Whenever I finished strength training at home, I used to stash my dumbbells in the closet. But I realized that if they were visible, I'd be more likely to pick them up and use them later. Same goes with my yoga mat. Instead of keeping it under my bed, I keep it out on a shelf. Seeing it there when I wake up reminds me to start every morning with a set of stretches. A friend of mine keeps a Read more

The warmer weather inspires me to get out and exercise, and that means I'm going through more sports bras. It's such a waste to wash them in the washing machine after each workout, and besides — who has time for that? Since I only have a few sports bras, I got into the habit of bringing my sweaty one into the shower with me. I keep a little container of laundry detergent on the shelf so I can Read more

I'm always looking for ways to optimize my gym time, and lately I've come up with a clever tip I want to share. It forces you to rest between strength-training sets, and it cuts down on the time you spend on your cool-down stretches. Here's how it works. Do your cardio before your strength training, but rather than stretching after the cardio, go straight into your weight routine. Then, use the Read more

It's hard enough getting motivated to work out, but especially if you have a packed schedule. If one of your favorite excuses for not working out is that you can't find time then it may be time to re-evaluate your schedule. Instead of adding on yet one more thing to your jam-packed schedule, try to remove something old and replace it with something new. Think about skipping something that is not Read more

If you're doing splits, you might want to rethink your workout plan. In case you're not sure about what a "split" or "body part split" is in gym jargon, a split is when you split the body parts you're working on for each workout — this typically means Monday is legs, Tuesday is back, Wednesday is bi's and tri's, Thursday is abs, etc. Personally, I have never been a fan of splitting and have Read more

A lot of us head to the gym and spend about 45 minutes on the bike while reading a book or magazine and working moderately hard. I am not knocking this behavior, since I am happy when anyone makes time for the gym, but one day a week try and do a good, quality workout. This means making everything you do count by really pushing yourself to get through it and working your hardest, i.e. you Read more

One reason a lot of us have a hard time getting to the gym is because we don't have the extra time it takes to complete a workout. This could also be the reason a lot of us skip cardio or strength training completely. Instead of cutting yourself short, cut your time down. A simple way to cut out a few minutes at the gym is to shorten your rest time between sets. I am not saying don't rest, Read more