Wild Workout Wednesday +A Fat Blasting Kettlebell Workout

Happy Wild Workout Wednesday!  Every week I team up with Annmarie from The Fit Foodie Mama, Sarah from Creating a Better Tomorrow, and Michelle from Fruition Fitness to bring you motivation, workouts, recipes, and so much more.  If you have a fitness or healthy living post please be sure to link up!  Enjoy all of today's Wild Workout Wednesday Link up posts.  I know I always do.



About 4 years ago I decided to become Kettlebell certified.  At the time I was working at Lifetime Fitness and kettlebells were all the rage!  In order to use the kettlebells with our clients we had to be certified as they require a certain technique and we needed to be safe with them as well.  I was excited when KettleBell Concepts came to Lifetime to offer the Level 1 certification to all the trainers that wanted to get certified.  After 2 intense days of learning about the different moves, workouts, and safety precautions I tested out and was officially certified.  I used to run a few small group fitness classes and we incorporated kettlebells and my clients were always dripping in sweat at the end of class.  I started to add them to my workouts as well, and I really love the versatility they add to a workout!

Why add kettlebell training to your workouts?  The biggest reason is the functional training that the moves in the kettlebell works offer.  Functional training means that the workouts prepare your body for everyday movements, bending, twisting, reaching and lifting.  These workouts challenge your neuromuscular system different than other workouts to.  The body has to respond to the momentum of the kettlebell and you have to work to get it moving.  You also torch a whole lot of calories in a kettlebell workout, you will be dripping in sweat after a killer kettlebell workout.  If you haven't ever tried a kettlebell workout, I suggest finding a certified instructor to teach you the basic moves and safety of using the kettlebells.  Also, start with lighter weights until you master the move, then you can increase your weights accordingly.  I use mostly 20-25 for swinging movements, and 30-40 when doing more of the strength moves, but keep in  mind I am advanced when it comes to fitness and kettlebells, I have slowly worked my way up there.  Are you ready for a kettlebell workout you can add to your weekly workouts and blast some fat?  Here you go!!

Visit this website to see these moves and for instructions on proper form.

**Disclaimer:  I am a certified personal trainer, but I am not your personal trainer.  Be sure to check with your health care provider before starting this or any new workout.  If you are a beginner, please consult a certified kettlebell instructor before trying this workout.

Are you ready to reach your health & fitness goals?  Need some help getting started?  I have created a  Monthly Fitness & Nutrition Group designed to do just that!  It is affordable and will give you all the tools you need to be successful!  We will be starting on August 1st, and you still have time to sign up. 

Why sign up?  If you are looking to lose some weight, learn to live a healthy lifestyle, get workouts, meal and snack guidelines, motivation and accountability then this is the group for you!  You will receive all this info, your personalized calorie and macro goals and will be added to the AM Fit Girls Facebook group as well.  You will be working toward living your healthiest and fittest life with support from me as your coach and the support from the ladies in the Facebook group.  You can view all the info and register HERE.  Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have as well!


Now it is time to link up!  Check out the Wild Workout Wednesday page for all the link up details, and be sure to follow your link up hostesses in any way you can! 

Wild Workout Wednesday + An Update on Life + A Total Body Circuit Workout

It's Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up time!  Each week I link up with Annmarie from The Fit Foodie Mama, Amber from Coleman Fitness and Sarah from Creating A Better Tomorrow to bring you guys a fun link up filled with motivation, workouts, recipes and much more.  Please feel free to link up and join the party, if you don't have a post to share grab your coffee and get ready for some great blog reading!


Sorry I missed you guys last week...if you can believe it I had something else going on with my health, so I was out getting somethings to get my health back on track.  I am happy to say that I finally think that I have it figured out.  I think, fingers crossed, I will have missed my last Wild Workout Wednesday Link up due to health related issues!

 As you know I have been getting sick quite a bit this year, bummer I know!  I got the flu that was going around in April and since then it has been an uphill battle.  I got the flu a second time, then a sinus infection.  I felt like a hot mess and was so sick of being sick!  I went to go see a functional medicine doctor, he is an MD, but works with supplements and natural remedies to help get you to your optimum state of wellness.  Since I was definitely not in my optimum state of wellness I decided to see what he could help with.  The great part is since he is an MD he is covered by my insurance.  I went in for an appointment two Friday's ago to get some blood work done and to see what he thought was going on.  We sat and talked for a little bit and he asked me a ton of questions, and before we even got to the live blood analysis he had an idea of what was going on.  The live blood analysis was really cool, they pricked my finger and then looked at it under a microscope!  Right off the bat he said that I had yeast in my blood, which is a sign of candida overgrowth, most likely from the anti-biotics I had to take for the sinus infection.  This can also cause a leaky gut, and with that comes inflammation, and then my immune system goes into overdrive because of the invaders of food that is getting out of my gut lining.  He also said it looked like I had a little adrenal fatigue.  Because of what was going on with my gut coupled with the fact that I haven't been able to lose weight he suggested the Paleo diet to help get my digestion back on track, so I have been back on Paleo since my appointment.  He also gave me some supplements, a 4 point salivary test to do at home and send in and I scheduled my follow up appointment.  I was feeling great, hoping that once he got all the blood work back he going narrow down as to what was going on.

Low and behold Tuesday at 3:00 am I woke up to a raging ear ache and my throat hurt so bad I could barely swallow!  I seriously was in denial that I could be getting sick, AGAIN!!  I was so close to going to urgent care, but I knew all they could do was give me pain meds and some more anti-biotics and I would be starting from square one.  I decided to get some of my essential oils and mix something up to dull the pain so I could get some sleep.  My mix of tea tree and frankincense did the trick and I was able to sleep for the rest of the night.  In the morning I called my functional doctors office to see if I could get it, I knew it was a long shot as he is booked up months in advance (I happened to get in quickly on a cancellation).  However, I told the receptionist what was going on and if he could recommend something to get rid of this naturally, without further damaging my gut I was working hard to repair.  A few hours later I heard back and headed in to pick up the supplements and something called liquid silver to help with what was going on.  I have been diligent about my eating, getting right back on Paleo, since I have done it before I knew what to do, cut out sugar, added some low impact days to my workout week including walking and yoga, have been taking my supplements regularly, drinking at least 2 liters of water daily, and have been getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

 I am so happy to say that my ear cleared up and my throat no longer hurts at all.  I am feeling so much better, from a combination of eating Paleo and the supplements.  My digestion has improved, my skin looks really healthy, my energy is soaring, I am sleeping great and waking up feeling rested.  I go back in a few weeks for the results of my blood work and I can't wait to see what he says, I will be sure to keep you updated!  I also can't wait for another live blood analysis to see if any of the yeast has cleared up.  I know that I am finally on my path to optimum wellness.  I will again feel healthy, like I usually do!  It has been an unusual year for me, and it all started with the flu I got in the beginning of April.  If you have been getting sick a lot like I had been, I suggest that you find someone like the functional doctor that I saw, he is working with my body to get me back to my happy, healthy self!

I have still been getting my workouts in, and like I said I added walking and yoga into the mix for some lower impact activity.  I am taking it a little easy with the HIIT, for now, until I am sure that my immune system is back up to par!  However I am still getting my lifting in, and I love to do circuits.  Here is one of my favorite total body circuit workouts.  Remember, I am a personal trainer, but not your personal trainer.  Please consult with your physician before starting any new exercise regime.

Now it's time to link up!  Be sure to link back to your hostesses and follow in any way you can.
We are happy to have you!

Meet your Wild Workout Wednesday hostesses:

 

Angelena Marie at Angelena Marie: Happy, Healthy & Balanced // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Google +

Annmarie at The Fit Foodie Mama // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Google +

Sarah at Creating A Better Tomorrow // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest 

Amber at Coleman Fit // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram  // Pinterest

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a wonderfully fit and happy day! 

 

Staying Motivated + Wild Workout Wednesday Week 6

Happy Wednesday!  Welcome to Week 6 of Wild Workout Wednesday.  Every Wednesday I link up with Annmarie from The Fit Foodie Mama, Amber from Bold Fit Mom, and Upala from Pretty In Pink Fitness.  The "rules" to join in are below, if you have a post to link up please do.  We love to have all you wonderful bloggers link up!  If you are here for your weekly dose of fitness motivation, grab your coffee and read on.  Thanks so much for joining us!

When you start off ready to tackle your goals you are rip-roaring and ready to go!  You workout for a few weeks, eat better, but then something happens...your motivation takes a vacation!  Where does that motivation go?  How can you stay motivated to continue on the path to reach the goals you set for yourself?

This is something that has happened to me time and time again, and I am working on changing that for myself.  I will stay consistent and then be about 10 pounds or so from my goal weight and then stop.  Why?  I'm not 100% sure what happens.  However, this time things are different.  I am working on changing my mindset of restricting certain foods then after a while I give up and binge.  I want to reach my goal weight the healthy way and then maintain with an 80/20 way of life.  80% of the time I will eat clean food and 20% I will allow for treats.  I don't always wake up with the motivation to workout, sometimes I would rather lay around and chill all day, not that it happens now that I have a toddler running around!  However, I take the time to think about my goals, what I really want for myself then I motivate myself to get moving.  Once I start my workout I am fine and I am happy that I got it in.

Here are my top tips for staying motivated on the path to reaching your goals and your best self:

1. Write your goals down. Having a journal helps.  Start by writing down your goals.  This will give you a visual reminder on the days you feel like throwing in the towel.
2. Define your WHY?  This is so important.  It is great to have goals, but if you don't know WHY you want to achieve those goals it is much easier to give up.  Put time and thought into this and again write it down!
3. Create a motivation or vision board.  You can do this the "old fashioned" way with magazines and poster board or on Pinterest.  I love Pinterest because you can create different boards.  Here is one I created for my fitness journey Working on My Fitness.  I will hop on there if my motivation is low.  It gives me the reminder that I am working on creating my best body and to go commit to my 90 minute workout.  I know I will feel better when I am done.
4. Take progress pictures.  The scale should not be the only way to measure progress.  If you are working on losing fat and building muscle you have to remember that muscle weights more than fat.  I have been taking progress pictures along the way.  I can see my body changing in the pictures, and know that all my hard work is paying off.  Seeing how far you have come and the progress you have made is often motivation enough to keep going.
5. Take a day off from it all!  This is important too.  You devote your time and energy on a daily basis that you need one day to rest.  This does not mean to eat whatever you want!  This means take a day off the gym and do something you love.  Go shopping, read a book, have a date with a friend or spouse.  This will give your mind and body a rest so you can come back ready to hit it hard!
6. Find a workout or motivation buddy.  Do you have a workout partner that will drag you to the gym when you don't want to go, or visa versa?  Having someone who has similar goals can help keep you on track.  If you don't have someone to workout with, find someone who can be a motivation or accountability buddy.  Share your weekly goals and struggles with each other and work to keep each other going.  
7. Be Proud of Yourself!  Most important take the time to give yourself the pat on the back you deserve.  You are working hard to reach your goals!  You are taking the time to be the healthiest, happiest version of you!  Be proud of that, because you are worth it all!  

I hope that this helps when you are lacking the motivation!  You are strong and can do anything you set your mind to!  Have a wonderfully fit day!

Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up Rules: 
1)  Follow your host and co-hosts in any way you can!

Angelena Marie at Angelena Marie: Happy, Healthy & Balanced // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Google +

Upala at Pretty in Pink Fitness //Instagram 

Amber at Bold Fit Mom // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram 

Annmarie at The Fit Foodie Mama // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Google +

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:

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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.

I am looking forward to reading all of your link up posts!  I am having so much fun getting to know other bloggers and getting new workouts, recipes and motivation.  You all rock!  Thanks for making Wild Workout Wednesday so fun!