Hubba, Hubba
Doesn’t this move seem wildly inappropriate?
Despite the totally embarrassing nature of this move, it really is a great lil’ one to do to target your tushie.
I felt like a complete tool as I completed three sets of this weighted hip thrust, but my butt felt the burn and that’s what I was goin’ for!
Ryan and I have talked in the past about embarrassing moves to do at the gym. One of his favorites is the hip abductor machine.
"Hey, Baby!"
Something about the hip abductor machine just screams, “Hey, baby! Come look at my crotch!”
The things we do in the name of fitness… 😉
Along with 20 minutes of cardio split between the stair master and the elliptical, my workout included this total-body weights routine:
Work it Oooout
Breakfast
Breakfast today included a little experiment.
I read about Bethenny Frankel’s recipe for brown rice hot cereal in a magazine a couple of weeks ago and made a mental note to try to incorporate the healthy grain into my morning meal.
I started with a cup of Fage Greek yogurt.
Fage
Yog-a-Yog
On top of the yogurt, I added brown rice, sliced peaches and nutmeg for some added texture and sweetness.
Brown Rice Breakfast Bowl
I used brown rice from a packet of Uncle Ben’s whole grain brown Ready Rice which made this meal super easy to assemble.
Eat Up, Buttercup!
The verdict?
Deeeeelicious! It reminded me a lot of one of my barley breakfast bowls, but it was easier to prepare since the rice was pre-cooked thanks to good ol’ Uncle Ben.
Time to get to work, friends. See ya fo’ lunch! 😀
Question of the Morning
In your opinion, what is the most embarrassing move you can do in the name of fitness?
I’m sure you yoga-lovers have some good ones!
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along with the abductor machine, i also feel that foam roaling that area is quite embarrassing. I try to reserve that for my home.only. it seems that tons of people have no problem with it, but the number of people i see awkwardly rolling around on the ground. it looks naughty and wrong. just sayin. =/
Oh my gosh, I refuse to do the hip thrust move at the gym.. I just feel soooo awkward! 🙂
It reminds me of a completely inappropriate move we used to do in dance classes growing up. We’d lay on our backs with legs spread WIDE open in the air to stretch out our inner thighs…
Talk about laying it all out there! Eeks 🙂
I’d have to go with the hip abductor one, too. Though, I’ve noticed recently that most gyms are placing them facing a wall, which helps.
I’ve been doing jumping squats on the Bosu–not inappropriate looking, but VERY VERY AWKWARD.
Hahaha. My friend and I used to refer to the hip abductor as the violater. Worst machine at the gym. We do a similar movement to your hip thrust in Core Fusion and I always feel a bit silly. But you’re right on, its a total tushy tightener.
Hahahah Iv’e always thought that was bad too. My clients used to KILL me when I made them do it…lol.
Similar to you hips up and lift movement is the “open, open, close!” But it really works the inner and outer thighs.
haha hip thrusters. omg reminds me of an exercise class i once went to where i was the youngest one there and most of the people in the co-ed class were men and 50 plus.. its was not fun hip thrusting near them lol!!!
xoxo <3
as terrible as this sounds, my friend and i call the abductor machines the “slut machines” for very obvious reasons. how awkward are those. at one point my gym had those facing mirrors!!! disaster.
I also think that exercise where you are on all fours and lift your leg like you are peeing like a dog is pretty much ridiculous looking, albeit effective.
working out is so funny sometimes. i very much enjoy people-watching at the gym. Sometimes you get creative ideas for targeting new muscles, other times, you just get pure entertainment and wonder, “does that do anything at all??” i love it!
ryan calls the abductor/adductor machines the “good girl/ bad girl machines.” 😉
haha that is really funny! I think I like that more!
My boyfriend calls the hip abductor machine the “yes, no” machine, haha.
lol!
I agree that the hip abductor machine is horrible!
The sumo squat also never looks very lady-like!
definitely the first move! i always have to face a wall so no one can see my face or up my shorts…and tyler, that comment is HILARIOUS!
Oooh rice seems like a great idea! I have been meaning on incorporating different grains in my breaky routine, such as Quinoa. I hear its amazing for breaky! Looks yummy with brown rice too!
My most awkward moves:
Definitely the hip abductors.
And this yoga move called the “Happy Baby”. It is where you lie on your back, with your feet up, and holding your feet with your hands. Then you roll around on your spine. Someone actually FARTED during this move in my last yoga class and it was the MOST awkward moment EVER! hahaha.
that breakfast bowl looks delish!
I definitely agree with all of the above. And I second the sumo squat – I was feeling mighty awkward the other day doing those…ugh. Or after I do a core routine, I’ll usually stretch out my back/abs by doing some stretches on all fours, definitely looks a bit “come-n-get-it” when you’ve got your back arched and your butt sticking up in the air.
Oh, and yeah, there’s always downward facing dog..
You have no idea, MY MOM does that move at the gym on a very regular basis! She also does this move where she uses her feet/ankles to hold a large exercise ball between her legs and then does sit-ups. Yes, I have to go down to the change room because I’m so embarrassed!
I laughed out loud when I saw this!! I can totally relate to that awkwardness.
Definitely the weighted hip thrust! I do off a bench with just my upper back/shoulders resting on the bench. It’s even more awkward-looking because I have 70lbs of weight plates on my stomach when I do it. But it has given me amazing glutes, so I can’t complain! 🙂 Luckily my gym has a women’s only room, so I do it in there, but I am sure some women think I am nuts.
I always think squats, the kind where you just pretend you’re about to sit in a chair and then don’t seem awkward due to keeping your knees at a 90 degree angle. 🙂
Okay, have to add, either that’s a really large spoon or that’s a very small bowl or perhaps just the angle of the photograph but the bowl looks SO tiny considering what is in it.
haha it’s a REALLY large spoon. i used a serving spoon b/c all of my regular spoons are in the dishwasher. 🙂
I agree with both you and Ryan…awkward. The meatheads would always find reasons to do sets near the abductor machine so they could watch the cardio bunnies in their short shorts and hopefully sneak a peak. I found it funny and creepy!
Ha ha! What a funny post. I agree with the hip thrusts. I played volleyball in college and our coach made us do those in the weight room…which was full of the men’s wrestling and soccer teams. Awkward!!
I started reading your post and was like, “oh no, the hip abductor machine is definitely the worst!” I’m glad you gave it a shout-out! At my college’s rec center, it was right next to the glass walls. So I’d be doing it as huge tour groups would walk by. Classy.
My friend and I also referred to it as the sex machine because it just looks kinky…
I agree with Ryan! I always get self conscious when I am doing the hip abductor machine.
I do yoga all the time and it does involve alot of poses that might be embarrassing. However, you forget about all those things even when you are in a large classroom because everyone is doing the same poses, and they are all in their own heads mentally challenging themselves. Oh, the beauty of yoga 🙂
The hip abductor is horrible, it really is. At my old gym, it was set directly across from the mirror where the free weights were kept, so you’d be spreading your legs to all the dudes lifting in the mirror. SO awkward!!
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I’m gonna have to agree with your hubby-to-be! I mean I don’t have a problem if nobody is looking buuuuut at my gym (and my husband and I go waaay late (or early for some), I’m talking 2-3am) no matter what time you go, you always have yourself some perverts! FYI It is a 24 hour gym. Just a few weeks ago, I was working out on this abductor machine and right behind the machine is a mirror. This one guy in his 40-50s while on another machine all of a sudden decides to do some random machine right behind me. And I caught him looking at me from the mirror! I was so disgusted that I actually got off from the machine and ran to the loving arms of my hubby! LOL I work out on this machine quite a lot because it is one of my favorites, works my problem areas etc. but some people just take the whole fun away from working out sometimes. We all know, not everyone goes to the gym to work out but it’s like “No thanks!” ugh!
Luckily when I go to my gym early in the morning there is this “older” lady who is always wearing inappropriately tiny clothing doing all kinds of thrusting exercises…she makes the hip abductor machine seem pretty uneventful.
haha yeah thats pretty bad I agree! I think deadlifts can be wuite embarrasing too! i mean you are sticking your butt out the entire time, its hotttt haha…I found a wall at my gym so I can do it so my butt just faces the wall and not the boys 🙂
I loved reading the comments on this post! I think everyone who works out has run into the problem of… do I perform the strange/awkward/beneficial exercise or am I way to embarrassed? I just try to get it done and think to myself, five minutes from now no one will remember that I did this move, right ? 😉
Hilarious. I do the laying butt bridge every time I do lower body and think the same thing! It is so awkward! Rice in yogurt~ sounds like it would be reminiscent of rice pudding.. I like the idea!
The hip abductors suck so much! So awkward the remind of of stirups…
I agree about the thrusts! I only ever do them in gym classes which are mostly girls! I’m sure men are always peaking through the windows though!
After so many yoga classes, I’m cool with the hip thrust in public because it’s just like doing bridge pose. But the hip abductor machine is the worst thing ever. Especially when people are using it and they’re like looking around and stuff. Awkward!
Well I don’t belong to a gym any more, but the most awkward move I find at my yoga classes is happy baby. Like the hip abductor machine, it screams look at my crotch!
hahaha I love your awkward moves and have to agree about the hip abductor machine!
Pull-throughs are an exercise I just won’t do at the gym. Great lower body move but no way! You back up to a low cable, bend over, and pull the cable through your legs as you stand up.
Yes! The hip adductor/abductor machine is totally embarrassing. I wish mine faced a wall. Without a mirror.
I think that one has to top the list. I also remember doing “starbursts” back in the day when I did SOS training. You basically lay back flat and then burst up spreading your legs out. Not only did it look ridiculous but I probably flashed my crotch a few times too.
That one tops the list, but I also find plie squats very awkward, spreading my legs that wide and going up and down feels like I’m issuing an invitation, eek lol
LOL i was doing this move at home on the floor and my husband stopped what he was doing, looked at me and said…i hope you don’t do that in public. LOL!!!
lol I totally always think those moves are so awkward!! A lot of moves are.
Haha – so true about those two moves!
I love to jump rope to elevate my heart rate in between lifting circuits, but hate the bounce factor that is happening. It draws a lot of attention to the chest…..
The adductor/abductor machines really are crazy awkward! At one of my old gym it faced a glass wall and the gym was right next to a movie theater so moms and their kids would be walking by and I’d be spreading my legs for all to see. Awkward.
omg, my fave awkward gym thing is the yoga pose people call “happy baby”! i crack up whenever we have to do this in yoga class…
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2497
i mean…have you seen the scene in the movies couples retreat?!?!
hahahhaa.
i love that someone else commented on happy baby. that pose is THE most awkward one in yoga.. and there’s some pretty awkward ones. Doing fire engines are pretty awkward too. You’re on all fours and lift one leg up and out like a dog peeing..works the bum but you look SO silly!!!
I did a circuit training class the other day in which the instructor made us lay on our backs and put our feet up to the ceiling so we are “L-shaped” and then you spread your legs to the sides to work the inner thighs. Talk about exposureeee when you are wearing little cheerleading shorts! Never again.
I have to agree that the adductor and abductor make me feel slightly awkward. I stay away from the glute master from fear of my “arse” being all up in the air. AIso, I have to secretly giggle inside when I see people do the pelvic thrust move you mentioned above, in particular the older men.
Haha, I totally agree about the ab/adductor machines!!! Also, the ones where you lay on your stomach and do the leg curls to target your hamstrings…your butt is up in the air, and you’re face down. What could be more awkward? haha
For a while I used to do downward facing dog as part of my gym cool down until I noticed how inappropriate it seemed to stick my butt in the air for an extended period of time. Fine in a yoga class, not so good next to the weight machines! I also agree with Erica about the happy baby pose, which doesnt seem appropriate even in yoga class!
Omg I hate doing the bridges, i dread doing them, you can just imagine all the eyes on you, but you can feel the burn!