Five Things

Happy Friday! Fridays used to mean so much more to me when I was working outside of the home...now I am a SAHM and to me, it's just another day. Another day of refereeing, chasing my boys, changing diapers, making bottles, trying to find time in the chaos for a workout and smiling through my teeth as I grin and bare it to try to make it look so easy and fun, even when it's stressful. Parts of it of course are very fun...cute giggles, smiling faces and conversations with my kids never cease to make me happy.

But anyway, on with my Friday Five!

{one}
Farrah is 11 weeks old today! One more week until I can start taking her to the gym childcare...which means a week from now, my workout time will be a bit more regular, unlike the scattered "when I can find time to fit it in during the day" routine it is now. I'm going to love a little scheduled time I can dedicate to myself and my sanity...and two words: barre class. She has also started letting me put headbands on her {finally!} She used to scream and cry when I put them on her and it wouldn't last longer than a minute. As my first and only girl...I was not going to have that. "You WILL wear adorable and ridiculously-sized headbands! I waited my whole life for this!" I would tell her. And this rainbow outfit...I can't even...

{two}
The 50 Shades of Grey trailer debuted yesterday and I am excited to get a girl or two together to make a girls' night of it. I first need to finish the books...I'm only half way into book two and I had lost steam before Farrah was born.




{three}
Cooked up another round of veggies for the next couple of days...and doing more chicken and sweet potatoes today...it is so nice to be at home now instead of work because I don't know how well I could keep up with the meal prep otherwise. I like having some time during the day to get it accomplished, rather than at night when I'm doing dinner, baths and bedtime with the kids. Here is what I made last night -very simple - recipe is on my fitness blog, The Gym Bunny, where I'm chronicling my postpartum weightloss progress.

{four}
Jake and I are headed to the OAR concert tonight on Daniel Island. We are so due for a night out. We pretty much see them every year when they do a show here. It's one of Jake's all-time favorite bands.  This year Phillip Phillips is also performing.

{five}
Now that I'm getting back in the gym more regularly and my body is ready for regular lifting again, I've been very inspired by Erin Stern and the workouts she has on YouTube. Her videos have been very informative and show me even more options for strength-training. If you're into weight lifting, and you should be, I highly recommend checking out her Facebook page and YouTube. How can you not be inspired by her body and her dedication?

Happy Friday and have a great weekend! xo

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Why You Should Use Weight Gloves

Hey y'all - I'm here to tell you about an important item I carry every time I hit the gym --- weight gloves.

Here are my reasons why you should have a pair in your gym bag too:

1. Prevent Callouses

Strength training is an important part of anyone's fitness routine. But that metal or plastic-y exterior of the weights can wreak havoc on your hands.

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Wearing weight gloves can prevent this painful and not-so-good-looking problem.


2. Better Grip

Many glove options provide a better grip for you - making it less likely to slip on the bar or drop a dumbbell. Many are moisture-wicking to keep hand sweat at bay.

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And here are some that I recommend, if you're looking for your own pair:

{GoFit Elite Weight Lifting Gloves}

{Harbinger Women's Pro Wash & Dry Gloves}

 

Make The Most of Your Routine

I strive to find a little time each day to dedicate to fitness. And knowing how hard it is to carve out that time, I want to make sure I am making the most of it. My workout needs to be effective and worth the effort I put into it. I make a point of not "phoning" it in.

Here are some tips I have for making the most of your exercise routine:

1. Change it up and often. I would say that the biggest game-changer for your fitness routine is making sure to keep from plateauing. You need to switch it up. I see so many of the same people at the gym doing the same things over and over. It's like their body is coasting...5 miles on the treadmill {check}, abs {check}...and so on and so forth. A great rule of thumb is to change things up every two weeks. Especially with strength-training. This may simply be adding in more weight/reps, or trying a completely new exercise for the muscle group you work. I found a book a few years back that changed my fitness routine forever and highly recommend it - The Body Sculpting Bible For Women. It taught me what my routine needs to entail in order to be effective. Keep those muscles guessing...and you will see better results.

2. HIIT. Another effective way to keep from plateauing is high-intensity interval training {HIIT}. This is a form of workout that keeps your heart rate high while switching off and on from different forms of cardio/strength moves that for the most part use your entire body {think Insanity}. It's also a great form of workout when you are short on time...these quick bursts of intensity keep that metabolism high and burning calories long after your workout is done.

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3. Focus on one or two muscle groups per workout {strength-training}. I don't like to be all over the place when strength-training. I find it best to focus on one big or two smaller groups of muscles per workout. If I jump from arms to legs all the time, I'm not sufficiently tearing down those muscles enough to rebuild and tone them. When you focus on a single {or two smaller} group{s}, you are able to tear down the muscles...and afterward provide sufficient recovery via rest {wait 48 hrs to work the muscle group again} and nutrients to rebuild them...which brings me to my next tip:

4. Simple Carb + Protein after each workout. You have to refuel your body with the right nutrients post-workout to rebuild what you just tore down. This is the best method I have learned. Great examples of this type of post-workout snack would be - chocolate milk, fruit protein smoothie, string cheese + fruit, nuts + fruit, etc. Your simple carbs are sugars - try to get those from something like fruit, not candy...and then any protein source - nuts, eggs, cheese, lean meat, whey protein, etc.

5. Aim to workout 5-6 days per week. An ideal workout includes a focused strength-training workout {one large or two smaller groups as described above} and at least 30 minutes of cardio. Here's an example of the workout schedule I try to follow and rotate week to week:

Day 1: Legs/Glutes, Cardio - Elliptical 30 min
Day 2: Shoulders/Biceps, Cardio - Treadmill 30 min
Day 3: Back, Cardio - Elliptical 30 min
Day 4: Legs/Glutes {I work these twice a week}, Cardio - Treadmill 30 min or a Spin Class
Day 5: Chest/Triceps, Cardio - Elliptical 30 min

And I just keep on rotating those, while maybe adding in a barre class, outdoor running, etc. in place of something else to keep mixing it up. One rest day a week is important...and always listen to your body.

Do you have any tips of your own for making the most of your workout routine? I would love to hear them!