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TODAY correspondent Jenna Wolfe isn't just a fitness buff who loves to work out (and has the muscles to show for it). She's also a personal trainer in her spare time. And now, she's your trainer â€" on Facebook, at least. Every week, she will be answering reader workout questions. Got a fitness query? Head over to our Facebook page and ask away.
Q: I work out 5+ days a week and have a pretty strict diet of 1200-1400 calories (protein, carbs and good fat). I have 20 more pounds to lose and I can't seem to lose one! Any suggestions on how to trick my body into losing more weight? Thanks! â€" Brenda McKinnon Kraack
A: I don’t know what workouts you’re doing, but if you’ve reached a plateau with weight loss and your caloric intake has remained consistent, then I’d have to assume that your body has gotten used to the exercise you’re doing and is no longer responding as you’d like. You always have to shake things up. Add weights to your workout. Try interval training. Work in a new cardio routine. Mix things up to surprise your body and force your muscles to work harder. Instead of 45 minutes on the elliptical, try 15 min on the treadmill, 15 on the rowing machine, and 15 on the stair climber. The shorter time will force you to work harder and the new equipment will target different muscles.
Q: What are some good indoor workouts? I run outside but now that fall and winter are coming I'm often stuck indoors (Chicago winters are harsh!) I can't afford a gym membership but don't want to slack off. â€" Makara Nicole Fairman
A: There are so many different workouts you can do without a gym membership. If you run outside, you probably have strong, healthy knees. How about a jumping-based workout? Try 100 jumping jacks followed by 10 push-ups (or as many as you can do), then immediately pop up and do 90 jacks followed by 10 push-ups â€" then 80, 70, 60 and so on, down to 10. You can also substitute the push-ups with squats, sit-ups, lunges, air punches etc.
Q: Jenna, what kind of workouts do you do when traveling for the TODAY show? â€" Mike Wilder
A: I’m on the road a lot and often times I end up staying at hotels which don’t have good gym facilities. As a result, I’ve put together a series of workouts that require nothing more than a small space and some heart. I mix up a bunch of exercises that target every big muscle group: jogs, jumping jacks, butt kickers, high knees, squats, side lunges, push-ups, hand stands, upper cuts, tricep dips from the floor and planks. If you take all of those and combine them into different little groups, you can put together a perfectly balanced 60-min workout that combines both cardio and strength training. Trust me, I do that workout at least three times a week, and it’s tough!
Q: Jenna, I have had two children ... And I don’t want to be back to my pre-birth weight, but I’d like to lose my stomach fat, and was wondering will the treadmill do that along with healthy eating? Or is there something else I need to be doing? I love my sweets and I home cook/bake everyday of the week. â€" Tracy Cerra
A: Yes, yes, yes!!! The combination of the treadmill and healthy eating can definitely get you back on track. And you don’t need to run to be able to do that. There are plenty of walking workouts that’ll do the trick. Play around with the incline and the speed to really challenge yourself. If you can commit an hour on the treadmill 3-4 days a week along with a pretty healthy diet, you can definitely find your way back to your pre-baby weight. And as far as the sweets, everything is OK in moderation.
