Exercise: Burn Booty, Burn!! (and abs too)

Here we go ladies!! I KNOW how much you all love to specifically work your booties! So this one is for you! However, men listen up!!! Having a nice butt goes far beyond aesthetics.  The gluteals stabilize the hip joint and, consequently, play a major role in keeping the knee supported and healthy. Strong gluteal muscles help us with balance. They also partner up with our quads when we sit, stand, squat, etc we cant have our quads do all the work alone. Next time you stand, see if you can feel your glutes engage, if not, we have a problem. Gluteals are some of the first muscles we lose when we age. A weaker butt can lead to a weaker hip joint, knee or back and may open up the possibility of injuries. On that note, EVERYONE work your booty off!


It takes quite a workout for me to have a soreness in my legs anymore (I have been training them for a long time, nothing seems to shock them anymore), however.....holy cow did my butt get sore after this. I hope you all enjoy it and think of me next time you pop a squat on those seemingly incredibly low toilet seats ;)
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Squat Jacks 50
these are just like jumping jacks but you are holding a squat the whole time, if this is too tough try just a regular jumping jack or regular squat depending on your knees.


Single Leg Sit to Stand 25 each
with one leg extended out in front of you, carefully sit pushing your butt back (all your weight should be in that heel and pour into your butt) onto a stability ball wedged in a corner or a chair, tap briefly and stand as you press your hips forward and squeeze your butt, stay on one leg for 25 then switch. If this is too tough, keep the front leg down but still keep most of the weight on the working leg, still tough? Do a regular tap and stand but really focus on squeezing those buns!


Squat with Side Leg Kick 25 each
holding weights or a barbell on the shoulders, maintain a squat with a very tight core to protect your back, come up about a quarter of the way and raise the left leg into a side kick, left leg should be super straight and you should feel the right glute work intensely, alternate legs doing 25 each, 50 total. Too tough? Use no added weight or come all the way up from each squat as you kick.


V Sit Ups 25 each
on the floor with legs straight and arms overhead holding a weight, contract your abs and pull the upper body to the lower body forming a V, squeeze the abs tights and SLOWLY release down (the way down uses muscles too!) If this is tough try just lifting one leg straight instead of two (leave one leg bent on floor and alternate) or just use no weights, also neck can be supported if needed with the hands.




Side Plank with Side Leg Kick 25 each
in a modified side plank: lay on your right side, right knee bend and right elbow under right shoulder, lift right hip from floor, pull left knee in towards you slightly dropping your right hip down (but dont touch floor) then kick out left leg straight and raise it up high as you can lifting right hip high off floor simultaneously.

Jumping Side Lunge 25 each

with legs wide, toes forward, lean all your weight to the left pouring it into the left side butt area (do not let knee go past the toes and hips should be way back and low), with the outside part of your left heel, push into the floor and do a partial jump into the right leg, repeat, alternate for 25 each, 50 total.

Iron Cross Crunch 12 each
this one is courtesy of my buddy Erin ;), start on the floor with straight legs, right hand behind head and left hand out stretched palm down on the floor, contract your abs pulling the legs up, as you do so pull up your torso slightly pulling it in towards the left knee (right elbow towards left knee), SLOWLY descend down, do 12 on the right, 12 on the left. If this is too tough leave the right leg bent and down on the floor and raise only the left leg as you move right elbow towards it then switch.


Table Bridge Kick 25 each
seated with hands on floor behind you, knees bent, press your hips up until you look like a table top, flat surface from your shoulders to the knees, abs very tight and glutes squeezing together, raise the left leg up straight above the hip and press the hips up as high as you can (you should feel it intensely in the right glute) do 25 then switch. Too tough? Omit the leg lift and leave the 2 feet on the floor and press up 50 times if you can.




**DO TWICE!!!!**
This workout took me 32 minutes and 26 seconds. If you are short on time or are a beginner, one set may be enough. But seriously try two sets, I wanted to stop after set one too but I pushed on and was glad I did, have a good one guys!!

Exercise: 12 Min of Pure Cardio

This is a super workout packed in an itty bitty 12 minutes. I left you a short video of what I looked like afterwards just to show you how winded I was and how hard you should be working. Anyone can fit 12 minutes into their day, 12 minutes is literally over before you even realize what happened, Michael Jackson's Thriller video was shorter than 12 minutes! ;)

Use your interval timer or you can use http://www.beach-fitness.com/tabata/. Set the rounds at 6, then the "on" as 20 seconds, the "off" as 20 seconds. This particular interval timer will stop before the very last 20 seconds due to it being in the "off" portion, try to finish the very last 20 seconds by estimating ;).
First here is the post workout video:

Here is the order of the exercises, the video will explain further and give you some modifications. Remember to do this at your MAX, go as fast as possible and keep good form. Do your very best, this workout is for you, but be safe. This is a lot harder than it looks, if you feel dizzy or any pain please stop.

The first interval is:
Jumping Jack Squats 20 seconds
Monkey Pushup, Jump & Regular Pushup 20 seconds
for 6 rounds or 4 minutes

Quick Break

The next interval is:
Pendulum 20 seconds
High Knees 20 seconds
for 6 rounds or 4 minutes

Quick Break

Last interval:
Flying Jumping Lunges 20 seconds
Mountain Climbers 20 seconds
for 6 rounds or 4 minutes

Recipe: Florida Fish Tacos with Avocado Orange Slaw

I made this last week and Scotty must have told me 3 times how good they were in between bites.  The key is to have good fish. Luckily there is a great fish market by my work and I picked up some black grouper on the way home. However if grouper is not available Mahi will work great as well, any fish that holds together well during cooking, you don't want a fish that is too delicate. As you eat this close your eyes and pretend you are on a beach somewhere under a tiki hut, enjoy!

Florida Fish Tacos

Fish:
1lb grouper (or Mahi)
1T olive oil
Old Bay Blackening  Seasoning to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Season the fish and place in a super hot non stick pan with the olive oil (you will need very little oil if you have a really good non stick pan) cook for about 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness turning in between. Be careful for the spatter and make sure that pan is very hot to start with. Its all done when you can not see through the meat and it should have a nice golden color.

Coleslaw:
1 bag of shredded cabbage
4 clementines (or any orange or tangerine available, you can even use canned but watch for added sugar)
1 large avocado or 2 small Haas avocado
handful cilantro chopped
3 limes-squeezed
1/4 cup olive oil mayo (or lite mayo)
salt and pepper to taste

Just mix and refrigerate until dinner is ready (can be pre-made)

Sauce:
1/4 cup lite sour cream (or low fat greek yogurt)
2T olive oil mayo (or lite mayo)
dash chili powder to taste
dash chipolte seasoning to taste
dash cumin to taste
1 lime- squeezed

Mix well and refrigerate until dinner is ready (can be pre-made too)

Serve on some corn or homemade flour tortillas (we got ours from a mexican restaurant) with limes and enjoy!!

Ted seems very interested in the tacos too, fish and avocado are his favs! (ok EVERYTHING is his fav)

Recipe: Easy Chicken Coq A Vin

• I made this dinner last night, it was soooo good and super easy. I will definitely make it again, it would also be a great dinner party entree. You can serve it with brown rice, quinoa, or sop up the sauce with some fresh bread (in moderation :)), you may need a spoon for this one but no knife! Enjoy!
• 
  
• Easy Chicken Coq A Vin
• this was about 3-4 servings (Scotty and I ate it all!)

  Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup red wine (I used white, it was all we had, also had a swig of it during :))
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) can diced or whole peeled tomatoes (I like POM tomatoes, the ones in a carton)
  • salt and pepper to taste

  Directions

  1. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add 1/2 of the garlic. Season flour with poultry seasoning. Dredge chicken parts in flour, then brown in the skillet for 4 or 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, rosemary and the remaining garlic. Stir all together.
  2. Add the wine and tomatoes; stir. Cover and let simmer over low heat for 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Let cool covered for 10 minutes, then serve.
  
  

Exercise: 12 Minute Workout

So I am pumping out another workout for you guys. I want you guys to have a bunch of options because I want to keep you moving!!  For now I also have time on my hands to blog these for you (thats why Im trying to do so many), when winter season comes around, my life gets pretty crazy. But as crazy as it gets I still try to get my 15 minutes a day, at least. This workout is a super duper fast one. If you would like to make it longer to an 18 minute workout please feel free (just do another round of each exercise)! It is nice to have the option for a quick workout for those of us who truly are so busy during the week. If you cant find 12 minutes in one day for yourself, there is a serious problem and you need to ask someone for help (like busy moms, ask dads or other family or friends to help a girl out!). Have a great workout it will be over before you know it. If you guys like this and want more 12 minuters lemme know! Please listen to your bodies if something does not feel right, always be safe. Read the instructions then watch the tutorial.

This workout is a time challenge. Go to http://www.beach-fitness.com/tabata/ and use their interval timer. Set the rounds at 12, the "on" for 50 seconds and the "off" for 10 seconds.

1. Surfer Burpee
start on your belly with the hands, palms down besides the chest and the elbows pointing out, push your body up in a STRAIGHT line with your abs tight (the whole body should come up as one unit), from the top of a pushup position, jump the legs in a staggered stance towards the left and stay low in a squat, like you just jumped up on a surf board make one jump, squat low to the floor, place your hands down and jump back into a pushup position and lay all the way on the floor, the next rep you will jump towards the right. If this is too tough, come to the knees from the pushup then come up in a straight line, also you may step back instead of jumping.

2. Posture T's and Y's
I used a TRX with this exercise (if you want a demo of TRX exercises let me know by commenting below), if you are at home you can use super light weights or even bottles of water. Lay on your belly, forehead on floor, with the arms out to the sides like a T, start to squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift the arms, bring arms down and then make a Y with arms over the head, palms facing each other, lift the arms up as high as you can. Alternate between T's and Y's you should feel upper back. If this is too tough omit the weight.

3. Break Dance pushup
in a crab position (seated with hands behind you, knees bent, lift your butt up and hold) lift the left leg and thread it underneath your right, take your right arm up and turn the body until you are in a pushup position, hold that left leg up as you do one pushup, then return back to crab. switch sides (video will show you :)) if this is too tough omit the pushups but still do the crab into the twist.

4. Lunge Hold with Twist
hold a low lunge, right leg in front and not letting knee go past your toes holding a weight, turn the body to the right 2 times, then switch legs, make sure you are low.

5. Commando Pushup to Squat & Jump Combo
on your belly, hands besides chest, palms on floor, elbows out, push your body up in a STRAIGHT line and pull the left knee in to the chest, come down, do it again bringing the right knee in, come down, come up again and jump the legs into a squat, jump high and land in a squat, repeat. If this is too tough, do the pushup from the knees then straighten out, also you can step into a squat instead of jumping.

6. Body Row with Kick
on a bar hang in a straight line do one pull up squeezing the shoulder blades, as you come back down you will kick the left leg up, then switch (see video). Or you can do regular rows or attach a band at waist level to something sturdy as you pull the band hold it back, squat and jump (if this is too hard omit jump)(to get equipment see to the right and scroll through)

I was brave enough to put up some post workout pics so you can see just  how hard I was working (kind of) its hard to capture a breathless, sweaty person....I look happy to be done. Phew that was tough! Good luck people, get your sweat on!

Exercise: Good Lord Routine!!!

It has been quite awhile since I felt like I would puke during a workout (never did :)) but today, I almost did, emphasis on almost. Sounds scary right, bet you are intrigued though. I got this idea from another routine I saw online. This is a time challenge. DO YOUR BEST!!! Exercise will never get you the benefits you want without the hard work, and I mean HARD work. If it was easy everyone would be in perfect shape. Use the "mind over matter" technique. Your mind is a stubborn little brat sometimes, you would be amazed if you let your body take over and shut that little mind up for awhile. I will show you all the exercises in a video and include modifications. Start with the full exercise and when you get tired you may switch to the modification. Breaks are definetly allowed of course, but limit the time-shake it off and move on. Read the instructions first then have a look at the tutorial. Good luck kids this one is a killer!

100 high knees with chest out and abs tight, lift knees as high as possible and move fast, these should be almost too fast to count


90 jump squats with chest out and abs tight squat as low as you can and jump up propelling through you quads and glutes, squeeze the glutes at the top and land in a squat. If this is too tough omit the jump, still tough, sit and stand from a chair


80 V crunches laying on the floor with abs tight and navel pulled to spine start to lift the torso and both legs into a V shape, arms should stay over head, to modify one degree keep one knee bent and foot on the floor, if still tough try just regular crunches


70 single arm swings (35 each arm) this exercise is a movement that originates in the hips and core, with one hand holding a kettle bell or dumbbell, stand with legs wide and abs super tight, straight back, start to swing the weight in between the legs, strongly contract your hips and thrust them forward without arching your back (super important part, your abs should contract in order to keep your back from arching), in turn the arm with the weight should rise up about shoulder height. If this is too tough try a dumbbell row in a lunge position.


60 side lunges alternating with legs wide and abs tight, start to lean the body to the left and send the hips back, sticking your butt out, all your upper body weight should be pouring into your left glute, propel the body to the opposite side by using the left glute and add a small hop, switch sides. If it is too tough omit the hop. Never let the knee go over the toes, the hips should go back in order to get low, not bending the knees forward.


50 reptile plank alternating in a plank position with abs very strong, navel to spine, pull the left knee to the outside of your left elbow and look at the knee creating a "crunch" for the left waist, switch sides, each knee in equals one. If this is too tough you can pull the knee in under you, if your shoulders get weak, come down to your elbows and forearms.


40 single leg squat kicks (20 on each leg) with a chair or sturdy object hold on as you squat down on your left leg as low as you can without letting your knee go past your toes, the opposite leg is straight in front of you, propel yourself up by squeezing your glute and do a backwards kick with your right leg, do 20 then switch legs. If this is too tough you do not have to go down as low, do mini squats, you may also omit the kick backs


30 jack push ups in a pushup/plank position start with your feet very close together, start to do a pushup, at the same time you descend you will jump your legs apart wide like a jumping jack, as you push yourself up, jump the legs back together. If this is tough try regular full pushups-as many as you can!!! If it is still hard, go down to the knees (try the full pushups first!!!)


20 burpee start standing abs tight, squat down to the floor and place hands down, jump into a plank position, do one pushup, as you pushup try to jump the legs forward into a squat position, jump and reach arms up high, then land softly in a squat


10 pull ups do what you can!! I do one at a time and place my feet on the floor after each rep. If you need help, keep a foot on a chair nearby (make sure it is sturdy) if you do not have a pull up bar or to make this even easier, use an elastic tube up high and pull down squeezing your shoulder blades(to get equipment see to the right and scroll through)

So I completed one round of this in 22 min and 57 seconds, it was a tough workout but after it felt great! "After" meaning about 10 min after I caught my breath :) good luck everyone-Beat my time!!

Exercise: Fast Burn Interval

So this interval I got a little carried away. I guess I really wanted to make up for the days I missed my workouts. The first part of this workout is a interval train. Set your timers for 50 seconds on and 10 seconds off, there are 21 rounds total. By the time you finish you will have completed each exercise 3 times. After the interval there is a burn out challenge, which basically is doing as many as you can until you cant move anymore ;) Good luck people, I am pretty sure I over did it on the burn out challenge, my poor shoulders are super sore today. Read the instructions first and then watch the tutorial then have fun!!

Interval Challenge:

1. Jump Rope or High Knees: do these AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, no slacking people!! This workout is for you!

2. Body Row or Band Row: Hang from a sturdy bar, keeping body straight and abs tight, pull yourself up squeezing the shoulder blades. Or if no bar is handy, sit tall with a tube wrapped around your feet or a sturdy object (make sure it has quite a bit of resistance, it should be tough) pull the tube towards you squeezing your shoulder blades, you can also substitute with a pull up if you are feeling frisky. (to get equipment see to the right and scroll through)

3. Single Leg Squat with a Slider: with one foot on a furniture slider or a small towel (on a tile or wood floor) stand tall and slide the leg on the towel to the side as you squat with the standing leg-butt should stick out behind you and do not let knee go over your toes, go as low as you can and slide the leg back into standing position.

4. Repeat #3 with other leg.

5. Squat, Tap & Jump: in front of a chair, squat down and tap your butt briefly to the chair, quickly stand up and jump at the same time, immediately squat back down, tap and repeat, do as many as possible these should get you a bit winded and burn your quads.

6. Weighted Bridge: on your back with your knees bent, hold a dumbbell in each hand and place the hands on each hip bone, press your heels into the floor and lift your butt up until you are a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees, squeeze the butt tight at the top. If this is too tough, do not use weights, if you would like a challenge use a stability ball under your heels (still keep knees bent).

7. Slow Motion Froggie Squats: with feet wider than hips, come down to a squat placing elbows on the insides of each knee, hands together, with the head in the SAME spot (very important! use a mirror to keep track of your head or stare at a still object at eye level) start straightening out your knees and raising your hips up, then slowly come back down as low as you can. This one you may need to look at the video :), also do not go too fast. I only did around 15 in each 50 second interval.

Burn Out Challenge:

Yoga Pushups!! do as many as you can until your form fails.
start in a pushup position with hands directly under each shoulders abs very tight and feet hip width, slowly lower the body with the elbows in CLOSE, brushing your rib cage, come almost to the floor and pause, then start to glide forward, lifting the chest up and straightening your arms at the same time (it should look like cobra in yoga), then with tight abs lift the hips up and push the body into a downward dog or an inverted V position. Also may need to see the video with this one too ;)

Here are my scores if you want to compete and I urge you to beat me!!
High Knees: too many to count around 114 to 125
Body Rows: 21, 20, 21
Slider Squat Right: 18, 20, 18
Slider Squat Left: 19, 20, 18
Squat, Tap, Jump: 32, 36, 36
Weighted Bridge: 25, 24, 25
Slow Motion Froggie: 15, 16, 15
Yoga Pushups: 50 in 4 minutes (I dunno if I recommend you do this one, I am sooo sore!)

Info: Why Cardio is Not Enough

I found this article that plainly explains how important it is to add strength training to your workout routines. Any time I walk into a public gym, I see the girls on the cardio equipment and the boys on the weights. I want so badly to just yell "SWITCH" every other minute and see everyone sweat their butts off and get an amazing workout. Adding strength training to cardio will not only burn more calories and rev up your metabolism, it also tones and tightens the body. Not to mention, the more muscle mass you have the more your body will naturally gobble up calories, even at rest. Thank you muscles!!

Here is the article (off of Yahoo News):

Myth 5. Doing only cardio when you work out.

It’s easy to assume that the best way to lose weight is to stick to the same cardio workout, but “if you only do cardio, your body will become so accustomed to the routine that you’ll start to burn less fat over time,” says Joseph Ciccone, DPT, CSCS, a physical therapist at ColumbiaDoctors Eastside Sports Therapy in New York. Plus, going through repeated motions on the treadmill or elliptical machine can create tight muscles and lead to injury. Trade in a few of your cardio workouts for circuit training, which involves doing a number of different strength training exercises with little rest between moves in order to keep your heart rate up while also working out your entire body, ensuring that you’ll burn the most calories—without burning out. Integrating resistance training into your routine will create muscle mass, which will help you burn more calories throughout the day, even when you’re at rest, says Jennifer Fleischer, exercise and nutrition coach and owner of Holistic Fitness in San Francisco. She also recommends revamping your cardio routine by mixing in interval training once a week. Try doing 30 seconds of high intensity motion, whether you’re on the treadmill, elliptical machine or in the swimming pool, followed by 90 seconds of recovery at a moderate pace, working your way up to 10 repetitions. The bursts of intensity followed by recovery will effectively and efficiently blast calories and fat. Photo: Shutterstock

Here is another great article from Women's Health Magazine:

The Best Strength Training For Women

LAUREN AARONSON

Tired of sweating all over every piece of cardio equipment at the gym and still getting zero love from the scale? You need more iron. Not in your diet—in your hands. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a mere 21 percent of women strength train two or more times a week. What you don't know: When you skip the weight room, you lose out on the ultimate flab melter. Those two sessions a week can reduce overall body fat by about 3 percentage points in just 10 weeks, even if you don't cut a single calorie. That translates to as much as three inches total off your waist and hips. Even better, all that new muscle pays off in a long-term boost to your metabolism, which helps keep your body lean and sculpted. Suddenly, dumbbells sound like a smart idea. Need more convincing? Read on for more solid reasons why you should build flex time into your day.

Torch Calories 24/7
Though cardio burns more calories than strength training during those 30 sweaty minutes, pumping iron slashes more overall. A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who completed an hour-long strength-training workoutburned an average of 100 more calories in the 24 hours afterward than they did when they hadn't lifted weights. At three sessions a week, that's 15,600 calories a year, or about four and a half pounds of fat—without having to move a muscle.

What's more, increasing that afterburn is as easy as upping the weight on your bar. In a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women burned nearly twice as many calories in the two hours after their workout when they lifted 85 percent of their max load for eight reps than when they did more reps (15) at a lower weight (45 percent of their max).

There's a longer-term benefit to all that lifting, too: Muscle accounts for about a third of the average woman's weight, so it has a profound effect on her metabolism, says Kenneth Walsh, director of Boston University School of Medicine's Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute. Specifically, that effect is to burn extra calories, because muscle, unlike fat, is metabolically active. In English: Muscle chews up calories even when you're not in the gym. Replace 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of lean muscle and you'll burn an additional 25 to 50 calories a day without even trying.

Target Your Trouble Spots 
If you've ever tried to ditch the saddlebags and ended up a bra size smaller instead, you know that where you lose is as important as how much. As great as it might be to see the numbers on the scale go down, when you're on a strict cardio-only program your victory is likely to be empty. A recent study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham compared dieters who lifted three times a week with those who did aerobic exercise for the same amount of time. Both groups ate the same number of calories, and both lost the same amount—26 pounds—but the lifters lost pure chub, while about 8 percent of the aerobicizers' drop came from valuable muscle. Researchers have also found that lifting weights is better than cardio at whittling intra-abdominal fat—the Buddha-belly kind that's associated with diseases from diabetes to cancer.

Just don't rely exclusively on the scale to track your progress in the battle of the bulge. Because muscle is denser than fat, it squeezes the same amount of weight into less space. "Often, our clients' scales won't drop as fast, but they'll fit into smaller jeans," says Rachel Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. And it's the number on the tag inside your bootcuts you want to get lower, right?

Start Pumping
Begin with three weight-training sessions each week, recommends Joe Dowdell, founder and co-owner of the New York City gym Peak Performance. For the greatest calorie burn, aim for total-body workouts that target your arms, abs, legs, and back, and go for moves that will zap several different muscle groups at a time—for example, squats, which call on muscles in both the front and back of your legs, as opposed to leg extensions, which isolate the quads.

For each exercise you do, try to perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps with a weight heavy enough that by your last rep you can't eke out another one without compromising your form. To spark furthermuscle building, William Kraemer, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, suggests alternating moderate-intensity workouts of 8 to 10 reps with lighter-weight 12- to 15-rep sets and super-hard 3- to 5-rep sets. (For a more detailed fat-blasting workout, check out "Do This at Home," below.)

And remember to fuel your workout properly. Too many dieters make the fatal error of cutting back on crucial muscle-maintaining protein when they want to slash their overall calorie intake. The counterproductive result: They lose muscle along with any fat that might have melted away. Sports nutritionist Cassandra Forsythe, Ph.D., co-author of The New Rules of Lifting for Women, recommends that you eat one gram of protein for every pound of your body weight that does not come from fat. For instance, a 140-pound woman whose body fat is 25 percent would need 105 grams of high-quality protein. That's roughly four servings a day; the best sources are chicken or other lean meats, soy products, and eggs.

Ready to turn yourself into a lean, mean, calorie-torching machine? Then go get pumped!

Now click a workout and get to it!! :)

Exercise: Guilt Reliever Burn

This workout was one that I did when my mom was visiting for the week (my sister came later too-yay!). I love it when my family comes, but I do lose my routine- I eat worse and miss some sweat sessions. Although we were pretty busy setting up for my wedding shower I still missed having a good hard workout. So I came up with this one to attempt to negate the dessert I had the night before (this week I def cheated on my 3 cheat meals-I think I had 5!!). As you can see I was trying to ease the sense of guilt I had ;). As fun as it was to eat all that food at the time, I felt like crap when it was all said and done! My whole body felt the effects of too much sugar, not enough exercise and too little sleep. Although I am super sad to see my family go (SUPER sad and lonely) I am looking forward to at least getting back on track.

This is a time challenge workout and it was tough, my mom even came around the corner to see if I was ok- the grunting was a little alarming for her. After this workout I was covered in sweat from head to toe and it took me forever to find my breath but oh my God it felt amazing! This just tells you the level you should be at, one day I will be brave and try to film myself after a workout so you can see how hard I try (showing an entire workout is too long to put on this website).
I finished in 22 minutes, if you want to get serious you can do everything 2 times (I plan on this later today to make up for all those dessert cheat meals I had). Good luck, have fun and alway listen to your body! Make sure to look at the video for more descriptive instructions :)

1. Lunge with Back Leg Elevated (20 then 20 small hops)- start in an extra wide lunge stance with one leg elevated up on a chair or bench, with the front leg bend your knee so that it is in alignment with your front ankle and push up. For an extra challenge use weight, to modify hold on to something for balance or keep the back leg on the floor. Do 20 then drop your weights if you have them and do 20 hops in the same position pushing through the front leg-super burn!

2. Burpee with Overhead Press (20)- start holding one weight with two hands, press the weight up above eye level-not directly over your head, bring the weight down all the way to the floor squatting as you do so. Place the weight on the floor then your hands right under each shoulder, jump the legs back into a pushup position, do one tricep pushup (elbows close to the rib cage), jump back towards hands, grab your weight and repeat....a horrible 20 times!! or as many as you can-pushing yourself!!!

3. Body Rows or Tube Row (20)- underneath a bar, your body in a straight line, tight abs pull your body up squeezing your shoulder blades. If you do not have a body bar you can sit with a very straight back, abs tight with an elastic tube wrapped around your feet or a couch, pull the tube towards you squeezing your shoulder blades-make sure that tube is very tight, you should be very tired by the 15th rep. (to get equipment see to the right and scroll through)

4. Pull Up Burpee (20)- start by a pull up bar or a tube that is attached to something sturdy and high. Squat down to the floor, place hands down and jump back into a pushup position, do one pushup and jump back to standing, grab the pull up bar or tube and pull, release and repeat. (to get equipment see to the right and scroll through)

5. V Sit Ups with Twist (20)- lay on the floor holding a weight with 2 hands over your head and low back flat to the floor, contract your abs and lift the legs and upper body until you are in a V position, twist the weight to one side then the other and slowly with control lower. If this is too tough use only one leg and keep the other knee bent and on the floor alternating each rep.

6. Side Burpee (10 each side)- squat down to the floor and place hands down, jump to the right side with both legs, as you land the right leg should be in the front staggered stance, lower down and do a pushup, jump back to start and switch sides. If this is too tough, step the legs instead of jumping and do your best with a pushup, it can be a little one ;)

7. Body Rows or Tube Row (20)- same as above.

8. V Sit Ups (20)- repeat the above V sit but without the twist.

Recipe: Easy Egg Popper Breakfast

Hi All!!
This is a super simple breakfast for all you that are on the go in the morning. I am sure you all know the importance of breakfast in the morning-mom was right. Giving your body fuel throughout the day (especially the start of the day) keeps it running smoothly and maintains your metabolism so you are a fat burning machine. I don't know about you, but I like to get in as much sleep as possible, so any breakfast that is healthy and fast-Im in!
This breakfast is easy to make, you can refrigerate and reheat in 20 seconds in the microwave, plus of course it is a healthy protein packed meal. It is also super versatile, you can add spice or any other ingredients you love. Have fun, get creative and.... Enjoy!

Egg Poppers

Preheat Oven 350 degrees

12 eggs scrambled
1 cup almond or soy milk (or fat free regular milk)
diced onion (small)
diced spinach (about a handful)
diced sweet pepper (small-red, green or orange)
diced zucchini (small)
1 cup part skim cheddar cheese (or any cheese)
or any other veggies you love
dash salt and pepper

Mix all together and pour into muffin tins with cup cake liners about 3/4 full, bake 15-20 until tooth pick comes out clean. Serve right away or refrigerate and reheat on the go.

Exercise: All Over Burn Interval

This is the all over body workout I promised. Before I start, I want to apologize. I did two routines earlier, a leg routine and a "terrible tricep" one I could have sworn I published. Well I guess not, but they are available to you now. Feel free to try them, I think you will like them. So back to today, this one again is an interval train. These workouts are incredible, they kick my butt everytime!! So what happens is you have 50 seconds to do each exercise and 10 seconds to both recover and get yourself set up for the exercise. Really push yourself with your best form possible to get in as many reps as you can within each 50 second interval. Good luck people!! You will need some light dumbbells, a pull up bar OR an elastic resistance tube or band, and an interval timer......

A great online timer you can use is http://www.beach-fitness.com/tabata/.

On the timer put 27 rounds with 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off, listen for the bell and GO GO GO!!! This means you will do 9 exercises for 3 sets each after it is all said and done. After the second set it will be tough but stick it out!! You will be proud of yourself and feel great!

1. Reverse lunge hold, one lateral raise
step the right leg back and bend the left knee so its directly over your left ankle and hold a low position, then raise your light dumbbells laterally to the sides of you making a "t". Make sure you separte the movements: hold a lunge first THEN do your raise. Do all left leg for first 50 seconds then move on to the right the next 50.

2. Spiderman pushups
in a push up position, start to bend your elbows out, decending to the floor, at the same time you will bring your right knee out to the side trying to pull it into your right elbow, then push up and come back to start, with each pushup alternate the legs. If this is too tough, try just a regular pushup or a pushup from the knees...but try a full pushup first!!

3. Squat with Reverse Lunges
with legs wider than hips, squat low, try to keep knees above ankles (never past toes!) stay low as you step the right leg a few feet behind you, bend knees into a lunge, without letting your left front knee go beyond toes, push your left heel into the ground as you step the right leg back into squat position, switch legs, STAY LOW THE WHOLE 50 seconds, to modify come out of squat when needed, for a challenge hold some weights.

4. Jumping Pullups
with a pullup bar, grab under hand shoulder width apart, jump lightly and pull your body up at the same time, attempting to pull your chin over the bar (if you dont have a bar, use your elastic tube across something high, pull the tube towards you and do a squat jump). O God these were tough!! (to get equipment see to the right and scroll through)

5. Squat with Tricep Kickbacks
hold a squat with the hips back and low, do NOT let knees go past toes, leaning the torso slightly forward so your back is at an angle but straight (like you are downhill skiing) hold light weights close by your sides with the elbows above the rib cage. Straighten out the arms behind you rotating the palms towards the back of the room, squeeze your triceps, repeat. If this is too tough to hold a squat the whole time, come up after each 2 or 3 tricep kickbacks.

6. Diamond Pushup Mountain Climbers
put hands on floor with fingers making a triangle, one leg will be straight behind you as a usual pushup position but the other leg is underneath the torso with the toe pointing slightly out to the side, do 3 moutain climber jumps switching the legs and then do 2 pushups, again jump 3 times and repeat the 2 pushups. If this is too tough omit the pushups and step instead of jump (making this just a mountain climber exercise)

7. Crunch with Resistance
on the floor, knees bent, lower back flat to floor, hold a light weight in one hand straight above chest, other hand behind your head, do a crunch without moving your arm, do 3 crunches each side and switch arms within the 50 second interval (so you will alternate). To modify do not use any weight.

8. Side Burpee
squat to the floor and place hands down, jump both legs sideways to the left landing with the legs staggard left one in front (you should look like you are in a side plank but with both hands on the floor) do a pushup, jump legs back in, stand up and jump up once, alternate to the right side-video should clear this one up ;). If this is too tough omit the pushup and step instead of jump.

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So here are my reps (I was kinda sore to start with...thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) I used 5lb dumbbells.
Lunge with Lateral Raise- right 16, 12 left 15,11
Spiderman pushup-15, 16
Jump Pull Ups-39,34
Mountain Climber Pushup-10, 8
Squat with Tricep Kickback-23, 20
Crunch with Resistance-25, 26 total
Side Burpee-8,8