Tag: Muscle Work

This Week: Workouts, Gearing Up for Holiday Season & Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Good morning! How was your Thanksgiving? I had such an awesome time being home in Maine for an extended period of time. It’s really the only time I feel completely relaxed and could literally not leave the house for days. Doesn’t sound like me, huh? I’m SO excited that day kicks off the first day of my Happy, Healthy, Fit 24 Day Challenge. Thanks to all of you who have signed up to participate! Today, set your timer for 60 seconds and rock out your push-ups!

Today also marks the first day of December, which means the start of holiday season. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’ve got a number of things on my calendar already. I’ve got events Thursday-Sunday this week, and although they are all FUN things, it’s just a lot. This season, I’m going to work on taking more time for myself and politely turning down some engagements. The hardest part with this is that I want to go to everything, but it ends up being too much and I want to avoid the stress/overwhelm this season of having too many plans. That said, I’m not sure how well this will go over because I have severe #FOMO, BUT, I’m going to try 🙂

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I was supposed to teach a double, one class in the morning and one at night, but no one showed up for my morning class so I ended up doing my own strength session on my own. I knew I’d be teaching cardio kickboxing after work, but I had gotten up and to the gym at 6am so I wasn’t going to leave there without doing something. That little something left me sore for 3 days!
  • Tuesday- I went to the gym during lunch and ran 3.25 miles and did a few planks before calling it a day.
  • Wednesday- Rest day
  • Thursday- I filmed a few videos and then did this 20 minute AMRAP workout. I got through just shy of 8 rounds and boy did it kick my butt! I was surprised at how hard it was by the 5th and 6th round.

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  • Friday- My sister and I got up and went to the gym. I was so excited to be there because we weren’t on a schedule and it was mid-morning. I did 20 minutes on the stair stepper before doing an entirely Kettlebell focused workout. It kinda kicked my butt and I kinda loved it. I ended with some core work using this awesome trampoline- want one of these!

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  • Saturday- I went to a Core Fusion Barre class at Exhale Spa with my sister and my friend Amanda. The class was killer! I’m not always a fan of barre classes (I am generally frustrated because I can’t tell if I’m doing it right!), but I loved this one. Chrissy is awesome and her class was a good mix of weights/upper body strength and then we worked through all parts of the legs and core. I was so sore on Sunday!
  • Sunday- Rest day

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I may try to get in a lunch break workout while I’m working from home. I’ve decided that I really prefer to have my workout done before I start work or during lunch so I can have an evening where I’m done work and done my workout by 4:30. It’s awesome. I’ll also be doing a minute of push-ups. Wonder how many I can do!
  • Tuesday- I may go to the gym during lunch for some weights, no cardio.
  • Wednesday- Back to teaching my UXF Burn!! I also need to do a no-equipment necessary workout as part of the #happyhealthyfit challenge, so I will probably fit one of those in before teaching.
  • Thursday- I have after work plans so I will likely workout during lunch.
  • Friday- Rest day.
  • Saturday- Today’s challenge is a full body workout, so I will probably do one I posted in this Week 1 details post, or maybe another Kettlebell workout?
  • Sunday- Rest day

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I’m so excited for the start of December! Although it is a crazy time of year, I do love the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the Christmas decorations and general cheer. I’m also excited to get together with various groups of friends throughout the week, as well as celebrate my sister’s birthday on Sunday!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Do you like Barre classes? What are you looking forward to this week? How you handle the craziness the holiday season can bring?

This Week: Workouts, Fitness Events & Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Good morning! How’s your Monday treating you so far? I’m gearing up for, yet another, big week. Lots of fitness events and teaching are going to keep me fairly busy, but you know what? There could be worse things 😉

Tuesday night, I’m able to participate in another New Balance Girls Night Out event, which I’m SO excited about. This time, there are 2 workout opportunities: a run and a bootcamp. Seeing as though it will be dark out and I don’t have great luck running in the dark, I think I’m going to opt for the bootcamp. Can’t wait to see some of my Boston blogging friends 🙂

The other fitness event I’m contemplating attending is MANIA. I went to 2 days last year and loved it, but considering I just got in an accident and will have some extra expenses based on that, I’m not sure it’s the best way to spend my money. I can only go on Friday, so I’m going to look at the schedule to see if there are courses that would interest and benefit me. I learned so much last year, so I have a feeling I’ll end up going. Any other instructors planning on going at all?

Last Week’s Workouts

I had some great workouts last week. I taught 4 classes, went to a class, ran outside for the first time in a LONG time (holy quads the day after) and generally felt pretty strong and excited to workout. The only day where I felt like I should have skipped the workout was Tuesday. By the end of the day I started feeling kind of crummy… stuffing, eyes hurt, super tired. Yes, I realize those are all signs that should have lead me to skip my workout, but it was a class I love going to and I figured I could just push through it. I did the class, but I could tell my energy levels weren’t there. Lesson learned! I’ve been much better about resting and listening to my body, but I’m clearly not entirely there yet- some day!

  • Monday- I taught my 6am Muscle Work class and then did 10 minutes of the stair stepper after. The class was a good mix of strength, cardio and core so I didn’t feel like I had to do much after… I really did those 10 minutes to catch up on my social media 😉
  • Tuesday- I went to my favorite instructor’s bootcamp at the Wellington BSC. Unfortunately, I didn’t think the class was anything special, but it was still nice to do a workout I wasn’t teaching!

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  • Wednesday- I ran a 5K before teaching UXF Burn. I incorporated some Halloween moves and it was a fun class!

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  • Thursday- Thursday was my rest day- I walked for 20 minutes during lunch and then walked to and from the T later that night to meet my friend, Liz, in the city for drink.
  • Friday- I worked from home on Friday since I had a dentist appointment in the morning so I was able to go for a run around my neighborhood. I ran 3 speedy (for me) miles and finished with a whole bunch of core, upper and lower body exercises. I was sore on Saturday from the run, oddly enough.

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  • Saturday- I subbed for the other instructor, Missy, since it was her birthday on Friday. There was a great crowd, including some of my “front row” and we worked super hard!
  • Sunday- Another rest day. I was actually pretty sore from Saturday!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I’m subbing the 6:30pm Cardio Kickboxing class at the Watertown BSC- if you’re in the area, come sweat with me.
  • Tuesday- I’ll do a bootcamp workout for the New Balance GNO event- can’t wait!
  • Wednesday- Probably a treadmill run before teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- Rest day
  • Friday- Probably going to MANIA, which means I’ll be doing about 3 hours of working out… maybe more… I’m not mad about it!
  • Saturday- It’s my regularly scheduled Saturday to teach at the Oak Square YMCA… I’m going to a wine fest later that day, so if you plan on coming, be prepared to help me earn all those wines 😉
  • Sunday- Rest day #2

Things I’m Looking Forward To

This is another fun week for sure- between subbing, the NBGNO event, MANIA and teaching my cardio kickboxing class, I get to be surrounded by other fitness loving people and that makes me really happy 🙂 I’m also excited for the wine fest on Saturday with a bunch of my girlfriends. We went in March and had a blast, so I’m sure this year will be no different. We have reservations at Stephi’s on Tremont after which is another thing I’m looking forward to. Lastly, I’m excited about a quiet Sunday with RM- we have a million recipes we want to try, including homemade yogurt, nut milk and nut butters, so hopefully we can tackle one of those!

Questions for you: What was your best workout from last week? What are you looking forward to this week?

This Week: Workouts, gearing up for lots of teaching & things I’m looking forward to

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Hi there! Can you believe this is the last week in August?? I seriously have no idea where the summer went, but to be honest, although I’m not ready for summer to be officially over, to have cooler weather and to lose some daylight hours, I am ready for fall. A slower schedule (hopefully), apple picking, pumpkin everything… you get the idea 🙂

I posted on Facebook last week that it was all about changing up workouts for me last week.

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When I was teaching a million classes a week, it was hard for me to try new things or change up what I was doing because I was on a tight schedule. However, now that I’ve lightened up my teaching schedule, I’m able to jump around and try new things. It didn’t hurt that I had 2 free classes at Exhale Spa before the end of the month 😉

My workouts, in addition to being different than usual, ended up being less intense, which came at a perfect time. Last week I was going through some stomach issues and a weird blurry eye/headache/sinus pressure thing, which made it really hard to workout (makes me so tired!). I’ve gotten them before, but never 3 in one week. Something weird is going on… hopefully it doesn’t happen this week because I’ve got a big week of teaching. RM is out of town so I took advantage of some subbing opportunities- never bad to make a little extra $$ 😉

Last Week’s Workouts

My workouts last week were on the lighter side, which is ok. It’s good to give your body a little break from the high intensity/impact workouts sometimes. I did a LOT of walking- both at lunch and after work since I went to 2 classes in the city, so that was a nice change of pace.

  • Monday- I still had a stomach ache when I woke up and was nervous about teaching my 6am class, but surprisingly enough, as soon as I started moving, I didn’t notice my stomach ache! There was just one girl in class but we had a killer workout!
  • Tuesday- I went to Exhale Spa for a Core Fusion Cardio class. I usually go to classes where Chrissy Snyder is teaching (because she’s amazing!), but she wasn’t teaching on Tuesday and that’s when I wanted to go so I went to a different instructor. She was good, but it wasn’t nearly as hard as Chrissy’s classes. Oh well!
  • Wednesday- My blurry eye thing was bad in the afternoon so I opted to go for a walk instead of run. I walked 20 minutes at lunch and power walked another 20 before teaching. I did about 50% of the class with my UXF Burn group- I hadn’t planned on doing any, but when I get in there and feel their energy, I can’t help myself!
  • Thursday- I walked 20 minutes at lunch and then went to Chrissy’s Core Fusion Yoga class at Exhale Spa after work. It was a great class- low impact but it had me shaking! Every time I go to yoga I’m reminded why I love it so much and why I should do it more often. Does it happen? not usually. sigh. haha

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  • Friday- I went to a Barry’s Bootcamp workout on the roof deck at the Revere Hotel. I thought it was a good workout, but it wasn’t as hard as I was thinking/hoping it would be! Still learned some good moves and got to workout with these beauties so I can’t complain!

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  • Saturday– Nothing 🙂 We walked the Marginal Way in Ogunquit but besides that, nothing.
  • Sunday– ANOTHER rest day! I don’t remember the last time I took 2 rest days in a row… it was actually nice. I’m teaching a lot this week so I figured it was best to rest. RM and I went on a 2 mile walk in the morning which was a nice way to wake up!

This Week’s Workouts

This is a big week of teaching and workouts for me! It’s funny how things tend to all happen at once- subbing, starting a new class, etc. That’s ok, though- having a big workout schedule before a long weekend is never a bad thing 😉

  • Monday- I’m subbing the 6am Muscle Work class and will do some cardio after.
  • Tuesday- My friend Christy’s sister-in-law, Kerri, asked if I was up for leading a bootcamp for her and her friends. Umm, yes! of course I was up for that! Tuesday is our first session and I am excited!
  • Wednesday- Probably some light cardio before teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- I’m subbing my old double! SHRED and Cardio Kickboxing- I’m so excited!!!
  • Friday- Rest day 🙂
  • Saturday- Teaching Cardio Kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA before heading to Maine for the long weekend.
  • Sunday- Not sure- maybe a walk with my mom and/or sister? maybe a bootcamp with them? maybe rest?

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I am most excited about heading home to Maine this weekend for more than a 24 hour period. My sister is also going home, so it will be fun to just have the 4 of us since that hasn’t happened in-gosh- months and months! I foresee lots of laughs, lots of good food and lots of wine and I CAN.NOT.WAIT! I’m also excited for the first bootcamp session and going back to my Thursday night double 🙂

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Did you try anything new? What are you looking forward to this week? Has your summer gone by fast?

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

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Phew! You guys- this past weekend was SO fun, but boy am I tired today. Although I like starting my Monday’s out by teaching my 6am class, I was thankful for the extra sleep this morning.

Although I had some good workouts last week, they were a bit on the shorter side… and I kind of liked it! I definitely miss teaching my Thursday double, but having 2+ hours of extra time after work is really quite nice. The thing is (and I know this is no surprise to all you fitness-crazed people like me), as long as you’re giving a workout your all, it doesn’t (and shouldn’t!) be an hour or two hour ordeal. Long gone are the days where I feel like I need to spend hours on various cardio machines at the gym, peddling away. Thank God!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Similar to most Monday’s when I teach: taught my 6am muscle class (which I’ve started to add in some cardio, too) and did 15 minutes on the stepper after class to catch up on my social media stuff 😉
  • Tuesday- I got up and ran a TOUGH 3 miles before the first day of our “All Hands” meeting. I also did my old walking/T riding commute into the city- I miss it, but don’t miss showing up to work sweating!

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  • Wednesday- I really didn’t feel like working out. I had gotten out of our meetings at 3 and then met up with RM for some shopping before heading home. The last thing I wanted to do was turn back around and head out to workout and teach. So much so that I made up random errands to run to eat time before my class started! It’s amazing, though- after a quick mile run on the treadmill before it was time to teach, I felt SO MUCH BETTER- so much energy and I was ready to go. Crazy how exercise can do that to you! I did most of my UXF Burn class with the members- it was a killer.
  • Thursday- I dilly-dallied and cut myself too short on time to get in the workout I wanted to do. Oh well- I ran a few quick miles and did 2 different sets of strength exercises: 4 exercises, 12 reps, 2 rounds. Done and done.
  • Friday- I ran 3.75 miles during lunch and finished with some core work. The weather was perfect for daytime running- sunny, but not too hot! I mentioned on Instagram, that I was really proud of how far I’ve come with running. Just a year or so ago my goal was to run 3.5 miles in 31 minutes… I’m crushing that time these days. I often forget to look at my accomplishments and be proud of myself; I’m always looking ahead at things I want to do, so it was nice to give myself a little pat on the back!

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  • Saturday- I taught my first class at my new gym, PUMPS, which is in Wakefield. It was a Chisel and Core class, but I just taught one of my SHRED workouts and it was perfect. I got really good feedback which is always a nice thing.

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  • Sunday- Rest day! I woke up and felt every muscle in my body from my workout on Saturday. It wasn’t a new workout, but for some reason it totally kicked my butt!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Tonight I am going to a class at B/Spoke indoor cycling studio with Caroline and my friend Meaghan. I haven’t been to an indoor cycling class in forever so I am really looking forward to it 🙂
  • Tuesday- I may go to a class at PUMPS after work or go to a class at Exhale Spa. I have a few free classes to use up before the end of August so my goal is to get to a class this week and next week.
  • Wednesday- Teaching UXF Burn and probably doing some cardio and core beforehand. I’m trying to incorporate more core work into my workouts as I’ve been slacking (and it shows!) lately.
  • Thursday- Same as Tuesday- either a class at PUMPS or Exhale… probably whatever I didn’t do on Tuesday.
  • Friday- Not sure! Maybe do a lunchtime run again, maybe rest.
  • Saturday- FINALLY back at the Oak Square YMCA for my kickboxing class- it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve last been there and I miss them!!!
  • Sunday- Either rest or some yoga or something light (only if I didn’t rest on Friday).

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I can’t wait to get together with Caroline and Meaghan- it’s so hard to fit everything in these days, that killing two birds with one stone (working out WITH friends) is a wonderful thing. I’m also looking forward to a normal week where I have time to make my lunches and do things after work. This weekend is my friend Kia’s engagement party in New Hampshire so that will definitely be a fun time. Sunday is RM’s nephew’s first birthday party, which will be a nice way to spend the afternoon. It’s nice being “around” for two weekends in a row!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Are your workouts shorter during the summer? What are you looking forward to this week?

This Week: Workouts, Announcements & Things I’m Looking Forward To (CHICAGO!)

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Good morning and happy Monday, friends! It feels weird not having started my day teaching my 6am Muscle Work class. I have to say, although it’s not necessarily fun getting up and to the gym that early, especially on a Monday morning, it sure makes for a much better day knowing my workout is done and over with and I can spend my evening relaxing, blog writing and cooking!

I’ve got lots going on this week, but think the most important thing to talk about first is a BIG (at least for me) change I made recently. It wasn’t an easy decision and although I wanted some consistency in my day to day, especially after my other big change, I felt like it was the right thing for me to do right now. It was something I needed to do, even though it was a really hard decision to make. You ask what that is?

I have decided to give up my teaching my Thursday night double.

I know- it kind of came out of nowhere after my one (err 5) too many little mental breakdowns I’ve had over the past couple of months. I just realized that something had to give, and although I didn’t want it to be my classes and teaching schedule, I realized that, ultimately, that was giving me the most stress and wearing me down the most. By the time Thursday afternoons came around and I realized I was going to have to gear up to teach my double after work, sheer dread came over me. And, it’s not like this happened once and a while. It started to be a weekly thing. I didn’t feel this way before any other class, so I can only attribute it to how much energy it takes for me to teach and DO a double, generally after an intense workout on Wednesday night, too.

Granted, by the time I finished my second cool down of the night and I knew it was time to go home I was fine, but I realized that I shouldn’t go into a workout or teaching a class dreading it. I- and my members- deserve more than that, so I decided that I needed to give up those classes to help free some time up in my schedule and hopefully allow some extra room for me to, dare I say it? RELAX. I can’t be entirely sure that will happen, but I will say it will be nice to be able to do things on Thursday nights, especially during the summer.

I’ve got some other things brewing on the back burner with regards to some new teaching opportunities, but for now, I’m just going to enjoy having 2+ hours back to my Thursdays. My last class is THIS week and I’m dreading it already. I’m going to miss my members so much! I’ve grown the 5:30 SHRED class from 3 or 4 people to generally 16-20 people and I’ve grown my kickboxing class to an average of 16 people (and before me there was no kickboxing class, so I had to build that all on my own). These members come to my classes week after week, ready for any of the crazy (and, I mean that- I throw some weird stuff at them) things I think up and throw into the mix. We’ve grown to know each other as more than just the person standing next to you in class, so it’s going to be weird to not see them as much anymore. One of the members said he felt like I was dumping them, and it broke my heart a little! Luckily, I’ve decided to keep my Wednesday night UXF Burn class at that gym so at least I’ll still see most of them… they’re just going to have to get used to only 1 dose of me, not 3.

So, with that said. I’m hoping this change will help bring a better balance to my life. I’ve been juggling teaching an average of 5 classes a week, working 40 hours, commuting, writing this little blog, spending a lot of time with RM and friends and going away on the weekends that if I didn’t cut back somewhere, I was going to break. I’m sad to end this chapter but excited to have more time for my own workouts (maybe even start to consistently lift heavier) and try out other classes in the area.

OK, enough heavy talk… let’s get to the workouts!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I taught my 6am Muscle Work class, which did include cardio, and then did 15 minutes on the stair stepper again.
  • Tuesday- The heat and humidity were killer on Tuesday night so I ended up cutting my run at 3 miles and then doing a butt kicking bootcamp-style workout finisher. I’ll post it on Wednesday for you!
  • Wednesday- I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill before teaching (and doing most of) my SHRED class. It was a big class, likely because of the rainy weather, but I’ll take it! I even had a coworker come and there were 4 guys in the class!
  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and then Kickboxing… lots of members in both- we had fun!
  • Friday- Nothing. I went for a 15 minute walk during lunch but otherwise rested.
  • Saturday– After 2 weeks away from my Saturday kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA, I was back! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: that class is the best start of my weekend! We worked so hard and I love seeing the members push themselves each time I’m there.
  • Sunday- I got up and did 20 minutes of yoga and then 15 minutes of core and glute work at RM’s apartment before we went for a 45 min power walk. We went for another stroll after our afternoon meal at his moms, too.

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Not sure! I’d love to get in a workout during the day, but it may be an after work thing.
  • Tuesday- I have a hair appointment after work so I’ll either try to get to a muscle class during the day or do something before work.
  • Wednesday- Teaching UXF Burn and probably running beforehand.
  • Thursday- Teaching my LAST Thursday double *tears*. Dana requested stations during SHRED, so I may do that and some partner work at the end. Kickboxing requests? Maybe the booty burner?
  • Friday- I am going to Chicago for a long weekend and we have an early flight so my guess is that I won’t get up for a workout, especially after a Thursday night double!
  • Saturday-Monday- I’m not sure. Like I said, I’ll be in Chicago so I’m sure I’ll be doing lots of walking, but knowing me I’ll be getting some other workouts in as well 🙂

Things I’m Looking Forward To

So many things this week! My 2nd Stitch Fix is coming in today, so hopefully they gave me good stuff for Chicago. I’m also getting my hair cut, which is long overdue. Lastly, I’m going to Chicago for the weekend. A longggg time ago my friend Jessi asked if anyone wanted to go (she was going with her boyfriend and his friends) so my friend Lauren and I jumped at it and booked our stuff. Sadly, Lauren ended up not being able to go so I asked RM and he was game since it’s a city he’s never been to. I can’t wait to go back and do more exploring and hang out with my friend JP again! We are also having dinner at the top of the Sears tower and going to a Cubs game- I am SO excited!!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Boston friends- do you have suggestions for any new workouts in the city to try since I’m going to have more free time? Any suggestions on what to do while in Chicago during the summer? I was there in November (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}), but I feel like there’s still a lot of stuff that I didn’t get to do!