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Use code FRESH to get 50% off full priced items and take an additional 60% off sale items! ENDS TONIGHT!
This hip workout was initially created not as a workout, but as an injury preventer when I ran track in college. I was a sprinter, mid distance runner, steeplechase, and triple jumper in college. My hip flexors have always been a big pain for me. I always had the worst groin and hip pain in high school and college from running. It got much worse when I knocked my hips out of alignment while triple-jumping in college. I could not sit down for longer than 5 minutes for over a year. I tried many treatments, went to the chiropractor, but nothing worked. I changed my perspective and instead of trying to treat my hips, I started to find ways to strengthen my hip flexors, thighs, and glutes. I started doing this workout 7 years ago and I have seen a MAJOR difference in the discomfort in my hips and groin that I struggled with for years.
Although I am a big fan of cardio and HIIT workouts, I do know the importance of weight lifting. I was not a regular weight lifter until maybe a couple years ago. I now try to fit in a strength workout twice a week on top of my HIIT workout and cardio workouts. A lot of women are scared of weight lifting because they are afraid it will make them huge. THAT IS A MYTH!! Unless you are lifting huge amounts of weight with small reps or doing some sort of body building, that’s not going to happen. Weightlifting builds muscle and muscle helps you burn more calories and fat. Since I am a runner and want to work on my cardiovascular endurance, I do more reps with a lighter weight. I am not afraid to go up in weight!! If it is easy than I am not pushing myself hard enough which means I am not burning calories and toning muscle. You should feel a burn in each round. I have taken you through my cardio workout, my core workout, and my 30 minute HIIT workout; now let me introduce to you my strength workout provided with tutorial videos too!
Right now the Loft is having a MAJOR sale. All of their sale styles are an ADDITIONAL 60% off and a lot of their non-sale items are on sale as well. There are several sweaters that I found that are under $25 and some pants that are under $40. I love how they have regular, petite, and tall sizes in most of their clothes! I am wearing a size small in the sweater and a size 26 regular in the pants. I normally would get a tall size but they already sold out of this color. I would hurry up with this sale because I am not sure how much longer it will last! Don’t forget to enter a $750 Amazon gift card giveaway that I have partnered with a few bloggers below as well!!
You are fearfully and wonderfully made,
What is word of the year?
Don’t you ever tired of going through the same new years cycle each year? We all do it. We tell ourselves that we are going to resolve a specific thing, and about 2 weeks to maybe even a month in life gets too busy and that resolution gets pushed aside. According to Healthy Living, only about 8% of us actually keep our resolutions. (Source: Healthy Living) ) To the 92% of people who don’t keep up with their resolutions, I’m bringing a new perspective to the table.
Instead of setting up resolutions, I choose a word each year to focus on. In case my picture above didn’t give it away, my word this year is joy.I started this tradition three years ago in a bible study that I still meet with. I really like the reasoning behind choosing a word. We often don’t follow through with resolutions because it is the cause of a deeper root issue and that root issue usually boils down to a heart issue…a word. My words for the last three years were present, heart, hope, and this year my word is joy. I also back each word up with scripture and memorize that verse. I recite this verse during the ups, the downs, and the norms.
My Word
This year I chose the word joy for various reasons. I can be a very happy person on the outside, but on the inside I am full of fear, worry, anxiety, and even bitterness. My pastor at my church recently did a 14ish week series on Gospel Joy and he nailed the definition of joy on the head. He said that joy is an enduring, non-circumstantial delight. Notice he did not say a current state or emotion or a feeling. We often, including myself, mix up the words happiness and joy. Success at work, a new pair of shoes, a stocked fridge, even a good workout can make us happy (temporarily) , but they will never be the source of everlasting joy. Eventually you will have a bad day at work, your shoes will wear down, your fridge will be empty (or stink with rotten leftovers), and you will feel like you have gained 25 pounds because you didn’t workout for a few days. These sources of “joy” are empty and they are nothing but garbage. I can’t think how many days I was in a bad mood because of one petty little thing didn’t go my way. This lifestyle is unstable and unsatisfying. The only source for pure satisfying joy is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I am excited to start this journey of focusing on where I am seeking my joy. I want to live each day NOT based on the events that have happened and are going to happen in my life, but instead I want my joy to be grounded in what Christ has done for ALL of us on the Cross. I want not only to have this satisfying joy for myself, but I want to see others experience this same joy too. Most importantly, I want to glorify God.
How liberating and freeing it is to know that you can choose joy each and every day? That’s a pretty sweet deal if you’d ask me. So I am going to end with this, what do you want your word to be this year? What do you have the most struggle with? Get rid of those hopeless resolutions and instead take on a whole new meaning to this next year.
The top I am wearing is from Altard State. They are currently having a big sale right now where sale items are an ADDITIONAL 40% off.
What is HIIT? HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a training technique in which you give all-out, one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time. (Source: DailyBurn)
This workout suitable for ALL fitness levels and ages. To decrease the intensity either go down in weight or take the LOW options. To increase intensity increase the weight. It is very important to stay on time with the rests. The goal of this workout is to give it 100% effort during your moves followed by rest. Make sure you stay on time with your rests. If you rest too long or too short you will not get the proper workout. You are supposed to feel out of breath in this workout. What I do to keep track of time is to set my stopwatch on my phone and sit it next to me or to wear a stopwatch.
We all know it’s that time of year where it seems like every weekend (and sometimes weekday) we are eating Christmas cookies, some sort of casserole, or those darn Starbucks holiday drinks. On top of that we are trying to figure out a new routine with the cold temperatures and the sun going down at 5:00PM. On top of this, the last thing you want to do is to gain a few pounds. Anyone else have the struggle of finding the time to fit in a workout in this cold weather and busy schedule? I know I do.
Continue reading “Winter Home + Gym Cardio Workout + Giveaway”
Warm up:
Run until you get a sweat (this time may vary from 5-15 minutes – it all depends on your fitness level)
10 MINUTES OF STAIRS (TWO OPTIONS)
OPTION 1: On a staircase:
Run up HARD and down EASY. Do this for 10 minutes or do 20-25 sets (Up and down is one set).
OPTION 2: On a Stairmaster:
Do 30-60 second intervals alternating your hard and easy speed. Do this for 10 minutes. Find the speed settings that work best for you. Find an “easy” speed and a “fast” speed.
Cool Down:
Run easy for the same amount of time you warmed up for
Finish with 5-10 Minutes of Abs and Pushups
Click HERE for one of my favorite core workouts
