Total Body

Total Body Trifecta – 3 days, 3 killer custom workouts!

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My coffee table covered in fitness magazines & my hot green tea! 🙂

In January I love to revamp my workouts by pouring over fitness magazines and checking out all kinds of new exercises.  This past weekend I spent a lazy rainy Saturday afternoon putting together a hodgepodge of my personal favorite exercises to create a Total Body Trifecta (3 complete 50 minute workouts).  I plan to do 1 work out each day for the next 3 days.  I love these workouts because…

  • They each burn 500-600 calories
  • I can finish them in under 1 hour
  • They engage all of my major muscle groups
  • Each one has lots of core work to tone my tummy!

Try my ‘fitness trifecta’ and let me know how it goes.  You will see and feel results!  Enjoy 🙂

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3 day trifecta

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Cardio, Total Body

Get IN – Get SLIM – Get OUT

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I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your friends and family.  I sure did.  However, this week back at work has been really busy and kinda stressful 🙁  I’ve had a hard time getting to the gym consistently, so during a quick break today I put together a “Super Efficient Gym Circuit” to help me get back on track.  My intention is to get a solid mix of cardio and overall resistance training in the workout.  Of course I also want to burn as many calories as possible.  Most importantly, because exercise is the cheapest and most effective stress reviler and anti-depressant, I want to take full advantage of the benefits!

The workout takes 1 hour, should burn 600-700 calories and fully utilize all of your major muscle groups.  I’ve built in a lot of complex exercises that engage 2 major muscle groups at the same time, which makes the overall workout more efficient.

The resistance training section requires 2 medium-heavy dumbbells (at least 10-15 pounds each).  Overall, it’s probably difficult to do this workout home, but it’s definitely a good option for the gym when you want to change-up your usual routine.  Try it out and let me know how it goes – enjoy!

Lots of love, Brit 🙂

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Home Workouts, Total Body

Kill your workout RUT

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Despite the sincere joy and stress relief I receive from my exercise regimen, there are times that simply get sick of working out. It’s usually because I’ve been doing the same routine for a long time and need a change up…or I’m just being lazy, in which case I’m often guilty putting off workouts until “tomorrow.”

That said, my “Kill your RUT workout” consists of exercises that I NEVER do (except the push ups). I’m going to do it before work tomorrow morning  along with some moderate cardio. Hopefully it’s enjoyable and gets my fitness juices flowing!

Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.  Also, here’s an honest and practical article on “5 Ways to Beat Exercise Boredom.”

Lots of love and CHOOSE to have a great day! – Brit

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Cardio, Home Workouts, Total Body

Where Da Ballers At?

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  • Workout Name: Basketball Court Workout  by Brit
  • Duration: 45 min – 1 hour
  • Calories burned: 400 – 700
  • Commentary: The fact of the matter is pro basketball players have HOT bodies.  Whether you’re a “pro hooper”, “ex-hooper” or “wanna be hooper,” the basketball court is ALWAYS a great place to get a super effective workout.  The workout I’ve put together incorporates many of the drills I did back in my day plus some basics to burn calories and build endurance.  No matter your skill level, you should be able to get through this workout and increase your fitness level in the process.  Change up your routine and try it out.  Let me know how it goes!

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Cardio, Home Workouts, Total Body

TRAIN Like an Olympian to LOOK Like an Olympian

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  • Workout: Olympic Athlete Personal Challenge by Brit
  • Duration: 30-45 minutes
  • Calories Burned: 400-600
  • Brit’s Commentary: I was feeling so inspired by the Olympics this week that I designed a workout to challenge my own “Olympic worthiness.”  I’m no where near an “Olympic athlete” but sometimes it’s good to feel my own SPEED, ENDURANCE, STRENGTH and GRIT!  This workout was a nice change up to my usual routine and kept me in the Olympic spirit.  It also allowed me to capitalize on all of the positive energy that the Olympics brings every 4 years!  That said, try the challenge for yourself and go for the GOLD 🙂

*Be sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes before you start the sprints and stretch for 5-15 minutes after you complete the workout.  

Example: Inch Worm Exercise

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Home Workouts, Total Body

Brit’s Ultimate DIY Boot Camp

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Tasia, my sister Kortani and me after my DIY boot camp – 05/24/12

Focus: Total body conditioning
Calories burned:500 -800
Duration: 1 hour
Commentary: While the last few days of Spring linger around, head outside and enjoy this lovely weather!  You Texans know that our summer heat is NO JOKE . 110 degrees outside = indoor treadmill running for us.

My lil’ sister is home from college – yay!  This she week she wanted to go to the gym, but as a typical poor college student, couldn’t afford a membership (and I’m not spottin’ her any $$$).  Instead, I taught her how to make her own boot camp.  This way, she can work out anytime she wants at a local park or track .  This evening, I did the boot camp with her and her friend, Tasia.   They really enjoyed it so I figured I share my “formula” with you guys.

To get started, you will need:

  1. 2 light/medium hand weights (1-10 pounds each for ladies; 5-20 pounds each for gents)
  2. Yoga Mat or large towel
  3. At least 100 yards of flat land and/or 1 standard running track (400 meters around)

    Tasia and Kort after we finished – they are too young to be this tired! LOL

Brit’s Boot Camp Formula:

+Warm Up

+ 2 Cardio circuits  (3-4 cardio exercises in each)

+4 Resistance circuits (4 strength and toning exercises in each)

+ “Booty Kickin” Finale                (~10 minutes anaerobic cardio = sucking air!)

= 100% effective FREE personal boot camp

Here’s the complete boot camp that we did today.  Print and save or create your own – enjoy!

Here are some pics of us doing the exercises in case you are unfamiliar with some of them 🙂

squat w/ should press – part 1
squat w/shoulder press – part 2
Triceps kick back on 1 leg
side squat walk (get it KORT – LOL)
lunge w/ bicep curl – part 1
Lunge w/ bicep curl – part 2
frog/star jump – part 1
Frog/star jump – part 2
plank row
donkey kick
side lunge w/ torso twist
back fly
berry pickers
leg lowers on back (Tasia is clearly in pain-LOL)
side to side leaps
front shoulder raise
side shoulder raise
wood chuck jump – part 1
wood chuck jump – part 2
plank – mountain climbers
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Home Workouts, Total Body

Melt Fat AT HOME with a Medicine Ball

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  • Workout: Medicine Ball Melt Down by Brit
  • Duration: about 30 minutes
  • Calories Burned: 250 – 350
  • Focus: Total body toning, core strength, calorie burn
  • Commentary:  Using medicine balls are a FUN and EFFECTIVE way to change-up your home workout routines.  I like them because I can always find a new way to workout with them.   I highly suggest getting one of your own – you can buy them for pretty cheap ($10-40) depending on the weight.

INSTRUCTIONS: Do 4 rounds of the following circuit.  Between each round, do a 1 min cardio interval  (i.e. jumping jacks, squat jumps, high knees, ski jump side to side, etc.)  You can do this workout at home or  at the gym after or before your cardio training – ENJOY 🙂

    1.  Push ups (15 reps), with one hand on the medicine ball  – 2 rounds w/ right hand, 2 round w/ left hand
    2. Bicep curls (20 reps), holding the medicine ball with both hands
    3. Triceps overhead extensions (20 reps), holding the medicine ball with both hands 
    4. Loop through lunges (20 reps), 10 on right leg and 10 on left leg; step one leg forward into a lunge position, pass the medicine ball under your front leg from one hand to the other, bring the ball back up over you head and pass to the other hand, repeat (see example at the bottom)
    5. Wall sits (45 seconds), with lateral shoulder isolation, hold the medicine ball straight out in front of you with both hands while holding a wall sit 
    6. Berry pickers (20R, 20L), holding the medicine ball with both hands  – lie on your back, bend your knees, rise to a crunch position and twist left and right so that the ball touches the floor on each side
    7. Plank on medicine ball (45 seconds) – 15 sec w/ ball under right hand, 15 sec with ball under left hand, 15 sec with ball under both hands
    8. Superman extensions (20 reps), lie face down on your stomach,  holding the medicine with both hands out in front of your forehead,  raise the ball up about 4 in. from the floor, squeeze your back muscles, repeat.
Example: Loop Through Lunge
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Cardio, Home Workouts, Total Body

Track Workout: Shout out to my former athletes – still got it?

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  • Name: Former Athlete Fix by Brit
  • Duration: 45 min – 1 hour
  • Calories Burned: 500-700
  • Focus: Cardiovascular endurance, athletic conditioning, speed, plyometrics
  • Commentary: It’s Spring!  So you know what that means, let’s get outside and hit that track – what what!  I’ve been hanging and chatting with a lot of my old college bball teammates this week in NYC, which inspired me to put a workout together for all of the former athletes out there.  Sometimes, it’s fun to prove that we’ve “still got it.” Even if you’ve never played sports, this workout is a great way to SHOCK your body.  So grab a buddy, head to the track and go get it in!  Make sure to do the full warm up before you start – don’t want you pulling a hammy.  Enjoy 🙂

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