While some people prefer to form their own workout plan at the gym, everybody is different, and some might benefit more from a workout class. Choosing a class that is right for you can be hard since there are so many out there, so below I will explain several different programs to help you make the right choice!

Orange Theory

Chances are you have heard of Orange Theory, as it has been all the rage since its’ opening in 2010. All of the hype surrounding Orange Theory is deserved with its members swearing by their success stories. Each class is led by an instructor who directs you through three different sections: the treadmill, weights, and the water rower. The premise of Orange Theory is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) so everyone has to come prepared with a heart rate monitor, so they are aware of what intensity they are performing at. At the end of your workout, you are shown stats from the hour-long program such as calories burned and maximum heart rate. This program is best for people who have goals of losing fat and firming up.

CrossFit

CrossFit is a good option for people more concerned with gaining significant muscle. The workouts typically are a variation between aerobics, body weight exercises, and powerlifting. CrossFit describes their plan as, “”constantly varied functional movements executed at high intensity across broad time and modal domains,”. There is a competitive aspect to this program as well, so people motivated by competition will benefit from this program.

Pure Barre

Pure Barre strives to increase strength and endurance with a focus on your core strength. Their website explains that their program is “an effective total body workout focused on low-impact, high intensity movements that lift and tone muscles to improve strength, agility, and flexibility for everybody”. This program will benefit those whose goals are to strengthen their core and increase their flexibility.

9Round

9Round is a fun and effective kickboxing workout that is only 30 minutes long! Kickboxing is a very successful way to improve your strength and acquire some self-defense skills at the same time. This program is beneficial to people who want to get stronger, but do not have a lot of time to dedicate to the gym.

Each of these programs is awesome and will provide some awesome results, but it is important to pick the one closest to your goals! Enrolling in a workout program assures you that you are doing the workouts right and can even help you make new friends.

Incorporating new accessories into your workout routine is a fun way to improve your gym experience! These products are all less than $15 and will help you get closer to your goals!

Perfect Peach Athletics Booty Bands – Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt for Women- $14.99

These resistance bands are a must have for women wanting to strengthen their legs and butt! One of my favorite things about these bands are the versatility of them. You can use them alone for body weight only exercises or use them on machines such as the leg press, hip abduction, or weighted squats to make them more challenging. This particular brand includes five different bands with varying resistance to allow people of any fitness level to be able to use them.

BuildLife 1 Gallon Water Bottle Motivational Fitness Workout with Time Marker/Drink More Daily/Clear BPA-Free/Large 128OZ /73OZ /43OZ Capacity- $14.99

It can be hard to make sure you are drinking enough water, so this gallon sized water bottle helps you keep track of how much water you are drinking and keeps you motivated at the same time! The hardest part of staying hydrated for me is forgetting to drink water throughout the day and trying to compensate at the end of the day. This is a problem because it is more beneficial to your body to drink small amounts throughout the day than to chug 8 glasses at once. This bottle makes it easy to know how much water you should have drank at each point of the day and adds a little motivation for each increment.

Workout/Fitness and/or Nutrition Journal/Planners – Designed by Experts, w/Illustrations : Sturdy Binding, Thick Pages & Laminated, Protected Cover-$14.99

This fitness planner is endorsed by personal trainers and military fitness experts and is designed to help you to stay on course and make improvements. Tracking your workouts help you stay accountable and allow you to see how much you are progressing. If you start realizing you aren’t progressing, you then can take the necessary steps to improve your fitness routine.

EVONESS Ankle Straps for Cable Machines and Resistance Band Plus Carry Bag– Premium Fitness Ankle Straps Attachment for Weightlifting and Workout with Ankle Cuffs for Legs, Abs and Glute Exercises- $14.97

Cable weights are one of the most beneficial and versatile ways to workout but unfortunately, many gyms do not come equipped with an ankle strap attachment. This ankle strap will open up the doors to so many more leg, butt, and even ab workouts!

These accessories will keep your gym experience fresh and fun while also making it easier to achieve your goals. They all can be found on Amazon with competitive prices compared to products you would see in-store. Happy shopping!

There is nothing more rewarding than starting to see results from going to the gym regularly. At this point in the process, your confidence is sky high and motivation to keep going comes easier than ever. Unfortunately, many people experience a sudden decrease in results a few months into their training. Plateauing can be frustrating and discouraging, but there are several ways to bounce back and keep the results coming.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep.

Nutrition and exercise are obvious factors of your results, but sleep is another important factor that many do not prioritize as much as they should. Not only will your workouts suffer after a poor night’s sleep, but it will also inhibit your body’s availability to recover and rebuild your muscles. In addition to negatively impacting your workout routine, research has shown that lack of sleep also triggers the body to crave food high in sugar. So, make sure you are catching your z’s!

Be sure that your workouts are progressing in intensity.

In the beginning of your workout journey, your improvements in strength or cardio are fairly easy to attain and more noticeable. A few months in, however, you may start to realize that it is more difficult to increase the weights you are lifting or improve your speed and distance with your cardio. This is natural, but in order to attain more results, you need to make sure your strength or cardio routine is progressing. Strength wise, there are several techniques that will help you increase the amount of weight you are lifting if you just can’t seem to improve. Say you typically do three sets of twelve reps of fifty pounds. Next time do those three sets but do a fourth set of fifty-five of as many reps as you can do. Even if you can only do three, this will help you increase your strength for next time. Or, do the weight you are comfortable with but add an extra set than you usually do.

Track your food intake.

If you feel like you have been eating healthy but aren’t seeing the results you expected, try tracking the food you are eating. When you track your food, you might realize that you are eating more or less than you thought you were. Tracking your food will prevent you from overeating and make you more aware of what might be preventing you from seeing results.

While all of these factors are important, the most important step to overcoming your plateau is to not lose hope and keep pushing for improvement. While diminishing results can be extremely discouraging, it is a natural part of the process and you will eventually start seeing those results again. You are stronger than you think you are so push yourself and keep going!

Staying motivated and dedicated can be the hardest part of your diet and exercise routine. It is easy to be motivated in the beginning, but when your schedule becomes busy and life gets in the way, it can be harder to find the motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Below I have a few tips and tricks to keep the momentum going throughout this journey.

Meal Prepping

When work and other life obligations start getting hectic, eating healthy becomes much more of a burden. Many revert to unhealthy habits in the midst of a crazy day since it is much easier and faster to go through a drive through than to take time to prepare a healthy meal. One way to beat this temptation is to prepare a week of healthy meals whenever your schedule allows. A good rule of thumb when meal prepping is to prepare a lean protein, a vegetable, and a whole grain. This makes eating healthy easier to stick with no matter what life throws at you.

Leave Yourself Motivational Quotes

Although it seems cheesy, leaving yourself motivational quotes can keep your goals in line. If you see your goals written out every day, it will keep it on your mind and remind yourself of why you started this journey in the first place.

Reward yourself when you achieve personal goals

Rewarding yourself is important throughout this process to keep yourself motivated. Whether you buy yourself a new gym outfit or treat yourself to a cheat meal after reaching your first goal, it will provide positive reinforcement to keep yourself excited and motivated.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

No one is perfect, so a slip up or two is inevitable. Every day is a new day, so just get back up the next day and start over. Consistency is key and the longer you keep up your good habits the easier this lifestyle will be to maintain.

At the end of the day, motivation is important, but discipline is essential. You aren’t going to feel motivated every day but having discipline will power you through those workouts even if it is the last thing that you want to do that day. Keep your goals in focus and a positive mindset, and in the end that is all it takes to change your lifestyle for the better.

Starting a gym routine can be intimidating. Everyone seems to know what they are doing, and it is easy to feel self-conscious if you are not as confident in your workout as the gym regulars seem to be. While it may seem like your workout is being scrutinized by everybody around you, that is not the case. Everyone is focused on their own workout and are most likely paying little to no attention to your workout. So, go out there and give it your best, because that it what everyone else at the gym is doing too! Here is a simple but effective full-body workout plan that you can perform at ease at any gym or at home. The amount of sets and reps recommended varies from person to person based on a variety of factors such as expertise, age, weight, and gender. It is best to consult with a physician if you are unsure of your capability. However, what has worked for me is three sets of twelve reps each.

Lunges

An easy but effective workout for tightening your quadriceps and glutes are lunges. To do a front lunge, simply take a wide step forward, and lower your body with your heel hitting the floor first. To avoid knee strain, make sure your knee never extends over your foot during this workout. To intensify this workout, you can do this position while carrying a weighted dumbbell.

Planks

Whoever said time flies has never tried a plank. This workout targets all major abdominal muscles, making this workout well worth the pain! To do this work out, get into a pushup position. However, instead of having your palms on the floor, position your elbows underneath your shoulders to support your body. Keep the body in a straight line and hold that position. Hold this position as long as you can, however I usually aim for forty-five seconds to a minute. You can also flip over and do this position on each side to target your obliques.

Push-ups

Pushups are an excellent way to strengthen your back and arms. Simply get down on all fours and lower your body, pause, and then go back up. Your chest should go as low as possible while keeping your back straight. To intensify this workout, do the pushups on an incline.

Penguins

The penguin workout is an easy workout to target your obliques. Simply lay on the ground with your legs bent at a ninety-degree angle, elevate your shoulders, and then touch one ankle proceeded by the other to make one rep.

These workouts are used by novices and experts alike and will be sure to tighten your body up. Whether you incorporate these into your current routine or do these moves in your house before bed, they will be sure to show results in no time with consistency and dedication!

If you are anything like me, you love to snack. This can seem like a serious pitfall to your new health and fitness plan, but it does not have to be. Actually, many experts agree that it may be more beneficial to your metabolism to have five small meals throughout the day instead of the stereotypical three meals. Snacking does not have to be a detrimental aspect of your lifestyle, with the right choices, snacking is an excellent way to keep yourself fueled and keep your metabolism burning calories. Below I have my favorite snacks that curb my hunger and keep me satisfied throughout the day.

Organic Valley Stringles Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella

String cheese is a perfect way to curb those afternoon munchies! Not only is there only eighty calories and seven grams of protein in just one cheese stick, but they also are convenient to eat in a pinch. These high protein snacks will keep you full and are also full of calcium to supplement your bone health.

Oikos Triple Zero Nonfat Greek Yogurt

Another great dairy snack that will curb your hunger are the delicious Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt cups. With no added sugar or artificial sweeteners, these yogurt cups will curb your cravings with it’s six grams of fiber and fifteen grams of protein.

Halo Top Ice Cream

A great way to curb your sweet tooth is by indulging in Halo Top’s low calorie, high protein ice cream! Not only is it delicious, but it will also keep you full for hours with most flavors ranging around twenty grams of protein and only two to three hundred calories. The best part is, these nutrition facts are for an entire pint!

Morning Star Buffalo Wings

Craving wings but don’t want to consume your entire days’ worth of calories and fat in one meal? Then Morning Star has the perfect snack for you! Their plant based, breaded buffalo chicken nuggets have only two hundred calories and thirteen grams of plant-based protein. These nuggets are filling and delicious, making them a perfect snack for vegans and wing lovers alike!

Skinny Pop Popcorn

Movie nights are not complete without popcorn, so stock up on Skinny Pop Popcorn for your next movie night! For three and three quarters cups of popcorn, you are only consuming one hundred and fifty calories. This popcorn is a perfect, guilt-free snack for your next movie night!

Hopefully these snacks help you conquer your cravings and lead a healthier lifestyle. It can be hard to eat healthy, but most of the time there is a healthier option than the junk food you are craving. Happy snacking!