Busy Woman's Guide to Fitness

Busy Woman's Guide to Fitness

BY: Julie Lohre, IFBB Fitness Professional

As seen in No Nonsense Magazine

You do it all.  Your days a filled to the brim and you would not dream of leaving the house without your planner.  From business meetings to field trips, you are the one that everyone else is counting on.  Somehow in the rush of everyday you have forgotten someone very important – YOURSELF!  Remember the days where you could stay out late and sleep in as long as you wanted?  Or the times when you actually could take an hour to get ready – completely by yourself?  Back then, your skinny jeans fit perfectly, but somehow over the years, those jeans have become several sizes too small.  Well, those days maybe long gone, but that does not mean that you can’t make changes for the better and get on track with a healthy lifestyle.  You may have dreamed of competing in Figure or maybe you want to get in great shape for yourself and your family.  Whatever the reason, here is my guide to making it all fit.

The truth is, you don’t have to spend hours on end at the gym or ostracize your family to get in great shape.  I have actually improved both the health of my whole family and my relationships by getting everyone involved.  Don’t let inconvenience or lack of time be an excuse – take charge and make a difference for the better.  Here are the ways that I have made working out easier with a family.

I am fortunate to have a gym at my home that let’s me train whenever I have the opportunity.  Early in the morning before anyone else is awake, during nap times, I even bring my son in the gym with me and we will do a modified workout together.  My favorite is using him as added weight for my pushups.  While you may not have the means or space for a full gym, with a few pieces of the right equipment, you can get a great workout in at home.  Here are the essentials:

    A set of dumbbells ranging in weight from 5lbs to 35lbs

    An exercise ball

    A set of exercise bands

    If possible, a flat bench with a straight bar and some weights

Here is an example of a healthy and fit week for the busy woman:
Monday:      Get up early and get the week started off right with the following arm and shoulder workout before anyone is up in the morning:

Delts:       
Lateral Raises                                4 x 10
DB Front Raises                             4 x 10
DB Upright Rows                           3 x 10

Bicep:       
Standing Barbell Curl                     4 x 10
Preacher Curl                                4 x 10
Hammer Curl                                3 x 10

Tricep:       
Kickbacks                                     4 x 10
Dips (off the edge of your bench)   4 x 10
Overhead Dumbbell Raises            3 x 10

Tuesday:    Pushup Day!  Fit in a total of 100 pushups throughout the day broken down into sets as needed.  For example:  10 sets of 10 or 5 sets of 20

Wednesday:   
Chest and Back.
Find 30-45 minutes for a compressed lifting program anytime throughout the day.
Chest:     
Dumbbell Bench Press                 4 x 10
Incline Dumbbell Press                4 x 10
Flat-Bench DB Flye                     4 x 10   

Back:       
Bent-Over Row with DB’s             4 x 10Bent_Over_BB_Row
Bent-Over Rear Delt Raises          4 x 10
(Pause at the top for 2 seconds)
Dumbbell Pull Overs                    4 x 10

Abs:       
Lying Leg Raises                        4 x 12
Floor Crunches                          4 x 20

Thursday:     
Time for a long family walk to the park or around the neighborhood.  Try to walk or jog at least 30 minutes getting your heart rate up to 65% MHR

Friday:   
Legs!  The most challenging workout to do at home without a large amount of equipment is legs.  If possible, head to the gym for the following leg workout.

Quads/Glutes:   
Squat (Wide Stance)                 4 x 10
Leg Press (Close Stance)           4 x 10
Walking Weighted Lunges          4 x 12
(6 strides on each leg)
Hamstring:   
Deadlift                                   4 x 10
Lying Leg Curl                          4 x 10
Calves:       
Weighted Calf Raises                4 x 12
Seated Calf Raises                   4 x 12

Saturday:   
Obstacle Course Day!  This is the most fun day for everyone and you will find yourself (and your family) looking forward to it each week.  You can really design the course any way you like, provided it is safe, fun, and keeps your heart rate up.  Here is one example:

In the backyard, you make the course. 
Run back and forth from one side of the fence to the other 2x’s
Drop for 20 pushups
Rest for 1 minute
Skip (when is the last time you got to skip?!?) back and forth from one side of the fence to the other 2x’s
Drop for 20 crunches
Hop with both feet together back and forth from one side of the fence to the other 2x’s
Do 25 jumping jacks in place
Rest for 1 minute
Repeat the whole course and try not to laugh too hard!  By the end, you will be out of breath and know that you have had a great cardio workout.

Sunday:    Do something active!  Whether you like to ride your bike, run, hike, or swim, find something that gets your heart rate up and you enjoy.  Also, fit in 200 ball crunches throughout the day broken down into sets as needed.  For example, 10 sets of 20.

Nutrition & Supplementation:
All the exercise in the world will make little difference if you are eating poorly.  This is the most important secret of the best physique athletes.  They know how important a healthy diet is and how easy it is to gain fat by eating poorly even if you are working out consistently.  Think about this, your average intensity 30-minute treadmill session burns between 200-300 calories.  1 2 oz. Snickers bar contains 273 calories and a 16 oz of Mountain Dew contains 220 calories!  You just wasted a half hour of hard work by eating one candy bar OR drinking a Mountain Dew.  Simple sugars will undermine your hard work and should be eliminated from your diet whenever possible. 

While time can be tight, with the proper thought and preparation, you can make the nutrition plan work.  A few tricks I use to stay ahead of the game are:  prepare and cook a weeks worth of meat on Sunday to have ready, scoop out your shakes for the next day the night before, pack your lunch whenever possible to avoid the temptation to eat out with co-workers, and prepare as many of your own meals as possible – then you know exactly what is in them!  Here is a nutrition plan that is easy to follow and prepare for:
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Recommended Supplements:
1 – Ultra 4 – 2 in the am and 2 in the afternoon
3 - Ultra 40 with each meal
3 – Mass Aminos
2 – Lean Out 20 minutes before each meal

Meal # 1:  4 egg whites + 1 whole egg and ½ cup oatmeal with ½ a peach cut up
Meal # 2:  2 scoop Ultimate Muscle Cookies and Crème Shake
Meal # 3:  6 oz tuna, 4 oz baked French fries, and a small salad with low cal dressing
Meal # 4:  2 scoops Ultimate Muscle vanilla with 5 strawberries added to make a fruity shake
Meal # 5:  6 oz chicken breast, 2 cups stir fry veggies (mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli, etc) with seasonings
Optional evening snack  - 1 serving of sugar free Jell-O or pudding cup, 1 cup of berries with 2 TBSP Cool Whip or 1 scoop of Ultimate Muscle Protein with a ¼ cup of coffee for a pudding.

Be sure to ad variety to your diet and mix things up frequently.

The moral is, have fun with fitness, include the whole family and make it work for you. This plan will keep you feeling health, vibrant, and give you the energy you need to stay in charge!