Weekending: Review through pictures

October 26, 2015October 25, 20159 Comments

Good morning! Did you guys have a good weekend? We sure did- here’s a glimpse 🙂

I had to go to Milwaukee Thursday-Friday, which was a really nice trip. I wasn’t sure Milwaukee would be anything that exciting, but I have to say I really loved the little city! It was a much quieter city than I’m used to, but it was still really cool! I stayed right downtown and was within walking distance to the river walk and lots of cool restaurants and shopping.

I made sure to get in workouts while I was gone, too 🙂 One strength one and then one quickie bodyweight hotel room workout one- I’ll share both with you soon!

Hotel room bodyweight workout

I met my sister at a new restaurant in Watertown called Branch Line. It’s right near her new office and close to me, plus the owners of Eastern Standard (one of my favorite Boston restaurants) started it so I couldn’t wait to try it out. The verdict? LOVED IT! We only got drinks and their fried cheese bites, but the whole experience was very good and RM and I plan on going back for dinner since their menu looked intriguing!

RM and I ended up going to Stellina for dinner which was where we went to dinner the night we got engaged! The food was great, although I didn’t take any pictures 😉
Saturday we lounged in the morning. It was weird to be around with no plans AND no teaching. Rather than rushing out for the gym, I decided to hang around and get all my house chores done first. We had people over on Saturday night so I wanted to prep the chili and dessert and clean/pick up. I finally went to SoulCycle for a 1pm class. It was a good class, but not the hardest I’ve been to, or as much of a party as SC usually is. Oh well!
I had time to relax when I got back so I caught up on Greys anatomy while sharing a beer with RM.

Our dinner party was a blast! I made a sweet potato turkey chili which was a hit, a cheese and prosciutto board, guacamole and a batch of these delicious Paleo Pumpkin Bars. I added in chocolate chips and pumpkin spice chips and they came out SO GOOD! Along with these treats, RM’s sister-in-law Emily brought a tasty apple crisp and Amanda brought a fantastic brie/pecans/craisin ball. Oh, and lots of wine 😉

Sunday we made our way to NH to go look at another venue and while we liked it, we were kind of turned off by how far lodging was from the venue so I’m not sure we will pursue it further. Oh well.
We were staving when we got back so we heated up chili and other treats from Saturday night and had a medley sort of lunch. While RM watch/snoozed through the Patriots game, I whipped up some lemon blueberry muffins from his Practical Paleo cookbook (we are trying to incorporate more paleo-like meals these days). They came out pretty good!

After I finished my book/the Patriots game was over, I coerced RM into going to Marshall’s and Target with me. We are on the hunt for a new dining room table and living room chair and I wanted him to see some of the things I was digging. Love this table from Target:

Although I was really craving pizza or something like that, we opted for a healthier dinner and had chicken thighs, kale, mashed sweet potatoes and butternut squash and for some reason, everything came out SO GOOD. Nothing fancy, but so tasty. (I snapped a pic halfway through).

All in all, a great weekend filled with friends and family, relaxation and productivity. Oh, and wine. Definitely wine 😉

Questions for you: What was the best part of your weekend? Have you tried out any new restaurants? What’s the coolest city you’ve traveled to? Did you get in any good workouts? Any good meals?

NBGNO: Strength is Beauty & Oak Square YMCA “Oaktoberfest” 5K Discount Code

October 9, 2015October 8, 20153 Comments

Good morning! TGIF, right?! This week has been hella busy- anyone else? I wanted to pop in with a few quick fitness related updates and events because, although I’ve got wedding planning on the brain, this IS a fitness blog 😉

NBGNO

I’ve talked about the New Balance Girls Night Out events before, but in case you’re new to B2B, here are those recaps:

My first New Balance Girls Night Out event
NBGNO Event- How to stay fit while on the road
2015’s First NBGNO Event
Shaking Things Up w/NBGNO

Last week the theme of the NBGNO was “Strength is Beauty”, which is something that I am so passionate about! I have participated in a few challenges focusing on positive body image (#bikinirebellion was my all time favorite) and follow so many empowering, strong, fantastic women who embody all of the wonderful things behind the notion of “strength is beauty”. I love New Balance because they are all for empowering women and their NBGNO events and new “NB Women” line are just two ways they do this.

This was the biggest NBGNO event ever and over 50 cities also participated in the same event, which is really cool! Per usual, the night had 2 workouts to choose from: a run or a bootcamp workout with Paula Fonseca in Copley Square. I usually end up doing the run, but this time I was able to take the class. We used only our own bodyweight and a band but Paula really challenged us with the format and exercises! I really thought she was a fantastic instructor and not only did she do a great job of motivating us and keeping the energy up, she was really good at showing various levels so that the workout was doable for everyone- a very important quality in an instructor! Besides the tough workout, working out IN Copley Square was a pretty cool experience! We did solo stuff at first and ended with partner work- here are some photos I got from the NBGNO website:

Such a fun workout- thank you Paula!

After the workout, we headed in for some food and drinks (they always do such a great job with this!), but sadly I didn’t take any photos!

Fellow Boston Blogger, Sherri hosted the event again- she’s a pro at hosting! She talked about what “Strength is Beauty” means to her and that there are 2 parts: mental/emotion and the physical. What I loved most was that she didn’t talk about being “skinny” or “too muscular” and she didn’t put a label on any physical appearance. Rather, she talked about how GOOD it feels to be strong and to look in the mirror and appreciate all that your body can do for you. I’ve talked about it before, but all too often we tend to look at ourselves and pick out all of our “flaws” instead of looking at those same things as GOOD things that make you who you are. I am so happy that I have made the MENTAL switch with regards to body image and that I now rarely look at myself and pick out my “flaws”. Instead, I look and notice my muscles and my strong body- and I am so proud of that! You should check out Sherri’s post for more inspiration on strength is beauty: Strength is Beauty

New Balance is hosting ANOTHER event next Thursday, October 18th and it’s a breast cancer awareness event which is going to be really powerful. You can register here, but hurry! These events fill up fast!

Oak Square YMCA “Oaktoberfest” 5K

I wanted to share another event with you: the Oak Square YMCA Oaktoberfest 5K. I haven’t been able to run this race for a few years, but it is such a great, local event. I HOPE to be able to run it this year, but we will be on the Cape for Oysterfest so it may not happen. If I get up and leave at 8 I should be fine to get back in time to run it- fingers crossed! BUT, even if I don’t run it, the YMCA has asked me to create a “Burpees to Bubbly” team and I would love to have you join it! You can sign up here, just make sure to choose the “adult individual entry or join a team” and join Burpees to Bubbly. What’s even better? If you use the code BRIGHTON you get $5 off your race entry fee 🙂 Hope you sign up!

Questions for you: When’s the last time you had a girls night out? Do they usually involve working out or just wine? What does “Strength is Beauty” mean to you? Do you like to run 5K’s?

Wednesday Workout: Bodyweight Total Body Workout (30 mins or less!)

October 7, 2015October 6, 20152 Comments

Good morning! As I mentioned yesterday, I did a great bodyweight workout when I was home at my parents last weekend. I haven’t been lifting many weights these days, but when I woke up on Saturday I just didn’t want to get packed up and head to the gym so another bodyweight workout it was! Even though I wasn’t going to be lifting weights, I still wanted a tough workout so I decided to load up on reps.

This workout isn’t anything fancy, but it did leave me with a nice burn during the workout and a little bit of the “I worked out yesterday” feeling, so I’ll chalk it up as a solid workout! The way it works is you do the first combo move for 12 reps (each side, if there’s an option) and then the second exercise for 10 reps. Complete a total of 3 rounds before doing the cardio tabata round, which will be 2 different cardio exercises (complete each 4 times), usually complementing the strength exercises.

A few explanations to help you out…

Lunge/squat combo: lunge back with the right leg and return to center and complete a squat, then lunge back with the left leg and back to center. For the tabata round, you’ll do the same format of the exercises, you’ll just add in the jumping factor 😉
Triceps dips & toe taps: Perform a triceps dip (hands and feet on the ground) and then reach opposite hand to opposite foot, while engaging the core. Dip and then repeat on the other side.
Superman pulls- While laying on your stomach with your arms extended out in front of you. Engage the core and lift your chest off the ground. Once in this position, pull your elbows back to your ribcage, squeezing your shoulder blades together and going through the motion like you have weights in your hand.
Curtsy lunge & knee crunch- Start by standing on the left leg. Bring the right leg back and instead of placing it straight back, bring it back to an angle so that it crosses behind your left leg- great move for the outer glutes! After your lunge back, ensure you have your balance and bring your right knee up to your right elbow, engaging your obliques. After 12 reps on one side, repeat on the other.
Downdog push-ups- In downward facing dog position, drop your head downwards to the ground & press back up.

As an extra finisher, I completed the following:

45 seconds jump rope, 10 hand release push-ups
45 seconds jump rope, 8 hand release push-ups
45 seconds jump rope, 6 hand release push-ups
45 seconds jump rope, 4 hand release push-ups
45 seconds jump rope, 2 hand release push-ups

This was killer at the end!

If you’re looking for a quick, but efficient workout to do at your house or at a hotel, this is one to try!

Questions for you: Do you like to lift heavy weights or do more bodyweight style workouts?

“Make Tomorrow Suck”

October 1, 2015September 30, 20158 Comments

Say, what?! Who would ever want to do that, right? That was my first thought as I walked into the BSC I teach at and saw this on the digital board in the entry way:

There are so many things that make me upset about this ad and message, so I apologize if my thoughts aren’t entirely organized or if I ramble 😉

I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want any day to suck. #notinterested
I never go into my workouts hoping to be so sore the next day that I am miserable. Again, #notinterested
How is this even supposed to be inspiring?! Personally, I don’t like being abnormally sore the day after a workout. Sure, I like to feel like I’ve worked out and challenged myself, but to be so sore it hurts to sit down to go to the bathroom or wash my hair is just not something I strive for when I’m working out.
On top of that, having “tomorrow suck” because of a hard workout the day before can be just the thing that throws people who are just getting back into the groove off their game. They may have been on a roll with getting to the gym X days a week and then BAM, they do an incredibly hard workout and are so sore they have to skip a few days… next thing they know a week has gone by, they are no longer sore and yet they haven’t been back to the gym. Workouts should be a sustainable activity and not leave you to a point of miserable soreness, time after time.
Where is the fun in that mentality or your workouts?! Let’s face it- working out to the point of “making tomorrow suck” means you’re probably working REALLY hard and while that may be fine once and a while, that isn’t going to last- nor should it! Trust me, I don’t want to go to the gym and have easy workouts that don’t challenge me (unless it’s a day where I’m just looking to zone out), but I also don’t want to live day to day being extremely sore. Nothing about that sounds fun to me. On top of that, you should really be varying the intensity of your workouts from day to day- some days harder, some days lighter- that way your body has a chance to recover and build more muscle!
It’s just an intimidating comment. There’s nothing friendly or inviting with that statement and while it may make some people pumped up and motivated to get to the gym, I think the vast majority of gym goers- especially newer ones- would look at that and feel maybe like they’re making the wrong decision. It is always my goal to make people feel welcomed and comfortable… to make them feel like they are wanted at the gym and that no matter what level they’re working at, that they are doing enough for themselves that day. They are there, they are trying and they sure as hell are doing a LOT more than if they skipped out on the gym all together!

I know the media has specific reasons behind everything they do in terms of marketing things, but I just think sometimes they get it all wrong. The front of Cosmo, Women’s Health, Shape, etc. are always full of “how to lost fat faster!”, “how to get toned abs in 7 days”, “how to get a bikini body in 2 weeks!”, etc., along with airbrushed, half dressed women looking “flawless” (or at least that’s the thought behind the photo). The thing is, none of that stuff is really attainable. Why can’t they put REAL women on the cover- who are strong, not just skinny? And, on the same topic, why do workout brands need to make everything look so extreme and intense? Everyone in their ads are always super toned and thin and muscular, wearing matching clothes and “glistening” instead of sweating. I’m sure you can all agree that that’s just not realistic 😉

I’d love to hear your thoughts, though- do you get motivated by “tough” statements like “Make Tomorrow Suck”? Or do you prefer getting excited because you’re doing something physical that you like and enjoy? Do you change up the intensity of your workouts from day to day or do you tend to do more high intensity or low intensity workouts?

sweat your butt off, literally.

Wednesday Workout: 5 Minute Progression Bodyweight AMRAP Circuits

September 30, 2015September 29, 20154 Comments

Good morning! Thank you for all of your kind works on our engagement post yesterday! We are so excited about this next step in our relationship, but since this isn’t just a wedding blog, I wanted to pop in to share a quickie bodyweight workout that I did with my bootcampers last week. It was a workout that was able to be completed in about 30 minutes, which is always a good thing in my eyes!

The idea of increasing reps on one exercise in each circuit is loosely based off of the Metabolic Chain workouts a lot of my favorite fitness experts talk about often: Jen Sinkler, Neghar Fonooni, Jill Coleman and Jade Teta.

You’ll be increasing reps for the first exercise in each circuit (in a progression sort of way)- for instance, set the timer for 5 minutes and complete 2 push-ups, 5 pulsing squat/regular squat combos, 5 burpees & 5 sit-ups… then do the circuit with 4 push-ups, etc. Go as many rounds as you can in 5 minutes and if you work hard and fast (but always focusing on FORM over speed), you’ll be sweating and breathing heavy in no time!

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