fitness – Page 14 – GRIT By Brit

Get FIT and WELL with an Outdoor Workout

May 14, 2013 1 Comment

It’s Spring – yippee! The sun is shining and skin is showing, so take your workout OUTSIDE. A recent study showed that exercising outdoors improves “mental well-being: compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.” Source: Outdoor Fit

Above: Me teaching PiYo on the Wet Deck at the W Dallas Hotel last Saturday

Not only are outdoor workouts fun, they also provide lots of extra health benefits. Here are my top 3 reason you should take your sweat session out doors this Spring:

Burn More Calories – Running and cycling outside takes more energy due to overcoming wind resistance and balancing on uneven terrains. Also, people are naturally more enthusiastic when they workout outdoors and put more energy into their works resulting in higher calorie burn 🙂
Get some Vitamin D – UV rays from sun exposure give our bodies lots of Vitamin D which increases energy and vitality. Soak up those rays but don’t forget your sunscreen!
It’s FREE – Unlike working out in gyms or fitness studios, most outdoor workouts are absolutely free! Like my Pilates/Yoga class that I teach every Saturday morning at the W Dallas Victory hotel. Several yoga studios and boot camps offer free outdoor workouts in the Spring and Summer so keep you eyes peeled for special events. Better yet, try a track workout! And when in doubt, nothing beats a good old-fashioned run in the park with a jammin’ playlist 🙂

Enjoy the outdoors! xoxo, Brit

Total Body

10 Minute HIIT Workout

May 13, 2013 5 Comments

Hey gang! Hope your week is off to an EXCELLENT start. Here’s a 10 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout video that I shot in Central Park NYC. The workout is intense and efficient! You need to 2 medium/heavy dumbbells (at least 8 pounds for women and 15 pounds for men). To get the most out of the workout, do NOT take breaks unless I say so! 🙂

HIIT works because it forces us to push to our highest level of perceived exertion for short periods of time. This increases our anaerobic threshold, which burns a TON of calories during and AFTER the workout. Try the workout for yourself and let me know what you think. It’s a great way to get sexy for summer! #heygurlhey #heyboyhey

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUs5sGt87RY]

Inspiration & Motivation

3-Day Detox Cleanse by Dr.OZ

May 12, 2013 36 Comments

So, some of my best friends have been ranting and raving about the great results they’ve had with the Dr. Oz Juice Cleanse. Have any of you tried the cleanse before? Were you successful? Obviously, I have serious FOMO (fear of missing out) and have to try it for myself. I already went shopping and bought all of my ingredients (see pic below).

I’m especially excited about bathing in Epsom Salt every night! Growing up, my mother (a true country woman) would ALWAYS make me bathe in Epsom Salt to help soothe mosquito bites, achy muscles or open scrapes from playground accidents. No matter the issue, an Epsom Salt bath was her go-to cure.

What’s really interesting about this “cleanse” is that the drinks actually include A LOT of food. I spent $90 at Central Market today buying all of the ingredients. If you look closely at each of the drinks, they each include almost 4 full servings of fruits and veggies – that’s AMAZING! I have a feeling that the drinks are going to be very filling 😉

Also, I’m infatuated with Coconut Oil right now. I like to use it on my skin and in my hair for deep conditioning, but never have I ingested it. This will be a first. Last, the almond butter, almond milk and flax seeds are nice additions to help ensure I get sufficient protein Altogether, this cleanse is HEALTHY, BALANCED and LEGIT according to GRIT by Brit!

Follow me on Twitter @GRITbyBrit for my pictures and progress updates over the next 3 days. Also, please share your cleanse stories if you’ve decided to try it too!

Hope you had a great weekend – CHOOSE to have a great week ahead!

Dallas, TX

PiYo all Summer long at W Dallas – Victory

May 7, 2013 6 Comments

Show your body and your self some love this Summer by joining me for FREE PiYo classes! In case you’ve never heard of PiYo, it’s a Pilates / Yoga fusion workout. Click here to learn more about it.

I’ve partnered up with the amazing W Dallas Hotel – Victory Park to bring this free fitness gift to you. It’s going down every Saturday morning at 8:30 am on the glorious 16th floor Wet Deck – breathtaking views are in abundance!

So grab your yoga mat and a friend and be ready to sweat. I guarantee this is the BEST fitness class Dallas has to offer. See you on Saturday! (All details are in the flyer below)

Arms

Farewell Flabby Arms!

May 4, 2013 19 Comments

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBNKC7SaTsE]

I hope you guys had a great Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend. I spent my weekend in California celebrating a friend’s wedding – it was amazing! The sun was shining and I finally got to wear some of my favorite sundresses. On that note, nothing looks better in a sleeveless sundress than nice toned arms. So, check out this arm workout that I designed to get you on a “Michelle Obama level.” You’ll need 2 medium dumbbells to complete the exercises. This is a nice workout to tag on to the end of a cardio sweat session. You can workout with me in real-time by watching the video (click play above) or do the workout on your own (follow the instructions below). Either way, be sure to try it out and let me know how it goes!

Enjoy rockin’ those sundresses #getitgurl

Total Body

Cinco de Mayo Sweat Session!

May 2, 2013 1 Comment

Happy Cinco de Mayo weekend! Before you head out to enjoy the holiday with margaritas and delicious Mexican food, be sure to get a quick sweat session in. My “Cinco de Mayo Sweat Circuit” consists of 5 sets of 5 exercises. Between each round, do jumping jacks or high knee run in place for 1 minute. Altogether, the workout only takes about 10 minutes but is super effective. Expect to burn ~200 calories. Enjoy your holiday – fiesta fiesta!

Workout Reviews & Ratings

Aqua Studio NYC: Spinning in a swimming pool!

April 29, 2013 3 Comments

Aqua Cycling...how cool does that sound? I was super pumped up to hear that Aqua Studio opened earlier this month in NYC, so some friends and I checked it out. It was definitely the “Most Interesting Workout” I’ve ever done. Long story short – try it out to say you did it, but overall it’s not worth the money. I’m sad to confess that after my first Aqua Cycling workout, I walked right across the street to CrossFit 212 for a “real workout.” Now let me temper my sentiments by making clear that I crave intense workouts. If I’m not drenched in sweat by the end, I feel like I wasted my time. If you’re like me in this regard, save your money and hit up a higher intensity class.

On a side note, word on the street is that Beyonce did Aqua Cycling to lose her baby weight. But, let’s be real. Did you see the way she was sweating and working it out during the Super Bowl half time? There’s NO WAY she got into that shape by casually pedaling a bicycle in a swimming pool. I’m 100% confident that she worked her butt off to the point of complete exhaustion to get that body and those moves. I’m just sayin…

Now that I’ve shared my colorful commentary, here’s the real deal with Aqua Cycling:

Workout Details

Aqua Studio opened in NYC on April 15^{th – it’s}located in Tribeca in a really chic, high end, boutique studio
45 minute cycling workout with the bike completely submerged in water
No resistance on the bike, so resistance is based on how fast you pedal (the faster you pedal, the more natural resistance you feel from the water)
Lots of core and isometric toning exercising are incorporated throughout the workout session. The moves are similar to water aerobics (i.e. arm strokes in the water, float on your back and do crunches)

Pros

Low impact, so a good work out option if you have knee problems
Being in water naturally is therapeutic 😉
Instructors are really nice (not mean or too intense)
Music is good. We gotta a like Drake “Started from the Bottom” jamz during my class
Studio is impeccable, like being at high end spa, really nice!
Nice change up to your usual workout routine

Cons

Very expensive ($40 for single drop in class)
Lacking intensity – I’d estimate you only burn 300 calories in 45 minutes
The class choreography could use some help. Simply doing more sprints on the bike would make the the workout more effective. Also, we did a body weight arm circuit above the water that was super easy…kind of felt like a waste of time.

Sorry Aqua Studio NY, had a good time, but not “GRITTY” enough for me 🙁

Abs

Best ABS Ever!

April 28, 2013 3 Comments

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIO6IGNcPqM]

Sick of crunches? Search no more. Here’s a fun, fierce ab workout that I designed and filmed for you guys. You need to 2 medium dumbbells to complete the workout. It takes about 10 minutes and you can expect to burn 100 calories. Do the workout 3-4 times per week along with some cardio to get your Six pack by Summer!

I think you’re FABULOUS! xoxo, Brit

Total Body

GRITTY Circuit Workout – 40 minute Fat Blaster

April 24, 2013 6 Comments

Hi guys! So, I’ve been fairly successful so far on my 5 Day FOCUS Diet. I had one bad night (pad thai w/veggies for dinner) but other than that I’m pretty proud of my discipline to date and am feeling better all ready – yay! How’s the plan going for youOn another note, a colleague and I have been working out together in the mornings at our hotel gym. This morning we did an awesome HIIT workout from one of his men’s fitness magazines. It was very GRITTY so I wanted to create a similar workout to share with you. Now ladies, don’t be intimidated or turned off. Just because the workout is intense and was originally designed for men doesn’t mean that it isn’t beneficial for us. It won’t make us bulky or injure us if done properly. GRITTY = PRETTY 🙂

Brit’s GRITTY Workout Details

Duration: Overall, the workout took us about 40 minutes to complete and we were DRENCHED in sweat by the end (my booty has been sore all day).
Calories Burned: ~400-600
Equipment: All you need is 2 medium to heavy dumbbells (I used 10 pounds and my male colleague used 15 pounds).
Style: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). There are 6 circuits and each circuit includes 6 X 1 minute exercise intervals. The workout nicely combines both strength and cardio training into combination exercises.

Instructional Photos

Regular Front Squat + Side Squat

Bent Over Row + Upright Row

Squat with Shoulder Press

Single Leg Dead Lift

Plank with hand shoulder taps

Inspiration & Motivation

We can always quit…why start now?

April 18, 2013 4 Comments

Happiest Thursday to you! I saw this quote on Twitter, “We can always quit, why start now?” It made me take a step back and reflect on decisions I’m currently facing in my own life. I gotta be honest….I’m TIRED. Work is demanding. Traveling is draining. In addition to that, the effort it takes to plan my workouts, blog, volunteer and consciously spend time with the people I love, leaves me with very little in my “Energy Budget” at the end of each day. BUT I’m happy to say that even though it seems like I’m “running on empty” at least I’m still running. And that, my friends, is a blessing!

So, I write this blog post for both selfish and selfless reasons:

I hope it motivates you to keep pushing
I needed to give myself a pep talk 🙂

Have a wonderful day – you got this!

Lots of luv,

Brit