Wednesday Workout: My Favorite Cardio Blasts {5 of them!}

August 6, 2014August 4, 20148 Comments

Good morning! How’s your week going so far? I’ve got a fun post for you today, but before we get to that, did you catch my post last week on how do get your workout mojo back? I had a blast writing it and have received a lot of positive feedback from it, so I’m happy it helped!

Today, though, I’ve got 5 “Cardio Blast” workouts for you that will surely leave you “sucking wind”, as I appropriately named one of them! As I’ve mentioned before (and included in my UXF-inspired workouts), when I teach UXF Burn I include a cardio blast in between sets. I love it because the cardio blasts allow people to work at their own pace and really push themselves if they want to be pushed. I can also include a lot of different cardio exercises which helps to keep boredom and dread at bay.

My favorite cardio blasts include a pyramid format where you either work from 60 to 50 to 40 and so on until you get to 10 reps OR you work the opposite way where you go 10 reps to 20 reps up to 60 reps (usually a 60 second plank). However, today I’ve tried to give you a good variety using different formats and exercises so you can play around with all of them. They are great on their own if you’re looking for a quick cardio workout that will leave you winded, or they’re a great addition to a strength workout (either between sets or at the end). I hope you enjoy them as much as my members do…. 😉

Let me know if you try any of these! Also, big thanks to Athena for sharing her cardio finishers, which is where I got the idea for the Burpee and High Knees Cardio Blast- it’s such a fun (and challenging!) cardio format- I love it!

Questions for you: What’s your favorite type of cardio? Do you have a favorite format? Suggestions for a new cardio blast that I can include in my classes?

Chicago: Round 2

August 5, 2014August 5, 20145 Comments

I love Chicago. If I didn’t live in Boston, I would probably live there. I love that even though it’s a huge city, it still has that small city, Boston feel. I love that it’s clean and that there are so many fun things to do and good places to eat. This past trip was especially fun because not only did RM end up coming (my friend Lauren ended up not being able to go so RM took her place), but my best friend Jessi and her boyfriend and another couple were also there. RM had never been to Chicago so I was excited to show him around, and to also introduce him to my best friend, JP, who moved there a little over a year ago.

I’m going to try to keep my recap short and sweet, highlighting the places we ate and things we did and leave the rest to the pictures- Enjoy!

Friday

We got to Chicago around 10 and took the train to our hotel. We stayed at the W City Center, which I was excited about originally, but later regretted. It just wasn’t in the right part of the city where we ended up wanting to be the whole time, so it was a lotttt of walking each day! Next time, I’m going with my instinct and staying at the hotel my sister and I stayed at last time. Anyway! We grabbed a drink at the hotel bar before making the trek to The Purple Pig for lunch.

My friend JP couldn’t rave enough about The Purple Pig, and it did not disappoint! Our friends went on Thursday night at 6 and it was a 2 hour wait. Around 2pm on a Friday, we scored and found seats right at the bar. Everything about the place was awesome- service, atmosphere, wines and the food! A must if you go to Chicago.

We then went to the bean and took the necessary touristy pics!

For dinner, we went to The Signature Room which is the restaurant at the top of the Hancock Tower. It’s the 95th floor, so the views were amazing!! The food and drinks did not disappoint, either. It was such a fun night.

We grabbed a quick drink at Hub 51 after dinner before calling it a night.

Saturday

After my run and a long walk with RM, we showered and headed to Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast. I highly suggest this place if you’re in the area- the warm donuts to start, the home-cooked meals on menu and the soft serve taster at the end had us rolling out of the restaurant!

The rest of the afternoon was spent at Wrigley Field, watching the Cubs get crushed by the Cardinals. I’m not a baseball fan and ended up getting bored not long into the afternoon, but it was still a really fun experience to go to a game there!

RM and I ended up grabbing a late dinner at Park Grill Chicago in Millennium Park before going to my friend JP’s apartment. I was really craving pizza and the one I ordered did NOT disappoint! Look at this thing!

We played Cards Against Humanity at JP’s, which is always a good time. It was SO GOOD to see him- I miss having him in Boston and working with him. womp 😦

Sunday

I got up on Sunday and went for a long walk to get breakfast and Architecture Tour tickets. The weather was finally gorgeous, so I was really happy to be outside soaking it all up! RM loves architecture and real estate so he was in heaven throughout the tour. And, they serve drinks- how much better can you get?!

We grabbed a quick lunch at Sweetwater Tavern and Grille on our way back to the hotel.

RM treated us to massages, which was on the agenda for Sunday afternoon. Our hotel didn’t have a spa, but luckily the JW Marriott across the street had one. It was such a relaxing afternoon! We went in the hot tub and the steam room and sauna before our separate massages. Finished off with some champagne and you’ve got a very happy Monique!

Once we showered and got ready, we headed to the grassy field area at the amphitheater in Millennium Park near the bean. We grabbed some wine (they sell it everywhere which is awesome!) and had a blast chatting with Jessi and Chuck, people watching and watching the movie that was showing. I wish I did more of this stuff in Boston.

Dinner was at The Gage and it, again, did not disappoint! Everything we ate was awesome, including my cheese burger, which was so random but exactly what I wanted. It was the perfect day from start to finish!

Monday

After our workouts, we headed back to Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast before shopping on the Magnificent Mile. It was a little chilly, but perfect weather for all the walking that we did!

Unfortunately, our flight home was delayed by a lot, which meant we spent a few hours at the bar and then I caught up on some blogging (before the free wifi timed out) and started a new book.

All in all, it was an awesome trip to Chicago! The weather could’ve been better, but other than that it was perfect. Also, if you’re looking for a way to save money, do this: Buy a bottle of wine and keep it on ice in your room. It’s so much cheaper than buying glasses of wine for $14 each!

And, it allows you to do this while getting ready 😉

I can’t wait to go back- Chicago is a city that would never get old to me!

In case you missed my other Chicago recaps, here they are:

Boston>Dallas>Chicago
Chicago: Part1 {Shopping and Bar Hopping}
Chicago: Part 2 {The Bean, Navy Pier, Boat Tour, Brewery}
Chicago: Part 3 {Brunching, Architecture Tour, Homemade Dinner}

Questions for you: What’s your favorite part about Chicago (if you’ve been)? Do you ever have wine picnics? What’s the most recent ravel nightmare you’ve experienced?

This Week: Workouts, New Gig & Things I’m Looking Forward To

August 4, 2014August 3, 20146 Comments

Good morning! How was your weekend? I was on the Cape with RM and some of his family (including two adorable little boys!) and although the weather was less than to be desired, we still had a great time. He and I grabbed a quick dinner at Jeveli’s in East Boston before making the trek to the Cape, which was smart because we avoided the 93 South daily traffic nightmare. The rest of the weekend was spent sleeping in (finally!), playing with the babes, drinking (lots of) wine, cooking and playing games- have you played Heads Up? SO FUN! I’ve mastered one of his mom’s ciambotta dishes, so I made that as well as some baked kale. Everything was so good and it was nice to be away from the grinds of the city for a little bit.

Last Week’s Workouts

Monday- RM and I were still in Chicago, but we both got up for a little gym sesh first thing in the morning. I did 25 minutes on the elliptical before completing a little HIIT workout consisting of 15 exercises of 45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest. It was good!
Tuesday- I had all intentions of going to check out a class at a new-to-me gym, but since we got in really late on Monday night- errr Tuesday morning (1am style), I was exhausted and knew that if I wanted to food shop, cook dinner and get to bed at a reasonable hour, the workout had to go. I was very ok with that decision.
Wednesday- Since I wasn’t teaching my Thursday night double, I doubled up on Wednesday. The girl who teaches before me on Wednesdays teaches a killer class so it was fun to have my butt kicked. We did A LOT of burpees! I also taught my class after and did probably 75% of the workout.
Thursday- I went to a class at a new-to-me gym. It was actually a really good class- we did cardio (kickboxing!), weights and core work.

Friday- I went for a 3.5 mile lunch time run and then did some core work (push-ups, planks, Russian Twists, Side Planks, etc.). I was happily surprised by how good the workout ended up being- all in a lunch break!

Saturday- Mostly a rest day. RM’s sister-in-law wanted to workout with me so we ended up doing about 30 minutes of yoga/pilates/core work/squats in the living room. I was actually pretty sweaty by the time we finished!
Sunday- Initially it was going to be another rest day but by 12:30 I was getting antsy and starting to bug RM so he suggested that I go for a run, haha He’s always hell bent on making me rest so the fact that he was encouraging me to run was a nice change… I must have been really annoying 😉

This Week’s Workouts

Monday- By the time this post goes up I will have taught my Monday morning Muscle Work class and done some cardio. I know I always say this, but it’s so true: it sucks getting up but my Monday is so much better when I know my workout is done before 7:30!
Tuesday- We have an “all hands” meeting at the Boston Harbor Hotel on Tuesday and Wednesday so I’ll get up before that to get my workout in.
Wednesday- I might double up again, but I may just run before I teach UXF Burn.
Thursday- Not sure! Might go to that class that I went to last week again. We’ll see.
Friday- Probably a rest day.
Saturday- I’m subbing a class at the new-to-me gym that I’ve mentioned earlier in this post. It’s called Chisel, which I think is mostly a muscle class. I hope they like me!
Sunday- Not sure- maybe another rest day. My parents will be here so my mom may want to walk with me which would be fun.

New Gig

As I’ve mentioned, I may have a new little teaching gig. I know, I know. I just gave up my Thursday double because it was too much and here I am adding more on again. Don’t worry, though– nothing has been added to my schedule as a permanent class- I’m just on the sub list for now. The best part about the gym is it is literally at the end of the entrance for my new office, so it’s super convenient. It’s an all women’s gym called PUMPS and I love what I know about it so far. I have been to a number of classes and the instructors are great and the member base seems really dedicated. I’m excited about having a new place to workout and meet new people!

Things I’m Looking Forward To

This is a busy week, but I’m excited about it. I get to spend Tuesday and Wednesday at the Boston Harbor Hotel for a work conference with my entire company, which is a great way for me to meet more people. Tuesday night we are going on an Oddessey cruise around Boston Harbor, which is always a good time- I just hope we have good weather. On Thursday night, I am going to my sister’s apartment to make pizza and have wine. We haven’t seen each other in a MONTH, which is unheard of for us so I’m really looking forward to it! And, lastly, and what I’m most looking forward to is the fact that my parents are coming down on Saturday to spend the night! Mom and I are going to get pedicures during the day and then RM will come over and we are going to cook a nice dinner for my parents. I’m going to learn how to make his mom’s sauce- can’t wait for that!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? How many rest days did you take? Did your weekend plans get ruined because of the weather? What are you most looking forward to this week?

Catching up {Workouts and Life}

August 1, 2014July 31, 20146 Comments

As I read other healthy living blogs, I’m happy to see that I’m not the only one feeling like there just isn’t enough time in the day or week to accomplish everything on my to-do list. Sometimes blogging just has to take a back seat, and even though I sometimes feel guilty about it or stressed to get posts written, realizing it’s OK to take a break is so refreshing. Sarah wrote a post earlier this week that hit me hard. It was as if I was writing it myself! I’m finding myself in a recent job change, increasing love for fitness and teaching and no longer just being on my own. Being in a serious relationship and moving to that “we” thing is awesome, but it’s also a big change for someone who hasn’t had that in a longggg time. My normal blogging time and teaching time and “Monique” time is just not the same as it used to be and I wouldn’t change that for the world. As we grow up, our priorities change, right? It’s such an exciting time, but sometimes it can be a little stressful! Sarah’s post was a great reminder to not let myself get stressed out over these types of changes, but to embrace them and live life. Blogging will always be here, but random nights with the bf or friends of family won’t- it’s more important to DO those things, rather than sit at home, writing a post because it’ll “screw up my schedule” if I don’t.

And, with that, let’s catch up on some stuff!

Workouts- Last week

Last week was my last week teaching my Thursday night double, which was totally bittersweet! On top of that, RM and I headed to Chicago with some friends so my weekend workouts were a bit different than usual. Overall, though, it was a great week of workouts. We did SO MUCH WALKING when in Chicago. Our hotel was about a mile from all the action (just in the wrong part of the city), so getting to and from anywhere was at least a 2 mile walk.

Monday- After work, I ran 3.5 miles and then did the workout listed at the bottom of this workout post. I kinda died a little…

Tuesday- I went to a BodyPump during work since I had a hair appointment after work. What is it about BodyPump that gets me every time?!
Wednesday- I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill before teaching (and doing most of) UXF Burn. I’m not sure what we did to get so dirty?

Thursday- Last double:( In SHRED, we did 3 rounds of stations and then we did some across the floor cardio and partner ab stuff. We had a big group and everyone seemed to enjoy it! Kickboxing had it’s biggest crowd to date and we worked super hard!

Friday- Nothing. We had an early flight so there was definitely no morning workout for me! We did do some walking, though.
Saturday- I got up and ran 4 miles, although I think my mapmyrun GPS wasn’t working because it was saying I was running all sub 8 minute miles… highly doubt that! After, I did some core work at the gym and then RM wanted to go for a walk so we went on about a 45 minute loop- we were walking so fast!

Sunday- We had all intentions of going to the gym at the spa before our massages, but a late lunch got in the way of that. I did walk for about an hour in the morning while getting breakfast and Architecture tour tickets.

Catching Up- Life

The past couple of weeks have been so busy!! I feel like I’m on auto-pilot going from one thing to the next. Anyone else feel this way? I have a full recap of Chicago coming soon, but besides that, here are some things going on:

My garden is growing so much! Over the past couple of weeks I have picked kale and green beans, and both taste so fresh!

I recently started reading The One and Only by Emily Griffin for a book club that my college friends and I started. It’s really just an excuse to get together to drink wine, but we decided to throw a book in the mix, too!

I had to buy new Tom’s when walking around in Chicago and I’m actually happy about it because I’ve been meaning to buy a new pair for a while now. Love this blue!

I’m heading to the Cape this weekend with RM and his brother, sister-in-law and their 1 year old son. I think the weather is supposed to be crappy… why can’t it be nice when I have time to go to the beach?!
My parents are coming next weekend for my mom’s birthday- any good meal suggestions?

Questions for you: When’s the last time you skipped workout for sleep? Have you had any garden-fresh veggies this summer? Do you read Emily Griffin books? Are you in a book club?

My 2nd Stitch Fix Review {Hint: I loved it!}

July 31, 2014July 30, 20149 Comments

As I mentioned in my review of my first Stitch Fix, I just wasn’t that impressed. First, I couldn’t receive one for over a month, second, once I did schedule one it got cancelled and third I just wasn’t that crazy about what was in the fix. I went into my personal account, updated my style likes and dislikes and was hopeful when pressing the confirmation button for my next fix. And… I’m very happy to say that I LOVED my 2^nd fix! Besides the earrings, upon first look I wanted to keep everything!

On top of that, the personalized note from my stylist, Alison, was SO sweet and, well, personal.

Look at these colors!

I just couldn’t wait to try them on… especially the white skinnies, which, as Allison said, were the PERFECT skinnies. Here’s a recap of my items:

Level 99 Shauna Skinny Jeans- $118

Sadly, I wasn’t able to keep them because they were a bit over my price limit, especially for it being the middle of summer already. Also, I know they’re supposed to fit tight, but they were a little too thin for me to wear that tight. However, if they were half the cost I would’ve snatched them up in a heartbeat! Lucky for me, I scored a pair of awesome white skinny pants (for a much cheaper price) at Banana Republic while in Chicago.

Market & Spruce Colibri Paisley Print Sleeveless Top- $44

I loved this shirt from the moment I laid eyes on it. The pattern, color, style, and ultimately fit made this a sure keeper for me. I love that it can be worn with skinny jeans (looked fantastic with the ones they sent me!) for a casual look or tucked in and worn to work with a sweater. I thought the price was very reasonable too.

Skies are Blue Anabell Lattice Detail Sleeveless Blouse- $54

Again, I loved the color and design of this shirt, as well as the loose, flowy fit. I especially liked the way the cut at the top was close to the neck, thus exposing more shoulder- such an attractive way to show off the shoulder! I definitely plan on wearing this to work, too, as the color will really pop with a black suit.

Tart Kaiya Solid Belted Dress- $98

I loved this dress, but sadly it was just too big at the top and made me look like I was swimming in it. It would’ve looked so cute with a pair of brown wedges or boots. I even really loved the belt and planned on buying that, but realized I couldn’t since it came with the dress.

Bay to Baubles Roxanne Pave Chandelier Earrings- $32

Although these are pretty earrings, they aren’t really my style and I didn’t feel like they really went with the other items in my fix.

As you can see, it was really hard picking what I was going to keep and what I was going to send back- that’s the problem with getting a good fix! I think what I picked was the most practical as they can both be worn at work and for play.

I haven’t scheduled my next fix yet as I like to wait until I have a special occasion to do it for… or maybe a time where it’s been a while since I’ve shopped. It would be too expensive of a habit if I scheduled them monthly!

If you’re on the fence about doing your first fix, I highly suggest it!

Questions for you: White skinnies- yay or nay? Do you have a tough time finding clothes that’s “just right”? Are you a big jewelry person?

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Burpees to Bubbly

Because good workouts deserve bubbly rewards!

Wednesday Workout: My Favorite Cardio Blasts {5 of them!}

Chicago: Round 2

This Week: Workouts, New Gig & Things I’m Looking Forward To

Catching up {Workouts and Life}

My 2nd Stitch Fix Review {Hint: I loved it!}

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