Hey guys & gals here is one of my FAVORITE work – outs to take out on the road with me and you need absolutely NOTHING!! Which makes it perfect for traveling, spring break, summertime vacations, etc., Do on the beach, in the hotel, in a park, heck, parking lots are my fave! Just do it is the point.

It is best to warm up those gams with some type of cardio. I usually do a 30 – 45 minute jog depending on my morning time and then spend 30 minutes knocking this circuit out of the park. I love, love, love it because one of my target spots are my legs. They are super muscular, but if I don’t work it, I lose it! If you are really focusing on toning & shaping up your legs, glutes & thighs,  aim to do this lower body circuit  at least 3 times a week for 6 weeks and notice how goooood those summertime shorts are going to look on you!

Sculpting for Tight Glutes, Hips, & Thighs

Circuit 1:  Repeat 3 times with minimal rest between circuits

20 Basic Squats

20 Mountain Climbers

20 Walking Lunges

10 Burpees

Circuit 2:  Repeat 3 times with minimal rest between circuits

10 Lateral Lunges

20 V-Jump to Tuck Jump (the set counts as 1 rep)

20 Sumo Squat

20 High Knees (Each Side!)

Circuit 3:  Repeat 2 times with minimal rest between circuits

20 Groucho Walk Forward (a favorite from P90X!)

20 Groucho Walk Backward

20 Jumping Jacks

20 Front Kicks (each side)

** This part is not a circuit- just perform the exercises as described.

30 Abduction- on each side (15 full range of motion, then 15 at the TOP 1/2 of the range)

25 Tea Cups (aka Fire Hydrants) on EACH side

25 Donkey Kicks on EACH side

15 Superman

Have fun and if you are dreading the ever so forgotten about leg day, remember, you will feel AMAZING afterwards! I’ll be cheering you on!

Much Love & Sweat!

~ Renee

 

 

Done is the new perfect!! How’s that for a stress reducer?!

Today, I want to talk about the hang up so many of us get and that is waiting until the timing is just right before we start something or take on a new adventure. Guilty, right here!  Every find yourself reading, thinking, planning, etc….and then realizing your have spent so much time preparing, you haven’t actually made the leap yet? It is  so normal to become crazily involved with the whole planning process and then stop and realize, uhhhh, I just need to get out there and DO IT! That is truly the only way to learn – jump in, try something, apply what you learn and go at it again, improving all of the time. Timing is NEVER going to be just right, there is always going to be something that pops up, this is called life. 😉 Not being cheeky here, but we set such high standards for ourselves that it ends up hurting us in the end instead of enriching our lives. Why? Because we don’t want to fail. Of course not, who enjoys the feeling of failure, but here’s the cool thing, how about we take the pressure of getting it (whatever that “it” is) 100% right the first attempt and instead, be 100% content with the fact that you got out there, you did it, boom! Done is the new perfect, be happy with that and take the pressure off! You will find that you will be happier with your accomplishment, more confident in yourself and proud that you didn’t let anyone or anything stop you from taking the first step. Think about it this way – have you ever waited in line for a roller coaster and felt the anticipation, excitement & butterflies build in your stomach? Now, think about how you immediately feel after the ride, excited, accomplished and so worth it!

Remember, it is not you who fails. Humans can’t fail, it is just the process that needs adjusted and the only way to learn how to do that is to start trying!

Make it a great day, my friends!

XOXO

~ Renee

One single thought can change the way you feel.

One single negative thought can impact your entire day, but only if you let it.

One internal fear can stop you from being, doing, creating, something amazing.

All too often, one negative thought leads to another and another and so on. Negative energy builds on negative energy. Positive energy builds on positive energy.

One choice, your choice, your perspective, your inner strength can change everything…

The more you think of something, the more it takes hold of you, consumes you. The key is to not let  negative thoughts, evil and frustartion invade and take over that space. It is normal for these thoughts to seep in, actually it happens quite often, but we must push them out. Don’t give them a chance to settle into your mind or heart.

A powerful way to re-focus is to take a few deep breaths, start with five. That’s it. the next time you are feeling stressed from a co – worker or traffic is not working in your favor or maybe you received some really awful news, pause, breathe deep (in through the nose, out of the mouth) and then move forward to deal with the situation. Before you know it, this response will become second nature and you will find yourself dealing with stressful situations with a more level heart. Does deep breathing instantly fix the problem, no, but it does put you in a better place.

What if you feel consumed by negative thoughts? Make a positivity (I may have just made that word up!) notebook. Sounds silly, but starting off each morning by writing down a positive thing in your life sets the pace for the day. Some days may be deep thoughts about a special someone, child, friend, a specific circumstance, etc., and other days may be lighter  — like you are so thankful for a new shampoo you found because you love the smell. Both are positive and that’s the point. Oh and for that negative thought, write it down or say it aloud, acknowledge that ONE negative thought and DO NOT ALLOW one after that one. You must be strong and push those aside by replacing them with positive thoughts. That is step ONE in clearing your mind.

We have been programmed from birth to present with our own, unique way of thinking.  While it may take some time to re-program the mind, once you begin to understand the power of the mind and the extreme power your thoughts have over you, start really paying attention and taking note of the direction of your life when you limit negativity and fill the space with positive thoughts.

Much love to you!

xoxo

Renee

Update: I recently had a visit with a friend and we happened to be talking about the power of thought. She shared with me what her Dad told her once – we cannot always control the thoughts that sometimes enter our mind, but when the negative ones enter, we can choose to change the channel. Similar to the television, don’t like it, change the channel. The more you do it, the more this effort will become normal! My question for you is what channel are you tuned into today?!

 

 

We have the capability to do anything,

If you have fallen off of your 2016 fitness goals, do not fear, you are not alone! Just because you have one “off “day, you can always start over the next day. Give yourself a little wiggle room! The most important thing is to keep going, don’t quit. You’ve made a lot of awesome progress, so keep at it!

5 Easy Tips to Getting Back on & Staying on Track

1. Cut out unnecessary calories by choosing to drink water or unsweetened tea. Cut out soda, fruit juice, fancy soda mixes, etc. Those calories add up quickly and are simple to cut. Save up to 500 calories a day depending on how many sugary drinks you normally consume! Wowza!!

You can drop a pound a week by trimming 500 calories each day.(Calories burned are based on a 150-pound woman.)

2. Order from the appetizer menu. There are lots of yummy choices here that are much better in portion sizes! Bonus tip: Happy Hour is one of my favorite times to check out a new restaurant. It is an awesome way to try a variety of foods and really test drive the hot spot before you go all in! That way if you don’t care for it, you don’t feel bad about the money you spent. Calories and money saved!

3. Skip the chips or wheat crackers for celery, carrots & cucumber. Slice cucumber and use the same way you would use the cracker. Spread hummus, olive tapenade, add a baby tomato or crimini mushroom for a tasty, healthy snack. More veggie, less empty calories!

4. Salad dressing on the side, always! Ordering a salad can be healthy, but it can also pack a lot of hidden calories…and sugar! When the dressing comes on the side, you have control of how much you put on. Olive oil + red wine or balsamic vinegar is a tasty alternative to creamy dressings.

5. Have a sweet tooth? Try peppermint or chamomile tea with a little bit of honey, digest for a few minutes while you relax post meal and see if that curbs your craving from that richer dessert. Still have it, go ahead, have a little dessert, not the huge portion, better to satisfy than deprive. Moderation, of course!

A little here and a little there with an increase in exercise and boom! Before you know it, you can drop 10 pounds in 5 weeks! Hello swimsuit season!

Who remembers those little glow in the dark stars that were probably stuck to the walls & ceilings of every kid growing up in the 90’s?! Loved, loved, loved them. My sis and I shared a room our whole life and I was seriously obsessed with those stars. We had two kinds –  the plastic, larger ones that could stick to the ceiling with some putty AND the tiny, little sticker ones that I later learned were miserable to remove when it was time to paint! (Sorry Mom & Dad) The funny part is that my sis and I never tried to make artistic designs or constellations or even thought about putting them on the wall. Our goal was to cover every single white space on the ceiling during the day because at night when we would turn out the lights, it looked so, so cool!

           

Anyhow, I was recently putting together a little package for a friend of mine who is newly engaged. Her and her fiancé have the cutest, most curious fun loving little boy. I wanted to include a small gift for him and thought a package of stars was just right. Which, in turn triggered a wonderful trip down my childhood memory lane and an awesome opportunity to share it with a little friend! (We may or may not have just painted over the ceiling of stars…shhhh!)

Whether it is a familiar scent, an accidentally lost & found again picture or something you stumble on while out shopping it is always fun to be reminded of the things that brought joy to your youth. To share it with others is even better, old can be new again. 😉

As I was walking down the aisles of the Supermarket the other day, I noticed how much the gluten free options were popping out all over place! Crackers, cookies, chips, all types of snacks, frozen food, the list of gluten free foods seems to be growing at a very rapid pace. Not to mention that I also noticed how they were very cleverly placed — on the end caps , in the middle of the main aisle and even in the produce section…((insert dramatic music here) !

Ahhhh, U.S. Marketing at its’ finest – guys and ladies, just because the package is labeled gluten free does not mean it is a healthier option for you. It is such a common mis – conception that gluten free automatically means healthy. Remember when the huge fad was if it is fat – free it is better for you?  Never mind the list of all the other stuff that went into that tiny cup of yogurt to make it palatable, it says fat free, so you can eat as many as you want. Yikes, did that ever backfire! It turns out that the whole food, the actual real deal is so much healthier for you and most of  the time you end up eating less of it because you are truly satisfied! Similar to all of the fat free products,  there is most likely a steep list of processed ingredients hidden behind that GF stamp. You are so not alone in thinking it may be better for you — the good news, you can educate yourself and make changes. Which brings me to my next topic, stomach issues.

Have you ever wondered why it seems that over 50% of people have some sort of stomach or digestive issue? The way we manufacture many of our consumable goods has drastically changed over the decades, it is just a fact. Science, man and our huge demand to keep the shelves stocked in a growing population are all reasons to look a little closer at what you are actually eating. It does seem that more and more young people and I’m talking children & teens are being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s or Irritable Bowl Disease. You really have to wonder why?

Tummy issues are no fun, period. I can totally relate as I fall into the digestive disease disorder, with Crohn’s Disease. If you have ever experienced a distended, swollen and sensitive to even the lightest touch inflammation, you know how uncomfortable stomach issues can be. Inflammation at this level could be causing permanent damage. While there are heaps of anti – inflammatory foods with healing benefits, (stay tuned for a future post on this) the key is to prevent inflammation from happening in the first place and one of the ways that prevention starts is with what you choose to put into your body. Don’t get me wrong, it is a process at first and involves research, some planning, commitment, patience and mega will power. However; like any new routine, once you adapt, it becomes second nature. And the huge pay off  is  not only do you feel so much better, your body’s natural energy level surges, inflammation decreases and you just feel darn good. You may even notice your skin looking clearer and your jeans fitting a little loser, hey, hey, hey!! Try it, I challenge you to take three weeks and cut out all wheat and grains. Journal exactly how you  feel every day and note the small changes too. Three weeks, 21 days, that is it and then decide for yourself. Why three weeks? Because it takes time for the body to adjust to what you are doing. It didn’t get to where it is overnight & it won’t get to where it needs to go overnight. Consistency + dedication = success in anything you are doing! Those small changes will add up to huge results for you! Need some support? I would love to cheer you on along the way!

Jess over at Paleo Grubs has an awesome, easy & colorful blog to begin your dedication to a healthier you . She includes some really great (easy)recipes, information and insight into how your diet can change your world for a much happier, healthier you! Paleo Grubs – Gluten Free vs. Paleo (What You Need to Know)

Let’s talk about Periscope!! Who out there has heard of Periscope?  Who wants some “hearts”, ha, ha, everybody does! And I am NOT just talking about for Valentine’s Day! If you haven’t heard of Periscope, you soon will. It is a fairly new social media platform that allows you to stream LIVE video that is then available for reply for 24 hours and then…boom, it is gone. It does NOT exist forever like so many things  we put out there  on the interweb. Pretty sweet idea. I actually love it because unlike so many other social media platforms, you can’t edit, airbrush, shoot creative pictures or hide behind the screen. Live, in the moment, just you, that little red button and your viewers.  Viewers get to comment  in a scrolling format, if you miss it, they can comment again in a scroll that continues to pop up on your screen in real time and you can answer your viewers instantly, in-between whatever you are scoping about OR you can take a Q & A at the end. The style is totally up to you.  The awesome part about Periscope is that it is totally interactive, and LIVE! I LOVE THE IDEA!!

The huge Periscope convention is being held this weekend in beautiful San Francisco and it has also been released on Twitter. Which means that you can scope and it will feed LIVE on TWITTER and you do not need the Periscope app! Oh, did I mention this is a phone only social media platform, yep, it is. I am by no means a Periscope expert, but I have been watching a couple of superstars that have taught me a thing or two and I am sharing….and learning! Shout out to @ChaleneJohnson, @rayhigdon, @1AlexKhan & @AngieLentzNASH for showing us the way. Hilarious – informative and entertaining, all of them!

A  few tips:

• Share. As you are watching the Periscoper (not sure if I made that word up), and if you are loving what you are watching, share with your followers. You can share with all or share with specific people depending on what the content is and who you think may want to also join in. Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen to share and invite.
• How do your followers know you are broadcasting live? The app (once installed) gives a little whistle to your followers to alert them that YOU are scoping! Remember, if they can’t tune in at that time, they have 24 hours from the time you record  to watch the replay.
• And for those “hearts”….liking what you are seeing, hearing & learning — tap that screen!! Tap for hearts! Show the person who is doing the Scope that you are liking the content, a little positive reinforcement is awesome, so show the love!

Wanna follow me as I begin my Periscope debut, I may rumble, bumble & stumble — actually I know I will, but I am sure it will make for some good viewing!

Tune in @rbaus

Now, go out there and make YOUR day a  good day!

~ R