Friday, August 23, 2013

Getting back into the swing of things!

Recruitment sure kept me busy this week! That and classes starting was a big change to my leisurely summer schedule. Now, it's time to get back into the swing of things, including working out each day.
Here's a full body workout I completed today, it incorporates cardio and strength! For cardio I included 15 minutes before and after for a warm up and cool down as well as 30 second intervals of cardio through out the circuit, which is a great calorie burner!

Friday Workout:
15 min light cardio
2x All-Over Circuit
15 min light cardio

All-Over Circuit:
Directions:
Complete each move for 30 minutes and rest for 10 seconds, then move on. A repeated interval timer is great for this circuit; I used my Gymboss timer and set it to 26 rounds of 30s work 10s rest.
Alternating lunges with bicep curl (use at least 5 lb dumbbells)
Jump Squats
Jump Rope
Backward lunge + forward kick
Squat + shoulder press (use at least 5lb dumbbells)
Jumping Jacks
Penguin Taps (holding at least 5lb dumbbells in each hand)
Pikes
Burpees
Push ups
Plank + tricep row (at least 5 lb dumbbells)
High Knees
Plank

Try it out and let me know what you think! Hope ya'll are figuring out your workout schedule for the year!

Sara


Monday, August 5, 2013

Morning Circuit

I love working out in the morning! It's a great way to start the day and makes me feel ten times more productive in everything else I do. This morning I started with a circuit I created the night before.
My heart was racing and I was sweating through this workout!
If you are able to, do 10-20 minutes of cardio then follow with the "Morning Circuit." The 10 second breaks between each move are great for a half-awake state, but that doesn't mean the circuit is easy!
I used a repeating interval timer (Gymboss) and set it to 30 rounds of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest. You can also use a stopwatch/phone ap/internet.



Enjoy!

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Baking, birthdays, and bodypumpin'

The weekend started off how most of my weekends do, with a run!
I haven't run much around the area I recently moved to, but I've discovered some routes that are interesting and have sidewalk the entire way! This run got to about 5.28 miles.

Reviewing that past couple of days...
Thursday my sister, a couple friends, and I visited our high school history teacher, Gayley, to celebrate her birthday!
Pinterest inspired birthday card I made Gayley 
It was great to spend some time hanging out with Gayley on her beautiful screened-in-porch. We talked into the night over a layered fruit and pound cake I made (I will be sure to post about!).


As a small gift we gave her Bath and Body Works Country Apple body lotion and a bag of peanut butter granola I made. This recipe is from Julie @ pbfingers.com and it is AWESOME and so easy. Granola is super expensive at the store so I am glad to have this recipe on hand. The only addition I made was to add about a 1/2 cup of raisins for 3 cups of oats.

Friday.
A surprise day off for me from work! I started the day off with a run, followed by some baking! My dad loved the pb granola I made for Gayley, so I made another batch of the addictive oats. 

I simultaneously baked some Bangin' Banana Bread. This time, however, I made the bread into muffins. The nice thing about making Banana Bread into muffins is that they cook way faster, try 35 minutes (the original loaf takes 60 minutes)! Amanda loved the muffins and we both agreed they make a good on-the-go breakfast and snack.


The only change I will make next time when making Banana Bread muffins is to add 1.5 tsp of baking powder to help the muffins rise a bit more. I did the nutrition breakdown for the muffins on fatsecret.com.


Amanda and I headed to our nearest Starbucks to get some work done. Amanda studied for the LSAT while I sent emails, worked on my Fall schedule, and transfer credits.

Sometimes the Pike roast is too strong for me, but lately since I've been asking for soymilk I think it tastes really great! I think it might be that the soymilk is vanilla flavored! YUM.

It ended up being a sister-filled day as Amanda FINALLY agreed to go to a Bodypump class with me. I can't tell you how excited I was : ). We started off with 20 minutes on the elliptical to warm up and then were ready for some pumpin'.


Pre Pump!
I had never been to this specific instructor, but she was great! She even walked around the room adjusting form, which I really appreciated! But, boy, this gal does not take breaks! My arms were jello after class and so were Amanda's!

My goal for the rest of the weekend is to relax since soon it will be back to the hustle-and-bustle of fall semester. I can't believe I am already a college Junior!

Here's some light weekend reading:
Making the Case for Eating Fruit
Abs Workout: The Fastest Way to Lose Belly Fat

Have a great weekend!

Sara

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Exercise & Conversation, a great duo!


I had a fantastic workout today! 
A big part of how wonderful the workout was because I completed it with two great friends, Paige and Anna. We caught up on each other's lives and fun gossip over the elliptical and then headed into the pool for about half an hour of swimming. 

Anna, Paige, and I post swim! Looking good!

All the fun I had hanging out and exercising with these gals reminded me of how positive an influence others can be to your workout routine! So if you're meeting up with a friend, do some multitasking and exercise as well! You'll be full of the post-workout endorphin's and the joy from spending time with a friend!