Yo Yo – Summer is sadly coming to an end, but I’m very much looking forward to the Labor Day Weekend. My company gives us the Friday before Labor Day off too so I’ll enjoy a nice 4 day weekend – woop woop! As usual, I want to encourage you to enjoy the holiday, relax and take some time off. BUT don’t skip out on your workout! Here’s a quick and effective leg workout that I did on Labor Day last year. You guys liked it so much, I figured I’d pull it out and “beef it up” a bit. This year I added a few more intensity intervals to elevate the heart rate. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes!
Also, 24 Hour Fitness in Dallas is having a special event for Labor Day – FREE ADMISSION to all clubs all weekend as long as you attend with a club member! If you live in Dallas, come take my Turbo Kick class at 3pm on Sunday, August 31st in Mesquite. Click on the image below for details.
And now for the fun stuff – I’m hosting a giveaway for a pair of Lucy Powermax X-Training Pants (Black, Small, Wide-Leg). These things retail at $89 but I’m giving them away to one lucky reader. Just post a comment telling me your favorite leg exercise and why. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you! I’ll pick a winner next Tuesday, September 2.
Happy Labor Day! Lots of luv, Brit
Tell me your favorite leg workout and enter to win these cute Lucy training Pants!
Hello friends! Hope your week is going well. Do any of you struggle with knee pain during or after workouts? I definitely do. Last year I wrote a blog post titled, “No More Knee Pain” that provides information about the knee anatomy and knee injury prevention. Today I want to talk about minimizing knee pain while partaking high intensity and even high impact exercises. If you’re like me, you hate having to sit on the sidelines while others are having a blast and getting a killer workout. Despite tearing my ACL and having reconstructive surgery, I’ve found ways to maintain my participation in high impact exercise. Essentially, I abide by these key rules…
Wear Supportive Shoes. I know that minimalist sneakers are really in style (i.e. Nike Frees, which I LOVE). However you should make sure that your shoes provide enough cushion to support your fit in high impact exercise. That means your shoes should enable a soft landing when you jump and provide solid support when you run.
Stay light on your toes. This is especially important when jumping. Be sure to land on the balls of your feels to minimize the impact of landing. Also, avoid landing on your heels and NEVER lock out your knees.
Engage your quads and hamstrings. In plyometric workouts it’s critical that you use your legs muscles to drive the movement. Proactively tighten your thigh muscles (quads and hamstrings) before you execute an explosive motion. These muscles provide critical knee support. When properly engaged, they minimize strain on your patella tendon and IT bands.
Keep your knees pointing in the same direction as your toes. When your knees and toes are misaligned you put yourself at high risk of twisting your knee and getting injured. An easy way to ensure your leg is properly aligned is to keep you knees pointing in the same direction as your toes (espcially when squatting).
When Squatting, never let your knees go beyond your toes. Related to tip #5, it’s equally important to avoid leaning forward or squatting too deep to the point that your knees go past your toes. In my classes, I always say “make sure you can see you toes.” If you’re doing a squat and you can’t see your toes, you need to sit back more or maybe not squat so low.
Compress. Wearing a compression sleeve or a knee brace can help increase blood flow. Adequate blood flow is important for muscle repair and recovery. Also, the compression provides added support to your joint during exercise.
On this last point, a few weeks ago I was approached by Opedix to write a review on their new compression tights. âThese tights incorporate a patented knee support and have “scientifically designed ‘tensioning’ systems in the base layer to enhance the kinetic functioning of your body.” Unlike traditional compression, they also help keep your joints aligned through “Torque Reform Technology.” Given my history with knee injuries I accepted the request.
First, off the tights came to me in this really fancy box. I was like, “Whoa – this is serious business” …
After I opened the box and pulled out that tights, I could definitely see that they had built in compression. In fact, I thought they looked kinda funky. Y’all know I’m keen on stylsih, cute activewear – style and functionality are equally important to me. Fortunately when I tried on the tights, they didn’t look too bad. Not amazing, but not terrible. They fit low on my waist and snug throughout my leg. I could really feel the added support around the knee joint. On the down side, the compression squeezes right above my knee and makes me look like have an extra fat pudge on my inner thighs.
Brit’s Opedix Compression Tights – Women’s Style
I went ahead and wore them to my kickboxing class that day. (You can check out my post-workout pic on Instagram) During the workout my legs felt strong, stable and supported. The tights didn’t slip down on my waist nor rub on my leg to cause discomfort. Better yet, I had a pink headband that matched the waistband on my tights so I was lookin’ good đ After the workout, surprisingly, my knees were not as sore as they usually are – very nice. Final verdict – BUY. These are a legit product especially if you’ve been battling knee injuries and are looking for a new pain-relieving solution. However, keep in mind that knee pain, in most cases, is chronic. So it’s hard to eliminate altogether. Hopefully applying my tips minimize your knee pain and keep you in the game for more running, burpees and squat jumps! đ Lots of luv, Brit
Iâm still riding high from attending my very 1st IDEA World Fitness Convention and Sweat Pink Blogfest. IDEA World is largest fitness conference in the world with people traveling from all over the globe to see exhibits of the latest fitness and nutrition developments, share expertise and listen to keynote speakers like Jillian Michaels, Tara Stiles, Cassey Hoe, Chalene Johnson, the list goes on and on… Simply put – it’s fitness heaven!
Fortunately, I made it back to Dallas in time to teach my beloved weekend Piyo and Turbo Kick classes before flying out again on Sunday night for my corporate career (double duty). As I reflect on my time at IDEA World, I want to share the most memorial moments that had the greatest impact on me. In order of occurrence, here they go…
Cool California Vibes
Just arriving to Anaheim,CA and soaking up the sun and cool California vibes!
I love me some “Cali Swag.” Every time Iâm on the West Coast I feel young, cool, hip, relaxed and imaginative. Sure enough, when I arrived in Anaheim, CA last week all of those feelings rushed through my mind, body and soul. I woke up each day at IDEA World and basked in the beautiful California sunshine, cool breeze and anticipation of all of the fitness excitement that awaited me. From day 1 I felt welcome, wanted and wonderful. I love California.
Being Surrounded by Passionate People
Hanging out with other fitness bloggers, connecting with old friends and making new ones!
It was so great to run into old friends like my Harvard Business School classmate Minal Mehta, co-founder of BollyX Fitness and also make some new fitness blogger friends like Tiffany and Tasha. To be honest, I was kind of in groupie-mode the whole time because I finally got meet, in person, so many of the bloggers that I stalk on Instagram. “Classy” people say you should “act like you’ve been there before” but, hey, I haven’t been! No shame in my game đ
Being Inspired by Jillian Michaels (surprisingly)
In awe listening to Jillian Michaels give the most inspirational keynote address EVER!
Okay so, real talk: I have never been a Jillian Michaels fan. I appreciate hard work and brutal honesty, but I never really got on the Body Shred/Jillian/Biggest Loser bandwagon like most of America. Wow – meeting someone face-to-face can really show you how judgmental you are. That’s what happened to me. I actually teared up during Jillian’s keynote address. She’s so passionate and encouraging, not about weight loss, but about believing in yourself and having the courage and confidence to follow your dreams. I wrote down several things she said that had a big impact on me, but the one statement that stuck the most is the quote I put on the photo I took of Jillian (above) – “Work with passion is purpose. Work without passion is punishment.” The moral of the story is, “Do what you love and work your butt off at it!”
PiYO Workout with Chalene Johnson
Getting an afternoon PiYo sweat session and photo op with my #1 fitness inspiration – Chalene Johnson
Simply put, Chalene is my fitness inspiration. Actually it’s a tie between her andBilly Blanks (who was also at IDEA World). I was obsessed with Tae Bo when I was 15 years old, but Chalene is the person who impacted my new-found love for fitness instruction and blogging. 3 years ago I got my very first fitness instructor certification in Chalene’s format, Turbo Kick. Shortly after I started this GRIT by Brit blog. Since then, group fitness instruction and blogging have been my passions, my obsessions, the things that make me smile when everything else in my life is going wrong. So meeting Chalene in person was a very special moment for me â one that I will cherish forever, for the rest of my life.
Business and Blogging Tips from Cassey Hoe @Blogilates
I felt empowered and inspired by Cassey Hoe who encouraged us to never give up on our dreams!
I totally look up to Cassey Hoe as social media guru and fitness entrepreneur. Cassey writes one of the most well-known fitness and wellness blogs, Blogilates, and quickly grew in popularity because of her effective and fun Pilates videos on YouTube. Needless to say, I totally geeked out when I met her. Since started her blog she’s launched a clothing line, released several signature workout videos for her format, Pop Pilates, and done several top-tier brand partnerships. I learned some really valuable tips for GRIT by Brit, like how I need to start writing a regular newsletterâŚ.looks like have work to do this week (P.S. Check your inbox).
In case you can’t tell from my workout photos, I have a very serious headband obsession – I own over 50! My excuse is that I have a big forehead (aka 5 head) so I need the extra coverage – hehe. Any way, I’m always looking for new headbands that A) don’t slip B) are wide/thick C) have cool bright patterns. Ladies and Gentlemen I have found what I’m looking for! I love love love these headbands from Living One Love. I just bought 3 for now, but there will be more…trust.
Winning a Lorna Jane Gift Card (yippee!)
Flipping through the Lorna Jane activewear catalog to pick out me free pieces!
I was already familiar with Lorna Jane active wear becaue my cycling studion in Dallas, Beyond Pedaling, carries their line. Also, they just opened a store in North Park mall. However, I don’t own any of their stuff. After seeing the Lorna Jane exhibit at IDEA World and realizing that their stuff is really freaking cute (i.e. super bright colors and inspirational saying like ârun girl runâ) I can already tell that Iâm gonna be a Lona Jane addict. Yay for winning Blogfest raffle for a Lorna Jane gift card! But I already feel sorry for my bank account when the gift card runs out, eek!
So Much Free Swag
IDEA World free swag
Let’s do the list: A cross-body Zumba bag, Zen Planner water bottle, exercise-pilates ring and DVD, tons of healthy snacks, headbands, Sweat Pink shoelaces, sunglasses, ahh the list goes on and on! Not much to say here – the swag speaks for itself.
Leaving Inspired to Take Risks and Pursue My Dreams!
As I mentioned last week, I’ve had a pressing desire to open my own chain of fitness studios. I want to create a place that manifests the core values of Grit by Brit . Starting a business is risky and stressful, but it’s also so rewarding! After my time at IDEA World, I’m convinced that being a fitness instructor is my calling. There is nothing I’m better at and enjoying doing more than using fitness to encourage people to live their best lives. Most importantly, I want to do it in away that’s fun and positive! That said, I’m riding this IDEA World inspirational high to get cracking on my new fitness studio concept. Lots of work ahead, but I’m a gritty chick and up for the challenge! What do you love to do? What’s your dream?
“You are worthy of happiness and you deserve to sing everyday.”
Happy Throw Back Thursday! Â Here’s and oldie but a goodie workout from the Grit by Brit archives. Â Lots of yummy recipes, new workouts and words of inspiration coming at you this weekend. Â Stay tuned! xoxo, Brit
Hey gang – here’s your workout of the day. I’ve been feeling full of energy all week, so I wanted to create a workout that let’s me jump around! This a great power workout to tag on to resistance training. If you have a knee issues, this probably isn’t the best workout for you đ However, you can modify the moves my elevating on to your tip toes instead of jumping. Give it a whirl and let me know who it goes. xoxo, Brit
Image: Good luck on the 1,000 Squats Challenge – you got this!
In my PiYo class every Saturday, we always have a lower body section of the class where we bust out about 60-70 squats. This is one of the most challenging parts of the class because the continuous squating motion causes serious muscle fatigue. When I look out at my class I see everyone’s face cringing (they are clearly feeling the burn) and then I give myself a little pat on the back – hehe. Ultimately, squats are the best leg exercise because they engage every leg muscle when done properly. You effectively activate your glutes, hamstrings and quads when performing a squat – talk about an efficient exercise.
That said, I wanted to spread some squat love by creating a 1,000 squat challenge. Each day, you can expect to burn 100 – 150 calories by the doing the reps listed in the Squat Challenge. Let’s take the challenge head on and see our legs become stronger, firmer and sexier. For more intensity, feel free to complete the challenge holding dumbbells in each hand. Share your progress in the comments section below – good luck! xoxo, Brit
So, you fellow Texans will be able to relate to the annoyance of having to deal with constantly changing temperatures during the Summer. When you walk outside it’s 100 degree blazing heat and then when you step foot indoors, the AC is on super blast and it’s below 65 degrees. Know what I’m talking about?
Well this is especially an issue for me because I teach most of my group fitness classes indoors at large gyms. When I was offered a sample of this merino wool hoodie, I got super excited because it’s midweight and breathable, so I don’t get too hot. Also, this company, Icebreaker Merino, seems pretty cool. They are fairly new and based in New Zealand (I’m all about showing love to start-up companies). While I’m not a real “outdoorsy” girl, I do love being active. This brand seems to blend well across the “granola” types and the “trendy/chic” consumers.
My Icebreaker hoodie stands out from my others because it’s naturally odor resistant and breathable, which is great for chicks like me who sweat a lot. (I hate it when my clothes stink after a workout – ugh!) I also love the princess seams, front hand pockets, back air vent and slightly cropped length – stylish and functional. I like it a lot and highly recommend!
Happy Hump Day gang! As I sit in my home office enjoying my week of vacation, I started a stream of consciousness of thoughts/statements that I absolutely hate to hear. So, I wanted to write a post to reject each and every one of them…
My best days are behind me – Gritty people believe that the best is always yet to come. If we can’t hope for a brighter and better future, what’s the point of working hard? Or waking up every day?
My dreams don’t matter – Our dreams are unique. They drive our passions and ultimately our purpose in life. Gritty people value their dreams and pursue them.
I’ve reached my limit – We have no limits! We are only limited by our minds and the restrictions that we put on ourselves. Gritty people continuously work harder, dream bigger and expect more out of life.
I’m cursed – None of us are cursed! In fact, believing that we are cursed will actually bring about bad situations. Suffering is a fundamental part of the human experience, but in the grand scheme of things, good always outweighs bad. Gritty people strive to stay positive!
I’m not supposed to be happy – All of us are given the gift of life and have duty to live life abundantly. That means we are supposed to experience joy, peace, service, happiness and purpose. Why even live if we are doomed for gloom? You are supposed to be happy – gritty people accept this truth!
I’m weak – This is one of the most powerful lies that can ruin your whole life if you start to believe it. Gritty people know that they are powerful beyond measure. You are so much stronger than you think!
This is as good as it gets – When we start to accept this thought, we are likely to settle for less than optimal circumstances. Now I’m not saying that we should never experience bad times, but we must always believe that we can make situations better with hard work, faith and confidence.
What he/she did is unforgivable – EVERYTHING is forgivable. Gritty people understand that holding a grudge is like “drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” – Buddha
I have no control over this situation – While we can’t control all of life’s circumstances, we can always control how we respond. Our responses to situations have so much influence on the outcomes. Gritty people take control of their lives.
I am the victim – Gritty people accept responsibility for themselves and for their happiness. Despite wrong doings by others, gritty people refuse to be the victim. Victims are weak. Weak is not a good look.
I know each of you are gritty already, so help spread these powerful truths to those you love.
Happy Monday everyone! Today I’m celebrating my 30th birthday – woop woop! I threw a massive “GRIT by Brit” themed birthday party last weekend. Long story short, it was the best night of the my life. DJ, dancing, cupcakes, family and friends – what more could I ask for? I have lots of pics and stories to share with you guys so be on the lookout. I’ll post them soon! Here’s a sneak peak in the meanwhile…
Celebrating my 30th Birthday in Herve Leger!
In honor of my milestone birthday, I decided to use an entire week of vacation time to stay home from my corporate career and teach fitness classes all over Dallas! If you are local to Dallas, come join me for a class! My schedule is below. Also, I’ve added a new Google calendar (to the right side panel) so you guys can keep up with my teaching schedule each week. YAY!
Brit’s Group Fitness Teaching Schedule, Dallas, TX
Those of you who have followed my blog for a while know that fitness is not my full-time profession, but rather a passion that I pursue in conjunction with my consulting career. While balancing the two can be challenging, I find that writing this blog and teaching fitness classes actually helps me in my corporate career. Recently I did an interview with my alma mater, Harvard Business School, to share details of my “double duty” life. You can read the full article here. I hope my experiences encourage you to pursue your interests and put in the work to get everything you want out of life! Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done – with hard work, faith and confidence, ALL THINGS are possible. Have a great week. xoxo, Brit
Do you have a passion that you wish you spent more time pursuing?
I’ve always been fan of “Tarjay” so when I was asked to review the new TargetÂŽ C9 activewear, I gladly accepted!  Better yet when I went to purchase my gear, I stumbled upon the surprise of finding C9 activewear on sale – buy 1 piece get the 2nd half off!   There were tons of bright colors and pattern combinations so you can mix and match the tanks and shorts. I bought both the light pink and navy Sporty Layered Run Tank + Run Shorts for under $30.  This is a perfect example of why I love TargetÂŽ.  The product styles are always on trend and the price is affordable.  One of the GRIT by Brit core beliefs is we do not have to be wealthy to be healthy.  To further that, we also don’t have to be wealthy to feel and look good while living a healthy lifestyle đ
Now, a little more about my C9 activewear…
The tank top is layered with a sports bra built-in – YES!  Not only is the design cute, but it’s also functional.  It provides good bust support and the material is light and breezy so I stayed cool while working up a sweat.  I also appreciate the vertical stripe pattern on the back which has a slimming effect (a good look).  The shorts have a wide knit waist band that’s made of this dri-fit material.  Like most running shorts, they also have built-in underwear that are made of the same dri-fit material. I spent about 10 minutes on the rowing machine and another 15 minutes on the Stair Stepper – fortunately, the shorts didn’t ride up my thighs or annoyingly rub against my skin as I moved.
Overall, I’m very happy with my purchases. Â I do wish that the shorts had the same cool multicolored design as the sports bra. Â However, my friends always make fun of me for being too “matchy” so maybe it’s a good thing that the shorts are a simple navy with light pink trim. Â What do you think?
Rockin’ TargetÂŽ C9 active wear before my workout – posing pretty đ
Along with my product review and I want to share this workout video.  You guys know I’m always creating home workouts and on the lookout for new moves to incorporate into my routine.  This Sexy Shoulders workout definitely gets my stamp of approval.  I did the workout after my cardio and felt very toned and confident in my racer back tank top – I  encourage you to give the Sexy Shoulder Workout a whirl!
Hopefully you guys enjoy the workout AND head to TargetÂŽÂ to get some super cute C9 activewear. Â Personally, I felt good and still looked (pretty) good after finishing the Sexy Shoulder Workout – see my sweaty photos below. Â Lots of luv! Â xoxo, Brit
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by TargetÂŽ C9 through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about TargetÂŽ C9, all opinions are my own.
