Sister Workout

My sister and I were in Wisconsin a week ago and we needed to get out of the house so we headed over to planet fitness for a quick workout. Funny enough, my sister and I workout TOTALLY different. She was all American in Track in high school and would prefer to just do straight up cardio on the treadmill til she pukes, while I prefer to lift and do circuit training for my cardio.

My trainer had given me a cardio circuit on Friday which I had done and timed that morning and my sister agreed to give it a try. It was actually pretty awesome working out with her because we pushed each other so we maintained the same pace the entire time. The best part about this workout is that you don't need any equipment so it's a great workout to do when you can't make it to the gym. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

50 Jumping Jack

50 Crunches

45 Jumping Jacks

45 Squats

40 Jumping jacks

40 Crunches

35 Jumping Jacks

35 Alternating Lunges

30 Jumping Jacks

30 Squats

25 Jumping Jacks

25 Push Ups

20 Jumping Jacks

20 Alternating JUMPING Lunges

15 Jumping Jacks

15 Squats

10 Jumping Jacks

10 Bicycle Crunches

5 Jumping Jacks

 5 Burpees

Post Workout Selfie

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Healthy Apple Chips

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday I knew it was inevitable that I was going to be eating a lot so I decided I would try a healthy snack recipe to try to counterbalance the chocolate Pecan Pie that I was downing (Thanks Mom). I eat a lot of almonds and cashews and although they are a great source of protein for you, they are not great in the mass load quantities that I eat them in. I think it's the crunchiness that I like the most so given that I decided I would try out these apple chips. Here is what you need: Apples, Coconut Oil Spray, Cinnamon, and Splenda

- Preheat the oven to 250. Then start by thinly slicing an apple to paper thin slices (if they are too thick they will take longer to cook). 

- Then spray down the cooking sheet with coconut oil spray.

- Lay the apple slices on the sheet and sprinkle one packet of splenda over the apples and then sprinkle cinnamon as well

- Set your timer for one hour and let the apple slices bake

- After an hour, flip the apples to the other side and sprinkle additional cinnamon and let them bake for another hour

- After the second hour check to make sure that the chips are crunchy enough, if not let them bake for longer

-ENJOY :) 

 

 

Plank Challenge

So I hope I'm not the only one who fell off the workout regiment a little and is struggling to find the motivation to get back after it. I loved the squat challenge and I felt like it was a commitment that I kept up with so I decided to start that challenge again but to also do it hand-in-hand with this Plank Challenge shown below for core strength. What are you guys doing to push yourself to get back into the swing of things?! I need suggestions!

100's Challenge

This past weekend while I was in Palm Beach, I asked my trainer to send me some workouts so I didn't slack off and one of them that she sent me was this 100's Circuit Challenge. When I first saw this challenge, the triple digits alone made my body hurt but I decided I should give it a try and although it was definitely tough I shocked myself with being able to get through it a lot easier than I had anticipated. I got through this in under 20 minutes, time yourself and see where you end up:

1) 100 Squats with Shoulder Press using 5lbs

 

2) 100 Deadlifts using a 45 lbs bar

3) 100 Sit-Ups

4) 100 Forward Walking Lunges

5) Wall Sit with Bicep Curls using 5 lb weights- this was the most difficult to get through the 100

 6) 100 Wide Mountain Climbers - get into a plank position and then bring your right knee to your right elbow and then do the same with the left side. This exercise obviously cannot be done at the speed as regular mountain climbers but still try to have a quick pace
 

 
 

Rise & Grind with Morning Sprints

With my goal of bringing more variety to my cardio routine as I said in my last fitness post, here is a morning cardio routine that I've done a couple days a week that takes less than 30 minutes. Something easily completed before work! Xo

Cardio Curse to Cardio Challenge

Although I preach that women need to re-evaluate their workouts and do a lot more weight lifting and plyos than cardio, cardio is still a part of the equation to fitness success. After talking to my trainer this past weekend, I realized that I wasn't taking this seriously enough and just kind of going through the motions when it came to cardio. Although I was waking up in the AM to run before my first meal to get my "empty cardio" in, that's all I was doing for cardio and my body inevitably became used to it and therefore it became a waste of time because I was only maintaining instead of improving. In order to get results, I need to implement variety into my cardio routine. So I decided I would start on Sunday morning and wake up and do a Cardio Challenge that my trainer gave me. It definitely wore me out but in a great way and it was the perfect jump start into my new variety cardio goals. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Frozen Yogurt Strawberries & 4th of July

My biggest food weakness above and beyond anything is ice cream. If it didn't have any consequences, I think I could eat it for every meal, every day. One trick I use to try to tame this craving is to take strawberry yogurt and stick it in the freezer for 40 minutes so it gets the same consistency of soft serve.

When I was home for the 4th of July I went to the Nationals game with my family (I know - so American) but I decided I'd try out a treat that I had seen on Instagram. I'll worn you now, the picture I found on IG was WAY prettier than mine but it was delicious none the less and a great dessert treat :) I took fresh strawberries and I spread strawberry Greek Yogurt around the outside of the strawberries and then sprinkled cinnamon over top and stuck them in the freezer. The IG version used flavorless less Greek yogurt which I'm not a fan of and they didn't have cinnamon but I had to put my own spin on it. Give it a try!

 

The Instagram Pretty Version, brace yourself for my version 

 

TRX

As I said in my first fitness post, my fitness outlook and regimen changed March of 2012 when I met Meriah and started training with her. Even though I have changed a ton of my practices (including in the kitchen) if I had to pin point one thing in the gym that was a huge game changer for me, it would be TRX. I had never even seen one of these before and I would have never guessed that ropes with stirrups could be a complete body workout! I would attribute any definition that I have in my core, arms and back to TRX. TRX forces you to lift your own body weight and your form is essential. I could do countless posts with tons of exercises that you can do with TRX but here are 4 exercises to start you off.

So to start I think the most elementary in an Inclined Squat. Stand at an angle on your heels and drop your booty as if your sitting below chair level. Then pull yourself up with your arms and squeeze your glutes as you stand. For more of a challenge, try this but making it a squat jump.

 

 

The next one is the V, T, Y, I - The easiest way to describe this is that your body will be making each of these letters to count as 1 rep. Start with your feet flat on the ground (arms in front of you), still with your body at an diagonal angle and push your arms down towards your body outside of your thighs so that your arms form a downwards V.

 

This picture above is what I refer to as "start position" for VTYI

 

Then lean back into the starting slanted position and pull your body up by stretching your arms outwards on either side so that your body forms a T shape. 

Then lean back into starting position and raise your arms up and pull your body up so that your standing straight up and your arms form the shape of a Y

Lastly, return to starting position and then pull your body to a stand but have your arms positioned straight up in the air so that your body forms an I

 

The third and fourth exercises are for your core. The third exercise is a Reverse Crunch. Place your feet into the handles/stirrups and you raise your legs in the air so that your body is in a plank or wheelbarrow position. Then curl your knees into your chest while simultaneously tucking your chest and neck into your core and repeat 20x.

 

 

The 4th exercise is the Pike. Start with your feet in the handles again and resume the wheelbarrow position. Then keeping your legs straight, lift your butt into the air as high as possible. Once you reach as high as your body will let you, drop your legs back into wheel barrow position and repeat 20 times. A tip here for proper form is to lift your head so that your back doesn't round down too much.

If you don't see this in your gym, ask someone that works there because normally this is something that only trainers bring out for specific client training sessions. Give it a try and let me know what you think! You can't see it in these pictures but these ropes look like a hanging harness and it has to be attached to a high stabilized bar.  I will post more TRX workouts in the future because the options are ENDLESS and the results are amazing!

Instagram Fitness Craze

Fitness has always been a part of my life but as many of you know, I only started getting results in the past year when I started training with Meriah. Since I've made the commitment to living healthier, I have started following a ton of accounts of fitness pros, bikini models, health experts etc for workout plans and healthy recipes. But of course, along the way I have had a ton of "holy shit moments" where I've felt discouraged about my own journey and progressed because I'm looking at people who have already reached their goals and who do this for a living. One of the fitties that I follow is this awesome NPC Bikini Competitor, Rachel Del Vescovo. Her blog that captures her life, her fitness progress and competition prep is called Pretty and Pumped. A little background on Rachel - she was born with arthritis and her pain was so intense that she had to be home-schooled until she eventually got both of her hips replaced and look at her now! Obviously she has a different appreciate now for being able to work out when the littlest things were such a struggle before but it's a really inspirational story about overcoming adversity and not letting yourself be your own excuse.

Last week she posted about the Instagram Fitness Craze and how she felt the same way prior to being competition ready and it just made me have so much respect for her. In her post she talks about how prior to competing she would stalk fitness models on insta and start to obsess with wanting to be like them (just like every other girl) and the effects that it can have on a girl's head. I really wanted to share this post with the rest of you because it is refreshing and 100% real. Check out Rachel's post here and the rest of her blog for more amazing fitness and health tips

 

 

   

Meal Prep Mondays

Let's face it- we would all be better off if there were 36 hours in the day and most of us have a long list of things that we WISH we could get done and in a perfect world they would but instead they get put on the back burner. One of these for me is cooking and making meals everyday. In a perfect world I would wake up at 4:30am with no troubles, go to the gym, make a big breakfast, and then make and pack a healthy lunch for the day. Guess what my reality is? It's a good day if I snooze my alarm in the morning for LESS than an hour and I make it to work by 9:15 which is still LATE! I'm always on the go but getting started has always been the hardest part for me. I would love to pay someone else to go through the pain of waking up in the morning for me.

You get the point - I don't have time to cook three meals every single day which resulted in me not eating healthy enough or large enough lunches so in the last few months I have started doing Sunday or Monday Night Meal Prepping. I have seen and felt such a difference and it really doesn't take more than an hour and you're set for lunches for the whole week. I normally pick three meals and cook two portions of each which covers all of my lunches plus one dinner. My go-to's have been ground white turkey with spinach, ostrich burgers with spinach, scallops with spinach, salmon with spinach, and stirfry. If a girl who had only turned on her oven three times in the past 4 years can manage this, anyone can. Try it for two weeks and see if you feel a difference. My protein intake has probably quadrupled due to it.

 

Meriah & Steph Collaboration Post: Deadlift Continuation

Meriah is in NYC for two weeks from Denmark so we met up this week to train together :) Last week when I posted about the 2 most elementary Deadlifts, she messaged me right away saying we should take this a step further and do a collaboration post with other deadlifts, because deadlifts are number one in her book! So we did just that :)

Like I mentioned in my first post, you can use a variation of weights to do your deadlifts, but the best in my opinion for the most basic deadlifts would be to use a barbell. In this case, we were working out at the gym in my building so we used a regular bar to demo.

To review the Romanian deadlift, slightly bend your knees and sit your hips back- keeping your back flat. Keep your hands positioned on the bar in alignment with your legs, shoulder width apart and go down to your shins and repeat.

  

The next that Meriah is doing is the Wide Grip Deadlift. This is an easy modification and pretty self explanatory. Grip the bar as wide as you can and do the same Romanian Deadlift motion as the first exercise. This grip is for your upper back and it allows you to go deeper into the dead lift.

 

The third deadlift we featured is the Sumo Deadlift with High Pull. For this exercise Meriah used the kettlebell. Stand in a wide stance with your feet turned out at an angle. Have a close together grip with your arms inside of your knees. Pull the weight up so that your arms form a V underneath your chin and your elbows are pointed in the air.

 

The last exercise is the Single Leg Deadlift. This exercise is done with dumbbells. Start standing with the weights by your side. Lean forward, holding the weights in front of you and simultaneously lifting 1 leg backwards in the air. Start by doing 10 on the first leg and then switch to the other & do the same.

 

Let us know if you guys have any follow up questions! :) - Steph and Meriah

Top 10 Healthy Cooking & Eating Tips

Here are my Top 10 Foods and/or Tips that you should add to your diet to help promote weight loss. These are the easiest and most basic things you can consume that will make a world of difference:

1) Coconut oil - is free of cholesterol and trans fats. Beyond the kitchen, coconut oil has countless uses and benefits and can be used in your hair, for your skin, canker sore remedy and even shoe polish

2) Protein powder in omega 3 eggs) - omega 3 eggs are nutritionally boosted version of regular eggs and it has to do with the types of feed that they give to the chickens so that the eggs contain a lot of omega-3 fats which are the good types of fat :) I add flavorless protein powder when I make my eggs since it doesn't change the flavor or consistency and only adds to the nutritional value

3) Chia seeds - I posted about these before. They are from Chia pets hah- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds serves as a five grams of fiber and they also help to improve your blood sugar. Chia seeds aid in reducing food cravings and they also serve as a vegetarian source of protein. I add them now to almost anything I make because they a flavorless and just add a crunch - similar to poppy seeds

4) Braggs - amazing salt substitute seasoning

5) Hot water with lemon in the AM - this aids in weight loss by improving your digestion and increasing your vitamin C intake

6) Protein Powder Recipes - whenever you're craving carbs, there are a lot of substitutes that will fulfill your craving- like the zucchini crust pizza recipe I posted, or protein brownies, cookies, or pancakes

7) Salmon - an amazing omega 3 source and great for your heart health

8) Raspberries and blueberries - I grouped these together because they are both berries but they have different benefits. Raspberries are one of the foods containing the greatest amount of antioxidants and they are also really high in fiber. Blueberries is one of the number one killer's of high blood pressure.

9) Spinach - I'm not one for veggies, which is bad but I have incorporated spinach in all of my lunches for work because it contains 18 different vitamins and minerals. I also recommend cooking this in an iron pan because then you can get added iron content in your spinach

10) Apples - serve as an amazing source of dietary fiber

Deadlifts

The 30 day squat challenge that I posted is everywhere and social media has really taken off with showing the amazing results. An update/next step to that would be a dead lift challenge. There is a debate as to whether squats or dead lifts are better but honestly they both make for amazing results and I think they should be done in tandem. There is no way I would know what a dead lift was if it wasn't for having a trainer. Deadlifts are most known for targeting and lifting your glutes/butt/ass/cheeks but this exercise actually strengthens 6 other areas: hamstrings, upper back, lower back, shoulders, quads, and abs. There are two major types of dead lifts that I do- regular Deadlifts and Romanian Deadlifts. If you don't already do these you should try to incorporate them in every workout you do.

For Regular dead lifts or "stiff leg deadlifts" you can use a dumbbell or separate hand weights. When women are doing high reps with weights, they're limited with how much they can increase the weight but deadlifts are definitely an exercise where you can challenge yourself and really increase the weight. In these pictures I only used 20 lb weights for higher reps but when I use a dumbbell I lift a lot more.

 

Staring in a standing position hold the weights, lean forward and have the weights follow your legs down to your shins while keeping your legs as straight as possible. Then lift back up, squeezing your glutes and repeat for the appropriate amount of reps to the weight you are lifting

Looking at this picture, my knees should honestly be less bent but my legs were so tight when I did this and I should have stretched out more before working out 

For Romanian Deadlifts, start in the same starting position but as you start to bring the weight down to your shins, bend your knees. For this type of deadlift, you should be going closer to the floor and stick your butt out more. Once again continue this for as many reps relative to the weight you are lifting

 

Both exercises are really simple but the results are unreal. For me, having bad knees - deadlifts are less painful than squats but like I said before you should really be doing both instead of one over the other

Egg & Tuna Patties

Here is a recipe that is quick, easy, and HEALTHY that I wanted to share with you guys. Here is what you need:

Kale
Balsamic Vinegar
1 can of Tuna
2 – Omega3 Eggs (I read on the Livestrong website that this was one of the Top 10 health foods that you should be eating)
½ a tomato
Italian Dash

First saute a handful of kale with balsamic vinegar on the stove.
Cut up half of a tomato into small pieces
Mix your veggies in a bowl and add the can of tuna and 2 Omega3 Eggs
Once you’ve mixed these up in the bowl, poor these into small patties in a pan and flip them a few times until you think they are fully cooked
As you are flipping add some Italian Dash for seasoning and flavor

 

 

Bon Appetite!

Meriah's Killer Cardio for The Bottom Half

In my last post I gave my #1 choice for cardio machines - the rower. Now I'll give you my #2 choice - the stair climber.

First thing I want to clear up, this machine will not give you a bigger butt, bulkier legs, or any of those fears you may have. Only heavy weight training can do that. In fact, this is a great exercise to use if you carry weight on your bottom half, because it burns a ton of calories and will tighten, tone, and lift your rear.

As opposed to the elliptical, the stairs are:

• functional and versatile
• working your legs individually, challenging your core & balance
• able to sculpt and strengthen your lower half
• a total body exercise with some light dumbbells 
• can get your heart rate up and burn a ton of calories

If your gym doesn't have a stepper, the next best option is to use a set of stairs like inside an apartment building or outside at the park. 

You can work up to doing sprints, 2 steps at a time… you want to go for at least 20-30 seconds for each sprint, so you can get your heart rate to the max, and then 8 times should be enough. You can also throw in some plyometrics, jumping up, 1 or 2 steps at a time… If you jump with both legs, land in a squat, or for a challenge try single leg hops. I promise you'll know they're working because you'll feel the burn. Bring a jump rope and a yoga mat to do some core exercises, and you can turn it into an intense total body circuit.

Now, if you go the gym, the machine is the next best option.

The machine can be tough if you're just starting out. But even if you're a veteran, make sure you maintain good alignment - it can be tempting to hold on to the railings and hunch over the machine for support, but you lose most of the effectiveness!

Here's how it should look:

• Make like you're holding a mini-squat, butt slightly sticking out
• Push off the step through the heel of your foot (you'll feel it in your glutes)
• Keep your arms bent in front of you to counterbalance your weight
• Chest up, shoulders back, and ab's tight so you feel your core working

Start out slow to build up endurance, balance, and coordination. Then some optional add-ins to maximize results

• Before taking each step, lift into a rear (straight) leg raise, to really hit your glutes and hamstrings
• Hold a set of dumbbells at your side to increase the challenge on your core
• To step up the intensity, do alternating dumbbell curls, with a light weight, as you step
• Slow it down a bit and lunge up by taking 2 steps at a time (great for your buns)
• If you're ready to push up the weight, hold a bar on your shoulders, but be sure to keep your ab's tight and chest out

For best results, include a session on the stair climber 2-3 times a week. You'll start to notice not only a tighter rear, more defined legs, but an increase in your endurance as well.

No machine gets my heart rate up like the rower, and after 15 minutes on the stair climber my glutes feel like they're popping. Include these 2 in your routine and you'll get great results…  Whats your experience so far with the rower and the stair climber? Have you tried sprinting or using them in circuits?

In my next posts, I'll get into strength training and how to set up a program that works for you.

Any other questions or suggestions are welcome!

You can find me on Facebook, at WonderYogi.com or e-mail: meriahmccauley@gmail.com

30 Day Squat Challenge

In preparation for an upcoming Miami trip, I decided to try a 30 Day Squat Challenge. Doing little challenges and setting goals helps me stay on track and hold me accountable. At first I was gliding by thinking this was going to be a cake walk. I wanted to challenge myself further so I decided I would do the squat challenge with weights. Then- I hit Day 17 with 150 squats and I hated myself. Days 17-21 were rough and then I found myself becoming stronger and today marks Day 29! My second to last day - have you guys done any similar challenges? I'd love to try them out so please share them. This challenge is great because it offers break days for your body to recover. I'm not sure my bod looks like the picture below yet HA, but it every bit helps

Meriah's #1 Cardio Recommendation

 

Ain't that the truth. 

First things first, if you're serious about getting into shape, I strongly recommend buying a Heart Rate monitor. It tells you how much you're burning, and if you're peaking in your fat-burning zone, especially important during those cardio-focused workouts. There are all different types, but the best ones come with a wrist-watch and chest strap. Most even come with a software program so you can log your results. Its almost like having a trainer. You could use it throughout the day, like pushing yourself to get your heart rate up during a mid-day walk…. But if you're just starting out, you can go with a basic version, because they can get a little pricy. I recommend the Polar brand.
Now, as far as the best cardio machines, of course they're not the easiest, but that's what makes them so powerful, and helps you make the most of your time.

My #1 Pick:

Indoor Rowing Machine (Concept II Rower)

In addition to attaining a high level of fitness, rowing is an intense calorie-burner!
Indoor rowing primarily focuses on your cardio, with a good workout consisting of a moderate, steady 20 minutes (although a great goal is 2000 m, under 10 minutes).
But once again, *interval training* will maximize your results - because rowing also works many muscle groups throughout the entire body "anaerobically", giving you more bounce per ounce.
And - Bonus: Unlike high impact exercises, like running, which can damage your knees, rowing isn't so rough on your joints :)

How to Include the Rower in Your Fitness Routine:

On weight lifting days, I like to use the rower as a warm-up if I don't feel like running. Five minutes on the clock, or 1000 m (or 1 km), and Im ready to go do some damage.
The rower can be used in your circuit training, where you jump on for a quick 200 m, or a 45 second blast, then hop off and go for a set of push ups or KB swings.
Something fun I tried yesterday was doing a mini-triathalon, because I need to get my cardio back up. So I started with: 2 km on the treadmill, then 2 km on the rower, and finished with 5 km on the bike. Followed it up with some TRX suspension training - I haven't had such a great workout in a long time!

Remember these tips when you go for your next session, and let me know how it works for you.

In my next post, Ill get into my 2nd favorite cardio machine, a killer for burning some serious calories, while sculpting sexy legs, and a tight lifted butt… can you guess what it is?