Episode 107: How to Stay Consistent with Home Workouts When You’re Busy and Unmotivated with Hilary Roten

In this episode of Fit Fuel and Busy, host Janine welcomes fitness enthusiast Hilary Roten to discuss strategies for staying committed to home workouts. They highlight the importance of consistency over motivation and share practical tips on building a cost-effective home gym using equipment like dumbbells, resistance bands, and a TRX machine. Hilary emphasizes the value of finding enjoyable exercise routines and suggests incremental approaches such as 'exercise snacks' for busy individuals. Listeners will gain insights into creating effective workout plans and hear recommendations on essential fitness equipment. Don't miss the extended promo for 15% off coaching packages using code 15PERCENT.

00:00 Welcome and Podcast Overview

00:29 Introducing Today's Guest: Hilary Roten

01:37 Staying Committed to Home Workouts

04:43 Creating a Home Workout Plan

12:48 Essential Home Gym Equipment

17:37 Quick Fire Questions and Wrap-Up

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Transcript

0:23

Welcome back to Fit Fuel and Busy. I'm your host, Janine, and I'm so glad that you're here. If you're new. Here's a quick reminder of our new podcast Cadence. We drop brand new episodes every Wednesday. The first Wednesday of the month is all about nutrition. The second Wednesday is fitness focused. The third is about mindset, and the fourth Wednesday is our unfiltered episode where we talk about pretty much anything and everything. And since this is the second Wednesday of the month, we're diving into fitness. I've got a good friend who's joining me today for this episode, someone who knows a lot about juggling life, family, and fitness, and I'm so excited that she's here. And we're gonna talk about how to stay committed to working out at home, even when motivation dips. And we'll also be sharing some of our favorite at home workout equipment that keeps us consistent and strong. So, Hillary, can you Hello. Introduce yourself please. Awesome. Thank you. Yeah. I am Hillary Rotan. I. Am a mom of um, three at the moment. I have a 18-year-old stepdaughter, and then I have a four and a 8-year-old. I work full-time. I teach some fitness classes. Um, I also have a nutrition coaching business and I have just been into health and wellness and fitness probably for the past 20 years. So it is definitely something I love to talk about. And if Hilary, can you share your Instagram because y'all, she is one of the most pet moms that I know and I follow her for inspiration. I've known her for a few years now. Um, so what's your Instagram? Yeah, my Instagram is Hillary rotten, R-O-T-E-N Fit, and I'm not the best at it, but I really try and share kind of different exercises and more importantly, and this is exactly what we're gonna talk about, is just consistency. You do not have to be perfect. You do not have to show up to the gym six days a week, and more importantly. You are not going to be motivated every single day, but if you can move your body, if you can find the exercise that works for you, and more importantly, the exercise regimen that's gonna work for your life, you are going to be 90% above and beyond most people. Absolutely. I totally agree, and I love that. So let's get into it, because whether you've got a full home gym or just a set of dumbbells in your living room, this episode will help you make the most of it. And so that's what we're here to talk about today. So Hillary. What made you start working out at home instead of always going to the gym? Yeah, good question. So I was a CrossFitter for a very long time and went through IVF to have both of my kids, and that was really kind of a life changing moment for me. I obviously had to change a lot of what I. Did, but it was also very time consuming. Anyone who's ever gone through IVF there's a lot of doctor's appointments and blood draws and medicine and it became to the point to where I noticed between work and life and everything else, I just wasn't able to go to the gym. As much as I could. I still loved CrossFit. I also enjoy teaching and taking fitness classes, like spin classes and strength classes. And so slowly but surely I started putting together my own home gym and fast forward, you know, 10 years, um, I've built a pretty nice, uh, gym. And it is, it's one of those things. I actually used it this morning. I probably. 80% of my workouts are happen in a gym structure, but there's also 20 to 30% that I am able to, there's nothing better than being able to walk out your garage door and you have your gym ready for you. And really it gets rid of any of those excuses that we love to come up with. No, absolutely. So I, um, am very similar. To Hilary with, um, the background in CrossFit and going to the gym. And then about eight years ago now, I transitioned to solely working from home because, um, at the time I had moved out to the country and going to the gym was just not an option. It was too boring. Yeah. And so now I have. All of my weights and my treadmill in my garage, and I'm like, you, I wake up and I walk out my garage door, um, and I can get a nice workout in. But some people say that having the equipment in their house, it's really hard for them to find the motivation to get down there. So how do you do that? Like how do you create that discipline to, you know, make sure that you get your workout in. When it's so convenient right in your home. Oof. You uh, mentioned my Instagram a few day a few minutes ago, and I actually posted about motivation, and I think I ruffled some feathers, but I'll go ahead and say it here, that I don't really believe in motivation. I am not motivated to brush my teeth every morning. I don't know about you. Um, I am not motivated to eat my vegetables and my chicken often, you know, but it's one of those things that it happens and at this point in my life. My friends, my family, myself. My coworkers, everybody jokes that Hillary's gonna be at the gym. Actually my husband will tell you on my second date, I actually told him that if he ever makes me choose between him and the gym, I will choose the gym. And he says 12 years later, that's a very true statement. So, I think it's just, I know. Anytime. I don't wanna do it. I know that I'm going to feel better when I'm done, and not every session has to be a hundred percent. There are times where sessions are 30 to 40%, but it's, it's getting it done and it's going through the movements. And so, you know, you're not going to, to lift the heaviest you always can. That's not, that's just not possible, but. Uh, every single time that you move and go to the gym, you're just a little bit better than you were the day before. And I, so I think that's kind of my motivation, if you will. Yeah. No, I love that. And actually I had never heard somebody say, well, I'm not motivated to brush my teeth, but I still do it. And that is so true. It's if we actually take a step back, there's a lot of things that we do every single day that we're not necessarily motivated to do it, but we do it because we know it is either preventative care or it is just what we need to do. And so why is working out any different? Right, exactly. We know it makes us feel good. Good. I. Sorry. I tell my daughter all the time, I'm like, A adulthood is doing things you don't wanna do 50% of the time. Mm-hmm. Yes. So for a lot of people, you know, I'm lucky that I love working out. I love the way that it makes me feel. Mm-hmm. Physically, mentally, for me it's that clarity moment. I have friends who are like, I hate the gym, but I come anyways. And so I think it goes back to, you know, I think sometimes. In the social media world that we live in, we can get bogged down on this is the best way to work out, or this is the most efficient. And at the end of the day, it's what you enjoy and it, it's what is going to drive you to go into your garage or the gym and work out. You know? So whatever that needs to look out for, look like for you. There is no right or wrong answer. It's whatever, like, look inside yourself to me. I please don't ask me to run. Please, I'll do anything but not run. But then there are some people who that is very, that's cathartic for them, you know, so I think I, I try and tell my clients and really anybody, there is no right or wrong way to work out. You just have to do it consistently, and you have to find something that you truly enjoy. Absolutely. So tell me about, let's talk about workouts for just a second. So, yeah, if somebody is going to work out at home and, you know, maybe they don't have a coach, how do they get started? Like what? Plan, do they follow, or what kind of tips do you have for those people who are like, okay, I am gonna start dedicating some time. Maybe they already have some dumbbells or a bench or something like that. Um, how do they get started? That's a great question. And, you know, technology can get a bad rap, but at the same time, we live in. The best time right now, there are no excuses. Um, I have seen programs be put together. Let me back up. When I say programs, that's kind of essentially a map for what your goal is, you know, and so I have seen some really cool prompts with just good old chat, GPT, and you can say, please, I, this, this is the equipment that I have, you know, bands, dumbbells. Write me a three or four. I'd like to work out three or four times a week. This is the body. Part that I would really like to work on, write me a program. So you know, you do not have to pay for a personal trainer. You could use something like chat, GPT. There are tons and tons of apps out there. There are also YouTubes, you, I've seen, um, there's someone named Carolyn Gervin. I have a lot of clients who prefer to work at. Workout at home and they use her. So it's kind of just finding, again, back to find something that you enjoy. But through the, I will say the worst thing you can do is follow Instagram random stories. You know, like what you're really looking for is consistency. You're looking for a week over week progression. You're making sure that you're hitting equal body parts. So it really is. Well worth your time to pay for an app. Use chat, GPT, follow some type of YouTube program. But there are tons of free options out there. Yeah, no, absolutely. So if you're, so just to kind of recap there's lots of ways, there's apps, there's YouTube chat, GPT, we did an episode on that a while back. But the biggest thing is finding a plan that suits, you know, whether you're gonna go to the gym or work workout at home that has the equipment that. You know, where you have access to the equipment that you need, but you're gonna stick with it consistently. So let me ask you this. If somebody has determined a three day a week workout plan, mm-hmm. How long would you say that they should stick to that? Eight weeks. 12 weeks longer? Yeah, I think I, eight to 12 weeks would be a really good goal. Um, and ideally you're slowly but surely getting stronger. So for example, on week one or two, you may be using five to eight pound dumbbells, and you're really hitting somewhere between the eight to 10 rep range. Well, eventually what would week three and four look like is you're either adding more reps or adding more weight. And so. You can do what we call in the workout world, progressive overload by multiple ways. You can add reps, you can add weight, um, you can change the order of things, you can add bands. Do not ever discount a good just body weight workout. You know, you can get. A crazy workout with absolutely no equipment. Another something that I use with my clients is I call them exercise snacks. So I will get people who are like, Hilary, I don't have 45 minutes to an hour a day to workout. And I'm like, awesome. Can you give me 10 minutes? Three times a day? And they're like, oh, that counts. And I'm like, well, of course it counts. You know, like if you set a timer and did 15 air squads. Every minute on the minute that's 150 air squats. It only took you 10 minutes. You know, so there's always sneaky little ways to get, you don't have to make this huge hour, hour and a half commitment. It can be done in little intervals as long as you're progressively making it more difficult for you. Oh my gosh, I love that. Exercise snacks. Exercise snacks. Yeah. Why not? We all love a snack, especially for, you know, you and I are both full-time working moms. Yeah. With, you know, some side business and, and I love that. And, and those are. The other, those are the women that we're working with also. And you know, I was actually just having a conversation with one of my clients who is struggling to get some steps in and, you know, starting to get colder in the Midwest here. And we were just talking about darker. Yeah. Dark earlier. So getting that walking at the end of the day is hard. And you know, that was something we, I. Suggested, I said, even if you just get up from your desk, for five minutes and even just do some air squats or absolutely. You know, some lung walking lunges, just getting your body up and moving, um, is good. Or walk around the couch 15 times. Right. Nobody's looking at you. Nobody's judging. Yeah. Based in your office. It's okay. Nobody's gonna know, you know? Um. So you're watching that boring training video. Just get up and walk. Do it circles while you're listening. So, no, I love that though. An exercise snack. I might have to use that. Yeah, so that's a great tip. I love that. Okay. So let's talk about at home equipment. So tell me like what are your things that you're like, okay, somebody doesn't have a ton of money to invest in mm-hmm. An at home gym. Right. Um, you said it took, you know, 10 years or so to accumulate your things. I've honestly been working at home for eight years and like you, you just kind of slowly over time continue to accumulate things. But what would you say if somebody was starting out and they say, okay, I am gonna. Invest a little bit of money into being able to work at a home. Gimme like the top three or four things that you say. They should invest in. Yeah, absolutely. First off, always walk on Facebook. Always watch on Facebook marketplace you can find, I cannot tell you how many people have the best of intentions with that treadmill. And then it becomes a clothes hanger and within people are like begging like, please come pick up this thousand dollar treadmill. So, you know. You don't need to spend a lot of money. That's another thing. I think another important thing is start with some of these things I'm gonna tell you, and then if in six months you're like, oh yeah, I really enjoy working from home, then you can continue to add on. Maybe you add a barbell and then maybe you add Olympic weight lifting plates and all that kind of stuff. But you do not need to do that straight outta the gate. And actually, I would recommend. Starting small and deciding if you enjoy it, so. Mm-hmm. Um, I am a big fan of dumbbells, you know, maybe five to 30 pounds have some type of idea. There's also I don't like them as much because they are a little clinky, but there are adjustable dumbbells. Mm-hmm. Um, so that's always a good option, but you know, again. Keep your eye on marketplace. I'm a big fan of resistance bands. You can do a lot with resistance bands. Um, you can have the ones that have handles on them, no handles. You can get a set of those, I wanna say on Amazon for$15. Yep. Um. Then you kind of talked about like a bench or a step. I actually have a soft box that kind of is universal. I can use it for, I can change it to 20 inches, 24 inches, or even 30 inches. And that be, can become kind of like a step up. Mm-hmm. Uh, for jump up box. But it also, you can do bench press a lot of back exercises. So those would be kind of the probably three or four main ones. Another one of my favorite tools. For a home gym would be a TRX machine. Mm-hmm. Um, and along with that, you, again, you can find 500 videos on YouTube on different ways to use a TRX machine. And it's awesome. It's portable. You can put it in a bag and take it anywhere. And there is no shortage of different exercises you can do at the TRX. Yeah, totally. I love those. Um, oh, they're awesome. I would say for me it's definitely I have to have my dumbbells in my bench, or like you said, a soft box. In fact, I didn't even think of, I know exactly what kind of box you're talking about, and you could easily do bench press on that. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. So I love that. And you're right, Facebook marketplace. Oh my gosh. Actually I had to get a new tread milk'cause mine broke. And the guy who delivered it, he goes, now you're not gonna turn this into a clothes hanger. And I looked at him and I was like, excuse me sir. No. But. So many people do that. Yeah. And so find that another tool that I use that I tell everybody, whether you work from home or not, and this is gonna go back to what you just said, you can get a walking pad that can literally be slide slid under your bed. Mm-hmm. You know, or I've even seen like fold up walking pads. Those are gold. I think it's so important to have a step goal anywhere between. Seven to 10,000 depending on you. And let's be honest, the weather doesn't always cooperate. It's cold. You may have kids, you can't leave the house. That walking pad is absolute gold and takes up so much less space than a traditional treadmill. And you can, I mean, mine goes up to, I think 4.0 speed, so you can really kind of start to hustle. And when you're not using it, you can easily put it right underneath your bed. So that's one of my. Has now become kind of a, a must have. Everyone at my work jokes that I'm always like bouncing around on my walking treadmill, but why not? You know, like I, I am all about getting. Uh, as much as you can, work smarter, not harder. And so oftentimes, like you said, if I'm in a meeting, I'm getting my steps at the same time. Absolutely, and maybe a little off topic, but I have found for myself, if I start to, you know, that afternoon slump at work, right? If you have a desk job, especially you start to just get tired and then maybe you go and you reach for more caffeine, but it's. Instead just get some steps in or get some movement in makes a huge difference. And all of a sudden, like, I feel re-energized, I'm ready to go again. So, yeah. Yeah. I love that. Okay. Well I think this has been so helpful and great discussion. So here's three quick questions. Oh geez. If you could only keep one piece of equipment, what would it be? Do all my dumbbells count? If not, probably, if not, probably the 25 pound dumbbells. Okay. That would be, those are my shining, my shining stars somewhere in the middle. I think I, oh man. I probably would have to go about 20 or 25 pound dumbbells too, or I do like my kettlebells though. Oh, yes. But I mean, they can be kind of interchangeable, but honestly, I think you could do more with dumbbells than a kettlebell. Well, and, and the kettlebell is great, you know, but again, and this is, start with the basics and then just know that you can always expand. Right. Um, which is where I would put the kettlebell, you know? Yes. Like a, a, a, a, nice to have. Maybe that would be a nice to have. Yes, absolutely. All right. What is your favorite muscle group to train at home? Back. I love pull-ups. I'm probably one of the only humans on the face of the earth who I love pull-ups, I love pull downs, um, I love rows, all that kind of good stuff. So I would say my back and bicep day is. Is the day you won't ever take away from me your favorite? Yeah. I recently have really enjoyed leg Day, which is somewhat unusual for me. Okay. Mainly ham, hamstrings, and glutes. Um, because I've really been working on building those out, but I've really started to love them, which is good, like love. Yeah. So it's been fun. Okay. Well, and it's, it's always nice to walk away just drenched in sweat. Yes. And Alte is going to do that. 100%. Absolutely. If you're pushing yourself. Yes, it'll absolutely. Okay. And then the last one, least favorite exercise, but you still do it anyway, probably you just said your favorite. It's one of my squats and deadlifts. I will do them. I will always do them the older I get. The less heavy I go, I do it more for functionality. Mm-hmm. Um, but you know, I do think it's so important. We need to be able to simply lift things up off the ground. And it is anytime you're doing a deadlift that is so good for your entire posterior chain, your glutes, your hammies some of those muscles that we often as women. We're usually very quad dominant, but not quite as hamstring dominant. Mm-hmm. And so I think if we could, if everybody could add in some dead lifts, again, you don't have to be pulling 200 pounds off the floor, but, you know, can you, can you hit dead lifts once a week. And it's not my favorite, but I always do it because I know how good it is for us. Yeah, absolutely. Um, I would, I would say it's a love hate relationship, but definitely more hate is Bulgarian split squats the worst. Worst, but they're so good. So good. But I hate that. So good building that booty. Yes. Yes. Well, Hillary, that was such a fun conversation. Um, thank you so much for joining me. On today's fit Fuel and Busy episode. And guys, just remember that the key is consistency in showing up, uh, whether you're at the gym or in your living room. Every workout counts, like Hillary said, even getting in those. Exercise snacks will help you. And before you go, don't forget, we've extended our current promo until November 30th. So you get 15% off all of our coaching packages by using the promo code 15%. So that's no space between the five and the p. So it's one five P-E-R-C-E-N-T spelled out. It's the perfect time to invest in your goals before the new year sneaks up on you. And as always, thank you for listening. If you love this episode, please share it with a friend. Tag us on social media, make sure you subscribe. And also go follow Hillary on her Instagram account. She always is posting awesome content about, health and fitness and also just busy life as being a mom and full-time job. And so she's a great one to follow and get some, you know, inspiration from there. And Hillary, thanks so much for your time. It was so fun. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. All right, well, we'll see y'all next week. Thank you. Get to listen in everybody. That's right. See ya.