Tone it Up Tuesday: Upper Body Workout

Michelle Obama arms anyone?

Here’s an upper body toning workout I designed in aspiration of getting first class guns just like our fierce first lady.   The workout focuses solely on the biceps, triceps, shoulders and abs.  You don’t need hand weights and can do this workout right in your living room – yay!

The entire workout takes  30 minutes and burns about 200 calories.  I’m going to give it a whirl tonight along with 30 minutes of cardio.  Try it for yourself and let me know how it goes – enjoy!

Lots of luv,

Brit 😉

 

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Show some SWAGGER

Brittani Rettig SwaggerAt a very young age, my parents taught me the importance of self-respect and self-confidence.  My mom always had me play the lead in church programs and made sure I was on the front row at my dance recitals.   Later when I started playing sports, my dad would preach that “competitions are just about confidence…if I worked hard and believed that I was better than my opponent, I was!

However as I matured, I started to believe that humility and self-confidence were mutually exclusive (i.e. if I wanted to be humble, that meant I needed to put the needs of others before my own or criticize myself).  However, the TRUTH is exactly the opposite!

As a new vegetarian, I started reading the book “Skinny B*itch” which takes a very no-nonsense approach to healthy living and healthy eating.  There’s a paragraph in the book, that really hammers home my beliefs about self-confidence and SWAGGER:

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“Certainly your health and your body and you are more important than anything else in your life.  You are worthless to your colleagues, friends and family if you do not value yourself enough to take excellent care of you.  Yes, you have to put yourself before your friends, parents,  boyfriend, husband and even your children.  It won’t make you bad daughter or wife or mother; it will make you less resentful, more confident,  interesting,  beautiful, patient, tolerant, and fun person to be around.  Your bright shining light will give everyone around you permission and inspiration to shine more brightly.  Love yourself enough to do whatever it takes to be the best you you can be.”

For your Monday Motivation, I wanted to share this excerpt along with a graphic that my Aunt sent me (shout out to Aunt Cathy).  Think about these truths as you start your week.  I hope they encourage you as much as they encourage me! #GRIT

Lots of luv,

Brit 😉

GRIT by Brit Swagger

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Turbo Kickboxing Classes in NYC

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Hey Gang!  I hope your week is going well.  In case you haven’t heard, I’m now teaching independent Turbo Kick classes in New York City!  I’ve partnered with Stepping Out Studios in Flatiron to bring you an awesome fitness experience in a beautiful NYC dance studio.  Now you can enjoy this amazing fitness format without being a member of a gym – woop woop 🙂

Last Sunday marked the completion of our 1st month since the launch of Turbo NYC.  Our Launch Party was a huge success and we’ve had several new faces join our #CARDIOPARTY since then.  You can CLICK HERE to view pictures and read the review of our January launch party.

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Turbo Kick is my all time favorite fitness format – it’s challenging, yet fun and effective.  I’ve lost over 25 pounds since falling in love with Turbo Kick, so I feel that it’s my DUTY to share this amazing fitness gift with others!  While the workout is super effective (expect to burn 1,000 calories per class), I’ve made a conscious effort to keep the price down.  Remember, one of the GRIT by Brit core values is that we “don’t have to be wealthy to be healthy!”

If you’re a NYC resident, or just in town for the weekend, come SWEAT with us.  Classes are held EVERY Sunday at 11:00am and are always high energy with studio pumpin’ music.  We work HARD but also have lots of FUN!  You can reserve your spot and get all of the  details on the Turbo NYC website: www.turbonyc.com  See you in class!

While human nature often causes us to trip and fall, the most compelling aspect of our nature is that we are so much stronger than we know #GRIT

-David Kirchhoff, CEO Weight Watchers

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Wednesday Workout: BACK it Up!

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(above – me showin’ off my back in my new Lululemon racer back tank)

If you’re looking for a new “Wednesday Workout,” I highly encourage you to build your BACK!  A strong back improves posture and gives you more definition through your neck and shoulders.  Also, the nice ‘V’ shape makes your waistline look smaller 😉

As a woman, I often neglected back workouts and focused on my abs and legs during weight training.  However, I’ve found that working my back muscles is very effective for weight management because the muscles are BIG and require lots of energy (thus burn a lot of calories).  Also, a toned back in a racer back dress is just as, if not more, sexy than nice legs in daisy dukes.  So give it a whirl today, people.  This workout should take you about 30 minutes to complete and you can expect to burn ~200 calories – enjoy!

tumblr_mf5u1rNXuC1rhnzcto1_r3_500BACK it Up!

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Love Your Body Day #2: FLEX & PUMP

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Show your body some love today by hitting the weights!  Your body is resilient, efficient and thirsty for a challenge.  Include weight lifting in your exercise regimen to ensure your muscles are strong and able to support your body.  Resistance training helps prevent injuries,  increases muscle definition and accelerates the rate your body burns calories while resting (a good look)!

In honor of Love Your Body Day #2, I put together this total body weight lifting workout for you to enjoy.  After your workout, take a moment and be grateful for your body – 2 good arms, 2 good legs a heart and lungs that work!

FLEX & PUMP

Love your body today by FLEXIN’ those sexy muscles and PUMPIN’ some iron #GRIT

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The World is YOURS…

TURBO NYC has officially launched!

www.turbonyc.com

What a weekend.  I just launched my latest venture, Turbo NYC – God is good!  As some of you already know, I’ve been staffed on a long assignment in Washington, DC for several months now.  It’s been hard to make it home to Dallas, TX every single weekend so I started spending lots of time in NYC.  While NYC is great, I really really miss teaching my weekly Turbo Kick classes.  Teaching  brings me so much joy and positive energy that doing without is simply unacceptable.

When I’m in NYC I take super fierce Turbo Kick classes at my home club (shout out to @24hourfitness & super instructor @natalieuhling). However, I noticed that Turbo Kick overall isn’t as popular in NYC as it is on the West Coast and in the South. I think it may because there are SO many fantastic fitness options in NYC that many people simply aren’t aware of Turbo Kick’s awesomeness.

In any case, the entrepreneur/Turbo fanatic  in me jumped on this situation and had an idea to start teaching independent “GRIT by Brit” Turbo Kick classes outside of formal fitness clubs – Turbo NYC!  I LOVE Turbo Kick so much and have gotten  amazing results from the class (lost 25 pounds in 1 year – woop woop).   As an instructor, I feel it’s my duty to make Turbo Kick accessible and affordable to as many people as possible – thus my motivation to launch Turbo NYC!  Now people can enjoy Turbo Kick without being a member of a club.

Like setting out on any new venture, I had lots of self-doubt and fear of failure.  But with mental #GRIT and faith, the launch went off without a hitch!  We had an amazing turn out!  Our class was not messin’ around.   My #GRIT guys had to open the windows because the class was bringin’ the HEAT! Along with my #GRIT guys, I must thank my dearest friends who spent tons of time and energy encouraging me and supporting me – you guys bless my life exceedingly and abundantly.  I am so very grateful for you all (*tear).

“With faith in yourself and faith in God,  ALL things are possible – the world is YOURS!” #GRIT

NYC readers, be sure to come check us out next Sunday and EVERY Sunday at 11:00 AM in Flatiron.  All of the details are on our site, www.turbonyc.com

Have a wonderful week everyone – to health and happiness

Luv,

Brit  🙂

Turbo NYC videos coming soon…

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STRONG to the finish: Candace’s Progress on the New Year Kick Start Plan

Candace’s Week 2 Update

“Week 2 of my GRIT by Brit New Year Kick Start Plan was a bit quiet, I was able to get in a couple of workouts early in the week and stick to my eating plan. My challenge plans were a bit derailed due to travel to DC later in the week. I did try doing sit-ups and push-ups while watching TV one evening. I was able to knock out 200 crunches and 100 push-ups during commercial breaks. It was a great way to burn calories while watching my shows. Unfortunately, I’m up 1 lb. from the end of week 1. I’m looking forward to getting back on track and going hard in week 3.” – Candace

(below – sit ups with a dumbbell during commercial breaks)

(below – Candace knockin’ out some push ups to tone the core and upper body)

Brit’s Tips for Candace

  • Great job staying active despite not going to the gym every day.  “Commercial Break” exercises are effective and efficient so keep it up!  Next time take up the intensity and do some jumping jacks, burpees or squats during commercial breaks.  These exercises burn more calories and engage more muscle groups.
  • Be extra strict about sticking with your  eating plan this final week, especially on days that you miss a workout.  It’s important to keep the calorie intake down on these days since you won’t burn as many calories during the day.
  • Have a little black coffee in the morning for an extra jolt.  We know that coffee, in moderation, increases your energy and focus to help give you a push in this last week.
  • Most importantly – STAY POSITIVE.  This is the final push and you are well on your way to achieving your goal.  You got this!

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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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Already 3 Pounds DOWN!

Candace’s Week 1 Update

“Week 1 of my New Year Kick Start Plan was better than I expected, I’m down 3 lbs.! I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app, which has really helped me keep track of my calories. Packing my lunch and snacks each day was a great plan, as I can easily control what I’m consuming.  Getting in 6 days of cardio workouts was tough, I only did 5 days. My goal is to definitely hit 6 days this week. Looking forward to week 2 and keeping up the progress.” – Candace

(below – Candace preparing her lunches for week 2)

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Brit’s Tips for Week 2

  • Keep up the good work –   While you should be thrilled about your quick results, don’t get complacent.  Keep pushing yourself to be disciplined in your healthy eating and in maintaining your challenging workout schedule.
  • Stay hydrated –   Completing intense cardio workouts 6 days per week means you are sweating more than usual.  Dehydration will slow down your metabolism and hinder weight loss, so be sure to drink 2 liters of water per day.
  • Get your beauty rest –  As a busy corporate woman I’m sure your days are packed full with work and working out.  Be sure you are getting enough sleep at night (shoot for 8 hours) so that your body has an opportunity to recover.  Sleep deprivation hinders weight loss as well.
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