June 12, 2020 at 11:37AM Hi friends. Happy Friday. I hope that you’ve had a good week. It’s been a fun one over here. Our cousins have been in town from Florida, and after staying home for a week to make sure everyone was healthy, they started hanging out with us at the beginning of last week. I’ll pick them up in the morning and the kids will all play at our house for a bit before we eventually head down to the pool. Our oldest cousin taught the Pilot a Tiktok dance (SO GOOD lol), we painted rocks, and tie dyed all the things. It’s felt like a hint of “real summer” over here, which has been nice. They crack each other up and play silly games, and I’ll hand each kiddo an ice cream sandwich as we start the drive to drop them off at the end of the day. It’s been another bittersweet week with beautiful and fun moments intertwined with the feelings of sadness, frustration, and unknown that have become common during the past few months. Currently, our Catalina mountains are on fire and they started an evacuation watch for some of the foothills communities. We’re outside the evacuation notice for now, but at the rate that the fire is increasing (it’s only 10% contained), that could change. If someone could just throw 2020 in the trash can, that would be cool. In the spirit of focusing on the bright side of things, I wanted to
Category: Fitnessista
053: Deprivation vs. eating for health and first steps with Megan Olson
June 11, 2020 at 11:08AM Hi friends. <3 I recorded this episode a few weeks ago with my friend Megan Olson and I’m excited to share it with you today. Here’s a little bit about what we discuss: – Her personal health transformation story – The difference between deprivation and eating for health – Why all foods should be a part of your healthy lifestyle – Tips for first getting started and so much more! Weight loss can be a taboo topic, but in certain cases, it can be a stepping stone on the way to becoming healthier overall. Of course, I think there are some important factors you need to take into consideration, like how you FEEL, muscle density (or body composition), hormonal balance, etc. I love how Megan takes all of these considerations while working with clients and focuses on the entire picture. Download a full transcript of the episode here. Here’s a little bit about Megan if you haven’t met her yet: Megan is a nutrition practitioner in Phoenix, Arizona who helps women over 35 lose 20 to 50 pounds or more and keep it off. She is the creator of Skinny Fitalicious, a website with low calorie, gluten free recipes. Megan started Skinny Fitalicious after losing 80 pounds. She is the author of the Low Calorie Cookbook, living with Hashimoto’s disease, is a group fitness instructor and manages a private weight loss practice that focuses on lasting weight loss for women. Connect with Megan on her
10 of my favorite online fitness trainers
June 10, 2020 at 11:23AM Hi friends. I hope that you’re enjoying the day so far. I’m catching a barre class here at home and will likely spend the rest of the day at the pool with the crew. It’s been so hot here that the pool has been a gamechanger. It’s nice to get some fresh air and outdoor activity, while the girls get out some of their boundless energy. During this time when we’ve been at home – AZ opened up a few weeks ago but we’ve still been staying here for the most part – I’ve been SO thankful for all of the online fitness options. I’ve been rotating through quite a few things: my Home Workout Warrior plan, Peloton, Barre Body, Les Mills, streaming yoga classes, and obé fitness. I’ve been all over the place and it’s been refreshing to shake things up. During the past few months, I’ve found some new faves and also become reacquainted with some old favorites. I thought I’d share my very favorite inspiring online trainers and instructors here if you’re looking to try something new! 10 of my favorite online fitness trainers Glenn from Les Mills Photo source Glenn Ostergaard is one of the Les Mills OGs and is the the program director for BODYPUMP, RPM, and Les Mills SPRINT. When I first got BODYPUMP certified, I took his online classes and was like, “Who is this guy?!” His cueing is laser-sharp and effective – he’s always motivating. (I’m also distracting by
30-minute Barre Booty Workout Video
June 08, 2020 at 11:05AM This is an at-home barre workout you can do anywhere! This workout is lower body focused and only takes 30 minutes. All you need is a countertop or sturdy chair to hold onto for balance. Good morning, friends. I hope that you found some peace this weekend. Mine was filled with a lot of reflection and some solid action planning with the Pilot as we continue to listen, learn, and read about how I can better support my BIPOC community. I’ve also found some new fitness and social media accounts that I’m looking forward to sharing with you in Friday Faves. In the meantime, I’ll be offering up some of the content I had previously planned, including today’s workout video, a Father’s Day gift guide, and a new recipe. I’m coming atcha with an all-new barre workout today. Thank you for all of the awesome feedback on the videos I’ve been posting lately. I can’t walt to film with Grant again one of these days, but for now, the ol’ tripod is getting me through. For today’s workout, I wanted to do a lower body burner with some cardio blasts. One of the best things about barre is that it targets some of the smaller and often neglected muscles that can have a huge impact on function, like the glute medius, abductor and adductor muscles, and piriformis. By keeping these muscles strong, it can help to protect us when we do more traditional strength exercises,
2020 Father’s Day Gift Guide
June 02, 2020 at 11:24AM If you’re not sure what to get dad for Father’s Day, I’ve got you covered with tons of ideas. It can be a little tricky to shop for dads and husbands! I’d love to hear any gift ideas you’re planning, too. Hi friends! How’s the day going so far? We’re having a lazy morning around here and then hitting up the pool. I’d love to hear what you’re up to. I can’t believe that Father’s Day is just around the corner! It’s definitely going to be a bit different than previous years, but we’re still looking for ways to celebrate our very favorite Pilot guy and all of the amazing men we have in our family. I figured I’d share some ideas for the holiday because it can be a little tricky to shop for the guys. This way if you’re online shopping, like yours truly, we have plenty of time for the gift(s) to arrive. Here are some ideas if you’re shopping for Father’s Day! 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 Father’s Day Gift Guide 2020 For the fit dad: If he loves to golf, check out this lulu polo and these shorts. The Pilot wears these polos and shorts almost every time he’s not in uniform. An insulated golf bag. New Bose Free Wireless headphones. We have these and LOVE them. The perfect crosstraining tee. New cross training sneaks. A massage gift card at his favorite spot.
my top 10 prenatal fitness tips
June 01, 2020 at 11:01AM Sharing some of my top prenatal fitness tips! While it’s so important to maintain an active lifestyle while you’re pregnant, we want to do it in the safest and smartest possible way. Hi friends! Happy Monday! I hope you had a safe and happy weekend. We spent a lot of time at the pool, Tucson got our first summer rain (the best!), and caught up on some stuff around the house. For today’s post, I wanted to share some prenatal fitness tips. (No, I’m not pregnant! #twoandthrough) In my annual blog survey, I had a LOT of requests for more prenatal fitness content. It’s a delicate area because each pregnancy is so different and it’s so important to follow medical practitioner’s guidelines. I thought I’d put together a master list of 10 things that would be appropriate and make sense across the board, so I’m sharing them here! Here are my top 10 prenatal fitness tips: 1) Avoid the comparison trap. This is a tricky one because it’s so common to scroll Instagram and see ladies with these giant beautiful pregnant bellies contorting their bodies into complex yoga poses or hoisting a loaded barbell over their heads. While it works for them, it might not necessarily work for you. For example, I had a solid headstand practice going into my pregnancies, but something about flipping upside down while I was pregnant felt off to me. I was so worried that I would fall and there
Friday Faves
May 29, 2020 at 05:07PM Hi friends! Happy Friday! How’s the week been? It’s been a pretty good one over here, minus a little sleep regression. (We’ve been in an awesome groove for so long but unfortunately hit a regression.) This feels pretty real to me right now: It should be a pretty low-key weekend. We’re looking forward to swimming at my dad’s, watching the movie Scoob and I’ll be getting everything out for Monday’s Home Workout Warrior! It’s not too late to join in. The cost jumps tomorrow and I’d love to have you in the workout party. Click here to sign up! It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party. This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below. Read, watch, listen: We got back into watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel after taking a bit of a hiatus – we stopped halfway through season 2 and resumed it this week – and it’s been everything I needed. It’s witty, fun, and the costumes are insane. I’m excited to start Season 3 this week and see what happens! Validation for my inability to be an early bird. One of the girls’ favorite places, Playformance, is hosting an online summer camp here with lots of class options if you want to check it out for the kiddos! Fashion + beauty: Did a little bit
25-minute Barre Strength Workout with dumbbells (video)
May 27, 2020 at 11:03AM This is a 25-minute barre workout you can do anywhere. All you need is a set of light dumbbells, 2-5 lbs. Check out more of my barre workouts here, barre bootcamp here, and how to combine barre with other workouts. Hi friends! I hope you’re having a lovely morning. I’m so happy so many of you are excited about starting Home Workout Warrior on Monday! I can’t wait to join in with you. Check out the details here if ya missed it. The Pilot has been gone since last weekend and is back this morning, so I’m looking forward to having him home. He’s been flying a lot, which is a good thing, and we’re officially wrapping up our first year of the airline life. I’d always envisioned throwing a giant party, but that ‘Rona had other plans, but I’m hoping we can get the family together for a backyard BBQ. I filmed a new workout for you and this one is a classic barre workout with a little twist: we’re using dumbbells the entire time. This is a great way to add in an arm component while our legs are on fiiiiiiire and an easy way to add some extra resistance and challenge. I was huffing and puffing during this workout and I hope you love it, too! It felt like a solid mix of endurance strength and cardio. Pin it here for a rainy day: And here’s the full follow-along video! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-30pWZ-YL2M&w=560&h=315]
Join us for Home Workout Warrior! (A full 4-week fitness and meal plan)
May 26, 2020 at 11:26AM Hi friends! How’s the morning going? I’m writing with some exciting news: we’re starting a 4-week version of my most popular fitness plan, Home Workout Warrior. The fun officially starts Monday, June 1. Feel free to follow at your own pace – I know times are crazy right now – but I wanted to share some resources in one spot since many of us will be working out at home for a bit longer. I also wanted to create a little community so we can cheer each other on along the way! Here’s what Home Workout Warrior is all about: – This workout plan is the first 4 weeks of the Home Workout Warrior Fit Guide. I spent a LOT of time putting my Fit Guides together because I was very strategic with the exercises I chose, the order/flow of the exercises, and the progressions of the workouts. One of my biggest pet peeves about online programs and apps is that there is zero progression. You’re not switching up the training technique (between endurance, hypertrophy, and max strength), adding balance or advancing the movements, and it’s all just a recipe for plateau. You may see results for the first month, but after that, it’s likely that you’ll hit a plateau and have to switch to the next thing. I created these workouts to be as results-driven, functional, and fun as possible! – The Home Workout Warrior plan workouts are dumbbells-only, so you don’t need a ton
Best Classes from the Peloton App
May 25, 2020 at 11:23AM Sharing the best Peloton app classes, especially since I’ve been using the app for just under three years! There’s a lot of variety in the platform and it can be confusing to sift through all of the options. Here are my very faves! Hi friends! How’s the morning going? I hope you’re enjoying the long weekend even though let’s be real, every day feels pretty much the same right now. We’ll probably grill some black bean burgers and head out for a swim. For this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite classes from the Peloton app! They have so may great classes and I feel like I’m constantly discovering new workouts and instructors that I love. Here are some of my top picks that you can use to get started, especially if you’re trying out their trial membership. Check out my tips here on how to create a workout plan following Peloton workouts and my favorite instructors! Best Peloton App Classes The app is divided into categories: strength, yoga, cardio, meditation, running, outdoor (audio), cycling, stretching, bootcamp, and walking. From here, you can pick your class depending on your goals and mood: Strength, yoga or bootcamp if you’re looking for strength work Yoga, stretching, or meditation if you want to zen out Cycling, running, walking, cardio, or bootcamp if you’re looking for cardio benefits For the class you choose, you can filter the workout depending on the instructor, how long you want to work