SparkPeople's New YOU Bootcamp Workouts

SparkPeople's New YOU Bootcamp Workouts

Get Fit with Our 7-Day Workout Program

You've set your goals for the year and resolved to get fit, eat better, tone up and lose weight for good. Are you ready to find a plan you can stick with once and for all? SparkPeople can help! We created the New YOU Bootcamp Program to motivate and inspire you to reach your fitness goals. We call it “Bootcamp” not because it’s highly intense, but because it involves daily exercise and commitment so you can get real results. That may sound daunting, but you can tailor each workout to your own fitness level, and you also get to pick activities that you enjoy. Following our 7-day fitness program will help you look good and feel great in a matter of weeks and help you build momentum to make fitness a habit, too! How it Works Do one video (below) each day. Each video will only take you 10 minutes or fewer to complete. You'll need a pair of dumbbells and a stability ball to follow most of the workouts. If you want to work harder or increase the intensity, use a heavier weight and/or repeat the video one or two more times. Do five 30-minute cardio sessions per week. You pick the activity and intensity—anything goes! (Get more than 110 cardio ideas here!) You can walk, bike, jog, jump rope, swim, do a fitness class or video—anything that gets your heart pumping! The more variety, the better! If you're new to exercise, aim for 30 minutes (or as close to that as you can manage, gradually increasing over time). If you've been at it a while, go longer—up to 60 minutes per session. Follow the plan for 4 weeks. Four weeks of daily exercise is no small feat! This a great introduction to exercise if you're just starting out, since the videos make strength training easy with detailed instructions on form. But even if you're an avid exerciser, following this plan for a few weeks can add variety to your current program, which can help you bust a plateau and continue seeing results. Refer to the chart below for the 7-Day New YOU Bootcamp Workout Plan. (Click on each link to see the video and to add it to your Fitness Tracker!) More Bootcamp Tips Feel confused about this? Find the answers to common questions about this workout plan below. How much weight should I lift? The answer is different for everyone. When strength training, you should use a weight that is challenging enough that you feel fatigued by the end of each set, but not so hard that you can't perform the exercise in good form. You might need to try out a few different weights to find out which works best for you. If you're newer, start with a low weight to master the exercise in good form. What if I miss a day? If you miss a day, you can move on to the next day or do two videos in one day. Think of the New YOU workout plan as a guideline, so if you mess up here and there, don't worry—just get back to it! How can I track my workouts? All the videos are searchable in SparkPeople's Fitness Tracker. Simply search for the video title or "Bootcamp" and you can track your workout and calories burned. What if I can't do some of the exercises? Most of the videos will give you ideas to modify your workouts. But if there's any reason you can't do a certain exercise, don't feel pressured to try it. You can modify it as instructed, decrease your range of motion, use less weight (or no weights), or just skip the exercise entirely. Be sure to listen to your body and work at your own pace. When should I start? You don't have to start on any particular day or week. The Bootcamp plan was designed to begin (Day 1) on a Sunday, so that you do less exercise (no extra cardio) on Saturday and Sunday. However, you can start Day 1 on any day of the week. Or if you'd rather, you can begin in the middle of a week, starting on a Tuesday with Day 3, for example. As long as you do the videos in order, you don't need to worry about which days you're doing them. What if I have more questions or need support? Join our New YOU Bootcamp SparkTeam to connect with other people who are following this workout plan. Post your goals, questions and more in the Team Message Boards to get almost instant feedback and support from our co-leaders and a group of others like you. Overall, this Bootcamp will make sure you're targeting each of your major muscle groups in new ways. By doing a different workout each day, you'll have more fun and be more likely to stick with it! Here's to a healthier, happier and fitter NEW YOU! Article created on: 12/30/2008

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Work your entire lower body in 7 minutes with this easy-to-follow workout! You can do it anywhere, with a pair of dumbbells (optional) and a stability ball.

Original article and pictures take www.sparkpeople.com site