I think as I update my rotation of workouts this is becoming a regular type of blog post here. But since my gym is closed again (not that I’ve been going) I figured it was as good a time as any to update you guys on what at home workouts I’ve been enjoying lately. Especially with the winter weather (I don’t know about you guys but I hate running in the cold) and the holidays coming up, now is a good time to update the home workout routine.
So here are the workouts I have been enjoying lately. They are all available on youtube for free so you’ll have easy access to them!
Popsugar Fitness
When I started the popsugar fitness videos online I was fully ready for them to be watered down, easy to do workouts, but I have found that I really enjoy these workouts. Sure, they are a little easier than some of the others on this list (I have some really intense ones for you guys this rotation), but they offer a wide variety of different things at different levels and every video offers modifications for every level. This was great for after my surgery and I couldn’t do a lot of jumping or bending. I find their weight lifting videos are a little watered down for my taste, but for someone just starting to get into weight exercises, they can be a ton of fun. They also have a lot of low impact type workouts, again great for those who aren’t able to hit it too heavy.
Some of the trainers they bring on for these videos are absolutely amazing and I tend to gravitate towards the same ones each time: Rainer Pollard, Jeannette Jenkins, and Jake DuPree are three of my absolute favorites. They push you but encourage you all at the same time and I love how they make it feel like it’s a little community.
Some of my favorites include that tabata workouts they have (they have a 30 minute and a 45 minute tabata lead by Rainer), the cardio blasts by Jeannet Jenkins which combine cardio, kickboxing, and sculpting all together for one killer wokrout experience, their kickboxing classes, their barre classes for my active recovery days, and their ab workouts (Jake DuPree is an ab workout master and I love his short videos).
Overall, just a really fun channel to check out with a lot of options for everyone!
Caroline Girvan
How I stumped across Caroline’s videos I don’t even know, but it has changed my workout game completely. Caroline used to be a fitness trainer who worked out of her home gym, but when COVID hit, she had to shut down her business and she made the choice to begin instructing through youtube videos exclusively. Let me tell you, this girl is killing it! She knows what she is doing and she knows how to help you get results you want.
She offers a full online training program through her 10 week EPIC program, but also has a weekly workout calender she uploads every week. Now, while I like to change up my workouts and follow different people day to day, I am not kidding when I say you could just follow Caroline every single day and stil have amazing results and get a fully body experience. She uploads videos on everything from HIIT, tabata, cardio, to weight training of the legs, arms, and full body. And her workouts are intense. She knows what she is doing and she knows how to help you get results.
Her cardio classes are intense. I will tell you guys, I did a HALF HOUR of bupee variations this week (AND ENJOYED IT). She also has some high and low impact cardio interval workouts and some low and high impact weight training. She will give you the full experience and I have found that I do visit her workouts at least three or four times a week. She is exclusively the only person I use now for my weight training days as I feel like her workouts are the most effective.
Les Mills Grit
Now, there are only a handful of Les Mills Grit workouts available for free on youtube, but of the couple you will find you will not be disappointed if an intense cardio workout is what you are looking for. For a quick half hour workout, I can nearly promise that you probably have never been so out of breath and tired in your life. There’s a ton of jumping, a ton of burpees, and the entire thing is go, go, go. But the trainers are the most motivating people I have ever witnessed in my life and they make you want to push harder, past your limits, and they call everyone in their class (at home or in person) an athlete, and that makes me feel so godo about myself!
Fair warning, I have never sweat so much in my life either, but the feeling of accomplishment you have after finishing one of these workouts is absolutely amazing and worth every second of hardcore work!
Les Mills Body Combat
Another Les Mills type of class (more of these can be found on youtube). These are a little less intense than the GRIT classes, but this cardio kickboxing/mixed martial arts style of workout still leaves you out of breathe and dripping in sweat while feeling extremely powerful and accomplished.
I had dabbled in karate during my college years, but I gave it up because I found it a little dull. Now, cardio kickboxing is an entirely different game. I find this to be exciting, fun and really gets my heart pumping. I’m enjoying trying a different type of cardio and getting to work my body in a different way, plus Les Mills combines a ton of different types of fighting, choreographs it to certain music tracks, and makes it a super enjoyable experience. Again, the trainers are absolutely amazing and motivating and they make you feel like you are strong and powerful and give you a ton of encouragement and motivation along the way. These are definitely my favotire kickboxing type of workouts!
The Studio by Jamie Kinkeade
I have talked twice before about Jamie and her workouts, but I am still regularly using her dance cardio workouts week to week consistently loving her videos. She regularly live streams live classes now and leaves them available for several weeks so you feel like you are taking class with her and her studio family even though you might be in an different state or different country. Plus she uploads theme videos (she has a half hour or so video up now to Christmas music which has been a regular for me, and it’s a good workout!). Overall, I think I will just keep raving about how great Jamie’s videos are and I highly encourage you to check her stuff out!
What are some of the at home workouts you’ve been doing this year? Let me know if the comments below. I’m always looking to add something new!
Until next time,
Kat
But the best news is that the girls launched an app recently (no, no one is paying me to tell you about this, I’m just really excited about sharing it). While usually, the app is kind of expensive, because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the girls are offering a month for free! You can go over to their Instagram page @siss_fit to find a link to download the app. Not only are there a ton of strength training circuits, but the girls are also working every day to release outdoor cardio exercises for you (anywhere between 8 to 45 minutes long) so you can get outside and run! It’s definitely worth checking out, especially if you love running but find it boring sometimes. The app audio coaches you through each run which is a really great feature to check out!
Strength, or resistance training, is a type of exercise that causes the muscles to contract against a resistant force exerted on them. Muscles are caused to slightly tear, and as they regenerate and repair they grow stronger. This muscle breakdown is called catabolism with the regrowth called anabolism. This exercising causes an increase in strength, tone, and mass within these muscles. Resistance training can vary between self-body weight, rubber exercise bands, or actual weights. Resistance training can vary from weight lifting to Pilates depending on what your preferences are.
Getting started can be super intimidating, especially if you go to a gym with a lot of bulky guys who are always using the free weights. There are a lot of ways that you can start getting involved in more strength training.
Kat Classics 