Cardio, resistance training workouts to do at home

I regularly receive emails with questions about exercise. The most frequently asked question is what I do for exercise. I split my exercise time between the gym and at home, and my routine consists of a three-day rotation with two cardio training days and then resistance training the next. My second cardio day is flexible, and I may opt out of my regular cardio workout and instead work in the yard or do something else for variety, like go several rounds punching my heavy bag.

My workouts are vigorous and I push myself, but I've learned, finally, not to push too hard. Instead, I follow an instinctual approach, working out according to how I feel, doing more on days when I feel like it, and allowing myself to do less on other days.

In other words, I don't lock myself into a set workout.

So here's an example of my cardio workouts and how you can copy the routine at home.

One of my two cardio training workouts consists of 45-60 minutes of treadmill walking, gradually increasing speed and elevation. I like to watch TV while exercising, and it gives me the opportunity to watch things my wife, Anita, hates. This means action movies, where bad guys do terrible things, and the hero tracks them down and wipes them out. I am very careful to warm up properly, starting with a slow walk at 2 mph, then adding speed and elevation gradually until I’m zipping along at 3.5 mph and a 10% grade.

You may likeAmerica, you're fat. Here are 3 reasons why and what can we do to lose weight

My second cardio workout entails high-intensity interval training on a stationary cycle. I warm up and gradually work harder for 5 to 10 minutes, then switch to pedaling "all out" for 10 seconds followed by 20 seconds at a much slower recovery pace. Then I repeat this again and again for a least 10 rounds. I follow this with some modest resistance training for my lower body. This includes leg presses on a machine, plus some calf exercises.

For my upper body resistance training workouts, I begin with freehand exercise, starting with a plank in the pushup position. I hold the plank for 5 minutes or so and finish off with pushups. The plank really fatigues my upper body which makes pushups very difficult, and I can't do more than a handful. When I cannot do another pushup, I drop my weight from my toes to my knees for "modified" pushups and keep going. Let me add, for those in a hurry who don't have time for a full workout, this approach is great for challenging the upper body and the core, and it only requires about 8-minutes.

You may likeAt home or at the gym, what to know for an effective resistance training workout routine

Next, I shift to the Total Gym. Over my 46 years of writing this column, I have been bombarded with products to try and then endorse, but I decline unless I’ve used them for quite a while and am convinced of their value over the long haul.

Initially, I was against purchasing the Total Gym. My wife, Anita, is always seeking new and different ways to exercise. Not me, especially when it comes to resistance training. Give me an old-fashioned barbell and dumbbells and I’m happy. So, when she mentioned that for years she's been watching Total Gym commercials on TV with Chuck Norris, and always wanted to give it a try, I didn't encourage her. Quite the opposite. It's just another bogus exercise gimmick touted by a movie star, I told her.

Undeterred, Anita began her investigation. How was the Total Gym rated by the pros, and what was being said about the Total Gym by those who owned it? Where and how could she get the best deal? Then, after amassing her information, she made her case to me, capping it off with a 30-day free trial and free shipping. As usual, she won, and I went along with the purchase. My thinking was the worst that could happen is that we’d have to pay to have it shipped back to the manufacturer.

The Total Gym arrived in a huge box that we carried down the stairs to our workout room, then carefully eased it out to preserve the box (at my insistence for reshipping back to the manufacturer). I frowned as I looked over the parts needing to be assembled. If you knew how completely inept I am at putting anything together, and how irritated and annoyed I get, you’d know why I was frowning. But surprisingly, we had it up and going in no time at all.

You may likeVitamin D2 vs. D3? Are artificial sweeteners bad? Readers' health questions answered

I watched as Anita did a few exercises on it. It looked like it might work well for her, and I resigned myself to the fact that, like the new puppies she brings home, it was going to stay. I didn't use it (my male ego wouldn't allow me to give in that easily), but instead I went about my usual workout. The more Anita used it, the more enthused she became. Hearing her brag continually about the Total Gym, I decided to give it a try when she wasn't around.

I began performing some of my old standby exercises, and as I did, two things immediately jumped out at me. One, surprisingly, I was working my muscles much harder than I anticipated, raising the incline on the sled to increase resistance. And, two, joy of joys, I did the exercises without the slightest twinge of pain in my surgically repaired shoulders.

Not only that, when I was finished, I did my series of dumbbell exercises and was amazed at how my shoulders responded. The Total Gym warmed up my shoulder joints, stretching them out in a new and unique way, allowing me to do more with free weights than I had been able to do in years.

I was hooked.

For the past several years the Total Gym has been the core of my resistance training workouts. It's a great piece of exercise equipment, quite durable, smooth, and easy on the joints, plus, you can add weight to the sled to increase resistance. It's not cheap, and prices range considerably with several models available. If you are interested, shop around for the best deal. I believe you will be satisfied, but if not, return it after a 30-day free trial.

Reach Bryant Stamford, a professor of kinesiology and integrative physiology at Hanover College, at [email protected].