Hey gang! Here’s your workout for the week. While I’m a big fan of equipment-free workouts, I decided to switch it up this week and incorporate a personal favorite fitness toy – the Bosu Ball! I chose the Bosu Ball because it made my GRIT by Brit Holiday Fitness Gift picks back in December. Bosu exercises are great for increasing stability and working the core. They’re also a nice change-up from typical dumbbell or barbell workouts.
After designing and testing this routine, I assure you’ll get a serious sweat and feel toned and tight throughout your core. The exercises quickly elevate your heart rate making this workout a good option for days when you’re short on time. The entire workout takes about 10 minutes and you can expect to burn ~100-150 calories. For best results, knock this out everyday for 5 days straight. See below for instructional images to guide you – enjoy!
xoxo,
Brit
Instructional Images
Toe Taps (alternate legs back and forth w/ one foot tapping the top of the Bosu and the other foot on the ground, then switch)Bosu Ball Lunges (alternate legs)Bosu Mountain Climbers (alternate legs)Bosu Plank HoldBosu Burpees
Well one thing is for sure, my body does NOT look like that chick in the Women’s Health Magazine flyer below, but look at all the love and energy I have to give. I mean, that counts for something. Right? 🙂 No matter your shape or size, if you follow a consistent fitness regimen, strive to live a healthy lifestyle and are dedicated motivating others, then you are indeed a “Fitness Star” in my eyes!
Heads up to the aspiring fitness professionals – Women’s Health Magazine is having open auditions for the “Next Fitness Star.” The contest looks super cool and I highly encourage you to audition. I did (if that’s any motivation). The winner gets to star in their own DVD series and appear in pages of Women’s Health Magazine. CLICK HERE to complete the audition form. The deadline is March 6, 2014.
Don’t be scurred – go ahead and strut your stuff, share your passion and be a STAR! Have a wonderful week. Lots of luv, Brit
Hey Gang! Here’s your workout for the week. I made up this routine while chillin’ at my parents’ house. Lately I’ve been all about multitasking. So while we were watching the Winter Olympics I simultaneously cranked out these 5 super effective, body sculpting moves. This is a great workout if you’re short on time, have no equipment and want to focus on strength and toning.
Like most of my workouts, this routine is “circuit style” which means you need to move through each set of exercises fairly quickly with minimal rest. Doing so helps elevate your heart rate and ensure you burn max calories while building muscle strength. These exercises work all of our “problem zones” (i.e. thighs, abs and arm flab). For best results, do my Head 2 Toe Tone Up 2-3 times per week for 4 weeks along with your cardio workouts. Enjoy and let me know how it goes! Lots of luv, Brit
Instructional Images
Single Leg LungesPlank Knee PullsDecline Push UpsTricep DipsSlow, assisted calf raises
Hey gang! Spring is around the corner and I know that my inbox will be full of Spring time shape up requests. To keep us ahead of the last minute slim down dash, here’s my 6 quick and easy tricks to burn excess calories.
First, remember that in order to truly lose 1 pound of body weight, we must burn 3,500 calories more than we consume. Assuming your diet and activity remain consistent, adding these 6 tricks to your daily routine can result in losing 1 additional pound every ~18 days. Not bad huh? Also be sure to note that these estimates are based on 150-160 pound person. A lighter person will burn fewer calories and a heavier person will burn more.
Brit’s 6 Tricks
Stand up at your desk instead of sitting. Standing burns about 50 percent more calories than sitting. Standing at your desk for 30 minutes will burn about 72 calories (2X the amount burned while sitting). Standing instead of sitting for 30 minutes = 36 calories
Learn to Laugh. 15 minutes of laughter = 20 calories
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Climbing two flights of stairs, three times per day = 30 calories
Dance in the mirror. Dancing is a fun, self-confidence boosting calorie blaster. So twerk a little something while getting dressed for work in the morning 🙂 Dancing for 10 minutes = 58 calories
Stretch in front of the TV. Doesn’t matter if you’re enjoying Scandal or the Bachelor, be sure to stretch instead of sit on the couch. 8-10 minutes of stretching = 31 calories
Choose the parking spot farthest from your building entrance. Walking for an extra 5 minutes = 25 calories
#GRITbyBrit representin’ at the #FreshFoamDallas Launch Party!
Last week I approached by New Balance to be one of the first to review their newest running shoe, Fresh Foam 980. Now most of my reviews on GRIT by Brit are unsolicited – I just review places and products that generally intrigue me. However, since New Balance is a legit brand, I was quite flattered that they valued my opinion so I happily agreed to test these bad boys.
Fresh Foam Collection for Women (Men’s available too obviously)
I know I should start off by providing feedback on the shoe’s comfort, foot support, design quality, etc., but in true GRIT by Brit fashion, I must first comment on the style. When my sneakers arrived in the mail, I was pumped to discover their boldness and brightness. I LOVE NEON and there’s lots of neon! Also, the soles are colored. I hate white soles on sneakers because they always get dirty which isn’t cute.
#FreshFoamDallas Launch Party
After receiving the sneakers, I co-hosting a #FreshFaom launch party and 5K Fun Run at Luke’s Locker sporting goods store in Dallas along with some local running coaches and representatives from New Balance corporate headquarters. Everyone was super nice, fun and had lots of GRIT!
So now let me shed some light on the running experience… While I am a self-proclaimed “group fitness junkie” I’m not really a “runner.” I mean, I enjoy 2-4 miles every now and then when the weather is nice but I don’t have excellent running form nor do I own real running shoes.
The run was AWESOME. First, I was personally proud to keep up with all of these hardcore runners. Second, I was shocked by the comfort of my running experience. I usually run in my Nike cross training shoes that I wear to teach kickboxing. Let me tell you, running in shoes specifically designed for running makes a HUGE difference. My run was bouncy and felt like it was minimizing the impact on the knees. After tearing my ACL in college and having reconstructive surgery, I’m really careful about putting to much impact on my knees. Overall, I’m not 100% sure if my pleasant running experience should be completely credited to New Balance Fresh Foam or to just having real running shoes. Either way, it was a good experience and definitely enticed me to run more frequently (in running shoes that is).
After our run, we celebrated with ice cold beers, yummy snacks and laughs. As icing on the cake, I met a fellow Dallas food/fitness Blogger! Be sure to follow Stephanie at Food and Fitness 4 Real.
Me and Stephanie, author of @FoodFit4Real
Overall, I can’t honestly say whether or not the New Balance Fresh Foam sneakers are a superior running shoe. But I can say that they are, in fact, designed for running and if you aren’t use to wearing running shoes these are great first pair to purchase for yourself.
As a group fitness instructor I see several hard workingmen and women regularly attend the gym and still have difficulty losing weight. They log hours of cardio, eat “low-fat” foods and have loyalty cards to Smoothie King but nothing seems to work. Personally, I also struggled with weight loss until my personal trainer at the time (Thank you Sam!) gave me some “real talk.” See, many of the tips and tricks I learned from my mom and friends were flat out wrong. The reality is that our bodies are really smart and really efficient. Therefore we have to shock them in order to get the results we want. We also have to respect the principles of Biology – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “The only way to lose weight is to burn more calories that you consume.” So with these nuggets of wisdom in mind, I also wanted to share the 5 biggest weight loss lies that led me astray for several years…
Must Do More Cardio – Okay, it’s true that minute for minute, cardio burns more calories than weight training.However, if your usual 30-45 minutes on the elliptical or recumbent bike isn’t doing the trick, it’s because you’re heart rate is getting elevated enough. In order to burn a lot of calories, you have work really hard. Yea, like sucking air at times. You heart rate need to reach the anaerobic zone (60-85% of your max heart rate). This is why interval training is so effective. In interval training, you sprint for 20-30 seconds then take a quick rest and repeat. In fact, you can burn twice as man calories in 10 minutes of interval training as compared to 10 minutes of regular, steady pace cardio activity. The truth is that harder, smarter cardio is the key to weight loss, not more cardio.
Skip Meals to Drop Pounds – Skipping meals keeps you from losing weight in 2 key ways: First, doing so makes you binge eat later in the day because you’re starving. Binge eating stretches out your stomach and allows you to consume far too many calories. Also, eating large meals late in the day leaves minimal opportunity for you to burn off the calories (because you are going to sleep soon and the food just sits in your tummy). Second, starving yourself slows down your metabolism which makes it harder for you to burn calories and harder for you to lose weight. Long story short, don’t skip meals. Eat 5 small meals throughout the day that are high in lean protein and fiber. It actually takes true grit to plan 5 healthy meals than to skip breakfast and lunch and indulge in one giant dinner.
Focus on Fat Reduction – This may come as a shock, but the truth is“Fat (in moderation) is GOOD, Sugar is BAD.” We need fat for bodily functions. “Fats help you absorb vitamins A, D, and E, and they are vital for your nervous system.” – Barbara Roberts, MD, director of the Women’s Cardiac Center at the Miriam Hospital in Providence. The key is to eat unsaturated fats like olive oil and olives, canola oil, almonds, cashews, peanuts, peanut butter, sesame seeds and avocados. “Several studies have shown that eating small amounts of nuts helps dieters lose weight because the fiber and protein help dieters feel full longer. Dieters are less like to overeat and more successful at losing weight.” – WebMD 2013Sugar on the other hand is the devil when it comes to weight loss. Sugar absorbs quickly, provides minimal nutritional value, makes you hungry and then turns into bad fat if you don’t immediately burn it off. When making a food decisions, always take unsaturated fats over sugar if weight loss is your goal.
Smoothies Make You Skinny – The truth is that most smoothies are loaded with sugar and too much sugar makes you fat. Now, smoothies are good for meal replacements every once in a while as long as they are made with raw fruits and veggies (not fruit juice) and if they include protein. Be sure to ask for a scoop of whey protein in your smoothie so that you will feel fuller and help offset the sugar spike. Be careful about having smoothies for snacks as you can easily pack on an extra 300-400 calories without even realizing it.
My Genetics Make me Overweight – “While genes strongly decide the shape of your body, peoples’ lifestyle (primarily eating too much and moving too little) is by far the main reason they’re [overweight]. Research has shown that our eating and exercise habits are heavily influenced by the people we spend time with the most, which is likely the main reason we see obesity running in families. Genes have an influence, but it’s relatively minor for the vast majority of humans.” – Melinda Johnson, registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The moral of the story is, “Get rid of the genetics excuse and get you some fit friends.” – Brit For realz.
May the weight-loss TRUTH set you free. xoxo, Brit
Happy New Year – 2014 has arrived!This year, I’ve launched a partnership with Booya Fitness so you can workout with me during busy work weeks, travel, or even bad weather.
My featured video can be done in 30 minutes or less and is sure to have you shakin’ and sweatin’!
Worried about noise or have space constraints? Booya has created filters for these features so you can find a fun, challenging workout that perfectly fits your environment.
CLICK HERE to sign up with promo code GBBLaunch in the next 7 days and get 30 days of free, unlimited access!
Wow! The New Year is upon us and I have so much so much grateful for. Most importantly, I’m so thankful for all of you who follow my blog and send me encouraging messages. There’s nothing more rewarding than connecting with you. Thank you so very much – be blessed exceedingly and abundantly!
This blog started out as a simple channel for me to share my hotel workouts and transformed into my passion-filled prized possession and platform to help us all live healthier, happier and more positive lives. Only a year and half since my first post, GRIT by Brit doubled in size to over 3,000 followers. The 2nd blogiversary is coming up in March. I have even greater expectations for 2014!
So now without further or do I present to you, 2013’s Top 10 Most Memorable moments:
Teaching my 1st Indoor Cycling Class – I got certified in Schwinn indoor cycling in 2012 but didn’t teach my first class until May of this year. It’s so crazy how teaching a new fitness format challenges me, takes me out of my comfort zone and feels exhilarating at the same time. Making playlists full of Jay-Z, Britney and Eminem is also really fun!
Grinning from ear to ear with excitement before teaching my 1st indoor cycling class – May 2013
Turbo NYC – While I was living in NYC for 7 months, I started a pop up Turbo Kick class in Flatiron. It quickly gained traction and my friends (old and new) joined me every Sunday to sweat and bring some heat to the bone-chilling NYC cold. This was a short stint, but boy was it sweet. Here you can read my reflections from my first Turbo NYC class: https://gritbybrit.com/2013/01/27/the-world-is-yours/
Rockin’ it out at my last Turbo NYC class in NYC – May 2013
PiYo on the Deck – When I was asked to teach weekly PiYo classes on the W Dallas Hotel Wet Deck I was like, “ah yea…I’m officially on the map!” This was huge personal accomplishment. Better yet, it was fun, free way that I could share mind-body training with my friends and other members of the Dallas community. Free. Fierce. Fitness = GRIT by Brit core values!
Teaching my 1st PiYo on the deck class – Summer 2013
Lose the Pooch Workout – I had no idea this workout would go viral on Pinterest, but it has! Clearly many of us are eager to work our lower abs and prevent a protruding FUPA. This will certainly be my cue to make more “Lose the Pooch” workouts in 2014. You can get the full workout here: https://gritbybrit.com/2013/03/05/lose-the-pooch-complete-workout-for-your-lower-abs/
Focusing on the FUPA! Lower abs workout – March 2013
GRIT by Brit Tank Tops – We have tanks now finally – yay! Not much to say on this one except that I’m glad I can now “reprezent my clique” in public. And you can too! Buy yours at my eStore: http://gritbybrit-shop.com/
Tank tops officially for sale! November 2013
New workout video with BOOYA Fitness – So in 2012 I released GRIT by Brit Ultimate Body Burn, which I hope you already rocked out. On New Year’s day 2014 I will release my new and improved 30 minute, high intensity, music blasting, cardio workout. Booya Fitness, an online fitness video subscription start-up company, was the driving force behind this collaboration. I’m so honored to be one of their featured instructors. You all must go sign up for your subscription today!http://www.booyafitness.com/
On shoot day with Booya Fitness – September 2013
Dr. OZ Cleanses –Holy Moly! I don’t know if I should be excited or concerned, but when I started posting reviews of the Dr. Oz cleanses, I got over 2,000 hits per day! Now I love a good cleanse, but I was amazed at our intense interest in cleanse regimens. Just remember, cleanses are a great one-off solution, but living a healthy lifestyle consistently (not only for a 3-day cleanse) is where the real work and the real rewards come.
Sharing my bootleg version of the Dr. Oz Juice Cleanse – Summer 2013
Blog makeover – So when I started GRIT by Brit I knew nothing about blogging (I think that’s still the case to be quite honest). However, this year I met an amazingly talented photographer/graphic designer who has become my creative director and my friend. Alivia Duran – thank you! GRIT by Brit is looking better than ever. You are a God-send! You can guys can check Alivia’s website: http://www.aliviaduran.com/
Old school GRIT by Brit blog header from 2012. But look at me now! haha
Sharing my Lean In Story – I heard Sheryl Sandberg speak at a women’s conference in April and I immediately felt a sense of duty to take more risks in my life and to also share my story with other women. On my way home from that conference, I wrote my Lean In story and submitted it to be published. If you haven’t read it, you can check it out here: http://leanin.org/stories/brittani-rettig/ (P.S. I wrote this with a great sense of urgency so there are a few typos – please read with a forgiving spirit).
My story about pursuing my fitness dreams on the official Lean In community site. Summer 2013
Being on TV (Good Morning Texas) – Huge thanks to Sporty Afros for being my fit friends and partners in crime on this. Alex and Whitney, co-founders of http://sportyafros.com/ have been my blog mentors and ongoing sources of inspiration. Thanks to both of you for sharing the limelight with me as you tackled the critical topics of natural hair and health. Together, we are going to win the war on obesity among women of color! Health OVER Hair!
Modeling “healthy hair” in light of a rigorous workout regimen on Good Morning Texas – May 2013
Well, that’s the end gang. 2013 has flown by, but it sure was good to me. I’m humbled and grateful for all of the blessings I’ve experienced. I wish you an amazing 2014 that exceeds your expectations – the best is ALWAYS yet to come!
Chillin’ w/my mom in Beantown a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving
A few weeks again I traveled to Boston, MA for a weekend of shopping and quality time with my mom (pictured right). While, I was there I took class at the The Handle Bar Indoor Cycling Studio in South Boston. I heard about the studio from one of my colleagues who has incorporated regular Handle Bar cycling classes into her pre-wedding, shape up regimen. She is in LOVE with the format. After personally experiencing the class, I must stay, I like it too…
Before I get started, let me temper this review by confessing that Soul Cycle and Fly Wheel have completely raised the bar in terms of my expectations for indoor cycling classes. So while I try to review classes with an unbiased mind, I inevitably make comparisons to these two indoor cycling front-runners.
The Handle Bar Basics
Price: $20 for a 45 minute class; not bad considering many boutique studios are in $30-$35 range.
Ambiance: Very modern and hip. Positive affirmations are posted throughout. It has somewhat of an outdoor, beachy feel with lots of yellow, white and orange. The studio is very small, but very clean. The cycling room itself is dark lit only by small red lights. (Red doesn’t really go with the overall brand/color scheme, so I was a little thrown off by it – see pic below). Also, the bikes are really close together and positioned in a “U” shape around the instructor. Overall, the studio has a cool vibe.
Format: The entire workout is on the bike. You start out with a ~5 minute warm up ride, then do several speed intervals and climbs all choreographed to the beat of the music . The last 10 minutes has a short arm circuit during which you use light dumbbells (identical to Soul Cycle). Finally, you bring it home with a 5 minute cool down and stretch.
Inside the cycling room at the The Handle Bar South Boston
Likes
Great customer service. The girls at the front desk were super friendly. Also, they gave out free towels and the cycling shoe rental was cheap, like $2.
Technically Sound. Some cycling studios get so caught up in the music and being cool that they forget to preach about safety and good form. I appreciated that the instructor and staff spent time ensuring the our bikes were properly set up and consistently gave feedback during the class on our riding technique.
Lots of Base. The music was super loud and there’s was lots of Eminem on the playlist – me likey.
Dislikes
Nothing distinctive. Overall, I found The Handle Bar to be a smaller, Soul Cycle. It provides exactly the same workout, exactly the same branding (even the colors), just a different name.
Class lacked energy (i.e. no cheering, excitement from the riders). However, it was 6am so that may have had something to do with it.
Now before I make these statement, let me first say that since I became a fitness instructor 2 years ago, I am WAY LESS harsh on fitness instructors – it’s not an easy job. However, my Handle Bar instructor could have done more in the way of choreography. Pretty sure we did tap backs for 75% of the class. (Tap Backs are movement done while riding when you shift booty back over the saddle and then raise back up to a climbing position – “tapping” back and forth)
Overall Rating (scale of 1-10)
7.0 – I give the Handle Bar a pretty solid score because it was good bang for my buck. The staff was friendly, the ride was sweaty, the music was loud and it was only $20. Boston crew, you officially have my “go ahead” to book a class: http://www.handlebarcycling.com/
