Wednesday Workout: 10-10-10 Pre-Flight Workout & A Standing Ab Workout

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It’s your lucky hump day today- I’ve got TWO workouts for you… and a video! *cue happy dance* 😉

Last week I had to travel for work and since I knew I wouldn’t have time to workout while I was there (really short trip), I decided to get up super early to get in a quickie workout before my 7:30 flight. Even if it’s not a long workout, I like to try to get SOMETHING in on a day of travel where I know I’ll be on a plane for a number of hours and then sitting in meetings for even more hours. It helps wake me up and give me energy to tackle the day.

So, I rolled out of bed at 4:45am and did this quick, 30 minute workout before my flight and felt great!

I split it up to be 10 minutes cardio, 10 minutes strength and 10 minutes core so that I could have a full body workout. It’s a little all over the place because I picked 10 different cardio and core exercises, but that’s what I needed to get me through the workout!

10-10-10 pre-flight workout

And… you’re done! I was actually sweating quite a bit by the time I finished this workout and I felt like I really worked all of the key muscles to work in a short workout… aka, this workout gave me a lot of “bang for the buck”.

If you don’t have weights, you can easily swap out some of the moves and replace them with body weight exercises. Think: Triceps dips, push-ups, Down-Dog push-ups, etc.

Most moves are pretty common, but some that may need explaining are:

Hammer Kicks
Supermans
Toe Touches
Windshield Washer

Let me know if you try this!

Next up: Standing Ab Workout

My kickboxing class on Saturday is getting so crowded that there just aren’t enough mats for everyone to use at the end for our core work time. Instead, I’ve been doing a bunch of standing ab exercises, which can be just as effective as core exercises done on the ground. This will only take you about 10 minutes to complete, which is a great way to end a workout!

standing ab workout

And, since I’m loving workout videos lately, I filmed one on Sunday for you guys to do if you want to DO the workout with someone (sometimes that’s the motivation you need to actually do a workout at home, right?). Again, my videos definitely need work, but it’s all good… that will come eventually! For now, try to focus on the moves rather than my mistakes 😉

http://vimeo.com/88025241

Questions for you: If you’re running short on time, what are the “must have” exercises you’d include in your workout? Do you prefer standing ab routines or mat exercises? Are you apt to get up early to squeeze in exercise before a trip?

PJ’s Unique Peek Boutique: Bag Giveaway

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Hi, friends! Boy do I have a treat for you today. A few weeks ago, I met the owner of PJ’s Unique Peek Boutique, which is located in Kennebunkport, Maine. I had heard wonderful things about Jane (the owner) from my mom and her friend, Jeanne, and everything they said about her was entirely true. My first thought when I saw Jane, was “wow. She is stunning! And really fashionable.” Well, duh, she owns a clothing boutique, so I guess that makes sense. Anyway! Jane and I started talking about her store and how she just got on Facebook and was trying to get more “likes”, so when I said I wrote a blog and could possibly help with that, she jumped right on board!

Before I get to the giveaway (which you don’t want to miss), I want to share a little bit about Jane and how she got her business started. I’m always impressed when people have a goal and go for it- no matter how big or small it is, working towards your goals or dreams is a huge accomplishment and something to be incredibly proud of.

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Owning a women’s boutique has always been a dream of mine, although over the years I’ve worn many hats, but,…the stars aligned perfectly last spring.  My friend and I decided it was do or die, so we formed an LLC and proceeded to secure a “brick and mortar” location and do our due diligence, researching and preparing our business plan.

Lower Village Kennebunk, a stone’s throw from Kennebunkport and Dock Square, seemed to be the ideal spot and as a bonus there was parking in the rear of the building.  It never hurts to have former President and Mrs. Bush as neighbors!  We opened the boutique on July 5th.  In December, I had the opportunity to buy out my partner, so now the name PJ’s stands for Positively Jane’s.

I’m anticipating to have my online store up and running very soon.  Presently I’m offering some specials on the business Facebook page.  Soldsie and Paypal will be added to Facebook to enhance the selling and buying experience.

The boutique carries fun and fashionable women’s clothing, accessories and jewelry (Kazuri from Africa to locally made wire and stone jewelry).  The clothing lines include Pretty Women, Tribal, Parkhurst, Raffinalla and Southern Lady to name a few. My skin potions (soaps, creams, body butters and cleansers) are made in Maine.  Also, I have some unique gifts made by local artisans from beautiful burl bowls to framed prints to colorful luggage tags.

The days and hours are limited in the winter months, but the boutique is open seven days a week after Memorial day.

So, now that you have an idea about Jane and her store (which I’m dying to go to!), let’s get to the giveaway, shall we? Jane has been gracious enough to give me one of the gorgeous Latico bags that she sells in her store to giveaway on the blog. Made in the US, this leather bag is a “must-have” for any of us who are on the go and always in need of a big bag to carry everything. The straps are thin, so they stay in place on your shoulder- is there anything more annoying than having your bag constantly slip down off your shoulder??

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On top of that, the leather is incredibly soft and I’m in love with the gorgeous blue color- perfect for the upcoming spring and summer season, right?? I’m really digging the liner fabric- it’s a nice surprise when you open the bag!

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I also love that it has a zipper. Since I’m often on public transportation, I always look for bags with zippers to keep everything safe (not to mention when I’m in the car and my bag falls off the seat… having a zipper helps to eliminate everything falling all over the floor!). The bag is rather big and deep (perfect for carrying a laptop!), so I like that it comes with a handy little small, zippered pouch. There are also pockets for your phone, pens, cards, etc., but I’d use the zippered pouch to hold my chapsticks/lip-glosses, hand sanitzer, keys, etc. You could also use it to hold your cash if you decide to leave your bag in the car while you run errands or go out with friends.

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This bag retails at $169.99, but one lucky reader will receive it- for free!! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what you’re most looking forward to this spring season- clothes, bags, warm weather… can be anything!

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You may receive extra entries by:

1. “Liking” PJ’s Unique Peek on Facebook

2. “Liking” Burpees To Bubbly on Facebook

3. “Sharing” this giveaway on Twitter

Leave a comment for every extra way you’re entering the giveaway- That’s a total of 4 ways to enter this giveaway!

I will be picking the winner, by random, on Monday, March 10th, so make sure to get your entries in before that 🙂

Good luck!

This Week: Workouts (lots of teaching!) & Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Happy Monday! I’m hoping that we didn’t actually get as much snow as the weather was predicting all weekend… I’m also hoping that by the time this post goes up, I’ve successfully taught my first 6am class at my new gym 🙂

Last week was a really great week of quality workouts (not necessarily the quantity of workouts), mostly because it felt amazing to be back in the gym and teaching, partly because they actually were good workouts. Even though I stayed active last week, it wasn’t at my normal intensity and didn’t involve weights, so being back at the gym last week with normal intensity AND weights left me tired and sore. And, I kind of loved it! Even though I like to have a consistent workout plan and schedule each week, being forced to take a step back, slow down and change things up is a nice break 🙂

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I got up before my work trip to Dallas (like 5am style. yuck) to squeeze in a quick 30 minute workout: 10 minutes cardio, 10 minutes strength, 10 minutes core. I’m going to post it for you this week.
  • Tuesday- Nothing. My trip to Dallas was quick and I knew I wouldn’t be getting up to workout before the sessions, so I didn’t even bring my workout clothes!
  • Wednesday- I ran 3 miles on the treadmill before teaching UXF Burn. I did most of the workout with the class (except the cardio) so I was beat by the end.
  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and Kickboxing. I randomly used body bars in SHRED and loved it!! I ended up making up most of the workout as we went so we could use the bars and it was a nice change up. Kickboxing was super high cardio and super sweaty. I hadn’t taught that class in 2 weeks so it was great to be back!
  • Friday- I walked about a mile… so mostly a rest day
  • Saturday- Taught kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA. There were 62 people… it.was.sweaty.

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  • Sunday- I filmed a standing ab routine (I’ll be posting it this week!) and did some at-home yoga. It was just what I needed!!

yoga

I was seriously SO sore from kickboxing on Saturday, so stretching out my muscles was wonderful. At least I wasn’t the only one sore… these girls were suffering in my pain, too!

sore

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I’m teaching my first 6am Muscle Work class in the morning (pending the snow doesn’t ruin that plan!!) and then teaching cardio kickboxing at the Watertown BSC after work. Nothing like a Monday double to start off the week!
  • Tuesday- I was invited to participate in a new program that’s being brought to Boston (more on that later!), so I’m going to Flywheel for the opening event. SO excited to get back in the saddle there!
  • Wednesday- Probably some cardio before teaching UXF Burn. I’m thinking it will be a lower-impact cardio based on my Monday and Tuesday workouts.
  • Thursday- My second double of the week! SHRED followed by Kickboxing.
  • Friday- REST 🙂
  • Saturday- Amy and I switched Saturday’s at the Y so I’ll be teaching kickboxing there again this weekend!
  • Sunday- I’m subbing a 9AM UXF Burn class at the Allston BSC- looking forward to being back at that gym- BSCers… come hang with me 🙂

I’m glad that last week ended up being a lighter workout week than normal (3 mostly “rest” days, which I never do in one week) because this week is a bit intense with teaching 7 classes. I’m going to make sure to listen to my body and instruct/coach rather than actually DO the workouts with the class when I feel like I’ve done too much.

Things I’m Looking Forward To

So much!! I’m excited to have a week where I am mostly back to my normal schedule, although, now that I think about it, it’s not really “normal” since I have a lot of things going on after work… hmmm…. I’m also looking forward to the blog event on Tuesday night- it’s always fun to meet fellow Boston bloggers. I’m looking to expand my blog reading list, so I know I’ll get to add a few to my list after Tuesday night 😉 I’m going to another blog event on Saturday afternoon- a wine tasting event. Umm, perfect!! Wine and blogging… after teaching… sounds like the perfect Saturday, right?

Giveaway coming up-

Be on the lookout for an awesome giveaway going up on the blog tomorrow. I think you ladies are going to LOVE it!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? What are you looking forward to this week? If you had to pick one blog to tell me to read, what would it be?

Exciting News! Adding a new class to the mix…

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Hi, friends! TGIF, right?! I have literally had pretty much zero extra time this week due to my work trip to Dallas on Monday and Tuesday and a crazy hectic couple of days after. My bag is still unpacked, my dishwasher just got emptied and I haven’t put away my recent purchases… all of which are VERY unlike me.

BUT, I wanted to pop in today to share some exciting news on the fitness front:

I’m starting to teach a Muscle Work class at Fitness International, located within International Place in Boston’s financial district.

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My company moved into the building in December, and when I heard that the on-site gym offered classes, I immediately went down to chat with them to see if there were any open opportunities… partly because I wanted to have access to the gym (which is otherwise pretty pricey), partly because I wanted to get experience teaching at other gyms, especially one that is located IN my office building. Once I checked it out, saw the locker rooms (with towel service, a sauna, steam room showers, and everything else you’d need to get ready for a day in the office), saw the class sizes (averages 15 people during the middle of the day!), and found out they pay $15/hour MORE than the BSC does, I realized it was a perfect fit.

Granted, I may not really NEED to add another class to my already busy schedule, BUT here are the reasons I decided to take it on:

  • It’s an every other week schedule, meaning that I don’t have a weekly commitment.
  • It is a much more relaxed environment compared to the BSC and YMCA in terms of needing subs and getting subs.
  • It’s a 6:10 am class, which will be a nice change from my evening class schedule. I definitely don’t want to add more classes after work, but having an excuse to get up and workout before work will be really nice- I’m looking forward to having every other Monday evening “off” from the gym!
  • It’s an hour of strength training, which is different from any other class I teach. I’ve been really into strength training over the past 6-8 months, so I’m looking forward to having a whole hour dedicated to it!
  • I’m always looking to get my name out around Boston more, and the more places I teach, the more people and connections I can meet and make!
  • Did I mention it pays more than my other gyms and there’s lots of room for expansion if I decided to do it?

So, I think I made the right decision and I’m excited to see where this will go, BUT I’m a little nervous for my first class on Monday: will they like me? Will I have the energy I do when I teach after work? Will I teach like the other instructor? Will it be too hard or too easy for them? Will they like the format and feel like it was worth their time? I feel like there’s more pressure when teaching a morning class because not only are people taking an hour out of their day for you to give them a good workout, they are getting up EARLY for it. Yikes!

Here’s where I need your help!! Fitness instructors- how do you make sure you have enough energy to teach a morning class? Any tips to make my first class go a little more smoothly? If you teach a strength-only class, what are some “go to” formats you use to take up a full 50-60 minutes? What about energy levels- do members like high-energy instructors or prefer quitter ones since it’s early in the morning? Class goers- what’s something about a strength-only class that you love? What makes you not miss cardio?

Do any of you belong to that gym, work in the building or have friends who belong to the gym? If so, let me know 🙂 I’m definitely going to have to follow my Wednesday Workout: Tips for getting out of bed before work to workout post for a reminder on how to get up and workout before work… I’ve been so lazy when it comes to that since I teach primarily after work 😉

Enjoy your day and weekend!! I’ve got a fun giveaway going up on the blog next week- so keep your eyes on the lookout!

Wednesday Workout: The Low Impact, No Equipment, No Contact Workout

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Aka, the workout I came up with so that I could get some movement in, but not be in any pain. I did this Wednesday night when my hands and feet were in so much pain that I couldn’t really do much that involved moving them. I knew I wanted to get some movement in, so I thought of a workout I could do that would get my heart rate up, yet still be low impact.

Although I didn’t use weights for this workout, if you wanted to intensify it, feel free to use weights- totally up to you. I did each mini set three times through before moving on to the next, but if you wanted to do each mini set once and work through all four of them before you repeated anything, that’s fine, too. The video I filmed will allow you to go through the workout like that- you’ll do each set once through and then you can repeat the circuit one or two times through.

Low Impact, No Equipment, Little Contact Workout

http://vimeo.com/87404997

As you can see, there aren’t any crazy moves here- just the basics, but you know what? They are effective if you do them deliberately and if you think about the muscles you’re using for each move. Since a bunch of you asked for more workout video’s/demo’s, I decided I’d try it out with this workout. I definitely lost count more than once (happens every time in my classes- it’s hard to count, instruct and cue!), but hopefully it will help guide you through the workout and feel like you’re with me in class when you do it! I have a lot of work to do in my video’s, but it’s super fun to do them so I hope to get more on the blog this year!

Let me know what you think of the workout and video. Remember to warm up and cool down properly!

Questions for you: Do you like following workout videos? What types of videos would you like to see more of?