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WORKOUT GUIDELINES

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FollowHolly Exercise Regime

During my extensive research, I learned the value of two things: a) varying your workouts; and b) interval training. Before I implemented these two principles, even though I was working out almost daily, my weight did not budge. Once I began varying my workouts and adding interval training (along with the correct calorie count and proper carb/protein/fat ratio: 40/30-35/25-30) the excess weight melted off.

Because I change my exercise routine so much, I am going to give you an overview of my daily workouts. Under the tab Holly's Daily Workout, I will provide my actual week-to-week schedule, which I will update every week so you can see what I am doing and follow along.

FollowHolly Exercise Overview

I know there is a general recommendation for working out 3 - 4 days per week. I tried that, and found it only marginally effective. I did not get satisfying results until I began exercising about 1 hour per day, 6 - 7 days per week. The feedback from our followers has confirmed this is true for most people, men and women, young and old. The only exceptions we found are those who are naturally slim, and are exercising to maintain muscle tone and cardiovascular health.

Generally, in a regular gym-type workout, I do the following:

  1. 30 minutes of cardio, and

  2. 20 - 25 minutes of weights (including abdominal exercises), and

  3. 5 - 10 minutes of stretching.

On an average week, I do this gym-type workout about 2 times. (I do different workouts on other days, which is covered below.)

FollowHolly Cardio Guidelines

For cardio, some days I will ride the stationary bike; on others I will use the stair stepper or elliptical machine. Occasionally, I will use the treadmill. I do a 5-minute warm-up to get to my target heart rate. I strongly recommend using a heart rate monitor, as before I did so, I was unaware that I was working far below my target heart rate. That is why I had to do 40 - 45 minutes of cardio for minimal results, while now 30 minutes is completely effective.

My target heart rate is approximately 145 beats per minute. To find your target heart rate, please click here. Or, you can use the general formula: 220 minus your age, multiplied by 60% to 80%, depending on your fitness level. For example, for a fit 40-year-old, the formula would look like this: 220 - 40 = 180 x .80 = 144 beats per minute. There are some who believe the target heart rate should be only 60% of the 220 minus your age. For beginners, you should start with this 60% formula. I have tried the 60% formula and found it to be only minimally effective. I get much better results with the higher intensity 80% formula and doing cardio for 30 minutes, rather than the lower intensity for longer periods. Another great way to learn your accurate target heart rate is to be assessed by a knowledgeable personal trainer, who will take all the factors into account.

I like the Polar Heart Rate Monitor.  It has a chest strap and wristwatch that displays your heart rate, as well as calories burned.  I like these chest strap models the best because they constantly display your heart rate for easy monitoring.  If you don’t like the chest strap, some of the wristwatch-type models are also good.  The Mio heart rate monitor is a wristwatch-type model which is lightweight and fairly easy to use.  You can find them at Wal-Mart or any sporting goods store. An excellent (but more expensive) alternative is the Reedbok Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Fitwatch 10M), which can be found at sporting goods stores. We found the Reedbok Monitor to be a bit more responsive than the Mio, but again, it is pricier.

Studies have shown that interval training - exercising at or near your target heart rate, then alternating with short bursts of driving your heart rate up - is the most effective tool for weight loss. One of the more recent studies noted that even a 30-minute cardio workout with intervals of 4 minutes of moderate cardio activity, alternated with 30 second bursts of high-intensity cardio activity, is essentially as effective as 90 minutes of cardio in which the heart rate is kept at a consistent and moderate rate. I have experimented with many varieties of intervals (for example, 3 minutes of moderate cardio alternated with 3 minutes of high intensity), and found them all to be very effective, but I like the 3 minute/30 second interval training the best for my gym workouts.

FollowHolly Weight Training Guidelines

I do full, all-over body weight training each time I use weights. I use light weights, with 12-20 repetitions, and do about 3 - 4 sets per body area.

For example, for my chest, I will do 2 sets of chest press, then 2 sets of chest flys. For my back, I will do 2 sets of overhead lat pull downs, then 2 sets of reverse flys. For shoulders, I will do 2 sets of shoulder flys, then 2 sets of overhead press. For my arms, I do about 4 sets of triceps, and 3 for biceps. I also do about 4 sets of lunges for my butt, then 3 - 4 minutes of very concentrated abdominal work. I do 12 - 20 repetitions for each set.

Remember, I am using light weights, light enough that I can do at least 12 reps, but I do enough reps so that the muscle feels fairly exhausted when I stop.

FollowHolly Exercise Class Recommendations

I take a cardio boxing and/or cardio kickboxing class 2 days per week at the gym we own, L.A. Boxing Lake Forest (www.laboxing.com/lakeforest).  These classes perfectly implement the above principles because they mimic real boxing matches by incorporating 3-minute rounds in which you punch or kick 150-pound hanging Muay Thai bags.  You get interval cardio training along with whole-body resistance training.  These are the most effective classes I’ve found to get in shape and get shredded fast. 

I also do a weight-training/cardio class approximately 1 - 2 days per week at 24-Hour Fitness.  I like their S.E.T. class (Strength, Endurance, Training class, which lasts 1 hour and is comprised of 3 minute light weight-lifting intervals alternated with 3 minutes of aerobics). I also like their circuit training classes, which utilize the BOSU balls. I also like their "Core Central" class, which is similar to the S.E.T. class (but uses only hand weights rather than a mix of barbells and hand weights as is done in S.E.T.) Occasionally, I will do a spin class, but I get bored with an hour of spinning, so if I take one, I sit by the door and leave after my 30 minutes.

I also do yoga 2 - 3 days per week, either by taking a class or doing my own yoga class at home (I have been doing yoga for about 8 years, and the benefits are immense). I strongly recommend yoga, especially for anyone over 30 years old, as studies show it not only increases core strength and flexibility, but is a fantastic stress reducer. On the days I do yoga, I do about 25 minutes of cardio before the class.

Holly's Daily Workouts

I will list the workouts I actually did for the week in the "Holly's Daily Workout" tab. These will be updated every week so you can see exactly what my workout schedule is, so you can follow along.

I have found it immensely helpful to schedule my daily workout in my calendar as I would any other important appointment. I usually put together my workout schedule for the week on Sunday nights. If I have to miss a workout for any reason, I immediately get out the calendar and reschedule it.

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