Week 1: The Six Week Pudge Be Gone! Fitness Challenge
Monday, April 4th is DAY ONE of what we are calling “Surviving Dating’s Six Week Pudge Be Gone Fitness Challenge!” Everyone that wants to participate, it’s going to be very easy. You can post your comments under each week’s challenge!
Every Sunday for the next six weeks we will post a dietary or fitness challenge for you to master the following week.
For those seeking to improve their health, there will be things to do to reduce your blood sugar, lower your blood pressure, and improve your nutrition. If your goal is weight loss and body reshaping, consider that summertime is approaching, so all those “winter coats” “sit on the couch wide asses” and “pizza and beer arms and bellies” must go.
The goal for April 4-10 is to do at least 45 minutes of exercise in your target heart rate zone at 65-75% of estimated maximum (or in Zone 3 of the calculator at http://www.heartmonitors.com/zone_calc.htm). You can break it up into two exercise sessions if need be, but your goal is a total of 45 minutes each and every day of this week.
To figure out what your heart rate range should be, navigate to the link above. Plug in your age, gender and resting heart rate. Find your RHR (resting heart rate) by taking your pulse for 10 seconds when you first open your eyes in the morning, then multiply that number by 6.
I hate exercise classes and swimming, and usually work out on my own either at home or at the gym. I’ve decided to tackle this week’s challenge as follows:
- Monday 4/4 = Combination walk/jog/jump rope (evening)
- Tuesday 4/5 = Weights (am) / cardio (pm) @ gym
- Wednesday 4/6 = Cardio machines (gym) (am)
- Thursday 4/7 = Weights (am) / cardio (pm) @ gym
- Friday 4/8 = Cardio machines/jump rope (gym) (pm)
- Saturday 4/9 = Circuit training @ the gym
- Sunday 4/10 = Brisk walking (evening)
I suggest getting the following items to help you be successful:
- Spiral bound notebook — one of those $.99 things to keep track of what you will be doing the next six weeks. You’ll be asked to write quite a few things down, and it will be much easier for you if they are all organized in one place. Alternatively, a MS Word document on your computer should work.
- A quality pedometer — one that calculates not only steps taken, but utilizes your weight and height too, so that it can tell you have many calories you’ve burned walking and how many steps taken every day. Put it on as soon as you are dressed in the morning and don’t take it off until you are ready for bed.
- A heart rate monitor with calorie burn calculator — Heart rate monitors are a bit pricier than a pedometer, but worth the investment in your health and fitness. Check out this Timex IRONMAN Heart Rate Monitor.
- Leather jump rope with ball bearing handles — Start by jumping just 25 jumps at a time, and work your way up. A soft dirt surface like a track, hardwood floors, or the mat on a track are great surfaces that absorb shock to your feet and knees. Jumping rope is one of the best cardiovascular exercises there is, but you MUST START SLOW!!! The exercise can be extremely intense.
- Two pairs of dumb bells for working out at home — Female beginners can start with 3 and 5 lbs; more advanced female exercisers can go with 5 and 8 or even 5 and 10 lbs. Men can start with 8 and 12 lbs; more advanced probably 10 and 15 lbs. Pick your dumbbells up at any sporting goods store; even Walmart, Sears and Target sell them these days.
Can we do this? YES WE CAN! And if we can do it, so can you!
Here is a great beginner dumbbell program with full instructions that you can do at home or at the gym.
Deborrah
Veteran social researcher, relationship advice columnist, author and radio host. Author of hundreds of articles on American and black culture, gender issues, singles, dating and relationships. Author of "Sucka Free Love!" , "The 24 Types of Suckas to Avoid," "The Black Church - Where Women Pray and Men Pray," and "Why Vegan is the New Black" all available on Amazon.Com. Her unique voice and insightful commentary have delighted fans and riled haters for 20 years. Read her stuff on SurvivingDating.Com and AskHeartBeat.Com.
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Category: Looking Your Best
Wow. I want to do this!
I lost one inch in my waist in one week!!!! Woo hoo!!!
Wow, that’s great! Thank you for providing a success story! 🙂
I feel like I have a good grasp on cardio, but I really want to be beef up my weight/resistance training to build my strength and “maintain the curves” as people sometimes allude to regarding working out. Deborrah, what is your weights regimen? How many reps do you do and how do you rotate (given the 45 minute time frame)?
My favorite regimen as you call it is circuit training. I tend to pick 4 or 5 exercises and do them, one after another with no rest in between, for 3 to 4 sets, then another set of 3-4 different exericises.
Here is a sample workout I did recently (referenced in sets, reps, weight):
a1) Assisted Pull Up machine 3x12x90
a2) Assisted Triceps Dips 3x12x90
a3) 1 DB Squat 3x20x35
a4) Medicine Ball X-Chops 3x15x12
a5) Seated Hip Abductor 3x50x50
b1) Physioball Push Ups 3x20xBW
b2) Reverse DB Lunges 3x12x10s
b3) Seated Cable V-Grip Row 3x15x70
b4) Standing DB Presses 3x12x15s
b5) Standing Db curls 3x12xbw
Then add abdominal exercise of choice.
My plan is a little bit off – instead of doing weights in the morning and cardio in the evening, I did TWO weight workouts today. Tomorrow I’ll go back on schedule with my 45 minute “cardio only” day. What is everyone else doing?
Well, I am going to the gym everyday during my lunch. I do 20 minutes on the treadmill incline 9 speed at 3.8 for a fast walk, I do this in intervals, fast walk then 2 minutes of run decrease incline to 8.5 increase speed to 4.5. I am SWEATING when I’m done, then I lift weights, ab machine, inner thighs, upper body. Then after work, I do the same. On Tues and Thurs, I have core aerobics where we do EVERYTHING in that class from kick boxing, to crunches, using medicine phisioball to work the core. That class is no joke it’s 2x a week. So I’m in the gym every day doing an hour during lunch and again after work. I think I’ll be ready for the summer. This works for me. I’ve been taking this class since 2008 and I like it, the teacher it’s pretty challenging and I while I don’t like the treadmill, I like the routine I’ve developed and more importantly it’s one I can stick to for the most part. Consistency is the key. I won’t work out if I’m doing something I don’t like.
I have exactly 87 days from this post date to get WEDDING FIT! My goal is to keep my beautiful curves, and gain some definition in my arms, back, and collar bone area (if possible)…haha!
Anyway, I’ve been going strong with my eating and exercise for the past week and a half, and I feel soooo much better. I sleep better, and my confidence has increased as well (as if it could get any higher anyway)!
Let’s do this ladies (and gents)!!!! Let’s hold each other accountable, and get ready to blow everyone out of the way with our BEAUTY!!!!
I’m in Deborah, and despite my nickname, I will be eating healthfully during this challenge.