Cari Fit

Fitness Advice, Workout Tips, and Inspiration

Training Tips

Home Workouts For Every Level + Tips For Working Out At Home

I have a draft post that I was going to share a few weeks ago about Baby #3 and my pregnancy fitness plan! But, with everything going on, I figured most of you would just prefer a post with content you can use. I’ll do a pregnancy workout post soon and try to get some videos up on my Instagram for all of you other expectant mamas out there!

I’m also planning to do a LIVE Bombshell Bootcamp workout this next Monday at 6pm also on my Insta for those of you that want to follow along! Since I’m super preggo – I’m having me friend and Bombshell Bootcamp Trainer Olivia demo the moves (while we stay 6 feet apart for social distancing 😉)!

I don’t know how it is where you guys are – but last week was our Spring Break and this is the first week we are actually missing school. I have a Kindergartner and pre-schooler and I’m trying to do my best with “home school”! Needless to say …..we miss our teachers!! I will plan to do a “home” schedule later this week with resources for education/learning and also kids fitness for those of you who are trying to stay sane during this time at home!

For now – I want to share some of my most popular workouts on here that are suitable for beginners up to advanced. See below for links.

Here are some of my top tips for working out at home:

  1. Put it on your schedule. I have to have a regular schedule, especially now that my kids are at home all day. It’s easy to just focus on them and then think about how exhausted I’ll be and leave out time for my workout. That’s why I schedule it first thing in the morning. I try to get it done! I’m currently doing my own workouts from my Get Fit Done Guide that I created with my friend Megan (from HoneyWereHome.com) who is a former NPC Bikini competitor (and mom of 2). Right now we have a special on our 4-week guide (it also includes a 4-week meal plan and recipes with color photos!) for only $31 AND we are donating the proceeds to the Houston Food Bank to help our local community. It’s a digital download/ebook you can save to your phone or computer (or have it printed).
  2. Keep your workouts short. You may think you need to fit in an hour because that’s how long your favorite studio class or gym session was – but at home most likely you will get interrupted or feel you can’t finish because something else has come up. Aim for 20-30 minutes and do a HIIT, TABATA or other combo workout where you are doing a mix of cardio and strength training. If you have extra time in the day – fit in another small workout or go for a walk/run/bike ride.
  3. Focus on exercises that don’t just target one muscle group. Sure – you could really get strong biceps if you work just your biceps every day, but if you do compound or combination exercises you will work more muscles at a time – thus burn more calories and fat and increase your metabolism. Examples are: squats, lunges, pushups, underhand bent-over row, planks, jumping jacks, skater lunges, etc.
  4. Pick a space that works for you. You don’t have to have an entire room or home gym – even a wall or section in your master bedroom or area in your living room works. All you really need for equipment is: a mat, 2 sets of weights (medium and heavier) and workout clothes. If you have nice weather right now, you can make a space in your garage or in your backyard!
  5. Don’t get overwhelmed with equipment. Just start with a mat and 1-2 sets of weights. Once those weights are easy for you to use you can add in a few things like a jumprope, kettlebell or more dumbbells. Here is a post I did about starting a home gym. Also, I know many sites are out of workout equipment right now – but don’t worry! You can do most of the workouts on my site using just your body weight. But, if you want to “make” some weights – get 2 gallon jugs. Fill them halfway for a medium set and full for heavy set. You can also use canned items for lighter weights and jugs of laundry detergent or bleach for medium/heavy.

Free Home Workout Links on My Blog:

Comment below and let me know what you are doing to workout at home to stay on track and I’ll enter you into a drawing to win a FREE COPY of Get Fit Done!

How To Heal A Torn Meniscus Without Surgery

Over a year ago I had just signed up for another marathon and was excited because it was going to be my first one in a few years since having a second baby. Then, a few weeks into my training I tore both of my menisci in my knee and I was devastated. But, with some patience and dedication, I was able to rehab my knee myself and avoid surgery. I wanted to share my story in case any of you have been going through the same thing.

I’m still not sure how it exactly happened but one morning I realized it hurt to bend my knee when I was lying in bed and then the rest of the day it just felt weird. Meniscus tears usually don’t happen from running – but rather an abrupt movement or twist of the knee. I suspect I was just playing with my kids when it happened and just didn’t feel any pain for awhile. For a couple of days my knee just wouldn’t bend and I felt a weird pressure. Then, about 2 days later I looked down and I was like OMG! my knee was the size of a grapefruit. I started icing it and just trying not to do much (which is hard with 2 little ones!). I kept thinking the swelling would go down but it barely did. About a week later I went in to see an orthopedic surgeon and he did an MRI. He then told me that I had torn not one – but both of my menisci in my knee. He offered to “drain” it there to relieve some pressure but I decided not to since I wasn’t in a lot of pain. He said that it may not get worse but that it probably wouldn’t heal on it’s own and many people opt to do surgery. I was really upset and thought I would never be able to run again. But, I decided to try to manage it on my own and see how far I could go with my recovery before giving in to surgery. I had heard that surgery can sometimes make your knees worse – especially if you already have arthritis in that area, which I do from years of running.

I started by really resting my leg and not doing workouts. This was super hard because part of the reason signing up for the marathon was to lose the rest of my baby weight (more on that later!). But, since I couldn’t run at all I was really bummed out. After about 6 weeks of only minimal core and upper body workouts, I added in some light walking. I even tried to jog super slow but the minute I took a few strides I had pain and gave up. After a couple of months mini squats and lunges (1/2 range of motion) were ok but I had to be careful not to lunge or squat too deep. After about 4 months of so-so workouts, I started by walking faster for cardio and doing a little more strength training (If you’d like details on what I did – comment below). Then, I think after about 6 months I slowly started to jog just a little. I still had a tiny bit of uncomfortableness and irritation so I didn’t go far. Over the course of about 9 months I slowly worked my way back up to 2-3 (slow) miles. This past Spring (1.5 years after) I began jogging more and more outside and on the treadmill and slowly increasing my speed. I started adding in more glute and quad workouts too to really stabilize my knee. I feel like this is key. When you have a weakness (often in the glutes or quads) it can offset your knee and make you prone to injury. I had success with this before when I had runner’s knee. Finally, after over a year I was able to get my sprint speed back up! I was so happy a couple of months ago when I was almost back up to full speed at 11.5mph (1% incline) on the treadmill! I really thought I would never get back up to that. It’s still a little slower than I used to do and my overall running speed (and distance) is not like it was before kids – but I have hope!

So, if you have a torn meniscus…here is what I would recommend:

  • Try to rehab your knee yourself first – if you have the time (and dedication) to do it and you aren’t in any pain. But, if you and your doctor think surgery is the best option, then by all means – do that.
  • Stay off your knee at least for 6 weeks then slowly add back in some cardio options that don’t hurt (like walking).
  • Focus on upper body and core the first 4 months and then slowly add back in some non weight-bearing glute and quad exercises that don’t strain your knee.
  • Once you are pain free – add back in light jogging for just 3-5 minute intervals at a time and then walk 2-3 minutes. As your knee starts to handle that, increase your time intervals so you are running 5-7 minutes and walking 2-3 minutes.
  • Once you don’t have the pain and can jog slowly for 20 minutes at a time, then you can start to increase your speed a little. Just follow the 10% rule: don’t increase your speed or overall distance by more than 10% in one week.

*I am not a doctor and highly recommend you consult your doctor first before deciding to treat any injury yourself. This is just my advice and my personal experience.

My Top 10 Most Popular Blog Posts

I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for over 10 years now! Thank you to all of my subscribers – especially those that have been with me since the beginning! I haven’t been the most regular blogger, so thank you guys for being patient with me! I plan to start blogging more regularly and giving you guys posts that you can use – like sample workouts, training plans, etc. and also doing more travel reviews of some of the fit and healthy destinations that I visit. Below are my top 10 blog posts based on shares and views. If you are new to my blog- this will also give you an idea of the topics I typically cover. Comment below and let me know which of these (or other blog post) is your favorite!

My Top 10:

1. How To Train For A 10k In 6 Weeks

2. Dealing With A Knee Injury Right Before A Marathon

3. How the Hottest NFL Cheerleaders Stay Fit + Workout Tips

4. The BEST 30 Minute Workout

5. What Muscles Do I Use When I Run?

6. Mom And Baby Yoga – Tips And Sample Workouts

7. Sculpt A Bikini Butt

8. Transformation Tuesday – Meet Sarah Who Lost 50 Pounds!

9. 5 Questions to Ask Your Trainer DURING Your Workout

10. Last Minute Tips For Running Races: 5k to Marathon

How To Recover After Too Many Treats

I’m writing this the day after Valentine’s Day….so as you probably have guessed – I had waaay too many treats. Now what? Well, as easy as it would be to throw in the towel and focus on the pounds I didn’t lose yesterday (and the bloat gained today) – I can’t do that and neither should you. I’m following our Get Fit Done guide and am on the Week 2 Meal Plan (this week is high-protein to build muscle). So….Valentine’s cookies don’t really fit on that plan. Here is what I plan to do today and over the next few days to get back on track:

Start Now. Don’t wait until tomorrow to start over. Each hour and day you “give up” and eat bad adds up and before you know it you have gotten waaay off track. However, few treats or even a bad day will not wreck your plan.

Eat Very “Clean”. Avoid anything packaged and try to really focus on eating veggies, fruits and lean meats. This also means cutting out sugar. If you have our guide, try the Kale Quinoa Salad for lunch or dinner (add some extra protein if you want) or the Veggie Rainbow Lasagna is a family-friendly recipe that is great to help you detox!

Sweat Twice A Day. I’m not talking 2 hour gym sessions! Just fit in 2 mini workouts. If you are following me and Megan on the plan – do your scheduled workout for today then also add in an extra 20 minute walk or run or play outside with your kids or dog. Just do a little something extra to sweat a little more.

Drink Up! Make sure you drink lots of water the day after indulgences. It will help your body get rid of all of the extra (fill in the blank here: sugar, fat, alcohol, etc). Plus, it makes you feel fuller and is great for your skin and other organs.

If you still haven’t checked out our plan you can read about it HERE! You don’t have to start at any certain point and each week is interchangeable. I’ve already heard from many people that really liked Week 1’s meal plan and are going to repeat that next week instead of doing Week 3 and that’s totally fine! Join our Facebook group to get some tips and advice, live videos and more!

Gain Confidence and Overcome Your Fear of The Treadmill

During this past summer (and even fall), I did more of my running indoors on the treadmill vs. outside because it was sooo hot here in Houston. I haven’t always been a fan of the “dreadmill” and have even struggled with it from time to time. But, once you overcome your fears, get some confidence and relax  – the treadmill can be great!

I did many of my training runs (mostly short interval sprints and hills) on the treadmill over the last few years whenever I was training for races. I really like the fact that you can run “hills” to improve your speed and endurance – even if you don’t have access to an actual hill! But, running on the treadmill wasn’t always easy for me. I would sometimes get disoriented because I was on a machine facing a wall or had at tv right in my face. Or, one time I was doing very fast sprint intervals at the gym where I worked as a trainer and literally flew right off the back! Luckily I wasn’t hurt but I was so embarrassed! But, I just got right back on it and pretended nothing happened (even though I’m sure everyone around me thought I was crazy!). That falling spell actually messed with my mind a little during my next few runs and I was nervous that I was going to trip. Luckily I didn’t, but I had to remind myself that “So what if I do?! It’s no big deal and you already know what to do.” Before I became “a runner” I was always worried people were judging my slow speed. That also prevented me from relaxing and being able to enjoy my run but also go faster and/or longer.

Tips For Conquering the Treadmill

Go slower than you think you need to go. This is especially true if you are not an experienced runner. Don’t worry what someone next to you is doing. Odds are they can’t see your speed anyway, nor do they care. “Running” can start at a slow 4.0mph or 4.5mph and you can keep it there as long as you need to! Maybe in a few days, weeks or months..slowly increase your speed or try intervals (see below).

Try intervals. Don’t think you can hold the same pace for 20-30min and worried you will get bored? Play with your speed. Mix in walking intervals if you are new to running and faster sprint intervals if you are more experienced.

Run on an incline. After my incident where I fell off the treadmill (see above), I found that running on a low incline or doing hill intervals made me feel like I was not going to fall off the treadmill. In a way I felt like I had more traction, even though I was on a little incline. I felt like my shoes were gripping the treadmill better and I had more control over my running.

Find a machine with a good view. Don’t use one that faces a wall or has a tv right in your face. For me, this made me a little dizzy. If you like to watch tv and it works for you – great…but for many it gets in the way. Look for a machine with a lower/shorter tv, one without a tv or just turn the tv off and try to gaze off to the side when you run. Also, sometimes treadmills have “virtual” runs where it seems like you are running through a city or trail. Sometimes that will work for me if the scenery is realistic and not animated, etc.

Don’t be afraid to jump off to the side. I know many running “studios” and popular classes discourage people from doing this – but I’ve been doing this for years. Sometimes if I just need a quick break or need to grab a sip of water, I will place both hands on the treadmill railing and jump (not crazy jump – just little hop) off to the side. If you are worried you may fall, you can attached the security strap.

Check your shoes and clothes. Sometimes your shoes might be too slick for the treadmill surface. As a running store (or look online) for ones that are better for treadmills. Also, make sure your laces are double tied (to avoid tripping). Wearing the right clothes helps too. I usually prefer capri pants, a great running bra and tank. I often run in a cap too so that tiny hairs don’t get in my face and distract me.

Above all – just know that you aren’t the only one that has struggled with treadmill confidence! It can happen to anyone – even trainers and “runners”. Just like a bike – if you fall off, get right back up and try again! Don’t give up!

 

The Best Exercise For Summer – The “Pop Squat” – as Seen in Muscle and Fitness Hers

Muscle and Fitness Hers Summer 2018 issue is out on newsstands now and I’m super excited to once again be a featured trainer! I’m featured in page 26 giving trainer tips for the “Move of The Month” which is the Pop Squat – one of my favorites!

Pop It Off

Use the pop squat to get your lower body in summer-ready shape.

by Alyssa Shafer

“Build lower-body strength, increase power, and rev your metabolism with this all-in-one plyo move – the pop squat. There’s no equipment required, so you can do it anywhere, anytime. And there’s one more bonus this exercise gives you that you won’t get in other plyometric squats. ‘Since you have to cross your legs as you jump up, you’ll activate the inner thigh muscles more than you would with a regular squat.’ says trainer Cari Shoemate, founder of Houston’s Bombshell Bootcamp. Add three to four sets of 10 to 12 preps into your next leg day to round out your strength session or use pop squats at the end of any workout for a high-intensity cardio burst. Shoemate has clients do 40 to 50 reps to blast fat and get the heart rate soaring – set a timer and try to beat your best each time you do this.”

*Check out the issue for step-by step instructions on how to do this move along with a ton of other great workouts!