Wednesday Workout: Compound Exercise Supersets, Core, Tabata Cardio

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Hey everyone! I was totally sore after the workout that I taught in SHRED last Thursday, so I figured it would be a good one to share with you this week! What I liked about this workout was the fact that we did more than 10-12 or 15 reps per exercise, AND the fact that they WERE reps and not 60 second intervals. I think people tend to keep better form when we do reps together vs. timed intervals where people go at their own pace (people either rush through the exercises to get a high number of reps OR they don’t push themselves and take breaks).

Compound exercises supersets, core, tabata cardio

In class, we lifted to the 32-count beat and I played around with the speed, but for the purposes of making this easier for you guys to take to the gym with you, I have you doing 20 reps.

Most of these compound moves are ones you have seen on here many times, but if you have questions, please let me know! This workout took about 35-40 minutes to complete, so it was perfect for class once I added my warm up and cool down. If you’re running short on time, you can always choose just a couple of sets to do instead of doing all four. Or, you could pick one set and repeat it two or three times- lots of ways to play around with this workout, so give it a shot!

Pedicure, Hair Appt & Christy’s Bachelorette Party in NH

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As I mentioned yesterday, I had a busy weekend! I was literally in bed before 10pm on Friday night since I was so beat from the week and wanted to be rested for my busy Saturday. I slept like a freaking rock and woke up at 8 ready for the day! I headed to Brighton to teach my 3rd week in a row of Kickboxing. The members in that class are SO nice. One lady said that I must teach a good class if she’s made it to a Saturday class 3 weeks in a row- what a nice compliment! Ashley was also there, which was a nice treat:) Hope your dress fitting went well!!

After teaching, I showered quickly and headed to one of my old stand-by mani/pedi salon in Oak Square. Since moving to Somerville, I haven’t been able to find one that I like so I was happy to have time between teaching and my hair apt to get a pedi!

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I didn’t have time for a full mani, but they said they could quickly paint my nails. Talk about being pampered!

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From there, I headed into the city to get my hair cut at Mitchell John Salon. I love Janet, who cuts my hair, but didn’t love that she had gone up in price AGAIN. I’m going to have to start going back to Maine to get my hair done… it’s about a third of the price!

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#selfie 😉

Sheila and I carpooled to NH for Christy’s Bachelorette party. Christy’s fiancé has a beautiful, huge home in Hampton, NH so we all met up there to have apps and cocktails before dinner.

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I tried to stick to the veggies, but Kia brought her healthy spinach dip again so of course I chowed face on that too. Kia, you need to send me the recipe… or maybe guest blog!? Everyone would love it!

After we snacked a bit, we had Christy open all of the lingerie gifts we brought her. This was a really fun idea and it was nice that some people bought practical items and some bought silly ones 😉

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Before the driver came, we took a few pictures. Christy and AJ aren’t technically “SMC girls”, but they’ve been around with us for so long that we have adopted them.

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(Sheila, AJ, Christy, me and Kia)

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(Christy and her Maid of Honor, Kerri)

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(My girls! Kia Amy, Christy, me, Sheila, AJ. Sheila thought a prom pose was appropriate.)

The bridal party organized a lovely menu and dinner at Roberts in Kittery. I have driven by there a million times, but had never eaten there.

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I was happy that they set up a fixed prix menu for us… made the decision so much easier!

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I went with the Haddock and it was delicious and felt really light and healthy. Perfect meal for a night when you’re going out!

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The girls all got fun cocktails, Amy got a fun beer flight, but I was boring and stuck to Chardonnay! We had Margs and Sangria before we left the house, so that was my fill of fun drinks 😉

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After dinner, we headed into Portsmouth to start the festivities. No bachelorette party is complete without fun gear! Look how stinking cute Christy was!

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We started at an outdoor bar that was on a deck on the water. I didn’t know that Portsmouth had a whole line up of places on the water!

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From there, we decided to go to the back patio at Gas Light. My family has gone to the Gas Light so many times, but I had never been outside at night- it was a happening place!

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After that drink, we headed up to the 3rd floor which is basically a club. We went there after Rachel’s wedding and it was so fun… last night was no different!

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Whoops! 😉 No idea how that happened. It may look like we all got crazy, but I think everyone actually stayed in control! Sheil and I drank waters for the rest of the night- best.idea.ever. We couldn’t bring drinks on the dance floor anyway, and that’s where I wanted to be! So fun.

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Bars close at 1 so we had our driver get us around 12:45 and immediately snacked on all the apps leftover from before dinner. I hate drunk eating, but when you’re with all your girls and rehashing the night, it makes it worth it 🙂

Thanks for such a fun night ladies! Christy, cannot wait for your big day… it’s going to be a blast!

Questions for you: Do you have a lot of bachelorette parties this summer? What is your drink of choice when you’re at a bar? Favorite restaurant in Portsmouth?

Weekly Workouts

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Hi! I’m sad to say that Monday has, again, come too fast! Between my busy week last week and busy weekend, Monday snuck up much faster than I would have liked! As last week was a little indulgent (out to eat way more than usual and lots of wines), my goal this week is to get back on track! Having an “off” week isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a good reminder that even though it’s fun, it is tiring! I like having a schedule so I am looking forward to clean eats this week and no bevvies!

I’m happy to report that I was still able to get in some awesome workouts last week! I woke up sore on Friday and on Sunday- love it!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I ran a 5K in the morning and then lifted after work. If you don’t have time to get a full workout in before or after work, I suggest breaking your workout up into cardio and weights and fitting them in when you can.
  • Tuesday- Rest day, besides lots of walking in the airport. I always take the stairs and walk to the terminals… every little bit counts!
  • Wednesday- I got up and ran another 5K before work. I also did 20 reps of the following exercises: biceps curls balancing on 1 leg, triceps extensions, side dips, dead lifts, squats, plié squats, reverse fly and a whole bunch of ab/core exercises. So sweaty by the end! I also walked 2 miles to the T and then taught UXF. I didn’t do much of the workout since I didn’t want to get sweaty and have to re-shower 🙂

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  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and Kickboxing. I’ll post SHRED’s workout soon- it was compound moves supersets, followed by 1 min of abs and cardio tabatas. Fun!
  • Friday- Nothing. I got the worst shin splints at some point between Wednesday and Thursday and by Friday they were REALLY bothering me.
  • Saturday- Taught Kickboxing… remember, I won’t be there next week!
  • Sunday- I went to the gym to do some light, steady-state cardio, which was just what I needed mentally. I felt like I should’ve apologized to the people around me since I’m sure my sweat smelled like Chardonnay, margarita and sangria. Whoops! I did 40 minutes of cardio and then focused on core. I did 2 ab tabatas using the TRX bands (plank & plank w/knee tuck for 1 of them and right and left side planks for the other)… best ab work ever!! I also did side dips and stability ball v-sits. Love those!

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Not sure- probably go to the Wellington BSC and do some light cardio (still nursing my shins) and strength?
  • Tuesday- I think I am going to make it to the Oak Square Two-A-Day Tuesday!! I am subbing Athena’s class at 7:30pm and would like to go to Liz’s Corp Basics Kix class at 6:30. It’s VERY different from the type of kickboxing I teach, but it will be a fun change!
  • Wednesday- Cardio and UXF Burn, the usual.
  • Thursday- SHRED and Kickboxing… again the usual.
  • Friday- I think I am going out on Friday night so I would like to get in a workout in the morning or during the day and maybe take Saturday as a rest day?
  • Saturday- Rest OR just BodyPump. I miss it!
  • Sunday- Will depend on how the workouts turned out during the week. If they were good, I’ll rest, but if they were not great, I’ll probably do something!

Questions for you: After an indulgent week, what’s the first thing you do to get back “on track”? If you are going to the gym for your own workout, do you usually stick to cardio or weights or both? Have you ever had shin splints? Tips on how to make them better?

It’s Been A Busy Week!

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Hey there! Happy Saturday! So, I have a secret to tell you: I wrote all of my posts this week on Sunday. Since I knew I was going to have a super busy week with really no blog time, I spent a few hours on Sunday getting all of the posts set for the week. SUCH a great idea! But, since I didn’t share anything from the week, I figured I’d fill you in now!

On Monday, Jess and I were supposed to get together after work to film “Mommy’s Moves,” but the weather made a big turn for the worse and we were rained out. I had plans with Jess and some other friends to visit Lauren on her shift at Ironside Grill to watch the Bruins, but that wasn’t until 8pm, meaning I had some time to kill after work. I had gotten up and ran a 5K before work, so I figured since I had my gym stuff, I’d head up to the gym at my work and do strength and abs to complete my workout for the day (also, it was pouring rain and thundering and lightening so I needed to wait that out). As I was finishing my workout, Sheila texted and invited me over for dinner prior to the bar- perfect! I showed up and she had an awesome meal all ready to grill!

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YUM! Thanks for a delicious and healthy dinner, Sheil! And, on top of a great meal, there was a double rainbow as we were heading to the bar!

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I seriously love rainbows. They totally amaze me! Anyone else see it on Monday?

I wasn’t able to stay out very late because I knew I had to get up at 5am on Tuesday to head to NYC. I had to go for the day for a client meeting, which is fine, but it makes for a long day! Especially when your 5pm flight gets cancelled and delayed and you don’t leave until after 9pm. Yuck. Needless to say, I worked from home on Wednesday. I went for another run before I started working and boy was it hot! Nothing like sweaty legs, right?

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I’m still amazed every time that happens. It’s so weird! Anyway! I finished up work around 5:30 and walked the 2 miles to get the T at Davis Square since I was meeting work people out in the city when I finished teaching. Tim was up from Florida and Chris was up from Texas, so I promised them that I’d join them for drinks and dinner. We had a blast and I stayed out later than I do on the weekend… I’m getting wild and crazy I tell ya! 😉

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We had dinner and drinks at Remy’s and then went to the Cigar/Hooka bar later on. I hate the smell of smoke so it was a little gross at first and my eyes were burning, but I got over that quickly.

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(Mom- the boys wanted to take that for you since the glass of wine was SO big. They said it was Momma Gags approved!)

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Fun night- thanks guys!

On Thursday, I left work and taught my double and then went BACK into the city to meet up with the whole team for dinner at Smith and Wollensky. Even though I was exhausted, it was nice to have a big group dinner! I had Chris order me salmon, which was just OK. It was too salty!

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Tim wanted me to share a picture of his meal. I can only imagine how awful that rich, creamy sauce was for you, but I love sauces and had to at least try a bite!

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THAT was a yummy meal. After dinner, it was my job to show them a good time again, but the bars we went to were not that busy! Very strange for a Thursday night. As always, it’s so fun when we all get together!

Friday was another exciting day… I signed the lease papers for my new apartment starting on August 1st!

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I am moving to East Boston and I am really excited! The apartment isn’t perfect by any means, but the kitchen and bathroom are recently renovated which is huge for me. Also, the area is really nice! There is a path along the water for walking and running just 5 minutes from the apartment building. I can’t wait to explore!

To celebrate, I made pizza! My stomach has been wacky since Sunday and my appetite has been off, but pizza sounded good so I went for it!

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That’s not even an Instagram photo! So, so good. In fact, it smelled so good that Charlie woke up from napping in his new spot to see what was going on

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Now THAT is a cat after my own heart! Gotta love the Lulu 😉

Today is another busy day. I am teaching Kickboxing at 10, I have a hair appointment at 12:30, I need to get a pedicure and something for Christy’s bachelorette party in NH that night. We are doing dinner in Kittery and then going out in Portsmouth- I can’t wait!!

Questions for you: Did you have a busy week or relaxing week? Where is your favorite bar to watch sports games? Ever been to a hooka bar? Know of any good restaurants in East Boston?

Have a wonderful Saturday!!!

Easy Dinner Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

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Sorry I teased you yesterday with a photo of the delicious dinner I quickly threw together on Sunday night, but it was worth the wait- promise!

While we were driving back to MA, we brainstormed meals that wouldn’t take a long time to throw together and wouldn’t leave lots of leftovers since neither one of us were really around for dinners this week. Veggie stir fries are always a good idea for a quick and healthy dinner. I was craving a real teriyaki sauce, so I put that on my grocery list, as well as the other ingredients we needed. I had some chicken tender strips in the freezer that we thawed which saved on groceries!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I always cut up my own veggies, but I was so tired on Sunday night and knew I wouldn’t start cooking until 7 so I decided to take the easy route and buy a bag of frozen veggies. They aren’t my favorite, but man did they save time! I also usually make my sauces, but again, I was lazy and tired and bought that, too. It was interesting to read the labels on the thousand different marinades out there. After comparing many different brands, I settled on La Choy- good decision on my part! I forgot to buy rice so I used a quinoa harvest blend that I had in my cabinet and it ended up being fine.

Teriyaki Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • Chicken- I had about 1/2 a pound. Cut it into small cubes
  • Veggies- you can cut up your own or buy a frozen bag like I did!
  • Teriyaki Sauce- I used about 1/2 of the bottle.
  • Sesame Seeds- about 1 tbsp.
  • Quinoa- 1/2 cup

Directions

1. Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the back of the box. While that is cooking, toast your sesame seeds over medium heat until they brown up.

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2. While the sesame seeds are toasting, cut up your chicken. When the seeds finish, move them to a small bowl and place the chicken in the pan. Cook chicken until it’s no longer pink. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl.

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3. Place the veggies into the pan and cook until they have thawed and heated through. Add the teriyaki sauce and the chicken once the veggies are cooked.

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Once everything is warmed, place some quinoa at the bottom of the bowl, top with the teriyaki chicken and veggies and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top. This whole meal, even with photography breaks, took about 30 minutes to cook, so it’s a perfect weeknight meal!

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I think it would be even better served over udon noodles, but I clearly wasn’t thinking straight when I was at the grocery store. Next time!

Questions for you: How long do you like to take on meals during the week? Do you do most of your cooking on the weekends? What’s your favorite store-bought teriyaki sauce?