If you’re looking for a way to push yourself this weekend it’s not too late to try the latest challenge from Tribesport.
The six moves of the Parkour Generations Body Armour Workout will test your strength, balance and endurance. Trust, you’ll feel the fruit of your labor long after its through.
Let me know what your workout plans look like for this weekend and if you’ve tried any of the challenges from Tribesport.
Filed under Eat & Workout With Me, Tribesports, workout
Why do you workout? Is it because it’s good for you or helps to relieve stress? Do you do it to get out of the house or fit into a pair of jeans you love? Sometimes people, whether it be those you know or those in the media, tell us that there is only one “good” reason to exercise.
But I say “Poo” to that! Does it really matter why you’re exercising, as long as you’re doing it? Today’s post is short, because my work schedule for this week is hectic and I have to get up at 5 a.m. if I want to workout. This also means I have to go bed earlier. Oy. But…
If you’re looking for a workout to do, Tribesports.com British Military Fitness Green Workout is worth checking out. You’ll burpee and thrust squat till you can’t stand it.
Let me know why you workout? What’s your motivation?
Filed under Tribesports, workout
The weekend is a time for fun, so today I’m going to be give you all tid bits of lots of fun stuff that you should know about.
Event: America the Beautiful-Ride for Unity
What Is It: “America The Beautiful” is this awesome documentary by Darryl Roberts. During the film he tries to uncover what makes a person beautiful. He interviews people, follows a runway model who begins her career at 12 (or 14, can’t remember), and just does an excellent job in showing how subjective beauty can be if we allow it. Anyway, his follow up film, “America The Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments” documents the country’s obsession with losing weight. Now, as a fitness and health nut and a person who has devoted a lot of time to reading studies about how unhealthy this country is, I appreciate the unpreachy tone Roberts takes on. He’s good at finding various perspectives on a topic, so you won’t feel like you just watched a film about the “evils of beauty”. If you haven’t seen his films you’re missing out. Plus, I’ve corresponded with him and he’s so so so soooooo nice! Anyway, so the bike ride is to raise money for NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) and RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). Since I know many people who have been affected by EDs and abuse, I think this bike ride is an awesome idea!
Where & When: Elgin, Chicago; June 29, 2013.
Details: There will be 3 rides; one 10-mile, one 20-mile, and the other 40-miles. If you want to read more about it, let me know and I’ll email you all the information
Register: Ride for Unity
Store to Know: HealthyChic.com
What Is It: An online store where you can buy fitness clothes & equipment, good-for-you beauty products, and nutrition stuff.
Why You’ll Love It: Items are affordable! Think of it like an Amazon store exclusively for the fit and healthy crowd.
Fav Item: The Po Campo Bag. I pitched this bag when I was an intern at SHAPE. It’s chic in that “I care about the environment” sort of way and it can be strapped on to the handles of your bike, stroller…whatever; making it perfect for riding students or workers.
Photo Credit: HealthyChic.com
Tumblr to Know: InHue Magazine
Address: inhuemag.tumblr.com
Why Should You Follow It: Hmmm…I don’t know. Besides the fact I’m the magazine’s fitness reporter, the mag’s Tumblr has inspiration pics, food porn, and awesome infographs. You can also follow the Tumblr for Fit is the New Black at Fitisthenewblack.tumblr.com.
Recipe of the Moment: PB & Chocolate Chip Protein Shake
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 banana
1 scoop of vanilla vegan protein powder
2 TBS of P2B
1 TBS of PB
3 TBS of non-dairy creamer
2 TBS of mini chocolate chips
Ice
Directions:
Put ingredients in blender, blend and enjoy.
Why You’ll Love It: This sh!t is like a milkshake that is good for you! You’ll get some potassium, loads of protein, and more calcium than if you used cow milk.
My cell phone sucks at photos, but…
What are you doing this weekend? Are you planning on working out or eating at some new swanky veg restaurant? Maybe you’re just chillaxing at home. Whatever you’re doing, let me know.
Filed under celebs working out, Fitness Products, Healthy Eats, InHue Magazine, Recipes, Tribesports, workout
Happy Sunday Everyone!
Did you workout this weekend? No? Fear not!I have vid from Cassey Ho of Blogilaties to share with you. Ever since I started using Nike’s Training App I’ve been really gun-ho about trying to do an additional ST (strength training) routine weekly. As a person who really hated strength training, I can’t recommend it enough, especially because it gives a mix of cardio, resistance and stretching.
But if you’re on the go and can’t download the app today, try this video. It’s a little more than 12 minutes and will kick your ass! Some of you may be mad at Cassey Ho for her Honey Booboo comments, but I can’t stand the whole Honey Booboo phenomena or how PC/sensitive this society has become. In short, I’m still down with Cassey and think you should be too.
Let me know how you liked this vid.
Filed under workout, workout videos
People underestimate the power of the mind. But the mind is our strongest organ. If you exercise your brain, you open up a plethora of possibilities for yourself. In the movie, Food Matters, one of the health experts talks about visualization and how it helped him get a healthier place.
People who don’t know me well think I’m a Type-A personality. I shove a lot into my day, which sometimes included 5 a.m. workouts and healthy meal prep for the remainder of the week. It isn’t easy. I like sleeping in and believe it or not, I still think junk food taste pretty good. But sleeping in and junk food doesn’t get me to my goals, so I nix it out.
And how did I get so good at mimicking Type-As? Visualization played a huge role. From the moment I made the decision to whip my ass into shape I started imagining myself where I wanted to be. It wasn’t like I kept telling myself I wanted to be someone else. No, I like myself just fine. I just knew I wasn’t living to my full potential. That’s somewhat criminal in my book.
I started envisioning what the best me would look like. What would the best me fill her days with? What would she eat? How would she act? And the more I thought of it, the more I started doing things to match what I saw in my head.
Photo Credit: Found on my Tumblr
Photo Credit: My Tumblr
photo credit: SweatSass
I have a Tumblr to go along with the blog. I general post a lot of pictures I find inspiring. Sometimes just seeing others workout and eat right reminds me that I can do it too. You don’t need a personal chef or a trainer (like so many people think you do). You don’t need an obscene amount of time. All you have to do is make the decision that you want to make a positive change and go for it. Think about, make notes about it. Get the idea stuck in your brain till it feels absurd that you’re not make things happen for yourself. With a little brain power, there is no telling where you can go.
Let me know if you use visualization? Does it work for you or do you think it’s hogwash?
Filed under Brain Food, Features, Fitspiration
Zuzana Light of BodyRockTV.com
When you think of Zuzana Light, what comes to mind? Burpees? Pistol Squats? Definetely those abs. But porn? Not so much. But once upon time, before she her “Smoking HOT Body Workout”, the former face of BodyRock.Tv was an adult model.
It’s a fact that follows her in many of the articles related to her name, and it’s a time in her life she regrets. She once spoke of her previous job to a German mag, referring to the industry as a “trap”. She says,
It is a trap that a lot of young girls in eastern Europe fall into and I feel very lucky to have survived the experience, because many girls don’t…Contrary to popular belief these girls don’t make a lot money doing this and they end up broken inside and left with no self-confidence or feelings of self worth. Many of them turn to drugs and alcohol to help numb the pain.
The interview was once posted on BodyRock, but has now been taken down. It was only through The Huffington Post did I find bits of it to share with you. And while the Huff article talks more about the sexification Zuzana brings to exercise, I am far more interested in the fact that this woman has managed to turn her life in a direction she feels positive about.
While many people in Zuzana’s situation may be tempted to fade into the background, she has braved naysayers and become someone that inspires both women and men. Instead of letting poor choices define her she has stood up and proclaimed that she will define herself, allowing us to come along for the ride.
I think many of us, at one time or another, find ourselves in a bad place. Whether it be a soul sucking job or a unhealthy habit, sometimes we get stuck in a situation that feels impossible to escape. I use to chains smoke, guzzle diet coke, and sleep as little as possible. 
All my unhealthy habits were coping mechanisms. Once a underachiever, I spent my late teens and early college years trying to make up for the perceive failure of my youth. I squeezed as much as possible into 24 hours. I felt like I had to skip sleep so I could get things done. If I didn’t, I felt like I was being lazy, and I.HATE.LAZINESS. I smoked to ease the anxiety that came with all the pressure I put on myself. I filled up on diet coke so I would feel full, because in my mind, if I was taking time to eat, I was losing time to finish an assignment or work.
But even with all my unhealthy habits, I’d always been interested in health. The way specific exercises made it possible to mold and shape the body was endlessly fascinating to me. And as I began to realize my ability to build the physique I wanted, I also began to realize how I could turn my entire life into something I could really be proud of.
Make no mistake. I was not ashamed of my smoking or anything else I did. I stand my the majority of choices I made back in the day, mainly because I thought they were what was best for that moment. But even though I was getting by with my crappy habits, I knew I could live better. And so, slowly over time, I began challenging myself to move past comfort zones.
The first time I began my workout routine I cried- literally. I just hated it. The sweat, the tired muscles, the way I felt time was moving at the slowest means possible just to prolong my agony-it all felt like self-imposed torture. But the next day I did the routine again, and you know what? It felt a little easier. And with time, my walk broke into a jog, and then eventually into a sprint. I now sleep 8 hours, and the majority of my poor health habits are in the past. These changes didn’t happen over night, but they did happen.
What we can learn from Zuzana Light is that no matter what bad place we are in today, it doesn’t necessarily mean we will be in the same place tomorrow. Zuzana chose not to become a victim of her past by working towards building a future she could be happy in. Today she continues to make workout videos on her new YouTube channel, Zuzana Light. And believe me, her ZWOW workouts are as intense as ever.
Photo Credit; Listal.com
Change is rarely easy. After all, humans are creatures of habit. But if you can persevere, reminding yourself that it is also in human nature to evolve, there is no telling where you can go.
Tell me about something you do now that you once thought was impossible for you to do. What changes are you trying to make in your life?
Filed under celebs working out, Features, Fitspiration, workout videos
You are what you behold, so I’m pretty sure I started strength training because I compulsively reblog pictures of people lifting weights on Tumblr. I may have also started because strength training keeps bones strong, prevents osteoporosis, builds muscle, tones up jiggly parts, and do I really need to tell you all the pros of weight training?
Friday my boyfriend played personal trainer and we hit it hard. We’re doing Warrior Dash in August, so I really need to work on my endurance and strength. I started off by running a mile, followed by walking on an incline for a half mile. Afterward I ran another mile! Oh, and I walked 1.5 miles before hitting the gym. Then we did some strength training.
Also hit up the elliptical for 20 minutes
I also performed leg extensions, cable presses, and a ton of ab work, because at the end of the day I want a chiseled stomach. That’s not going to happen though if I don’t quit eating peanut butter like it’s an actual meal. Look how I shamelessly eat it from a dish like it’s ice cream.
Fortunately, I had a healthy breakfast smoothie from Kaeng Raeng. Dinner was a salad made of arugula, cherry tomatoes, carrots, avocado, onions, and hummus. For a dressing I mixed amino acids, honey, Dijon mustard, fig vinegar, and olive oil together.
If strength training still freaks you out, here’s some advice.
1. Start off light.
There is no shame in using 3 pound weights. Check out the girls from Tone It Up. They do it. They key is making sure your form is solid and that you perform till muscle exhaustion. If you’re lifting heavier I’d suggest 3 sets.
2. Watch what you eat.
Just because you’re building muscle doesn’t give you license to eat everything under the sun. You have to be packing serious bulk to experience the fat burning powerhouse that athletes and fitness nuts speak of. In plain English, you’d have to be a body builder. Muscle does burn fat, but you still need cardio to do much of the trimming. Furthermore, if you’re looking to have long, defined muscle you need to eat clean. Watch the added fat, salt, and sugar. This is the difficult part for me, but it is worth it. I find that when I eat a lower calorie diet, filled with protein, healthy fats, lots of produce, and a little whole grain, I’m ultra defined and lean. Why do I get off the eating program? Good question. I think it’s complacency, but I’m working on changing that.
Want to start incorporating weights into your workout? Try this video on for size. Remember, focus on your form first. Pick weights that are comfortable for you! As time passes you’ll be able to increase them.
Do you strength train? If not, why not?
Filed under Eat & Workout With Me, Fitspiration, Healthy Eats, Warrior Dash, workout, workout videos
I’m the first one to admit that I’m not a huge fan of weight training. I’m an easy gainer (a person who can build muscle easily) and so I avoid any routine that requires me to do much lifting.
The recipe for these guns? Just pumping my arms back and forth while I power walk + 1 rep of arm raises with 3 pound weights.
I may not like weights but I definitely notice that my physique improves when I do strength training. Lunges, squats-things I can do with and without weights-all can help strengthen and define muscles, which is important.
My general routine consist of a lot of cardio and 15 minutes of toning/strengthening exercises. Because I think it’s important to shock your body into continual progression I try to switch things up every now and then. That’s why I’ve decided to let my boyfriend train me once a week.
♥MY ROUTINE♥
Cardio- I walked for half a mile at 4.5 mph. I do this just to get my heart rate up. You can do pretty much anything for this portion. Jump rope, hit the elliptical, jog around-whatever gets your blood pumping!
I do this exercise with just the bar. Using the machine helps to stabilize my form, but I’m really using my own body weight to create resistance.
Walking Lunge with Barbell
Photo Credit: Raymondonyango.com
For this move I use a 20 pound barbell, and just walk from one end of the room to the other. As I said before, I don’t have to do much to see a difference, so I only make one full round-probably 40 steps.
Photo Credit: Bodybuilding.com
Lying Leg Curls
This machine works the hamstrings. I think I used a weight of 30-40 pounds. Instead of doing reps I did it until my legs got tired-probably 40 times.
Seated Calf Raise
Photo Credit: Pjfitness.co
Machine Bench Press
Photo Credit: bodybuilding.com
This exercise works the chest. I used 20 pounds.
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Photo Credit: Munfitness.com
Underhand Cable Pulldown
This exercise is a variation of the one right above it. It works the lats. I performed it with a 20 pound resistance.
Photo Credit: munfitness.com
Machine Shoulder Military Press
Twenty pounds again!
Seated Cable-Row
Photo Credit: Bodybuilding.com
Can you guess how much weight I used? 20 pounds!
Cable-Crossover
Photo Credit: healthstylesexercise.com
Another 20 pound weight exercise.
Hyperextensions
Photo Credit: Schellers.com
I love these exercises. I do them holding a 10 pound weighted disc.
Dumbbell 45 degree Side Bend
Photo Credit: Flattenbelly.com
This move is performed for 3 reps of 10 on each side, with a 10 pound weight.
Rope Crunch
Photo Credit: Bodybuilding.com
I perform this with 60 pounds. I already train my abs with weights, so it’s more challenging for me to go a little heavier with this move.
Cable Side Bend
For this move I like to use 25 pounds.
Cable Twist
I’m still working on perfecting this exercise. I work with 15 pounds.
Because I’m B-A-N-A-N-A-S, I did more than an hour of cardio after this. I was sore and tired from the strength training but I also felt strangely pumped for more exercise. You don’t have to do as much cardio as I did, but to see all the pretty muscles you are building and defining you have to melt that fat. In short, make sure to get 30-40 minutes of cardio in too!
The weight routine took me 30 minutes to complete. If you include my cardio recommendation you’ll only be in the gym for about an hour. Oh, and don’t forget to stretch!
What are some of your fav weight training routines?
Filed under Features, workout, workout videos
Photo Credit: Deleteandactive.tumblr.com
I try to ignore my phone when I hit the gym. It’s hard to focus on making that last mile when I’m busy text messaging. But there is a time and a place for everything, and if you insist on using your cell while you work out you should be using it for some fitness purpose.
I was trolling Tumblr the other day and found this great post which was nothing but a massive link to fitness apps. Being the investigative journalist that I am, I decided to check them out and report on the ones you need to download right now!!
Nike Training Club ($FREE; iPhone, iTouch)
The Nike Training Club app acts as a personal training, giving more than 85 workouts for users to try. Oh, and it’s free!!!
Vitogo ($2.99; iPhone,iTouch)
Vitogo allows users to tailor their own strength training routines. A must have for people who want to get cut, but feel clueless about what to do when they hit the weight room.
Cardio Trainer ($FREE; Android phones)
My boyfriend downloaded this app for me and I love it!! It’s a perfect little accessories for when you’re working out outside. It has a built in GPS, so it can clock your miles, how fast you’re walking, and how many calories you have burnt.
What’s your favorite fitness app?
Filed under Features, Fitness Products, workout
