Nine Minute Arm Meltdown!

The Workout

I am not one of those people who think you need to spend an hour in the gym everyday in order to be fit. Far from it!

First of all, that is just unrealistic. I don't have an extra hour every day to workout, plus the time there and back, plus the extra time to get cleaned up and ready for the rest of my day (especially since I workout in the afternoon).

Second, I have been to the gym with people who take an hour (or more!) and honestly, I feel like I can get the same workout by pushing myself 10x harder for a shorter amount of time.

So with all of the craziness of my current life, I needed a quick arm workout last night. This one did the trick!

Be sure to use a challenging but manageable weight. Three minutes is a looooong time and the goal is to not stop and never take the tension off of your muscle.

I have been doing curls with 15lbs but I went with 10lbs so that I could complete the entire circuit. A workout buddy mentioned upping her weights but I recommended that she wait for another workout to do that. She said after the first minute that she was glad she waited!

I completed Tricep Extensions with 15lbs, Kickbacks with 5lbs and had to substitute the Pull Downs for more Extensions due to lack of access to the cable machine.

I did my pushups on my knees, Shoulder Press with 10lbs (which was very challenging after having already completed the following planks...)10lbs for Chest Flies and 5lbs for Lateral Raises.
 

The proof? My arms are so sore this morning! I love that feeling! 

Before working my arms I completed Tina's Plank Challenge. 
Although the challenge is to workout Wednesday and time your planks Monday and Friday, Wednesday is my rest day so I saved it for Thursday and I will time my plank on Saturday.

It was much harder than I thought it would be but I feel the soreness this morning so I know I got a great core workout!

Pitiful Dinner, Beautiful Breakfast

Last night's dinner was just annoying! I made Nathan some Chicken Alfredo before I went to workout but I knew I didn't want anything that carb- heavy. So I made and extra chicken breast before leaving for the gym and decided I would figure out what to do with it when I got back.

After a workout, house cleaning, and some random packing, I just wanted something quick and easy! Thank goodness the chicken was already cooked!

Since 2:30 minutes is too long to wait, I finished off the last of the Greek Yogurt while I microwaved my chicken.

Then I had my chicken with a bit of Bar-B-Q sauce. Nothing fancy, nothing extremely balanced, just protein to recover and food to make my stomach happy!

Good enough for me!

Breakfast was considerably better. I haven't had eggs for a long time and their return was very warmly welcomed.

I was running late so I wound up taking the orange with me to finish on my way to work.

Mmmmm....

How long are your normal workouts? Do you ever eat in the car on your way to work? (I do way too often)

Jumping The Gun(s)

Good Morning!!

Well if you follow me on twitter (@morerabbitfood), instagram (haws7211) or Facebook, you have already seen this little morning blunder...

 #thathappened

I am really not dependent on coffee, but I am telling you, I was out of sorts this morning!

But I eventually got it figured out and I am now enjoying a lovely, warm, creamy cup of coffee.

Mmm.... So worth getting out of bed for!

The Workout

Yesterday's workout was great! It was Total Body/Arm Intensive day and I always find that to be challenging. I want a workout that will make me sweat and keep my heart rate up but at the same time will really challenge my arm muscles. Most of the moves I do for arms do not provide the dose heart pumping that I was hoping for. So I threw in a TON of jumping jacks!!

It was a lot of fun! I had two friends come over to workout with me and we were all sweaty messes by the time we were only half way through! But it moved quickly and changed often which I love.

The first set focuses on just arms. The second set really targets upper back and chest. The last set attacks your abs and works your legs.

Overall: WIN.

Let's talk about it.

Are you a coffee drinker? Do you function well without it?

Too Tough For Skinny Jeans

The Workout

Oh man! Tonight's workout was too good! I couldn't wait to share it with you all!!

If you follow me on twitter (@morerabbitfood) you saw my earlier tweet...

So with that as my inspiration, I wrote the workout "Too Tough For Skinny Jeans!!"

Oh yea!

Oh man it was great! Make sure you are using a challenging weight. It goes quickly so push yourself!!
I used 10 lbs in each hand for Alternating Lunges
10lbs total for squats
10lbs in each hand for Step Ups

I used a 7.5lb plate resting on my lower stomach for Bridges
Body weight for Elevated Leg Lifts
2.5lb plate resting on my foot for Inner Thigh Lifts (you could also use a heavy book!)

I used 20lbs for One Leg Dead Lifts
10lbs for Gorilla Squats (dropped them for the second round)
Body weight for One Leg Wall Sit (more than enough!)

It's only 20/30/60 seconds so be sure you are using the most weight that you can safely lift. The more you push yourself the faster you see results!!



Have a great night all!!!

Guns And Buns Workout

The Workout

We are going to jump right in with yesterday's workout! It is one of my favorites and I can't believe I haven't posted it until now!

The 'Guns and Buns' workout is exactly what its title suggests. It is a workout that focuses on arms and glutes. And it does not disappoint!!

This is a fast moving, muscle ripping, sweat dripping circuit workout that is fun and challenging! Use weights that push you! I could barley make it to the end of thirty seconds and that is exactly what you want! if you get to 25 seconds and think "I could do this all day" up your weight!! 

I completed Chest Flies with 10lbs, Bicep Curls with 15lbs, Tricep Extensions with 15lbs, and everything else with body weight. KEEP GOOD FORM. There is no reason to workout at all if you slack on form. You won't target the muscle like you want and you are just asking for injury.

I cannot tell you how much fun this was! If it weren't for my 'no back to back routines' rule I would do this again tonight! 

If you need any move explained comment below and I will get back with you soon. I am working on a 'Moves' Page that will detail every exercise I mention but it is going to take a while!!

The Dinner

Last night I made my Cauliflower Crust Pizza. I tried some of the changes I had wanted to make including baking at a lower temp and using parchment paper. Both worked great! The parchment paper made a huge difference and baking at 425* instead of 450* was perfect! It may have just been my oven or the lack of parchment paper but 450* burned it way too fast. I didn't snap a photo, we had company and I think they were eager to try it out! They must have liked it cuz it was all gone!!

Here is a photo from my first attempt.

SO YUMMY!! 

The Breakfast

This morning I had a Sunshine Smoothie! 

Mmm.... Morning sun in a cup! 

It's very basic but very yummy....

1 Banana (a frozen banana gives a thicker consistency)

A splash of Orange Juice (Or an orange)

2 Heaping Tablespoons of Vanilla Greek Yogurt

A few ice cubes

There are so many different things you could do but this is the main idea. I added 1/4 of a scoop of protein powder to keep me fuller longer. As always, Do what works for you!=)

A Request

I am writing a post on how to be fit and frugal. I have several ideas that I use that I would love to share with you all! But I would also like to know what are some things you do! You can comment or email me your ideas and I will share them in my post and link to your blog (if you have one, if not still send me ideas and I will give you a shout out!!).

Let's talk

Happy Friday!! Got any great plans this weekend? What was the last 'fun' workout that you did? What makes a workout fun for you?

Around the World In Thirty Seconds

Today I have a new workout for you!!

I really enjoyed last weeks HIIT Arm Workout and thought I would start to write some more workouts in this style.
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Basically, you pick your exercise and you set a time and you complete as many reps as possible in that time. When they say "High Intensity," they mean it.

You can download an Interval timer app to your smart phone. I know there are several free ones on the android market but I am not familiar with the apple market (or whatever it's called).

So for this workout you would set your interval timer for 6 rounds of 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. There are two exercises per set, so you will complete each set three times before moving on to the next set. Use the 30 seconds to really push yourself! Use the ten seconds to record your reps and get ready for the next move. Do not go so fast that you sacrifice form, but always be giving your all. It is only 30 seconds so if you are moving slow or not using a challenging weight, you will not be getting a good workout at all! Push yourself!  You get out of your workout what you put in!

I named this routine "Around The World In Thirty Seconds" because it features some of my favorite (meaning most hated and dreaded) moves that include countries in their names! 

For an explanation of any exercise please comment below or email me at eatmorerabbitfood@gmail.com. I will get back to you very quickly with either a word explanation or pictures/video.

*9/13/12  Note to self: You forgot Romanian Dead lifts!! Next time!!*

HIIT Arm Workout

Tuesday a friend of mine decided to join me for a workout. I was wanting to do an arm day. Since I have gotten off schedule lately, I feel it in my arms the most. The return of the flab..... Nope. Not happening.

So since I didn't know if she had weights (which she did but only five pounders) I tried to write a workout that would have us switching, so one of us could use my weights while the other did a body weight exercise. I added a set that would have us both using weights but like I said, she did have some that she brought over so it was all good!

The Workout

Set your interval timer for 6 rounds of 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. The rest is really only for you to have time to write the number of reps you completed and get in position for the next move. Repeat each set of moves for all six rounds (three rounds for each move) alternating between the two exercises. Take only a short rest in between sets.

Total time - 4min per set. 20 min total (not counting any breaks between sets)

The Dinner

I am kicking myself for not snapping a picture of this wonderful thing I created.

It was a big bowl of whole wheat rotini, steamed mixed veggies, chicken, Italian dressing, and a bit of Italian cheese melted through. Very yummy. And in need of a name. Any suggestions?

Name the Dinner!! Nathan really enjoyed this meal so I think it is something we will be having often. But I don't want to say "yea we are having that chicken pasta thing tonight." So someone give me a name!! =) Be creative.