Why I Workout at Home and How I Do it (Succesfully)

I have been consistently working out at home for about 2 and a half years now. Before that, I had workout ADD. I would try a few local fitness classes every now and then or I would try to start a running routine, but I could never stay consistent.

It wasn’t until I really dove into this world of home fitness that I became a routine exerciser and fitness lover.

Don’t get me wrong, I still like being outdoors. I make it a point to also get active outside every day. My home workouts are a way for me to cross train for my outdoor adventures like hiking, climbing, and biking. Even if I can’t do one of these activities every day, going for a 15 minute walk will give me my daily dose of fresh air and Vitamin D.

That is why I keep my home workouts short and sweet. 20-40 minutes of a home workout is what I try to aim for daily.

Home exercises have solved a lot of problems for me when it comes to being a consistent exerciser:

1. I don’t have to go anywhere

This may sound lazy, but if I have to get in my car to drive to a gym or fitness class, I will make up a bunch of excuses as to why I can’t go. “But it’s raining.” “It’s cold outside.” “I don’t have any gas”, etc etc. With home workouts, my excuses are limited so I get it done.

2. It’s cheaper.

Buying a home fitness program, paying for an online subscription service, or making up my own workout at home is a lot cheaper than paying for a fitness class membership or getting a personal trainer. I am a budgeter so I will always opt for a less expensive option, as long as it works.

3. I can wear whatever I want.

I try to remember to lay out my workout clothes the night before so I can get up and workout first thing in the morning. But, If I forget there’s no worries. I have worked out in my pajamas many times and no one cares.

4. It saves me time.

I literally get out of bed and am working out within 20 minutes of waking up. If I had to go somewhere to get my workout in, I would probably spend an extra 15-30 minutes just getting all my stuff together and driving to the gym. No thanks. I can use that 30 minutes later.

I started out using home workout DVD programs. There are some amazing home fitness programs out there!

For about the past 2 months I have been streaming my workouts online through Beachbody on Demand. It includes some of my favorite home fitness programs, plus some extras that I had never tried before.

There are many ways to stream workouts online. You just have to find the one that works for you and get started! Many of them have a free trial period too!

Just recently, Crunch Live was kind enough to offer me an extended trial period so that I could give some of their online workouts a try. I am definitely open to trying new things and I wanted to give you all an idea of what Crunch Live is all about.

Crunch Live Review

Crunch Live is an online workout video service that you can stream anywhere with an internet connection. They have over 70 workouts online to choose from, and they add 1-3 new videos every month.

I started out with a 30 minute Tabata-style workout called “Overdrive” with Taj Harris as the trainer. I normally wouldn’t opt for an intense cardio workout for my very first try, but it was my day to do cardio so I gave it a go.

Some of the other workouts I tried on Crunch Live were:

• Brazilian Body Blast with Michele Bostos
• Attack That Core with Deborah Sweets
• Belly, Butt, & Thigh Blaster with Michelle Opperman
• Get Low (Impact) Cardio with Adriene Couvillion
• Aerobics with Attitude with Mitchell Wayne (I felt completely ridiculous doing this one. If you give it a try, you’ll see why) so I felt like I needed to give this training another shot, so I also tried:
• Laugh Your Ass Off with Mitchell Wayne and I loved it!

Most of the workouts are either 15, 30, or 60 minutes long. I think that is a good range. I typically go for the 30 minute workouts on a day to day basis, but if I am short on time I will opt for a 15 minute “quickie” workout.

Crunch Live costs $9.99/month or $90 annually.

What I Like About Crunch Live

• There is a description under each workout so you have a good idea of what it is going to be like before you even start.
• The description includes an estimate of your average calories burned. Even though I don’t focus too much on this when choosing a workout, I like how it gives me a good indication of how intense the workout is going to be before I start so I can mentally prepare myself, especially for the cardio workouts.
• There is a modifier shown for each workout. If you’re just starting out or you need to modify certain moves, you’ll have someone to follow.
• You can choose individual workouts based on your daily preference or you can choose to follow one of the Crunch Live “playlists” which will let you know which workout to do on each day of the week.
• If you find a workout that you really like you can add it to you “favorites” for easy access later.
• You can narrow down the workouts based on category, instructor, duration, and class name.

What I Don’t Like About Crunch Live

• I wish there was a way to also narrow the workouts down by intensity or level, such as beginner, intermediate, advanced. I think this would be helpful for people to decide which workout is right for them.
• There is no countdown clock running during the workout. This is a personal preference, but I like to see how much time I have left in the workout. It helps me to push myself harder.
• There are no program guides to follow. Besides the playlists, there are no program schedules, nutrition guides, or additional resources. It’s kind of just a pick and choose style service which may not be the best thing for a beginner or someone who needs some guidance.
• The service seems to really be geared towards women. I tried to get my husband to do it with me but when he went to the website he said he wasn’t interested. The front page of the Crunch Live website seems to market a lot towards women and my husband said he didn’t want to “Burn n’ Firm”. I know there are some workouts he probably would like, such as the “Total Body Bootcamp”, but he didn’t go beyond the login page to find it.

Overall Crunch Live Review

I think Crunch Live is a great service for those who want to supplement their regular workouts. I don’t think it is the right thing for people to use as their only means of exercise because it is missing a lot of resources, like program guides, progress trackers, and workout calendars.

There is also no support system tied into the program. It is going to be up to you alone to push play every day.

But, if for example you are a runner and you want to get a little cross training in at home, the Crunch Live “Runners Cross Training Guide” playlist would be a good supplement to your running schedule.

Try Crunch Live For Free

Crunch Live is offering an extended 14-day trial to all Fit Life Pursuits readers! Starting today, log in to CrunchLive.com using the code FLIP14 and you will have access to all the workouts. Don’t wait because the code activation expires on July 27th!

If you give it a try, tell me what you thought in the comments below!

Workout at Home on Your Own

You don’t necessarily need to follow a video to get a great workout at home. You can either create your own workout, or follow along to some pre-designed workouts. I have created several home-based workouts on this site for you to use. Here are some of my favorites:

Nashville TV Show Superstar Legs Workout

On Your Back Buns Workout

Fit Life Circuit Workout

Shark Tank TV Show Core Workout

If there is a specific workout style (TV Show, circuit workouts, etc) you’d like to see more of, leave a comment below and let me know. And if you have any questions about Beachbody on Demand or Crunch Live, feel free to comment below and ask! I’d love to help you get a great workout at home!