Welcome to my “Fitness From Scratch” page!!! I am so excited to share my workouts, nutritional tips and easy recipes with you to help make staying healthy easier for you. With all the chaos of careers, kids, and life, our health often falls on the back burners. This happens because of many reasons… we don’t want to go to the gym and fight for machines, we don’t have any equipment, or we just don’t know what to do. I can’t stress enough how important your health is for not only your life and your happiness but it’s also a key ingredient to a happy, healthy family and future.
I’d like to share a little bit of my background to sort of establish some credibility here… I know there are tons of blogs out there with at-home work outs, nutritional tips, etc sometimes with no background knowledge or training, which can sometimes be unsafe to be trying on your own!
I have always been an active person, I grew up playing soccer and basketball and played soccer for Colorado State University until concussions forced me to stop playing sports with any contact (I know soccer usually isn’t a contact sport- but I was way too aggressive as a goalie!) Anyways, my several knee injuries and concussions led me to spin classes. I took several a week since it was all I could do, and soon decided to just get certified to teach. Soon after that I got my ACE (American Council on Exercise) Personal Trainer License. I was spin instructor, Personal Trainer, and head Personal Trainer for a ultimate weight loss boot camp offered at CSU for 3 years.
With that expertise, I have had several options pop up. I could go back to personal training at a gym and be that person bugging you on a treadmill to come work out with me in order to get clients, I could become a “life coach” and sell fitness supplements, or I can just offer my expertise to you for free. I absolutely hate selling anything whatsoever, so I am going with option 3! Not only that, but I really don’t believe in all the supplement hype and don’t want you to believe that that’s what you need to get fit and live a healthy lifestyle. So I am going to share some of my expertise and in exchange all I ask is you follow and share my blog!
To get fit from scratch, the only ingredients my recipe calls for is motivation, a healthy mindset, workout plans, a good playlist, and a healthy diet. I am here to help you along the way! Now I know what you may be thinking…. “I don’t have any equipment!” And that’s OKAY!!! the majority of these workouts can be done with no equipment, or you can find things around your house to use. For example instead of a kettlebell, use your dishwasher soap or laundry detergent…sometimes even your baby! Instead of dumbbells use a couple of water bottles. I’ll include those tips and tricks along the way.
However, if you are serious about getting fit at home, I highly recommend investing in some equipment, the overall cost of equipment is significantly cheaper than a gym membership.
Let me first break down the cost of some gym membership’s Jordan and I have been a part of in the past…-24 Hour Fitness- $50 per person per month- $100 monthly.-Lifetime Fitness- $120 per month (and this has gone up since we last were there)-Vasa Fitness- $30 per person per month- $60 monthlySo on average, for you and your family, you’re looking at $60-120+ per month.
Here’s a breakdown of the cost of purchasing some basic equipment for your home. I basically only shop through Amazon Prime because it’s hard enough getting out of the house just to go on a run with a baby… let alone to several different stores to find the equipment I need! Plus free 2 day shipping so…obvious choice!
- Yoga Mat – $10.99
- Exercise Ball – $9.79
- Medicine Ball – $4.99
- As for Dumbbells- I typically use 3 sizes- light, medium and heavy (10 lb, 15 lb, and 20 lb). I would love a 12 lb but haven’t gotten to it yet. I would start with 5-10 lbs if you’re just starting. If you have worked out and know about what sizes you want, go for it! Here’s a link to some affordable dumbbells.
So all in all, to create a basic home gym- you’ll be spending around 25 dollars plus around 60 for dumbbells, depending on how many and what sizes you get… which is still less than a fancy gym membership!!! Be sure to follow my budgeting page for tips and tricks if you need to save up for some equipment!
As for workout space… I love working outside on my deck/backyard! When weather is bad I use our basement, which is just a living room space. You can use a garage, living room, patio or go to a local park! It’s easy to find space, sometimes you just have to get creative.
Stay tuned for more ingredients for the perfect recipe to getting fit. I’ll be posting workouts, nutritional tips and yummy recipes along the way! I’m on my very own weight loss journey and am excited to share what I find to be successful and not so successful along the way!
If you are new to exercise please consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise program and please note that I, Christen Maynard, am not liable for any injuries you may sustain while utilizing my workouts.