Two Thumbs Up! (total body workout)

You'll "like" this one!  This workout used a lot of different muscles, for a total body burn. With 4 exercises per circuit you can really get your heart rate pumping.  The focus of this workout is on LEGS, ABS, and ARMS.  You'll feel it! (thumbs up).  Have fun with those box burpees (two thumbs up), and the lunges jumps (I ran out of thumbs).

Beginners: 2 sets of 30 seconds per exercise with 30 seconds recover after each exercise.
Intermediate: 3 sets of 45 seconds per exercise with 15 seconds recover after each exercise.
Advanced: 3 sets of 1 minute per exercise with 15 seconds recover  after each exercise.... No extra rest time between sets.  Keep going with only 15 second rest intervals until you have completed all 3 sets!

Circuit #1

• BOSU mountain climbers
• DB burpees (burpee with a curl to press with the dumbbells)
• Sit ups with DB punches
• Squat hold in and outs

    BOSU mountain climbers

    DB Burpee 

    Situp with DB punches

Circuit #2

• DB Plank Walks
• Bicycles
• Walking push ups over bench
• Lunge Jumps

    DB Plank Walks

    Bicycles

    Push ups over the box

    lunge jumps

Circuit #3

• Push ups with a plate slide
• Box burpees
• SB exchange abs
• 1 leg side to side hop

    push ups with a plate slide

    Box Burpees

    SB exchanges

    1 leg side to side hop

Sweatin' that Cardio: The benefits of Intervals

Tank completely soaked- there's a reason I didn't bother putting on makeup yet today.  

Only a few dry spots at the bottom of the shorts

This might sound weird or even gross to some (or most.. Ha), but I love that point in my workout when I'm dripping sweat.  There is just something about sweat dripping off your nose, chin, and eyelashes that feels good!  

Today I did the stair master. Its one of my favorite cardio workouts, and I try to fit it in once a week. One of the reasons I love it so much is because I sweat a lot, which always helps me feel like I got a great workout in. 

As sometimes cardio can get monotonous and feel like a drudgery, here is a HUGE tip: Do interval training. Not necessarily every time, but often. There's so many reasons why it will do your body good, but here are some of my favorites.

#1. It will keep you motivated and focused through your workout. Think of it like setting mini goals as you go along. 

#2.  It will improve your fitness. What's the best way to get in better shape? Push that limit multiple times in a workout. That limit is called your anaerobic threshold, and as it gets higher your fitness improves.

#3.  You will burn more calories. I'm not just talking about during your workout, but also after you are all done. This is called EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption).  If you push your limit with some higher intensity cardio, you'll be burning a higher amount of calories per minute for the next hour or two after your done. 

#4 Intervals come in many varieties. Intervals can help you keep your workouts different and fresh! Do hills, long intervals (3-6 minutes), short intervals (30 seconds- 90 seconds). You can do them outside running or biking, or on any cardio equipment (bike, elliptical, stair master, treadmill, etc.)

So CHEERS (in the form of a large glass of ice water) to Intervals!!  Let's all embrace the SWEAT!  

Just Another Manic Monday

'Manic'
Defintion: showing wild and apparently deranged excitement and energy

Just another Manic Monday?  I'd say that's about right.... I'm sure we all have our opinion about Mondays, and I'm guessing the majority of them are not super positive.  I probably fall somewhere in the middle.  I'm sad the weekend is over, but excited to hit it hard at the gym and make up for my day off (I don't workout on Sundays).  So I do love my Monday workouts, and today was no exception, as this one was Manic! Enjoy the burn!

40 repetition of each:

• Squat with shoulder press
• Speed skaters (20/side)
• Alternating reverse lunge with bicep curl 
• Box Jump
• Plank to Pushup
• Front plank with step out (40/side)
• 1- arm row (40/side)
• Lunge jumps
• Berry Pickers (40/side)

*REPEAT

***If 40 repetitions are too many for you, or you are just beginning, try for 20 or 30 repetitions on each exercise.  Just make sure you push yourself.  You've got this!

Tempo to Speed Demon Running Workout

I realized most of the workouts I post are strength training workouts, so I wanted to clear things up on how important cardio exercise is.  I do way more cardio than I do strength training.  I don't feel great if I don't include cardio.  The correct ratio of strength training to cardiovascular exercise depends on many things including: your fitness goals, your body type, and your training level. Remember however, that wherever you fall in those categories cardio exercise should still be included at some rate as it is good for your heart, lungs, circulatory system, and mood (among many other benefits).

Now for the workout....This is one of my new favorite running workouts.  I use it as an interval workout, and I'll do an interval run once a week.  I try to run about 3 days a week, in order to keep my running endurance and speed up, while also avoiding reoccurring injuries that I've been plagued with.  I do cardio 6 days a week, combining running with other options like the spin bike, StairMaster, or the elliptical.

This workout is a combination of a tempo run and speed interval workout.  It should help you to improve your speed in races ranging from a 5K to a half marathon.

Tempo to Speed Demon Running Workout:

1 mile warm-up

1/4 mile easy jog (about what you ended your warm-up mile with)

1/4 mile fast run

1/4 mile fast jog

1/4 mile sprint

**REPEAT**

Build up to where you can do 4-5 of these for a total of 5-6 miles (including the warm-up).

If this is confusing, here is the example of my workout:

1 mile warm-up (8-8.6 mph)

1/4 mile @ 8 mph (7:30 min pace per mile)

1/4 mile @ 10 mph (6:00 min ppm)

1/4 mile @ 9 mph  (6:40 min ppm)

1/4 mile @ 11 mph (5:27 min ppm)

-Repeat

I hope you are dripping sweat like me when you're all done!!! Um, yes, my tank is completely soaked...And I love it! 

100 {Reps} Workout

I know we don't always make it to the gym, or even have access to one.  For that reason, I give you the 100 {reps} workout!  It's hard, it's convenient, and most importantly it's EFFECTIVE {aka worth it}.

Keep this one in your back pocket for vacations, trips, long days at the office, or just for a quick total body BURN.  Try and take as little rest as possible between each exercise and after each round.  If you can't do 20 push-ups (with good form...very important), lose your ego and drop down to your knees.  This option is way better than doing incorrect push-ups on your toes.

I'm pretty sure you won't need any pictures to explain these exercises, but let me know if you do. :)

100 {reps} WORKOUT

5 Rounds of:

20 pushups
20 squat jumps
20 situps
20 reverse lunges
20 knee to elbow (per side)

Training like CRAZY style

"Things aren't always as they seem."  If you're like me, you've learned this the hard way.  So just to clarify, even though there hasn't been a workout posted here for a while doesn't mean we haven't been doing them!!.... I've actually been super busy doing A LOT of them.  I've been training peeps like CRAZY style! (Good Ole New Year Resolutions) I just haven't made time to put them on the blog. Excuses, excuses.... I know. So I'll just say, "Sorry."  So here is the workout we did this Monday....aaaaand it was pretty awesome!  Enjoy!


Complete 3 rounds of each circuit. 
Complete each exercise for 1 minute with 15 second recovery time between each. 

Circuit #1

• Walking lunges with shoulder press/bicep curl (switch half way)
• Feet off the Stability Ball
• Pulley alternating chest press
• Football drill - quick feet then drop down to a push-up every 10 seconds

Circuit #2

• Plate drags
• Hot potato squats
• Push-up with alternating plate slide
• 1 leg reverse lunge to hop (switch legs halfway)

#3

• Medicine Ball slam burpees
• Squat w/ straight arm overhead plate raise
• Plank walks
• Squat jacks