At Home Cardio

Hey there peeps! So I have been a slacker when it comes to posting some workouts and I have to apologize for that! It is nearing the end of the semester here so things are pretty hectic. But don't worry, I am still doing my workouts, I just haven't posted them. I have also been working on a new website that will incorporate all the things on this blog but will also include videos and pictures so that is taking up some of my time as well.

This one I am posting today is a high intensity workout that can be used for cardio. It is meant to be fast pace and hard, but of course they are always adjustable to fit your level! Don't get scared because the circuits are longer, I promise its not bad! It is a great fat burner so try it out!

*If you have any questions about how to do any of these moves, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Front Kicks

Circuit 1:
20 Jumping Jacks
30 seconds High knees
30 seconds Butt kicks
6 Jump Squats
10 Front Kicks, each leg
30 seconds of Mountain Climber
Rest for 45 seconds to 1 minute

Circuit 2:
6 Burpees
20 Jump Jacks
5 Split Jump Squats
10 Front Kicks each leg (can be done with or without the lunge) 


30 seconds knee raises/march in place
15 seconds High Knee
15 Seconds Butt Kicks
Rest for 30 - 45 seconds (or longer if you are beginner)

Circuit 3:
30 Jumping Jacks
40 seconds of Jump Rope
5 Burpees
20 seconds jog in place
15 seconds Run in place
Rest for 30 - 45 seconds

Circuit 4:
20 Jumping Jacks
10 Lateral Jumps
5 Jump Squats
30 Seconds Jump Rope
5 Tuck Jumps
Rest for 30 - 45 Seconds

Circuit 5:
20 Jumping Jacks
25 seconds of High Knees
5 Squats (can be narrow, plie or moderate, just try to go deep)
40 seconds marching

Make sure to stretch and cool down.

Go through it completely once then try again. Repeat all or any 5 of the circuits as many times as you can. Do as much as you can in 30 min. If you are pooped after 1 Round then that is fine! Just listen to your body and do all that you can! 

Photo Cred: acefitness.org
Lateral jumps

Photo Cred: womenshealthmag.com
Front Kicks with lunge

Amazing Low Carb Crepes

So this morning I was really craving crepes. I didn't feel like eating my usual protein shake, but I still wanted something that would satisfy my crepe craving but be high in protein. I remembered a recipe I saw over a year ago and decided to try and replicate it. I could not longer find the original recipe so I played it by memory and it worked out great! They are fast and only take a couple ingredients. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
5 egg whites
1 Tablespoon Almond Flour
2 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together. Heat up stove/iron. Melt 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil on iron to keep them from sticking. Pour a scoop of batter on hot pan/iron. Cook on one side for 4 minutes or until light brown, flip and cook the same on that side. Top with topping of your choice. Remember not to add sugar. I like to put a small dab of almond butter, drizzle honey, and add a few slices of bananas to mine. Sometimes I will even add a small dab of vanilla unsweetened coconut yogurt. These do taste more eggy than regular crepes but I love them!

mmm..So Yummy

Let it get light brown

Chocolate Nutter Cups

I love chocolate! Seriously though, I do. One time I ate so much in one day that I got very sick (we won't go into details) that it was called "chocolate poisoning", just not a severe case of it. Granted the chocolate I did eat was raw and 100% Pure Cacao...but anyway, the point is, I LOVE chocolate. There is one problem with most chocolate bars though, either they are full of a bunch of crap (most of which I can't pronounce) or they are full of sugar (specifically refined sugar or corn syrup). I don't want to put those things in my body, but I still want to enjoy some chocolate every once in a while (not everyday, even though sometimes I want to haha). Then there's the fact that raw or "healthy" chocolate bars are ridiculously expensive. So I decided to make something that would satisfy my chocolate craving and at the same time not contain all the junk.

Watch out though! They aren't low in calories or fat and they do have sugar (if you use maple syrup). I wouldn't advise sitting and eating an entire one of these, as tempting as it may be. A half of one is more than enough. I made some with almond butter for me and some with peanut butter for my husband. I can't eat peanut butter, but I am sure they are just as good as mine! So when it comes to the nut butter you use, you can really choose any that you want, hazelnut, cashew, almond, peanut, you get the picture. If you love chocolate as much as me, go and make these and let me know what you think :) 

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa or Cacao Powder
• 1/4 Cup Almond Butter (you can also use peanut butter or any nut of your choice)
• 3-4 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup (to cut calories you can use liquid Stevia or Truvia and do one drop-full)
• Small Pinch of Salt (I forgot to add this to mine, so it's not a big deal if you don't add it)

Directions:

Heat Coconut Oil and nut butter until melted and mixed well. Add cocoa powder, maple syrup and salt, stir until combined. The batter is supposed to be a somewhat thick liquid.

Place cupcake liners in muffin/cupcake tin. Scoop/pour batter into lined tin. Freeze for 30 minutes or until solid. Eat and enjoy!

I ate a bite of one, which is why it looks like that

I added a few semisweet chocolate chips
to the top of this one :)

Left side is peanut butter, right side is almond butter

This is one of the peanut butter ones

My Workout Buddies

Everyone likes a workout buddy right? Whether it's TV, an actual friend, Ipod or music on your phone, or something else, I am sure you have some sort of buddy that you workout with.

I have more than one workout buddy, and I switch them up almost every day. For me they are animated or Disney movies :). I have a really hard time working out to just music in my ears, and watching TV either takes too much thought/isn't available/or isn't entertaining enough. I also usually workout from home, so having an actual friend with me doesn't work. I didn't realize before that these movies were perfect for me to workout with! One day I just decided to watch Tangled while working out and the workout went by so fast that I was hooked. I don't know what it is, but I am able to handle more intense workouts when I watch these kinds of movies. After my discovery, I started watching Despicable Me (1 and 2), Emperor's New Groove, The Croods, and now that Frozen is out, it has been added to my schedule as well. It's kind of silly but it has to be a movie like those I named or it doesn't work.

This may not have the same effect for everyone. Some people can't watch a show over and over again, but I can. Must be the little kid inside me coming out. And now that I have established this routine with my buddies, it is actually quite difficult for me to exercise without them! This morning I worked out to Frozen for the 4th time in the last 10 days haha call me crazy but it works for me.

When it comes to working out, you really do need to find what suits you. Exercise isn't supposed to be miserable, so find something that entertains you enough to keep you going. Find your motivation, even if it is silly like mine, and stick with it.

My Legs Are Burning

Ok, I am posting this one because it is the exercise I did this morning and it seriously worked my legs! And was a great way to get my heart pumping.
Working out your legs and developing the muscles on them is such a great way to burn fat and calories. Because these muscle are so big, they take a lot of energy to workout and they generate a lot of heat. If you are looking for a great way to tone up your legs and increase your metabolism, I recommend this workout. Just remember that it can be adjusted to fit personal needs and fitness levels. If you are more advanced than me, increase the reps and use a heavier weight. If you are just getting started or aren't used to these moves, decrease the reps and use a lighter weight or not weight at all.
**For Circuit 3 click here for instructions and pictures.**
Now, go burn those legs!

Circuit One:
15 Side Lunges with kettle bell, each leg (I used 10 lbs)
1 minute Jumping Jacks (put lots of effort into those jumps!)
20 Plie or Sumo Squats with kettle bell (I used 10 lbs)
Rest for 40 Seconds
Complete 3 Rounds

PhotoCredit: mummafit.com
Bulgarian Lunge

Circuit Two:
15 Bulgarian Lunges, each leg (you can hold a weight or balance with your arms out in front of you)
20 Scissor Jumps
Rest 40 Seconds
Complete 4 Rounds

Circuit Three:
15 Leg and Arm Raises with kettle bell (I used 10 lbs but don't use any if it's your first time) Click here for instructions
15 Pulse Ups with kettle bell (I used 10 lbs)
15 Bicycles with kettle bell (10lbs)
10-12 Stability Ball Crunches
30 Seconds Mountain Climbers
Rest 1 Minute
Complete 4 Rounds

Circuit Four: This is the cardio part of the workout
8 Rounds of Tabata
10 Seconds Slow/Moderate Pace
20 Seconds High Intensity Pace
*I did this on my spin bike, you can do jump roping, jump squats, running in place, running around a track or pretty much anything that will work as cardio. This is an important part of this workout so don't skip it! Do your best, it is only 4 minutes.

And Stretch!
Make sure you stretch your hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, quads, and back
Here are some common stretched I do after this workout