Quick Jump Rope Interval Workout And French Toast

 

Time to get moving! This is a quick strength and jump rope workout that I will do today. I need to get some quick and intense cardio in without running. I did a long run for my half marathon training yesterday so no running today. I will do jump rope intervals between my strength training sets where the focus will be back and biceps. I will do 3 sets of each.

Now on to recent yum yums. I made this French Toast about a week ago, and it is dreamy and healthed up. I used an organic preservative free whole grain bread. Ezekiel bread would work great too. In a bowl I mixed 4 egg whites and 1 yolk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup almond milk, and a dash of salt. I dipped 6 pieces of bread in the egg mixture and then placed on my grill pan on the stove to brown each side. I then placed the toast in the oven to finish cooking and crisp a bit on 350 degrees.

For the blueberry syrup, I used 1 cup of frozen organic blueberries and added 1 tsp of butter, and 1 tsp of Agave nectar, microwave for a few seconds until warm and syrupy (stir occasionally to blend). When the toast is done, top with blueberries and enjoy!! So tasty.

Let me know how it turns out!

 

Some exercises are not suitable for everyone. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise or exercise program.

Rockstars And Cardio

An awesome and random thing happened Monday, March 17, 2013. I was working the front desk at my gym, and someone called around 1:00pm and asked if we offer a day pass. This is very common as people are in town on business and such and want to get a workout. I told him that we do and he inquired about the treadmills and the elliptical machines. So about 3:00pm I got another call from the same person saying they were on our street but could not see us. I then directed them to the gym and a taxi dropped them off. When they walked in it was business as usual, I took their money and got them to sign in. I asked if they were just passing through and they were. They said their bus driver needed to sleep and they wanted to run. I kept trying not to stare but something was familiar and I asked what they did. The said they were musicians. So business as usual I showed them through the gym to the treadmill. Well, my curiosity peaked and I knew something was familiar, so I checked the sign in sheet and saw the name Scott Stapp, which was very familiar so of course I went to Google and yes, Creed. Ummm yes, I was excited and oh did we need some excitement around there. Of course I had to go check them out to see what and how they liked to workout so I did a walk through to check cups and water. When I got to the stairwell to the cardio room, I heard serious moving going on up there. He is a runner and his band mate, Andy Waldeck, was getting after it on the elliptical. I left them alone and told no one in the building because I could sense they wanted privacy. From then, I did not budge because I could not let them leave without a photo. Andy came down first about an hour later and I asked it they had a good workout. He replied yes. I told him I knew who they were and asked if I could get a photo with them because no one would believe this happened. They were very nice, asked if I could call their driver back to pick them up and I did and they posed for this awesome photo. What is even better is that they had to wait about 10-15 minutes for their ride so I got to chat with them. I asked how they found and chose us and he said (this is awesome) that I actually was about the only one that answered the telephone and I was nice 🙂 Made my day! I asked where they were off to and they said they start their #ProofOfLifeTour on Wednesday in Dallas and then move across the U.S. and then to Canada. I offered them a protein drink (on me) while they waited and we talked smoothies and such. Just a regular day, haha. I invited them to stay for my PowerPilates class but they had to go. These are two very nice guys with a very different life than me, but when you actually just engage in small talk with someone, we are all so similar. I love that they are finding time to stay healthy. They thanked me and said if they are ever in town, they will definitely workout here. Star struck! 🙂 Oh, my friend that took the photo, froze but she got a kick out of it too.

So now this leads me to our next #FitIn5 Challenge, The Cardio Blast inspired by my new rockstar friends who love their cardio!!

Let’s Go!!

It is not every day that awesome rockstars walk in and inspire you to want to crush some cardio!

Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise or exercise program.

5 Minutes To More Energy

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

This is such a pretty bunch of clover. It gives off a sense of energy that Spring is near. Today is all about energy! The #FitIn5 Challenge is a 5 minute Sun Salutation to create energy in the body and mind. First I stand in mountain pose, inhaling arms up then exhale to forward fold. I then inhale and lengthen my spine to half  lift and exhale to forward fold and then I step back to plank. I take a breath and then lower to chaturanga/low push up position on the exhale, and then inhale into upward dog. I then exhale to downward facing dog. I take another breath and step forward as I exhale into forward fold. I inhale as I come back up to mountain pose and begin again. Five minutes to more energy! Let’s Go!

Remember a bad attitude breeds negative results! Stay positive!!

How are you spending your St. Patrick’s Day?

Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

Burpee Day!

Hi all, happy it is Friday. Today’s challenge is going to be quick and intense. If you have no time for a long workout, no worries, this will be just the thing to get you going in just 5 minutes.

#FitIn5 Day 12

BURPEES! Woo Hoo!

1 minute of burpees ( modify by taking the jump out and step back)

1 minute walking lunges or walking high kicks

Alternate between the two exercises which will give you 3 minutes of burpees and 2 minutes of walking lunges/kicks. Below is a video of the burpee 🙂

You may have noticed there was no challenge yesterday. We will call it a rest day. Hope your weekend is great and let me know how this burpee day goes for you. Don’t forget to check in with me here, on IG, twitter or facebook.

Some exercises are not suitable for everyone. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise or exercise program.

Core Burner!

Get on the floor and let’s work the core! This is a sequence I have been doing in my PowerPilates class. I follow an awesome instructor at IHeartFitnessXO in California. Her facebook page is Kit Rich Fitness. She is awesome. Part of this is a move inspired by her. Check it out. I definitely felt this the next day. I do each side 5 reps each move. Intensity can be added by taking it up to 10 reps or repeating the sequence several times through. Burner!!!

#FitIn5 Day 10

Get that core to the floor!!

Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

Quick Upper Body Core Combo Workout

It is #FitIn5 Day 9! If you may wonder why I post these challenges here, on IG, twitter and facebook, it is because I do what I love and I want to share with other people. I hope to inspire someone who may need a little boost of motivation which may help build confidence to start or continue their journey of health. I want to show that a little effort goes a long way when it comes to health and fitness. Small changes can turn into big rewards. It just takes the effort, commitment, consistency and determination to make a change. I know we all have it in us.

So this is Day 9 – 2 exercises 5 sets of 10 reps

Plank One Arm Rows – 10 each side

Decline Pushups – 10 reps

Modification for each is to drop knees. Always keep the core engaged, and do each exercise with focus and control.

5 sets of each

Stay tuned for tomorrow for my favorite abdominal/core move right now.

Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

Squat To Plank #FitIn5 Day 8 Real Time

This is a core and shoulder burner! I started the week off in a positive way with a quick workout challenge. I love Daylight Savings because there is still light when I leave work so don’t let Daylight Savings get in your head, it is just 1 hour. Take 5 minutes for a refreshing workout instead.

Day 8 of the  #FitIn5 29 Day Challenge

Chair Squat Press 30 seconds and then drop down to plank for 30 seconds. Keep alternating for 5 minutes. #NoBreak See video below.

Have a great Day 8 🙂

Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

March Madness! Go Green! #FitIn5 Day 7

March is the perfect time to incorporate more green in your life and when I mean green, it is the green that we eat!! Today’s challenge, day 7 of the 29 day challenge, will include the next 5 days. The challenge is to add a little more green in the diet such as these beautiful little brussels 🙂 We all know there are so many health benefits of adding more vegetables in our daily nutrition but are you actually doing it? I challenge you to add 1 more vegetable than you normally do every day for the next 5 days. Try something new to make it interesting and don’t complicate it. Just go to the grocery and you will find so many beautiful plants sitting quietly in the produce just waiting to be bagged. All it takes is a good wash, a chop or two, a little EVOO, sea salt and pepper and roast for about 15 – 20 minutes on 400 degrees as I did with these delicious sprouts. I would love to see your photos, tag me on IG or Twitter at @nthefitzone or comment here or on my facebook page.

What is your favorite vegetable to roast?

Consult your physician before beginning any new diet or exercise program.

Get Outside! Day 6 #FitIn5

Today is a beautiful day! The sun is shining so I took it to the streets. I got an awesome 8.5 mile run done. I am training for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon in April. I know the weather is not as beautiful everywhere as it is here but the challenge for today, day 6, is to get outside. Just get out there for 5 minutes of fitness, whatever you want to do. Walk, run, hike, push ups, jumping jacks etc. Breathe the fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors. You may surprise yourself and your 5 minutes of fitness may turn into 15 or 20 or more 🙂 Comment below and let me know how you crushed your 5 minutes of fitness!

Have a great day!

Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

Relax! Day 5 #FitIn5 29 Day Challenge

It is the end of the week and time to stop and relax. This can be a challenge for some people who are on the go all the time, in a hurry, trying to get it all done. Today’s challenge, day 5, is to stop sometime during the day for 5 minutes and practice relaxation such as the yoga pose Savasana or corpse. This can be one of the hardest poses to practice because it is a challenge to just stop and calm the body and the mind. Let’s give it a try, 5 minutes of corpse in a quiet calm area. Block out noise, breathe deeply and go to your happy place 🙂

Also, have some fun this weekend and do something you love. Have a great day!!

Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.