HIIT – GRIT By Brit

Brit’s 5 Heart Pumpin’ Pumpkin Exercises

October 26, 2015 No Comments

Hey Friends! I made this workout just for you and just in time for Fall! Below, I’ve put together five of my favorite HIIT (high intensity interval training) exercises and substituted a medicine ball with a pumpkin – so festive! To complete the HIIT circuit, do each exercise below for the time duration indicated. Once you finish, rest for 1 minute and then repeat all five exercises 2 more times. The total workout will take you 16-20 minutes and you can expect to burn 250 – 300 calories – woo hoo!

BONUS: I made an instructional video to guide you (scroll to the bottom to watch!)

Pumpkin Jack – Holding the pumpkin at your chest with both hands, press the pumpkin up as you jump your feet together and lower back down and you jump your feet apart. Do as many reps as possible to elevate your heart rate. (40 seconds)
Reverse Lunge with Pumpkin Chop – Holding the pumpkin straight out in-front of your chest with both arms straight, swing the pumpkin down by your right knee as you do a reverse lunge with your left leg. Twist your torso to the side and engage your core and your gluten with each rep. Repeat on the other side. (20 seconds right, 20 seconds left)
Side-to-Side Pumpkin Push – Hold the pumpkin at your chest with both hands then forcefully push the pumpkin away as your turn your body and lunge to the right, then to the left. Alternating lunging and pushing the pumpkin away side to side as many reps as possible. Feel the burn in your shoulders and in your legs. (40 seconds)
Straight Arm Pumpkin Hold With Side Leg Lift – Stand tall, holding the pumpkin straight out in-front of your chest with both arms straight. Balance on one leg and then raise the other leg out to the side to work the core and oblique. Try not to shift your weight side-to-side, but rather keep all of the weight in your stationary leg. Repeat on the other side. (20 seconds right, 20 seconds left)
Pumpkin Squat Jump With 180 Turn – Holding the pumpkin at your chest with both hands, do a deep squat and then jump and turn 180 degrees to face the opposite direction. Keep squat-jumping and turning 180 degrees back and forth for as many reps as possible. (40 seconds)

Cardio

20 Minute Cardio Tabata Workout

August 5, 2015 No Comments

Happy Hump Day Friends! I hope your week is going well. I’m counting down the days until my boyfriend and I jet set to Mexico for a much-needed vacation! The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy planning social events for my fitness studio, teaching classes and attending fitness conferences BUT I wouldn’t have it any other way.

While we intend to spend most of our time being lazy on the beach, we’re both gym rats so we made up some efficient and effective Tabata workouts to knock out in the hotel gym. Tabata is a Japanese form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). You can click here to learn more. Here’s the workout we tried out last week and really enjoyed.

If you want to try the workout, be sure to warm up with light/moderate intensity cardio for 3-5 minutes (e.g. jumping jacks, jog, stationary bike). Also, you will need 1 set of medium/heavy dumbbells (5-10 pounds) and a jump rope. You can expect to burn 200-300 calories in 20 minutes. Better yet, interval training shocks your body so you keep burning calories even after your workout. YEAH BUDDY!

I hope you enjoy and have an awesome day! xoxo, Brit

Cardio, Home Workouts, Total Body

Hardcore HIIT Workout

October 15, 2014 3 Comments

Good afternoon friends! Here’s a HIIT workout I designed to really kick our butts into gear. HIIT stands for high intensity interval training – it’s the most efficient way to burn calories and strength train at the same it. This workout is quick and effective. No equipment required so you can do it in your living room, just like I did. It’s the perfect solution for days like today when my schedule is completely full with teaching classes, making playlists, meetings and writing blog posts.

As an added bonus, my mom came over this morning and helped me make this instructional video. Yay! Now we can sweat together 🙂 I hope you enjoy the workout. Let me know how it goes!

Here are some more of my HIIT workouts:

Last but not least, the winner of my Lorna Jane product giveaway is Lisa! She works hard as full time as a nurse and a single mom of 4 and plays hard by incorporating extra time playing with her kids. Congrats Lisa! Email me your mailing address to [email protected] and your prize is on it’s way.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your week! Lots luv, Brit

Home Workouts, Total Body

Buddy Boot Camp! 5 Super Effective Partner Exercises to do with your Fit Friends

October 27, 2013 No Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kpxvRHar4c&w=560&h=315]

Hey GRIT Gang! I hope that all is amazing in your world. Very sorry for my sporadic blog posting – I’ve been doing lots of traveling the past 2 weeks. On a positive note, last weekend I went to the Bryson City, North Carolina to a enjoy a weekend “ruffing” it with some of my best friends from business school.

In the midst of hiking the Great Smoky Mountains, cooking homemade meals, sitting by the camp fire and reminiscing on the good old days, I designed this “buddy bootcamp” workout. During our vacation, my friends and I did this super efficient HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) circuit to ensure we got some strength and anaerobic training in . Not only is the workout effective, it’s also very fun! So next time you are looking for some fierce, fun exercises to do with your fit friends, keep these 5 exercises in mind…

5 Super Effective Partner Exercises

Before I leave you, I encourage you to not only enjoy the workout itself, but to more importantly enjoy and love the friend that you do the workout with. And on that note, I leave you with this quote that one of my dearest friends, Lakshmi (staring in the front row of the instructional video above) shared with me:

“A friend is one to whom one may pour out the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that gentle hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.” – George Eliott

ENJOY! Lots of luv, Brit

Enjoing a nice hike in Great Smoky Mountains - Nothing says true friendship like matching beanies — Enjoying a nice hike in Great Smoky Mountains – Nothing says true friendship like matching beanies

Takin' it all in - life is good! — Takin’ it all in – life is good!

A picture is worth a 1000 words #breathtaking

Grateful for good times and great friends! #blessed

I love you and hope you have a great week! -Brit :) — I love you and hope you have a great week! -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]

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!

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

Cardio

20 Minute Calorie Blast

January 9, 2013 3 Comments

Happy Hump Day ladies and gents. I’m back to work this week after a lovely, restful holiday break. As I’m sure you can empathize, I’ve been working late every evening getting caught up on old stuff and planning for 2013. HOWEVER, I’m not going to let my job take over my health. This means I’m finding a way to get some exercise in this week. Tomorrow I don’t have a much time to workout because I travel home (I’m a traveling consultant, on the road every Mon-Thur). So I put together this “20 Minute Calorie Blast” workout.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have to workout for LONG periods of time in order to get an effective workout. My buddies over at Greatist.com have shared that 2 Minute Sprints Burn Fat Like 30 Minute Workouts! With that in mind, I’ve included 4 – 2 minute sprints into this workout 😉 I’m going to do it in the morning. Try it for yourself and let me know how it goes – enjoy 🙂

Home Workouts

Keepin’ Trim While Travelin’

July 7, 2012 5 Comments

This week I’ve been really surprised by how “in shape” I am despite recently returning from my European Extravaganza. I was expecting to be sucking air when teaching my Turbo Kick classes yesterday, but surprisingly I’m feeling good – really good. I’ll attribute my fitness maintenance to my little workout formula I did in my hotel gyms while traveling. Fortunately, most of the hotels we stayed in had a bike, a treadmill and a set of free hand weights. So when I had the opportunity, I got a high-intensity, 30-40 minute circuit in which served me well. The workout was extremely effective for me, so here’s a copy for you to keep.

Also, here are some more pictures from the Italy section of my trip. We spent 2 days in Cinque Terre – a quaint set of 5 villages along the northern Italian coast. One day, we hiked from village to village for a total of 8.5 miles on really steep terrains. I even got a few push-ups in along the way – yeah buddy #GRIT. This was definitely the most “fit” segment of my trip (unlike the latter portion in Milan and Rome during which I indulged in gelato, pasta and wine every day – more to come on that later). Enjoy 🙂