totaling 20 reps all together

Step 6

This move is one of the hardest moves I have ever done...as you can see in the third picture! My mom was kindly taking these for me and she got the perfect candid shot of exactly how hard these are hehe! 

- Begin by kneeling on the ground and keeping your arms by your side and back straight.

- Slowly start to bring your upper body back while keeping your body extremely still and not bending any part of your body!

- Keep going until your cannot go any further but make sure to not touch your butt to your shoes. 

- While going back, bring your arms in front of you but keep them outstretched in front you and try not to bring them past your shoulders which I kind of did but shhh (;

- After you do this, slowly come back up and repeat for 10 reps but I honestly don't get past 3! 

While doing this move, you are working your tummy muscles along with your quads. Make sure to keep these muscles extremely tight and squeeze them together super tight because with one down you will seriously feel the burn!

Step 7

This is by far one of my favorite exercise ab workouts to do because I can manage to finish all of the reps and I feel the most accomplished after doing them because I can literally feel my abs getting tighter and tighter. 

- Begin by laying on your back and putting your arms by your side flat on the ground.

- Start with your legs vertical and straight up in the air. 

- Tighten your quads, calves, well all of your leg muscles and all of your stomach muscles while slowly bringing your legs down while keeping them tightly together.

- While bringing your legs down back to the ground keep your toes pointed and bring them down to almost meet the ground but do not let your feet touch the ground. 

- Bring your legs back up towards position one by using only your tummy muscles to help bring them up. This is the most important part because this is when you will seriously feel this move work wonders. 

- Keep repeating for 20 reps

Step 8

I do not know what it is about arm workouts, but I despise them..I never know what arm workouts to do and after five minutes of doing some sort of arm workout I am already bored and want to move onto the legs or abs. BUT, my arms are the one thing on my body that I seriously need help on. They were always larger because of my weight, but ever since I lost a lot of weight I have so much extra skin now that is extremely unattractive and annoying when shopping...): Everyone has their one insecurity on their body right?! Well mine is my arms. So even though I hate working them out, I know that I have to and so I do a quick simple arm workout that I know everyone reading this will either know how to do or has done it before.

- Begin with whichever weight dumbbells you plan on using! I use 5 lbs because I am a beginner, but if you choose to use a higher weight more props to you!

- Make sure your legs are shoulder width apart and your arms are by your side, holding the dumbbells.

- Start with one arm and bring your arm up horizontal to your shoulders and keep the dumbbell turned on it's side. You can see I went a little above my shoulder, but that is okay.

- Bring your arm back down to position one and then repeat with the other arm.

- I do not have a picture but after you do 10 reps on each arm, bring both of your arms up horizontal to your shoulders and then bring them back down. Do 10 reps of these as well.

- So that is 10 reps for left arm, 10 reps for right arm, and 10 reps with both arms, totaling 30 reps all together.

This move will work your triceps and biceps and help tighten them up.

Step 9 

This move has five steps to it but it is awesome for working all of your arm muscles along with your shoulders, and your upper back.

-Holding your dumbbells to your side and standing shoulder width apart, start by turning your dumbbells and arms outward so that the dumbbells are sideways and your inner arms are pointing out. 

- Bring the bottom half of your arm, below the elbow, up to your shoulders making sure you keep your upper arm close to your sides and not moving them.

- After that, bring your dumbbells up above your shoulders and then simply push your arms above your head keeping your dumbbells sideways and your arms facing outwards.

- Do this set 10 times total

Step 10

This step really works your biceps and triceps as well as your back and shoulders. 

- Begin with legs and feet together and your dumbbells behind your head in position one.

- Bring your arms up above your head and then bring them back down to position one.

- Do 20 reps of this move

Step 11

Those good ole' SQUATS! Squats are well known everywhere for toning your booty along with your quads and leg muscles. These are defiantly very difficult but these are one of those moves that you will really see a difference in your body. Your booty will tighten and be lifted, your legs will be more toned and tightened and since you squeeze your tummy muscles while doing each squat, you will see your tummy start to tighten. These are just a miracle exercise step!

- Begin with your feet a little wider than shoulder width and make sure you keep your feet planted on the ground and not to move them up when doing each rep.

- Straighten your back and hold your arms in front of you and keep your hands together that in the picture.

- Simply squat like you are going to sit in a low to the ground chair. Stick your booty our while keeping your back straight and squeezing all of the muscles mentioned above and you will start to feel the burn.

- What is important when doing these is to keep your feet planted on the ground, keep your back flat, keep your head straight up, and try your hardest not to bend forward and make sure your knees do not go past your shoes. If you bend forward and your knees go over your shoes, your legs will not get the full benefits from the move.

- Repeat this for 10-15 reps or for however long you can go!

After I finish all of these steps, I like to either go on a long relaxing walk/jog and if I am too tired to go on a walk, then I will do one last simple ab exercise that to me, puts the cherry on top of the entire workout. I don't have a picture, but I just do 20 sit ups! I usually am by myself when working out so I usually go into my game room and put my feet underneath my bookcase because there is a gap, and do as many sit ups as I can which is usually 20 because I cannot do more than that! 

I hope you guys enjoyed taking a closer look into my fitness routine! I definitely do not do this routine every single day if I did I would be way too exhausted! I usually do this two to three times a week and I usually do it at night time when I have eaten everything for the day because I will be burning off some unwanted calories from earlier that day (; 

And of course I am human and sometimes I just really am not feeling this intense thorough workout, so some days instead of doing this routine I will just go on a long walk/jog and that's it! It is okay to not do an intense workout every time you exercise, just as long as you are up and moving your body. It is always good to get 30 minutes a day of some sort of movement or exercise! I am also no exercise expert so I am sorry if I did not know some of the correct muscles, or I mentioned the wrong ones (hehe). In the future I am sure my routine will change so I will make sure to keep you guys updated!