Show some SWAGGER

Brittani Rettig SwaggerAt a very young age, my parents taught me the importance of self-respect and self-confidence.  My mom always had me play the lead in church programs and made sure I was on the front row at my dance recitals.   Later when I started playing sports, my dad would preach that “competitions are just about confidence…if I worked hard and believed that I was better than my opponent, I was!

However as I matured, I started to believe that humility and self-confidence were mutually exclusive (i.e. if I wanted to be humble, that meant I needed to put the needs of others before my own or criticize myself).  However, the TRUTH is exactly the opposite!

As a new vegetarian, I started reading the book “Skinny B*itch” which takes a very no-nonsense approach to healthy living and healthy eating.  There’s a paragraph in the book, that really hammers home my beliefs about self-confidence and SWAGGER:

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“Certainly your health and your body and you are more important than anything else in your life.  You are worthless to your colleagues, friends and family if you do not value yourself enough to take excellent care of you.  Yes, you have to put yourself before your friends, parents,  boyfriend, husband and even your children.  It won’t make you bad daughter or wife or mother; it will make you less resentful, more confident,  interesting,  beautiful, patient, tolerant, and fun person to be around.  Your bright shining light will give everyone around you permission and inspiration to shine more brightly.  Love yourself enough to do whatever it takes to be the best you you can be.”

For your Monday Motivation, I wanted to share this excerpt along with a graphic that my Aunt sent me (shout out to Aunt Cathy).  Think about these truths as you start your week.  I hope they encourage you as much as they encourage me! #GRIT

Lots of luv,

Brit 😉

GRIT by Brit Swagger

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Turbo Kickboxing Classes in NYC

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Hey Gang!  I hope your week is going well.  In case you haven’t heard, I’m now teaching independent Turbo Kick classes in New York City!  I’ve partnered with Stepping Out Studios in Flatiron to bring you an awesome fitness experience in a beautiful NYC dance studio.  Now you can enjoy this amazing fitness format without being a member of a gym – woop woop 🙂

Last Sunday marked the completion of our 1st month since the launch of Turbo NYC.  Our Launch Party was a huge success and we’ve had several new faces join our #CARDIOPARTY since then.  You can CLICK HERE to view pictures and read the review of our January launch party.

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Turbo Kick is my all time favorite fitness format – it’s challenging, yet fun and effective.  I’ve lost over 25 pounds since falling in love with Turbo Kick, so I feel that it’s my DUTY to share this amazing fitness gift with others!  While the workout is super effective (expect to burn 1,000 calories per class), I’ve made a conscious effort to keep the price down.  Remember, one of the GRIT by Brit core values is that we “don’t have to be wealthy to be healthy!”

If you’re a NYC resident, or just in town for the weekend, come SWEAT with us.  Classes are held EVERY Sunday at 11:00am and are always high energy with studio pumpin’ music.  We work HARD but also have lots of FUN!  You can reserve your spot and get all of the  details on the Turbo NYC website: www.turbonyc.com  See you in class!

While human nature often causes us to trip and fall, the most compelling aspect of our nature is that we are so much stronger than we know #GRIT

-David Kirchhoff, CEO Weight Watchers

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Wednesday Workout: BACK it Up!

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(above – me showin’ off my back in my new Lululemon racer back tank)

If you’re looking for a new “Wednesday Workout,” I highly encourage you to build your BACK!  A strong back improves posture and gives you more definition through your neck and shoulders.  Also, the nice ‘V’ shape makes your waistline look smaller 😉

As a woman, I often neglected back workouts and focused on my abs and legs during weight training.  However, I’ve found that working my back muscles is very effective for weight management because the muscles are BIG and require lots of energy (thus burn a lot of calories).  Also, a toned back in a racer back dress is just as, if not more, sexy than nice legs in daisy dukes.  So give it a whirl today, people.  This workout should take you about 30 minutes to complete and you can expect to burn ~200 calories – enjoy!

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Love Your Body Day #4: Shake what your mama gave ya!

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Life is hard…and serious…often more serious than it should be.  Personally, I struggle with taking myself too seriously and causing unnecessary stress on my body.    Exercise is a good stress reliever for me, but sometimes I even get stressed over workouts (what gives?).   However, one activity that NEVER stresses me out is dancing.  I think it’s impossible to be irritated while bustin’ a move 😉

That said, today I’m encouraging you to take some time to free yourself, pump up the music and shake your groove thing.  Not only is a good ole’ dance session liberating,  it’s also good for your BODY.

“Studies show that dance can help you lose weight, stay flexible, reduce stress, make friends, and more.” 

Here’s my Top 5 Health Reasons to Hit the Dance Floor!

  1.  Stress Relief – Grabbing a partner, pumpin’ up the music and hittin’ the dance floor has shown to reduce stress according to a study by Journal of Applied Gerontology.
  2. Lift Your Spirits – People who participate in group dance activities suffer less from depression and have a more optimistic view on life!  Even if you’re “dancin’ by yourself” you can still benefit from a mood boost.
  3. Have Beauty & BRAINS – A study by The New England Journal of Medicine, shows that dancing may boost your memory and prevent you from developing dementia as you get older.
  4. Blast Calories – Because dancing is a form of aerobic exercise, it raises your heart rate and ultimately burns lots of calories!  Here’s to shakin’ away some excess pounds!
  5. Bring Sexy Back – If you’re like me, you don’t actually like to dance in front of people – I usually feel  really self-conscious.  However, the more I do it, the more comfortable I feel.  By getting out of my comfort zone I’ve released a who new level of self-confidence and sexiness 😉

(below – me & my childhood friend Brett, 2 steppin’ & twirlin’ back in Texas)

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Love your body today by blastin’ the music and lettin’ loose – free yourself! #GRIT

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Love Your Body Day #1: Get HATE out of your HEART

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Happy February!  Today marks the beginning of my “Love Your Body” series.  For each of the next 5 days I’ll share a healthy, body-lovin’ tip.  Our health is essential to our being, so cherish your precious temple of your soul – your BODY!

Lots of luv,

Brit 🙂

Get HATE of out of your HEART

Let the grudge go.  Holding a grudge does NOT cause any pain to the person who hurt you (they couldn’t care less).  Your grudge only causes pain to your body.  Several university studies have proven that holding a grudge is bad for your health.  Joseph Neumann, PhD, a clinical psychologist explains, “When I treated patients with cardiovascular disease, I was struck by how many were bitter, angry, and depressed,” says Neumann. “It clearly affected their health and their ability to heal.”  On the flip side, a study by Harvard Women’s Health Watch found a link between forgiving and improvements in heart rate and blood pressure.  

The reality is that life isn’t fair.  People will treat you unfairly, hurt you, cheat you and, on top of that,  get away with it.   But we must CHOOSE to not let our pain or anger ruin all of the good things we have in life.  Eventually, we reap what we sow.  So don’t worry about getting back at that awful person, just let the grudge go!

Love your body today by forgiving and letting old hurts be history #GRIT

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New Year Kick-Start Challenge Complete!

Today marks the official conclusion of our 3-week New Year Kick-Start Challenge.  Candace has been our #GRIT GIRL to lead the way on the plan.  You can see her progress by reading the weekly updates that she shared along the way:  Week 1 Update, Week 2 Update.

Huge thanks to Candace for being such a good role model – her  hard work, good choices and smart decisions have been an inspiration to us all.  Way to “kick-start” 2013 with good health and happiness!

Candace’s Week 3 (and final) Update

“Week 3 went well, I’ve lost a total of 5 lbs during the challenge. I’m well on my way to my 12 pound weight loss goal!  I definitely liked the plan and I’m going to keep it up until I reach my goal. I really enjoyed the various cardio options and the tips you provided along the way were great motivation. Thanks Brit!”

– Candace

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STRONG to the finish: Candace’s Progress on the New Year Kick Start Plan

Candace’s Week 2 Update

“Week 2 of my GRIT by Brit New Year Kick Start Plan was a bit quiet, I was able to get in a couple of workouts early in the week and stick to my eating plan. My challenge plans were a bit derailed due to travel to DC later in the week. I did try doing sit-ups and push-ups while watching TV one evening. I was able to knock out 200 crunches and 100 push-ups during commercial breaks. It was a great way to burn calories while watching my shows. Unfortunately, I’m up 1 lb. from the end of week 1. I’m looking forward to getting back on track and going hard in week 3.” – Candace

(below – sit ups with a dumbbell during commercial breaks)

(below – Candace knockin’ out some push ups to tone the core and upper body)

Brit’s Tips for Candace

  • Great job staying active despite not going to the gym every day.  “Commercial Break” exercises are effective and efficient so keep it up!  Next time take up the intensity and do some jumping jacks, burpees or squats during commercial breaks.  These exercises burn more calories and engage more muscle groups.
  • Be extra strict about sticking with your  eating plan this final week, especially on days that you miss a workout.  It’s important to keep the calorie intake down on these days since you won’t burn as many calories during the day.
  • Have a little black coffee in the morning for an extra jolt.  We know that coffee, in moderation, increases your energy and focus to help give you a push in this last week.
  • Most importantly – STAY POSITIVE.  This is the final push and you are well on your way to achieving your goal.  You got this!

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Already 3 Pounds DOWN!

Candace’s Week 1 Update

“Week 1 of my New Year Kick Start Plan was better than I expected, I’m down 3 lbs.! I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app, which has really helped me keep track of my calories. Packing my lunch and snacks each day was a great plan, as I can easily control what I’m consuming.  Getting in 6 days of cardio workouts was tough, I only did 5 days. My goal is to definitely hit 6 days this week. Looking forward to week 2 and keeping up the progress.” – Candace

(below – Candace preparing her lunches for week 2)

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Brit’s Tips for Week 2

  • Keep up the good work –   While you should be thrilled about your quick results, don’t get complacent.  Keep pushing yourself to be disciplined in your healthy eating and in maintaining your challenging workout schedule.
  • Stay hydrated –   Completing intense cardio workouts 6 days per week means you are sweating more than usual.  Dehydration will slow down your metabolism and hinder weight loss, so be sure to drink 2 liters of water per day.
  • Get your beauty rest –  As a busy corporate woman I’m sure your days are packed full with work and working out.  Be sure you are getting enough sleep at night (shoot for 8 hours) so that your body has an opportunity to recover.  Sleep deprivation hinders weight loss as well.
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10 Minute Abs and Thighs Workout Video

My #fitfriend Alex (@alexandriawill), co-founder of Sporty Afros has been pushing me to start make posting free workouts on YouTube for my blog followers.  So, last week after one of my Turbo Kickboxing classes (which is why my hair is drenched in sweat in the video) she stayed after and recorded my abs, legs and glutes circuit .

I usually do a series of body-weight exercises at the end of each my classes because my students love to feel nice and tight around their core and in their legs.  Body weight exercises are generally high in repetitions and lower in weight which help give you long, lean muscle tone.  They’re great to add to your fitness regimen because they require NO equipment and can be done at any time and any place.

Try the workout for yourself and let me know what you think.  For best results, complete this workout 3 times per week along with 45 minutes of moderate-high intensity cardio (running, biking, elliptical, etc.).

If you like, I’ll record some more 10 minute circuits to help keep you on track in 2013.  Enjoy 🙂

Lots of luv, Brit

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