Kettlebell swings are an amazing compound exercise for a total body torch kind of movement. It is going to engage your legs, glutes, back shoulders and core.
Explosive movements of swinging the kettlebell requires a lot of energy. This translates into an increased heart rate and improved aerobic capacity. The movement targets the posterior chain, which are known as the muscles on the backside of your body that are often neglected in traditional weightlifting exercises.
So give this one a go and let me know how good the burn feels. đĽ
Active recovery days are essential for maintaining a healthy and well rounded fitness regimen. Having days like these provide an opportunity for the body to rest and recover all while still engaging in some form of physical activity. This may simply look like walking around town in your new outfit of the night.
The mental benefits of active recovery include promoting mental wellness in order to further reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood and focus, and enhance energy levels. So with that being said make sure to step out around town day or night and reach your step count for the day to further your fitness goals.
Exercise will boost your mood by releasing endorphins, which are known as the feel good chemicals in the brain. This is why itâs a great way to start your day. For example, today I was feeling a little off so I decided to go work out, and instantly I felt better and ready to tackle the rest of my day. Now itâs your turn.
The dumbbell hip thrust is a compound exercise designed to target the glutes and hamstrings with the use of weights. It may seem like a simple movement, proper form and weight selection are key to ensure maximum muscle activation.
Adding in dumbbells to this exercise allows for a greater challenge and increased resistance. This will lead to greater gains in strength and muscle mass. So next time you hit the gym, donât underestimate the power of the dumbbell hip thrust in order to build a strong and shapely lower body.
Unleash the power of battle rope, exercising for a full body workout. Embarking on this type of exercise will build endurance, strength, and burn calories like never before.
There are many different effective ways to stretch your arms. If you want to stretch your upper body out before your workout, these are some great ones.
Shoulder Stretch: Begin standing with your feet, shoulder width, apart, place one arm across your chest, using the other arm to gently press your elbow hold for 30 seconds and repeat with the opposite arm.
Tricep Stretch: Standing with your feet shoulder, width, apart place one hand behind your head, then reach your other hand behind your back to grasp your elbow. Slowly pull your elbow towards your head until you feel a stretch and your tricep muscle. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and then repeat with the other arm.
Time to stretch!! Letâs go.
Letâs talk about the health benefits of a cold bath and what it does for youâŚ
Soothes muscles
Improves circulation
Increases metabolism
Improves breathing
Mood boost
Relieves pain
Reduces inflammation
How does it do this?
The cold water sends many electrical impulses to your brain. They shock your system to boost clarity, alertness and energy levels. Endorphins are released. This process is my favorite because theyâre often referred to as happiness hormones. The effect this has on you will lead to having a more optimistic perspective on life along with an overall improved well being.
Getting my red light therapy action on this morning. Are you ready for a nice reset? If so this will be your new main squeeze to add to your daily routine.
The benefits of using red light therapy are it will reset your circadian rhythm and improve your sleep quality, wound & scar healing, increase your cognitive abilities, reduce inflammation, great for anti- aging, improves muscle recovery and physical performance. The list goes on⌠try it out and let me know how it goes. There are also more portable versions you can get for more convenience, but how cool is this red light therapy tent!?
Sometimes you have to get your steps in via strutting around the mall. Itâs a fun way to browse and sometimes something special will catch your eye. Itâs ok to mix fitness with a little self lovinâ and treat yourself right. With that said Iâm going to keep on steppinâ to reach my 10k steps for the day⌠hope you are too.
SWEATđ§ SUNSHINE âď¸ & SEROTONIN đ
This is the ultimate trio for improving your mental health and getting your body summer time swimsuit ready.
Sunlight exposure, particularly in the morning can help regulate your circadian rhythm and improve your overall sleep quality. What this will do is have a direct effect to enhance your cognitive function and attention throughout your day.
So now you know how to start your day if you would like to wrap up your night in a more peaceful way when youâre off to dream land. đ´
Sometimes you have to stop and appreciate how far youâve come along your journey. Make sure not to overwhelm yourself with unnecessary pressure. You are doing great and just have to remain consistently showing up for yourself so you can put your best foot forward in all that you do.
Are you ready to crush it today?!
đ§ Get that top notch drip.
Get you some high quality H2O. Cue in water boy here lol has anyone seen that movie?
Consuming high-quality water is better for hydration versus poor quality, water can disrupt the natural balance of fluids in your body, which can lead to dehydration.
Having clean water can help with weight loss and improved brain function. Dehydration can cause fatigue and brain fog, while drinking high quality water can improve focus and mental clarity.
High quality water can also improve your overall skin health and give you that glow factor. It can help keep your skin hydrated and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and other signs of aging.
So the next time you think about getting just tap water, think about how much more pure it would be if you opted for a better quality brand or even got a water filter. The more you know, the more youâll glow.
Beach Body Ready Barbell Workouts
Letâs talk about what kind of exercises you can do in order to feel best about yourself in your swimsuit when you hit the beach.
Bent Over Rows for your back
Bench Press for your chest
Deadlift targets your glutes
Bicep Curl targets your biceps
Hip Thrust targets your glutes
Overhead Press works your shoulders
Squat improves leg strength
Give these a try to get that body ready for your bikini or swim trunks. Ready⌠go!
The Russian Twist move is such a great core exercise. It targets, multiple muscles, including your abdominal muscles, lower back and obliques. It improves your core stability as well as balance.
The twisting motion of the Russian twist can help improve spinal mobility, and reduce the risk of injury. If youâre anything like me, and experience back pain sometimes doing this move will improve your posture and help prevent lower back pain.
Give it a go and let me know if you enjoyed this one. âđ˝
Here are 3 basic yet effective glute exercises that can make for a great workout⌠since today is leg day.
1) Squats- stand with your feet shoulder width apart, sit back and down as if youâre sitting in a chair, cue the egg chair behind me lol. Next lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
2) Lunges- Step forward with one leg and lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground and rear knee nearly touches the ground.
3) Hip Thrusts- Sit on the ground with a weight or barbell across your hips, so your back is pressed against it. Lift your hips off the ground, next squeeze your glutes at the top and holding for a second before lowering back down.
Happy Motherâs Day to all of the amazing moms out there. Hope you got the chance to get some steps in and enjoy this precious weekend for all that it is. Cheers to a great weekend and even better week ahead. Make sure to plan your week out right so you can put your best foot forward tomorrow.
đ¨ If youâve had a long week or 4 in a row like I have then cut yourself some slack and relax a bit. Enjoy time with friends and family. Life is all about enjoying the sweet little moments. This weekend Iâm still knocking out a little bit of work, and cardio by getting some steps in. However definitely scaling back several notches to allow my body to rest and recover. I hope youâre doing the same. Live, let go a little and relax. đ
A dumbbell renegade row is a strength training exercise that primarily targets the upper back, shoulders, as well as your core muscles. To properly perform this movement, you were going to do the following:
1) Start in a high blank position with a pair of dumbbells in your hands on the ground, shoulder distance apart.
2) Keep your head, neck and spine in a neutral position, and tighten your core as you drive one dumbbell up towards your rib cage.
3) At the top of the movement, pause, then lower the dumbbell back to starting position.
4) Repeat on the other side, keeping your hips stable and your body still.
Continue alternating sides for the number of reps or time you wish to complete and there you have a completed set of dumbbell renegade rows.
Thereâs an array of benefits to using a cable pulley system while working out such as it provides constant resistance throughout the range of motion youâre performing, which helps in building muscle strength and endurance.
It is known to improve overall stability, which would benefit your core muscles. It also will have a positive impact on improving your coordination, and balance.
Cable systems are suitable for people at all fitness levels ranging from beginner to advanced making it an ideal workout for anyone ready to train.
Time to warm up!
There are so many ways you can warm up your body before the gym or work out. My go to are some planks or squats that help fire up your body, and elevate that heart rate. Itâs simple yet effective and doesnât require any equipment. So with that being said, letâs bring it on down to the floor and knock out some planks together. I am for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time. Ready, set, GO.
Ready to jazz up my sweat sesh by adding a little HIIT. Do you enjoy this style of cardio or training?
Incase you donât know what it is. HIIT refers to high intensity interval training. It includes many rounds of exercise that alternate between several minutes of high intensity movements to increase the heart rate to about 80% of your maximum heart rate. Then switching things up to incorporate lower intensity movements for shorter periods of time.
How often should you include this: about 2-3xâs per week is plenty. If youâre trying to put on size or muscle I certainly wouldnât suggest doing this every day as it will be counterintuitive to building muscle. If youâre trying to lose weight then definitely give it a go a couple times per week and see how the results reward you in weight loss style.
Hope these tips helped for the day! Now itâs time to get after it!
đŞđ˝ Training outside has an abundance of health benefits, such as it will lower your stress as your b- pressure. Training outside also helps alleviate insomnia. Not only does sunshine provide vitamin D the natural light and fresh outdoor air invigorate and provides more energy for the mind and body. So get outside and enjoy some fun training in the sun. âď¸
Why weight train?
Because the benefits are endlessâŚ
It helps release endorphins.
Manages your weight & helps you lose weight/ burn stubborn body fat.
Helps you look younger longer.
Balances and improves your mood.
Contributes to an overall better quality of life.
Reduces your risk for heart disease and other health complications.
Helps you to look healthy, hot, and happy on the beach and simply in everyday life.
Get lifting and you can thank me later :)
Taking a walk in the park to get my steps in, even on the weekend. What are you doing to stay active for the day? I love making fitness fun and what better way to explore the city, a park or get some sight seeing in while remaining active. Remember to put your best foot forward and have a great weekend!
Thinking about that workout Iâm about to have like thisâŚ
Do you get excited or dread your sweat sessions?
If you donât get excited for your fitness journey overall, itâs gonna have a negative impact on your results. Something you can do to have a positive impact on your perspective when it comes to that is setting the right intention. Make sure youâre taking a step in the right direction instead of taking a few backwards.
Say positive affirmations to start your day off right viewing yourself in a high regard. Nobody has to put you on a pedestal. You can do that yourself.
Go to bed at a decent time and rise earlier. This will help keep your wake sleep cycle and circadian rhythm on point.
Fuel your day with healthy whole foods and organic as much as possible.
Make time to be physically active at least 30 minutes a day with a moderate to intense level of exercise or activity.
Taking these steps, will allow you to feel good about your fitness journey mentally and set you up for success along the way physically. Be about your goals.
Todays move is coming in clutch with this Kneeling Lunge + DB Curl + Overhead Press. The movement of the day is going to be an advanced total body exercise.
Slowly extend your leg backwards getting into a kneeling lunge. Then you will slowly bring your arms up into a bicep curl, while reaching up into an overhead press.
This can be repeated on each side for as many reps and sets as desired. Again it is a powerful total body move thatâs sure to rev up your metabolism. Letâs make some moves. đŞđ˝
Your health starts in the kitchen. The foods you choose to consume nourish the cells in your body. So the saying you are what you eat stands true.
Have you ever wondered why you feel more energized after a good healthy meal with no crash. Yet if you visit your local fast food drive thru you may end up feeling bloated, sick, fatigued, or like you want to carb crash afterwards. Many of these items barely even decompose because theyâre so chemically processed, itâs not even all real food, just genetically modified and ultra processed products that truly arenât good for us.
I highly recommend chowing down on some delicious organic foods as these arenât filled with toxic ingredients and preservatives. Organic fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, etc that will help you have more mental clarity, have you feeling light, and contribute to an overall better energy and mood.
Choose wisely when it comes to the foods that will fuel your future.
Let your strength shine. Thatâs part of the beauty of experiencing your own personal fitness journey. At the end of the day you will become so much stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is like the fountain of youth that practically comes with superpowers.
Resistance training works wonders for you. It helps increase both after burn exercise, and by increasing muscle size thereby increasing the number of calories we will burn while we rest. If you want to get in the best shape, and be sharp in the mind make sure you workout with weights. It will be one of the best things you could do for yourself. If you havenât started yet, donât worry the next best time to start is now, you can thank me later :)
â¤ď¸ Do you need an emotional lift? Good get one by going to the gym for a sweat session, nice walk outdoors, or jog in the park. Itâs definitely a great way to destress.
Physical activity will stimulate brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, and less anxious, and more at ease.
So without further ado letâs get to training and feeling hot, after all summer is around the corner so itâs about to be hot regardless. đĽ
Anyone else have a really eventful week that theyâre super grateful for yet exhausted from at the same time? Thatâs me! đđťââď¸
Today my cleaning was my cardio. Sometimes over the weekend my active rest days include deep cleaning to the point where you can still break a little sweat by staying busy & getting things done but not actually going to the gym.
It feels really nice taking a complete day off and letting your body recover for the week ahead. Hope you are taking your active rest days too and remember that itâs essential for letting your body recover properly.
Hope you have a great fresh start to the week!
