motivation – GRIT By Brit

Dallas Grit Fitness: Studio Set Up – Home Stretch!

November 24, 2014 No Comments

Hey guys! I hope your week is off to a good start. I was feeling pretty chipper this morning, but then the reality of the MASSIVE AMOUNT of work I have to do to get my studio set up hit me like a ton of bricks – AHH! From writing the press release, conducting instructor orientation, planning the grand opening party and finishing renovations, I don’t expect to sleep much in the next month. The frustrating part is that so much of what needs to be done I can’t do by myself. Having to rely on others is definitely giving me a life lesson in humility. Alas, lots of progress is being made so I’ll rejoice in that regard. We have come such a long way! Remember when we started with the demolition work?

The most recent accomplishment is mirror installation! Alpha Glass company installed the studio mirrors last Thursday! They really open up the space and make it feel like real studio. I think this is the most excited I’ve been so far.

Paint – check, Floors – check, Mirrors – check! 3 huge renovations milestones DONE!

Tomorrow the electricians will come and install additional power outlets, lighting and the sound system. I’m really excited about the lights because they respond to the bass in the music 🙂 I went to Guitar Center and totally geeked out from all of the lighting options (see below). Finally, I decided to buy the Ultrabar colored lights. Can’t wait to have these installed tomorrow!

Checking out all of the cool studio lighting options! So fun

After Thanksgiving the real fun begins – decorating! While decorating seems simple, it also requires professional help – UGH! Is there any particular fitness studio decor that you like? If so, post a comment and let me know!

Stay motivated this Monday! xoxo, Brit

Dallas GRIT Fitness

Dallas Grit Fitness: Site renovation almost complete – we have a floor!

November 18, 2014 3 Comments

Image: I literally ran outside and jumped around in front of the truck delivering my studio floors!

Great news gang! We are less than 2 weeks away from fully renovating my very first fitness studio, Dallas Grit Fitness – YIPPEE! Last week marked the completion of a major renovation milestone as our floors were installed! I was so excited when the floors arrived, I couldn’t stop jumping around and cheering. You can see me in action on this Instagram Video clip. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm, right?

Floor installation at Dallas Grit Fitness was no easy task since our space was formally a chiropractor office. We had to demolish all of the existing carpet and tile to create a smooth surface for the new studio flooring.

Now that the hard work is done, I’m excited to move on the to fun part – decorating! I got lots of cool wall art and lighting for the studio. We will also install a full wall of mirrors and the sound system this week. It’s really coming together. I can’t wait to share my energy, passion and grit with you in person. If you live in Dallas or ever come to visit, you must pop in to Dallas Grit Fitness for a sweat session! 🙂

Smoothing out the surface to ensure the floor is completely level

All smooth! Waiting for the surface to dry to until we start laying the floors

Floors are installed and the black base was molded to the wall – almost ready to dance!

Get ready for the most FIERCE, FUN, FABULOUS fitness studio in Dallas! xoxo, Brit

Detox Plans, Inspiration & Motivation

Free 4 Week Exercise & Eating Plan! Join the #GRITshapeup

October 9, 2014 12 Comments

Hello friends! Hope your day is going well. SO…I finally finished a big project I’ve been working on for a quite some time. After I reached my 2 year blogiversary this March, I decided to put together my top workouts, detox tips and nutrition advice in to a best in class 4-week shape up plan. I’m finally done and my first GRIT by Brit 4 Week Shape up Plan is ready for you to download. Yay!

I really hope that this is a community effort where we can share our progress and encourage each other to be our healthiest, best selves. That said please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions about the plan. Also, I highly encourage you to team up with some friends and do the plan together. There’s power in numbers! Share your workout photos and healthy meals on Instagram and Twitter with hashtag #GRITshapeup – I’ll start doing product giveaways for my favorite pics!

A core value of GRIT by Brit is “FREE” – I believe that we don’t have to be wealthy to be healthy. That said, I made my printable GRIT Shape Up plan 100% accessible to everyone. Just enter your email address in the subscription box to the right (below the search bar) and a link to download the plan will be sent to you. If you have any issues downloading, send me an email ([email protected]) and I’ll help you out. Be sure to keep us updated by posting pics or updates with hashtag #GRITShapeUp. I can’t wait to hear your success stories. Show your GRIT! Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

What Does GRIT Mean to You? Answers from 8 Wonder Women + GRIT Tank Top Giveaway

October 2, 2014 13 Comments

Good morning friends! As promised, I gathered all of your comments from my GRIT Tank Top Giveaway a couple of weeks ago and summarized them into the graphic below. I have to be honest, at first I did this for selfish reasons as these quotes became my morning motivation. I was so inspired by your definitions of “GRIT” I just had to share the goodness. Now you can print, Pin or post this graphic anywhere you like. Also, HUGE thank you to 8 Wonder Women who shared what “GRIT” means to them…

On that note, let’s keep the gritty goodness going. I’m hosting another giveaway for this black GRIT tank top (pictured below). Just like last time, post a comment answering the question, “What does GRIT mean to you?” I’ll read through all of your inspiring words and pick a winner – will announce next Wednesday (Oct. 8). Enjoy!

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

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

Total Body

Brit’s Beach Bikini Workout

August 28, 2014 No Comments

As we savor the last few days of Summer, I wanted to share a workout my friends and I did last weekend in Miami. The workout is fun, simple and effective (instructional photos are below). Give it a whirl this Labor Day weekend and let me know how it goes. Lots of love, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle

G.R.I.T – The Secret to Success and Happiness

August 26, 2014 No Comments

Hello friends. A colleague of mine forwarded me an AMAZING article from Forbes.com. You can click here to read the full article, but below is an excerpt of the GRIT section by Scott Petinga – it’s just too good not to share…

“G” is for guts, that secret superpower that allows us to overcome adversity and steer a course over, under, around or straight through life’s many obstacles and challenges. Having guts is about living in the moment and doing things you’re afraid of right now — not tomorrow, not five years from now. It’s about being confident in your opinion, voicing that opinion and not being afraid to disagree with people.
“R” is for resilience, which allows us to bounce back from life’s many defeats to enjoy the fruits of our labor and eventual success. Perseverance is a major part of that. The journey that got me to where I am today gave me this insatiable drive, this compulsion to create change — to be change. It also taught me to genuinely care about people, to care about the community around me and to care about the impact I have on the future. Don’t limit yourself to what’s immediately doable. Instead ask, “What’s possible?”
“I” is for initiative, that entrepreneurial spirit that inspires us to act on our biggest ideas and build a life and career for ourselves. With initiative comes the risk of failure, which is why doing so is well worth it. Either it takes you forward into a new direction, or you fail, and those failures take you in a new direction.
“T” is for tenacity, which ultimately determines how hard we fight for our dreams. Tenacity can be summed up as, “improvise, overcome, adapt,” regardless of the odds. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. A tenacious person never has to say “would have,” “could have” and “should have.” Don’t think too long about things, just go for them.

Those of you who have been following me from the beginning know that helping people develop GRIT is the core purpose of my blog. I believe fitness is about so much more than a strong body. It’s about transforming your mind, CHOOSING to think positive thoughts and having the courage to believe in and work for your goals. The great thing about GRIT is that can be developed. Unlike talents, we aren’t born with GRIT. This means that each of us has the opportunity and the means to make our dreams come true. True that. xoxo, Brit

What’s your dream?

How are are you fighting to makes your dream come true?

How do you show your GRIT?

Inspiration & Motivation

Chase Your Dreams Ignore Your Fears

August 3, 2014 No Comments

Happy Sunday! I wanted to share a little inspiration to get your week started with a positive and optimistic outlook. “Chasing your dream” is much easier said than done. Especially, when you’re at a crossroads in your life and the opportunity cost of fully pursuing your dream is high.

In recent years, I’ve develop my own dream of opening fitness studio in Dallas. Each time I take a few steps forward, I take 3 or 4 steps back because my fears kick in. I often think to myself “I won’t make as much money,” “there are too many competitors,” “can I do this all by myself?”

I found this great article on Forbes.com that really hit home and gave me a little push to quit wallowing in my fears…

The 5 Way s to Overcome the Fear of Chasing Your Dream

By Steven Berglas at Forbes (click the link to read the full article)

Your fear of taking action is a result of watching yourself fail to act–not the other way around.
Your fear of losing a paycheck is exaggerated.
Your fear of launching a start-up stems from knowing someone whose new venture fell flatter than a crepe.
You won’t sacrifice a paycheck because it would be “wrong, reckless, irresponsible, etc.”
No one daydreams while watching a Super Bowl game that goes into the fourth quarter with the score tied.

I hope these 5 tips give you the same inspirational kick they gave me. In the near future I expect that my blog posts and your comments will reflect that we finally ditched the fear and went for it! Be on the look out. A Grit by Brit Fitness studio could open soon near you (wink wink)! Send me your positive vibes and I’ll send you mine. Have a wonderful week! xoxo, Brit

What’s your dream? How will you more actively pursue it?