Grab your dumbbells for this fun and challenging routine. One round only takes 15-Minutes, and it can be repeated up to 3X.
This workout routine is focused on building full body strength, fitness, and lean muscles. Don’t be afraid to push yourself. Breathe heavy, get sweaty and have fun!
I am focusing on re-building my strength, endurance and overall health and fitness. To be honest, it isn’t easy. It’s a lot easier to keep going once you have established a consistent routine. When your routine stops working with your lifestyle or is consistently met with obstacles things get much harder.
It takes a lot of effort to establish a new routine, but the end result is worth it.
I hope you enjoy today’s workout! Let me know how many rounds you get in.
Melissa
The Workout Video:
The Workout Breakdown:
No Equipment. Total Core Workout + Fat Burning Exercise Routine. Build strength and cardiovascular endurance.
Welcome to a great, full body workout! For this routine you will need two dumbbells. One round takes 15-Minutes. It’s quick, effective and will give you a great workout in a short period of time. This routine focuses on compound exercises to maximize the workout efficiency in the shortest amount of time. You will find the full length workout video, breakdown and photo tutorial below.
I got in one round, but if you’re up to it I recommend repeating the workout up to 3X.
I’ve been continuing to struggle with some fatigue and decreased stamina. So I am slowly re-building and carefully listening to my body as I get back into working out consistently. Doing one round of this workout was the perfect building block for me. My focus right now is on continuing to re-build my health, strength and endurance. That means starting out small, re-building the foundation and expanding from there.
Historically, I don’t get muscle soreness from working out. I get sore maybe 1-2X per year if I do something particularly intense or that involves a lot of deep stretching. Lately, I have to be very careful about overdoing it or intense muscle soreness makes it hard to do much for several days to a week. One round of this workout was perfect, because I got only mildly sore. That means I can continue to workout, recover and build muscle.
If you do experience muscle soreness, try some gentle walking and stretching to help move it out. Staying still can make the soreness worse. Also, be sure to support your muscle recovery with protein, nutrition and hydration.
As far as what’s been causing my fatigue, I had some testing done that showed low iron, which I’ve been focused on restoring through nutrition and a daily vitamin. My doctor isn’t fully convinced that’s the culprit of my energy depletion, so I had some additional blood testing done this week to rule out Lyme disease and a reactivation of Mono.
Remember, exercise should be focused on improving your health. Sometimes that means pushing yourself harder (because you know you can!). Other times, that means easing off a bit and respecting what your body needs right now. For me, that means slowly, but surely getting back into my exercise groove.
I hope you enjoy the workout! Let me know how many rounds you did, what your favorite exercise was and which move challenged you the most! Most importantly, have fun and focus on your health! Feel free to do some silly dances or wiggles in between each exercise to keep your body moving.
Welcome to today’s workout! Today we have a standing, full body workout on the agenda. Grab your dumbbells for this workout. It’s going to be a fantastic, sculpting exercise routine.
Today’s workout is from a 30-Day Workout Challenge I hosted: itcan be found HERE.
Anytime you use weights you want to make sure you are completing the exercise in the full range of motion, and with appropriate form. Control the movement of the weight throughout the exercise, going both up and down. Using weights can help you achieve your weight loss goal (if that’s something healthy for you), and sculpt lean muscle. Lean Muscle=Higher Metabolism.
One round of this workout only takes 15-Minutes. I recommend repeating it, or pairing it with some cardio. Aim for 30-60 Minutes of total workout time.
How to Stick to Your Workout Program
One of the most common questions I get is: “How do I stick to a workout program?” or “How do I stay motivated?”
The reality is that you have to let go of the idea of being motivated. Instead, embrace the fact that you need to keep going when you don’t feel like doing it. Once you get used to being in motion it’s easier to stay in motion. As your movement and routine become more consistent so will your energy.
The bottom line is that you make a decision and stick to it even when you don’t feel like it. If something throws you off of your routine, you just get back into it. If you get sick and miss a few days at your job, you don’t just say “well, I was on track but I messed that up now. I better just quit working.” Yet, that happens to people every day when it comes to exercise and nutrition.
The mentality goes something like this: I had a bad day, might as well have a bad weekend and start working out again Monday. Whoops, I missed Monday, better wait until next week to start. Ugh, I don’t want to start in the middle of the week. I will just start next month. It’s a busy month, I’ll set a New Year’s resolution. I don’t have the right workout clothes…or a gym membership…or….or…..
Delaying, avoiding, waiting…it’s a habit. You can invest your energy into delaying, regretting and thinking about doing it endlessly or you can start today and put your energy into getting in 15-minutes of exercise.
If you wait for the time to be convenient it’s never going to happen. I say this from personal experience. I have a million things on my to do list every single day that would make it way easier and more convenient to skip my workout.
Instead, I get myself together, have some coffee and get my workout done.
Newest Workouts:
I’ve been focusing on building out my Membership Exclusive Workouts. Eventually I want to get to the point where I am offering half of my new content here for free, and half as membership exclusive workouts. We are currently working our way through the Fit at Home 30-Day Challenge, and last month we completed the 30-Day Confidence Challenge.
If you want even more BenderFitness workouts, I highly recommend checking out the new site! When you join it helps support us to keep sharing workouts.
Have fun today! I hope you enjoy this workout. It’s a good one! Let me know if you have a favorite or most challenging exercise.
Welcome to today’s workout. This 30-Minute Full Body Workout can be done for time or reps. You will find the breakdown and full length workout video below. For equipment: grab a chair or something sturdy you can sit on, and a dumbbell or household item to add some resistance to this workout.
I really like this workout, because it’s a great full body routine. It maximizes the results of your workout in only 30-Minutes.
In the fitness and wellness community we often say the words “It’s a lifestyle” or “create a healthy lifestyle.” It’s repeated so often, because it’s true. If your goal is to lose five pounds, and you achieve your goal what happens when that goal is over? Do you revert to old habits? Has losing that five pounds had a significant impact on your overall health? Where do you go from there?
Sometimes goals with an end point mean the end of someone’s fitness journey. That’s why the oft repeated phrase It’s a lifestyle becomes important. However, using goals to stay motivated, interested, or just move you forward on your journey of healthy habits can be motivating and keep things fresh.
I work out for health, longevity, mobility and to create the healthiest future possible. All of that is true. Sometimes, I like to incorporate new goals to keep things fresh, like running a faster 5K, doing a 30-day challenge or participating in a fitness competition. It doesn’t mean that I quit working out when my goals are met. It’s just a fun way to keep myself challenged.
Take a moment today to pick a goal to challenge yourself with. Make it realistic, and set a timeline to work on this goal. Write it down and tell someone what you are doing. It can help you get motivated and stay consistent.
Grab your dumbbells for today’s workout! We are focused on building strong and sculpted arms. You need some dumbbells and a chair or bench for today’s workout.
I also posted a bonus 4-minute Cardio Burn Tabata workout below. You can do the arm workout on its own or combine it with the Tabata Burn. You will find both workout videos below.
For this workout combo I like to do one round of Arms, followed by a round of Tabata and then repeat that pattern. It’s a challenging combination, but it is great for building strength, endurance and burning fat while building lean muscle.
Fun and New:
I launched a new membership platform, and I am adding new exclusive workouts every week, along with ad free versions of new and classic BenderFitness workouts like the ones I am sharing today. I would love for you to check it out: www.MelissaBenderFitness.com and join us for some great workouts!
Meditation and Mindset
Over the summer my meditation practice has been sporadic. During the school year we have more routine and it’s easier to get it in. I start teaching on Monday, so I plan on re-establishing my meditation consistency.
There are so many benefits to meditation. I play a bedtime meditation every evening for my kids and it helps them sleep. One of my favorite moments this summer was when my son spontaneously sat in the waves at Lake Erie and started meditating. It was a great reminder, that children pay attention. As a parent, one of my most important roles is giving them a variety of tools so that they can manage their own mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health as they grow up.
It also reminds me, that they pay attention to what we do and carry that forward into their lives. So my own healthy habits need to remain a priority, because it influences their health, too.
We prioritize having outdoor, active family time together. We go on family hikes, go walking while the kids ride their bikes, or just play catch or soccer outside.
*If you max out during the workout (can not do any more of the exercise with proper form) that’s okay. You will see that I max out a few times during this workout. It’s a great way to build strength, and to monitor your strength gains when you repeat the workout.
Welcome to today’s workout! You can do this workout with bodyweight, but I recommend grabbing dumbbells to add some resistance and amp up the intensity of this exercise routine.
One 15-minute round of this workout had me breathing heavy and dripping sweat. Even without jumping my heart rate was elevated and I was working hard. There is one hopping exercise in this routine (the first one), but in the video I demonstrate a low impact exercise variation.
The whole routine is done in standing, so you don’t have to get up and down off the mat during this routine. You can repeat this workout up to 3X. I only had time to go through it once, but I also got in plenty of walking and general activity.
P!nk is Strong and Fit!
Jesse and I at the P!nk concert in Pittsburgh.
Last night, Jesse and I went to the P!nk Concert. First of all, the show was amazing. Everything from the opening acts to the lighting and performances was on point. I want to take a moment to talk about how strong and fit P!nk is! She flew around the entire stadium, and she sang while doing it! That was an act of artistry, strength and endurance. I loved seeing a strong woman and mother on stage, owning her performance and strength.
I’ve always wanted to learn aerial skills, but after seeing that performance I am even more inspired. A few years ago I got my niece an aerial class as a birthday present. I always wanted to give it a try, but the timing never seemed to workout. I have been trying to be more intentional with my time, so I need to make this happen.
Membership:
I am continuing to add new workouts to my exclusive membership program. We are currently working through a new 4-week challenge, and I am adding new workouts to prep for next month’s challenge.
There are a combination of brand new workouts, and ad free versions of classic BenderFitness workouts included in the membership.
I hope that you have fun with today’s workout! Let me know which exercise you liked most, and which you found most challenging. This workout kicked my butt (and thighs) just like it was supposed to. I was a little bit surprised at how challenging I found it! I hope that it’s a great challenge for you too, and that you are able to enjoy yourself.
Take a moment today to appreciate what your body is capable of. The ability to move is such a gift.
Have fun and I will see you soon with a new workout,
I have a great throwback workout on the agenda for you today. This workout will take 30-Minutes. The format is a bit different than normal, because we have 7 exercises that we are repeating 3X, with cardio bursts in between each exercise. I take you through all three rounds in the video.
Equipment: You need some dumbbells for this one. You can do these exercises with body weight if you don’t have any equipment. You can also grab something from around the house to add a little bit of resistance.
Challenge yourself to push through this workout routine, and try to focus on the mind body connection. It can be tempting to zone out during exercise, but it actually increases the benefits of the workout when you focus on the movement. Plus, it helps you maintain better form.
My New Site for Exclusive Workouts + Bonus Content:
I have launched my membership site! If you are interested in getting even more new workouts and bonus content I would love to have you join me at https://www.melissabenderfitness.com
So far I have a new 4-Week Workout series (5 workouts per week, plus two journal prompts) and a couple of new workouts for my new Fighting Fit series. The exclusive workout videos will grow weekly as I add new content.
Because it’s my first month, I have a lifetime discount for any founding members (it stays active as long as your membership is active!) The discount code is JULYFOUNDERS20 and is good through the end of July 2023. There is a Free 3-Day Trial if you would like to try it out.
The new site contains brand new workouts, but I am also slowly adding in BenderFitness workout videos, to keep everything accessible for members. So you will see a mix of both new and classic workouts.
Thought for the day:
“If you don’t do what’s best for your body, you’re the one who comes up on the short end.” – Julius Erving
Your health impacts the way you experience every moment of the day. While we can’t control every component of our health, there is still a lot that is within our control. Nourish your body with exercise, food, water, and experiences that make you happy.
Work to shed all of nothing thinking and beliefs that there is some achievable version of perfection. Embrace that health that you have today, and the ways that you can positively build your health moving forward.
I hope you enjoy today’s workout! Let me know what you think!
Repeat 3X with 30-seconds of cardio before each exercise.
Squat and Curl: Part 1Squat and Curl: Part 2Squat and Curl: Part 3Wood Chopper: Part 1Wood Chopper: Part 2Russian TwistRussian TwistLunge to Knee: Part 1Lunge to Knee
Welcome to today’s workout! This is a fantastic, full body workout that had me dripping sweat by the end. I used dumbbells for most of the exercises, but every exercise can also be performed with body weight. Choose the option that is challenging for you.
This standing workout routine will only take 15-Minutes per round. I got in one round and paired it with a 15-minute Ab routine. If you want to do the same you can find some great Core Workouts HERE.
Pre-workout selfie, before the sweat.
When you workout, focus on the movement and the mind body connection. It’s important to understand how your body is moving, how each exercise feels and to focus on using good form. During the workout video I demonstrate several modifications for some of the exercises.
Remember, modifications are there to help you get the most out of your workout. You should choose the option that challenges you without sacrificing form or causing pain.
Sometimes people get into the mindset that a modification is “easier” but the purpose isn’t to be easy. It’s to be the appropriate level of challenge for where you are right now.
Running Shoes:
I always get a lot of questions about my shoes. Jesse and I both LOVE our Brooks Glycerin Running Shoes. They are great for neutral runners, and have a new stability option. If you are new to looking for quality running shoes I recommend getting into a store and having them analyze your stride and shoe wear pattern. So bring in the shoes you are currently running in. The bottom of the shoes tell a story about how you run, and how your feet strike the ground.
Don’t Forget to Have Fun:
Movement should be fun. Don’t be afraid to incorporate activities that you enjoy: biking, hiking, climbing, family walks. It doesn’t have to be high intensity to count. I personally love to get in a quick, intense workout, but I also enjoy going for family walks while my kids ride their bikes, horse back riding, and practicing hand stands. I worry less about looking a certain way, and more about feeling strong, healthy and happy. I find working out for those reasons to be very motivating and personally rewarding. Your reasons might be entirely different, and that’s okay! Knowing what motivates you to keep showing up can be a powerful tool.
I hope you enjoy today’s workout. I would love to know if you had a favorite move, or an exercise that you found especially challenging. If you post a post workout selfie, feel free to tag me in it so I can cheer you on.
It’s workout time! This is an amazing glute workout that uses exercises that have been scientifically proven to strengthen your glutes and thighs, and sculpted lean muscle.
Workouts don’t normally make me sore, but my glutes have been feeling these exercises for the last two days. I woke up yesterday and didn’t notice any fatigue until I walked downstairs later in the day. Today, I still feel that soreness. I am very quad dominant (the front of my thighs like to try and take over during a lot of exercises) so I really like that this workout helped me to load and activate the glutes.
I used two 20-lb dumbbells during this workout. You should choose weights that will be challenging for you, but that you can also complete the exercises with good form. All of these exercises can be completed with body weight only. So if you are just getting started with building glute strength, or you don’t have equipment you can build up to using dumbbells to add resistance.
I put a scarf on the edge of my chair to decrease pressure on my low back. When using your chair, make sure it isn’t going to move around for any of the exercises. You can brace it against a wall or on a mat. You can use a lower step or stair for the step ups, and you can use a couch for the glute bridge/hip thrust.
Bonus Cardio: Treadmill Walking Workout
I paired this workout with a 35-Minute Incline Walk on the Treadmill. This is the workout breakdown:
It was a great cardio workout that got me sweaty, but didn’t feel too intense. If you try it out you can adjust the speed to match your walking pace. Effort wise it felt like about a 5/10 intensity. I haven’t been consistent with any type of cardio workouts in quite some time, but I am really enjoying the process of re-building and adding cardio back in.
I hope you enjoy today’s workout. I will definitely be repeating this workout in the future. I might even add it into my routine once per week for the next month or so, because I am really focusing on re-building strength in my lower body.
Let me know how the workout was for you and if you had a favorite exercise! How many rounds did you get in?
Welcome to a fantastic, full body workout! Grab your dumbbells and get ready for an effective home workout routine that utilizes fun and unique exercise moves. I really enjoyed this workout. I did it with a group class, and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it here.
For today’s workout I used dumbbells. I had some lighter dumbbells for the arm exercises, and heavier dumbbells for the lower body exercises. My weights ranged from 5 – 12 -15 pounds. The first time I went through this routine, I used a 20-pound kettlebell for most of the exercises, and 10 pound dumbbells for the arm exercises. Choose a weight that challenges you, but that allows you to complete the exercises with good form.
This routine uses compound exercises to help us recruit the most muscles and maximize the burn of this quick workout. This is my go to workout style, because it is so effective and it’s the perfect workout for busy people. My schedule gets so hectic, that it has really taught me how to maximize my workouts within a short time period. As always, you will find the full length home workout video and photo tutorial below.
I planned on having this blog post up last week, and then to spend all week filming new workouts, but unfortunately Jesse and I got sick last week and all of our best laid plans have been thrown out the window. We made it three years into the pandemic without getting Covid, but it finally got us. It hasn’t been a fun sickness, and I still don’t have enough energy to make it through the day without sleeping, let alone get in a workout, but as soon as I’ve fully recovered I will be back to filming. Luckily, our children are healthy and doing well.
Veggie loaded chicken soup, fur a healing nutrition boost.
Illnesses are something that we all have to deal with at one time or another. Typically if it’s just a head cold and I otherwise feel pretty decent, it’s something I will workout through. If it’s an illness that is causing body aches and fatigue, I rest and hydrate and don’t wear myself down. Of course, I check with my body and how I am feeling, and if I think exercise will set me back in my recovery instead of helping me move past an illness I opt to rest.
Exercise is something that should add to your health and quality of life, so it’s absolutely necessary to know when to push and when to rest. The ability to connect to and listen to your body’s cues is one of the most powerful tools you have for your health.
I hope that you enjoy todays workout! Let me know what move you enjoyed the most and which challenged you the most. My choice was the Warrior Deadlift with under knee pass. I found it both fun, and challenging, so it fits in both categories.
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness TikTok: @BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
Welcome to my workout of the day. Today’s workout is a 10-Minute Interval a workout with Dumbbells. We are focused on Compound exercises to maximize the burn and efficiency of this full body workout routine. You can do one round of this workout or repeat it up to 5X if you are looking for a longer workout session today. You will find the real time, full length workout video below, along with the photo tutorial for each exercise.
I did this workout routine with some of my students last week. We did one round for time (as filmed) and the second round for 20-reps per exercise. I like to combine both techniques for workouts like this, because it really changes the challenge and dynamic of the workout. I personally found it harder to do the round for repetitions, but some of my students found the timed round more challenging. Both are beneficial, so whichever technique you use, you are going to get in a fantastic full body workout with some of the best compound exercises out there. I would love to know how many rounds of this workout you did, as well as if you went for time or reps.
This is another Low Impact, but highly effective workout routine. It is an apartment and hotel friendly workout. I enjoy the power built by plyometric workouts (like the Tabata workouts I shared recently) but it’s great to have options and variety. If there is a specific style of exercise you would like to see next, let me know in the comments.
Dinner Time:
Remember, it’s important to support your workout routines with healthy and nutritious foods to power your body. Below is a photo of my son’s dinner plate last night. The entire family had the same meal, but for some reason I only took a picture of his plate.
We had air fryer salmon, broccoli and mashed potatoes. I try to keep about half of the plate veggies to ensure we are all getting lots of nutrients.
Welcome to a quick and effective Full Body Dumbbell Workout. This routine only takes 10-Minutes per Round. It’s perfect for days when you need to get in a workout, but don’t have a lot of time. It’s also a great one to repeat.
I did a round of this workout for time, and a round for repetitions. For reps, I did 20 Reps Per Exercise. I like the versatility of both formats, because they each challenge my body differently. I used two twenty pound dumbbells for the majority of this workout.
A couple of things to keep in mind during this workout: for Good Mornings and Romanian Deadlifts it is very important to make sure you are keeping your back flat and your core engaged. This will help you get the most out of the movement and help prevent injuries. Good form is always important, but it is especially important when you are adding weights into your exercises.
Horse Stance Good Morning with flat back
This is a great workout to pair with any of the Tabata Workouts I posted last week. Those 4-minute routines will make the perfect cardio burn to go along with today’s workout.
Thoughts for the Day:
Latley I have been spending some time thinking about barriers. What stands between you and your goals. Are there small changes you can make to help yourself move toward your goal?
Certain barriers we can’t control (long work/ commute hours, illness, injury), but there are other places where small changes can have a big impact on our time. For example, time spent scrolling through social media or procrastinating. When you think about a quick workout like today, ten minutes is achievable for most people. But you have to initiate that movement and make sure you aren’t wasting time and energy in places where you don’t want to.
I’ve realized that I lose time in a lot of little ways, so getting more organized and intentional with my time helps me to prioritize the things that are important and let go of the habits that aren’t.
Post Workout: Better mood and energy level.
I hope todays workout helps you to feel more energized and healthier. Let me know how many rounds you go in and if you paired it with any other workouts.
Have an amazing day and check back soon for more new workouts.
Squat and CurlSquat and CurlHorse Stance Good Morning Horse Stance Good MorningHorse Stance Good MorningRowRowTricep DropTricep DropRomanian DeadliftRomanian DeadliftWeighted Russian Twist Weighted Russian Twist Beast to PlankBeast to PlankBeast to PlankSide Plank
I hope you are ready to make today amazing, starting off with a great workout to help us get stronger, healthier and more fit. For today’s workout grab some dumbbells and a stability ball or bench. No bench/ball? No worries, you can do the exercise lying on the floor. Remember, there is always a way to modify a workout suit your needs.
If you’ve been following along with us for the past year, you might already know that Jesse faced a lot of health issues. It was his worst health/injury year that he ever remembers having. He had a broken bone, tendinitis in his foot, a 14 mm kidney stone that he had complications with that required hospitalization and three surgeries….from the start of the year to the end of the year he was dealing with something, and frequently had a lot of pain.
As a result he wasn’t able to workout the way he is used to, and had almost no consistency in his training. Normally he does a combination of BenderFitness HIIT workouts and running, and we started martial arts training as a family. Jesse was a high school and college athlete, who competed in State and National championship races for Cross Country, and was inducted into our university’s athletic hall of fame in his first year of eligibility. So starting over and being de-railed in his fitness endeavors has been a new and challenging experience.
Jesse racing at the Buffalo Creek Half Marathon
Luckily, over the past few weeks of putting in hard work Jesse is already seeing and feeling a noticeable difference in his health and fitness. His running speeds have improved, he has noticed improved strength in his running bound, he is handling VO2 Max runs without getting stomach aches/issues, and he has been more positive and happy since getting back to exercise. For the past month he has been doing the workout video we are sharing below 1X per week, and he credits this routine with improving his strength and endurance.
I hope that you enjoy this workout, and find it as useful to improving your health and fitness level as Jesse has. Let me know how you feel at the end of this workout and if you enjoyed working out with Jesse. If you did, hopefully we can get him back and leading more new workouts!
Jesse practicing a flying side kick.
Keep checking back here, because I have some fun and challenging new workouts headed your way soon. I also finally started using my TikTok so be sure to follow me there if you’re a TikTok user!
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness TikTok: @BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
I hope you are having an amazing start to your week. Today I have a great throwback workout to start the week strong. This routine will work your entire body, and will take 40-Minutes total. Grab some dumbbells for these exercises, and a mat and you are good to go.
If you don’t have dumbbells you can either grab something from around the house to add some resistance to the exercises, or do the exercises with body weight. Each variation will still be effective.
I filmed this workout about 2.5 months after having my second child. It’s fun and interesting to me to look back on exercise throughout my life. What I notice most is how things have changed, but also what has remained consistent. Exercise has helped me to feel strong and healthy at every turn. My body has changed and fluctuated with each phase of life, but feeling strong has kept me happy and pain free.
This weekend we celebrated my nephew’s 4th birthday at a roller skating party. My sister rented out the rink and we have SO MUCH FUN! I absolutely love roller skating and it’s linked with some of my happiest childhood memories. Growing up, every weekend my best friend and I would go to the roller rink. They had weekly races and squat races with a partner and Nicole and I took home 1st or 2nd place every week, and 1st in every squat race (we were partnered for the squat race.) Somewhere in my keepsakes I still have a series of race ribbons.
As an adult it was just as much fun! And both of my kids are begging to go back. My son told me last night that roller skating is one of his favorite things in the world now.
It got me thinking about the things from our childhood that we leave behind, but maybe we shouldn’t have. Skating around the rink was pure joy for me yesterday, and there is no reason I can’t continue to experience that. Jesse used to play weekly roller hockey games with all of his friends and for him skating brought back all of those great memories and experiences.
What did you love to do as a child that you might still enjoy today? My list is pretty long: roller skating, ice skating, bike riding, singing, creative writing, acting, camping, obstacle/ropes courses, hiking trips.
When I look at that list, all of those things are experiences I can still enjoy today. In fact, they would add joy to my life. What can you add to your life that will bring you joy? Perhaps that’s a question we should ask ourselves more often.
Have a wonderful day, and I will see you soon with a new workout.
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness TikTok: @BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
Interval Timer: 28 Rounds of 35 seconds Cardio- 50 seconds Max Reps
Squat
Split Squat: Right
Split Squat: Left
Side Lunge: Right
Side Lunge: Left
Surfer
Russian Kicks
Burpees
Lunge Lift: Right
Lunge Lift: Left
Table Taps
Side Plank: Right
Side Plank: Left
Angel Abs
Toe Reach Situp
Surfer
Russian Kicks
Burpees
Lunge Lift: Right
Lunge Lift: Left
Alternating Curl
Tricep Extension
Weighted Cactus
Warrior III Row: Right
Warrior III Row: Left
Low Jacks
Pendulum Squat: Right
Pendulum Squat: Left
Squat: Part 1Squat: Part 2Split Squat: Part 1Split Squat: Part 2Side LungeSurferSurfer: Part 2Russian Kicks: Part 1Russian Kicks: Part 2Burpee: Part 1Burpee: Part 2Burpee: Part 3Lunge Lift: Part 1Lunge Lift: Part 2Table Tap: Part 1Table Tap: Part 2Side PlankAngel Abs: Part 1Angel Abs: Part 2Angel Abs: Part 3Toe Touch Situp: Part 1Toe Touch Situp: Part 2Alternating CurlAlternating Curl: Part 2CactusWarrior III Row: Part 1Warrior III Row: Part 2Low Jack: Part 1Low Jack: Part 2Pendulum Squat: Part 1Pendulum Squat: Part 2
*This post may include affiliate links. We will earn a commission through any orders placed through the links, but it won’t change the price for you.
Hi Everyone!
Grab some dumbbells and great ready for a quick, but fantastic and effective workout. One round of today’s workout will only take 10-Minutes. So do it once, or repeat it for a longer more intense workout. I
I only went through this workout once, but I also took a 45-minute martial arts class earlier in the day. I definitely plan on repeating this workout and aiming for 3-rounds. I have to admit, even one round of this workout got my legs sore. So I definitely need to incorporate more weight training into my workout routines.
Jesse has a fun weighted workout that we will be filming and sharing with you soon. If you have any other workout video requests please let me know in the comments below.
I have to admit, I wasn’t very enthused when it was time to film this workout. Not because of the workout (it’s great!), but I was feeling really bloated and tired. It took a little extra mental effort to convince myself to show up and get on camera, but I’m glad I did. I felt so much better after getting in a good workout.
Martial Arts Update:
Photo from my recent promotion to Brown Belt in Tang Soo Do.
As of November 2022, Jesse and I are both brown belts, and our son is a yellow belt. It’s been fun to learn and practice these skills as a family.
I’m currently working on my back wheel kick (also called a spinning back heel kick) along with forms, self defense and other skills.
It’s a fresh area of learning and fitness. As you can tell by the 1000+ unique workouts I’ve shared here, I enjoy learning and trying new things.
Setting Healthy Boundaries: Helpful Reading
In the yoga class I teach, one of my favorite discussion topics is: honoring your needs by developing healthy boundaries. I recently read a great book called Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab. I found it to be a very useful and accessible book. The advice was helpful and direct, and it included lot of exercises to implement each topic area.
If this is an area that speaks to you, I definitely recommend checking out this book. Even when it comes to physical health and setting aside time for your workouts it’s important to have boundaries in place so that you can prioritize your own health. Many people struggle to make time for self care due to boundary issues. (Boundaries aren’t the only challenge in creating a routine for your health, but it’s one area that a lot of people struggle with.)
If you have any great reading recommendations to share, please do so in the comments. I’m an avid reader and I enjoy books from almost every genre.
Have fun! I will see you soon with a new workout soon! I hope you’ve been enjoying the new content and workouts I’ve been sharing.
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness TikTok: @BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
Row Row Squat Row Row Squat Row Row Squat 1/2 BurpeeKneeling Leg Curl Heel PressOverhead Press to Romanian DeadliftKnee Drop BoatSide LungeOverhead Press to Romanian DeadliftOverhead Press to Romanian DeadliftOverhead Press to Romanian DeadliftGoddess Elbow TapGoddess Elbow TapKnee Drop Boat with dumbbellDown Dog Weight SlideDown Dog Weight SlideCactus SqueezeCactus Squeeze
Welcome to a Fantastic Workout for your arms, shoulders, legs, thighs and glutes. This exercise routine uses dumbbells for resistance training to build strength and muscle definition. We will be doing some of the best exercises to build strength in the upper body and lower body, with some fun movement variations to keep the exercises fresh and interesting.
One round of this workout is only 12-Minutes, so this is a fast and effective exercise routine that will help you build strength and definition in the upper and lower body. The first half of this exercise program is focused on the arms and shoulders. The second half is focused on the legs and glutes. You will feel the burn with these amazing leg and butt sculpting exercises. The exercises are low impact so there is no jumping or plyometric moments in this routine. This exercise routine is great for beginners. It will be challenging, but doable. The Beast Heel Press Move can be modified if necessary, by placing the bottom knee on the floor throughout the movement. Remember, there is always a way to modify a workout to make sure it is working for you.
You will find the full length workout video and exercise photo tutorial below.
In addition to filming new workouts, I’m also re-focusing on nutrition and getting in delicious and healthy meals. Keep your eyes posted, because I will be sharing some great new recipes. If you follow BenderFitness on Pinterest you might have seen some of these meal ideas already.
I’m working on filming new workouts and recipe tutorials so be sure to check back regularly. It took me three attempts to film this workout (which is why I’m in a different outfit for some of the tutorial photos.)
We have hit a lot of road blocks and hurdles lately. When that happens it’s important to keep moving forward. In the past month my husband had three surgeries and both of my kids got sick. The silver lining is that everyone is healthy now and that fact fills us with extreme gratitude.
Your health impacts every moment of your day. Being physically active is a blessing. Sometimes we (myself included) forget that, and think of exercise as a chore. Exercise, strength, mobility…those are amazing privileges. Movement is what we do to maintain and improve our health, and it impacts your quality of life every single day.
So enjoy, and remember to practice gratitude. The more you practice it the easier it becomes (and it helps improve your life satisfaction!)
Let me know what you thought of the workout. Did you have a favorite exercise? One that challenge you the most? Leave me a comment, share or click like. Those little things mean a lot.
Have fun!
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness TikTok: @BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
Grab your dumbbells for the first half of today’s workout. We are starting off strong with some lower body exercises that will also activate the muscles of your arms and back. No dumbbells? No problem, you can skip the dumbbells and do every exercise in this routine with bodyweight.
The second half of this workout focuses on strengthening your core and doesn’t require any equipment.
Exercise Tutorial for the Lower Body Movements with No Equipment (Note: I modified the knee to knee kickback for the full length video to include Warrior III): https://pin.it/5jb3gUt and Exercise Tutorial for the Core section of today’s workout: https://pin.it/GbbeVxr
*Note: I’m not sure why those links aren’t embedding, but I will work on that. They will bring you to my pinterest page, which includes many quick workout tutorials that I haven’t shared here yet.
Cardio:
I paired today’s workout with 30-Minutes on the treadmill. I combined two miles of incline walking (4.0 Speed and 10 Incline) plus a 1-Mile run at incline 2.
I haven’t been running at all lately. I start teaching a jogging kinesiology course next month, and I’m a large believer in practice what you preach. So I am re-incorporating running back into my routine.
Life Update:
I have been on a mission to re-build a consistent workout and filming schedule. For far too long I’ve been struggling with these aspects of my life. There comes a time when you have to accept that the craziness isn’t going to change, but you need to find a way to manage the crazy and make things happen. So that is what I’m working to do.
My focus is on filming and doing shorter workouts, because that is what fits best into my schedule right now. Trying to find time to film 40-Minute workouts just isn’t realistic for where I am right now. So you can expect to see more 10-20 Minute workouts here.
I started this website, focused on short workouts when I was in graduate school and working multiple jobs because I needed short workouts. My life has come full circle with that, and it’s time for some excellent short workouts to come back into the rotation.
Have fun with today’s workout! I filmed a Facebook Live workout that will be heading this way soon. So be sure to check back!
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness TikTok: @BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
Knee to Knee Kick Back (No Equipment)Knee to Knee Kick Back (No Equipment)Warrior Knee to Knee Kick BackWarrior Knee to Knee Kick BackWarrior Knee to Knee Kick BackPlie HopPlie HopFrogger ReachFrogger ReachFrogger ReachKnee Drive LungeKnee Drive LungePlank JackPlank JackSide V-UpSide V-UpInvisible LadderInvisible LadderProne Heel Reach
Welcome to today’s 21-Minute Full Body Workout. For today’s workout you will need some dumbbells. I alternated between 12 and 15 pound dumbbells during this routine. Aim for maximum repetitions during each interval of this workout. Not only will you build strength, but you will also work on your cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
I really enjoy this routine, because it activates all of the muscles in your body. It’s quick and effective, so it’s perfect if you’re short on time, but need a great workout you can do anywhere. If you don’t have dumbbells you can also do this routine with body weight. To do the Tricep Drop without a dumbbell, place your palms together in prayer position throughout the movement and focus on the stretch and squeeze of the triceps (the muscles at the back of your arms).
As always, you will find the full length workout video and the exercise tutorial photos below.
Mental Health:
I firmly believe that mental health is just as important as physical health. For me, a regular exercise routine is one of the things that I use to help maintain my mental health. It helps me to respond to things more calmly, and improves my overall energy. There have been so many terrible things happening in the world right now that have been soul crushing to see, hear and read about.
I am not someone who cries often. In fact, until recently I would have guessed that I haven’t cried at all in the past year or two, but I recently found myself crying on a daily basis and grappling with disbelief at the harm people are capable of inflicting on each other.
I am an action driven person, so I made a list of the actions that are in my power (making donations, writing to my political representatives, focusing on the joy right in front of me, continuing to pray) and I directed all of the excess physical energy I had into movement and projects around our home. I am also making a concentrated effort to get back into a good meditation routine, which has helped.
In general, I have good mental health and a lot of coping skills in my life, as well as a wonderful support system. If you don’t have tools at your disposal (or the ones you do have aren’t helping) I highly recommend seeking out a therapist or mental health professional. It might be a bit of bias (my undergraduate degree is in psychology), but I firmly believe all humans can benefit from therapy and learning techniques to help maintain their mental health.
I hope that you enjoy today’s workout. Let me know in the comments what you thought, and if you have any tools that you find help you maintain good mental health feel free to share them in the comments. You never know who you are going to help.
See you soon,
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
Welcome to today’s workout. Grab some dumbbells for this one. If you don’t have dumbbells you can grab something from around the house (a can or water bottle will work) to add some resistance to your routine. If you aren’t ready to add resistance you can complete the exercises with bodyweight, focusing on activating the muscles throughout the full range of motion.
In addition to the workout I posted a quick 5-Minute Warm-up video below. You can do your own warm-up, but if you are prone to skipping the warm-up and jumping into the workout (okay, I’m totally guilty of this at times!) I encourage you to do the warm-up first.
Warming up will help prepare your body for the workout and get you ready to maximize your exercises. You will be able to work at a higher level of intensity and your muscles will be ready to move through a full range of motion. Warm muscles have more stretch and flexibility.
I also posted a cool-down video to finish with. Why are cool downs important? Cooling down after a workout allows your heart rate and blood pressure to gradually return to normal. Once your heart rate has returned to normal (or close to it) it’s also a great time to stretch. Remember, flexibility is mobility. You want your body to have both strength and mobility, ideally without sacrificing one to achieve the other.
How Long Should I Workout?
A common question I get, is how much timer per day should be spent working out. This is a good question and there are a few variables to consider.
How much time can you realistically fit in your day? Generally speaking, 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per day is a great number to aim for. However, a shorter 10 to 15-minute workout done consistently is going to reap better benefits than one long workout per week. Especially, if that shorter workout is done at a higher level of intensity.
Speaking of intensity, more intense workouts can be shorter. For most people doing a high intensity 60-minute workout would be very difficult. If you are working at a higher intensity you can keep your workouts shorter. When I do a challenging and intense HIIT I aim for 10-30 minutes of hard work. Most often I keep it toward the lower 15-20 minute end of that range.
Finally, you should consider how your body recovers from your workouts. Every human being has a different body and recovery time. Some people can do HIIT 5-6 days per week and never get sore. Other people do one intense HIIT workout and are sore for a week. Shorter workouts typically have a shorter recovery time. You want to challenge yourself without working to the point where you can’t move for several days at a time. One of the most important things you can do for your health is learning how to check in with your body and recognize what it needs. Once you do that it becomes much easier to customize a program that works best for your body, schedule and lifestyle.
I would love to hear about your workout schedule. Leave me a comment here or on social media and let me know what a typical workout week looks like for you.
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated: https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
Grab some dumbbells for today’s workout! If you don’t have any weights you can complete the exercises with bodyweight or grab something from around the house to add resistance to today’s workout. As always, the full length workout video is below. Today we are doing a 40-Minute Home Workout.
This workout incorporates a lot of fun and unique home workout exercises. One of my favorites from today’s routine is the Chair to Flying T. It incorporates balance and strength, and is effective even without using dumbbells. I also really enjoyed the Sit Thru Press. If you have a favorite exercise from today’s routine, let me know in the comments.
Sit Thru Press: Part 1
New Workouts
I am actively writing new workouts, which I am excited to share with you. I will be filming this week, and hopefully popping up on Facebook for a Live workout. It has been a challenge for me to balance parenting, work, blogging and mental health during the last two years of the pandemic. Working in healthcare is always challenging, but the last two years have brought that challenge to an entirely new level. It’s been exhausting in ways that I never experienced before.
As a result, I had to step back and prioritize my family’s health mentally and physically and filming new workouts went on the back burner for a while. I finally feel like our family is getting back to a place of balance and I can start creating and filming again. I thank you guys for sticking with me as I shared more throwback workouts and challenges.
Rocking some Fabletics workout gear.
I will also be posting some shorter workout tutorials on IG, Pinterest and Facebook. Some days it’s easier to share a workout tutorial as compared to a full length workout. So be sure to follow me there if you don’t already.
I hope that you have fun with today’s workout! It’s a great routine with some of the best home workout exercises. Let me know in the comments if you had a favorite move, and what you thought of this routine. I absolutely love hearing from you and seeing your check in posts and comments.
See you soon!
Melissa
You can find me on Social Media: @BenderFitness and on Facebook: @MelissaBenderFitness Pinterest: Pinterest.com/BenderFitness
If you want to help support BenderFitness so we can keep bringing you new workouts, your donation is greatly appreciated:https://www.patreon.com/BenderFitness.
30-Seconds of Cardio Before Each Exercise, 50-Seconds Maximum Reps Per Exercise
*Focus on good form, while still challenging yourself to get in maximum repetitions for each exercise. If you ever need to rest, do so and then get right back into the workout.
