You can do this before you even get out of bed in the morning. In two minutes. I dare you guys to give me an excuse not to do this!!!

BUT IT REALLY WORKS!!! And I've incorporated it into my regular routine. Added benefit for people with bum knees like myself is lowered impact. Give it a try! All you have to lose is 2 minutes, and maybe a little booty :)

-Made it through 5 rounds plus the first 3 exercises
-Ave. HR 184
-Max HR 194
-30 minutes
-Calories Burned: 383

Weekend Workout: The Dirty Dozen!

Time: 30 Minutes

Warm Up: Run in place, squat, jumping jacks, dance ANYTHING. Move for 5 minutes before you start. Cool down with a march in place before stretching.

You’ll need: A mat, a timer, a wicked playlist and a KILLER attitude!

Goal: Complete as many rounds of these exercises as possible in 30 minutes.

12 exercises, 12 reps each. No breaks scheduled in between, but take them if you need it (Push!)

Beginners: Aim for 3 rounds

Intermediate: Aim for 4-5 rounds

Advanced: Aim for 6+ rounds.

Remember, modify the moves to your level! It’s YOUR workout: no need to jump if you’ve got bad knees! This is for time, and the goal is to keep your heart rate up by engaging your muscles and moving as quick as YOU can. Feel free to use modifications if you’re slowing down!

Basic Tips/Modifications

Squat jumps: Sit down and BACK in a squat. Keep the weight in the heels of your feet (you should be able to wiggle your toes). Explode up, reaching your hands to the sky and jumping off the feet. Land softly, back in the squat and repeat. Modification: You can squat, stand, THEN jump, and squat down again. This can help if you’ve got knee problems. You can also eliminate the jump all together. 

Air Jacks: Like a regular jumping jack, except you lift your legs out to the side and off the floor (think like a firework or an X). The jump can be quick, but sink down to get more power before each jack. Modification: regular jumping jacks.

Pushups: In plank position, lower and push yourself off the ground. Since we’re going for speed, ANYONE can feel free to use the modification from your knees (advanced peeps: 6 rounds of 12 modified pushups is intense too!)

Lie Down, Stand Ups: Exactly as it says. Lie down with your hands and feet outreached in one line (like someone is pulling on your feet and hands in opposite directions). Bring your knees and hands in, and rock up (or use your hands) to a squat position, then stand. Reverse the movement by LOWERING yourself down first, and using your hands to get back to the ground. Contract your abs and protect your back during this movement. Modify by going slower.

Plank Jacks: In plank position, hop your feet out and in like a jumping jack. Keep your hands DIRECTLY under your shoulders. Modification: Step your feet out one at a time, then back in. Beginners, you can be on your knees for this one, and step your hands out instead.

Lunges: Lunge forward, alternating legs. Weight should be in the heel of your lunging foot, and push off that foot to return to standing. Knees should stay over the top of the toes, and not past. Think about lowering your torso to the ground, instead of propelling it forward.

Reverse Lunges: Same as the lunge, but step backwards instead of forwards. Catch yourself, and keep the weight in the front heel. Alternate with each lunge.

Cobra To Plank: Get on your belly! Extend your hands and feet out (like someone’s pulling on them) and lift your chest and legs off the ground (like superman flying). Hold for 1-2 seconds, then return to plank position. Repeat.

In & Out V-Sit crunches: On your tush (use a pillow if you need to), draw your knees into your chest. Hands can be off the floor, or by your sides and behind you for balance). You should look like a V from the side, so keep your abs tight and back should be at about a 45 degree angle from the floor. Draw the knees in and push them out. Keep your back flat, think ‘good posture’, and keep your core contracted. Modification: Basic crunches are fine here.

Split Squat Jumps: From a squat position, step one foot out behind you just a few feet. Keep most of the weight in the front foot, and watch those knees! Sink low into your front heel, and ‘wind’ your arms up by bringing them behind you. Explode off the front foot, jumping in the air and bringing your arms up to the ceiling. Switch legs in mid-air, and land softly on the other side. Repeat. Modification: Do a mini-lunge forward and then jump up, or eliminate the jumps and do another set of lunges instead.

Squat Kicks: Squat down low, and as you raise up lift your leg and kick forward. Use the ball of your foot (the part right under your toes) to push OUT during the kick, and remember they don’t have to be high. Repeat changing sides.

Tricep Dips: Off a bench, chair or couch, position yourself so that your bum is OFF the seat, but scrapes it as you lift and lower. Hands behind you for support, weight in the palms and facing forward. Lower your body down to the ground until your arms are parrallel to the floor and form a 90 degree angle. Raise up quickly. Repeat.

KILL IT!

Workout by ChiChi Kix. Find her on Tumblr & FB...she's awesome!!!

So I was driving along in my car, listening to National Public Radio, shaking my head at the reports on Afghanistan and the economy, when suddenly I was assaulted with the worst news ever: “Having a mere three ounces of alcohol,” intoned a diet book author being interviewed, “reduces fat-burning by about a third.” Now, if there are two things I love in life, it’s drinking wine and burning fat. Hearing they were in opposition was like when I heard Jon and Kate were splitting up: How could you choose between the two when they’re both so delightful? The author continued, “If you’re trying to lose weight, you probably need to stop drinking alcohol. You booze, you don’t lose.”

It’s not like I thought cabernet was made with Splenda. I knew it was calorific, but the idea that it was double-crossing me by slowing my body’s ability to burn fat was almost too much to bear. I normally believe anything NPR tells me, but I decided to do a little fact-checking. I mean, beer is among the top 10 energy sources of Americans (right up there with soda, doughnuts, cheese spread, and corn chips—and, no, I am not making that up). Since the majority of Americans need to lose weight (last count, 67 percent of us are overweight or obese), and health officials are always looking for reasons to tell people to stop drinking (don’t drink if you’re pregnant, don’t drink if you have breast cancer, don’t drink and drive, nag, nag, nag), wouldn’t we have heard by now if Bud Light were some evil fat-storing demon foodstuff? And beyond that, moderate drinking is linked with lower risk for heart disease and diabetes and increased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol—how could it do that and be working overtime to make you fat, too? As I suspected, the story is more complicated than the diet book author suggested—although, sadly, she was not totally off base. How alcohol affects your figure depends on genetics, your diet, your gender, and your habits.

Now I'm going to take a break from the article and talk about my personal experience, but if you'd like to read the rest you can find it here: http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Health-Fitness/Alcohol-and-Calories-Does-Drinking-Cause-Weight-Gain


I seriously began my wellness journey in October, 2011. During that time until about March, a single drop of alcohol did not touch these lips. I was serious. I was motivated. I was ON IT! Then the weather gets a little nicer, and with that comes patio dinners, beer gardens, outdoor bands, and many other enticing activities that tend to include booze. During the last couple months I have consumed alcohol 2-3 times a month. No big deal, right? WRONG! Obviously, there can be other contributing factors here, but I saw an immediate plateau occur as soon as I began drinking again, and the effects seem to linger. I vowed that for the duration of my current 5 week boot camp, I was NOT drinking at all, because I wanted to maximize my results. But week 1 was Cinco De Mayo...and Week 2 my favorite band was playing. My point being, there will always be SOMETHING! If I had the discipline to abstain from alcohol for all those months, there is no good reason I can't do it now. So, I here pledge (very publicly) that I will NOT BE DRINKING until this camp is over.
I have read on some trainer's blogs that 2-3 drinks per week is ok. Other body builders say none at all. I say, that while you're in serious weight-loss mode, just give it a rest. I promise you'll feel better and utilize your time in a much more wise and healthy manner. I should also note that my thoughts aren't directed toward those individuals who simply want to tone up or lose 5 pounds. I'm talking when you're trying to lose a significant amount of weight. I also promise to follow my monthly follow up pics when this bootcamp is over! Always scary:) 
Live Your BEST LIFE; love one another, and most importantly, love YOURSELF today! Feel free to weight in with your thoughts in the comments section!

**Side note: I read an amazing article on alcohol and the effects it has on the body about 6 months back. I can't seem to find it anywhere right now, but when I do, I will be sure to share it!

It's really easy to make excuses as to why you can't work out, and I think lack of time is probably #1. Yes, we are all busy living our lives. But yes, we can find 12 minutes SOMEWHERE in our day to break a little sweat:) Here's a quickie workout from Zuzana Light (you may recognize her as co-creator of Bodyrock TV.) I plan to start my day with this tomorrow and get the old metabolism going! Who's with me?!

Source: http://www.facebook.com/ZuzkaLight

Supermans,Bananas, Mountain Climbers, OH MY!!

and it was AWESOME!! I had just gotten done with boot camp, so I really didn't have a clue how I was going to make it another hour. However, the collective energy in that room & Mark's awesomeness made it-I won't say EASY, but POSSIBLE, to push through it! And it was FUN! I sincerely suggest you all get X'ed ASAP ;) I LOVE a good butt kicking, no lie!

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Jamie Eason just posted this on her Facebook page. I think she makes an excellent point:

“For all of the people frustrated with the stubborn fat on your tummy or the cellulite on your legs, you are not going to like this but even as fitness models, those areas come and go on us depending on the effort that we are making. I can get really lean with some serious commitment but the moment I relax my diet or start missing workouts and my muscle atrophies, I start seeing signs of cellulite return on my legs. Aside from surgery (which isn’t fool proof and can be very dangerous), there is no “do this and lose it forever”. It takes consistent effort. That’s why I structured the LiveFit trainer the way that I did. It’s supposed to teach you to train and eat certain ways to make progress and achieve whatever goal you’re after. No one can keep intensity high or eat perfect all the time. There are times when you will feel motivated to really push and commit and there will be times when it’s the farthest thing from your mind. It’s empowering to learn what to do so that you can apply it when you’re ready but I’m sure that you’ll agree that aside from being healthy, there are far more important things in life than obsessing over our problem areas.”

Here is her LiveFit Trainer.. which comes with a HIGH recommendation from me!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html 

SN-I love Jamie Eason....she's such an inspiration to me!