It's nice to finally be back home after months of traveling! We are still having beautiful weather here in Los Angeles, so we took advantage of the nice weather and did an outside park workout today. It was a high intensity cardio workout.

Series of sets:

Set 1
1. 12 ski jumps with medicine ball
2. 25 yard sprint
3. 12 tuck jumps (high knee jumps) with medicine ball above head
*Repeat 3 times

Set 2
1. 15 jumping jacks with weighted arm thrusters (shoulder press while doing jumping jacks)
2. 25 yard high knee sprint
3. 15 weighted plank rows (each side)
*Repeat 3 times

Set 3
1. 15 leg switches with arm curl (lunge jump switches while curling)
2. 25 yard broad jumps
3. 25 froggers (in plank position jump so both feet land outside your hands)
* Repeat 3 times

I have been traveling like a mad woman recently!! It is so hard to stay on top of your fitness game when your constantly in a different place! Here is my checklist that I use to make sure I'm staying healthy

1. I always pack my protein bars (quest are my favorite!), nuts, and rice cakes
2. vitamins
3. protein powder and shaker
4. obviously your workout clothes and shoes... silly :)
5. search for gyms in the area you're going to, and inquire about day/ week passes
6. you can also search for fitness classes in the area
7. If there are no gyms or they want to charge you a crazy amount write out workouts prior to leaving! That way you won't be stressed about creating them if you're on a time crunch.

SOOO if you're stuck on number 7 and wondering "Well what workouts can I do without a gym!?" I have a workout for you.... you can breathe easy. This is quick and will get you sweating

On the road workout 1: Tabata workout (20 seconds of workout with a 10 second rest, 10 times through)

1. switch lunge jumps
2. box jumps
3. 4 mountain climbers then pushup
4. squat jumps
5. plank to push ups (pushup position then go to your forearms back to pushup)
6. skater jumps
7. sit ups
8. squat pulse on toes and lift right leg then lift left leg
9. modified plank (on forearms) lift right leg then left leg

Have fun with that!!

Here are some pics from my most recent travel (that's a real wild bald eagle how insane!!?? We were 4 ft away from it!!)

Hellooo fit fam! I have been struggling to write on here as often as I'd like but promise to post more often! I have been going full force in my fitness routine, maybe a little to forceful.  Which is why I recently sustained an achilles tendon injury, and can no longer run for 4-6 weeks. This is a MAJOR speed bump for me as my favorite workouts are anything high intensity with a lot of high impact (running, jumping, leaping, etc.) I usually do HIIT (High intensity interval training) almost everyday, but with my injury I won't be able to for a while. Big bummer... but I will not let it get me down or deter me from working out. I've been researching other workouts to do instead, and so I will be incorporating spinning, rowing, and swimming into my fitness regimen! At first I was very upset, but after looking at the problem in a different positive view I am actually really excited to expand my fitness horizons!! Moral of this long story..... DON'T EVER GIVE UP. Don't let obstacles get in the way of what you want to accomplish, not only in your fitness life but in every aspect of life. There is always a different way to view things, and something good can and will come out of every "negative" experience. Stay true to your dreams, and believe that you are capable of overcoming any obstacle that gets thrown your way.... It'll make you more bad ass in the long run ;)

HAPPY MONDAY!!! I woke up in the best BEAST mood today! Killed my 8:30 A.M. workout with one of my closest friends Scott. He is amazing and is always inspiring me to push harder, he knows how strong I am, and how much stronger I can be. On that note, I wanted to talk about another form of motivation.... FRIENDS! Lately a lot of my friends have joined our wonderful fitness community, and initially I thought I would be the one motivating them. To my very pleasant surprise I found that their stories have motivated me!! Their new thirst and hunger for success has reignited me, and I am forever humbled and grateful :) I will be posting some stories from my friends soon... be on the look out!

For now I wanted to share one of my all time favorite recipes, some of you may have seen it on my (and other's) pinterest. It involves only ONE ingredient....

BANANA ICE CREAM!!!

All you have to do is buy some bananas and leave them out until they've gone a little bad (brown) slice them into pieces and freeze them. Then whiz it up in a blender or food processor, it gets creamy and a little gooey, just like good custard ice cream. It is delicious and it only takes bananas! Try it you will die and go to food heaven :)

Summer!

I am so excited to be back to hot days and warm nights! Who doesn't love summer time?! Summer, to me, is the ultimate fitness motivator. Not only do you want to look amazing in your bikinis but it's so hot outside I find it much easier to eat healthier and lighter meals. I find myself craving fruits at all hours and making pit stops into my local juicery to get my fix!

I wanted to share a recipe that is a staple in my house, and the fiance is always requesting it! It is an adaptation of a recipe from a restaurant in Spain... enjoy!

SPINACH WITH CHICKPEAS AND BACON (with vegetarian subs)

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

ingredients

• 3 slices thick-cut bacon (I substitute turkey bacon, but can do chicken as well... for my VEGETARIANS: sub out for tempeh bacon or vegetarian baco's Frontier brand has a nice one)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 10 cups baby spinach 
• 2 garlic clove, minced

preparation

Cut bacon into 1/4-inch pieces.

Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until browned. Leaving bacon in skillet, spoon off fat (if you use turkey bacon you won't need to do this part). Add 2 tablespoons oil, chickpeas, and red pepper flakes to skillet and saut) over high heat, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas begin to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and garlic and sauté, stirring, until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. 

Happy eating... and remember to live fit!

No excuses (tips for motivation)

There are many excuses everyday we can come up with to not work out. To busy, to tired, i really just don't feel like it. It's okay to have a break day once a week. It helps rebuild your muscles and lets your body rest. It is important to have a day off from hitting the gym, especially when you first begin working out. So how can you stay motivated? This is one of my biggest challenges.  Here are a few things I do to stay motivated.

1.Go into your closet and get some pieces of clothes that you want to fit better. Could be a pair of jeans, a bathing suit ext. try them on and take a picture and every week or month re-try those pieces on. With continuous effort you will see your body look better in them.
2. Get a jar and every time you work out put a dollar in it. Once you've saved some ( say $100) go and buy yourself something. Treat yourself you deserve it!!
3. Read and look at motivational workout things, like blogs and magazines. I go back and re-read some favorite articles or look at pictures of my goals. This helps a lot.
4. Post your goals somewhere that you look at everyday. This can be in the form of pictures and lists. The fridge is a great place! This doesn't have to be only fitness goals but can be any life goals you might have.... save money for a vacation, eat healthy everyday.... by seeing what you want to achieve everyday will remind you of what you're working so hard for.

pt 2

2. Eat Healthy

Yes, getting fit and eating healthy go hand in hand. Like getting fit, eating healthy sounds easy but it is far from that. You have to break your habits and rebuild new ones. You have to essentially create a new life. Your life will revolve around your healthiness. If this sounds daunting and a little intimidating, do not worry.... Your life transforms from an everyday one, to a healthy and optimistic one. I despise rules, I despise things and people that make me feel like I can't do what I want when I want. And at first eating healthy seemed to be just that.... something that set rules. Rules that I, if I wanted to lead a healthy life, would have to follow forever. After I broke my old habits and rebuilt my taste buds (more info on that later) I came to actually crave healthy foods. And the sight of a big mac made me think of the fat that could potentially be added to my body if I ate it. After you feel the amazing effects of eating healthy, you will in fact have a hard time stomaching food that's bad for you. How awesome is that!? It does take time to get to this point, but in the end it really is worth it. While eating healthy is one of the most important things you can do for yourself, don't forget to occasionally break the rules. You do have to have some fun in life and if that means eating your favorite unhealthy meal once in a while.... do it. Don't deprive yourself, it leads to binging and bad moods. The main thing to remember when having your special treat is portion control.

A pound of fat in comparison to a coffee cup.  That is what fat looks like. Makes you rethink those french fries doesn't it.