Yeah for Friday!

So today's workout is the same as last Friday's - but I am going to offer you more challenging options for some of the exercises.  It's up to you which option you want to take....but knowing this is the last intense workout of the week - you should know what to do....

Warm up for 3-5 minutes - get moving and the blood flowing. (Jog in place, jump jacks, go for a quick run outside, jump rope....)

1000 Reps for your Butt and Core - go thru circuit 4x
Feel free to hold light to medium weight dumbells  (5-10lbs) during any or all of the butt exercises to increase the challenge!

25 Prisoner Squats (hands behind head) OR 25 PRISONER JUMP SQUATS
25 Bottom Half Lunges - each leg (go all the way down and only come half way up)
25 Floor or Stability Ball Crunches OR 25 CRUNCHES OR SB CRUNCHES HOLDING WEIGHT
50 Floor or Upright (on sitz bones) Bicycle Crunches
25 Plie Squats (feet nice and wide, toes turned outward, back nice and straight) OR 25 PLIE JUMP SQUATS
25 Bench/Chair Step Ups Each Leg
50 Plank Knee Tucks (in push up position - pull one knee at a time in towards your chest as you round your back slightly) OR 50 ELEVATED PLANK KNEE TUCKS (feet on bench)
25 Forearm Side Plank Drops - Each Side (side plank on your forearm, feet stacked or one in front of the other - option to have bottom knee down - drop bottom hip down towards the floor and pull back up) OR 25 STRAIGHT ARM SIDE PLANK DROPS

Have a great workout!  Fantastic job this week.

Remember - TRAIN WITH INTENTION

To the Point

Cardio and lift for today - back and biceps for strength training.
Remember that for the cardio portion - try and push yourself through it with minimal breaks.


Just 5 moves - go through the circuit 5x!

25 Squat Jumps
20 Jump Lunges
15 Push Ups
10 V-Ups
5 Burpees with Push Ups

Take a quick swig of some water...breath and then hit the weights.  Back and Biceps in the STRENGTH TRAINING CIRCUITS tab on the right :)

Remember  - TRAIN WITH INTENTION!

Great Way to Heat Things Up

Hope everyone enjoyed yesterday's cardio challenge - make a note of your time - we will come back to that in a bit to see if you can beat that time.

Today's workout includes an intense round of cardio and strength training - chest, triceps and shoulders.  Try and see if you can go up in your weights this week.

Warm up for a few minutes.

Go thru the following exercises 3x as fast as you can.

20 High Knees
5 Burpees with Push Ups
20 Standing Bicycles (hands behind head, bring one knee up as you crunch the opposite elbow towards it)
20 Mountain Climbers
20 Plank Jacks
5 Burpees with Push Ups
10 Back Lunge to Front Kick - each side (start in lunge position - kick the back leg to a front kick and return to the lunge)
30 second forearm plank hold

Now go lift - click on the STRENGTH CIRCUITS tab on the right side.

remember - TRAIN WITH INTENTION!

Just HIIT it....Time Challenge

Hello all.  Today's workout is all body weight exercises that will provide you with a challenging cardio workout.  I want you to do it as fast as you can.  So really push yourself.  Enjoy.  POST YOUR TIMES IF YOU GET A CHANCE!

Warm up and then GO THRU EACH CIRCUIT 3x TIMES - as fast as possible.

Circuit #1
50 High Knees
40 Pop Squats (start with feet together  - jump up and out to a wide squat - return to feet together)
30 Push Ups
20 Plank Double Knee Tuck Jumps (in push up position, jump both feet in so your knees come towards your chest - jump them both back)
10 Burpees with Push Up

Circuit #2
50 Mountain Climbers
40 Jump Lunges
30 V-Ups (lay on back, arms straight overhead - as you lift your legs up, lift your arms up as well to meet your legs in the middle, return back down - but not all the way to the floor.  Advanced people can lift their entire upper body up as well)
20 Tricep Push Ups
10 Burpees with Push Ups

And as always - TRAIN WITH INTENTION!

Monday Muscle Mash Up

Hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to get started again.  Whether you have been training with me for a bit or are just starting - remember - put your all into each and every workout.  Results are only achieved if you push yourself to your limit during these short intense workouts!

Today's workout is a combination of high intensity cardio bouts with strength training circuits in between.  So you will need a pair of dumbbells, preferably a couple (3-5 and 8-10) of different options if you have them.

Go thru each circuit 3x before moving onto the next.

Warm Up for a few minutes - jog in place, go for a quick run, jumping jacks...etc.

CIRCUIT #1

50 Jump Squats or Fast Squats 

20 Push Ups

20 Lying Chest Flys with Leg Extension (on back, hold weights up with palms facing eachother, legs up in tabletop position.  As you open your arms out to the side extend your legs as parallel to the floor as you can without lifting your lower back off the ground.  Return legs back to tabletop as you bring your arms back in as well)

CIRCUIT #2

50 Jump Lunges or Fast Step Back Alternating Lunges

20 Bent Over Rows w/ palms facing eachother

20 Plank Rows (in push up position holding dumb bells - alternate rowing one weight up towards your lower rib cage)

CIRCUIT #3

50 High Knees

15 Bicep Curls

15 Overhead Presses (palms face forward push weights overhead, return to ear height)

50 Bicycle crunches on back or on sitz bones

CIRCUIT #4

50 Mountain Climbers

10 Side Raises and 10 Front Raises

15 Overhead Tricep Extensions (hold one weight or two overhead, bend elbows and drop them behind your head, keep your elbows by your ears, extend back up overhead)

25 Knee Tucks (Sit with hands on floor underneath shoulders, knees bent.  Lean back as far as you can and extend your legs straight out, floating off the ground, pull your knees back in towards your chest as you sit your upper body upright again)

and remember . . . TRAIN WITH INTENTION!

Friday...Finally :)

Hey Everyone -
Here is your last workout of the week.  We are focusing on the butt and the core today.

Warm up for 3-5 minutes - get moving and the blood flowing. (Jog in place, jump jacks, go for a quick run outside, jump rope....)

1000 Reps for your Butt and Core - go thru circuit 4x
Feel free to hold light to medium weight dumbells  (5-10lbs) during any or all of the butt exercises to increase the challenge!

25 Prisoner Squats (hands behind head)
25 Bottom Half Lunges - each leg (go all the way down and only come half way up)
25 Floor or Stability Ball Crunches
50 Floor or Upright (on sitz bones) Bicycle Crunches
25 Plie Squats (feet nice and wide, toes turned outward, back nice and straight)
25 Bench/Chair Step Ups Each Leg
50 Plank Knee Tucks (in push up position - pull one knee at a time in towards your chest as you round your back slightly)
25 Forearm Side Plank Drops - Each Side (side plank on your forearm, feet stacked or one in front of the other - option to have bottom knee down - drop bottom hip down towards the floor and pull back up)

Have a great workout!  After you finish give yourself a pat on the back for all the hard work you did this week and then enjoy your weekend!

Remember - TRAIN WITH INTENTION

HIIT It A Little Harder

Today we are going to increase the intensity of your HIIT training.  There are not as many exercises but they are all a bit more difficult than what we've been doing for the last week.  These are just harder versions of what you've done - if you are not ready to take on this challenge - JUST DO WHAT YOU CAN DO!

Quick HIIT - go thru 3x as fast as possible

5 Double Burpees (this means 2 push ups and 2 jumps at the end of each burpee)

10 Firefly PushUps (in push up position, knees or toes, as you come down into your push up bring your knee towards the same side elbow, return your leg back as you push up) 

5x thru - 20 High Knees, 20 Mountain Climbers, 20 Plank Jacks

15 V-ups (lay flat, legs straight out and arms overhead - lift legs as high as you can as you reach your hands towards your toes - Advanced version would be to lift your entire upper body off the floor)

Lift Chest, Tris and Shoulders - in the Strength Circuit section to the right.

Remember - TRAIN WITH INTENTION!

HIIT, Lift and Core

Alright everyone - quick cardio and then hit the weights.
Since you pushed through that HIIT workout yesterday with all the push-ups, start off your lift with the Back and Biceps workout in the Strength Circuit Programs page.  After that push through the Core Circuit.  Remember to lift weights that challenge you!

Quick Cardio -
(You can always go for a nice quick run - 15 to 20 minutes at a moderate pace)
Warm Up for a few minutes - jog in place, jump jacks, go for a quick run...just warm up

Go through the following full circuit 3x -
5 Burpees with Push Up
Go through the following circuit 5x: 10 High Knees - 10 Mountain Climbers - 10 Plank Jacks
20 Squat Jumps
Go through the following circuit 5x:  10 Jump Jacks - 10 Mountain Climbers - 10 Push Ups
20 Jump Lunges

Now go lift Back and Biceps

Come back for some Core - go through 3x
25 lying crunches (use a stability ball if you have one)
50 lying or upright (on your sitz bones) bicycles
25 lying leg drops - on your back, slide your hands under your lower back/top of your bum - start with your legs straight up in the air, slightly bent, then drop them as far down as you can keeping your lower back pressed against your hands
30 second forearm plank hold - start off on your toes then drop your knees STRAIGHT down if you get tired before the time is up

Tuesday's Hot and Sweaty Fun

Today's workout is all about pumping up your heart rate, burning some major calories and strengthening your muscles using your own body weight.  We will hit the weights again later on this week.

Start with a quick warm up - jog in place - go for a 5 minute run outside - do something to warm up your muscles.

Go thru the circuit 3x as fast as possible
25 Squats
5 Burpees with a Push Up (Start standing, squat down, hands to floor, jump/step feet back to push up position, do a push up, jump/step feet back in, stand up, jump or knee tuck jump)
50 Bicycle Crunches
5 Burpees with a Push Up
10 Tricep Push Ups - knees or toes
5 Burpees with a Push Up
30 Reverse Lunges to Front Kick (Start with feet hip distance apart, step one leg back to a lunge, step that same leg forward to a front kick - return that same leg behind you to the lunge - 15x each leg)
5 Burpees with a Push Up
10 Elevated Push Ups (Put your feet up on something - the higher they are, the more challenging the Push Up will be)
5 Burpees with a Push Up
50 Side Plank Drops (Get into a forearm side plank - you can stack your feet, have one in front of the other or even drop your bottom knee.  Drop your hip as close to the floor as you can and then return to side plank - 25 times each side) - Remember - pull up through your obliques - don't push through your arm.

Have a great workout!
And remember - TRAIN WITH INTENTION!

Monday Muscles

Mondays are a great day to get back into your fitness routine - especially if you celebrated a little more than usual the weekend before!  Start the week off right and you will create the momentum you need to continue throughout the week.

Today we are going to do a little HIIT training and then work on our muscle endurance  - light weight, high reps.

Quick HIIT
Go thru 3x as fast as possible
25 Squats
10 Push Ups
10 Full Sit Ups
25 Low Jacks - jumping jacks that are kept low - jump feet wide and then together to a low squat
20 Standing Bicycles - hands behind head - bring one knee up as you twist opposite elbow to meet it
10 Burpees without Push Up - start standing, squat down put hands on floor, jump/step feet back to push up position, jump/step them back in, stand up and jump


Muscle Endurance
Choose a moderate weight - probably 5 or 8 lbs - Go thru the following circuit 5x - 10 reps each exercise - no rest in between exercises!

Squats - holding db at your side
Right leg Lunge with Overhead Press
Left leg Lunge with Bicep Curl
Bent over db Row
Lying Chest Press with leg extension (lie on back legs bent at 90 degree angle and dbs up in full extension - as you drop the dbs down extend your legs long - as parallel to the floor as you can without lifting your lower back off the ground)
Lying tricep extension - keep your legs in table top, palms face eachother, bend at the elbow and lower dbs to either side of your head


REMEMBER - TRAIN WITH INTENTION!

Weekend Workout

Hey Everyone -
Kudos to those of you that worked through this weeks workouts.  I hope that you enjoyed the workouts as well as felt challenged by each and every one of them.  For this weekend I want you to do the following workout on either Sat or Sun.  Make sure you take a day off to allow your body to recover.  REST is key to making sure your muscles have time to recover, repair and strengthen.  But remember - you still can be active on a rest day - go for a walk, hike, play some rec. sports....moving is good.  Also remember to continue to hydrate your body as if you were working out!!!

Go thru this circuit 5x - you will have complete 1000 reps

50 Prisoner Squats - (hands behind head)
25 Push Ups
25 Step Ups - Left Leg
25 Tricep Push Ups - or Tricep Dips on a chair
25 Full Sit Ups - if you need to - slide your feet under a chair
25 Step Ups - Right Leg
25 Knee tucks - sit up, hands down by your bum - pull your knees into your chest then extend your legs out straight as you lean back

Have Fun!

A Little HIIT and then some more weights!

So today we are going to start our workout with some HIIT (high intensity interval training) and then finish with another strength training session to work your back and biceps.

900 Rep HIIT Session: go thru 3x as fast as possible
50 Mountain Climbers
10 Push Ups
50 Bottom half squats (stay down - do not come all the way up between reps)
10 Push Ups
50 Plank Jacks (down in a push up position - jump feet out and then back together)
10 Push Ups
50 Jump Lunges (take a lunge stance - go down, as you come up switch your legs in the air) or 25 lunges each leg
10 Push Ups
50 High Knees or Jump Rope Skips
10 Push Ups

Grab a drink and then move on to your strength training session - click on the Strength Training Circuits link on the right . . .

Let's Hit the Weights

Hope you guys are feeling good after Wednesday's workout - now we are going to move on.

So for today I want you guys to strength train 3 body parts - Your chest, triceps and shoulders.  You can do this circuit at the gym or at home if you have weights.  Just make sure that you pick weights that are challenging.  You should get to your 12th rep on each set and need to take a break - if not - go up in your weight. YOUR MUSCLES WON'T CHANGE UNLESS THEY ARE CHALLENGED.

To get the circuit - click on the link to the right titled STRENGTH TRAINING CIRCUITS.

In addition to the strength circuit - make sure you get in at least 20 minutes of hard cardio in, either before or after your lift - your choice.

You have to start sometime . . .

Alright everyone - make EVERY workout count.  You don't have to workout out for hours and hours on end - I always tell my clients - workout smarter and harder.  It's NOT THE LENGTH OF TIME YOU WORKOUT - IT'S WHAT YOU DO AND THE INTENSITY AT WHICH YOU DO IT that gets results.  So I'm going to assume that most of you reading this post have been either training with me or coming to my classes so you know what I expect from you, if not - do your best - push yourself - it's your body - it will only change if you want it badly enough.  Okay - enough talking  - here is what I want you to do today.

20 minutes of CARDIO INTERVALS - 30 seconds of hard hard work followed by 30 seconds of moderate recovery.  This can be done anywhere.  AT THE GYM - sprint on a treadmill for 30 seconds - jump to the sides and relax for 30 seconds - repeat - see if you can up the speed each time.  You can do this on the elliptical or bike as well.  OUTSIDE - if you run - you can pick up the pace for 30 seconds and then jog for 30 seconds.  If you're not up to running the whole time - jog for 30 seconds and then walk for 30.

BODY WEIGHT CIRCUIT - 2-3x thru: NO REST - GO FROM ONE EXERCISE TO THE NEXT
50 Squats
40 Mountain Climbers (In push up position - bring one knee at time in towards chest as fast as you can)
30 Lunges (15 each side)
20 Crunches
10 Tricep PushUps (on knees or toes) - arms are narrow - keep elbows by your sides as you lower
10 Burpees (w/o Push Up) - start standing, squat down place hands on floor - jump or step your feet back to   push up position - jump or step them back in - stand up and jump - repeat
20 Standard PushUps (knees or toes)
30 Step Ups (15 each leg) - step on a bench or table that is at least 16" high
40 Bicycle Crunches
50 Plank Jacks - in push up position - jump both feet out and then back together (can walk one out at time if you need to)

Have a great workout.  This is only the beginning.  Train like you mean it.

Let's get started . . .

Hello everyone - welcome to my Fitness Blog.  I am here to educate, guide, inspire, help and train you to get the body that you want.

My passion is fitness and I want to share my knowledge and journey with you.  I am a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor and am lucky to be able to do what I love to do every day.  When I'm not training clients or teaching classes I spend a lot of my free time working out.
I have been active all my life but it wasn't until after college that I took my training into the gym and where I got hooked.  I love going to the gym and the feeling I get after I finish an intense workout - whether it's a Power Yoga class, lifting split, or a HIIT session.

But I also understand that the gym is not the environment that everyone feels comfortable to exercise in so I would like to provide all of you with AT-HOME workouts as well as GYM workouts.  Wherever you like to workout I want to provide you with the knowledge and guidance to make your time worth while.  Workout smarter and harder to get the results you want.

Check out the site every day for new workout routines, tips, nutritional advice and anything else I can offer and share with you guys.  Please contact me with any questions, suggestions or comments!!!