Inaugural Work Out Wednesday – Lats, Traps and Abs, Oh My!

30 Nov By

I’m scouring the internet, reading health and fitness mags, checking out blogs and observing at the gym. All to get ideas and keep learning . I’ll try them all out and every Wednesday I will feature a new and different workout. Why on Wednesday? Well, it’s the middle of the week, which is a great time to mix up your gym routine a bit and re-motivate yourself to finish out the week strong. Plus “workout Wednesday” sounds good (alliteration! My high school English teacher would be proud).

A workout Wednesday might just be one exercise, a great tip or a whole 30-60 minute routine.

Today’s workout is: Lats, Traps and Abs, Oh My!

The true title of this exercise should be Lats, Traps, Abs and Delts oh my, because this exercise works them ALL (but that was just too clunky)!

The best part about this new miracle worker? It’s so stinking simple!

Stand with feet shoulder width apart with a dumbbell in each hand. Lift arms to shoulder width apart with elbows at a 90 degree angle. Palms should be facing forward.

Starting position

Now slowly dip your body to one side as far as it can go without twisting your hips and with abs engaged. Slowly return to standing and go the other direction.

I couldn’t believe how much I felt this the next day. Not only in my oblique’s but my upper and lower back as well. You’re also working arm and shoulder muscles at the same time!! I used 10 pound weights, but it was tough. Start with 5 pounders and see how you feel.

Have you tried this exercise in the past? Let me know if it works for you!

Filed Under: Fitness, Workout Wednesday Tagged With: , , , ,

Leave a Comment

Apps

29 Nov By

These days when you hear people talk about apps it generally has to do with something you download on your iPad (and soon spend all your free time on). This post is about the original app, the one you eat.

In a few weeks we will be partaking in another Progressive Dinner. Basically you get some neighbors together and each house hosts a different part of the gathering: hors d’oeuvres, main course, dessert. It’s a really fun way to get everyone together and it keeps it low stress because one house doesn’t have to provide everything.

For the Christmas-themed progressive dinner hubs and I have hors d’oeuvres. I’m really excited because last time I had the main course and got way too ambitious and ended up cooking for like 6 hours. Now, just ‘cause I have the appetizers doesn’t mean I’m just going to throw out some chips and dip. I want to do something Christmassy (that’s the technical term) and I want to have at least one or two warm app options. Of course the cheese-aholic in me (my name is Brie) will want a nice cheese plate. Maybe something like this:

Goat Cheese Loafs

Or this:

Cheese assortment

After poking around on the internet (what did people do before the internet???) I found some great ideas including this amazingness:

Caramelized onion and gruyère tart

Any thoughts on some good seasonal cocktail pairings?

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: ,

2 Comments

“Things I Bought that I Love”

28 Nov By

I’ve been a big fan of the show The Office since it started many seasons ago. It’s one of those rare network shows that reminds me that not all great TV is on HBO. One of the break-out stars (among many)  is Mindy Kaling. If your an Office regular you know her as the customer service rep superficial airhead Kelly Kapor. In real life Mindy is anything but. In fact she went to Dartmouth and is one of the head writers of the show! As if writing and staring in one of the top shows in the US isn’t enough she’s appeared in multiple movies, just wrote a memoir and writes a hilarious blog (feeling bad about your own productivity yet?). On her blog, The Concerns of Mindy Kaling, she chronicles her slight shopping addiction in “things I bought that I love.” Basically she gives great insight into all her fave new purchases while managing to be completely hilarious at the same time (yes, her multitasking skills are much better than ours). Check out all her Black Friday and holiday gift picks (for EVERY budget) here!!

Some of my own Black Friday purchases:

Matchstick Jeans from J. Crew

Sequin Stripe Tee from J. Crew

Calvin Klein Bailey Flats in Leopard from Zappos.com
So I’m not any closer to getting my Christmas shopping done, but I couldn’t resist making these additions to my own wardrobe. What great deals did you all find/buy?
Filed Under: Fabulousness, Style Tagged With: , , , ,

Leave a Comment

“Drink your water people!”

22 Nov By

“Drink you water people!” – Tony Horton, P90X creator and fitness guru

Nearly a year ago I made a new year’s resolution to drink at least 90 ounces of water a day. I’ve known since I was a kid that drinking a lot of water was important (thanks Mom!), but I had never made it a habit. On the contrary, I got 80% of my hydration thanks to diet soda. My soda habit started in college where I could pound diet coke like it was my job. I don’t want to think about total ounces consumed during exams. It continued into my post college life and got worse when I started a job during grad school that had a free soda fountain available to employees. The combination of working full-time and going to school full-time and having a never-ending flow of diet coke at my disposal exasperated my addiction. Then finally last winter I knew I needed to make a change. I had put on some weight since my wedding and didn’t feel my best. As I was working out at the gym one night I overheard a trainer telling his client to shoot for at least 90 ounces of water a day, more if she drank coffee or soda. He raved about the benefits of water, none of which were news to me, but then he said something that hit home with me. He said “how can you expect your body to perform at the gym if you’re not giving it the fuel it needs.” Sounds simple enough, but I had never really thought of it that way. Thus my new year’s resolution was born and I’m proud to say I have stuck with it! Some days I may not get exactly 90, but there are many days I get well above that.

I have definitely noticed a difference. My skin looks better, I feel better. Even if I have a couple of glasses of wine I wake up feeling fine! The powers of hydration! I still indulge in a soda here and there, but it is no longer my go-to drink.

Drinking 90 ounces or more of water is not for everyone. If you don’t work out regularly or consume a lot of sodium you definitely don’t need as much, but there are still great benefits to minimizing soda/juice/flavored beverages and drinking water instead! Get this: about 80% of hunger is actually thirst. So before you have a snack attack reach for your water bottle instead!

I'm prepared!

The recycling bin at my desk.

 

Tips to get your water in:

  1. Buy large size bottles of water. It doesn’t seem so overwhelming if you know you only have to drink three 33 ounce-size  bottles. 
  2. Invest in a faucet water purifier (many refrigerators have one built right in now). This way even if you don’t have bottled water handy you can get your ounces in.
  3. I’m kind of a water purist so I don’t like to put a lot of flavoring in it, especially anything with artificial ingredients. I do, however, like to add Emergen-C to at least one of my bottles every few days.
  4. Space it out over the day so you aren’t chugging water at the end of the day to get the ounces in.
Filed Under: Fabulousness, Fitness, Food Tagged With: , , ,

Leave a Comment

Gym Props

22 Nov By

Mixing it up at the gym is always a good thing. Not only does it keep your muscles guessing and working in different ways, but it helps mitigate boredom. One of the best ways to shake up your workout is to use what I like to call “gym props.” It’s amazing how the simplest things can make your workout that much more effective.

Prop 1 – the BOSU

This fun toy looks like a stability ball cut in half with a platform put on it. I use this to amp up all my basic free weight moves.

BOSU

Put the BOSU ball side down so you can stand on the flat side. The easiest way to get on in to use one foot to tip the BOSU to the ground then slowly step your other foot on and bring to a level position.

Make sure to stand with your weight evenly distributed with feet at least shoulder width apart.

Stand with your knees slightly bent in a very slight squat. Make sure to engage your abdomen muscles and keep your balance.

Now proceed with your favorite free weight moves. Some of my old stand-by’s are bicep curls, overhead presses and lateral raises.

Find other great ways to use the BOSU here.

Prop 2 – The Donut Weight

These weights range from 2 ½ pounds to upwards of 45 pounds each. Generally they are made to go on bench press bars or exercise machines. I like to use them as alternatives to free weights. Hold one while you run stairs or do inverted sit ups. Another great move is to hold one, using both hands, in front of your chest. Lift it around your head in a clockwise direct like you are using it to draw a big circle all the way around your head. Do 10 times, then reverse and go counterclockwise. I use a 25 pound weight, but start with 10 pounds and work up to your comfort level.

Prop 3 – The Medicine Ball

These guys come in all different weights and can be used for so many fun (yes fun!) exercises. Remember my earlier post about the medicine ball slam? You can also use them to work your abs, chest and arms at the same time. Sit on the floor with knees bent in front of you. Hold the ball at chest level. Lift your feet off the floor and balance back on your butt/tail bone. Slowly move the medicine ball to the right and then to the left as you twist your body.

Other faves

Stability Ball

Kettlebells

What “props” do you use?

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: , , , , , ,

1 Comment

The Holy Grail of Makeup

21 Nov By

I have been wearing makeup for a long, long time. Pretty much ever since my mom allowed me to buy my first tube of Wet ‘n Wild lipstick at the age of 12. Looking back on my fledgling years wearing makeup is cringe-inducing. I don’t think my foundation ever matched my actual skin color and the purple eye-shadow I loved to rock in the late ’90′s/early 200o’s looked straight out of the ’80′s.

In college it got better, but I still never found my rhythm. Now finally, about 3 months from my 28th birthday (talk about cringe-inducing) I feel like I finally have a basic make-up routine down.

Anchoring this routine is the all-important foundation. I compare my search for the perfect foundation to a medieval knights’ search for the holy grail, both sacred objects with magical powers.  After using countless brands including Bare Minerals, Make Up For Ever and Armani I was discouraged, but undeterred. Then this spring  I was introduced to Stila Perfect and Correct foundation at my local SEPHORA. As soon as the make up consultant put it on my face, while explaining that it has primer and anti-aging serums built right it, I was in love. It looks natural, stays on all day and takes 5 seconds to apply.  At $44 it’s a little pricey, but woth every penny and lasts over 6 months!

Hello Beautiful! Buy it now at Sephora.com
 
 
I put it on with this lovely little thing:
 
 
Sephora Pro Foundation Airbrush #55
 
Have you found your own personal make up must-have??
 
Filed Under: Beauty, Fabulousness Tagged With: , , , ,

4 Comments

Gym Favorites

19 Nov By

I love to work out. I especially love to do exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once. Everything I have listed below not only works different parts of your body, but also gets your heart pumping.

Try adding one or two of these to your normal routine. I generally do my exercises in alternating supersets meaning I do one set of an exercise and immediate move onto one set of another with no break in between.

Find yourself a space like this

 The 8-count body builder

I love this move because it works your whole body at once and gets your heart pumping! For those of you who know what a burpee is this will look familiar. I like to call this a burpee on steroids.

  1. Start standing up
  2. Crouch down and put hands on floor shoulder width apart in front of you
  3. Jump legs behind you so you are in a pushup position
  4. Do a pushup
  5. Still in pushup position jump legs out so they are in a V-shape
  6. Jump legs back together
  7. Jump legs back to chest
  8. Jump up to standing (get feet off floor)
  9. Repeat

Try to do 5-10 in a row. I started out doing sets of 6 and worked my way up to 10. I do 3 or 4 sets depending on what other exercises I’m doing. Watch this totally ripped guy from SEAL Fit do them here!!!

 

Medicine ball slam

Stand with feet shoulder width apart holding a medicine ball about waist high

Lift it above your head and throw the ball down. Make sure to really get some power behind it and don’t just let it drop

Squat down and pick the ball up (a medicine ball will barely bounce, but you should be moving fast enough to catch it as it comes up a little)

Squat back up bringing the ball back over your head. Repeat 10-15 times. Do three sets. Work up to 20 in a row.

I use a 20 pound ball, but I recommend starting at 8 pounds to gauge the best weight for you.

 

Weighted double crunch

Lie down flat on your back with legs straight out, a dumbbell in each hand.

Bring your arms straight back above your head so you are laying completely flat and all stretched out.

Lift arms up over your head and crunch up at the same time you bring your legs up. Meet them above your abdomen. Slowly lower your legs and arms back to starting position. Make sure to get your head and butt off the floor as your crunch your upper body and lower body up respectively.

I use a 10 pound weight in each hand, but start at 5 pounds and see what’s comfortable to you (but make sure to push yourself)!

 

Skipping lunges (Walking lunges with jump)

Give yourself room to do at least 10 walking lunges in a row in one direction.

Start standing with hands on hips.

Step forward with right foot and lower into a lunge.

Bring left leg forward and up towards chest as you jump up off the ground with your right foot.

 Bring left leg down and  forward.

Lower into a lunge and bring right leg up to chest as you jump off the ground with your left foot. Repeat.

Go forward as far as you can, turn around and come back to starting point. Do three sets.

Basically you are skipping with lunges in between each “skip.”

 

What are your go-to exercises?

 

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: , , , , , ,

1 Comment

Flu-Shmu

18 Nov By

After being miserably sick for a few days I thought it appropriate to make my first post about staying healthy and preventing sickness. I’ve always prided myself on not getting sick often. I credit that to a good immune system and some added tricks.

One of my faves? Emergen-C. I drink it year round at least once a week to give me an added vitamin boost. You can find all their products here. My favorite is the Cranberry-Pomegranite.

 Here’s some other great flu-fighting techniques from Women’s Health Magazine!

Filed Under: Fabulousness

1 Comment

Ready, Set, Blog!

16 Nov By

Hello and welcome to Recipe for a Beautiful Life! I’ve been dreaming, thinking and scheming about this endeavor for a while and I’m so excited to get started!

A little about me:

I’m a Brie, a normal career-minded, 20-something, military (Navy) wife trying to juggle everything life throws my way.  I’m a total gym rat, wannabe fashionista, wino and food lover. I’m on a quest, not to be obsessive, but to be healthy and happy. This is my story of 365 days of food, fitness and the attempt for fabulousness. Join me on this journey to find the recipe for a beautiful life!

 
 
 
Filed Under: Fabulousness Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Leave a Comment