A blog by Brit Rettig Wold, CEO of GRIT Fitness
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 🙁 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
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…
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…
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!
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?
What’s your side hustle?
Hello everyone! I want to wish you a wonderful week and an even better (US) holiday ahead. Remember to enjoy some down time with those you love and simply savor the holiday. Of course I want you to squeeze in a workout at some point, but most importantly, take some time to unplug, relax and appreciate all the good stuff.
Last but not least, I’ve picked a winner for my 4th of July Sweaty Bands Giveaway. Congrats Christine! Huge shout out to you for prioritizing exercise while studying for the MCAT – phew! I hope you make time to sleep. In case you guys missed Christine’s workout plans, here’s what she has in store…
“This summer, I’ve been spending a lot of time studying for my mcat this coming august. Exercise had been a huge stress relief of mine, and I’ve recently gotten into running! I hope to accomplish a 5k by the end of this summer, so this 4th of July weekend will consist of running along the bayou–my goal is to do a 2.5 mile stretch in one go. I also plan on doing a bit of cross training by getting some laps in at the pool and balancing out my cardio by doing a few Pilates routines. During my study breaks, I want to try your 20 min cardio workout!” – Christine
Also, SURPRISE, I actually got an extra Sweaty Band so I picked a 2nd winner. Congrats Tory! You stole my heart when you mentioned Tae Bo. I always have been and always will be a Billy Blanks fan. Here are Tory’s workout plans for the weekend…
“I’m planning on working out indoors, because of the heat and humidity that’s forecasted for this week. Over this past weekend I brushed the dust off my old Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVDs. They are fun and provide me with a great workout. Now that I’ve seen your ’20 Minute Cardio Workout’, planning on alternating this workout with the 30 minute, Tae Bo workouts. For fun outdoors workouts, it’s all about the water workouts! I’m planning having some playtime with my kids to cool off and get in some laps in the pool.” – Tory
Thanks to everyone who shared their weekend workout plans. Knowing that others will be up and active always encourages me to get moving. Have a happy 4th of July and remember show your #GRIT. Lots of luv, Brit
Hey Gang – Happy (almost) 4th of July! In honor of the upcoming holiday I’m hosting a giveaway of 2 super cute headbands from Sweaty Bands (pictured below)! I love Sweaty Bands because they come in TONS of bright colors and cool patterns and most importantly, they don’t slip during your workout. To participate in the giveaway, just post a comment telling me your 4th of July weekend workout plans – be creative! I’ll pick a winner and announce on Wednesday, July 2nd! Also, be sure to include your email address or a way that I can contact you if you win.
In case you’re pressed for time this weekend, here’s a quick and very effective cardio workout that you can complete in 20 minutes. I do this workout in my hotel room all the time – it’s simple and sweaty! Warning – there’s a lot of jumping incorporated, so if you have chronic knee pain or knee injuries, this is not your ideal workout. For best results, move quickly from one exercise to the next and ONLY rest during the set rest times. You can expect to burn 250-300 calories in 20 minutes or less. Be sure to stretch after you’re finished. If you have questions about any of the exercises, email me at [email protected]. Also, YouTube has tons of example videos to guide you. Give my 20 Minute Cardio workout a whirl and let me know how it goes. Also, don’t forget to share your weekend workout plans to win these adorable Sweaty Bands. Have a great week! xoxo, Brit
Hey Gang! I’m kicking off a new physical challenge to get in tip-top shape for the Summer. Burpees are one of my favorite exercises – I always try to incorporate them into my Turbokick and PiYo fitness classes. Burpees are designed to build muscular and cardio endurance, so expect to be out of breath! Not only does the mega move blast calories it also provides excellent strength training for the entire body, especially the core. Below is a 20-day challenge that I plan to start tomorrow. The goal is to be able to do 60 consecutive burpees by Day 20…
In case you’ve never done the burpee exercise before, here’s a simple info-graphic providing step by step instructions…
Once you’ve got the move down, join me for the challenge! Be sure to share you progress on our Facebook page or post a comment below. Be strong and have a wonderful week! xoxo, Brit
Hey gang, here’s little mid-week motivation to keep you going till the weekend. First off, in case you don’t know what indomitable means (I didn’t) here’s the definition:
[in-dom-i-tuh-buh
l] Show IPA
adjective: that cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; unconquerable: an indomitable warrior. (source: dictionary.com)
Remember, the happiest and most successful people don’t always have the most strength, talent or the clearest dreams, but they do have the WILL and WORK ETHIC to succeed. On a related note, I was super motivated by Shonda Rhimes recent commencement speech at Dartmouth University. She kept it extra real while advising recent graduates to be “doers” and not “dreamers.” I wanted to share the video with you as some food for thought as we wrap up the week. Keep on fighting the good fight – you got this! xoxo, Brit
I saw this quote on my coffee cup after my morning Starbucks run. (FYI – I’m a grande bold, black w/a little cinnamon). Obviously I like the word “courage” because it’s kinda synonymous with “grit.” When I Googled the definition of I got, “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Courage is required to be vulnerable, say “no”, take risks and pursue our deepest dreams. I dig it.
However the Oprah quote on my coffee cup made me ask myself, “Am I really courageous?” Clearly I enjoy working hard and taking on challenges, but I’m realizing that true courage may actually require scaling back in some areas and focusing on the few things I really care about. Sometimes, I give myself a false-sense of being “courageous” when I’m actually just being “busy.” The reality is, it takes a TON of courage to acknowledge and pursue the life we really, really want. As you start your week, I encourage you to noodle on these questions. I am. xoxo, Brit
Circa 1990 I had my first group fitness experience which entailed me attending a Jazzercise class with my mom at our local recreation center. All I remember is the instructor yelling at my mom because I was too young to take the class. So, I sat on the sideline and moped for an hour every week. Never did I think that I’d eventually become a group fitness instructor.
3 years ago, today, I completed my first instructor certification. It was for TurboKick which remains my favorite group fitness format of all time. As you guys know, I’ve always been an athlete and active on sports teams ranging from intramural to NCAA Division 1. If you prefer to work with a personal trainer there are plenty available, for example if you’re looking for personal trainer in Melbourne, you could check out getgoingpt.com. But group fitness has allowed me to experience a different kind of passion, motivation and fun that I never experienced in team sports. So, today I wanted to do a special tribute to Group Fitness. No matter the format (e.g. Zumba, Spinning, Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing, CrossFit, etc.) , group fitness is all good…If you’re thinking of starting up a fitness business, take a look at the revenue management system offered by TSG so that you can keep a close eye on your finances.
It feels so good to hear everyone’s experiences with fitness. One of my fitness friends told me how she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to exercise after having children but she found out about au pairs (visit Cultural Care Au Pair to find out more or to become one) and because she had room in her house she decided to host one so she was able to keep up her fitness.
Here are the reasons why I love group fitness and you should too!
Often we set intentions to fix things that we think are “wrong” with ourselves (i.e. “I’m fat so I wanna lose weight” or “I don’t like my job so I want a new one”). However, I’m big believer in the Power of Positive Thinking. This means our intentions should focus on what motivates us, not on what frustrates us. In doing so we generate natural energy and positive thinking to support our desired outcome. “We are authentically inspired by [our] goals [and] empowered to make them happen.” (Source: Oprah.com)
As you start the week answer the question, “What Motivates You?” Use your response to set your intention for the week – I can’t wait to hear your success stories!