Wednesday 28 November 2012

Another Great Upper Body Workout!

Hey everyone,

If you are doing a morning workout, the countdown format is a good option.  It is an efficient (but challenging) way to get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time.  We completed another great upper body morning workout using this format.  This workout included four different exercises (two of the exercises used both right and left sides). 

Sunday 25 November 2012

18 minute Fat Blasting Tabata Workout!

Hey everyone,

During the past week, we had several evening commitments.  Thus we switched to morning workouts.  This can be difficult (and a shock to the system), especially when you need to be at work by 7:30am! Even a quick workout, however, is better than nothing.  When we are short on time, we try to choose exercises that will recruit the major muscle groups and challenge our cardio too, maximizing the fat-burning benefits!

We chose a simple Tabata-style workout format for efficiency on the days that we had the least time available.  As a reminder on Tabatas, each exercise is completed for 4 minutes (20 seconds work, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 8 cycles). After each exercise, you have 2 minutes of rest.  We chose three different exercises, to complete this workout in 18 minutes.

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Full-Body 10-9-8 Countdown Workout

Hey everyone,

We enjoyed our previous 10-9-8 countdown workout so much that we decided to stick with this format for our next few workouts.  It was very time-efficient, yet still allowed us to workout all of the muscle groups we wanted.  For this workout, we changed the format slightly, to include both upper and lower body exercises.  Again, we completed 10 reps of each exercise, followed by 9 reps, 8 reps, etc...


Sunday 18 November 2012

Lacking in Motivation?


Hey everyone,

When we returned from our vacation to Fort Lauderdale, we found our motivation to workout suffered. With the nights getting dark earlier and the cold weather upon us, all we really wanted to do was come home from work and curl up on the couch!  Based on a recent comment from one of our readers, it sounds like we're not the only ones who have struggled with motivation...
"I'm having a really hard time with motivation. I wasn't feeling well for a week or so and as a result I didn't go to the gym. Since then I've had a really hard time getting back on track. Any 'words to the wise' on those of us having trouble getting and staying motivated? By the way, didn't anyone ever tell you that vacations are supposed to include martinis and beaches, not workout gear and beaches!!"

To get inspired to exercise again, we decided to change things up and get our days going with early morning workouts.  This has given us a fresh outlook and the motivation to get back on track.

Monday 12 November 2012

Outdoor Workout in Sunny Fort Lauderdale!

Hey everyone,

We just returned from a terrific family vacation to Fort Lauderdale, Florida! During our week-long stay, we managed to fit in three outdoor workouts, along with several swims.  We brought our JungleGym XT with us for suspension trainer exercises at the villa we had rented.  We also had a great run/outdoor gym workout by the ocean. 

One early morning (before it got too hot), we ran down to South Beach Park...


Friday 9 November 2012

Lower Body Couplets + Finisher!

Hey everyone,

For this workout, we decided to focus on two couplets, followed by a great conditioning finisher!  Couplets are an efficient way of working out, as you complete two exercises back-to-back.  This is a great way to boost your metabolism.  The finishing sets are also designed to give your metabolism a boost - and to provide a challenging ending to your workout. 



Tuesday 6 November 2012

"Tight on Time" Upper Body Kettlebell Workout

Hey everyone,

As a follow-up to our previous post "Tight on Time" Workout, here is another variation with upper body exercises.  This workout is great for those tight on time, as it can take as little as 5 minutes to exercise (and surely everyone has at least 5 minutes to devote to their health each day)!

Saturday 3 November 2012

Amazing breakfast recipe - Omelet Bites!

Hey everyone,

Creating a good breakfast (which tastes good and is also nutritious) can be a challenge.  We find we are often short on time for making breakfast during the week, but we don't want to settle for a quick carb-laden bowl of cereal.  That won't keep you full until lunch and it certainly doesn't support a healthy and active lifestyle.

Finding nutritious, protein-packed breakfasts can be hard.  Luckily, we have found a great recipe that can be made ahead of time, lasts in the fridge for the week and is delicious.  It will keep you full until lunch and will give you enough protein to support muscle-building and a healthy metabolism.