My Favorite Plank Workout

Because I've been running for so many years it doesn't really feel like a workout to me but more of a leisure activity. I can often find myself wanting to run after a long and stressful work day so I'm not sure if it counts as a workout when I actually want to do it!

After I go on a run I always feel like I need to do a little something extra to actually get a workout in. I'm always leaning towards doing a quick ab workout for a few different reasons. 1. You don't need a lot, if any equipment. 2. You don't need a lot of room. and 3. They are easy to change up so it's always interesting!

This one is by far my favorite and it's so easy to change up when you want to push yourself a little more! I often find myself not wanting to laugh or sneeze the next day because my abs are a little tender!

Workout 

So here's what you do: 10 second plank, 3 second rest.

Sounds easy, huh? Repeat that 10-15 times!

That 3 second rest will not be long enough after a few rounds! Feel free to mix up the ratio if you find this is too easy, add on a few extra rounds, or push yourself with a longer plank and short rests! I also suggest you use an interval timer (I use a free interval timer app) because it makes timing so much easier and you can't cheat yourself with a loud buzzer going off and letting you know it's time to get to work!

Try it out and let me know how you like it!

4x4 Workout

My drive home from work normally takes about 30 minutes which means I have 30 minutes to talk myself out of into going on a run as soon as I get home! Today I talked myself into going on one until I got home, changed, and looked outside. It was pouring rain!

I quickly came up with an at-home no-equipment needed workout before I could even think about the possibility of changing into my comfy clothes!

Here's what I came up with:

By the time you're done you will have completed 100 reps of each movement and will be feelin' super sweaty and ready to change into your comfy clothes!

Box or Gym?

Since moving to Florida I have been running a few days a week to get back into the routine of working out. Running here is hard though. The heat and humidity make running after work near impossible. And the sound of waking up at 5:30 a.m. and running in the pitch dark is very unappealing to me. I'm constantly hitting the snooze button so I'm not so sure I could train my body to be a morning person and wake up before dawn! If you have any tips on how to train your body into waking up that early, please share.

While I always enjoy running (it's more of a love-hate relationship), I have been missing CrossFit a lot lately, so on Monday night I went to my first WOD in four months! After doing some intense research on the boxes in the area, I decided to go ahead and drop in for a WOD. Two days later, I can hardly walk!

The WOD we did was "Chelsea." The WOD was 5 pull-ups, 10 pushups, and 15 air squats, every minute on the minute for 30 minutes. I ended up scaling down and did 3-6-9 for the entire 30 minutes and it was a challenge. These CrossFit ladies are not messing around!

While I absolutely love, love, love CrossFit I still haven't decided if I am going to join the box or not. I really want to start saving more money and joining a box is not the way to do that! Jon and I get passes to the gym at the university he works for so I may choose that option - which is good for all of you because I will be creating fun workouts again! :) I'm just not so sure what I will do the moment I step into a regular ol' gym for the first time in years!

Question of the Day

Which do you prefer: a CrossFit box or a regular ol' gym? And why?

Easter Candy Eraser Workout

With every holiday comes temptation to break our healthy habits and to eat things we normally wouldn't such as one several pieces of Easter candy. 

If the Easter candy got the best of you this holiday season, don't worry - I have a workout to get you movin' and groovin'. While this isn't guaranteed to shed all of those extra calories, it is guaranteed to get you extra sweaty! 

I suggest to complete it 3 times through but if you're up for a challenge try to complete it 4 or even 5 times!

15 Minute Bodyweight Workout

I don't have enough time. There's no where to workout. The hotel gym doesn't have enough equipment. There isn't a hotel gym. I didn't bring my workout shoes. I'm on vacation. I'll do it tomorrow. I don't know what to do when I'm not at my usual gym. I'm too tired. I'm sunburnt. 

We've all heard or said these things to get out of a workout while on vacation and I have some news for you. You can workout wherever you are with no equipment! When I first started this blog I was in college and living in a teeny, tiny dorm room which isn't the most ideal place to workout. I came up with a handful of different workouts that can be done anywhere.

Because I'm on vacation now, I came up with another one that can be done anywhere with only your bodyweight. Heck, you don't even need gym shoes! So you can't even use that as an excuse!

Need more workout ideas? Click here for more or follow me on Pinterest!

The Three Hundred Workout

I missed the morning workout today because I slept in late so I created this heart-pumpin-body-burnin' workout for myself to do at home. 

This workout can be done pretty much anywhere. As long as you have enough room to do your jumping lunges, you're set. My apartment is tiny so when I say you can do a workout in the smallest space, it's true! 

The workout consists of 3 different exercises and you complete 10 reps of each, 10 times for a total of 300 reps. Fun stuff! You can even add in some other exercises or change up the numbers if you want to mix things up!

5 At-Home CrossFit Workouts

Being a college student and working makes it difficult to get to my CrossFit box every day to do a workout but I try to get in there at least 4 days a week. The days that I can't make it to any classes I still try to accomplish something at home. While I can't mimic every WOD that they do at the box at home due to a lack of equipment, I can still make up some of my own to get my blood flowing.

I have come up with a few workouts that the only equipment you need is yourself and they are sure to get your blood flowing! These are perfect for the days you can't make it to the gym or are traveling on the road. (Be sure to do some type of warm-up before doing a workout to reduce the risk of injury!)

15 Minute Tabata

Each exercise is 6 rounds of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest. Take a one minute rest between exercises.

1. Air squats
     - rest 1 minute
2. Push-ups
     - rest 1 minute
3. Lunges
     - rest 1 minute
4. Sit-ups

15 Minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)

In 15 minutes, complete as many rounds of the following workout as possible.

10 sit-ups
15 push-ups
20 air squats

Jump n' Run

5 minute run, 250 jumping jacks, 5 minute run

15 Minute Burpee AMRAP

25 burpees
25 sit-ups

200 Air Squats

Complete 200 air squats for time.



* As always, I am not a personal trainer. These are workouts I have made up myself and may not be right for you. Consult a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

Rockin' Ribbons Headband Giveaway & Discount

I hope all of you have been having a great week! I have been busy with the summer semester winding down and working out! I was so busy for awhile that working out wasn't a priority. I am going to Cali to visit family soon so I am making it a goal to do some sort of running every day and a plank a day! If you want to stay up to date with my progress you can via Twitter.

My 21st birthday is this weekend and 4th of July is coming up so I am ready to celebrate and have some fun! To keep it fun here on the ol' blog I am offering up a fun discount code and giveaway to all of my readers!

First: the discount.

To see all of the available headband patterns and colors click here. And check out the photo albums on the site. Then message or email rockinribbonsheadbandco @ aol.com to order!

Now: the giveaway.

One lucky winner will win a Rockin' Ribbons Headband of their choice. A winner will be chosen on July 3, 2013 and will be contacted via e-mail. To enter complete use the Rafflecopter widget below. Remember, you can earn extra entries each day by coming back here and tweeting about the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Happy entering and have fun celebrating the holiday!

Question

How do you celebrate 4th of July?

Super Sweaty 15 Minute Lower Body Workout

Today I realized how inconsistent my blogging is. While I always post at least twice a week, some weeks I will post much more than others. Does this drive any of you crazy? I'm sorry if it does! I find that I have much more time to blog when I don't have as much homework to do. And speaking of homework... I better make this post quick because I have some that is due tomorrow and a test to study for!

Today I completed a new lower body workout I threw together. Afterwards I was literally lying on the floor, not moving an inch. Here's the proof...

At least I still had enough energy to smile for the camera! I also may or may not have dropped my phone on my face while scrolling through my Instagram while laying on the floor :)

So if you want a super sweaty-lie dead on the floor when it's done-leg workout then this is for you!

Enjoy!

And be sure to enter the ProCompression Marathon Socks giveaway! The socks will be perfect for recovery after this workout ;)

Question

What is your favorite lower body exercise?

An Easy & Manageable Way to Train

3 days until my first 5k race this year

29 days until the last day of school

30 days until my first half-marathon ever

30 days until my cousin's wedding

39 days until summer classes start

Thinking about all of the events that are coming up has got me thinking about how fast time really does fly by. I remember sitting here 5 months ago, signing up for my first half-marathon thinking that I had all of the time in the world to train. Now it's 30 days away and I feel a little excited freaked out.

Freaked out because the longest run I have been on is 9 miles.
Freaked out because I took a week off when I was sick and another couple of days when my grandpa died.
Freaked out because I haven't been following my training schedule to a tee.
Freaked out because I have never raced anything longer than 4 miles.
Freaked out about all of the people that will be at the start line.

As you can see I am a little freaked out. So since I have missed a few long runs and workouts here and there I wanted to create something that would allow me to stay more focused and on track these last few weeks without making me feel bad if I didn't do a particular workout on the day I scheduled it. I wasn't the best with staying on track with my old half-marathon training plan because the runs and workouts were specific to the day. This new one allows me to do my easy and long runs any day I want and throw in the other stuff on the days I am busier, etc. I think this new training guide will really help me out when it comes down to finals week, which is also the week of the big race.

I made up this checklist so I can stay on track and see what I have done and what I still need to do.

So far this week (my "week" started yesterday) I have done an easy run and today I did the Dorm Room Ab Circuit. On Saturday I have a 5k race so I'm going to count that as my other easy run since it's not long nor am I going to be sprinting the entire thing!

Question

How do you train for a race? 
 

Jelly Bean Chiseler

Tomorrow is Easter! Can you believe it is already here? I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow full of travels, family, celebrating, and eating healthy food decadent desserts.

If you are like me then you are probably going to eat one too many jelly beans, Cadbury eggs, or Peeps at your Easter party. Don't worry if that does happen! This quick workout is sure to make you sweat and the best part? It can be done anywhere. Jancee and I both did it at the same time in our dorm room the other day so trust me, you don't need a lot of room and you don't need any fancy equipment.

Now go enjoy some Easter candy this weekend and come back here when you're done so you can complete this quick and fun workout!

Question

How are you celebrating Easter?

No Equiment Needed Tabata Workout

Thank you for your kind comments after the loss of my grandfather. They truly mean a lot. He was a wonderful man and we are so thankful that we have so many amazing memories to remember him by.

When I woke up this morning I was just going to lay around for most of the day but I thought that it would be good to get moving around, especially because next weekend I am running in a little 5k race! I thought about doing a workout video but instead I made up a new Tabata workout!

It really got my heart rate up! I made sure to include legs, core, and arms in this 15 minute workout.

Afterwards I made a coffee protein shake. It was delicious. I used chocolate protein powder because I didn't have any vanilla on hand but I imagine that vanilla would be just as good! The chocolate flavor was sort of masked because of the coffee packet too. It was definitely delicious!

Plank Sandwich

Today is going to be busy!

I am heading off to grab some lunch soon and do some last minute studying before my midterm. After that I am loading up my car, picking up my sister and then we are heading to get our taxes done and then we will be home for an entire week! I have no absolutely no plans yet so I need to think of some things to do and call up some friends to pass the time.

I want to share with you guys the ab workout I did last night after 30 minutes on the elliptical.

My abs are definitely feeling it today! I held each plank for 30 seconds but if you are feeling up to it you can hold it for 45 seconds or 60!

I'm not quite sure why this photo looks so blurry - I used PicMonkey and used the "High Quality" saving setting so if you have any tips to get it clearer please let me know!

Also if you haven't filled out my survey yet, please do! I appreciate all of your feedback!

Question

Do you have any fun weekend plans?

Three Great Things to Start Off Your Weekend

* This giveaway is now closed *

Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am! I've spent so much time in the library this week (I'm actually there right now) because I have a research paper that I have to write. There isn't really a due date because it's for an online class but I'm trying to get it done sooner rather than later.

Now for the fun stuff! I have three fun things for you guys in order to get your weekend started off right. An awesome website, a workout and a giveaway!

The Clymb

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon this awesome website called The Clymb. They seriously have everything from running shoes to fishing gear and energy bars to cycling helmets. If you are an outdoorsy person, an athlete, or just want some awesome workout apparel then this is the site for you! They have amazing prices on some of the best brands and the deals are constantly changing so you have to get them before they're gone. Today through Saturday you can receive an extra 20% off! I think that this site is so great that I am personally inviting all of you to join it! Just click on the following link to join!  

Personal invite from Danielle to join The Clymb

Workout

I did this workout the other day and it really got my blood pumpin! Right after it I did one set of each exercise from the Superset Arm Workout and used heavier weights than I normally do for a quick and effective arm workout.

Giveaway

I have had this giveaway stashed away for awhile and was planning on doing it awhile ago but completely forgot! I can't believe I did because I'm sure some of you will love it! Goodbelly has offered to give one lucky reader a 12-day supply.

Goodbelly has a full line of probiotic drinks that are good for daily digestive health. Their drinks have special active cultures that survive the stomach's acid so they can reach the intestinal tract. Goodbelly probiotic drinks also deliver your daily dose of multivitamins and calcium.

If you don't like juice they also have some other options such as their Goodbelly StraightShot which allows you to get your daily probiotic without having to drink a huge glass of juice.

Also, all of their drinks are dairy-free, soy-free and vegan! They can be consumed by children as young as 1 to adults older than 100 making Goodbelly drinks safe for everyone!

For those of you who want to try Goodbelly out for yourself, they are having a 12 Day Challenge right now. You just have to head on over to their site by clicking here and then sign up! They send you a coupon to get you started and then on the 12th day they send you more coupons! They also check up with you during the challenge to see how you are liking it and to answer any questions.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

How to enter

Mandatory: Check out Goodbelly's website and then comment telling me why you would like to try it
Optional: Tweet about this giveaway "I want to win a 12 day supply of @GoodBellyDrink from @trufflesntread Check it out! http://bit.ly/Yic8Mi" and comment saying you tweeted

I will choose a winner on Tuesday!

Lower Body Chiseler

If I remember correctly yesterday I mentioned something about a fun leg workout I had threw together and then tested at the gym later in the day. Well when I woke up this morning I could tell that it was definitely a good one and worked some muscles I haven't been putting to the test lately. My inner legs and hamstrings were feeling the burn but it wasn't an overwhelming burn and I could easily complete my 6 mile run today.

You can complete the above workout without weights if you want but I wanted a little more of a challenge so I grabbed the dumbbells to use for this circuit!

Back to yesterday - I also mentioned that Carling was thinking about starting up her own blog and guess what?! She did it! You can follow her blog to catch up on her travels and see the photos she takes along the way!



What is your favorite lower body exercise?

Inside My Fridge

Workout

Before I get to talking about food I want to talk about today's workout and the lack of one yesterday. Yesterday I had 4 miles plus speed work scheduled and was planning on running when I got off of work. Whenever I got off I saw a text from a friend asking if I wanted to go to his sister's with him because they were ordering cookies and of course I said yes. I mean seriously, cookies beat running every time.

So today I did both speed work and strength training. I felt like crap with the sprints today. It might have to do with the fact that I ate lunch about an hour before.

Complete all of the reps/sets of each exercise before moving on to the next. Rest 15 seconds between sets!

What's in my fridge?

Ever wondered what is inside another person's fridge or cupboard?

Well today I thought it might be fun to share with you what I have stocked up in mine! Living in the dorms doesn't allow for a huge fridge or awesome cabinet space so I have a mini fridge that has a few things in it and some storage drawers packed to the brim with different snacks.

I always have a couple of water bottles for those days that I am running out of time to fill up my Brita water bottle. Lately I have been enjoying cheese sticks, hummus, and yogurt for snacks. I usually have Chobani Greek Yogurt in there but I ate it all and bought a thing of Yoplait Key Lime Pie Whips the other day for a treat.

When it comes to breakfast, I normally don't have time to sit down and eat a bowl of cereal but when I do I normally eat Special K Red Berries or Kashi Healthy Heart.

For the days I can't eat a bowl of cereal I eat granola bars. I'm not big into snacking but when I am hungry I'll grab one of them to munch on. I have found that I can eat the Special K Chocolate Pretzel bars about a half hour before a long run and feel amazing on it. Sometimes after a hard run or workout I will eat a Clif bar (not shown) or a Clif Builder's Bar for extra protein.

Some other favorite snacks of mine are fruit snacks and beef jerky.

And for a boost of energy and a chocolate treat I will grab a handful of chocolate covered coffee beans. These are perfect when studying or just to satisfy a sweet craving.

Trail mix, dried fruit, cheese with sticks, and CHEEZ-ITs are also a snack around here. I'm always reaching for a big glass of water and CHEEZ-ITs after a long run if I don't feel good. I don't know why - maybe it's the salt in them - but I always feel 10x better after eating them.

And what college student do you know that does not have Ramen somewhere in their room?

I always have a bag or two of Pretzel Crisps, Food Should Taste Good Chips, and The Better Chip stashed away. I love eating the Original Pretzel Crisps with hummus! And let's face it, eating these versus Doritos or Lays is so much better for you and you feel better afterwards too.

I also have a bag full of nut butters. Whenever I want to jazz up a piece of fruit then I get one of these out and spread it on the fruit for some extra flavor and protein.

Out of all of these snacks, the ones that I have to have in my room are CHEEZ-ITs, yogurt, granola and protein bars, beef jerky, and something sweet to satisfy my taste buds.

Update: Since graduating college, I have created another great post - Healthy Snacks for College Students That Won't Break the Bank. It is full of healthy options and tips and I would love for you to check it out!





What is something that is always in your fridge?

Love Your Arms

Personally, I think that when most women head to the weight room they are afraid to do arm workouts. You see all of these big, strong men lifting weights that weigh more than you do. Whenever I go over and pick up a 10 pound weight I often feel like a wimp next to them but I am not in there to get buff - I'm in there to get stronger. If this is the case for you too then that's just what this circuit will help you do.

I completed this arm workout after 25 minutes on the elliptical. I used 10 pound weights for all of the exercises except the tricep extensions and shoulder shrugs for which I used 15 pound weights.

The "Rowers" are like doing a superman but you pull your arms back and squeeze your shoulder blades together to work your upper back instead of keeping your arms extended out in front of you. There may be another name for this exercise because when I Googled "Rowers exercise" something totally different popped up!

My arms were definitely on fire after it! If you are up for a challenge then repeat the circuit for a third time or increase the reps of the exercises.


Do you often find yourself avoiding the weight room at the gym?

Half Marathon Training Plan

It's officially half marathon training time!

I have spent some time putting together various different training plans and finally found one that would work well with my busy schedule while allowing me to pack on the miles. The race is about 13 weeks away and I couldn't be more excited. I have doubts some days that I won't be able to run 13.1 miles but I think the long runs are really going to help and are the most important part of the training.

On the days I don't run I am going to do other forms of activity. I am going to get in either 30 minutes of circuit training or cross training (ie. elliptical, stair master, bike), incorporate some strength training either upper or lower body depending on the day, and do some stretching.

I am currently on Week 2 of training and completed 6 miles earlier today. I had to run them on the treadmill but I felt great the entire time. It wasn't until around mile 4.5 that I felt some pain but I pushed through it. I ran at a 9:30 pace for a majority of the run and ran at 9:15 pace every now and then.

Have you ever ran a half marathon? Did you follow a training plan?

Bod Pod

Have any of you guys ever seen one of these machines before?

(Photo Source)

It's called a Bod Pod and it is used to measure body fat percentage. The machine uses air displacement to measure lean muscle mass, body fat, organs, etc. This test is as accurate as underwater weighing but is much easier to perform. All I had to do was wear tight shorts, a sports bra, and a swim cap (air pockets in your hair can mess up the results!) and then sit in the machine for about 2 minutes total. They run two tests to make sure it is accurate and each lasts for 30 seconds. I am not really concerned with my weight but I thought it would be cool just to see if there is a difference pre and post half-marathon training. There was also a special going on for students to take the test for $15 instead of the normal $25.

Workout

Let's talk about yesterday's workout first. Oh my gosh was it hard! I started out by doing some arm work. I did 21's (7 bicep curls, 7 bicep curls half way down, 7 bicep curls half way up, repeat 3 times) it made my arms burn, and then I did some overhead flys, overhead presses, and some tricep extensions. I also did a bunch of pushups - 4 sets of 10 to be exact. Oh and did I mention that they were man pushups?! I am so excited I don't have to do the girly ones anymore. It was a nice workout and I'm feeling it a little bit today. After arm work I headed over to the stair master. I completed 30 minutes on it. It was so hard but I told myself at the beginning that I was going to do it and I did. I was a sweaty mess after it.

Today I had a 3 mile run scheduled but I didn't drink much water today and it was catching up with me. I also didn't even start running until 10 p.m. I stopped at 2.25 miles because I was exhausted and my legs were chafing so bad! I think I am going to have to throw out the pair of shorts I was wearing because every time I wear them it happens and it hurts so bad.

Have you entered the Chobani Giveaway yet? You still have some time left!

 

Also, please help me reach my goal of 100 people donating $13! Forget that Starbucks coffee tomorrow morning on your way to work and help out this great cause instead!

Have you ever done any sort of body fat test? If you had the chance to take one, would you?