Lucy Activewear: Product Review + Leg Workout

October 1, 2014 7 Comments

Image: Purple Feel the Beat Tank (Lucy, $59); Grey Dance Workout Capri (Lucy, $89)

Yo yo – happy humpday & happy October! You guys gave such great feedback on the Labor Day Leg Workout + Lucy Activewear Giveaway that I decided to put together another leg workout and review my new gear from Lucy!

First off, I’m obsessed with this Feel the Beat Tank. I love the look of strappy workout tanks but because I’m on the “bustier” side I always have to wear a sports bra under them during workouts – totally takes away the cuteness. However, this Lucy tank is super supportive and has just the right amount of padding so that I don’t nip out. I taught my PiYo class in this tank last Friday and felt comfortable, secure and sexy during the entire class. You can see a pic of me and my class on Instagram.

Next I got the Dance Workout Capris. These are my first pair of workout pants that aren’t leggings, fitted capris or booty shorts. Long story short, I love them! I’m planning to wear them again to Zumba this Sunday with a little crop top or sports bra that shows my belly. It’s crazy how the older I get the less body conscious I am. I would have NEVER shown my midriff when I was 23. Funny how self-confidence and security grow over time, especially when we learn to really love ourselves… Anyway, I digress. The dance workout capris are great because they fit low around my hips and have a nice wide waistband so there’s no “love-handle” action. While they are lose-fitting they aren’t baggy, which keeps a feminine look. Most importantly, they are made of an interesting, moisture wicking fabric that can handle my sweat as I shake around on the dance floor. Are you a fan of dance pants?

Love the “XY” design on the back of the Feel the Beat Tank (lucy)!

Last but not least, here’s your leg workout! I wanted to design something for the dancers out there, so this is my “Long Lean Legs Workout.” The purpose of each exercise is to build muscle strength through isometric movements (i.e. holding poses and/or making small tiny movements). If you’ve ever taken a barre class, you should know about the “little squeeze” or “tiny pulse.” This a quick and simple routine that you can to complete in 10-15 minutes. It’s a great follow up to a run or other cardio workout. I hope you enjoy the workout and treat yourself to some Lucy activewear!

Lots of luv, Brit

Cardio, Home Workouts

DIY Cardio Kickboxing Workout – Have fun, get sweaty, blast calories!

September 30, 2014 5 Comments

Hola Friends! Hope your week is off to a good start. It’s Tuesday, which for me means workout time! Most of you know that I’m huge fan of cardio kickboxing (Turbo Kick in particular) so I wanted to create a DIY kickboxing workout that you can do in the comfort of your own home. All you have to do is turn on a 30 minute playlist of your fav upbeat jams and then rock out as you power through these exercises…

This workout requires NO equipment. However, you can wear weighted gloves for some simultaneous muscle toning. For the best cardio conditioning, try to complete the circuit four times in 30 minutes (this includes 3 – 2minute rest sections). Stay light on your toes and keep your abs engaged with each exercise. You can expect to be super sweaty and burn 350-450 calories. For a little extra entertainment value, here’s a video of me rocking out some cardio kickboxing at Turbo Kick last Saturday. Now it’s your turn – enjoy! Luv, Brit

Lifestyle

Group Fitness, Athleta Shopping & Painting with a Twist

September 29, 2014 1 Comment

Happy Monday friends! Hope you had a relaxing weekend and are feeling energized for a wonderful week ahead. I had a weekend full of positive indulgences and I’m feeling super satisfied this morning. On Friday, I had the privilege of teaching PiYo at Fossil World Headquarters in Dallas. To my surprise, the entire Michael Kors jewelry team came to my class and boy did they rock it out. We had a fun, sweaty, lunch break indeed! There’s nothing I love more than meeting new people and connecting over our love for fitness and active living! Also, shout out to Fossil for being an amazing company that supports healthy living among its employees.

On Saturday, I did my usual 2 Hour Saturday Detox workout with my gym buddies at 24 Hour Fitness. I’ve been working out with these ladies for 3 years now and they are truly my best friends. They even starred in my workout DVD (you thought they looked familiar, huh?). We did our usually 1 hour Turbo Kick class followed by 1 hour Body Pump class. We’re also planning a hiking and wine trip in the coming weeks which I’m very much looking forward to!

After class, I enjoyed a nice long shower, rubbed my body down in Marc Jacobs Lola perfumed lotion and headed to Athleta for a little retail therapy. We just got Athleta in Dallas like 4 months ago. I already like this brand because some of the Athleta employees came to my PiYo class this Summer and passed out free headbands to the students in my class – how nice is that? I ended up buying 2 cute black workout tanks. Both are kinda sheer and have a cool open back (I’ll post pics soon on Fitness Fashion Friday). I wanted something that would go well with my neon sports bras and head bands. The tanks are exactly what I was looking for.

Checking out the Fall collection at Athleta

I have to admit, this was actually my first time ever shopping at Athleta. I was pleasantly surprised by the bright colors, chic styles and super friendly staff. I think I may become a regular customer. The ultimate determining factor will be how their yoga pants/leggings fit me – I haven’t tried any yet. Do any of you shop at Athleta?

Loving that bright colors are on trend for all seasons!

Later on Saturday night my college friend from Cornell, Nicole (pictured on the right) planned a lovely ladies night for our Dallas crew. We went to Painting with a Twist where you BYOB and take a paining lesson. I had a blast! Not only did I get to hang out with my friends, but the icing on the cake was that we painted a picture of the Eiffell Tower. I have a soft spot in my heart for Paris because my birthday is July 14th, Bastille Day. I’ve never been to Paris but I want to go SO badly – the City of Lights, sigh…

Nonetheless, I’m super grateful the good times I shared with my friends. Overall I had an amazing weekend and I’m looking forward to more goodness this week. I can’t believe it’s going to be October! Time flies when you enjoy good workouts, good shopping and good friends 🙂

Me and my friend Crystal showing off our masterpieces!

Let your light shine! Luv, Brit

Total Body

Power Bell Workout = Kettlebell + Dumbbell Circuit

September 25, 2014 2 Comments

Hello Friends! Hope your day is off to a good start. I taught my very first cycling class at Beyond Pedaling in Dallas this morning – it went great! I’m so glad that the jitters are out and now I can go full speed ahead. Even though I’ve been teaching fitness classes for over 3 years, every time I join a new studio or start teaching a new format, I get major butterflies in my stomach. Are you taking on any new challenges this Fall? I hope so!

Anyway, here’s a workout that I created a few weeks ago while I was traveling for work. I did it in my hotel gym because they had dumbbells and kettle bells, which was a nice change-up from the usual half-broken stationary bike. I enjoyed my workout so wanted to share with you. Obviously, you need a kettlebell and a pair of dumbbells to complete the circuit. If you don’t have a kettelbell, you can use one dumbbell in place of the kettlebell for certain exercises. The circuit is designed to keep your heart rate elevated and blast calories. This means you should get a good sweat going! However, if you want some extra cardio, I suggest warming up with 10-15 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill. The total workout can be done in less than 30 minutes. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes! I also included some action shots below of me doing the workout (please be merciful as it was 5:30am and I had no make up and a messy top not).

ENJOY! Lots of luv, Brit

Arms, Cardio

Sculpt-N-Cycle Workout & Onzie Tank Giveaway Winner

September 23, 2014 No Comments

Hey guys! Hope you had a good morning and your afternoon is off to a good start. I’m loving working from home this week! Being on the road every week for work is really hard on my body. When I’m home I appreciate the little things like making breakfast and coffee in my own kitchen. This morning I made some simple scrambled eggs, toast and coffee. Later on I ate another whole wheat English muffin topped with crunchy peanut butter and banana (my mid-morning snack. I was HONGRY)

Enjoying working from home – made myself some scrambled eggs & whole wheat English muffin with strawberry preserves (a big pot of black coffee is a must)

So…I have great news to share with you guys! This Thursday (9/20/14) I’m going to start teaching at a new cycling studio, Beyond Pedaling in Dallas, TX. If you recall, I took a class at Beyond earlier this year and had a great experience. I’m so excited because this studio let’s me teach a music-based cycling workout with some choreographed moves. LOVE IT! Also the ride incorporates hand weights, so I’ll guide my class through a ~5 minute arm workout while cycling. I’ve been working on my playlist and practicing all week. It’s weird because even though I’ve been teaching group fitness classes for almost 3 years, I still have that nervous excitement that makes it difficult to sleep. Please wish me luck!

In the spirit of my new cycling gig, I designed a “Sculpt & Cycle” workout just for you. This workout should take about 30 minutes to complete. The time will fly by because you’re doing the arm workout while cycling – I love simultaneous muscle toning and cardio conditioning. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes.

Last but not least, what you guys are “really” waiting for – the winner of the Onzie Knot-back Tank Giveaway is Liana! I hope you had an amazing time at your craft show and sold lots of your homemade skin products – I love a fellow business woman! I’ll be in touch to send your Onzie tank – in the meanwhile please email me your mailing address to [email protected].

Thanks so much to all of your for sharing your weekend plans. Hearing what you guys were up to motivated me to have a super active weekend as well. Enjoy the rest of your day. Show your GRIT! Luv, Brit

Just for Fun

Super Savory High Protein Tex-Mex Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

September 23, 2014 4 Comments

Happy first day of Fall (it’s official)! During the Autumn season I make a valiant attempt at stepping up my “cooking game.” The timing of this blog post is perfect because I have to teach a cooking class on Thursday night. I’m an active member of the Junior League of Dallas (JLD) and for the past 2 years I’ve volunteered at a transitional living center for young women called Our Friends Place (OFP). Every Thursday night my JLD team and I attend “group night” at OFP during which we host cooking and life skills classes. This Thursday is my turn to teach cooking, so I practiced making my dish on Sunday night with my sister. It turned out GREAT so I wanted to share the recipe with you guys. Chicken enchiladas are nutritious because they are high in protein and very filling. To make a lower calorie version, use reduced fat cream cheese and reduced fat shredded cheese. Hope you like! Lots of love, Brit

Ingredients

1 whole, cooked rotisserie chicken
1 can of Hatch Fire-Roasted Tomato Enchilada Sauce (Regular)
1 can of Hatch Fire-Roasted Tomato Enchilada Sauce (Tex-Mex style)
1/2 onion (diced)
1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes
1/2 container of Chipotle flavored Philadelphia cream cheese
1 bag of corn or flour tortillas (if you use corn this is a gluten free dish)
1 bag of shredded cheese (Mexican style)

Instructions (5 Simple Steps)

Shred the meat off of the rotisserie chicken and mix in a large bowl with diced onion, 1/4 bag of cheese and 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes
Spread a thin layer of cream cheese onto the tortilla, fill it will chicken mixture and roll it up
Line pan with the Regular enchilada sauce then lay the enchilada rolls close together
Cover the enchilada rolls with Tex-Mex (thicker) enchilada sauce and remaining shredded cheese
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes

Just for Fun, Lifestyle

Weekend Recap: PiYo, Shopping, Cooking and More!

September 22, 2014 3 Comments

Happy Monday friends! Thanks for sharing your weekend plans last Friday – you guys are an active bunch! I’ll announce the winner of the Onzie knot-back tank top giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned. For those who didn’t participate in the giveaway, how was your weekend? Mine was a little bittersweet but overall fantastic. Here’s the “run down” of what “went down”…

On Friday evening I hung out with my friends at Fossil Corporate HQ for their National Run at Work Day celebration. We coordinated a “fun run” and enjoyed healthy snacks. Afterwards I was pretty tired so I just called it a night. I had to wake up bright and early to teach my PiYo class. This was my last class of the Summer (tear). Two of my favorite students bought me a really nice Lululemon yoga mat and matching headband as an “end of the summer thank you” gift – so sweet! My yoga mat is super raggedy and dirty so I needed a new one BADLY. I was a so grateful that I cried like a baby before class. There’s nothing better that doing something that you love to do and helping people in the process. I feel so purposeful when I’m teaching. It’s my calling. What do you love to do?

After class, I headed to Dallas’s North Park mall for a little shopping and walking around. I spent way too much time in my new favorite activewear store, Lorna Jane. Have you guys checked out their stuff? It’s like Lululemon but brighter and funkier – I’m obsessed. The clothes are super high quality and designed to flatter the female body while providing athletic support. In particular, their yoga pants make me look like a have a booty – YES! I highly recommend.

A girl can never have too much activewear – loved my shopping sesh at Lorna Jane

On Sunday I did my grocery shopping for the week. I don’t have to travel for work this week, which means I get to cook real food at home. I was instantly energized by the site of yummy fall veggies. I love butternut squash and pumpkin-anything. Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to explore some new healthy fall recipes. What are some of your favorites fall dishes?

Loving Fall! Yay for pumpkins and squash!

To wrap up the weekend my sister, Kortani, came over for dinner last night. We made these super savory Tex-Mex chicken enchiladas (I’ll post the recipe tomorrow). They were delicious and we have a lot left over, so I’ll enjoy them all week.

Homemade, high protein Tex-Mex chicken enchiladas! SUCCESS 🙂

While our food was delicious and the vino was flowing, the best part of my Sunday night was the company. I love my little sister so much and am so proud of the woman she has become. Hopefully you got to spend some quality time this weekend with your friends and family too!

Quality time with my lil sis – doesn’t get any better than that!

Fitness Fashion, Just for Fun

Fitness Fashion Friday #3: Babelicious Bustier & Onzie Activewear Giveaway!

September 19, 2014 17 Comments

Image: Rockin’ my Onzie Bustier Bra Top and matching Track Leggings

Happy Fitness Fashion Friday! We are officially at week 3 – are guys liking this new tradition? Let me know! (Here’s links to my outfits from week 1 and week 2 in case you missed them.)Today, I wanna show off my new, super sexy activewear from Onzie. Now let me preface this by saying that I NEVER show off my tummy when I’m working out so this was a bold move on my part. This week I stepped out of my “gritty” comfort zone and rocked this bustier and matching leggings to yoga class. The top isn’t super supportive so I couldn’t wear it for a Turbo Kick or cycling workout. I added my Vinyasa scarf from Lululemon for a little coverage before and after class. BTW, this scarf is amazing! You can wear it like 10 different ways, even as a vest (as I am doing below). All in all, I felt strong and sexy in this outfit. Better yet, on the Onzie website they put together cute outfits for styling ideas – you can check them here!

Added the Vinyasa scarf from Lululemon – wearing it as a vest! (you can wear it like 10 different ways – amazing!)

And now it’s giveaway time! First off, the winner of last week’s GRIT tank top giveaway is Chelle! I was very inspired by her personal definition of “grit.” This is what “grit” means to Chelle: “GRIT is that rod of steel that runs through the backbone of every woman out there kicking butt in the world, corporate, fitness or otherwise. She may greet you with a gentle smile or look perfectly polished and pulled together even during the toughest times but the thing that keeps her going when she wants to stay in bed kicking and screaming and crying about the inevitable trials in her life is her inner GRIT.” Congrats Chelle! Your tank top is on it’s way to you!

In fact, I was SO inspired but all of your comments, that I’m actually combining them into a cute quote printable. I’ll post it so you can each have a copy. The energy that I feel from hearing the voices of so many powerful, positive, gritty women is absolutely amazing – thanks again for sharing you guys!

Today I’m hosting ANOTHER giveaway thanks to Onzie activewear! In case you can’t tell, I’m an Onzie junkie. Did you see my outfit from their Spring collection? The wonderful folks at Onzie hooked me up with this adorable, one-size fits all, knot-back tank top from their Fall collection. I’m feeling kind of random (and nosy) today, so I just wanna know what your weekend plans are? Football game, dinner with friends, family time, working out? To win this tank, just post a comment sharing your weekend agenda. I’ll announce the winner next Tuesday, September 23rd. Happy Friday! luv, Brit

Post a comment to win this adorable Onzie knot-back tank!

Just for Fun, Lifestyle

No Grit No Pearl

September 18, 2014 2 Comments

Image: Graphic design by Lulu & Georgia

Good morning friends! I hope your day is off to a good start. I overslept and missed my spin class, so I did the T25 Core & Cardio Beta workout in my living room this morning. You can see me action on Instagram (Warning: I’m hot sweaty mess – don’t judge!) Also, I want to share this print I discovered from Lulu & Georgia. I LOVE it so much that I bought a copy and am going to put in a really cute frame. Does this quote inspire you? To me, it’s so simple and direct. Pearls are created when little piece of sand or dirt (grit) enters an oyster shell. Then inside of the oyster the grit gets coated and over time becomes a pearl. Isn’t that beautiful? It captures the reality that the greatest things in life are simply “trash” transformed into “treasure.” Through patience, pressure and persistence anything is possible – that’s the truth!

Speaking of grit, tomorrow I will announce the winner of my signature GRIT tank top giveaway. It’s not too late to participate – just post a comment telling me what “grit” means to you. I’m loving the responses so far – very inspiring!

Last but not least, I’m officially encouraging all of the Dallas readers to sow their grit by waking up bright and early this Saturday morning and join me for the very last PiYo class on the wet deck of the W Dallas Hotel. As usual, class it totally FREE! We start at 9am (arrive at least 15 minutes early to get a spot) and bring your own yoga mat. To celebrate a super successful Summer, we are having a special “Burpees & Breakfast” event. After class you can enjoy FREE snacks from Cook Hall and drink specials – yay for $5 Mimosa pitchers! Am I the only person who enjoys vino after vinyasa?

Last #piyo clas @wdallashotel is this Saturday – see you there!

See you Saturday and show remember to show your GRIT!

Lots of luv, Brit

Cardio, Total Body

Power Pumpin’ Outdoor Bootcamp Workout

September 16, 2014 2 Comments

So this week I’ve been working all over the place traveling to Chicago, Dallas and NYC. In all three locations I’ve been shocked by the sudden decrease in temperature. 50 degree weather in Dallas in September is unheard of! That said I have a sense of urgency to get a few more outdoor workouts in before it’s too cold. As I shared last week, working out at my local park is one of my favorite End of Summer/Early Fall Activities so I made up a special workout to do this weekend. To complete the workout, all you need is an open space, a 50 yard hill and a park bench or sturdy chair (no weights or other equipment required). I designed the workout as a total body HIIT (high intensity interval training) circuit so you can repeat the series below as many times as you’d like. I recommend doing it 2-3 times for a full cardio and strength training workout. It should take you ~30 minutes to complete…

What are your favorite outdoor exercises? Enjoy the workout!

Lots of luv, Brit