Friday, January 30, 2015

Workout For A Happier You + prAna 30 Days of Yoga Challenge




Good Friday Morning!  I actually woke up early and did a 45 minute walk on the treadmill today, something I haven't done in a while.  I love the way I feel after a morning walk, it gets me moving and puts me in a good mood for the day.  I didn't get my workout in on Tuesday or Wednesday this week and I felt the difference on those days.  I am more tired and I am definitely more cranky!  My usual workout time is about an hour or so after breakfast, which works out perfectly for me.  Then post-workout I have my shake, take a shower which leaves the rest of my day for chores, errands and having play time with my little one.  It also sets the tone for my day.  I really am much happier on the days that I workout...thanks to those happy little endorphins that are released during exercise.  Since it is winter here and really hard to get outside for a long periods of time, getting a workout in is the best mood booster.  I am going to try and incorporate more yoga into my weekly workouts too.  I used to go once a week to a studio and I love how practicing makes me feel.  I have a few yoga DVD's that I love.  I am going to try and get up at least once a week and get it in first thing.  Do you love the way you feel after a good sweat session? 





On Monday prAna and Sweat Pink will kick off the 30 Days of Yoga Challenge. I am excited for this because yoga is something that I love, but don't always make the time for.  I need to get back to it so I can work on my flexibility, it will also allow me to add meditation back into my life!  I participated in the fun madlib...read along then feel free to make and share yours!  Stay tuned as you will see updates all month long about the 30 Days of Yoga Challenge, I hope you will join me! 

When I think about yoga, the first thought that comes to mind is_relaxation_. Yoga challenges(verb) me and makes me feel refreshed (noun).

That’s why I am SO thrilled (adjective) to participate in prAna’s Take The Leap 30 days of Yoga Challenge with Sweat Pink. I plan to Down Dog (yoga pose) my way to a more relaxed (adjective) and flexible (adjective) 2015!

For me, the biggest challenge when it comes to yoga is making the time for it. Taking the Leap with prAna and Sweat Pink is a great way for me to face/ conquer / achieve / find time for my happy place on the mat (same challenge / or be creative!).

My favorite place to yoga is home (noun) because it is so convenient (adj).

Here’s a photo of me in my very tree pose and best crow pose:


I tag Michele from A Pace of Balance, Annmarie from The Fit Foodie Mama, Upala from Pretty In Pink Fitness and Amber from Bold Fit Mom to join in! [tag 2-3 people]

I want these fabulous bloggers to share their very best yoga pose photos, this fun madlib and of course, I challenge them to join me on this fun 30 day yoga journey.

Come on y’all, Take the Leap with me!

Join prAna’s & Sweat Pink’s #TakeTheLeap 30 Days of Yoga Challenge and be eligible for a chance to win $500 worth of new prAna gear from their latest collection as well as gift an additional $500 worth of prAna gear to the person of their choice... because isn’t giving as important as receiving? They just launched their new Spring Collection so you best get on it!

If I win I would gift the $500 to my mom [insert name and blog URL (if applicable) because she deserves it!

Join the Take the Leap with prAna and Sweat Pink Facebook group / event which we’ll use for updates, sharing,and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1525412337742204/

And join the challenge on Instagram, Twitter, and your blog using the hashtags:
#TakeTheLeap
#prana
#sweatpink
And of course, tag @prana @FitApproach

YOGA ON!

Want to play? Just copy/paste the above and fill in the blanks where I have bolded & underlined and make it your own. Or use this link for the template! 

Today I am linking up with Nicole at FitFul Focus for her Fit & Fashionable Link up and Jen from Pretty Little Grub for her FYI Friday Link up.  Head over and check them out, if you blog be sure to link up! 

You can still link up to our Wild Workout Wednesday post here.

I hope that you have a wonderful Friday and weekend! 

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Monday, January 26, 2015

Sweat Pink No Excuses Challenge Week 3 +Benefits Of Meditation



Happy Monday!  If you have been following along with the Sweat Pink No Excuses challenge this month you will know we are in week 3!  If not, that's cool too, you can hop in and join the fun this week.  I love all the challenges set for this week.  Today's was to stop, drop and breathe....take 5 minutes and meditate.  Seems simple enough so after my workout I grabbed my yoga mat and dimmed the lights.  Then I laid out my yoga mat and grabbed my little one and took 5 minutes to calm my mind and sit in still peacefulness.  It really was great to stop and quiet my mind even if it was just for 5 minutes.  In this day and age it is so easy to go, go, go and not really take the time to slow down.  I really enjoyed today's challenge and I think I will add it in daily post-workout.  Do you take the time to meditate?  Make sure to try it out today and post a pic to your fave social media site with the #SweatPink and #NoExcuses.

Here are all the challenges for the week so you can join in and share:
Monday 1/26- Stop drop and breathe...do a 5 minute meditation.
Tuesday 1/27- 90 Second wall sit
Wednesday 1/28- Jumping jacks during your favorite tv show
Thursday- 1/29- Grab a partner and sweat for at least 20 minutes
Friday- 1/30- #FreeFriday- do any activity that you love
Saturday 1/31- Share your favorite healthy eating cooking hack in the kitchen 


In keeping with today's challenge I wanted to share some of the benefits of meditation:
Physiological benefits:
1- It lowers oxygen consumption.
2- It decreases respiratory rate.
3- It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
4- Increases exercise tolerance.
5- Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation.
6- Good for people with high blood pressure.
7- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
8- Decreases muscle tension
9- Helps in chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis etc.
10- Reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome symptoms.

Psychological benefits:
1- Builds self-confidence.
2- Increases serotonin level, influences mood and behaviour.
3- Resolve phobias & fears
4- Helps control own thoughts
5- Helps with focus & concentration
6- Increase creativity
7- Increased brain wave coherence.
8- Improved learning ability and memory.
9- Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
10- Increased emotional stability.

Spiritual benefits:
1- Helps keep things in perspective
2- Provides peace of mind, happiness
3- Helps you discover your purpose
4- Increased self-actualization.
5- Increased compassion
6- Growing wisdom
7- Deeper understanding of yourself and others
8- Brings body, mind, spirit in harmony
9- Deeper Level of spiritual relaxation
10- Increased acceptance of oneself
(Source)

I really want to make the time to meditate daily as the benefits are so great.  Do you think this is something you can incorporate into your day?  Let's sit in quiet peace and breathe in all the benefits of mediation and quieting the mind!


Today I am also linking up with Running Rachel and Fitness Cheerleader for #Motivate Me Monday!  It is always beneficial to start your week out with a workout game plan and a great workout!




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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Wild Workout Wednesday Week #2- Slow and Steady Wins the Race


Hi!  It is our second week of Wild Workout Wednesday!  Each week I will be linking up with Annmarie of The Fit Foodie Mama, Amber from Bold Fit Mom, and Upala from Pretty In Pink Fitness.  We will be bringing you lots of awesome workout motivation, recipes, new workouts to try and much more!  You can join in by reading along or link up with a healthy living or fitness post and snag our button to share on your post and site.  To check out all the "rules" of the link up you can visit my page with all the info.  I look forward to reading all the posts that are linked up today!



Grab your cup of coffee and join me for a little bit... Today I want to talk about something that I struggle with and have been working really hard to overcome.  The feeling of wanting results like yesterday!  In this fast paced world where you can get almost anything you want when you want it, it is hard to be patient.  I have shared with you my struggle with my past of restricting then binging.  I have been keeping a journal and really thinking about why this is something that I really struggled with.  It all comes down to wanting quick results.  Maybe you can relate...you have been off your routine of working out and eating healthy and are feeling pretty sluggish, so you decide to make a change.  You decide to get back to working out and cleaning up the foods you are eating.  This is was me.  I would hop back on the wagon and go full force.  Usually swearing off sugar, wine, cookies, cakes and anything that was what I considered "bad" for me.  I would look for a challenge to join, or a restriction diet to follow that promised quick results.  Believe me when I tell you I have tried it all...Weight Watchers, Jillian Michaels Body Revolution, Paleo, South Beach, The Eat Clean Diet...I could go on, but you get the idea.  What do all of these things have in common?  Restriction!  (Although I will say that Weight Watchers is great for allowing treats within your points, so not a total restriction program).  There is even a program I considered that consists of having 2 shakes a day as meals then one actual meal...like only eating real food once a day...no thanks!  But this was the mindset I was in.  What can I do for a short term fix that will get me results NOW?!?

Then one day something changed...I stopped and looked at what was the cause of all my ups and downs.  Why was I only able to stay on a "program" for so long before I gave up and started to binge eat on all the foods I had been avoiding?  I would see many success stories of people who had succeed on these programs and I started to wonder if the problem was me, my lack of commitment?  Then I realized that anytime I started something new and I would restrict foods I would immediately crave those foods.  For example when I started Paleo about 3 days in I was in the Panera drive thru getting a bagel...something I don't really eat or even crave for that matter, but because I "couldn't" have it I absolutely wanted it.  So I ate it, then I felt guilty about it.  This is not the way I want to live...in this pattern of restrict/binge with a side of guilt.  It was suddenly clear to me...the pattern was obvious and I made the decision to stop doing this to myself and my body time and time again.

I made the decision that I was going to commit a full year to getting myself where I wanted to be.  This doesn't just mean with my weight or body, but mostly with my mindset.  I decided that enough was enough and I didn't want to keep repeating the patterns that I had for most of my teen/adult life.  I talked with my friend Amanda from Balanced Brunette about tracking macros and reverse dieting.  She figured out my ratios for me and told me to eat whatever I wanted in those macros, and that includes brownies, wine, pizza, etc as long as they fit in my macros for the day.  This feeling was so freeing.  I had tried IIFYM in the past, but I don't think I was in the right mindset for it at the time.  Now for me it is not something that I am doing as a quick fix, it is something that I am doing to change my relationship with food.  Nothing is off limits...it's just fitting what I want into my day.  I am not worried about the number on the scale, I am not worried about losing x lbs in x weeks.  I am changing my life and my mindset.  I am deciding that I don't want to continue on the way I have been, and that it is time for something new.  A new way to view food and free myself from restrictions.

So far things are going really well. It has been about 3 weeks with tracking my macros and working out regularly and I feel like I am moving in the right direction.  Working out has never been an issue for me, I enjoy it and I love the way I feel when I am done with a great workout.  I am working on adding muscle right now and challenging myself with new workouts.  I eat to fuel my body.  I eat within my macros and I eat the treats when I want them.  I don't stress about not being 100% in my macros every singe day, but know that getting as close as I can is perfect.  I am a work in progress, it will take time to get to where I want to be without tracking macros and just being able to listen to my body and eat according to that.  For now though the tracking keeps me on the right path and moving toward reaching my goal.  I did mention that I will be doing reverse dieting when I get back from my trip to Florida in February and I will be sure to share that journey with you too.  I want to get my metabolism built back up so I can then drop calories to lose weight I won't have to cut my calories too low (which would result in the restrict/binge pattern all over again).


I am not stressing about quick results anymore.  I have learned that Slow and Steady Wins The Race.  I will get to where I want to be with my weight (don't really care what the number is, but I will know when I get there) and then maintain that weight for the rest of my life.  I do want to have another baby, so I know that by getting my metabolism up and getting myself to a healthy maintainable weight, when I get pregnant I won't gain the weight I did with my first one (60 lbs!! EEK!).  Things that are worth having take time.  The programs that promise quick results are the ones that are not going to be maintainable for the rest of your life...you are not going to be eating out of color coded boxes forever, or drinking 2 shakes a day for the rest of your life.  Think about what you want in the long run...a healthy relationship with food, a fit and healthy body and eating food according to your goals...plus leaving room for the treats you love.  Yup, this sounds exactly what I want for myself...you too! 

Don't forget to link up with us today for Wild Workout Wednesday.  Grab our cute little button and add your link!  We would love to have you!
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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe

 Do you ever have too many bananas and they ripen too quickly before you can eat them all?  For some reason I always do!  I am like a banana hoarder, and I hate to run out of them since I use them daily in my post workout shake.  I had 2 really large very ripe bananas hanging out on my counter and a recipe that I had been wanting to try.  Last night my little one and I gathered all our ingredients, the food processor and some muffin tins.  It was the perfect cold and snowy night to bake.  These made a great snack for her, she has been picky with her eating some days and she also loved them with breakfast this morning...as did I!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 1/12 cups of Old Fashioned Oats
2 ripe bananas
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with foil liners.
  • Place oats in food processor and pulse for 10 seconds or until oats are well chopped.  Then add all ingredients, except chocolate chips and walnuts, in processor until well blended.  Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts then divide among muffin tins, mine made 18 muffins.  
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpicks come out clean. 
Nutritional Facts (input in My Fitness Pal) Per muffin- Calories: 99, Fat: 1g, Carbs: 18.6, Protein: 2.8, Sugar: 8g, Fiber: 1g
*Store in an airtight container on the counter.  You can freeze and save for later as well.

I had 2 for breakfast with 2 scrambled eggs, 3 Applegate chicken & sage sausage links, and a cup of coffee.  I usually workout about an hour an a half after breakfast so this is a perfect pre-workout meal for me.  I love breakfast...I don't know how people can skip this meal!


Today is day 2 of the #SweatPink #NoExcuses Challenge.  I have had a few people ask for the daily challenges for this week.  The total challenge is 4 weeks long, so when I get next weeks on Sunday I will post the schedule so you can be prepared.  If you want to see what others are doing you can search the #sweatpink or #noexcuses on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.  Yesterday #noexcuses was trending on Facebook...awesome!  I saw a lot of plank pics, and I posted mine too!


Here is this weeks schedule of challenges:
Monday 1/12- Hold a 30 second plank (any variation)
Tuesday 1/13- Walk or Run 1 mile
Wednesday- 1/14- 10 Burpees
Thursday- 1/15- 20 squats (any variety)
Friday- 1/16- #FreeFriday, choose any activity and share
Saturday-1/17- Share a healthy snack or recipe

To get involved:
*Complete the daily challenge and take a pic (of you, your timer, treadmill, workout selfie) and post to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook (any or all) with the #sweatpink and #noexcuses.
*You can also tag myself @angelenamarie1 on Twitter and Instagram, and post your pic to my Facebook page.  Depending how many people participate and tag me, I may do a giveaway at the end of the 4 week challenge!
*Have Fun!  The challenge is meant to keep you moving and focused on reaching your goals you have set for yourself...just keep moving one workout at a time!

I also wanted to share a link to an article posted by Oxygen Magazine about How to Eat to Grow Lean Muscle.  It has so much great information about women, lifting and nutrition, you really should take a few minutes to read it then bookmark it.




Lastly, don't forget tomorrow is Week 2 of our Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up.  Be sure to stop back by and add your link to a fitness or healthy living post, it can be recent or something from the archives you would love to share!  Thanks to everyone who linked up last week!  We look forward to having you back next week! 





I am linking up Running Rachel and Fitness Cheerleader for #MotivateMe Monday...Yea, I know it's Tuesday and I am a day late to the party, but as they say better late than never ;-) 

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Sunday, January 11, 2015

Week In Review 1/5-1/10 + #No Excuses #Sweat Pink Challenge


Hello and happy Sunday!  Today is my rest day and I am so thankful because I am still so sore from my workouts this week.  I find that taking 2 rest days a week really helps to give me the recovery time I need in between workouts.  I had a really great week of workouts and loved incorporating my new battle ropes and more kettle bells, I challenged myself all week.  How did your week go?

I stuck with my schedule with one small adjustment, I switched Wednesday and Thursday.  I have also set a weekly goal to burn 3,500 calories, it pushes me to work harder in all my workouts!  Having goals is a great thing, even small attainable ones.  Try to set a weekly goal for yourself!


Here is what my week looked like:
Monday: Chest & Arms Circuits with Ropes and Kettle bells
Tuesday: Legs Circuits with Ropes and Kettle bells
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Back & Shoulders Circuits with Ropes and Boxing
Friday: Arms- Drop sets with Ropes and Kettle bells (I'll post this workout this week)
Saturday: Legs Circuits with Jump Ropes and Kettle Bells (I'll post this workout this week)
Sunday: Rest
My goal of 3,500 calories was reached!

This coming week will be the same schedule I have set up, but I will take Thursday and Sunday off.  You can see my workout schedule here.
Do you plan your weekly workouts in advance?

 
As you know I am a Sweat Pink Ambassador, it really is an awesome group of supportive fitness ladies, and Sweat Pink along with Augusta Active, Shower Pill, ActivMotion Bar, WIN Detergent and Beaming with Health have all joined in for a New Year, New You #NoExcuses Challenge.  I will be completing the daily challenges and posting on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. 

I hope that you will join in for a year of #NoExcuses.  All you have to do is snap and post a pic of you completing the daily task and use the #NoExcuses and #SweatPink in your post on any social media you choose.  You can also sign up to join the movement ($5) and you will get weekly e-mails and be included for giveaways from the sponsors of the challenge.  Here is the link if you want to join: https://sweat.formstack.com/forms/noexcuses.

Make sure to like my Facebook page and follow me on Instagram and Twitter so you don't miss out! #NoExcuses!  Let's make 2015 the best year yet!  

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Friday, January 9, 2015

Fitness Friday + Back & Shoulder Workout



Happy Friday Fit Friends!  It is cold and snowy here, and my little one is begging to get out in the snow and build a snow man, which is where we are headed after today's blog post is up!


In a recent post I talked about working to find my balance with eating without restricting at all.  So far everything has been going great.   I am working with my friend and "coach" Amanda from Balanced Brunette to get my macros set at the right percentage for me.  Today she made a small adjustment for me and we will see how that goes.  I am trying to get my metabolism back up and running with eating whole foods, allowing for treats, lifting weights and HIIT cardio.  Right now I'm not restricting at all, and it feels like freedom with tracking macros.  I have been using the My Fitness pal app on my phone to track daily.  I won't do it forever, just until I reach my goals.  Then I'll work to maintain with a balanced lifestyle.  It's something like If it fits your macros or flexible dieting.  For me it's finding what works best for me to reach my goals.  I'm not focusing on the scale...I'm focusing on getting my metabolism back to where is should be.  We are going to visit a friend in Florida in February, when I get back Amanda and I are going to work on a reverse diet plan to really get my metabolism back up.  This creates a faster metabolism and allows for more room to cut calories to lose fat without going too low or having to restrict.  I'm still doing more reading in the reverse diet, but as of now it seems like a great place to start.  I have dedicated 2015 to reaching my goals.  I know with consistency, balance and some hard work I will get there!

My home gym...battle ropes, post workout pump, HRM calorie burn
 As for my workouts lately they have been awesome.  I am sticking to my schedule I have created and I love my new plan.  I am loving the added challenge of my new battle ropes.  I feel like once I get into a routine with my workouts it is easy to stick to since I know what I am working out on what day.  It makes it easy to get dressed and head to my home gym in my basement to workout.  Yesterday I did my back and shoulders workout with ropes and boxing mixed in for cardio.  I love having all my fun workout "toys" to keep it interesting.  I have been shooting to hit around 700 calories per workout and since I workout 5 days a week that gives me around 3,500 calories burned for the week.  I wear my polar HRM to track my heart rate and calories.  It gives me a little extra motivation and push to hit my calorie goal.  You have to keep it fun right?!?  Do you wear a HRM when you workout?  


Here is my back and shoulder workout from yesterday:
Circuit #1- 
Single arm rows- 35lbs x 12 each arm
Rope high pulls- 30lbs x 15
Shoulder presses- 15lbs x 15 
30 second plank hold
30 second ropes 
30 second boxing 
*I repeated the circuit 3 times before moving on to circuit 2

Circuit #2- 
Lat pulldowns- 90lbs x 15 
Seated cable row- 50lbs x 15
Lateral shoulder raises- 15lbs x 15 each
V-sit with a twist- 20 lbs x 30 seconds
45 second ropes
45 second boxing
 *I repeated the circuit 3 times before moving on to circuit 2

Circuit #3-  
Single arm rear fly- 15lbs x 15 each 
Upright row with kettle bell- 30lbs x 15
Front shoulder raises- 15lbs x 12 each
30 second bicycle crunches
45 seconds ropes
45 seconds boxing 
 *I repeated the circuit 3 times 

I hope that you have had a wonderful week so far!  I have one more workout tomorrow, my second leg day.  I love doing legs!  The DOMS the next day not so much!  Today I did a new drop set and HIIT cardio workout.  I will post both those workouts in the next few days.  This is what I will be doing for the rest of January before I change it up again.  I am really excited to see where I am at the end of the month with all the work I have been putting in.

If you are struggling with the restrict/binge cycle please feel free to send me an e-mail or a message to my Facebook page.  I am an NASM certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist.  I am happy to talk with you about finding your way out of this cycle.  Sometimes you need someone who knows what you are going through to just talk to.  I know it has helped me to have a few fit friends to chat with.  I am here to help in anyway I can! 

Head over and check them out!! I love both of their blogs!


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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Wild Workout Wednesday Week 1 + A Leg Circuit Workout



 
Welcome to week 1 of the Wild Workout Wednesday Link up!  I am so excited to be co-hosting this link up with some of my Sweat Pink Ambassador Sisters.  Each week I will be linking up with Annmarie from The Fit Foodie Mama, Amber from Bold Fit Mom and Upala from Pretty In Pink Fitness to bring you fun workouts, motivation, inspiration, and recipes to try.  You can join in the Wild Workout Wednesday by reading along and visiting us on social media or grab the badge and link up if you have a fitness or healthy living post to share!
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If you read my chest & arms workout from Monday you will know why I am so sore today!  It was really time for me to change up my workouts because I wasn't really getting sore from my workouts, which means my body was adapting to my previous workouts.  I also added battle ropes in to my workout too, and since those are new to me I know they contributed to my soreness!  Yesterday I did legs with my workout buddy, Wendy, so she got to share in the pain of adding battle ropes in to our workout in between our sets.  It is a great way to get your heart rate up during your strength training session.  If you have read any of my previous posts you know that I love doing circuit training.  I try to do some straight sets, but I get really bored in between sets, I like to keep moving.  I am taking today off to recover and I will most likely take a Epsom Salt detox bath to help with the soreness, if you haven't tried it you should, it really does help.

As promised I will share my workouts with you as I am writing new ones.  Writing workout programs is really one of my favorite parts of being a personal trainer.  I love coming up with new ways to challenge my clients.  I am hoping to get back to doing some 1:1 training this year and also expanding my online training business as well!  Stay tuned for updates on that as I will be re-vamping that part of my business soon.

  
Here is my leg & glutes circuit workout from yesterday:
Circuit #1
Walking lunges 20lbs x 20 reps
Hamstring curls with the stability balls- 15 reps
Calf raises- 80 lbs x 15 reps
45 second battle ropes
45 second kettle bell figure 8's
* I repeated the circuit 3 times before moving on to the next circuit.

Circuit #2
Split squats- 10lbs x 10 reps each leg
Dumbbell deadlifts- 25 lbs x 15 reps
Donkey kicks with ankle weights- 5lbs x 20 each leg
45 second battle ropes
45 second kettle bell squat to upright row
* I repeated the circuit 3 times before moving on to the next circuit.

Circuit #3
Seated leg extensions- 50lbs x 15 reps
Good mornings- 30 lbs x 15 reps
Kettle bell squats- 20 lbs x 15 reps
45 second battle ropes
45 second alternating kettle bell swings
I repeated this circuit 3 times.

I burned about 800 calories with this workout.  I wear a Polar Heart Rate Monitor to track my calories for each workout and the week too.  It is a great motivator for me to see how many calories I am burning.  I love that I can add my cardio right into my workout.  Spending hours on the treadmill is so not for me.  I love to do HIIT cardio, intervals and tabata.  These types of cardio are great for shedding stubborn fat and preserving muscle.  There are so many variations that can be done, the options are endless and it helps to keep me from getting bored.  Do you circuit train?  What is your favorite HIIT workout?

Click here to tweet this calorie burning & muscle buliding leg workout:
Tweet: Try this calorie burning & muscle building leg workout! #wildworkoutwednesday

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to link up with us for Wild Workout Wednesday.
Here are the rules to join in:
1)  Follow your host and co-hosts in any way you can!


Upala at Pretty in Pink Fitness //Instagram // Pinterest



2) Link up with a fitness or healthy living post.  It can be something you just posted or a favorite from your archives as long as it is fitness or healthy living related.   Feel free to link up to 3 posts.

3) Snag our awesome Wild Workout Wednesday Button to make sure to link back in your blog post:
*see the box above to grab our link up badge to display

4) Make sure to leave a comment on the host and co-hosts link up post.

5) Visit at least 2 other blogs in the link up and leave a comment!

6) Share the love...post with the #wildworkoutwednesday on your posts to share this awesome link up and spread the word.  Sharing is caring!  You can also tag @angelenamarie1, @boldfitmom, @pretty_in_pink_fitness and @fitfoodiemama on social media sites.


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Monday, January 5, 2015

My New Chest and Arms Circuit Workout



It's the first Monday of the New Year!  It is a great time to look at your goals and decide what you want to achieve in 2015.  I don't really set resolutions, but this year I did set my goals.  I know that it will help keep me accountable as the year goes on, I can look back and stay committed to what I want to achieve.  I feel like I am in a great place right now in terms of my workouts and nutrition.  I am tracking my macros, and getting my weekly workouts in.  If you missed my workout schedule check it out here.

I am really excited to see my progress at the end of this month after following my new schedule and workouts.  It is good to change up your workouts so your body (and mind) stay challenged.  It is easy to keep doing the same thing over and over, but at some point your body will adapt.  I try to change up my workouts about every 4 weeks or so.  You can change the order of your exercises, add some new ones in, change up your weights you are using and the days of the week you are working certain muscle groups.  I keep a workout journal so I can track my movements and weights.  It's much easier to walk into my gym and workout if I have my workout already planned for the day/week.  Do you take the time to write out your workouts?

Last week I was able to get all my workouts in and stuck with my schedule I set for myself.
Monday: Chest, arms & tabata
Tuesday: Legs & tabata
Wednesday: Back, shoulders & tabata
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Arms, shoulders & tabata
Saturday: legs circuits 
Sunday: Rest 

This week will be the same schedule only my battle ropes my hubby got me for Christmas came today so I will be working those in all week.  I will share my workouts too.  Remember I have been working out regularly and these workout were progressed for me.  If you decide to try them make sure to work at your own pace and as with any exercise program make sure you are cleared by your doctor for physical activity.

Here is today's Chest & Arms circuit workout:
Circuit #1
chest presses 30 lbs x 15 reps
triceps rope pressdowns 20 lbs x 15 reps
concentration biceps curls- 20lbs x 15 each arm
45 second battle ropes
45 seconds kettlebell swings
*I repeated the circuit 4 times before moving on to circuit #2.

Circuit #2
incline chest flys- 20 lbs x 15 reps
triceps bench dips (with plate)- 25lbs x 15 reps
spider biceps curls- 20lbs x 15 reps
45 second battle ropes
45 seconds alternating kettlebell swings
*I repeated the circuit 4 times before moving on to circuit #3.

Circuit #3
modified push ups- 20 reps (or till failure)
single arm skull crushers- 10lbs x 15 reps each arm
incline biceps curls- 12 lbs x 15 reps
45 second battle ropes
45 second kettlebell figure 8's
* I repeated this circuit 4 times.   
My arms are already so sore, I know tomorrow I am not going to be able to lift them up!  I loved the change of pace with the battle ropes and kettlebells.  I burned 850 calories in my 2 hour workout. 




Today I linked up with Running Rachel and Fitness Cheerleader for a Motivate Me Monday!  I love link ups!  Be sure to head over to check out these ladies blogs and join in the link up. 





Don't forget that our Wild Workout Wednesday starts this week on 1/7/15.  We have the button live, it is awesome, thanks to my friend Laura for designing it!  Check back on Wednesday and link up with us!





Today I hit 700 followers on Instagram!  I love Instagram for the whole fitness and sense of community on there.  Everyone is so supportive and positive.  If you already follow me, Thanks!! If not head over and check out my page and follow me...I follow back!   


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Friday, January 2, 2015

A New Workout Schedule for a New Year



Happy New Year!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful time ringing in the New Year.  We just had a few friends over, had a yummy taco dinner, played some games and had fun ringing in 2015!  Yesterday I was tired from being up till 1:30 (yes I am old!), and I was really, really sore from my workouts so I took a rest day and we just vegged out for most of the day.  I have been taking detox baths with Epsom salts, baking soda and essential oils lately, and I know they are great for sore muscles so I took one last night and it was awesome, I also sleep really well after a hot bath.  It was a perfect day and I woke up refreshed today.

I started with a great workout with my friend Wendy.  We did arms and shoulders circuits followed by a tabata workout.  Since it is a new year I feel like it time for a new workout schedule too.  I really want to work on my arms and shoulder so by the time summer comes around I will be ready to show off some seriously muscular arms!  I also want to lean out my legs.  So I have written a new workout schedule that I will follow for January, then re-evaluate and change up in February, to keep my body from hitting a workout plateau and keep me from getting bored!  I can be a creature of habit and end up doing the same workouts over and over.  I am also trying to add in some new moves as well and making some new tabata workouts, so as I write new workouts I will be sure to share.  Here is the workout schedule I have some up with for January 2015.

Monday- Chest & Arms, HIIT cardio
Tuesday- Legs & abs
Wednesday- Back & Shoulders, HIIT cardio
Thursday- Rest
Friday- Arms & Shoulders, HIIT cardio
Saturday- Legs, HIIT cardio
 Sunday- Rest

My HIIT workouts will be either treadmill intervals, a tabata workout or a Jillian Michaels kickboxing workout.  I also got some battle ropes for Christmas from my awesome hubby and they should be there today, so I am looking forward to incorporating those into my HIIT sessions too.  Later this week I will post some of the HIIT workouts that I do.  Also, once I get all my new workouts written I will share too.
What are some of your favorite HIIT workouts?  Do you like steady state cardio or intervals?

Today I have linked up with some fun blogs be sure to head over and check them out!
Pretty Little Grub- FYI Friday Link Up
Eat, Pray, Run DC- Friday Five Link Up

Keep an eye out for our Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up that will be starting on 1/71/15, hope to see you there!


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