7 effective exercises for the best at-home workout, according to a celebrity personal trainer
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We're not sure about you, but our New Year's wellness resolutions are swiftly fading away.
Gyms are overcrowded, the bleak weather is hardly motivating and it seems like our fitness goals become less and less attainable every day. And while some may prefer hitting the elliptical or a group fitness class to stay motivated, there are ways to get an effective workout in — all without leaving your living room.
We caught up with personal trainer Jeanette Jenkins, who has trained everyone from Pink to Alicia Keys to Bebe Rexha, on how to get our New Year's resolutions in check, the most impactful exercises and her daily diet.
Here are seven top tips from the 28-year trainer.
Abs are made in the kitchen
"All of your meals are important for your workouts, for recovery and to properly nourish the body," Jenkins told AOL Lifestyle.
"To burn body fat so you can actually see your abs, you have to make sure you are eating the proper caloric amount for your height, weight and age. Use a metabolic calculator or the Harris-Benedict Formula to make sure you are eating the proper caloric intake."
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jeanette Jenkins (@msjeanettejenkins) on Nov 27, 2019 at 5:56am PST
A post shared by Jeanette Jenkins (@msjeanettejenkins) on Nov 27, 2019 at 5:56am PST
What she eats in a day
Breakfast: Veggie egg white omelet and green tea
Snack: Greek yogurt with berries and granola
Lunch: Turkey sandwich with mustard, lettuce and tomatoes
Snack: Green Juice: Spinach, apple, lemon, ginger and individual-sized trail mix
Dinner: Salmon with mixed green salad and sweet potato
Budget-friendly stores help Jenkins stay on track with her fitness goals and healthy eating, because she can stock up on essentials like meal prep storage containers, tea tumblers and healthy snacks.
7 most-impactful exercises
Mountain climbers (25 reps) to 60-second ab plank
Sumo squat to shoulder press with dumbbells & mini bands (15-25 reps)
Reverse lunge to front kick with double front punch with 5-pound dumbbells (15 reps)
Renegade row with 5-10 pound dumbbells (10-20 reps)
Hop overs, over the yoga mat (10 reps)
Tricep kickbacks with back taps using 5-10 pound dumbbells (10-20 reps)
Ab tucks (15 reps) to offset ab hollow flutter kicks (30 seconds) with 5-10 pound dumbbells (repeat three times)
Fitness equipment everyone should own
"Fitness must-haves that everyone should have at their home are a yoga mat, foam roller, resistance bands and dumbbells," she said. "I love searching through Marshalls and discovering a variety of yoga mats and other exercise gear that are perfect for at-home workouts."
SHOP: Ecowise Elite Yoga & Pilates Mat, $19.99
"They are perfect to use for a yoga workout, stretch workout, foam rolling, HIIT workout or ab exercises."
SHOP: ProsourceFit Resistance Bands, $15.99 (Orig. $24.99)
"The long bands and the small loop bands are great because you can do a total body sculpting workout as well as interval-style HIIT workouts just with the bands. You can even take them with you on the road when you’re traveling."
Shop: Neoprene Hand Weights, $8.49
"There are literally hundreds of exercises you can do for the entire body!"
Shop: 321 Foam Roller, $21.99
"It's like a deep tissue massage and you can use it at home 3-4 times a week a week to help release tension throughout the body in trouble areas such as the lower back & hips where so many people carry tension."