Back to school, back to the gym

Camp Mommy had an unexpected extra two days this week, but today it's back to school for the kid and back to working out for me.

It's just so much easier when we have the same early-morning routine every weekday: He puts his school clothes on, I put my workout clothes on. He goes to school, I go to the gym (or to the living room DVD workout).

How do you make sure to fit in fitness?

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Flab to fab in 4 months

Emily Yoffe, Slate's Human Guinea Pig, decided that for the first time in her life she would work out hard and get buff.

Did she enjoy the transformation? "If Torquemada were alive today, he wouldn't be a torturer, he'd be a trainer," she writes. She also did something that I and my sister do at the gym -- give people nicknames. At my gym, I have Drummer Boy, who plays imaginary drums on the elliptical; Skeevie Wonder, whose creepy pageboy haircut and short-shorts are NOT becoming on a man of his age; and Towel-head Guy, who sweats so excessively he has to put a bath towel on his head while he works out.

You can read her story HERE and catch a video preview below.

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Workout wherever you have a computer

I've compiled a list of sites where you can find workouts online without needing a TV or DVD player. They're good for a quick workout or to check out a new DVD. (Bookmark this page cuz it took me a lot of time to compile.)

Fitness magazine has a quite extensive collection of videos -- everything from the "skinny jeans" workout to one designed to work off the baby weight. You'll need to register, but the site is free.

Weight Watchers also has a video collection, although I'm not sure whether you have to be a member to watch them.

Self magazine has an impressive lineup of workout videos -- some show you how to use exercise equipment, others can be done with or without dumbbells or resistance bands.

Health magazine has a 20-minute video workout from Petra Kolber that uses a stability ball and dumbbells.

Women's Health magazine has six different excerpts from the gusto-filled Amy Dixon on its video page.

Prevention magazine has a load of excerpts from its library of workout DVDs. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find them.

eDiets has a channel on YouTube where you can get fitness clips as well as see success stories.

Another Web site with a YouTube channel is Diet.com. Their YouTube videos include workouts and diet tips.

Check out Exercise TV's YouTube channel for a bunch of mini workouts.

Shape magazine's collection is OK, but you have to wade through some celeb interviews.

The American Council on Exercise has a YouTube channel with four workouts, like the leg and glute workout for summer.

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