Krista’s Kompleat Kompendium of Workout Routines
I get lots of mail about what routines I recommend for people. It’s always a challenging question to answer, because there are as many possible routines as there are screaming prepubescent children outside a boy band concert.
Nevertheless I thought it might be helpful to compile some ideas for you.
Workout for the time poor
Why “I don’t have time” is no longer an excuse. There are 168 hours in a week. I know you can find 3 or 4 to haul your ass off the couch.
No weights? No problem!
So let’s say you live in Upper Armpit, South Dakota, or on top of a mountain in the Himalayas, and there are no gyms for 500 miles around. Or, let’s say you’re a complete cheapskate and don’t want to pay $50/month to the local chrome ‘n’ tone Fluffy Fitness. Or, let’s say that you’re agoraphobic and haven’t left your house in 13 years. Whatever the case, it is important to remember that you don’t need weights to get a good workout.
From Dork to Diva: Squat
The squat (sometimes referred to as the back squat) is one of the queens of exercises. It hits your entire body, particularly your legs, butt, hips, and lower back. Learn to do it well and your body will reward you with a fabulous (and strong) set of gams.
From Dork to Diva: Shoulder/overhead press
The shoulder press, aka the military press, is a great exercise for shoulders and triceps. You can also do this exercise seated, but I find I am able to keep my back in a much more natural position if I have the freedom of standing. Doing the press standing demands that your torso muscles (abs, […]
From Dork to Diva: Row
The row is a great compound back and biceps exercise. Use it as one of the foundational moves of your back workout. In this type of movement, the role of the back muscles is to retract, or pull back, the shoulder blades. The biceps help out by bending the elbow. If you want to focus […]
From Dork to Diva: Leg press
The leg press, as I am fond of telling you, is a poor substitute for squats. You cannot learn to do squats by doing the leg press, nor should you leg press till you get “strong enough to squat”. Heresy and foolishness! However, if there’s some reason you can’t squat (for example, some cyclists don’t […]
From Dork to Diva: Lat pulldown
The lat pulldown is a good beginner back exercise. It’s also a stepping stone to being able to do pullups, which should be your eventual goal. The “lat” part in the name refers to the latissimus dorsi, which are the big triangular muscles of your back that sweep along both sides of your ribcage.
From Dork to Diva: Hamstring curls
Hamstrings are the muscles at the back of the thigh. They have two main functions: to straighten (extend) the hip, and to bend (flex) the knee. Squatting-type movements (such as squats and deadlifts) as well as hip extension movements such as stiff-legged deadlifts and good mornings will address the hip extension component of the hamstrings. […]
From Dork to Diva: Good mornings and back hyperextensions
A strong lower back is essential to stabilize the torso and to prevent injury. Many people find that when they add extra lower back work to their workouts, their squats and deadlifts improve. In addition, a strong lower back is a healthy and pain-free lower back, which is important for desk job monkeys like me, as well as anyone who includes bending, reaching, and picking things up as part of their daily routine (mothers of small children, that’s probably you).
