Resistance Band Jam - Christie Cash workout via GymRa

Here’s the third workout I’ve been doing consistently since breaking up with Jillian! It’s a Christie Cash workout from GymRa’s youtube page, and it’s a resistance bad workout! I really like this one.

There is no warmup for this workout, so I always make sure to do a quick warmup before starting. It’s two circuits; where you do the moves twice, similar to the previous Christie workout I talked about. There are several moves where I’m actually not using the resistance band but I’m using my 8lb dumbbells (my resistance band is light to medium resistance). I also incorporate squats or lunges since standing in place can get so boring. And adding in two muscle groups burns more calories! During the bicep curls, the front lateral raises, tricep extension, and the V-Raises, I do squats with my 8lb dumbbells. During the shoulder presses, she actually has you do one arm at a time and switch, but I stay in lunge position and do the first 15 and then switch legs and do the next 15. During rows, I stay in a squat position. There are also deadlifts which I use my 8lbs with. I feel like that’s good way to burn a few extra calories. I do use the resistance band to do the lunge and lateral raise, because I hate those. ;) I’m familiar with these in the other Christie workout and I use my 8lbs then, so I figure the resistance band gives my arms a little break! After that, she takes you to the mat! I can’t believe I missed doing matwork, but I did. She has you put one leg in the air with the resistance band and lifting in and out of bridge with your other leg. It looks easy but it is not! You do that on both sides, and then put both feet in the band and you do a leg press with the resistance band. Next move is a reverse crunch. I sometimes switch out here with a reverse crunch or do a bicycle crunch in boat pose because I don’t do ab work as much anymore (I can’t believe I’m missing it!) and I don’t want to lose all the hard work I put in strengthening my ab game. ;) Afterwards, you’re back up doing a move called windmills. This is another one I do a bit differently. She has you stand on the resistance band with two feet and twist side to side, twisting your obliques like a windmill. I usually just do high knees with a torso rotation or jumping because it’s slightly higher impact and I feel like I get my heart rate up a bit higher. After that minute, the next thing she has you do is stand on the band with two feet again, but cross over and stretch out your obliques. 

Rinse and repeat and you have a 30 minute workout! You do finish up with some cardio moves; 30 seconds of high knees, 30 seconds of jumping lunges and then 30 seconds of Rockstar jumps or “explodes” as she called them. You just explode off the ground. 

So that’s that! And I *really* like this workout. I am a bit bummed out that there isn’t a warmup and the cool down is very very quick (just a deep breath so almost non-existent) but I like this workout so well that I don’t mind adding in the warmup and the cool down on my own! I highly recommend this one! You can watch the video below or click here to go right to the youtube page to watch it.

This is the second workout I’ve done with the resistance band and the first one that I’ve done more than once. Have you done a resistance band workout? 

Natalie Yco's Full Body Workout with Dumbbells via GymRa.

Hi guys! I’m going to talk about another workout I’ve been doing lately since ditching Jillian. ;) But if it weren’t for Jillian, I wouldn’t know about this woman - it’s Natalie Yco! (Natalie has been in Killer Buns and Thighs, 30 Day Shred, Killer Abs, and I think a few other Jillian DVD’s that I haven’t actually bought). I’m a huge fan of hers, and a big fan of this workout! I’ve linked the video below. This one is also on GymRa’s youtube page, like the last workout I posted about. 

This one is about 30 minutes long. There are five circuits in this workout, each circuit with two strength moves and two cardio moves. I use my eight pound dumbbells for this workout and man, do I ever feel the burn! Each move lasts 45 seconds and she gives you 15 seconds to transition from one move to the next, and she demonstrates each move, which I love! After a quick warmup, you start doing two strength moves, a squat into a lunge alternating sides, deadlifts, and then rotating jumping jacks and then a kickboxing kind of move where you are doing jump kicks. Next circuit had walkout pushups, chest flies in bridge, and then burpees with a ski hop which made me consider throwing my laptop across the room and then crab kicks which made me SERIOUSLY consider throwing my laptop. I hate that cardio bit. ;) Third circuit has rows, chest flies in plank, four way hops and then jumping lunges in plank, which is have to modify (I could probably do them, but I think I’d do them incorrectly). Fourth circuit may be my favorite but I’m not sure; it has pikes with lateral raises, upright rows, and then skaters, which is my favorite cardio (!) but then she’s got you back in plank again for jumping side to side in plank. Last circuit has you doing triceps dip and a bicep curl (which I can’t curl without twisting my wrist, so I actually kick my leg instead of curling. I think that my dumbbells might be too tall and that’s why my wrists feel unsteady) and a half get up with the weight. Cardio is surfer get-ups and side mountain climbers. And then you’re finished with all the hard stuff! She has you finish off with a nice cool down with lots of good stretching and then you’re finished with that workout!

Natalie’s workout reminds me of a lot of Jillian’s and I’m familiar with all the moves. But just like in the other GymRa workout with Christie, it’s something different, and I think that’s what I welcome the most. A different voice, a different change of scenery. I like that these are filmed outside. Sometimes when I’m finished with the workout, I just want to hop into the TV and jump in that pool behind her! What I liked about it is that she did the workout with you, the change in scenery, the fact that it’s Natalie (haha), and that she demonstrated the workout and gives you a few seconds to transition in if you need. 

I burn anywhere from 200-250 calories as according to my Fitbit Charge HR. I’ve been doing this one consistently for a couple months now and I really like it! When I started out, I had to modify so much but now I can do the majority of the advanced moves!