Brittani Rettig – Page 9

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

November 26, 2014 No Comments

Hey guys! HAPPY TURKEY DAY. I hope you take some time to unwind, eat delicious food and watch exciting football (GO COWBOYS!).

My family and I are traveling to Tampa, FL to spend Thanksgiving with my baby brother who’s a sophomore basketball player at the University of Tampa. We’ll attend his b-ball tourney this weekend and eat Thanksgiving dinner with his basketball team. It should be entertaining to share a Thanksgiving feast with 15 college boys. I’ll be sure to give you a recap, haha.

Yesterday I posted about acts of gratitude. One of the recommended actions is to write down things for which you are grateful, including your personal accomplishments. It’s okay to give yourself a little pat on the back every once in a while. This year has brought a tremendous amount of change in my life, but I’m so grateful for where I stand right now. From turning the big 3-0 to starting a new business and developing new personal relationships, I have so much to be grateful for. I’m also grateful for my blog victories like being published with SELF Magazine and POPSGUAR Select +. Hard work certainly pays off. It may not seem like it the midst of late night editing and killer works, but the truth is that we ALWAYS reap what we sow!

As I check out of for the holiday, I want to share two of my past blog posts that can help you have a happy, healthy Thanksgiving:

I’ll be back in blogging action next Monday. Holler atcha then! Lots of luv,

Brit

Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle

5 Acts of Gratitude to Boost Your Mood

November 25, 2014 5 Comments

As you know, this month is all about gratitude = the quality of being thankful. I’m so grateful to wake up everyday and do something that I love: share fitness & healthy living with people I care about = YOU! I’m also grateful for the opportunity to share my fitness business start up story with SELF Magazine. Woo ho0 – check out my article on self.com!

I’ve found that practicing acts of gratitude makes me a happier person. In fact, studies from University of California Berkeley show that grateful people are less resentful, more optimistic and healthier than their ungrateful counterparts. Also, physically expressing gratitude generates a greater happiness return than simply feeling appreciation. So just in time for Thanksgiving, here are five acts of gratitude to ensure you have the happiest holiday!

Savor the Small Stuff – Whether it’s your morning cup of coffee or hot shower after a long day, take a moment to be present and acknowledge your little luxury.
Say Thank You – Actually pick up phone, call someone and tell him or her how much they mean to you. Not only with they feel wonderful, but you will too.
Love Your Body – Go for a sweat session at your favorite fitness studio. Afterwards thank your body for its physical fitness.
Be One With Nature – Step outside and look around. Appreciating nature’s beauty can quickly lift your spirits.
Acknowledge Your Accomplishments – Make a list of three personal accomplishments and thank yourself for your dedication and commitment. We often express gratitude to others, but it’s equally important to appreciate ourselves.

This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to not only feel thankful but to also express your gratitude!

Happy Thanksgiving! xoxo, Brit

Dallas GRIT Fitness

Dallas Grit Fitness: Studio Set Up – Home Stretch!

November 24, 2014 No Comments

Hey guys! I hope your week is off to a good start. I was feeling pretty chipper this morning, but then the reality of the MASSIVE AMOUNT of work I have to do to get my studio set up hit me like a ton of bricks – AHH! From writing the press release, conducting instructor orientation, planning the grand opening party and finishing renovations, I don’t expect to sleep much in the next month. The frustrating part is that so much of what needs to be done I can’t do by myself. Having to rely on others is definitely giving me a life lesson in humility. Alas, lots of progress is being made so I’ll rejoice in that regard. We have come such a long way! Remember when we started with the demolition work?

The most recent accomplishment is mirror installation! Alpha Glass company installed the studio mirrors last Thursday! They really open up the space and make it feel like real studio. I think this is the most excited I’ve been so far.

Paint – check, Floors – check, Mirrors – check! 3 huge renovations milestones DONE!

Tomorrow the electricians will come and install additional power outlets, lighting and the sound system. I’m really excited about the lights because they respond to the bass in the music 🙂 I went to Guitar Center and totally geeked out from all of the lighting options (see below). Finally, I decided to buy the Ultrabar colored lights. Can’t wait to have these installed tomorrow!

Checking out all of the cool studio lighting options! So fun

After Thanksgiving the real fun begins – decorating! While decorating seems simple, it also requires professional help – UGH! Is there any particular fitness studio decor that you like? If so, post a comment and let me know!

Stay motivated this Monday! xoxo, Brit

Fitness Fashion

Neon Activewear + Cycling Playlist

November 24, 2014 No Comments

Happy Monday morning to you! I hope you had a good weekend. I had a really busy weekend myself (more to come on that later this afternoon). I’m actually feeling kinda tired this morning, so I’m planning to rest and recover today.

On Saturday morning I taught my usual 8AM spin class at BEYOND Pedaling. I was super pumped because I got to rock my new Chic Bra Top from Onzie. Not only does it have a funky neon pattern, but the back has a sexy strappy design – oh hey! I paired with with my neon Living One Luv Headband and wore my Target C9 sports bra underneath for extra support (I’m a little on the busty side).

Little #selfie before cycling class – So excited to rock out my playlist!

In addition to my fab new workout clothes, my playlist also pumped me up for an energetic class. It’s crazy how much time I spend each week making up my playlist – like ~4 hours per class for realz. A solid playlist is crucial for a good class. That said, I figured some of you may be fitness instructors as well, so I’m making a personal commitment to start sharing my playlists as much as possible. Here’s the 45-minute cycling playlist we “tapped back” to during my last cycling class…

After the ride, my class was super sweaty and had big smiles on their faces – 2 outcomes that always make me feel good as a fitness instructor. They liked the mix of Top 40, Hip Hop and Old school on this playlist – yay!

What’s on your workout playlist? I’m always looking for new songs. PLEASE post a comment and let me know what you jam to. Share the love 🙂 I’ll catch up with you later this afternoon. Until then, HAPPY MONDAY! xoxo, Brit

Posing after class at BEYOND Pedaling with this fabulous crew! I love their energy!

Dallas, TX

Fitness Studio Review: The Barre Code Dallas, TX

November 19, 2014 No Comments

Image: From left to right, my friends Ashley, Julie (instructor), me and Andria after our Brawl workout. I was happy to rock my Fire Cracker capris from Lorna Jane!

Hey friends – happy workout Wednesday! I hope your week is going well. I’m working away at my new studio, Dallas Grit Fitness. We are in full swing decorating and getting ready to welcome our fierce, fabulous instructors for orientation in 2 weeks. I’m excited and honored to have the most energetic dancers, trainers and yoga instructors join my team!

In honor of workout Wednesday, I wanted to share some insights from my recent visit to The Barre Code Dallas, Design District. Turns out The Barre Code Dallas Master Trainer, Julie, was actually the Group X Manager of 24 Hour Fitness who auditioned me for my very first fitness instructor position! When I walked into the class and saw that she was teaching, I totally freaked out. Such a small world!

While The Barre Code offers several barre formats my friends and I decided to try out the “Brawl” class because it seemed the most intense. “Brawl, which has been recognized by SELF magazine as one of the best workouts in the country, is an intense class that combines cardio kickboxing sequences with strengthening work for the thighs and glutes.” As a Turbo Kick fanatic, of course this is right yup my alley!

Here’s a quick run down of my experience…

The Class – Brawl is a 50 minutes, high intensity cardio kickboxing class. We did the whole class in socks – no sneakers! Fortunately the floors are a soft rubber that you can bounce on. About half way through the class, we got down on the ground and did 10 minutes of core, thighs and booty toning exercises. Then we ended class with one final cardio push and a cool down.
The Instructor – So I may be biased because I know Julie and personally like her style, but she was awesome! I always appreciate fitness instructors who actually do the workout with the class and practice what they teach. Julie rocked it out!
Music – We kicked, punched and jumped around to a mash-up of Top 40 music. It was remixed into a continuous flow that synced well with the moves. The sound system was great – I could feel the beat!
Who was there – Barre Code is a women’s only gym. Most of the ladies in our class were in their 20’s and 30’s and all dressed in super cute activewear.
Loved – The high energy of the class. We never stopped moving!
Hated – I didn’t bring a towel and had to creatively wipe my sweat on my clothes.
Final Verdict – After class I was drenched in sweat, my thighs were on fire and I had a smile on my face – the 3 signs of an effective workout! I highly recommend.

My friend Ashley, invited us along for the day. She’s a regular at The Barre Code

Ladies checking in at the front desk for Brawl class!

The studio was perfectly accented with thematic fitness equipment – gotta love pink kettle bells 🙂

Afterwards we were sweaty and tired so we treated ourselves to a yummy dinner at Ascension

Dallas GRIT Fitness

Dallas Grit Fitness: Site renovation almost complete – we have a floor!

November 18, 2014 3 Comments

Image: I literally ran outside and jumped around in front of the truck delivering my studio floors!

Great news gang! We are less than 2 weeks away from fully renovating my very first fitness studio, Dallas Grit Fitness – YIPPEE! Last week marked the completion of a major renovation milestone as our floors were installed! I was so excited when the floors arrived, I couldn’t stop jumping around and cheering. You can see me in action on this Instagram Video clip. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm, right?

Floor installation at Dallas Grit Fitness was no easy task since our space was formally a chiropractor office. We had to demolish all of the existing carpet and tile to create a smooth surface for the new studio flooring.

Now that the hard work is done, I’m excited to move on the to fun part – decorating! I got lots of cool wall art and lighting for the studio. We will also install a full wall of mirrors and the sound system this week. It’s really coming together. I can’t wait to share my energy, passion and grit with you in person. If you live in Dallas or ever come to visit, you must pop in to Dallas Grit Fitness for a sweat session! 🙂

Smoothing out the surface to ensure the floor is completely level

All smooth! Waiting for the surface to dry to until we start laying the floors

Floors are installed and the black base was molded to the wall – almost ready to dance!

Get ready for the most FIERCE, FUN, FABULOUS fitness studio in Dallas! xoxo, Brit

Lifestyle

NYC Wedding Bells

November 17, 2014 1 Comment

Image: Sippin an Old Fashioned with my classmates/boy buds Eric & Chris. I’m really not a whiskey girl, but I got peer pressured

Hello Friends! Happy Monday. This morning I’m blogging from NYC. I traveled here for a beautiful Manhattan wedding of my business school friends, Matt & Lily-Hayes. The ceremony and reception were held at Rockafeller Plaza in the Rainbow Room overlooking the city. The food was amazing, the scenery was stunning and most importantly I got to reconnect with my amazing friends. Sigh…still on a high.

So get this, for 4 weekends straight I’m either attending a black tie wedding or a formal gala. Today marks 3 down and 1 to go. These fancy festivities started with my friend Leslie’s wedding followed by the Dallas Autumn Ball last weekend. (I actually wore my bridesmaid dress from Leslie’s wedding to Matt & Lily-Hayes wedding. Getting some use out of that bad boy). Next weekend is my last formal event of the year, the Dallas Margarita Ball. I’m excited!

I decided to extend my NYC trip to do some “market research” on new dance cardio studios here in the city. So excited to take 3 classes today and catch up with several of my fitness sistas! I’ve gotta run to another sweat session, but be on the lookout for NYC class reviews coming soon. NYC is a great place and I use Moovit train line maps to help me get around.

Here’s a few photos from Matt & Lily Hayes’ wedding – hope you like. Have a wonderfully active and happy week!

Lots of luv, Brit

Enjoying the gorgeous NYC view during cocktail hour before the reception (Rainbow Room @Rockafeller Center

The lovely bride and groom dancing away on the rotating floor – stunning!

Me and my crew at cocktail hour – Harvard Business School Section B Class of 2010 – we roll deep (wink wink)

My first time witnessing the traditional Jewish chair dance – so fun!

What better way to end the weekend than an all you can eat BBQ brunch at Dino’s in Harlem! From Left to right, my classmates Jenn, Matt (groom), Chris, Eric & Lakshmi

Fitness Fashion

Fitness Friday Friday #11: Leopard + lucy

November 14, 2014 1 Comment

Image: Coral off the shoulder top (lucy), Grey sports bra (C9 at Target), Black animal print leggings (Onzie), Nike Free Sneakers

Happy Fitness Fashion Friday! So technically, these are “cheetah” print on my leggings, but “Cheetah + lucy” doesn’t have the same ring as “Leopard + lucy” so we’re gonna go with the latter. I’ve officially busted out my long sleeve activewear now that the cold weather is upon us (tear).

I’m headed to NYC this weekend. Two of my close friends from business school, Matt & Lily-Hayes, are getting married! I plan to pack this outfit as my “travel wear” for my flight back to Dallas next Monday.

While in NYC, I’m checking out a couple of new fitness studios that have sparked my interest: AKT In Motion (a new dance cardio club that seems really cool) and 305 Fitness (founded by my friend Sadie & just opened a new flagship studio in the West Village). I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and write a full review to share here on the blog. Welp, I guess that’s all for now. Happy Friday friends!

Loving the detailed animal print & shimmry finish on these leggings

Oh hey off-the-shoulder swag! Holla back at ya Monday morning!

Have a great weekend! Luv, Brit

Abs

Washboard Abs Workout

November 12, 2014 1 Comment

Image: Showing off my “washboard abs” during a styling session at Lorna Jane (love this outfit BTW – I wear it to teach cycling all the time)

Hey hey – happy Workout Wednesday! As promised, here is your workout of the week – Washboard Abs. I’m getting floors installed at my studio, Dallas Grit Fitness, today . Yay! This is the last major renovation milestone before I can start decorating and, ultimately, teaching classes. I’ll be hanging out at the studio all day, so I plan to knock out this ab workout while “overseeing” contractors. Should be good fun.

It’s been a while since I posted an ab workout, so today I’m bringing you my most comprehensive, complete, core exercise routine. During this workout you will engage your abdominals in 3 different positions: 1) Standing Up 2) On you hands and toes in the plank position 3) In the traditional position, on your back. This helps ensure we work the complete core for washboard abs!

Warning: This workout takes about 25 minutes to complete. You can’t rush through it. BUT, I promise you will feel the burn. For best results, do this workout 2-3 times per week for 4 weeks along with rigorous cardio workouts.

Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes. If you have any questions about the exercises below, just post a comment and I can explain. Have a wonderful Wednesday! Love, Brit

Just for Fun, Lifestyle

Dallas Autumn Ball – So Fancy this Fall

November 9, 2014 1 Comment

Image: Getting ready! Dress & necklace from BCBG

Hey Friends! Happy Sunday. I usually don’t post on Sundays, but I had so much fun this weekend I wanted to share a few photos. My friends and I attended the Dallas Autumn Ball which is a charity gala for young adults. Long story short, we had a blast. We started off the night with a group dinner at Dragonfly in Hotel Zaza. I’m usually really skeptical of hotel restaurants, but surprising our dinner was super yummy AND we got a complimentary bottle of sparking Rose’ – oh hey!

After poppin’ our bubbly – cheers to the night!

Me and my classmate from Harvard Business School, Ade, gettin’ rachet and ready to party!

After dinner, we made our way to the grand ball room of the party! There was a lovely step & repeat to pose in front – of course I seized the opportunity.

Posing on the red carpet as we made our entrance – oh so glamorous!

When we got inside, we immediately started bustin’ a move because the Emerald City Band was playing live music all night long. The open bar was icing on the cake, but I didn’t party too hard. I had to teach spin at 8am the next morning – priorities!

Wouldn’t be a legit night of fun without a duck lips photo

Altogether we had an wonderful night. Great food, friends and fun all in formal wear – what more can a girl ask for? Hope you have a wonderful week ahead. I’ll catch you in the morning! xoxo, Brit

Loved my dress and necklace from BCBG. Yay for a for a fun-filled, fancy, fall evening!