Tag Archives: crossfit

Swimming

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Swimming  :                         Swimming     

Swimming is not just for little kids! Anyone at any age can benefit from a swimming workout. Swimming gives your body a great workout without the  impacts of running. Swimming should not take the place of weight-bearing activities but it is a great thing to add to your routines.  Recent research has proven that swimming can help you live longer, who doesn’t want that?!. Water exercise can be great for people who are over weight or have arthritis.  Swimming is an awesome way to burn calories while you’re having fun .  Swimming works all the major muscle groups in your body, including your heart and lungs. Swimming workouts are not just about swimming laps. Most pools offer water aerobics, underwater spinning and much more.  Check out your local gyms that have pools, most of them will allow you to just have a pool membership. For some workouts check out beginner swimmer

Benefits:

  • weight loss
  • full body workout
  • helps with flexibility
  • great for people with arthritis
  • its fun
  • helps with recovery from certain injuries
  • stress relief
  • cardiovascular workout
  • fights disease

 

 

Vacation workouts

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Vacation workouts

We made it to Florida! It took us around 28 hours to drive here. We stopped in Philly and had dinner with my cousin then we drove all night. By the time we got here my whole body was sore!  We brought a foam roller and that was the first thing I did when we got in the room. After a good night sleep in a bed I hit the condo gym. The gym has everything I needed and the view of the ocean is great. I plan to use it everyday. Working out while away can be hard but if you make time you will feel great when you get home. I hate when I don’t workout while I’m away then I get home and go to the gym and I feel like I lost all my muscles. So I’m going to stick to my plan to hit the gym while I’m here .

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Todays workout :

  • Lat pull downs
  • cable row
  • walking lunges with 25 lbs in each hand
  • wide and close stance squats with 25 lbs
  • leg raises
  • decline sit ups
  • incline reverse crunch
  • biceps curls – drop set
  • tri extension- drop set
  • renegade row with 20 lbs
  • dip still failure

I did each move for 10-12 reps twice through. I did all the ab moves for 25 reps three to four times through.

Chocolate Protein French Toast

Chocolate Protein French Toast:  French toast

Best french toast ever! This recipe is super easy to make and can be topped with fruit, chocolate, jam ect. I topped mine with a chocolate protein spread and a small cut up piece of dark chocolate. I made the chocolate topping with muscle milk, chocolate hazelnut nut powder and almond milk. It was delicious. This is definitely a meal I will be making again.

Ingredients:

  • egg whites
  • bread: I used when pigs fly sourdough
  • protein powder

Topping:

  • almond milk
  • protein powder
  • hazelnut powder

For the french toast I added a half a scoop of vanilla protein powder to my egg whites. I let the bread soak it all up and then cooked it like regular french toast. While it was cooking I made the topping. I used half a scoop of vanilla protein powder, a table-spoon of hazelnut powder and enough almond milk to make the topping spreadable. When the toast was done I put the topping in between every layer and then poured the rest on top. I hope you enjoy!!

Giveaway

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Giveaway: 5 Olympic Bottles

I am having a giveaway! All you have to do to enter is like my photo on instagram- @swell_fitness. You will win a Core Power Fit kit.  Check out their website for recipes and to learn more about this awesome protein!

CP Brochure-1

Weightlifting & Women

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Lift Heavy

Weightlifting & Women :

Most women spend most of their time in the gym doing cardio. What you should be doing is getting stronger by lifting weights. I’m not talking about doing biceps curls and squats with a 5 pound weight, you need to lift heavy! You will NOT look like a man. Women do not have enough testosterone to build muscles like men. Instead you will get stronger and look more toned. When I lift I’m using heavy weights, 165 pound deadlifts, 135 pound squats, 100 pound push presses and I do not look like a man! Don’t be afraid to add some weight. Lifting weights has many benefits including  boosting your metabolism, increasing your bone density, hormonal regulation improves ( helps with cramps) just to name a few. Start by adding a strength training program two days a week. Once you start lifting you are going love it, don’t be afraid to try.

Benefits:

  • gain strength without bulking
  • lose body fat
  • decrease risk for diseases like diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease
  • increase bone density
  • improve balance
  • help fight depression
  • helps with cramps
  • improve activities of daily living
  • helps fight obesity
  • beat back pain

Here are a few really good compound movements to add to your strength training  workouts.  Lift heavy! You are stronger then you think.

Lower body:

  1. barbell/ dumbell squats
  2. deadlift
  3. lunges

Upper body:

  1. barbell bench press
  2. push ups
  3. pull ups- chin ups
  4. bent over row

Core:

  1. plank
  2. hanging leg raises
  3. L-sits

 

Benefits of deadlifting

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Benefits of Deadlifting :  Deadlift

If you haven’t added the deadlift to you workout routine yet, you should! The deadlift, if done correctly, will help strengthen all the major muscles groups. The deadlift helps build muscle in the lower and upper body at the same time.  Deadlifting will also strengthen the entire back and the muscles around your back. This move can be used for rehabilitative and preventative purposes if done correctly. The deadlift is a great exercise for building core strength and strength in all other major muscle groups. Minimal equipment is needed to deadlift, you can use a bar, dumbells, or sandbag. There are different types of deadlifts such as sumo stance, stiff leg and bent leg to name a few.

Benefits:

  • core strength
  • improve posture
  • total body workout
  • practical, used in everyday situations
  • awesome butt workout
  • grip strength
  • raise heart rate- blasts fat

 

How to deadlift:

start with light weight till you master the movement.

 

  • start with your feet shoulder width apart, grip barbell so your arms are right outside your legs. Your shins should be touching the bar.
  • make sure you are in a neutral spin position. Meaning your back is flat, neck/head is not looking up or down but straight ahead.
  • keep your chest up and your shoulders slightly over the bar. Never round your shoulders
  • before lifting, tighten abs, shoulders and glutes
  • lift through your feet, hips and shoulders should move at the same time.
  • at the top of the movement you should be standing straight, shoulders back. The weight will end around your mid thigh
  • start the downward phase by pushing through your heels while you slowly lower the bar. Keep bar as close to/touching your body throughout the whole movement
  • Lower in a controlled motion. Make sure you keep your chest up and your abs tight while lowering

Tips:

  1. make sure you are breathing.
  2. never round back
  3. no jerking of the weight

Check out my quick how to video:

Cardio-Blast

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Cardio-Blast  

 Tabata             IMG_5017

If you are like me and not in to running ( or any form of cardio) you should try tabata training. One of my favorite warm ups is tabata jump rope, I also like to end my workout with tabata double unders. Tabata training is high intensity interval training. Its 20 seconds of all out intensity followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated eight times for a total of four minutes. Sounds easy? wait till you try it! Tabata workouts offer more benefits in less time. Tabata training will help you lose fat faster than regular jogging. Tabata training raises your metabolism and heart rate up in no time at all. Your metabolism will stay raised for a longer period of time which will help you burn more fat. If you are looking to improve your performance for sports , tabata training is a great way to do that.  If you are new to tabata training start with less rounds and build up to eight. You can put almost any exercise into a tabata training workout, so there’s no getting bored! Here are some great tabata workouts you can do instead of traditional running.

 

Tabata cardio:

20 secs of work- 10 sec rest for 8 rounds.

  • jump rope or double unders
  • mt climbers
  • burprees
  • squat jumps
  • high knees
  • sprinting
  • rowing

You can also use tabata training for strength training

Tabata strength:

  • pull ups
  • push ups
  • any ab move
  • squats

Cautions: tabata training is not for everyone. Make sure you are able to perform at high intensity before trying tabata training. 

 

Reebok Crossfit product review

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reebok-crossfit

 

 

Reebok crossfit is one of my favorite brands. This past weekend was my birthday and I got a gift card and I spent it on all reebok gear! I decided since the holidays are right around the corner I would do a product review. Reebok does not pay me or give me anything for free or even discounted.  I’ll start with the shoes. The nanos are the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn! I love them, I’m on my second pair. I do all my workouts in them including running. I know some people at my gym change into different shoes to run, but not me. As for fit, I think they fit true to size. I highly recommend them. Next up are the sports bras. Im usually a small but I tried a small on at the store and it was too big. So the pink one is an extra small. The same day I bought it was cruising the web and I found the gray one on sale, so I bought it. It is also an extra small and it doesn’t fit me at all. It is way too small. I was bummed. I love my pink one, its very comfortable and I can wear it all day without it bugging me. So now I cant buy them online because I have to try them on first. I don’t know why two extra smalls are completely different sizes. Other then the size issue I would totally recommend it. Next I’ll talk about the pants. They are very comfortable. The size is small which is normal for me. They are not very thin or too thick. Don’t you hate when you buy pants and you bend over to squat or deadlift and you realize they are see-through, well these are thick enough where that does not happen!  They are comfortable enough to wear even when your not working out. The shorts are also a small and are very comfortable. They are very short and tight! I would defiantly buy more of the pants and the shorts. Lastly is the shirt. Its very light weight and comfy. Its a little on the long side but its still a great shirt. The last thing I wanted to mention was price. All of the reebok crossfit stuff is very expensive in my opinion. Other then the shoes I usually wait for sales, unfortunately they don’t go on sale very often. All and all I love reebok crossfit and I will continue to wait for sales and buy more stuff!

Functional training

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Turkish get up    IMG_4851   IMG_4856

Here is a great move to add to your workouts. The turkish get up incorporates yours abs, legs, arms, glutes ect. This move can be done without weight and once you master the movement you can begin adding weight.  Once you start adding weight start with a dumbbell before moving to a kettlebell or barbell.

How to:

  • start on the floor in fetal position
  • roll to your back while pushing your hand(weight) into a straight arm postion
  • at the same time bend the knee of the raised arm
  • your shoulder should be tight into its socket.
  • never take your eyes off the weight
  • push from your bent foot and sit up onto your elbow
  • push from your elbow onto your hand
  • push your body off the ground and then swing your leg though into a kneeling position
  • from kneeling position lunge into a standing postion.
  • reverse the whole movement backwards

Tips:

  1. start with no or light weight
  2. do not take eyes off of weight
  3. keep your wrist straight

Check out my how to video:

Kettlebell Swings

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IMG_4930IMG_4895IMG_4897

Kettlebell swings are a great move to add to your workouts, but they can be hard to perfect. Here are some great tips on how to improve your form and look like a pro.

 

How To Tips:

  • stand above kettlebell with feet slightly wider than you shoulder.
  • think about the swing as a deadlift motion only in fast forward.
  • hinges from the hips,
  • drive hips forward hard  to help move the kettlebell up
  • maintain  natural arch of  back throughout the exercise.
  • keep abs tight throughout whole movement
  • keep the shins vertical, don’t let knees track over toes
  • keep kettlebell as close to your body as possible

Why you should be doing them:

  • good for people with low back pain who cant do deadlifts, good mornings, etc. Research shows  kettlebell swings may not exacerbate low back pain.
  • works multiple muscles, such as the hips, glutes, hamstrings, lats, abs, shoulders, pecs and grip.
  • kettlebell swings burn a ton of calories.
  • you will get a full body workout