A TV Nutritionist’s Workout
Some of you have begged me for this since the SELF Eat Like Me blog-off. Aside from asking what I eat, many more people ask me the burning question, “What do you do for your workout?”
My dad entered me in my first race when I was 5. The smallest race shirt available fell down to my knees. I stand on the right in the photo above with my sister a few years later. In high school I ran cross-country and track, and then in my 20’s I started to dabble in weight training and yoga. I would workout hard-core for a few months and then take a few weeks or months off when life got busy, and so it went.
Then I turned 30. It was like my muscles knew the time had come and the good old days of natural tone faded. It was time to start doing what my friend, colleague, and trainer Scott Keppel had been trying to get me to do for years – weight train more aggressively. Doing mostly cardio with a bit of weights and yoga just wasn’t cutting it anymore to retain the tone that I desired, so I enlisted his help.
I know. A trainer is a bit of an indulgence, but I only go see Scott every few months to get a new workout assignment. To justify it in my mind (and to my bottom-line driven husband), I mostly do my own mani’s and pedi’s, instead of visiting a costly salon.
Anyway, in addition to the two days of weights per week that I usually accomplish I strive to run 30 minutes and practice 45 – 60 minutes of yoga on separate days. I relish the weeks that I complete all four.
First I start out with a 5-10 minute warm-up on the elliptical trainer, and I finish Scott’s “prescription” within about an hour. This is the most recent workout I choose two days each week. If you’re ready to try an exercise you’re unfamiliar with, let me know and I can provide detailed directions.
Warning: if you haven’t weight lifted lately, I wouldn’t advise attempting this from the get-go. Unless you don’t need to sit down, use your arms, or turn your head for the next week. And it’s always best to consult a physician before embarking on a new physical activity program.
Day 1: Push Day
Superset:
Incline flies 2 x 12
Bulgarian squats 2 x 15
Leg raises and hip thrusts and twist 2 x 15
Superset:
Incline flies 2 x 12
Bulgarian squats 2 x 15
Leg raises and hip thrusts and twist 2 x 15
Superset doing as many rounds as you can in 8 minutes:
Incline press x 15
Squat jumps x 15
Abs off the end of the bench x 15
Superset:
Lat raises 3 x 12-15
Prisoner get ups (start on knees and stand up and return) 3 x 12 each
Superset:
Skull crushers with stability ball 3 x 15
Planks hop side-to-side 2 x 12-15 each way
Wipers 2 x 12-15 each way
Superset:
Squats and dumbell press 2 x 15
Squats and dumbell press 2 x 15
Pushdowns 2 x 10 drop weight 20% for 10 after each set
Shin huggers 2 x 15
Day 2: Pull Day
Superset: Hang from Smith machine chin-ups 2 x 8-10
1-leg dead lifts 2 x 10-12
Superset:
Hang from Smith machine pull-ups 2 x 8-10
1 leg pelvic raises 2 x 20
Superset doing as many rounds as you can in 8 minutes:
Straight-arm pull downs x 10-12
Leg curls with ball x 20
Superman’s 2 x 15
Superset:
Bent over rear delts 3 x 10-12
High step-ups 3 x 10-12
Superset:
Cable 21’s x 2
On all 4’s straight leg raises 2 x 30
Cable 21’s x 2
On all 4’s straight leg raises 2 x 30
Superset:
Hammer curls 2-3 x 8-10
Flutter kicks 2 x 20 each
Feet in air crunch 2 x 20
Hammer curls 2-3 x 8-10
Flutter kicks 2 x 20 each
Feet in air crunch 2 x 20
Day 3: Full Body
Superset:
1 arm clean to press 2 x 8-12
Russian lunges 2 x 15
Superset:
1 arm clean to press 2 x 8-12
Russian lunges 2 x 15
Superset:
1 arm dumbbell press on stability ball 2 x 12
Bent over dumbbell rows (1 arm) 2 x 12 each
1 arm dumbbell press on stability ball 2 x 12
Bent over dumbbell rows (1 arm) 2 x 12 each
Superset:
Standing high cable pulls x20, x18, x16
Pushdowns x 10, x 9, x 8
Reverse crunches 2 x 20
Standing high cable pulls x20, x18, x16
Pushdowns x 10, x 9, x 8
Reverse crunches 2 x 20
Superset:
Seated rows 4 x 20 seconds rest 10 seconds
Seated rows 4 x 20 seconds rest 10 seconds
Superset:
Incline curls x 20, x 18, x 16
Skull crushers x 10, x 9, x 8
Reverse back extensions 2 x 15
Incline curls x 20, x 18, x 16
Skull crushers x 10, x 9, x 8
Reverse back extensions 2 x 15
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I'm a chef nutritionist, not the food police. I eat cookies but make sure to eat my broccoli too.
Michelle,
My workout often consists of 2-3X weekly of cardio (approx. 35 min on the elliptical trainer on level 4, approx. 3-4 miles) coupled with free weights, weight machines, or a ‘sleek & sculpt’ class offered through my gym. My goal is to maintain my weight while toning muscles. Also, I have a strong hereditary link to CHD (my mother underwent a 3X bypass a year ago – attributed to genetics, as well as a sub-standard GP).
A problem that I have post-workout is that I am often feeling exhausted. I take in enough calories as well as consuming plenty of water, and I still have this problem afterwards. Can you offer any additional pre- or post-workout advice that could help me to overcome this?
Thanks,
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
Sounds like you have a pretty good workout routine. What time of day do you exercise, and what do you eat in the hours leading up to and after your workout?
Michelle