The Secret Formula for a great home workout

Hey BuBu Squad,

I used to be a huge gym rat, I love the weight training room and feel like a beast in there. Now that I'm a mom, working from home and mixed with my hubby's work schedule I cant make it to the gym as often as I would. Working out at home can be demotivating sometimes. Nobody to hold you accountable and when you look over at your couch vs getting up and breaking a sweat, you might opt to plop on the couch. Exercise is one of the core parts of a healthy lifestyle (insert link). So I incorporate it at least 3 times a week. I now love working out at home and have gotten my mojo back. I've come up with a formula that makes me get off the couch and makes for the best and effective workout.

Timed vs Reps

You definitely want to focus on completing any exercise in a frame of time vs doing reps. The time moves much faster vs when you are counting each rep in your head. Its also a mindset aspect, when you see the time running out and you want to push through. I like to use 45 seconds go hard and 45 seconds active. active rest means your not doing a cardio move but you're not completely resting either. You want your heart to pump fast, slow down but not slow down too much if that makes sense.

Keep it short

You don't need to be there for 60 minutes. You can get your sweat on in 15 minutes. Just tell yourself you can go hard in 15 minutes and then your done for the day! Turn on your favorite music playlist or tv show and make sure you're done before the episode is up. I like to use my phone as a timer for my workouts set it at 15 minutes and make sure I'm done when the time is up. 

Cute workout clothes

Now when I started I used to workout in pajamas, underwear whatever was convenient. But I find waking up and putting on some cute workout clothes makes me more motivated to get it done. I be wanting to look the best that I can in these ultra-tight workout gear that accentuates all my bumps and lumps hahaha. I love shopping for new workout clothes but they tend to be very expensive. Some of my favorite inexpensive gear is from Zaful.

Mix it up

Sometimes I take my kid put her on my back and squat around the house. Other days I stay indoors and hit the weights. Sometimes when the sun is out, which is most days I Miami I love to take my workout outdoors. I'll do yoga, boot camp style, bodyweights whatever I can think of to keep me on my toes. Instagram and Pinterest are great places to find a quick workout. Don't forget to add your favorite music to keep you motivated. Make a playlist ahead of time. It keeps you also aware of the time. I use Spotify and my playlist usually includes dancehall, soca and trap music.

Cardio plus Weights equal effectiveness 

So let break it down. You have cardio moves and you have weighted moves(or you can use your own body weight).

A cardio workout burns more calories than a weight-training workout. However, your metabolism may stay elevated for longer after weights than cardio, and weightlifting is better for building muscle. Building muscle means reducing fat. Thus, the ideal workout for improving body composition and health includes cardio and weights.

So I like to focus on 3-5 moves. 1 cardio move and 2-4 weighted moves.

Favorite cardio moves: Jumping Jacks, Jumping rope, squat jumps, split jump squats, high knees and side to side jumps.

Example of an at-home leg day workout:

45 seconds jumping jacks

45 seconds deadlifts

45 seconds jumping jacks

45 seconds squats

45 seconds jumping jacks

45 seconds lunges

1 min rest

3 rounds.

You can modify this to whatever body part your working out.  Use whatever weights feel comfortable to you and increase as you become stronger. 16 minutes and done!

Pair your workout with a healthy clean diet, enough fruits, and vegetables to nourish your body and you can achieve any of your body goals.

What are some of your favorite home workouts?!

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