Wednesday Workout: 32 Minute Full Body DB Tabata Workout

December 21, 2016December 20, 2016Leave a comment

Good morning! I know I keep saying this, but how is it Christmas this weekend?! Time is tight this week, but I wanted to pop in and share a quickie workout I did the other morning before work. During busy seasons, it’s not uncommon for workouts to be the first thing to skip, right? But, it doesn’t have to be if you prioritize it as part of your day’s agenda and focus on shorter, more effective “quickie” workouts, as I like to call them. For me this week, it meant getting up before work to squeeze in my workout. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- tabata format is generally my workout format of choice when I’m short on time and want an effective workout.

This one only requires a set of dumbbells, so it’s really easy to do right in the comforts of your own home! I kept the exercises simple, too, so it’s less to think about which is nice if you do it first thing when you’re still half asleep 😉

The way this works is you’ll do each a & b exercise 4 times within each tabata round. If any of these exercises don’t work for you, feel free to change them up! Please let me know if you have any questions 🙂

Questions for you: Have your workouts changed throughout the holiday season? Do you like to workout at home?

Five on Friday {11.30.16}

December 2, 2016December 2, 20162 Comments

Good morning and TGIF! This week seemed to go by slow, but I was in a great mood all week so I can’t complain :)I can’t believe that it’s DECEMBER- how did that happen?! But I’m excited about it- I can’t wait to get a tree, decorate the apartment, listen to Christmas music and all the other stuff that comes along with this season.

Which brings me to my first Five on Friday topic….

Light Up The Seaport– While the commons and Southie did their tree lightings last night, the Seaport opted to wait and do it tonight. I’m so excited to be there and see the tree be lit and then get drinks after.Gather, Aceituna Grill, The Envoy Hotel, Autograph Collection, Shake Shack, Kings America, & MiniLuxe will all be offering up delicious samples while Gather will also open up a remote bar on the side of District Hall! Plus, a pop-up concert by Andrew Smith Music! If you’re around, grab your FREE ticket and join!
Metabolic Meltdown– My friend Lauren just launched her Metabolic Meltdown program, which is 49 workouts that can all be completed at home- and none are more than 30 minutes! What I love is that she breaks it down by bodyweight, total body with weights, lower body focused, upper body focused and core focused. The quick, but effective workouts are my jam these days, as I’ve mentioned before, so I’m totally loving it. I’ve only tried a handful, so I’m excited to try the rest of them. If you’re feeling tired with your workouts or feel like you’re not feeling/seeing changes, I’d suggest checking out her program. It’s especially perfect timing as we enter a busy season!

Festive Recipes- I had bought a huge bag of fresh cranberries at Whole Foods before Thanksgiving, even though I absoutely did not need them. Sure, I was asked to make fresh cranberry sauce by my mom, but that didn’t require a 2 pound bag of cranberries 😉 This lead me to scouring the internet looking for other cranberry-based recipes. I decided on this Paleo Cranberry Bread and then this Cranberry Apple Crisp. Both came out so good!

Friendsgiving & Thanksgiving- The weekend before Thanksgiving, my SMC friends hosted our 2nd annual Friendsgiving… this time with 3 little kiddos in the mix! We joked about how much times have changed since we graduated (nearly 10 years ago!!!). Per usual, we had such a great time- the food was awesome, the wine was flowing and nearly all of us were together and able to catch up. This has quickly become one of my favorite holiday events! Thanksgiving with my family was equally as nice, although a little quieter since there were fewer people! I couldn’t help but feel thankful!

Francesca update- Our little girl is growing like a weed! We can’t believe how much she’s grown since we got her. She was 1.9 pounds when we first brought her home, 2.10 pounds when she had her first vet appointment a month later and we will find out how big she is tomorrow when we go for her next checkup. While she can be a bit crazy (and scratch the crap out of anything she gets her paws near), she really is the absolute cutest thing ever!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and do something festive to get you into the holiday spirit if you aren’t there already 🙂

Questions for you: What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Do you have any holiday/festive plans this weekend? How was your Thanksgiving?

Wednesday Workout: Total Body DB 20 Minute AMRAP

November 30, 2016November 29, 2016Leave a comment

Good morning! Did you guys see my post from yesterday? Two workouts in one week- lucky you 😉 Today’s workout doesn’t require being outside AND it’s a much shorter time commitment, so if yesterday’s workout wasn’t for you, maybe today’s will be.

With all the teaching I’ve been doing lately, I’ve noticed that my own workouts have fallen a bit by the wayside. Granted, I’m still active and moving pretty much every day, but the consistency and intensity in my own training is just not there right now. Which is OK- I’ll get it back once my schedule slows down a bit.

Since my schedule is so crazy, I find myself having to squeeze my own workouts in, which just means they generally can’t be long. It’s all good, though- once I changed up my training to shorter, more intense HIIT style workouts I noticed my body changed and adapted really well to that style of training.

Today’s workout only takes 20 minutes (25 including a warm up/cool down), so it’s perfect if you’re short on time… something we can probably all relate to as we get into the holiday months, right?! All you need is a set of dumbbells or you can use a kettlebell and you’ll work through the exercises as quickly as possible while still maintaining good form. Rest as needed, but try to rest at the end of each round rather than between exercises.

Quick note on the exercises: For the squat-> lunge combo, you’ll do a lunge on each leg and then 1 squat- that’s 1 rep. Push-ups can be done on your knees, toes or elevated surface. If jumping isn’t good- just do regular squats. If you don’t have weights, simply change the bent over rows to a prone pull or superman pull.

I hope you’ll try this!

Questions for you: Do you have a busy holiday season coming up? How do you prioritize movement when you’re busy?

5k Walk/Run Bootcamp + Cold Weather Gear to Keep You Warm

November 29, 2016November 30, 20167 Comments

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions are my own. #BreathThermo

Good morning! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving- and hopefully long weekend, too! Work has been really stressful so it was especially nice to have some time off that I was able to spend with my family/in-laws. Just knowing I didn’t have to wake up early for a long day in the office was really awesome.

What else is really awesome is a package I received from Mizuno as part of their cold weather apparel line. This couldn’t have come at a more perfect time because I was just looking for some cold weather gear to help keep me warm during my outdoor Seaport Sweat series. Although I’m not leading my 5K bootcamp anymore, I was able to test out the Breath Thermo base layer top that they sent me, as well as their Breath Thermo Warmalite glove. Their cold weather apparel is engineered to keep you warm without weighing you down, which is so important because no one wants to add more weight/resistance to themselves when they’re working out, right?! 😉

In short, I’m loving both of these products. The shirt is fitted, which makes it a great layering piece- perfect for outdoor workouts where you tend to have to shed layers once you get warmed up. I love the color, style and it fits very true to form- the small fits exactly how I like tops like this to fit (I don’t like when workout tops like this are loose and baggy). On top of the fit, the Breath Thermo technology generates heat and helps keep the body warm when working out in the cold weather, while still allowing for breathability so that you don’t overheat. There is also a reflective trim which was important to me since I was wearing it during runs in the dark- safety is key!

My hands (and feet) are always cold, so I was really grateful to receive the Breath Thermo Warmalite gloves. Although they are a bit too big (I ordered the wrong size!), they still work perfectly to keep my hands warm and protected from the wind during running. They’re also great for teaching my fighters conditioning class because the ground is really cold when doing burpees or pushups without them 😉 I love that they have the touchscreen forefinger so I can still operate my phone when running/teaching. They also have the Breath Thermo fleece technology to keep warmth in, and the storage pocket on the top is perfect for holding keys or money or anything else you might need stored while you’re working out outside.

If you’re looking for some new cold weather apparel for those shoulder months or for layering throughout the colder months, head on over to Mizuno because they have some great products worth checking out. If you came to the blog post just for the workout, here you go 😉 While we did this running, you can also walk the 5K and still do these exercises.

Big thanks to Mizuno for helping to keep me warm during my outdoor workouts!

Questions for you: What’s your favorite brand of outdoor workout gear? Do you like to workout outside when it’s cold or do you take it to the gym?

Pre-Thanksgiving Thoughts (+ a few themed workouts)

November 23, 2016November 22, 20166 Comments

Hi there! With it being Thanksgiving tomorrow, I had all intentions of doing a themed workout for you, but I’ll be honest: I just didn’t have it in me. I think the intensity of work, teaching and general life has caught up to me and this week, blogging couldn’t be further from my mind. I’ve just had no desire to open up my computer after work, but today I wanted to pop in and share a few pre-Thanksgiving thoughts that I’ve had circling in my brain lately:

Rather than focusing on “earning your turkey” or “burning before the bird”, focus on being thankful that you can move. Do some sort of movement that you love, but do it because you CAN not because you feel like you have to. Spend some time thinking about everything you’re thankful for instead of thinking about all the things you wish would change. Indulge on your favorites- guilt free. You will not “undo” all of your hard work you’ve done the rest of the year- I promise you. Drink wine. Eat dessert. Laugh with family and friends.

But most of all, be thankful. Thankful for everything you have, for everything you can do, and for everyone in your life. Because you know what? That’s the stuff that matters! And I’m so very thankful for so much in my life, especially for all of you who tune in here to see what I have to say.

And last but not least, if you’re looking for a workout to do tomorrow, I urge you to try one of these. They’re from the archives, but I promise they’re still good!

The “I’m Thankful” Workout
Turkey Day 20 Minute AMRAP

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! xoxo