Sprint to the top! Functional training like running stairs gives you a strength like none other.

Here’s a workout to make you powerful. I happen to have a twelve-step staircase in my house, so I used this workout when I was snowed in, but you can use it anywhere you have stairs to climb.  You’ll need a medicine ball (MB), stairs of some sort and a mat.  I used a 10 lb MB. Have water handy. It will most likely take 50-60 minutes. Continue reading →

Mirrors can be friend or enemy. Look at yourself with an appreciative eye.

Poor body image and insufficient self-love has gone on quite long enough.  Forget excuses about culture or insecurity, how we view and treat our bodies is up to us. It’s our responsibility.  Lately I’ve been hearing more and more about what people think is wrong with themselves. Maybe I’ve had some similar voices running around in my head too. However, I know for a fact, and I’m telling you, those voices are wrong. If you do this exercise with me, you’ll see why. Continue reading →

Lace up your sneakers, strap on your sports watch, and grab a buddy for a challenging cardio-based, full-body workout!   This workout can be done at the gym, at a park with picnic tables or stairs, or at your home. Just be sure to find a step that’s 8-24 inches high (depending on your experience). Continue reading →

Sometimes fitting a workout into a busy day can be a tight squeeze, but it’s important to get in all that you can in whatever time you have.  Here is one I use that combines cardio, upperbody, and plyometric components.  Working faster and super-setting exercises will allow you to get in the exercises you need while raising  your heart rate enough to compensate for the lack of time spent working out. Continue reading →

A butt to be proud of! Strengthen your glutes, hammies, and thighs, and fill that dress right!

All right, people. It seems butt workouts are in high demand these days, so you asked for it, you’re getting it.  Here is one of my favorites.  Do everything in succession and don’t take breaks in the middle of sets.  The key to this workout is fighting through the fatigue.  So, suck it up, lose your breath, and come back hungry for more! Continue reading →

Leg workouts are some of the most powerful tools for gaining muscle mass and shaping your body.  Along with your core, leg muscles are involved in many of your day to day activities, and training them helps your ability to control coordination, balance, endurance, and sometimes speed.  As a bonus to strengthening your lower body, you’ll get the added bonus of having awesome looking legs and a firm butt. Continue reading →

Using tooth brushing tactically can transform your shape and your smile.

Being fit and losing weight take dedication and focus.  Consistently eating healthy foods in healthy proportions is crucial to any program, and coming up with strategies to help you with the mental aspect of eating right can be the difference between success and failure.

Here’s a little practice to implement if you have trouble with snacking too much between meals or munching on second helpings. Continue reading →

grandma on the beach | photo page – everystockphoto.

“Toning up” is a convenient little phrase that everyone knows but seems to take lightly.  I hear all the time, “Oh, I just want to tone up a little more” or “I’m happy with my weight, I just want to tone up.”  This is when I know we need to work on goal setting a little bit.  Looking toned is a byproduct of training (and eating) effectively for performance goals. Continue reading →

So, now we’re going add one new kind of training to your weekly regimen.  Repetition training, or sprinting, is an effective way to train your anaerobic metabolism. It also helps your running economy and works some different muscle fibers than longer, steadier runs do. These are the runs that are great for getting out pent up energy, testing your limits, and measuring improvements.  They will help you not only physically in your longer training sessions, but also mentally.  Once you get through these workouts, the other ones seem easy in comparison. Continue reading →