Here’s the workout I did this evening. A good mix of cardio and resistance training. Not too intense, but enough to “keep it tight.”
Happy Tuesday – enjoy!
Where Da Ballers At?
- Workout Name: Basketball Court Workout by Brit
- Duration: 45 min – 1 hour
- Calories burned: 400 – 700
- Commentary: The fact of the matter is pro basketball players have HOT bodies. Whether you’re a “pro hooper”, “ex-hooper” or “wanna be hooper,” the basketball court is ALWAYS a great place to get a super effective workout. The workout I’ve put together incorporates many of the drills I did back in my day plus some basics to burn calories and build endurance. No matter your skill level, you should be able to get through this workout and increase your fitness level in the process. Change up your routine and try it out. Let me know how it goes!
TRAIN Like an Olympian to LOOK Like an Olympian
- Workout: Olympic Athlete Personal Challenge by Brit
- Duration: 30-45 minutes
- Calories Burned: 400-600
- Brit’s Commentary: I was feeling so inspired by the Olympics this week that I designed a workout to challenge my own “Olympic worthiness.” I’m no where near an “Olympic athlete” but sometimes it’s good to feel my own SPEED, ENDURANCE, STRENGTH and GRIT! This workout was a nice change up to my usual routine and kept me in the Olympic spirit. It also allowed me to capitalize on all of the positive energy that the Olympics brings every 4 years! That said, try the challenge for yourself and go for the GOLD 🙂
*Be sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes before you start the sprints and stretch for 5-15 minutes after you complete the workout.
Example: Inch Worm Exercise
4-week Challenge: Jenny’s Week 2 Update – “Keep Calm and Carry On”
Happy Friday! Jenny has just wrapped up week 2 of her 4-Week Challenge. Try the challenge for yourself and stay motivated by keeping up with Jenny’s progress!
Jenny’s Week 2 Progress Report:
Week Two: Øv! (as we say in Danish – think: “Ugh” in English :)) Do I feel good about this week? Eh. I pushed myself hard – but not as hard as I felt like I could. I was busy and stressed and spent most of the week trying to catch up with everything and everyone. Should I cut myself some slack? Probably so. For me, working out is just as much mental as it is physical; Maybe it is my history in the fitness industry and/or maybe it is my need to push myself in some way (the feeling of progress), but I know that my mood, happiness, overall ability to handle stress and focus, all rely heavily on my ability to workout in one way or another.
At the same time, I also have to realize that I’m not 21 anymore, and cannot push myself to the same limits as I used to – and some days, that is hard for me to accept. My body responds and changes much more slowly than it used to, and this can be hard for someone like me who is so impatient. So even though I feel stronger and ‘tighter’, the way I feel about the week is not as positive as I’d hoped for. I’m trying to remember that results take time, and patience is key. I know that many people might give up when they feel like this, but that isn’t really my style 🙂
On a positive note, I did take Brit’s advice and started adding protein to my breakfast. Usually its egg whites or a whey protein shake (see pics above). I can tell that the protein helps me feel fuller and keeps me from overeating later in the day.
I did Brit’s killer legs workout on Monday and could barely walk on Tuesday. I think maybe its better for me to do legs when I have a day off the next day, because Spinning the next day was hard (and then cardio and Pilates the day after that!), and they probably could have used a recovery day. Seriously, four days later my legs are still sore – and they haven’t been this sore since I can even remember!
Now I’m off to a weekend in Malaga. Do I feel 100% beach ready? Not exactly. But I am going to go have a good time, and keep focused on my goals. This will be an interesting week, as maintaining diet and exercise can be challenging on vacation – and it is important to strike a good balance. I tend to have an “all or nothing” personality, so this should be good personal challenge 🙂
-Jenny
Brit’s Advice for Jenny:
- Do your best to stay on the plan during vacation. There are several alternative workouts on Grit by Brit, like my Keepin’ Trim While Travelin’ hotel gym workout. Also hiking, walking and being active in general we keep you in good shape.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself. Focus on the positive. You are kickin’ butt by doing your workouts and incorporating healthy habits (like protein at breakfast)! Just take things one day at a time try to make each day healthier and more active than the day before.
- The half-way point is always the make or break. Don’t be like most people and give up if the numbers on the scale aren’t budging. All things take time, so keep calm and carry on 🙂
If you missed Jenny’s Week 1 Progress Report CLICK HERE to catch up!
4-week Challenge Euro Style: Jenny’s Week 1 Update
If you missed last week’s 4-week challenge kick off, make sure you check it out to see the full plan. Below is Jenny’s week 1 progress report. She’s doing a great job – KEEP IT UP JENNY!
“Week One: DONE! It’s been great! I did all the workouts this week + added a few Pilates classes #motivationbaby! I have been pretty intense about my workouts, so I really needed my off day. My pants are definitely looser on me. I never usually weigh myself (I think inches are a better indication, rather than kilos), I did this week. According to my scale, I’m down 1.2 kilos (American translation: 2.6 pounds), which is pretty good! SO, I will try to really focus on the diet this week. I have been good about not eating after 9pm, but since I’m going to bed around 10/10:30pm every night (gotta get up early for those workouts!), I think I should try to not eat anything after 7:30/8pm. Brittani has also recommended that I trade my breakfasts of fruit to one of protein, and I have a feeling this will be my ‘game changer’ this week. Let’s see! I have 10 more days until I’m in sunny Malaga, Spain – so I’ve gotta really focus!”
– Jenny
NEW 4-week tone up challenge: Euro Style with Jenny!
Meet my friend Jenny. Like Jan from my previous challenge, Jenny is one of my best friends from college. Unlike Jan, Jenny and I bonded while working as TA’s for a brutal Labor Law professor, not over our love for football players. We would drag our butts to the gym after long study sessions and keep each other accountable for going hard!
Jenny now lives in Denmark working hectic hours in the Banking sector. However, the Danes focus much more on work-life balance so she DOES have adequate time to workout 🙂 Over the years, she has become very interested in nutrition and has tried almost every diet in the book (sometimes for a reason, sometimes out of curiosity, but usually because she likes the challenge – we clearly have the same neurotic tendencies). Still, she has had a very ad-hoc workout and diet schedule this past year and would like to re-focus.
Already having several fitness certifications and a long history of sports involvement, Jenny is looking to me for an effective push! Unfortunately, she’s also suffered from over training, which I had to keep in mind when making her plan. Her gluten allergy and lactose intolerance also had to be considered. In her own words, her goals are to:
- “Get into those damn jeans – bought them last year when I was about 7 kilos lighter – they are too cute to just sit in my closet! Yes, “kilos” this is the EURO 4-week challenge”
- “I have a long-weekend in Malaga with a friend coming up at the end of July – so I’d like to feel super sexy in my bikini!”
Below is her plan and of picture of her today on DAY 1 – we will get an update from her next week!
Wish her luck – GO JENNY!
Workouts by Brit referenced in this plan:
GRIT Ultimate Body Burn Volume 1 Making the Video
The word of the week is = PROGRESS! GRIT Ultimate Body Burn Vol. 1, my total body workout video will be released very soon! Last month I posted an article to express my excitement and gratitude after finishing the video shoot. Since then, we’ve made even greater strides in post production. This entire project has been a transformational learning experience – it’s amazing what we can can accomplish when we break a LARGE project down into SMALL tasks. Words can not express how eager I am to share my fitness tools with you! But for now…back to working on this client deck (gotta love Excel and PowerPoint). Lots of luv! – Brit
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjZR1ClWFbE]
GRIT Ultimate Body Burn Vol. 1 is a total body, high intensity 30 minute workout set to endorphin-pumpin’ music. With full time job and demanding travel schedule, I was eager to create an effective and efficient workout that could be done in my busy schedule. Inspired by years of athletic training, sports conditioning, dance and teaching Turbo Kick, I developed an extreme, 30 minute total body workout that meets all of my fitness needs.
This at home fitness method utilizes 1 pound hand weights to maximize calorie burn and guarantee intensity. Kick boxing, athletic drills, plyometrics, Pilates, anaerobic intervals and resistance training are also incorporated for a complete, exciting workout that hits every major muscle group while keeping your heart rate elevated. You can get it all – effective, fun total body fitness and time to handle your busy schedule!
COMING SOON!
My weight loss journey: How my “slip-ups” helped me “shape-up”…
Image: Playin’ college basketball in 2006 – feeling FIT
This post was originally published as a guest feature on Greatist.com, the fastest growing site in health and lifestyle content, reaching more than 3 million visitors in just one year! Follow @jshakeshaft, the amazing fitness editor, who helped me with this post!
Long story short, I’m a fan of “plans.” It started in high school when I discovered Slim Fast and dropped 15 pounds. I gained that back in one summer. During college, I was captain of my women’s basketball team which kept the pounds under control. But when I entered the working world, I packed on plenty of extra “cushioning.” I tried Weight Watchers for about a month, but always skipped meetings and under counted my “points.” Then there was the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, Lipodrene diet pills and the cayenne pepper/lemon juice cleanse (Beyoncé put me on to this one). I’d lose 5-10 pounds with each program only to gain it back in a few months. I had officially reached a point where I was failing at every weight loss system. I was a 5’8” 25-year-old who weighed 179 pounds and felt “less than stellar.” I had to get it together. I REFUSED to let another day of my 20’s go by without rockin’ short shorts, high heels and lots of swag! This is when I accepted my weight control Slip up #1: I tried to be perfect.
I have a super Type A (slightly neurotic) personality and get really pumped up about new a diet plan or workout regimen. But if I slip up even once, I beat myself up and eventually quit. Being mean to myself does not help me lose weight. So, I had to accept the reality that most “plans” aren’t doable for the long haul. This meant getting rid of my “all or nothing” weight loss mindset. Instead of feeling guilty for slipping up, I started keeping a mental note of what I ate and tried to match my food intake with equal calorie burn. For example, if I killed a burger and fries at lunch, that was cool. It just meant I’d have a small side salad for dinner followed by an extra 30 minutes of cardio. Simple, right? Not quite.
Despite having this revelation and starting to feel more balanced, I wasn’t losing as much weight as I wanted. What was the problem? After downing a bag of trail mix one afternoon, I realized Slip-up #2: I ate too much. Simply put, it goes like this:
- Choosing a healthy snack = a good look 🙂
- Eating five servings of a healthy snack = not a good look 🙁
The fact that I ate too much was the most difficult truth for me to accept because I actually ate healthy food! The problem was that I simply ate too much of it. So, it was really hard to burn more calories than I consumed, which is the only way to legitimately lose weight. You’ve heard it before, “eat until you’re satisfied, not until you’re full.” Well, it’s true. I had to accept that portion control is just as, if not more, important than food choice.
On that same note, I discovered Slip-up #3: I overestimated my calorie burn. Since I work out regularly, Ialways figured I deserved a diet “buffer.” But, turns out our bodies don’t blast as many calories as we think. Calorie counters and heart rate monitors often over count calorie burn. This is because several factors like hydration, stress, diet, genetics and room temperature aren’t considered. The bottom line is this: The harder you work the more calories you burn. So, I started using the Talk Test to quickly and effectively measure my Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and indirectly measure my calorie burn. If I’m breathing really heavy (like “sucking air”) I know I’m torching calories because I’ve reached my anaerobic training zone. Now when I work out, I try reaching and staying in this calorie blasting zone to maximize the burn!
I’m not going to lie, after weeks of trying to eat less and move more, I was having some serious hunger pangs! Luckily, I found that simply drinking a glass of water did wonders for my cravings. Check this, most of the time we think we are “hungry” we are actually “thirsty” due to dehydration. Also dehydration makes us feel lethargic and we crave sugar and other simple carbs that make us fat. So there you have it, Slip-up #4: I didn’t drink enough water.
Now, I was on a roll! After a few months proactively addressing my weight control “slip-ups,” I was feeling good, slim, and energetic. So one day I decided to weigh myself. Up 6 pounds? WHAT?! How did that happen? Then I thought to myself, hmmmm… I had indulged in ice cream the night before and a little bacon at breakfast… and pizza on Friday night.
That’s when I clearly saw Slip up #5: I needed a reality check. After that random weigh-in, I started weighing myself every morning (yes EVERY day) and have done so for over 1 year now! This habit is controversial because body weight fluctuates for a variety of reasons (mostly due to hydration levels). However, the fact of the matter is that the numbers on the scale are your body weight at that time. THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE (or at least it did for me)! Being mindful of my weight on a daily basis makes me think more deeply about what I am consuming, my digestion patterns, hydration levels, sweat output and calorie intake/burn. While my daily weigh-ins help keep my weight in line, my “heavy days” can be very discouraging. I have to constantly remind myself to keep the big picture in mind – my fitness, health and happiness, not just the numbers on the scale.
My slip-ups have taught me that weight management isn’t about the latest and greatest diet or workout plan; it’s about continuing on a lifelong journey of developing and strengthening healthy habits. There will always be good days and bad days, but success comes from balance. Now, at 27 years old, my weight ranges from 150-155 pounds. I’ve maintained this weight range for over a year without the use of any expensive weight loss plans or diet pills. I feel strong. I feel healthy. I feel authentic. Most importantly, I ALWAYS rock my short shorts, high heels and lots of SWAG!
What are some of the “craziest” weight loss plans/cleanses that you’ve tried?
Do you have any “slip-ups” to add to my 5?
4-week tone up challenge: COMPLETE
“Done and Done! The 4-week tone up challenge was truly a great mix up to my winter workout rut. I appreciated having set days to work out and set days to recover. Also, the structured workout plan gave me goals and checklists which were extremely helpful when fitting workouts into my busy schedule. Overall, I am loving the results so far and will continue to use Brit’s workouts ALL summer. This is just the kick-start I needed to get beach body ready. After only 4 weeks my “six-pack” is starting to show and my legs are significantly more toned! I’m looking forward to some new workouts for my post Italian vacation in a couple of weeks to help me get back on track after a little R&R with a great friend (Brit).” – Jan
Wanna try the challenge? Missed one of Jan’s updates?
- Kick Off: 4-week tone-up challenge
- Week 1: Jan’s Gettin’ In the Groove
- Week 2: Jan Falls In Love with Flywheel
- Week 3: Jan Proves There’s No Excuse to Skip Workouts
- Week 4:That’ s a WRAP 🙂
Photography provided by Anna Jane
Brit’s Ultimate DIY Boot Camp
Focus: Total body conditioning
Calories burned:500 -800
Duration: 1 hour
Commentary: While the last few days of Spring linger around, head outside and enjoy this lovely weather! You Texans know that our summer heat is NO JOKE . 110 degrees outside = indoor treadmill running for us.
My lil’ sister is home from college – yay! This she week she wanted to go to the gym, but as a typical poor college student, couldn’t afford a membership (and I’m not spottin’ her any $$$). Instead, I taught her how to make her own boot camp. This way, she can work out anytime she wants at a local park or track . This evening, I did the boot camp with her and her friend, Tasia. They really enjoyed it so I figured I share my “formula” with you guys.
To get started, you will need:
- 2 light/medium hand weights (1-10 pounds each for ladies; 5-20 pounds each for gents)
- Yoga Mat or large towel
- At least 100 yards of flat land and/or 1 standard running track (400 meters around)
Tasia and Kort after we finished – they are too young to be this tired! LOL
Brit’s Boot Camp Formula:
+Warm Up
+ 2 Cardio circuits (3-4 cardio exercises in each)
+4 Resistance circuits (4 strength and toning exercises in each)
+ “Booty Kickin” Finale (~10 minutes anaerobic cardio = sucking air!)
= 100% effective FREE personal boot camp
Here’s the complete boot camp that we did today. Print and save or create your own – enjoy!
Here are some pics of us doing the exercises in case you are unfamiliar with some of them 🙂
