Who is sharing a circuit workout ...

 It is here - Friday Friday Friday!  And not only is it Friday ... it is .... FITNESS FRIDAY!!! 

First I want to say that I had an AMAZING birthday! I felt very loved and lucky all day and then I got to share an incredible meal with my hubby at Real Seafood Company in Ann Arbor. 

Shoutout to Ann Arbor readers - I want to make sure you all know about the birthday deal at all Mainstreet Venture restaurants .... any restaurant owned by MainStreet Ventures (Real Seafood, Chop House, Gratzi), lets you have 50% off your meal if you are dining with 1-2 people ... amazing!!

The birthday continues this weekend because my parents are coming to visit and we are going to the Michigan football game and more eating =)

Back to the workout!!! It has been awhile since I have shared a bodyweight workout on the blog, so I am here to share a doozie!

The temperatures are starting to drop (starting to feel like FALL!!), which means it is the PERFECT time to take your workout outside. This workout involves a tiny bit of prep - but then once you write out the exercises, you can do the workout again in the future without prep. It is a great workout to do with a group or a partner.

Equipment Needed:
- Yourself (bodyweight)
- 11 Flashcards or pieces of paper

1) Before you start the workout, take time to write out the following 11 exercises out on flashcards or pieces of paper. You can click on the exercise to see a demonstration to make sure you know what you will be doing and you do each move with good form (maybe soon I can link to myself doing a demonstration?!?). Hopefully I introduce you to some new exercises that you can do anywhere!!

• 10 Burpees
• 20 Alternating step back lunges 
• 20 Froggers Jump 
• 10 Walkout Push Up with Swivel 
• 15 Squat Jumps
• 10 Kick Downs
• 10 Tuck Jumps
• 20 Arm Circles both forward and backwards
• 15 Jumping Jack Planks
• 20 Tricep Dips on the ground
• 16 Skater Jumps 

2) Go outside and form a large circle with the 11 pieces of paper (large enough that running around all of the paper would take you 10 or more seconds) - and keep them in the order listed above because I tried to alternate between cardio and strength.

3) Once you probably warmup (by running or doing something to get your heart rate up and muscles warm) ... you are ready to begin the workout! The workout is made up of 3 rounds.

1st Round: 
- You set the timer for 16 minutes. For the whole 16 minutes you will continuously complete the exercise at a certain station and then run (or sprint) around the circle and then complete the exercise at the next station and then run again and so on.

Give your self a 2 minute break after the 1st round to grab a drink and catch your breath

2nd Round: 
- Set the timer for 8 minutes. This round you run after every other exercise or station, therefore you will complete an exercise, complete an exercise and then run and repeat for 8 minutes.

Give yourself another 2 minute break

Last Round:
- Set the timer for 4 minute. There is no running this round, you will simply complete each exercise and move onto the next exercise.

And you are done!! If you are pushing yourself - this is an intense workout! Make sure you take the time to stretch out your muscles!

Also, if this workout seems too intense - you can make modifications by decreasing the repetitions you do for each station, or decreasing the time of each round.

Good Luck!!!

Have you done any good workouts this week?? Or what weekend plans do you have??

Five Things Friday 8.22.14

I absolutely loved participating in Clare's Five Things Friday post last week ... so I am back to do it again this week!

I think I will do Fitness Friday two Fridays a month and Five Things Friday the other two.

Before I jump into my Five Things ... I wanted to say I am super excited for this weekend! B and I are heading down to Indianapolis to see family and good friends, go to an outdoor concert, eat ice cream, play with babies, and more. It should be a great time and I can't wait to tell you all about it next week!

Five Things I Ate

• Collider from Roy's Diner
• If you are from Ann Arbor (especially if you went to school at UofM), Roy's Diner is kind of famous. It is a hole in the wall restaurant that has frozen yogurt and Korean ... random! I went there for their frozen yogurt! They make a blizzard like concoction with fro yo and you can add anything you want. So delicious! I got strawberries, bananas (healthy!?), Golden Grahams, and real cookie dough.

 

• Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt Guacamole
• This guacamole is amazing! So good -- you have to try it! 

                                  

•  Fresh Green Beans
• We have gotten green beans in our CSA the last couple of weeks, and I have been loving it! I love them steamed, but I also love to roast them. They get a little charred and I eat them with my hands like french fries.

•  Oatmeal, Pecan, Chocolate Chip Cookies 
• Made these tasty cookie to take with us this weekend to share with family!



Recipe is from Half Baked Harvest Blog (Source)

                                           

• Soy Marinated Cod (from Trader Joe's also)
• My sister in law made cod for us when we went camping in Northern Michigan and I loved it (I usually stick with tilapia). Since I loved it so much, I decided to go out and buy some and we just baked it in the oven and it was pretty good.

Five Workouts 

My workouts are pretty similar from last week ... run and run some more.

Monday:
- 6 mile morning run with my running buddies (legs were heavy because I did my long run on Sunday)
-Taught my last barre class!

Tuesday:
- 8 mile morning run

Wednesday:
- 800 WORKOUT - 6 X 800 meters  - 7.5 miles
Tried to push it pretty hard, but felt pretty good (new shoes made my feet feel like they were on clouds)
I am very grateful for the company I had on the run! (thank you Laura!)

Thursday:
- Day off (Unless floating in a pool with a cute baby counts as a workout)

Friday:
- 9 miles

Five Pins

Drunken noodles with sausage, veggies, and fresh basil - I love drunken noodles! (Source)

TOO CUTE! (see a theme of Golden puppies pinned??) (Source unknown)

Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies ... it is almost pumpkin season!! (Source)

I need this quote right now ... about to start my first prereq class on Monday and it sure seems like a LONG road ahead! (Source unknown)

I am a sucker for Kate Spade (but too pricey for me) - but this coat is gorgeous!! (Source)

Five Things Making Me Happy

• Making friends in Ann Arbor and settling in! 
• It has taken a while for Ann Arbor to truly feel like home, but I am really grateful for some close friends I have made and some new, fun friends I have met recently!

•  Starting my Human Anatomy Class on Monday!? 
• I think this will make me happy... I am really nervous, but at the same time I am also very excited to take the first step. I declared this week my last week of freedom, so I do know things will change ... but I will be working towards a big goal. 

• Soggy Cereal
• As a blogger I want to be transparent - so I want to admit, even though it may be gross to some, I love my cereal really soggy! Like I put milk over the cereal and put it into the fridge for a while soggy.... Any other believers? 

•   Catch up time with B and Yosey
• Recently I feel like B and I have been on totally different schedules (it does not help that he worked over 100 hours last week). On nights he gets home early I have had things going on and vice versa ... so one night this week we just got to sit down and catch up and chat and be a big happy family (yupp ... corny). 

• The book Fault in our Stars
• The book actually makes me sad and grateful, but I love it. It is a young adult book, which makes it a very easy read. I hope to finish it this week and then I will go see the movie. I love that it is set in Indianapolis too and talks about a lot of familiar sights.  

                                                                  


 Now your turn!!?? What have you eaten this week and what has made you happy? And most importantly ... anyone else like soggy cereal?

Who shares about barre classes ...

Good Morning to you!
I hope you are waking up refreshed and ready for the week.

I am waking up a little groggy because of a weekend away, but nothing that a morning run can't fix!
I had a great weekend in Chicago with a lifelong friend and her 2 kids! We played at the pool, played at the park, and sang Disney songs at the top of our lungs. Such a fun weekend, and so glad we have stayed close all of these years.
_________________________________________________________________________

Last Fall I decided to take the plunge and start teaching Fitness Classes at a local Ann Arbor gym called Vie. (Ann Arbor readers - great gym, owned by 2 great, local ladies!)

I have always LOVED taking group fitness classes because they expose me to new things and new moves - and being part of a group pushes me and also allows me to bond with other active ladies (or men).

Since B was so busy working, and I did have some of my evenings free - I decided it was a perfect time to add Group Fitness Instructor to my list of hobbies (And full disclosure - as an instructor, I get to take other classes for free, HUGE PERK!)

I got certified and started teaching Barre classes and fell in love with the class.
Since I am taking Human Anatomy this Fall and 2 of my evenings are filled to the brim with the class -  I have decided I need to cut back on my fitness classes and tonight is my last Barre class that I am teaching for a while. I am sad because I love teaching (and just doing) the class - and I will miss some of the regulars that come every week.

BUT - in honor of teaching my last class ... I thought I would share some thoughts/tips about barre classes. I know coming to a group fitness class can be a bit intimidating if you do not know what to expect - so hopefully these tips will help and push you to take the plunge and sign up for a new class! (For readers in Ann Arbor - first class at Vie is FREE!)

Barre Class Tips and TidBits 

• Barre is a generic term 
• Barre defines a class that uses a ballet barre and uses small, isolated movements set to upbeat music. There are certain types of barre that have their own format - such a PureBarre - and then there are certain nationwide studios that teach different types of Barre classes - such as The Barre Code - and lastly there are gyms that teach barre classes, along with other classes - such as my gym Vie.
• I was certified by a local gym in Detroit that has its own Barre format - but gives the instructors a lot of flexibility in class

• Barre uses lighter weights but more repetitions
• In my first barre class, I thought it was silly we had 3 pound weights  - but as we were doing what felt like our millionth arm exercise in a row, I understood why we had 3 pound weights!
• For your first class - use the 2 or 3 pound weights and if needed, stop and shake out your arms in the middle of a series

Vie's downtown studio

• Because Barre uses more reps and longer holds - you need to focus and breath
•  Your muscles are going to shake - but try to focus and push through! Always listen to your body and take breaks when needed, but if your muscles start shaking (totally normal), you do not need to break right way ... keep pushing a bit longer!

The infamous "Chair Pose" - hard but great!

• Barre can help your flexibility
• Barre class helps tone your muscles, but it also involves a lot of stretching! After you rip your muscles holding the "chair pose" for a few minutes, it is important to stretch those muscles you just worked to help them lengthen
• BUT  - you do not have to be a flexible ballerina to take a class. I am an instructor and I am very inflexible ... but working on it

• What to wear:
• Yoga half tights - they are better than shorts, because it will prevent sneaking anyone a peak when you bend over and get in different positions
• Sleeveless workout top - gives your arms more range of motion
• Barefoot or grippy sock 
  

• Form is really important 
• Listen to the instructor and make sure you understand the position. This will help prevent injury and also get the most out of the workout.
• Let your instructor know you are new

• Get excited to see results! 
• I can honestly say that since I have been teaching I have noticed that my arms are more toned and my booty is more lifted

Please let me know if you have any other barre questions or group fitness class questions in general! If you are feeling nervous about attending a class - ask a friend to join you and take the plunge!!

How was everyone's weekend?

Five Things Friday 8.15.14

 

Whoooo Friday! 

Instead of Fitness Friday (see Monday's post for some running inspiration), I decided to participate in Clare's "Five Things Friday." Clare has a really successful blog called Fitting it all In

that hits on living a balanced and healthy life! Clare just made a career change too - she is going back to medical school! Funny to think that she will be a doctor before I finish my crazy long path to becoming an RD.

"Five Things Friday" serves as a quick recap of my favorite eats and drinks, favorite workouts, and happy moments of the week! I thought it would be a great week to participate, since I just posted about remembering to stop and be grateful for the happy things! 

Since this is my first week participating ... I have to admit ... I did not do very well remembering to photograph everything from the week. I will get better and have more pictures on future "Five Things Friday!"

Five Things I Ate: 

•  Homemade chicken curry 
• I was sick of the traditional Mexican and Italian dishes I was making, so I decided to spice things up a bit and made chicken curry! With red chili paste and coconut milk and tons of veggies ... it was pretty tasty! It will be something I keep tweaking - but B liked it too. 

• Corn on the Cob 
•  I LOVE fresh corn on the cob, so when it is in season ... I always try to take advantage! B bought 12 ears at the Farmer's market on Saturday, so we have been enjoying it boiled, microwaved, and grilled. So good and fresh - it does not even need butter!

• Baba Ganoush  
• Baba ga WhAt? Baba Ganoush is a Mediterranean spread that is made with eggplant. I would compare it to hummus, but with eggplant. We (ok ok, it is B's garden ... I do very little to help out) have a little garden on our patio, and we B harvested some eggplant recently. There is only so much roasted eggplant that you can eat ... so I decided to use it to make homemade Baba Ganoush! Since it was my first shot at making it, I would say it is not bad -- but the recipe is definitely not ready to share on the blog yet.

•  A Fruit Baby
• I went to a baby shower on Saturday and the amazing host made the below fruit baby. How cute is that?!? And delicious!
  

• Greek Yogurt & Cereal & Granola
• This is not exciting, but it gives you a peek into my everyday eats! I am the type of person that could eat the same thing everyday ... so I do for breakfast. Greek yogurt, half a frozen banana, and whatever other fruit I have around. I top it with Honey Bunches of Oats and sometimes a little granola for added crunch (usually not too much granola because it has a lot of added sugars and calories ... I know Honey  Bunches of Oats has added sugar too ... balance?). 
  

Five Workouts:

Monday:  

 - 8 mile morning run (great way to start the week and great company!)

 - Taught Barre Class in the evening - had almost a full class! Great class and was extra sore?

Tuesday:  

- 6 mile morning run (hilly!)

Wednesday: 

- HILL WORKOUT - 5 LONG hill repeats - 7 miles total (thanks to Laura & Kristy for joining)

Thursday:

- Rest Day from running

- Walk around the Arb with a friend and her cute baby

Friday:

- 9 mile morning run

Five Pins:

I love polka dots, I love full skirts and unique details - this outfit is so perfect and fun! (Source)

Too cute not to share - but also reminds me that Yosey is not a puppy anymore =( (Source)

So true! Especially for B! (Source)

How delicious does this look! (Source)

Need to remind myself too! (Source)

Five Things Making me Happy: 

• Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights (the TV series) ... he makes me happy =) I LOVE the TV series Friday Night Lights. I have already seen all 5 seasons, but B has not ... so it has become the show that B and I watch together to relax every once in a while. Curling up on the couch with B and watching my favorite show -- that makes me happy! 

• Michigan summer weather! Nice and cool in the morning for an amazing run, and then warms up to that perfect high 70s (low 80s) temperature during the day! (Ignore the floods that recently just hit Detroit this Monday ... that was rare). 

• Noonday Trunk Show I attended on Wednesday evening at a good friend's house.
  Noonday Collection is an accessory/ jewelery line with some amazing items. Noonday's mission is to create economic opportunity for the vulnerable. They partner with artisans in the developing world, empowering them to grow sustainable businesses. By creating a marketplace for their goods, they create dignified jobs at living wages. The thing that I think makes Noonday unique from other impactful jewelry lines - their stuff is amazing and SOOO cute! Therefore, you are making a difference and getting something that is gorgeous and well made. Check them out for Christmas gifts??

• My weekend plans to go to Chicago to see my best friend from childhood. We have plans to hang out at the pool all weekend with her 2 kiddos ... could not be more excited! (long run on Lakeshore ... yes please!)

•  Bulk Bins! I get way to excited when a store has bulk bins! I love to control the amount I get and I love to sample (don't act like you have never sampled from a bulk bin!). If I bought a whole pre-packaged bag of plantain chips or trail mix, I would eat it all and be sick (self control issues sometimes), but a bulk bin allows me to get a single serving that I will most likely eat in the car on the way home.

  

  (Source)

  YOUR TURN! What has made you happy this week? Or what delicious food have you eaten?