Tag Archives: Fitness Friday

June 26, 2015 · 3:45 PM

Three, 21 Day Fix Questions Answered

Three 21 Day Fix Questions Answered
Recently I was asked by my friend Coach Eric, to do a LIVE Google Hangout, Q&A session on 21 Day Fix, for his bootcamp. I immediately said yes because of how much I love this program, but then sheer panic set in.

I. DON’T. LIKE. MAKING. VIDEOS.

If you’re a long time follower of my blog or social media channels, you’ve already figured this out. I don’t know why I have such a phobia of video, but I do and it’s been Eric’s mission since I’ve met him to get me over it and in front of the camera. (He’s such a pal. *eye roll*)
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The truth is, I don’t know why I loathe video so much. I share my before & after photos as well as all kinds of glimpses into my life via Instagram, ( <—— see) but video is just weird to me.

Okay…I’m the weird one…FINE! 

Today he won, though. He got me live on a Google Hangout and you know what? I didn’t die doing it. As a matter of fact I felt pretty comfortable doing it!

The topic of our webinar was the 21 Day Fix and his bootcamp participants were able to submit questions that they had about the program. I was then able to read all of the questions and select 3 of them to answer live on air. Pretty cool right?!

Some of the topics we covered were: Incorporating 21 Day Fix approved meals with your family (2:40 mark), How to stay on track with the program while on vacation (6:19 mark), How to overcome a plateau and stay motivated on your fitness journey (9:40 mark). There were also some bonus questions and conversation about salsa, my thoughts on beer and how coaching has helped me with my fitness & nutrition (25:00 mark).

So without further delay, here is the video recording of the webinar for your viewing pleasure.

So how did I do?! Do you think I should start doing more videos?

For those of you trying to get your children to eat healthier, a great way to get them involved is to try having them make their own Greek yogurt parfaits instead of ice-cream at night. For more recipes and ideas for getting them involved in the kitchen, check out my new Healthy Kids board on Pinterest.

Need more information about staying on track while on vacation? Be sure to check out this post I did about Staying on Track While on Vacation.

Have another question? Feel free to leave it in the comment section below and I’ll answer it as soon as I can for you!

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January 23, 2015 · 9:00 AM

Sexy Warrior Arms Workout

sexy warrior arms workoutLast week we focused on your booty and the week before we did some ab work, so I thought this week we should show some love to our arms.

Everyone loves sexy arms and I don’t just mean on guys. Muscle tone is sexy on women too…especially when they wear tank tops, strapless dresses and bathing suits. That may sound a little shallow, but we all care about how we look as well as being healthy. I prefer to call that honesty.

Speaking of honesty, we are already halfway through January, which means our time for hiding behind bulky sweaters is almost over. Tank top season is going to be here before we know it and there is no better time to start working on your summer body than during the winter.

In this 15 minute workout, Tony Horton will take us through 8-10 reps of 7 moves to help strengthen and define our arms.

Don’t be intimidated by lifting weights or that Tony can be a little advanced. It doesn’t take a lot of weight to get started. Grab some 5’s & 10’s and see how they feel! Everyone has to start somewhere, just grab some weight and give it a shot.

Who’s ready to try this sexy warrior arms workout?! 

 

 

 Workout Moves:

0:21 Hammer Curl Press
2:21 Pterodactyl Kickbacks
4:25 Band Pulldowns
6:21 Alt Delt Raise Tricep Push-up
8:57 In and Out Curls
10:56 Temp Skull Crushers
12:58 Alt Bicep Curl

I highly recommend doing a quick warm-up and cool-down before doing these. Arm circles, arm swings, light to no weight bicep curls and some over head shoulder stretches are all great ways to get the blood flowing. Your muscles will thank you…trust me!

If you haven’t started on your resolution to get healthy this year or if you started and feel off the wagon, this is the time to recommit. You CAN do this…you just need to focus, believe and build a support system around yourself.

Need some accountability with your workouts? Let’s connect on Facebook and discuss your goals! 

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January 16, 2015 · 9:00 AM

Bootylicious Lower Body Workout

Today’s featured workout will help you to shape and define a bootylicious booty. Our glutes and hamstring are two of the most powerful muscle groups in our body, and they are also responsible for us ladies looking good in a pair of yoga pants or skinny jeans. Shallow statement? Yes. But you know you’ve all thought it!

I’m also including a stretch video because we have to treat our muscles to a little TLC, right?!

I love working my lower body and I personally find that I see results very quickly in this area. Whenever you work your lower body, there is also a cardio effect, so don’t be alarmed if you feel your heart-rate increase.

Both of these bootylicious lower body workout videos come from Autumn Calabrese (creator of 21 Day Fix) and will help you tighten and tone your body with a few basic moves.

 

 

5 Moves for a Firm Booty:

  • Squats
  • Side Lunges
  • Leg Lifts
  • Bridges
  • Mule Kicks

I would recommend doing 3-5 rounds of this, depending on your fitness level and available time. If you’re short on time but don’t feel enough of a burn after 3 rounds, try doing them with weights to up the intensity but keep your workout time short.

 

 

Lower Body Stretches:

  • Roll Forward
  • Runners Lunge
  • Quad Stretch
  • Hamstring Stretch
  • Repeat with Roll Forward on other side
  • Cat & Cow
  • Butterfly Stretch
  • Runners Stretch
  • Twist Stretch
  • Pike Stretch

Make sure you do the stretching routine after the booty workout. Stretching is very important, especially when it comes to your lower body. If you still feel sore, check out this post I did on foam rolling. Your body will thank you!

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January 9, 2015 · 9:00 AM

Quick Office Workout For Your Abs

Quick Office Workout for your abs (1)

The New Year is here, your holiday vacation is over and you are feeling motivated to stay on track with your fitness, right?!

Why not utilize some downtime at work to get a little extra movement in?

We all know we can park a little further from the entrance, take the stairs instead of the elevator and skip the fattening latte from the drive-thru on our way into work… but did you know you could work your abs with the help of your office chair?

If you’re sitting at work, have some privacy (because your coworkers may look at you like you’re crazy if they see you doing this – or then again, you may inspire them) and 5 minutes until your next meeting, or you’re waiting for a phone call, why not use that opportunity to get in a quick office workout for your abs?

Today I am sharing a workout by Autumn Calabrese (creator of the 21 Day Fix), which will show you 5 CORE MOVES you can do at your desk using only your OFFICE CHAIR!

 

 

 

 

I bet you’ll never look at your office chair the same way again, right? Even if you can’t do all of these moves at your desk, why not incorporate a few of them throughout your day to help you stay on track and reach your goals a little faster? Plus if you work from home like I do? You have no excuse to not do these moves!

If you’d like more information about Autumn’s at-home workout, The 21 Day Fix, check out this post I did last spring when I first tried it or comment below!

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January 2, 2015 · 9:00 AM

Total Body Fat Burning Workout with Resistance Bands

Total Body Fat Burning workout with resistance bands
Today we are doing total body resistance exercises using a band! If you’ve ever purchased a Beachbody program, you probably have one of these laying around. If you don’t have a set, you can purchase them at Target, Walmart, your local sporting goods store. You can also pick up a door attachment for them at the same retailers.

In this video you will get 7 moves for a total body fat burning workout with resistance bands – you are going to love them, especially because you do 3 sets of them all in about 20 minutes!

 

 

7 Moves for Total Body Fat Burning:

  • Row + Squat
  • Chest Fly + Transverse Twist
  • Lat Pull + Back Lunge
  • Chest Press
  • Single Arm Row + Single Leg Squat
  • Incline Press + Curtsy
  • Sumo Squat + Switch Grip

The intensity of your workout will also depend on which color band your choose, so this workout can definitely grow with you!

I hope you are enjoying these weekly mini-workout videos. They are a great way to change things up and to ensure that you get a workout in despite a hectic schedule. Workouts like this one are also perfect to do while on vacation. The bands can easily fit into your luggage without taking up a lot of room.

Don’t worry if you can’t complete 3 rounds of this yet, you’ll work your way up to it. You could even break these up and do 1.5 rounds in the morning and 1.5 in evening until you are able to complete all 3 at one time.

Fitness is simply about moving more, challenging your body and doing more than you did yesterday.

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June 28, 2013 · 11:54 AM

{Fitness Friday} July Challenge

I can’t believe that July is already lurking around the corner! It’s crazy how quickly the months are flying by, right?!

At this point, everyone doing the June Challenge only has two more days to go (if you haven’t already completed today’s workout) and I am so proud of you all! I figured since everyone is going strong and loves to hate me, I’d keep the momentum going with a July Challenge!

Oh stop groaning…you know you’re excited!

This month has less moves since I know the summer can be super busy. It’s very similar to the May Challenge I found on-line, but since Jac and I had such great results doing it, I thought we would revisit it, with a twist.

Click to View Full Size

Click to View Full Size

Plank this month is for time, instead of a set time for each day. Some people will only be able to hold for about :30 seconds, others for over 3 minutes. I want you to compete against yourself this month. Write down your time for each day and try to beat it by a few seconds the next day. Push yourself to new limits here and make sure you hold the pose until you physically can’t anymore! I’ll be sharing some tips to holding plank pose over the Facebook Page, so make sure you “LIKE” it!

For those who are more advanced with their fitness, feel free to add weights to your squats! Remember, your lower body is very strong, but we are doing lots of reps, so don’t go too heavy. I don’t want anyone to hurt themselves! I will most likely being adding heavy weights and breaking the squats into sets with rest in-between, as we get further into the challenge. The most important thing is proper form! You’ll get better results with proper form than you will trying to impress people by going heavy. Always listen to your body and if you can do them in front of mirror, it’s best so you can check your form every rep.

As always, I’ll be doing check-in’s over on the Facebook page, so don’t be shy and join in on the conversations!

Enjoy your Fourth of July…stay hydrated and let me know if you’ll be joining the squatastic fun we’ll be having this month!

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June 21, 2013 · 8:16 AM

{Fitness Friday} Man of Steel Edition

Man of Steel

As I mentioned earlier this week, Mike and I went to see Man of Steel in IMAX. While watching this movie, you can’t help but notice the physique of Henry Cavill  (if you can, you’re blind) so of course we became curious as to what he did to prepare for this role. Mike found this video and passed it along to me, so of course, I’m passing it on you!

I love that they talk about the mental and emotional side of fitness in this clip. With quotes like “He has opened my eyes to seeing past what I thought were my limits.” and “…you come to a point where your mind allows you to break through your physical boundaries, and takes you to places you never thought you could go to.” this clip really hit home for me.

I am 100% in the mental part of fitness right now. I know that my body is capable of things, but my mind holds me back many times. It’s funny because in the beginning, I was scared that my body couldn’t handle what I mentally wanted to do…and now it’s reverse. You would think by this stage of the game I would have it all figured out, but I don’t. I struggle and I fail just like everyone else, but I pick myself up and I keep pushing forward.

If you are interested in seeing the workouts that trainer Mark Twight did with Henry Cavill did to prepare for his role as the Man of Steel, watch the two videos below (they teach you how to get proper form) or go to the Soldier of Steel website where you can print them out in .PDF form.

Soldier of Steel Workouts…

I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I did. While the moves in this may not be for you, I hope you at least walk away with the tips on proper form and apply them to whichever workout you decide to do!

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May 10, 2013 · 10:10 AM

Leaving My Comfort Zone

Comfort zoneAfter I shared my #FitBlogNYC news and shear giddiness, things got more exciting!

Remember I said I hoped FITNESS magazine would give us more info about the event during this next week? Well… they did!

We all received an e-mail yesterday afternoon providing information on the workouts that would be offered during the event.  We had to choose one of the following three, cardio, yoga or a power run. All three of these are being brought to us by amazing sponsors, and they all sounded great. However, I immediately felt really stressed and out of my comfort zone. My thought process went a little like this:

  • CARDIO  – I have zero rhythm and will end up stepping on someone. Save that train wreck for your own living-room.
  • YOGA (?) – Possibly, however you’ve done yoga in a class setting before. Try something new!
  • POWER RUN (!) – Initial excitement, followed by self doubt.

Those of you who know me and follow this blog, know that I don’t do group fitness activities. My first ever group fitness event was when I met Tony Horton at his book signing, and I at least had my husband and good friend with me. Outside of that, I’ve done three Bikram Yoga classes (I hid in the back during all of them) and some 5k’s, which I dont’ mind at all.

I ended up reserving a spot for the Power Run and I am extremely nervous about it. I fear that I won’t be able to keep up with everyone. I fear that I’ll gas out halfway through the workout. I fear that my fears are going to make me fail. This is not a good mentality to have. I need to learn how to have confidence in these things. I can’t compare myself to others. I need to give myself credit for trying, do my best and know that I’ll get better with time and training. I need to lose the self doubt, because I have come so far in the past four years. It’s time for me to quit trying to be a perfectionist and just have fun!

I clearly still struggle with the mental aspect of fitness, but I suppose that makes me human.

My next bit of good news also came via e-mail!

I received an invite from Physique 57 to try a barre class after #FitBlogNYC!

Once again, group workout anxiety kicked in, but it’s not everyday that these opportunities present themselves, so I responded that I’ll be there.

I’m sure I won’t be the only person trying this class for the first time, so there is a little comfort in that. I believe that trying new things makes you grow as a person. Plus you never know if you’ll like something unless you try it, right?

So… Here’s to trying new things, leaving my comfort zone and learning how to relax and just have fun! Wish me luck!

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April 20, 2013 · 10:59 AM

Celebrating A Milestone

Yesterday was Fitness Friday and I reached a pretty big milestone! For the first time ever I hit double digits on a run/walk! The furthest I had ever walked prior, was 8 miles back in 2010. My furthest run was 7.5 back in early March.

I started out running yesterday and for some reason, I just kept going. Hitting that double digit has been something I’ve wanted to do for awhile now, but I never really went for it. I started to get tired and struggled for a little while around miles 4 & 5. That little voice of negativity in my head started to beat me up, but I pushed through and decided I was going for it. I shut that little voice up by deciding that my time didn’t matter today, all that mattered was hitting my mileage of choice.

Once I made up my mind, the rest was pretty easy. I slowed down and walked when I needed to and picked up the pace and ran when I felt good. I have to get my legs used to carrying me for longer runs and they’re not quite ready to do that yet. Until they are, there is nothing wrong with slowing down to a light jog or fast paced walk.

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I know that with determination, time and practice, I will be able to run the full 10 miles. My goal is actually 13.1 with a respectable pace, but I have to remember that it takes time to build up to that. I have to remove the self imposed pressure that I place on myself to perform at great levels. I have to learn how to celebrate my milestones, instead of getting mad that I didn’t reach them at a certain level, or by glancing over them to start working towards the next goal.

Over the past four years, I have skipped many celebrations and I regret that. I regret pushing myself towards the next goal instead of taking some time to reflect on where I came from and what I just achieved.

The beauty of this journey is that I am always learning…and as a result, I will continue to grow as a person.

Yesterday I put the Further in #FurtherFasterForever. Down the road I hope to add the Faster, but I have Forever to work at it and enjoy the celebrations as I go.

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April 12, 2013 · 12:23 PM

{Fitness Friday} Full Body Workout

Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a Fitness Friday post.

I don’t have much to report about my own workouts for the past week. I’m still feeling pretty run down and I’ve been having issues with my breathing since being sick. I have not gone on a run in a little over three weeks, which has left me quite cranky and feeling a little defeated.

On the bright side, I did manage to do a few mini workouts this week and it felt good to workout. I stumbled upon an oblique mini workout that I shared on my Facebook Blog Page, and it left my muscles sore which felt great!

If you have not already “LIKED” my page, please take a moment and do it. I often share workout tips, mini workouts and recipes over there. You can click on the banner to the right or just CLICK HERE to visit me on Facebook.

The week has been also been spent focusing on staying hydrated, finding and trying new recipes, getting enough sleep and eating on a schedule. Being sick really turned my routines upside down and like a toddler, I tend the thrive on routine, so I get cranky when my schedule is messed up.

Before getting sick, I also made up this workout for the days that I can’t get out to run. It can be done anywhere, even outside if you’d like and it doesn’t require any weights which comes in handy if you are traveling, too!

full body workout

I would probably even toss a forearm plank in at the end of this for a little extra core/shoulder burn!

Hope everyone has a great weekend filled with nice weather! We are supposed to be in the 60’s here on the East Coast, so I’m hoping to get out and enjoy it!

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