[Fat Melanie]

Hi guys. Every once in awhile I do some exercises but since I don't keep it up, I haven't seen results. That's entirely my fault. And just a little about me: I'm uncoordinated when it comes to complicated exercise movements. I read a lot of your posts and I find them highly informational, but so many of the exercises I've read about sound really hard for me to do! I'm very simplistic when it comes to exercise. Like I said, very uncoordinated. Maybe with some time, I'll gain better control.

When I do manage to do it, I do crunches with my legs up, bicep curls, lying leg lifts and that's pretty much it with the exception of some cardio I do every once in awhile. Those are simple and easy for me.

I find squats to be hard and I can't do 'em right! I'm just a klutz.

That said, does anyone have a simple exercise routine I can do 3x a week or so? Stuff that will hit every muscle I need to hit. I would appreciate it a lot.

[nelie]

Have you read through the stickies?

Resistance bands are good for someone just starting out or someone who travels a lot.

Here is a link to the sticky for it:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96976

[PhotoChick]

As photochick sounds like broken record : I strongly recommend getting the New Rules of Lifting for Women. The program starts with some pretty basic moves and builds up from there. There are options to modify the workouts if you don't have access to a fully gym and prefer to work at home.

If you can't / don't want to read the book, I still ahve a few suggestions:

If you find squats too hard, do wall squats (or if you have an exercise ball) ball-squats against the wall. That makes keeping your form easier.

Lunges are great too - both walking and standing. I find walking lunges easier, but some people find standing easier.

Step ups - you can use a dining room chair for this. Believe it or not, I sometimes use my guest bathroom toilet for stepups. It's the right height and the powder room is narrow so I can use my hands on the walls for balance.

Pushups and tricep dips for your arms, back and shoulders. You can do inclined pushups on a counter top or table height, if you can't do a full on-the-floor one.

Planks for your core.

Burpees are amazing and work every bit of your body. They are my absolute least favorite thing, but they're EXTREMELY effective.

If you can get a set of resistance bands and a swiss ball, you'll add a couple dozen things you can do to spice up the routines, too.

.

[WormwoodDoll]

A bunch of the ladies and I are trying Jullian Michael's 30 day shred. You should to! You can lose 20lbs in 30 days. It really is a good workout. I did a trial yesterday and man did it kick my butt!

[Schumeany]

People sort of touched on the weight training aspect -- I use resistance bands at home, often watching TV. It cannot get any easier than that. I also add in crunches and a few other exercises to round out my whole body strength training routine.

However, it sounds like you need to address the cardio issue as well. If you are a bit uncoordinated, you might want to think twice about trying to get a workout that includes weights/resistance bands with the cardio and complicated foot work. I think a better bet might be to seperate the two.

There is nothing easier than walking for cardio. Just move forward in a straight line -- go faster to increase heartrate. It is also, well, fun. Besides doing HIIT cardio on my exercise bike everyday for thirty minutes -- three days a week or so, I go drag my mom out of her house and make her go for a three mile walk with me. Or I just pack up my kids, take them to some new walking trail, and have at it. We all have a great time being outside.

[carinna]

I always like the elyptical machine to work most areas of your body.

[Lydia227]

Originally Posted by Fat Melanie

I find squats to be hard and I can't do 'em right! I'm just a klutz.

Oh Melanie I'll let you in on a secret. Squats are a compound exercise that take most people a while to do well. In fact, I even have my form checked every once in a while to be certain that no bad habits have crept into my form over time.

You have received some excellent suggestions for at home workouts so far.
I guess I would also suggest similar exercises outlined in this way.

Chest: Dumbbell Bench Press, Pushups, Dumbbell Chest Flys
Back: Dumbbell Bent Over Row
Biceps: Bicep Curls
Triceps: Triceps Curls
Shoulders: Dumbbell Front Raise, Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Legs: Lunges, Step ups
Core: Planks, Crunches,

When selecting dumbbells, choose a weight that will allow you to complete 8 to 10 reps in each set. To begin I would only do one set the first week and then add a second set the following week.

I have also provided links to some sites that will allow you to see the exercises performed:

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

http://www.trainwithmeonline.com/exercises.asp

You may also wish to hire a personal trainer to provide you with some assistance in putting together a routine as well as correcting your form as you begin to learn these movements. Good luck. Maybe incorporating the lifting is just what you need to keep your workouts interesting!

[LandonsBaby]

Originally Posted by PhotoChick

As photochick sounds like broken record : I strongly recommend getting the New Rules of Lifting for Women. The program starts with some pretty basic moves and builds up from there. There are options to modify the workouts if you don't have access to a fully gym and prefer to work at home.

The first one, The New Rules of Lifting is pretty good too (actually, I'll admit, I liked it better than the one for women).

[PhotoChick]

Ah, the first one is my next step, after I finish this one. I have heard great things about it.

.