Happy Hump Day, Hungry Readers! In keeping the Workout Wednesday tradition, I have a very special gift for you all in the form of a new 25-minute upper body #QuickLift workout. (See image above.) Except for the first exercise (the lat pulldowns), all you need to complete this workout is a few pairs of dumbbells and a resistance band. If you don’t use or have access to a gym, simply substitute the lat pulldowns with a two dumbbell bent-over row. Before you start, a few things to note:  The first two exercises, use HEAVY weights if you’re in the gym and have access to them. If y ..read more

Finding the fun in fitness isn’t an easy thing to do, but it’s absolutely possible and something that I want to inspire everyone to do. I encourage others to find exercises that they love, activities and sports that will continue to keep them coming back for more on a daily basis. That way, keeping up an exercise routine feels less like a chore that you have to force yourself to do and more like a fun hobby that you look forward to.  After high school, when I stopped swimming competitively, exercise was no longer a regular part of my routine and it took me quite some time to get back ..read more

You know what? You now have no excuse not to workout. You know why? Because this 19-minute kick-butt Tabata routine can be done anytime, anywhere, any way. OK, maybe not any way. You do need to follow a few simple guidelines (see below). But still, that’s not much to ask at all. So if you haven’t gotten your sweat on yet today, get up and get moving! No gym or equipment needed and therefore, no excuses accepted.P.S. Remember, the trick to Tabata is that you have to give it your absolute 150%, best effort ever during each 20 second interval. So no half-assing it! Tabat ..read more

One of my favorite workouts as of late has been this awesome jump rope circuit that I came across thanks to the lovely lady, Isabel over at Privilege to Live. Today I needed to amp up the intensity, though. So I created my own little version and made it into a nice little chart for you. I’ve been training intensely for a few months now, so if you give this one a go, go at your own pace and do only what you can. I’ll even admit, I took 5 or 10 seconds switching between some of the exercises. I work hard, but I’m not the energizer bunny over here. (Or am I?) Jump Rope Circuit Work ..read more