Wednesday Workout: Burpees, burpees, burpees. I <3 Burpees!

August 7, 2013August 6, 201322 Comments

This week’s “Wednesday Workout” isn’t necessarily a workout, but rather an ode to burpees! It’s no secret around here how much I love burpees; in fact, there’s RARELY a time where I teach a class that doesn’t include them. Lately, I’ve been learning all sorts of new ones that I’ve been bringing into my classes and based on my member’s reactions to them, they love to hate them! Which is why I am writing this post for you today: I want to share my love of burpees and all my favorite types of burpees with you! I am hoping you’ll either incorporate them into your workouts that you do or teach, because they really are one of the best cardio workouts.

*Side Note: I thought it would be fun to incorporate both step-by-step pictures AND video’s for my favorite burpees- let me know what you think! I apologize that the video’s are blurry; it must be something internal because the camera wasn’t moving when the videos were taken and I took a couple “test” videos and those came out just like these. I hope you can ignore that and focus on the burpees instead 🙂

1. Basic, most common burpee- this is the one I did up until just months ago. Starting from standing, place your hands on the ground, jump or step your feet out so you’re in high plank position, jump or step your feet back into your hands and do a nice, big jump at the end!

IMG 0183 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

2. “Real” burpee (or, CrossFit burpee)- Start out just as you would when you do a basic burpee, but instead of jumping out into high plank position, jump out and drop your whole body onto the ground. From there, lift your whole body up, jump your feet in and perform a big jump at the end.

IMG 0184 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

3. Surfer burpee- Perform a “real” burpee, but instead of jumping your feet in and doing a big jump at the end, push yourself up from the ground and land in a “surfer” stance. Drop back down to your stomach, jump up and land in a surfer stance at the other angle. I love these because they work your legs A LOT when you land in the low squat “surfer” stance.

IMG 0185 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.
4. Frogger burpee- Perform a big forward jump, drop down into a “real” burpee, push yourself up and do a 180* jump so you’re facing the other direction. Jump in that direction, drop down into a “real” burpee, and continue on.

IMG 0186 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

5. Burpee/Push-up/Side plank/Tuck Jump- I have no idea what to call this burpee, but I recently learned it from someone at a work conference (not a workout conference, mind you, I just talk about fitness all the time and found someone else who loves fitness!). For this one, you start out doing a basic burpee, but when you jump out to high plank, do 1 push-up then open up to a side plank, come back to center and do 1 push-up, open up to a side plank on the other side, come back to center and do 1 push-up and then jump your feet in and instead of just jumping up, do a TUCK JUMP at the end of the burpee. Killer!

IMG 0187 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

6. One-Legged Burpee- Follow all steps as the “basic” burpee, but instead of jumping out with both legs, tuck in one knee and only jump back with one leg. Alternate legs jumping back for each burpee. You can also hold a small bender ball in between your knees here, too!

IMG 0188 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

7. Angled Burpee Jumps- Start out with a “basic” burpee, but when you jump your feet out into a high plank, jump them out to the left. Jump them back into the center (at your hands) and then back out to the right, back to your hands, back out straight, and then jump them in and do a big jump at the end. So, it goes: down, out left, in, out right, in, out center, in, jump up.

IMG 0189 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

8. Burpee w/squat landing- This is similar to the “surfer burpee” in that you don’t perform a big jump at the end of the burpee. Instead, when you jump your feet in, you stick your landing in a nice, deep squat. In addition, lift your hands so you have to balance in that low squat. After your landing is “stuck”, place your hands back down, perform a “real” burpee and then push yourself up and stick that low squat landing.

IMG 0190 from Monique Gagnon on Vimeo.

Your turn!! Share with me: What is your FAVORITE burpee? Least favorite? Did I miss any?

Weekly Workouts: A heavy workout week

August 5, 2013August 4, 20132 Comments

Good morning, friends! How are you doing? Now that I have the keys to my new apartment, it’s been hard focusing on anything except for moving! My parents were planning to come down on the 16th and 17th, but I’m trying to figure out a way for them to potentially come down this Friday to at least move the big things in: my bed, dressers, couch, chair, table, etc.

Anyway! As my title suggest, this past week was a heavy week with regards to workouts. I COMPLETELY forgot that I agreed to sub Kate’s 5:30 Sports Conditioning class on Wednesday, so that was a big surprise when I finally made it back in the office after lots of travel and looked at my calendar and saw that! It all worked out, though and since it’s right before my normal class, it’s not really a big deal.

Last Week’s Workouts

Monday- I ran 3 miles in the morning and did some core strengthening exercises since my muscles were pretty tired from Sunday’s BodyPump class. As much as I like my workouts in the evening better than in the morning because I have more energy and more time, it feels great that I am getting back into the “swing” of morning workouts.
Tuesday- I got up at the hotel in Atlanta and did 30 minutes on the elliptical, followed by 4 rounds of: 10 box jumps, 10 incline push ups, 10 squat and press and 10 stability ball leg lifts. Felt great!

Wednesday- Realized I had to sub Kate’s class which was kind of a bummer since I really enjoy my Wednesday runs along the Charles before teaching UXF, but I still got a great workout in between teaching the two classes!

(I taught a fun stations circuit in both classes. Multiple people told me they were sore on Thursday. Music to my ears!)

Thursday- Taught SHRED and then kickboxing. I made up the routine on the plane (on a napkin, mind you), and to my happy surprise, it came out just as well in person as it did in my head! That never happens 😉

(I wore the most obnoxiously loud colored outfit to teach on Thursday… yikes!)

Friday- REST. After 6 consecutive days of workouts, and two of those being doubles, my body was calling for rest. I also had the day off from work which was icing on the cake. It felt weird, but surprisingly good, to not plan my day around my workout! I did do lots of walking around the mall, though.
Saturday- Taught the same kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA as I did in Thursday’s class at the BSC. Awesome energy in the class!!
Sunday- Danielle and I went for a nice walk/jog around Shapleigh, covering almost 2.75 miles. I did some ab work after and also did lots of different kinds of burpees. Hint: fun post coming up on Wednesday!

This Week’s Workouts

Monday- Even though I don’t have anything after work (I was supposed to do something with Jess but I decided that could wait) I wanted to get my workout done in the morning so I could have the evening to grocery shop, cook and start to pack!
Tuesday- Likely working out in the morning again because I want to start bringing stuff to my new apartment!
Wednesday- Probably a run along the Charles and then teaching UXF Burn.
Thursday- SHRED and Kickboxing!
Friday- I have a 3 hour training for the latest UXF Burn release/format/abs… Last time I was trained on UXF Burn, we worked out like crazy people!! It’s so funny to workout with a group of fellow instructors because we all push ourselves way more than we would any other time 😉
Saturday- I am subbing a SHRED class at the Central Square BSC, so BSCers- COME GET YOUR SWEAT ON!!! 🙂 I’m thinking there will be a second workout of the day while dancing at Christy’s wedding 😉
Sunday- Rest!!! Maybe some moving, but mostly rest!

Questions for you: Do you look forward to dancing when you go to weddings or parties? How many weddings have you gone to this summer? Fellow instructor friends- do you work out harder when you’re in a class with all instructors?

Have a wonderful week, friends!!!

The Great Protein Debate- Need Your Help!!

August 3, 2013August 3, 201317 Comments

Hey friends! Boy was it nice having yesterday off! Even though I was busy with a car appointment, shopping, dealing with canceling cable, gas, and electricity only to set them back up in my new place, I did find time to relax in the sun for a little bit! I also talked to my friend, Jess about an exciting new opportunity that I will hopefully be sharing with you in the next few weeks AND picked up the keys to my new apartment!!! Eeek!

Luckily, my shopping trips were very successful! Not only did I get some super cute things for Emma’s birthday party tomorrow, I also got some great deals for myself, including a dress for Christy’s wedding next weekend (holy crap time is flying by!). Here’s the loot! It may look like I spent a lot, but I promise I didn’t! Stores are having incredible deals right now.

(The green thing on the back of my phone is a post-it “to do” note… I keep them there so that I won’t forget things! 🙂 )

While shopping, I meandered into GNC to check out the protein options. With the amount I work out and the fact that I’ve recently cut back dramatically on sweets, I feel like I really need to up the protein in my diet. Rather than filling myself up with unnecessary sweets and “filler” foods (don’t get me wrong- I love treats and snacks and certainly don’t deprive myself, I am just trying to nourish my body with more of what it NEEDS based on my activity levels), I want to keep myself satisfied with foods that will help keep me fuller for longer and help fuel me through my workouts.

But, here’s the problem- I have NO IDEA what type of protein to buy. I asked a friend and he said:

-Whey protein

-One that has 20 grams of protein per shake

-Chocolate is the best flavor

Helpful, but I still need more help! I haven’t done a lot of research, but after checking out a number of different websites, this one in particular, I do think that Whey protein is probably the best option for me as I am just trying to supplement my diet and help repair muscle after spending 1-2 hours in the gym at least 5-6 days a week. Plus, it’s not like I don’t eat any protein; I have Greek yogurt almost daily (usually about 13g/container), in addition to chicken and/or fish, but I definitely need more!

I did a little research and read that “recreational athletes” should be consuming anywhere from .4-.75 grams of protein for every pound of body weight (every site had a number within this range), which would mean on the low end, I need about 48-50 grams of protein daily. In order to get from the 30 or so grams of protein I likely eat in a day, to the 50 or so I SHOULD be consuming, I think a protein shake would be perfect!

But, that brings me back to the question: what type of protein powder do I buy?! I would love to be able to buy a few different kinds to try them out, but they all come in such big packages and are definitely not cheap, so that wouldn’t be a smart route for me to go. I also want to make sure it TASTES good, because there is no way I’m going to suffer through drinking something that tastes like garbage.

Here’s where you come in! Do you use protein powder? Do you have a brand you’ve found to be particularly “good” in terms of effects and taste? What would you suggest for a “newbie” protein powder user? Please help! Clearly, I need it 🙂

Color Me Rad 5K

August 2, 2013August 1, 20136 Comments

This past weekend, I ran the Color Me Rad race, which was held out in Brockton, MA. When I first signed up for the race, I didn’t really pay attention to details because if I had, I am not sure I would have signed up for a race out there! Brockton is certainly NOT Boston, but luckily, Lauren’s friend Amy offered to drive us. Since it had been a crazy busy week for me, I felt completely unprepared for the race for every aspect except for the actual running part. I am typically a very organized (Type A, for sure) person who has all the details and times and locations mapped out and planned for accordingly, but for this race I just didn’t have the time or energy to be on top of it. Many thanks to Lauren for picking up our race bibs and packets and to Amy for offering to drive!

Friday night I packed my bag, laid out my clothes and sneakers and set my alarm for 6:45 on Saturday morning. Thanks to some blog readers, I learned to wear my crapiest workout clothes (ie: no Lulu and definitely not my newest pair of running sneakers!) and bring a twel for the ride home. My roommate was gracious enough to give me a white tank as I wanted to ~~shamelessly~~ promote my blog decorate it with a “Burpees to Bubbly” note. For putting this together in the car en route to the race, I don’t think it came out half bad!

I deleted the photo by accident and only have a copy from Instagram, but I couldn’t copy and paste it, so click on this link to see it: Color Me Rad Shirt

We got to Brockton just around 8am, which was plenty of time before our 9am heat started. What do you do with extra time before a race? Take pictures, of course! 😉

It turns out that they were not very strict about runners starting in the specific heat they were assigned to, which was awesome for us since we were there and ready to go much before 9am. After pre-race necessities were completed (finding safety pins, going to the bathroom, taking pictures), we got in line to start with the 8:30 heat.

Not long after we started the race, we went through the first color station. This station was throwing powder color at us- look how crazy it is to see all the color floating in the air! Not gonna lie- I was a little weirded out by it!

I didn’t end up getting much color on me at this station, but it totally got me in the spirit of the color run theme of the race!

I can’t say that the course of the race was overly scenic or fun; we ran partly through the fair grounds and then around a huge parking lot which actually made for the most boring race course I’ve ever run on. Luckily, there were so many walkers/runners that I was able to do lots of people watching to keep me entertained! Even though the course wasn’t interesting, the race flew by! Before I knew it, we were rounding the last bend and were handed powder color packets to open as we crossed the finish line!

Post race, we had to take the obligatory “after” photos. I didn’t get overly covered in color, but I can’t say I was that mad about it! While we walked to our meeting spot, I checked out some of the vendors. I was pleasantly surprised with how many vendors made an appearance at the race! Naked Juice, Vita Coco, and larabar (just to name a few) were all there so me, being the hoarder that I can be when free stuff is given away, grabbed everything I could grab! 🙂

After we finished getting our swag, we walked back to the car, tried to remove whatever paint-covered clothing we could and headed back to Boston. I can’t speak for the other girls, but I had a hell of a time getting the color off my skin when I took a shower! I had to use an intense loofa and I am pretty sure I ended up scraping off the first couple layers of my skin in order to finally get the color to come off! No wonder why I got a little bit of a sunburn when I laid out by the pool later that day; I took off all my base tan skin layers! 😉

Overall, I thought this was a really fun race! It was the first race I’ve ever run where there wasn’t a timer set up! For me, being the Type A, numbers-focused person that I am, this was a foreign concept! Why would I run “for fun” rather than trying to get a new PR (personal record)?!

Well, I quickly realized that it was because this race WAS for fun and that I would look silly going out there and giving it my all. With that being said, I tried to soak it all in and enjoy the experience and I think I did a great job at that! I ran without focusing on my watch to track my speed, without my music to keep me going and without feeling like I had to keep pushing myself since the clock was running. And, you know what? It made for a very enjoyable race!! It was a nice change to go out there with a carefree running attitude and it was fun getting to run with friends! Many thanks to Lauren and Amy for doing the race with me- what’s the next adventure going to be?

Questions for you: Have you ever run a color run? What’s the best “fun run” you’ve ever done? Do you like tracking your time while running or do you prefer running for fun?

I want to sign up for a Spartan or Warrior Dash- has anyone done one of those??? Which would you suggest?

Summer Squash and Zucchini Lasagna

August 1, 2013July 30, 20138 Comments

Well, I think it’s safe to say that it has been a REALLY long time since I’ve posted a recipe for you guys! Between the hot, summer weather and busy, summer plans, cooking “real” meals has really gone by the wayside. Since I was around all day on Sunday doing my “Sunday” things (workout, laundry, blogging, cooking, etc.), and I had a summer squash and zucchini from my garden that I wanted to use, I figured it was a great time to cook!

I’ve been on the lookout for new recipes to use the veggies that I’ve grown in my garden. Athena recently posted a Summer Squash and Zucchini Ribbon Salad that is likely next on my list of recipes to try, but since my summer squash was on the bigger side, I realized that it might be better used in a lasagna to replace the noodles vs. a ribbon salad.

I didn’t really have a recipe in mind, but I knew the basis of a lasagna recipe: ricotta cheese, egg, meat/filling, and noodles (or, summer squash and zucchini in my case). With that said, I did double-check my idea of a recipe against a number of different websites. Man, there are A LOT of different lasagna recipes out there; some of them are so detailed and ingredient heavy, which was not at all what I was looking for. So, I went simple! And, you know what? You couldn’t even tell the difference!

I am a fan of lasagna with a lot of “stuff” in it, so in addition to the ground turkey and ricotta stuffing, I sautéed onions and mushrooms (in wine, of course!) and added in diced tomatoes. I didn’t want to overload the lasagna with too many veggies/flavors, but sautéed onions and mushrooms are such a good combination that I had to add them.

Summer Squash and Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey
1 large summer squash
1 large zucchini
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 can of diced tomatoes (drained)
15 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar jack since that’s all we had, but I would likely do Italian instead)
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup skim milk
herbs and seasoning to taste (I added some to the turkey while it was cooking, veggies while they were cooking, and the ricotta cheese mixture)

Directions

1. Cut up the onion and mushrooms and sauté them with wine, minced garlic and seasonings.

2. Cook the ground turkey. When it is cooked through, add in a can of diced tomatoes (drained).

3. Use a kitchen gadget (peeler or a slicer from Pampered Chef) to create thin slices of summer squash and zucchini. Make sure to pat the slices with a paper towel or place them on a paper towel to help absorb some of the water. I didn’t do this, and I ended up with a very watery lasagna!

4. Mix together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, shredded cheese, egg, milk and seasoning.

5. Once everything is combined, start to create your lasagna layers: summer squash and zucchini ribbons, meat & veggie mixture and cheese mixture until all of the ingredients are used up. I put one last layer of shredded cheese at the top before baking at 350* for 30 minutes. To brown up the top of the lasagna, I broiled it for about 5 minutes.

This meal was a perfect example of a “healthified” home-cooked meal because even though the noodles were substituted with veggies, we still felt satisfied when we finished. Between the ricotta cheese mixture and ground turkey, there was enough sustenance to leave us feeling full, but not in a bloated/stuffed way.

Questions for you: Do you have a garden? Do you tend to cook less in the summer because of a busy schedule and hot weather?

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