Showing posts with label Fitness. Show all posts
Now that the weather is freaking gorgeous I've been running outside a lot. But at least two days each week I get up early to exercise (before you think I'm so motivated for doing that, it's so I can go to happy hour after work). And for nights when I get home late and it's already dark, I need a good ole basement workout. These are my favs right now:



I took a break from Millionaire Hoy to do T25, and I was so happy to get back with his workouts. I love his 500 calorie videos- most are ~30 minutes. He has a lot!



I love Leslie. I have been having back discomfort lately (really why are we still sitting at desks all day when we know how bad it is for us?) and this twisty video has really helped.




Fitness Blender is back and putting out new videos like crazy! I liked this workout - half weights and half pilates. I also love how Fitness Blender gives all the info about their videos (like below):







I've started playing this in the background when I do yoga and it takes it to a whole other level of relaxation and focus. Plus something about music makes concentrating so much easier for me.

Anyone have some good free workout videos I should be checking out?

Wednesday Workouts:Videos lately

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

I hit a point a few months ago where I was so freeeakkinggg tired of rotating through the same workouts. It was like, if I have to jump around with Millionaire Hoy or listen to Daniel and Kelly's voices I just ... I just can't. I realized the only way I can stay motivated is if I make sure I'm switching up the workouts A LOT. Variety is the spice of life, amiright? Here's what I'm diggin lately on top of running (with some new friends!):



  This killer weights workout is nuts. The kind of nuts that I think could get me very toned very fast. I mean just look at this lady.




I'm getting back into running again and this yoga flow is the perfect post-run activity. Can we just talk about how much yoga has changed the way I feel running? So much less sore and less joint pain. My grandma claims yoga is the reason she has made it to 93 "It's the cure-all for everything" and I'm starting to believe her.




Who doesn't love a little barre with peppy Jessica and that Peanut dog of her's?? This is my fav.




Ahh yes HIIT with weights. Let's all die a little. Right around minute 10 I began audibly suffocating. Around minute 17 my thighs gave out. Killer.

How do you keep from getting bored working out? Any videos you recommend?

Youtube Workouts I'm Diggin Lately

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

So when this whole finger thing happened I was given strict instructions: No activity that jostles the hand, and no using my right hand. Aka no exercising, because when you think about it what kind of workout does NOT jostle one's hand (answer: yoga! But wait, you have to put weight on your hands in yoga so nope).

I didn't realize how stressed out I am without exercise. I have so much energy and tension that gets worked out in daily exercise and walking miles with the dogs every night and all of it was just stuck inside of me. When I told my hand therapist how I was feeling she said "oh! Drink more wine. Really." If only my health insurance would cover that... She also suggested a stationary bike (not paying for a gym membership) and pilates so Pilates it was!

I scoured youtube for low impact videos that don't use hands or wrists and here are some of my favs:

Fitness Blender Pilates for Lean Legs & Toned Core (these two really do everything).



Barlates Body Blitz THIS ALMOST KILLED ME. The shakes kicked in right around minute 7.



Blogilates Extreme Abs Workout (Hello Cassey, it's been awhile since you ripped up my insides)



Jessica Smith Barre: Butt Hips & Thighs



10 Minute Barre Abs Workout - my favorite part is the girl in the back complaining about how bad it hurts. THANK YOU!

Do you know any good hands free workout videos? Please share!!



Look Ma - No Hands! Low impact workouts with no hands/wrists

Wednesday, June 17, 2015


I really struggle with challenges, similar to a lot of my bloggy friends (no one hates a challenge as hilariously much as my girl Jasmine). Usually I go strong for a few days then get bored, end up doing the workouts randomly whenever I feel like it. HOWEVER, I've completed one FitnessBlender Challenge and I'm pretty sure it's because 5 days is about 100 times more attainable than 30/60/90 days. And they switch it up a lot so you don't get bored. And the videos they make together make me laugh- Kelly and Daniel are awkward just like us!

Check out day one here.

Oh oh oh! All you need is dumbbells too! 30 minutes/day, 5 days, only dumbbells. Win win win.

What do you think of challenges? Do you ever finish them or is it just me (and Jasmine)?

Fitness Blender's "Busy People" Challenge

Wednesday, October 22, 2014


I've mentioned before how incredibly important it is to have the right running shoes, but getting ahold of the right running shoes has posed quite a problem for us broke runners: running shoes are really, really freaking expensive. Just like everything else that's good and healthy for you...am I right?! This year I think I've finally cracked the code to getting more affordable running shoes so here's my guide:

1. Get fitted for the correct shoe at least once: This is where the big bucks come in. 2 years ago I went to a running store that watches you run and lets you know what kind of shoe to get. I shelled out the $120. Dishing over that kind of money made me want to throw up but hey, it's cheaper than knee surgery or throwing away $100 for a race I can't run because of issues that come from wearing improper shoes (knees, ankles, feet, stress fractures, etc). BUT now I know what kind of shoe I need and that it works for me.

2. Switch out the shoes after 300-500 miles. Why? Runners World has a great Q&A about running shoes that explains. Now this is where the real detective work comes in:

3. Find out when your shoe model is set to release the update: Specific shoe models go on massive clearance sales in the two weeks before the update is released. Sometimes you can find this info by doing some online detective work, but you can also call the shoe stores to find out if they have information on this. They should at least have a timeframe for when the update will be released.

 4. Find your shoe in last year's model. This might take a little bit of research, but forums on Amazon and Zappos are a great place to start. Since I didn't do a whole ton of running this year, my original shoe was already last year's model by the time I needed a new one.

5. Find your last year's model on sites like Amazon, Zappos, 6pm, and even Kohls. 6pm.com tends to have the lowest prices, but they also rarely carry my model AND size.

6. Shop the outlets: Enough said.

6. Pick the ugliest color: This sounds silly but is seriously legit. I bought these from Amazon and after clicking around realized that the shoe that is uglier clearly has lower demand and therefore is $30 less than the cooler looking colors. $30!!!! I'll go buy myself a FEW pairs of my favorite running shorts with that leftover money!

All in all, running shoes are still going to cost. Even at these discounted rates I still pay around $70-$85 on my running shoes (way better than $120) but like I said earlier, it's definitely worth it to avoid injuries.

How do you find your running shoes?

 Linking up at WOW - come play!

How to Find Cheap Running Shoes

Wednesday, September 17, 2014


Moving comes with approximately 100000 random errands, meetings, appointments, and goings-back-and-forths which means sticking to a schedule is next to impossible. Sidenote- mad respect for people with kids who move and renovate?

The key to keeping my sanity in this unscheduled world of home renos was exercising (working out that agression!). I got in a few workouts as often as possible, but usually I had just enough time after work to let Andi out and squeeze in 20 mins or less of exercise. I love love HIIT and Tabata, but doing that every time is just too much, so I found some great, short, killer workouts! Also my apologies to everyone I had to meet up with on the run- I know, I was very sweaty and smelly. Sometimes showering after these short workouts just wasn't a priority...

Melissa Bender 20 Minute HIIT (incorporates a lot of yoga and pilates poses- not your typical HIIT routine) 




Jessica Smith's Barre Full Length Workout Video- Abs,  Butt and Thighs (Can we just talk about her dog Peanut? Anyone else have this issue too?? The yoga mat is like a magnet to Andi!)




Fitness Blender Brutal HIIT Ladder (of course I included Fitness Blender. This one is killer. You do 4 exercises each round. Round 1 is 60 seconds for each exercise, round 2 is 50 seconds, round 3 is 40, etc)




Sadie's 25 Minute Yoga Shred  (I know what you're thinking, but this  is a really really hard and sweaty 25 minutes of yoga)





Alright yall, humpday! We got this!! Today I'm excited to happy hour with some friends- hopefully outside barring rain!! How do you survive Humpday? How do you work out when you are crunched for time?

 Linking up today with WOW Wednesdays, Humpday Blog Hop, Weigh-in Wednesday 

Killer 20 Minute Workouts (or less)

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

I'm the kind of person who needs goals and finish lines. When I have an end goal I am hyper-focused and I almost always achieve it, for example I go into beast mode before half marathons and get this focus and energy that (still) surprises me every time. So a confession: even though I want to say that I solely exercise because it makes me feel good and I want to be healthy, I almost always have secret goals deep down such as: upcoming college friend's wedding and I can't be the one who came back fat ///- Want everyone to see our save the dates and be like "HOLY SH*** she looks good! etc. -All of these revolve around what other people think of me and that is so frustrating to me but I'm working on it.

There are some reasons that keep me motivated that are for myself like feeling good, and the fact that exercise is the BEST stress relief for me, and also does anyone else feel like they have ants in their pants when they don't workout for awhile?

Despite these secret- and not so secret - goals I've had a hard time staying motivated lately so today's post I present my inspiration (thanks, Pinterest!).

I actually really don't like the Fitspo that shows women with insane bodies. Good for them for getting to that point, but body building is a career for some of these women or they are just at a point that I will never (and honestly don't want to) be at. If that works for some people then more power to ya, but these are my fitspos:

via
via

via
via
via
via
via
My favorite excuse:





via

Because this is some concrete motivation- talk about a finish line:



And a funny (because the last one was 100% serious):
via
How do you stay motivated?

 Linking up today at WOW Wednesday, Humpday Blog Hop, Humpday Confessions, Weigh In Wednesday

Wednesday Workout: Staying Motivated

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Today's guest post comes from my favorite thing out of Europe (never been a Nutella or Beatles fan) and good great friend, Petar. When he's not in class at Catholic University Law School you can find him teaching group class/personal training at Washington Sports Club or djaying around DC- and ladies, he's siiiiinglllleee! Check out his hype mixes (great for working out!) on Soundcloud and his webiste here. Annnd check out one of my favorite pix of us (plus Harrison) at Zinzi Ball last year:


Anyway, I asked him to write up a post on 5 Things Your Trainer Wants You to Know, and here are his tips with awesome illustrations:
via

 1. Don't Be a Cardio Queen: There is a common misconception among novice gym-goers that the best way to get in shape/lose weight is to chain yourself to the cardio equipment.  It is easy to get trapped into that way of thinking, when an led display on the equipment indicates that amount of calories "burned."  However, spending hours on the treadmill/elliptical/bike is not the most effective way of getting lean.  Any exercise is better than no exercise, but if you are dedicating yourself to a workout routine, you at least want to make sure that it is an effective one.  The problem with aerobic (cardio) training is that your body becomes more efficient the more you do it.  Therefore, the more you do cardio, the better your body is at it, and the less fat you burn.  This article does a great job of explaining this.




via
2. Embrace the Iron: Ok, so Cardio is not the most efficient way of getting shape.  Then what is?  Strength training.  Resistance-based exercised breaks the muscles down.  As the body rebuilds, the muscles become stronger, and the metabolism increases.  This means that the body burns more fat and continues to burn fat throughout the duration of the day (not just during the exercise itself as is the case with cardio).  Think about it.  Gymnasts look like this, and marathon runners look like this.
(Sidenote from Lindsay: if you're working out at home EatHardWorkHard has a great post on free online dumbell routines)






via
3. Listen to Your Body: It's easy to get carried away.  Maybe you have gone to the gym for several days straight and want to see how long you can maintain that without skipping a day.  Maybe your workout buddy lifted a very heavy weight and you don't want to fall behind.  Maybe you are tired, but have not been in the gym in two days and your guilt is preventing you from skipping your workout.  All three scenarios are dangerous- they have the potential of preventing you from listening to your body.  The longterm consequences of injury far outweigh the risk of momentary satisfaction of pushing your body past its limit.







via

4. Drink Plenty of Water:Our body is mostly made up of water.  It only makes sense that the best thing to consume is water.  The body is funny: when it receives little of something, it tends to hoard it.  Whereas, if something else is in abundance, it does not hold on to it.  In the case of water, if you consume little water, you will retain a lot of water weight.  On the other hand, if you are drinking enough water, you will not carry as much water weight.  Water weight = bloated.  Less water weight = more cut and defined.





via
5. Try New Things: At the end of the day, the best thing you can do is exercise.  Any type of exercise beats sitting on the sofa.  Trying new things will keep things interesting and it will make it less likely that you get bored.  Further, your body gets used to doing the same thing over and over.  New exercises/activities will keep challenging the body and produce continued results.



Linking up today at WOW , Whimsy Wednesday, Weigh-In Wednesday

Wednesday Workout: Guest Post- 5 Things Your Trainer Want You to Know

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Since it's a new year and I've heard from a lot of people about fitness resolutions, I've scouted out the best budget-friendly workout gear. Is it just me or is it so much easier to force ourselves to exercise when you have cute clothes to do it in? Just saying.

First and foremost, before you even scroll down, go to 6pm.com. They carry discounted fitness name-brands from Adidas to Under Armour (my personal favorite) to Nike to everything in between. They have 30 ITEMS for $10 and under. I couldn't even count how much they have under $20- pages and pages. And- drumroll please- FREE SHIPPING.




(they're breathable!)




These are made of polyester which is often marketed as "sweat wicking". Available in 8 colors. I mean they're $6




Available in 6 colors











(moisture wicking technology, 7 colors)








(with bonus hidden key pocket! 4 colors)




 


Shop the looks now:


Workout Clothes Under $20

Thursday, January 9, 2014

It's Friday, It's Friday it's FRIDAY! In honor of running the Richmond Half Marathon tomorrow I'm posting the frequently asked questions I get asked about fitness and running.

photo from @bossgirlssquat. Feeling motivated yet?
How are we supposed to stay in shape in the winter? 
Look, I hate cold weather as much (or more than) the next person- my winter in Rhode Island scarred me for life. While I watch everyone else trek to the warmth of their $120/month gym I go on home and get a great workout for FREE. Four or five days each week I go home and cut on youtube alternating between Fitness Blender,  Blogilates, and Mr. Shut Up and Train's workouts. A HIIT here, a Pilates workout there, a boxing workout that day, a cardio blast another day. It's important to alternate so you don't get bored and so you keep burning fat and cals.

Also, I get pretty down in the winter- it's so dark all the time and I just feel like eating and sleeping. I've found that exercising daily not only makes me feel better about myself (who else gets into that winter hole of "I'm fat, I'm tired, I'm cold, I just want to eat..") but gives me more energy, reduces my stress and improves my attitude and sleep schedule. Plus it's nice to come out of winter hibernation without that extra 10-15 lbs.

I run every day and I look as blobby as I did when I started running. Why??
The oldest trick in the book. Running is good for you, but it is important to switch it up and to keep pushing yourself HARD. When I run every day I find it a little too easy to slip into running at the same pace and not pushing myself harder. Like I said above, our bodies adapt and it is important to have a variety. Our bodies get used to workouts, so if I run 3 miles every day for 4 weeks I will actually burn less calories by the end of the 4 week period than I did at first. Also: Studies by the American College of Sports Medicine show that 20 minutes/day of HIIT (high intensity interval training) 3 times per week yield more cardio (and weightloss) benefits than 60 mins/day of jogging/elipticalling 5 days per week. Another thing to consider is how important diet is in weight loss- just as important as exercising. Click here for meal plans and healthy options.

I have approximately 10 minutes of free time every day. How do I stay in shape?
I definitely recommend HIIT workouts- these are short and to the point and really get the job done. 20 minutes 3 days per week has tons of benefits. Fitness Blender has a great variety of short HIIT workouts, and Blogilates has 9 HIIT printables in case you don't have time or a place to follow the videos. Also think about how much time it saves to not have to trek to the gym, change, and get back home. And I have done all these workouts in the two square feet between my bed and my wall, no no space necessary.

But I'm so tired after work...
Suck it up, follow some fitspo on Instagram (may I recommend @fitspo4women, @instafemmefitness and @bossgirlssquat for those of us working on our booties), and remember your long-term goals. Plus, while it is exhausting exercising gives us MORE energy! Another thing to consider is diet- making sure you're eating healthy foods that are giving you more energy aka intentional eating. I post all my clean eating success recipes here

Why do you know about these youtube workout videos?
I worked at a YMCA for years with the benefit of a free gym membership. When I relocated to DC for a gym-less job I was appalled at the price of gym memberships but was determined to stay in shape. I started out doing Netflix workouts, but those just disappeared one day. Enter: Youtube. I have wasted a lot of time on crappy online workouts and would have loved to have recommendations from others of legit online fitness programs, so I'm not letting anyone else waste their time on crappy workout videos!

FAQ Fridays: Fitness

Friday, November 15, 2013

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )