Excuses are tools of incompetence which build monuments of nothing. Those who specialize in them are seldom good at anything. – Unknown

I remember having to memorize and recite this quote as an assignment in Ms. Singletary’s American History class. Junior year… 9 years ago, and this quote stuck with me. I rarely gave it any thought then, but now it holds more weight; it’s a form of motivation.

When I first made the decision to get fit and lose weight, and the slight changes became noticeable, people began to ask me why I decided to make such a lifestyle change. Now that they see the dramatic difference, they’ve begun to ask me how. “Girl you look good! How did you do it?” (Someone even asked me if I had surgery o_O) Everyone wants to know “my secret”. So here goes the BIG reveal! The secret to my success is… wait for it *makes drum-roll noise with mouth*… there is no secret. I simply did away with all the excuses. I made it a top priority to work out and eat healthy. It’s actually pretty simple (not easy, just simple) once you make up your mind to let go of the excuses.

Now that the cats out of the bag, let’s move on to the good stuff.

Here are 5 exercises (along with pictures and brief descriptions) that you can do at home. NO GYM, NO EQUIPMENT, NO EXCUSES, JUST YOU. These exercises helped me when I couldn’t make it to the gym. All you need is water and a willing spirit.

Exercise 1: The basic crunch.

Lay flat on your back and raise your legs (as shown in the image above) and place your hands near you ears. DO NOT PULL ON YOUR NECK. Engage your abs (tighten them) and raise your shoulders towards your knee and then release. Do 4 sets of 25 reps. If this is too easy increase the number of reps, or instead of bending your legs (as shown in the image above) try holding your them straight up.

Exercise 2: The basic push-up.

Lay on the floor face down. Place your hands next to your shoulders palm down. Push yourself up fully extending your arms (as shown in the image above). Lower yourself towards the floor (as shown in the image above). Do 4 sets of 10-15 reps. If this is too difficult for you, you can do a modified push up by placing you knees on the floor. Be sure to have cushion for your knees.

Exercise 3: The basic squat.

Stand with your legs hip distance apart, toes facing forward. Imagine there is a chair behind you. Bend your knees as if you are going to sit in that chair (it is imaginary, so do fall… LOL). Keep your back straight, and your knees behind your toes. Raise your body back to a standing position. Do 4 sets of 25 reps. If this is too difficult for you, get a chair and practice siting and standing up.

Exercise 4: Plank

Hold the potion shown in the image above for 30 seconds. Do 4 sets. If this is too difficult for you try holding the position for 10-15 seconds. Over time, you will become better and should increase the amount of time you hold your plank by 10-15 seconds.

Exercise 5 Bonus: Burpees

Burpees are just as difficult to explain as they can be to do. Wait… come back… where are you going? They are worth the challenge, I promise. But, I must warn you though. If you have any injuries such as back, knee, & wrist just to name a few, don’t try this. Now start standing, jump up, and on your way down crouch down and touch the floor. Kick your legs out behind you, and then bring them back into the crouching position. This is considered one burpee. See image above for a visual. Do 4 sets of 10-15 reps.

These exercises are sure to keep you on track in between gym visits. You can even throw in some jumping jacks in between sets to add cardio to the routine. Try them out and let me know what you think. Remember, NO EXCUSES!

Love you guys!