Happy Hump Day Friends! I hope your week is going well. I’m counting down the days until my boyfriend and I jet set to Mexico for a much-needed vacation! The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy planning social events for my fitness studio, teaching classes and attending fitness conferences BUT I wouldn’t have it any other way.
While we intend to spend most of our time being lazy on the beach, we’re both gym rats so we made up some efficient and effective Tabata workouts to knock out in the hotel gym. Tabata is a Japanese form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). You can click here to learn more. Here’s the workout we tried out last week and really enjoyed.
If you want to try the workout, be sure to warm up with light/moderate intensity cardio for 3-5 minutes (e.g. jumping jacks, jog, stationary bike). Also, you will need 1 set of medium/heavy dumbbells (5-10 pounds) and a jump rope. You can expect to burn 200-300 calories in 20 minutes. Better yet, interval training shocks your body so you keep burning calories even after your workout. YEAH BUDDY!
I hope you enjoy and have an awesome day! xoxo, Brit
Image: Excited for the party to start! I couldn’t believe there was a line all the way down the street – ahhh!
Happy Monday morning friends! I’m cloud 9 after celebrating 6 super successful months of business! This past weekend, my GRIT Fitness team and I hosted a GLOWGA (glow-in-the-dark yoga) party on the 33rd floor of the W Dallas Hotel. It was simply amazing! Hundreds and hundreds of family, friends and studio members came out to “flow in the dark” with us. Here are a few photos… You can view the full album on the GRIT Fitness Facebook page.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a super sweat 20 minute Tabata workout that I did with my boyfriend last week. Get ready to WERK friends!
Image: Our Zumba / Dance Cardio class at the Westin Galleria Dallas after Summer Sweat Series #2
There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.
– Vicki Baum
Happy Monday beauties! I hope you had a fabulous weekend – mine was busy but lots of fun. Yesterday morning I enjoyed an energetic Dance Club Cardio class at my studio, GRIT Fitness, and I couldn’t help but acknowledge how happy I felt after class. There’s something about dancing that just makes my soul sing and getting a good cardio workout in the process is icing on the cake.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my studio is partnering with the Westin Galleria Dallas to bring a series of free workouts and pool parties each month this Summer. We’re calling it the Sumer Sweat Series. Our 2nd series was a Zumba / Dance Cardio class and it was a HIT – over 200 members of the Dallas Community came to sweat and shake with us. Here are some pics from the event…
Emily (GRIT Dance Cardio Instructor) and I before her class
Over 200 ladies shakin’ a little something and ballistic’ calories at the Westin Galleria Dallas
Representing my clique 🙂
The Fierce Four Dance Cardio / Zumba instructors who led our class
In the spirit of sharing my love for dancing I did a little research to summarize its key health benefits. Check it out!
6 Health Benefits of Dancing
Relieve Stress (Journal of Applied Gerontology)
Improve Memory (The New England Journal of Medicine)
Lift Your Spirits
Manage Weight
Increase Energy (The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition)
Make New Friends
This week I highly encourage you to try out a dance cardio class or at least dance a for a few minutes infront of the mirror – your body and your mind will thank you! Also, if you live near Dallas, join us for Summer Sweat Series #3 on Sunday August 9! CLICK HERE to register for free. xoxo, Brit
Hey friends! I just finished teaching my 6am GRIT HIIT class at my studio and I’m feeling energized and ready to take on the day. Here’s the workout we did this morning in case you want to give it a whirl on your own! (Do 20 seconds of each exercise then rest for 20 seconds, repeat each round 4 times continuously before moving on to the next round)
GRIT HIIT – June 18, 2015
Round 1
Triple step side to side
Skater leap holding medicine ball
Round 2
Plank Froggers
Forward lunge with medicine ball overhead press
Round 3
Hop on one leg, side to side and front to back (2 rounds right, 2 rounds left)
Side squat with knee raise back to center holding medicine ball
Round 4
Wood chop jumps swinging medicine ball between legs
Chair pose twist jumps alternating sides
Round 5
Plank spider knee pulls (same knee to same elbow)
Full sit up with medicine ball
Today is an extra special day because we’re celebrating 5 months of business of GRIT Fitness! (check out the little slide show I made in honor of our clients and staff) Time flies when you’re having the time of your life. I’m so grateful for every single person who’s taken a class, attended an event or simply shared an encouraging word. I have 100% confidence that the best is yet to come. Here’s to the next 5 months…and the next…and the next!
Image: GRIT Fitness Flexin Flow class at the Westin Galleria Dallas Summer Sweat Series on June 14, 2015
Hey hey friends! I hope your weekend was good to you! I enjoyed another fun, busy weekend of fitness fun. Our studio, GRIT Fitness, has a new partnership with the Westin Galleria Dallas called the “Summer Sweat Series.” Each month this summer we do a free fitness event at the hotel followed by a pool party – hey! Yesterday was our first event in during which we led a free Flexin’ Flow class. Huge shout out to our GRIT Fitness instructor and my dear friend, Maria Rowe for leading the pack! Follow her blog at www.marlizrowe.com. The turn out was amazing as you can see blow…
Post workout photo – yay for sweat & smiles!
After class we posed for a fun group photo before enjoying free Sangria and passed bites! Also, the Westin and other Galleria retailers raffled off 22 gifts including a free weekend stay at the hotel. Holler!
Me, Maria and Kortani posing by the pool after Maria’s booty-kickin’ Flexin’ Flow class!
After class we kicked it by the pool and celebrated yet another awesome fitness event! I’m so grateful for my energetic team and the corporate partnerships that we’ve developed and strengthened over the past 2 years. This is only beginning of even bigger things to come!
If you live in Dallas, join us for our next event on July 12th. We’ll lead a free Zumba/Dance Club Cardio workout followed by a pool party. CLICK HERE to RSVP and get more details. Hope to see you there. Happy Monday! xoxo, Brit
Image: Maria, Annabel and Me after Maria’s Friday morning Flexin’ Flow class
Hey Hey Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Mine was full of b-day celebrations – 4 of my closest friends have birthdays this week which means my calendar was full of pool time and partying – yippee! (Shout out to Jen Kelm, Melissa Bass, Cerise Manns and Leslie Jerome – I LOVE YOU ALL) As icing on the cake my fitness studio, GRIT Fitness, was featured in the Dallas Morning News. We are moving on up! Here’s a quick run down of my weekend shenanigans…
On Friday morning, I woke up bright and early to take Maria’s Flexin’ Flow class. I always encourage the instructors at my studio to take each others’ classes as it helps us grow as teachers and makes our team feel cohesive and supported. Me and Annabel (who teaches Dance Club Cardio and Turbo Kick) thoroughly enjoyed Maria’s Friday morning class and all 3 of us posed for a little post workout photo 🙂
On Friday night, I celebrated the b-day of my childhood best friend, Leslie. She lives in Memphis right now with her husband BUT they are moving back to Texas next month. I’m so excited! If you recall, I was a bridesmaid in Leslie’s beautiful Southern Charm wedding a few months ago. She and I had a blast at dinner and drinks on Friday night.
Me and Leslie at HG Supply in Lower Greenville, Dallas, TX
On Saturday morning I taught my usual Flexin’ Flow class at the W Dallas Hotel on the 16th floor wet deck. It was super hot and sweaty but tons of fun. We had a huge crowd on Saturday, over 90 people. Afterwards of a few of my friends from the Junior League stayed on the wet deck and we enjoyed post-workout mimosas at the pool bar. Check out this awesome review from D Town Sweat from Saturday’s class.
Miranda, Maria, Coral and Me about to enjoy post-workout mimosas
Sunday morning started with a chill trip to Starbucks where I grabbed the Sunday paper to check out our feature. I was so pumped to see that our article made the front page of the Health section! CLICK HERE to read the full article by Special Contributor Kimber Westphall (Twitter @fit_trip_Kimber). I’m so grateful that Kimber chose to reach out to me and put the spotlight on my new little business. She and I also made a cool video together which you can view below…
The b-day festivities continued on Sunday afternoon with Melissa’s birthday pool party. Melissa and I met last summer when she attended my Flexin Flow class at the W hotel. Overtime we became friends and now she teaches Flexin’ Flow at GRIT fitness. It’s great to see her grow into an amazing yoga and fitness instructor. We spent the whole day chillin’ outside, jammin’ to good music and drinking delicious cocktails. It felt good to truly refrain from working all day and just enjoy some fun in the sun!
Melissa posing with her birthday cake! Happy 28thCoral, Melissa, Maria and Me enjoying the party…hanging out in something other than workout clothes for once!
Today I’m back to the grind. I’m writing this blog post from my favorite coffee shop, MudSmith, as I enjoy an egg/avocado sandwich and prepare for my classes this week. This weekend was awesome and I’m looking forward to an even more amazing week ahead. I wish you the same. xoxo, Brit
Hey hey friends! Last week I launched my newest class at GRIT Fitness, GRIT HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)! Here’s the official class description…
Our signature high intensity interval training (HIIT) class designed to push you to your max! We utilize 6 or 8 pound medicine balls to take you through a tabata-style interval circuit that’s sure to spike your heart rate while building muscular endurance. Enjoy a jamming playlist to energize your workout and leave feeling fit and fierce! Sneakers required 30 minutes
GRIT HIIT was very well-received by our clients so I wanted to share some “home-HIIT” goodness with you.
Photo op after my 1st GRIT HIIT class at GRIT Fitness
To complete this workout, you will need a medicine ball between 6-10 pounds, depending on your strength. Complete 4 rounds of each circuit below for a 30 minute workout. Be sure warm up with a 5 minute brisk walk or jog and stretch for at least 5 minutes after the workout.
GRIT HIIT- 30 Minute Workout
Circuit 1
Jumping Jacks (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Medicine Ball Squat Jumps – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds
Circuit 2
High knee run in place (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Wood chop swings, holding medicine ball – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds
Circuit 3
Football run, quick feet drill (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Alternating split lunge jumps, holding medicine ball – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds
Circuit 4
Mountain Climbers (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Medicine Ball Plank Hold (stabilize with both hands on medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds
Circuit 5
Tricep Push Ups (no medicine ball) – 20 seconds
Seated Russian twists, holding medicine ball – 20 seconds
Rest – 20 seconds
I hope you enjoy the workout! If you have any questions about the exercises just post a comment below. Wishing you wonderful week ahead. xoxo, Brit
Hello friends! Spring has officially sprung here in Dallas, TX. We enjoyed a gorgeous weekend of sunshine and 75 degree weather. Some of my friends even enjoyed time by the pool. I’m so glad that Winter is over and cannot wait to spend more time outside, especially partaking in outdoor workouts. This week I plan to hit up the Katy Trail and knock out this running and strength training circuit. I made the perfect 40 minute playlist to energize my sweat session – you should too!
In addition, my friends from Studio Hop and Lorna Jane NorthPark and I just finished planning the premier fitness event of the season! We are hosting a free outdoor workout at NorthPark center on Saturday, April 11th at 10:30am. If you live in Dallas, you should DEFINITELY join the party! There will be a lot of sweat, a lot of shopping and a lot of smiles! What’s not to like? So grab your yoga mat and a friend and join the party. CLICK HERE to RSVP at the Facebook event page.
Image: Me and my Dream Team at the grand opening of Dallas GRIT Fitness – so blessed to have the most energetic, talented and dedicated team of instructors and friends! View More: http://fagin007photography.pass.us/grit
Hello hello my dearest blog community! I hope this post finds you joyous and well. Wow – what a week. My new venture, GRIT Fitness, is growing like crazy. We’ve had record attendance over the past 2 weeks and I couldn’t be more grateful for the early success. In the midst of writing newsletters, planning special events, networking with brand partners, creating playlists, cleaning and developing instructors, I’m trying to take a few moments each day to sit still and savor the moment. Of course I want to grow GRIT Fitness to be the world’s leading fitness/wellness brand BUT sometimes I get so focused on “what’s next” that I forget that I’m actually living my dream TODAY! This time last year, I hoped and prayed for an opportunity to quit my consulting career and wear workout clothes every day. A chance to wake up each morning with a direct opportunity help people reach their fitness goals and simply be a source a positive energy to everyone I encounter. Now I get to do just that. So amazing. For me, learning to savor the moment is easier said than done, but little by little I’m getting better at it and I can see an improvement in overall wellbeing, mood and happiness.
For instance, this morning as I sit at my kitchen table writing this blog post and checking things off of my “to do” list, I try to be really mindful of how yummy my greek yogurt parfait tastes. Usually I just scarf it down while typing an email, but today I paused after I took a bite and thought to myself, “damn, this is pretty tasty.” Sounds so simple, but it really put a smile on my face.
Brit’s breakfast 3/19/15 – greek yogurt, blue berries and watermelon (giant pot of black coffee not pictured)
Yesterday, I enjoyed tea time at Sip Stir Cafe with my good friend Megan, founder of the The Lyon’s Share Wellness. We try to get together once a month to share stories and encourage each other. Like me, Megan also quit her consulting career to start her own business. She’s a certified nutrition and running coach whom I very much admire. After our chat, I hung around the cafe and caught up on work and during that time I took a moment simply express gratitude for positive, healthy friendships. I often take those for granted, but boy does being around positive people nourish my soul! So good 🙂
Yesterday at Sip Stir cafe after my tea time with Megan – savoring positive friendships and the yummy apple/lemon grass tea
I’m going to continue to mindfully pause throughout my day and savor the good that’s in the present moment. Hopefully it will become a healthy habit!
Alright gang, I’m off to teach my noon spin class for the awesome employees at Fossil corporate HQ. I’ll savor that sweaty ride and endorphin pumpin’ playlist 🙂
Hello friends! I hope your week is off to an amazing start! I just finished teaching my 6am Flexin’ Flow™ class and I feel very accomplished! Flexin’ Flow™ is a new total body strength, stretching and intensity interval class that I designed and launched last month. If you like the idea of Vinyasa Power Yoga, but have a really short attention span and a deep love for hip hop music, this is the class for you! Here’s the official class description:
If yoga, pilates and boot camp had a baby, it would be Flexin’ Flow™! Our signature, total body workout is designed to build strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. Enjoy the unique combination of vinyasa power yoga sequences, core stability exercises, leg toning circuits and intensity intervals all while jammin’ to upbeat music! Prepare to tone your entire body and leave class super sweaty. Bring your yoga mat! Bare feet; 55 minutes
So here’s a quick overview of how the 55 minute class is structured…
We start off by connecting to our breath and generating heat in the body with a series of arm circles, squats, lunges and chair twists. Keep in mind that the beats are bumpin’ right from the start so we move at a fast pace and stay on beat with the music.
After warming up, we complete a series of Sun A salutations and plank variations to begin generating heat in the core. The goal of this section is to ensure everybody has worked up a sweat – wink wink!
Brit Teaching Flexin’ Flow at Lorna Jane Dallas Active Living Room – Warm Up
Then we REALLY get the party started with an intense, energetic set of leg toning sequences. Think pile’ squats, heel raises and every kind of lunge you can possible imagine. YEAH – sexy legs please!
Brit Teaching Flexin’ Flow at Lorna Jane Dallas Active Living Room – Leg Sequence
The leg series is following by an active recovery of vinyasa flows to stretch and tone the body. I like to include lots of Warrior 1, 2 and 3 variations, push ups, side angles, Goddess poses and more.
Brit Teaching Flexin’ Flow at Lorna Jane Dallas Active Living Room – Vinyasa Flow
After we’ve caught our breath and stretched our bodies, it’s time to increase the intensity again with our calorie blasting “power series.” This is when we knock out some old school burpees, mountain climbers, plyo lunges and other “boot camp style” drills.
We wrap up the workout with hardcore glute exercises, core stability sequences and lower back strengthening moves.
Brit Teaching Flexin’ Flow at Lorna Jane Dallas Active Living Room – Booty Work
Once we’ve reached our max, we enjoy a nice cool down with deep stretches and then take it home. WARNING: If you’re looking for an amazing shavasana, you’ve come to the WRONG place. There’s no time to chill in Flexin Flow – just keepin’ it real. After class expect to feel energized, sweaty and accomplished!
Flexin’ Flow class participants flash sweaty smile post class!
Everyone enjoyed their Flexin’ Flow workout – way to FLEX for the camera!
If you live in Dallas, come take a Flexin’ Flow™ class at my studio, GRIT Fitness – CLICK HERE to view our schedule and register! In only one month, Flexin’ Flow received several raving reviews including this awesome write-up from D Town Sweat, check it out! AND starting May 2, my team an I will teach FREE weekly Flexin’ Flow classes on the W Dallas Hotel Wetdeck – SO FUN! Mark your calendars because it’s GDFR (goin’ down for real) 🙂
