Wednesday Workout: 4 Exercise Core & Upper Body Quickie Circuit

January 13, 2016January 11, 20163 Comments

Good morning! Each week I always hope that I do a workout that is shareable with you guys. This doesn’t always happen, and to be honest, up until Monday night at the gym I wasn’t really sure I would even have a workout for you this week! Fear not, though, I not only have a workout for you, but it’s a super quickie circuit focusing on upper body and core- something I haven’t specifically focused on in any recent workouts.

As I’ve mentioned I am still fighting a cold so I’m taking my workouts down a notch. I wasn’t planning on working out on Monday, but I ended up being in meetings/trainings from 9:30-4:15 so saying I was going a little stir crazy is an understatement! I just felt like I needed some type of movement- nothing crazy or too strenuous, but something to get my blood flowing. I knew it was the right choice to go walk on the treadmill when the time and miles flew by. After I finished, I came up with this little circuit I am going to share with you today- it’s a perfect finisher or if you’re short on time, you can add a few more rounds and call it a day!

Here are some explanations for the exercises:

Russian Twist & Press- Starting in a standard Russian Twist position (in a seated position, engage your core and lean back a little while keeping your chest open. You can either lift your feet up to bent knees, straight leg or keep them on the ground), twist your weight over to the right and when you bring it back through center, press it up at a 45* angle. Repeat to the other side so it goes: twist, press, twist.
Supine Extension- Grab a weight and lie on your back with your arms extended up over your chest and your legs straight up over your hips with your feet flexed. Next, inhale and make sure you engage your core as you lower both your arms and legs down as low as you can while keeping your lower back glued to the ground. Once you reach your lowest point, start your exhale and lift back up to the starting position. To make this easier, you can bend your knees instead of doing straight leg lowers, drop one leg at a time or ditch the weight for the arm lowers (lat pull).
Straight Leg Weight Presses– in the same position as the exercise above, you’re going to engage your core and lift your shoulder blades off the ground and reach the weight towards your feet.
Pull-ups- I was able to do 3 reps each round, but if you can do more- rock that! or, if you’re still working on your pull-ups, you can feel free to use a band or maybe to TRX pull-ups.

See? That’s it! Granted, the moves are challenging, but you can always modify up or down depending on your current fitness level. Form always trumps difficulty or reps. One other thing to note is that if you don’t have weights or a pull-up bar handy, you can do this with just your bodyweight (for a move to mimic pull-ups, I would suggest a superman pull).

I’d love to know if you try this 🙂

Questions for you: Do you like to do quickie finisher circuits at the end of a cardio or heavy weight focused workout? What type of workouts would you like to see more of/less of this year? Do you like the short ones like this or do you prefer the longer, full body ones?

Wellcoin Review: Earning money to live healthy

January 12, 2016January 12, 20166 Comments

Disclaimer: I am a Wellcoin Ambassador, but I was not paid to write this post. I just love the app and think you will, too!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m so excited to be a Wellcoin Ambassador. If you’re new to Wellcoin, let me give you a little background by saying that it’s a really awesome app that encourages healthy living. And no, this doesn’t just mean working out. Healthy living can mean something different to everyone and can vary by day and time. Remember when I wrote this post where I talked about all the different ways I can be healthy? Not all of them are healthy in the sense of “eating your greens and working out”, but they are healthy in the sense of being what your mind or body needs. Healthy is all about balance and sometimes that means working out and eating well, but other times it might mean skipping a workout in favor of having wine, snacks and girl time, which is precisely what this app rewards you for.

Wondering what they reward you with? Coins! And what do those coins get you? I’m so glad you asked! The coins get you all sorts of fun things, ranging from Whole Foods gift cards to classes at local fitness studios, to gift certificates to a local sporting good/fitness store to discounts at massage offices… the list goes on and on!

And, the best part is that there are so many ways to earn earn through the Wellcoin app! I’ve been using Wellcoin for about a month and I still feel like I’m just scratching the surface with regards to using all of the different coin categories.

Here are some examples of ways you can earn coins:

Working out (resistance training, fitness class, running, etc.)
Sleeping 7+ hours a night (verified by FitBit)
Counting your steps (verified by FitBit)
Eating a healthy breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner
Choosing a healthy beverage
Choosing an unhealthy beverage
Doing something fun
Clean the house
Going to a fundraiser
Yearly doctors appointments
Taking the stairs
Parking far away
Donating
Giving blood

See? I told you it was so easy to earn coins. I just realized that I am at over 14K, which means I should probably start cashing them in!

Another thing to note is that in order to earn max coins per category per day, you should make sure your account is public (and then share to facebook and/or twitter, which also gets you more coins!) so that other people can see it and “verify” it by “liking” or commenting on it. Plus, the more likes and comments you get, the more coins you get! Also, you can earn more points by linking various fitness tracking devices or studios that have a relationship with Wellcoin such as Fitbit, RunKeeper, Strava, Prana Power Yoga and Pure Barre (both studios are the Newton ones specifically). If you want to set up these connections, you just go to the “connect & track” tab.

Are you hooked yet? If so, you should definitely download the app and use the code burpeestobubbly which will get you 250 free coins right off the bat! Or, you can use this link and sign up on your computer (again, using the same code to get yourself free “sign up” coins). When you join, make sure to follow me so I can give you a re-follow and we can cheer each other on!

Questions for you: Do you do Wellcoin already? Do you use another app that rewards you for healthy living?

Weekending: Holiday Party, Registry Fun & Visits with Friends/Family

January 11, 2016January 10, 20166 Comments

Good morning! Did you guys have a good weekend? We did! Even with weird, unseasonable weather and the constant feeling of fighting off a cold, we had a pretty great one.

Friday

My company’s party was on Friday night, which was actually a nice change from squeezing it in during the typical holiday season. It was at the Hyatt in Cambridge- a great location for us now living in Newton Corner! We were able to leave work early so I took advantage of some extra “free” hours and ran errands. I skipped the gym because my back was bothering me and I felt the onset of a cold, so I opted to walk my errands which was a nice way to still get some movement in. Nails were a must!

I didn’t take many photos at the event, but I’ll say the cocktails were flowing, the food was good and dancing definitely happened 😉 It’s so fun getting to hang out with coworkers/friends outside of the office! these girls! ❤

Saturday

We didn’t get home and in bed until nearly 2am, so needless to say, we definitely took our time getting up on Sunday morning! Lucky for me, RM opted to make us his “specialty” breakfast: all the veggies, his special beans, homemade turkey sausage & an egg. It was so delicious!

After breakfast, I cleaned the house and then we headed into the city. We had late lunch plans with another couple but decided to head in early to start on our wedding registry. We went to Crate & Barrel and had a blast scanning all sorts of things that we wanted! We have a long way to go to complete our registry, but it felt good to start on it!

It was my first time meeting Roberto’s friends, so I opted to not take photos but we had sushi at Douzo which was good- we love that sushi restaurant.

The rest of the night was very quiet and I was in bed by 9:30 🙂

Sunday

We got up early and I made some French toast- I took pictures so I’ll post the recipe this week!

I still wasn’t feeling 100%, but after 2 consecutive rest days, I was REALLY itching to move so I headed to the gym for a workout. I’d love to say that it felt so good to workout, but I’d be lying if I said that. The whole thing was just a mental battle, but I made it through the workout and did feel better after I was done so it wasn’t a totally wasted trip.

I whipped up a quesadilla for lunch since I had leftover ‘dilla veggies & chicken already cut up from making them on Thursday night. It hit the spot!

Later in the afternoon, we headed over to Brookline to visit with my cousin who was in town for work. It’s always nice to see family when they come to Boston!

I dropped RM off at home and then went to Whole Foods, even though between not feeling great and the ridiculous rain it was the LAST thing I wanted to do. I always feel better once I just do it and I bought myself flowers and a cookie to reward myself for getting it done 😉

For dinner, I decided that it was the perfect weather for a roast chicken meal. Is this anyone else’s favorite winter meal?! I can’t get enough of it. I chopped up sweet potatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes, onions & carrots and then also cooked some kale. I’m going to make a great wife 😉

And that about does it! This is a pretty quiet week which is nice- I am ready for a week with no after-work plans (and yes, I know I sound like i’m 60 when I say that!).

Questions for you: Did your company have a holiday party this year? Married friends- what’s the one think you would suggest we register for (maybe that you didn’t originally think you needed) and what’s the one thing you would suggest NOT registering for? What’s your favorite winter meal? Do you have a busy week?

Five on Friday {1.8.16}

January 8, 2016January 7, 20162 Comments

Well hello there! It’s been a hot minute since my last “Five on Friday” post, huh? I guess I just figured well all had better things to do on Christmas and New Years and visit B2B, right? 😉 Before we get into the post, can we just stop for a second and think about the fact that the holidays have officially come and gone and that most of us have nearly completed our first full week of work since likely way before the holidays? Yikes. Time flies when you’re having fun I guess, right?

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about the weekend! Any fun plans? We have my company’s holiday party tonight and then Saturday we plan on doing some shopping/holiday returns (maybe some wedding registry stuff??) and meeting up with another couple for drinks. Sunday will likely consist of a coffee visit with my cousin who is in town and then hopefully some relaxing, because SUNDAY.

Here are my Five on Friday items for the week- enjoy!

1. Me Before You and After You (both by JoJo Moyes)- Have you guys read either or both of these books? If not, stop what you’re doing and go to the library or order them off of Amazon. They were both such good, good books. So good that I barely put them down and was able to finish them each one in less than 3 days. We just talked about them at book club and it was awesome to get to hold onto the goodness of them for a bit longer. For those of you who have read them- what was your first thoughts on the title “Me Before You”? I’ll share mine in a reply to your comments! Also, per usual, book club at Jessi’s was awesome. I totally over-ate (which I rarely do), but only regretted it for how uncomfortable and sick I felt after… I did not regret all of the food I ate because it was delicious!

2. The Resolution Recap/Photos– It was such an honor to participate in the Resolution by PMC fundraiser ride at The Club by George Foremann III last weekend. And, thanks to so many gracious people donating, I raised over $100 more than my goal- whoop! I had to share some awesome/funny/intense photos that the photographer captured of me. I guess he wasn’t joking when he tracked me down after to tell me that I was “really intense”, haha!

Team “Just Keep Spinning”! and the fabulous Turnstyle Cycle instructors.

(all PMC pictures were taken from here and were shot by 13Photography)

3. Champagne is always a good idea- I mean, need I say anymore? This wall hanging is amazing- it’s almost like they made it for me (but, no, unfortunately I did not buy it for myself 😦 )

4. New hat- I got some really great gifts for Christmas, but I have to say that this hat from RM is probably one of my most favorite gifts! I use any excuse I can to wear it… literally!

5. #2015bestnine- I loved seeing everyone’s #2015bestnine photo collages all over social media at the end of 2015 and I have to say, mine pretty much summed up all of my best memories from the year for sure! Wedding, wedding, more wedding… oh, and working out 😉 What was your best memory(ies) from 2015?

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Catch y’all next week!

Looking Ahead: Workouts for 2016

January 6, 2016January 5, 201610 Comments

Good morning! I don’t have a workout for you today, but I still want to talk workouts with you. Sound ok? Good! As we approach and start a new year, it’s natural for us to think ahead to things we want to change and accomplish over that next year, right? I’ve never been one for resolutions- mostly because as soon as I put a rule or label around something, it makes me want it more- and this year I’m not even really focusing on specific goals, but, with that said, I have been thinking about what types of workouts I want to focus on this year and how I want to learn and grow.

Last year was a big growth year for me in terms of exploring new areas of fitness (kettlebells, barbell heavier lifting, more indoor cycling, etc.), learning to take and appreciate the importance of rest days and cutting myself a freaking break when it came to backing off of workouts and taking it easy. Was any of this easy to do? Hell no! But does it get easier as I go? Sure does! I’m getting more comfortable with kettlebells (still have a long way to go here, though) and venturing to the weight lifting section of the gym, I’m loving my rest days and I’m getting better at taking my workouts day by day, listening to my body and knowing that a few extra rest days or lighter workouts are not going to ruin all of the hard work and hours I’ve put in at the gym. It’s a really good feeling and something that’s fun to work towards!

With that said, even though I don’t have any goal-specific plans with regards to my fitness journey this year, I do have some thoughts on things I would like to do/learn/get better at. Right now, I’m having a blast learning new lifts and just getting more comfortable under the barbell. I still have a long way to go here, but every time I learn something new or get a new PR I feel more and more comfortable, which is exactly the type of motivation I need to keep going! Although I’ll always love cardio, I think it’s time for it to take a bit of a backseat for a good part of the first part of the year. With wedding planning, time will be limited so my workouts will likely have to be shortened, but that’s ok because you can get a great strength/HIIT/metabolic resistance type of workout done in less than 30 minutes and feel totally spent 🙂

Once the wedding is over, I’d like to attend more trainings and certifications and spinning is first on the list! I have gotten so much better at spinning, but I would love to really start mastering it so that I can add it to my teaching repertoire. I’d also love to take a kettlebell training course so that I can learn how to properly execute the basic moves. These are things I really enjoy, so I figure it’s wroth investing the time and money to make sure I know what I’m doing!

As far as physical goals & strength goals with regards to numbers, I don’t really have any. Last year I had a few goals: 10 unassisted pull-ups/chin-ups and 10 chest to floor push-ups. Did I get there? Well, not entirely. Most days I can do 4-5 chin-ups, but I’ve never gotten further than that. Do I think I could? Sure, with more practice, but I just kind of lost interest in that goal after a bit. When it comes to chest to floor push-ups, this is a give or take, depending on the day. Some days I feel strong and can do 10 of these in a row, other days I struggle to get 3-4 good ones, but the thing about fitness is that’s just how it goes. It’s not a linear process; there are days where you max out, PR, etc. but then the next day you may struggle to do half as much as you did the day before. That’s just the way it works, so realizing and accepting that has made life so much easier 🙂

I’d love to hear from you, though- do you have any fitness related goals this year? New PR for squats, chest press, deadlift, 5K, triathalon, etc.? Did you reach any goals you made last year? What are you most proud of with regards to your health/fitness over the past year?

I hope wherever you are in your health/fitness journey. and wherever you plan on going with it, you do it with love and compassion. You are so much more than the number on a scale, the number on the weight rack or the number on the treadmill! Health and fitness is (or at least should be) a lifelong journey- there will be high points and there will be low points- but at the end of the day, if you are consistent and keep at it, you’ll gain so much more than a new PR or a toned physique. You’ll gain confidence and a sense of empowerment that will carry on with you through all your other life adventures (good and bad) outside of the weight room. Appreciate where you are right now, and keep an open mind to all the places you can go if you put your mind to it!