"Pintrest Workouts"

If you're on Pinterest you've seen them, all the "at home" workouts being pinned. But which ones are the best? Do any of them work? Are any of them worth it?

I set out to find an answer. This is my first market testing article. I ask 3 friends to try 3 different workouts I found on Pinterest and see what they thought. I had these lovely ladies do the workouts for 2 weeks - not very long but generally the amount of time people give to a workout before they want to see some kind of results.

One Room Cardio was performed by Becky R. She's a lovely mother of 1 who has been very dedicated to loosing her baby weight and has done an amazing job. She's a swimmer by trade but was willing to give this workout a go for me. (this workout was found HERE )

Our next workout "The 100 Workout" was performed by my good friend from college Kim F. Kim is an amazing woman who juggles a full-time job, 2 large dogs, a bunny and helping her hubby who has been working on starting up a welding business. This lady can multi-task like nobody's business. Kim loves yoga, and trying out new workout regimes, so it was no surprise when she was game to try this test. (this workout was found HERE ) 

Our last workout "At Home Circuit Workout" was done by Sheri W. Sheri is my hubby's cousin, so being that she's family I made her do this. hahaha Just kidding. This mother of 4 is a big fan of the different Pinterest workouts, and has a full fitness board of all kinds of helpful things she's found. She's a runner and continued her running while fitting this in on her off days. She's hardcore! 

(this workout was found HERE )

Here's what you've all been waiting for!! THE RESULTS!!

One Room Cardio

In Becky's own words:

My forearm measurements went down. My thighs went down. Basically, everything but hips, waist and chest. It wasn't by a lot. But my left and right arms/legs evened out. Before hand they were close to an inch apart and now they are all in the same inch.

 I weighed 128.1. I was feeling good and I was down 1.8 making me 126.3! 
I kept a journal and overall theme was-- it was easy. When it was hot outside it was more difficult. It only got easier as the days went on. The whole time it felt like a good warm up for the "real thing". It was really energizing. For days I cant go to the gym or if I need a pick me up, I'll probably go back to it. Honestly, it made me look for more fitness things on pinterest to do. I found an ab work out I just started!

Sounds like it was a good workout all in all

The 100 Workout

In Kim's own words:

This workout is a great lower body workout! But it's not for the faint of heart (or legs). I really enjoyed the simplicity of the format and exercises. It provides a solid leg workout with squats and jumping jacks but also provides some ab work with leg lifts and crunches. Because of the number of repetitions you're doing at a time, I really "felt the burn" and was definitely left sore, the good, kind the next day. 

Results...I don't actually own a scale, so I'm not sure on weight, but the rest of my measurements stayed about the same for my legs and arms. I did lose 1/4 inch around my waist. More than that, I really felt my abs and legs firm and tone during this routine, but didn't notice major muscle growth or weight loss during my sessions.

This workout plan does take a really long time to complete. I work out pretty routinely and it still took me 50 minutes the first time around, not including my 30 minutes of cardio and a stretching routine. I've been able to cut it down to between 30-40 minutes each time. There is also no upper body component. If you're looking for a quick full body workout this isn't it, but it definitely will work your legs, abs, and butt!

I'm excited to try this as a lower body and core workout!

At Home Circuit Workout

In Sheri's own words:

Here are my results.  I thought it was a good work out but I think if I did it every single day then I would get bored.  I never really noticed if it got easier.  I think if I did it for more weeks it would get easier. I noticed also that I really didn't have any big change in my measurements but was thinking that since I already workout that it would probably take more like six weeks to see good results compared to someone that is just barely starting to workout.

My Measurements went down by 1/4 of an inch in almost every area. 

Not huge measurement differences but not bad for only 2 weeks of work! 

Thanks ladies for your hard work!!! I'd love to hear from any of my readers if they have found a great circuit on Pinterest!! 

New To Running (Guest Post)

This post I am doing something a little special!! I had a question this week about running. Even though I love running and have been doing it for the past 8 years I thought it would be nice to hear from someone who is a STELLER runner.

Tia Chapman used to live near me in Utah and we played church volleyball against each other. She is a mother of 4 (you wouldn't know it looking at her!). She is 34 years old and LOVES Triathalons. She's been a runner for about 14 years, and also loves the great outdoors. She has completed  3 marathons, 10 triathlons, a few half-marathons, countless 5 & 10K's, and a bike tour. WOW! On top of all this she's a business owner and an amazing photographer, you can check out her portfolio HERE

Now to the question.

MDF (mom's do fit),


I want to get into running. How should I get started? What are your tips for beginners?


K.F.

Here is Tia's response:

KF,

I'd say if you have decided to start running, the first thing I want to tell you is, "Congratulations!" There is a reason you have made this decision, and I'm proud of anyone who is brave enough to start something new.

Running can be hard. But you can do hard things. And running is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself, in my opinion. If you keep at it, it WILL get easier and easier.

One of the most important things I could say is: Don't quit! No matter what. Unless your leg is broken. Then you can quit until it gets better, but then start over again!

Make sure you have the right SHOES! Go to a specialty running store, where they will analyze your gait, and fit you into the proper shoe. If you don't have the right shoes, you can get injured. You get what you pay for with running shoes. I speak from experience.

Start slow. Don't push yourself too hard at first. Start with small goals, and work up from there.

Find a friend to motivate you, and if possible, run with you! You are MUCH more likely to get out and do it, if you are accountable to someone else.

Sign up for a 5k (3.1 mile) race, and find a training plan. You can find training plans all over the internet for free. But you want a realistic plan. If you've never run before, don't sign up for a 5k that is 5 weeks away. Give yourself 16-20 weeks to train. If you pay for a race, you are more likely to stick with the training and complete your goal. If you have nothing to train for, you won't know how far or how long to run, and you're more likely to stop. ALWAYS have a goal!

The day I decided to run a marathon was after I had completed the 5k race in 2005 that coincides with the SL marathon. I watched the marathon finishers, and they looked like regular people. I thought, "If those people can do it, I can do it." I had never run further than 3.1 miles at one time. The following year, in 2006, I completed the SL marathon, and it was the most rewarding experience of my life.

I'm not saying everyone needs to run 26.2 miles. I'm just telling you that if you DECIDE it in your mind, you can do it! Just make the decision.

Sincerly,

Tia

KF,

The only thing I can add to that is, I know a lot of people have had success doing the Couch 2 5K program. If you're already doing cardiovascular activity for 30 mins 3-5x's per week you should be able to run at a slower pace (5.5 mph) for at least 15 mins. If you're experiencing aches and pains pay attention to them.

Don't get discouraged!!! Continue to strength train. I made this mistake when I started to run. The more you strength train the longer your muscles will be able to work for. Focus on your breathing!!!

Lastly, get some good music on your MP3 and enjoy the time you have using the able body you've been blessed with!

Jamie

I hope you've enjoyed our guest post. It's always nice to get multiple opinions and fun to hear what's worked for other people. Thank you Tia for your amazing advice, and contribution!! Thanks KF for the question!

KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING!!