The Olympics have taken over our TV.
Is everyone else this obsessed?
I feel like this week has been background to the Olympics. I work while watching the Olympics, I plan workouts while watching the Olympics, Vegas and I eat dinner in front of the TV… we are obsessed.
I did get away for a run though. It was a gorgeous day, despite all the hills.
…
Sometimes you need a hug.
Other times you need to punch someone something.
This weekend I needed a hug. Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m chasing my tail. I’m frustrated with where I am and I need to ACT. Marvelous is being honest about needing a hug and getting a bunch of love from Facebook land. Marvelous is unplugging with a movie and popcorn on the couch. Marvelous is a wise friend telling you what you needed to hear:
Here are a few more marvelous weekend highlights… be sure to check out the beautiful Diva-Mamma Katie’s Marvelous Monday link up. 🙂
A full hour of booty building with a killer butt workout… and camera filters that make you look tan.
Free 2oz tastes of Buchi Fire sorbet at Whole Foods. Its good… but I still like the actual kombucha best.
Brewing your own kombucha at home.
Having dinner with a good friend…
And Instagramming pic from said dinner and receving multiple compliments on my boobs.
Farm fresh local eggs from the farmer’s market.
Branching out. I’ve taken a brief break from kabocha.
Sweet potato may not be an earth-shattering ingredient, but this dish stopped me in my tracks. Let’s put it this way, there was Sea Bass on my plate and I still saved the sweet potato ribbon as my last bite. The privilege of being the last bite is a serious thing.
I have no idea why I don’t cook with coconut oil more. I tend to reach for olive oil… but definitely go the coconut route in the recipe. It’s absolutely delicious with the sweet potato and softens the slight bitterness of the greens.
I enjoyed this with a side of roasted beet that was a great compliment to the sweetness of the potato. The beet was topped with a Greek yogurt curry sauce that I threw together. Just 2 T Greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp curry powder, and a wedge of lime juice.
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With a very sharp knife or a mandoline, carefully slice sweet potato lengthwise into thin strips.
Once sliced, use a knife and cut them to about 1/4-1/2 inch thickness and set aside.
Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat, grease with a bit of oil, and add in sweet potato ribbons. Continually stir until cooked through to desired doneness (~6-7 mins).
Add coconut oil, rosemary, and greens. Stir and cook until greens are just wilted. Sprinkle in cinnamo nand lime juice to finish.
Plate and top with freshly ground pepper (if desired).
Enjoy!
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And then I roasted another kabocha squash.
What was marvelous about your weekend?
Do you ever feel like you’re chasing your tail? How do you break the cycle?
When one door closes, another opens.
Or maybe another butts in? Hee hee…
I’ve written multiple Work It Out posts about the booty. My mission is to get one. Last season I made some great progress, but there’s a lot of room to grow. Since I am limited on my upper body, I’ve been really focusing on my butt.
I knew I was in trouble when I told my trainer that my new additions made my arms look smaller and he replied “I bet they make your butt look smaller too.”
He was right. Doh.
After speaking to Lisa (who competed in Bikini at the last show I did), I took her advice and put together my own booty building program. I am now training glutes 3 times a week! Before you tell me that’s too frequent, know that I’m still not able to go heavy so a 2-3 day cycle works. 😉
I shake things up each time, but this has been my favorite ass-kicking workout to date:
Click the names for explanations:
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Thank you all SO much for all the birthday love yesterday. It make the day that much more special. ♥♥♥
How deep do you squat? Try going ass-to-the-grass. The soreness level of effectiveness is glorious.
What is your favorite booty-builder?
This may seem odd, but I need a bigger booty.
You ladies with ba-donk-a-donks are luuuuucky!
Since this post, it has grown a good amount! Even my mom commented on how it’s looking better. 😉 However, we still have lots of room for progress.
While these exercises may not exactly double your derrière, they will help!
For those who want their booty to firm rather than grow, don’t shy away from these. Exercise builds muscle, which burns fat. This leads to a shapely, muscular arse.
No shame in admiring hard-earned progress!
For each of the following exercises, do 3 sets of 10-12. For more advanced rears, try going 4 sets of 15.
Lie on the floor or a mat with your face down. Spread your arms out over your head and your legs wide behind you to form an “X.” Move your legs and arms in and out, much like a jumping jack.
Throughout the exercise, keep your arms and knees straight and off the floor. Think about engaging and squeezing the glutes as you move your legs together and apart. This keeps the focus on the upper and side glute muscle.
Note: If this bothers your lower back, try moving your arms and chest lower (or even all the way to the floor), focusing solely on the leg movement. Once you gain strength, add in the upper body.
Stand with your feet together, elbows bent 90 degrees. Lunge forward with your right foot (A). Jump straight up as you thrust your arms forward, elbows still bent (B).
Switch legs in midair, like a scissor, and land in a lunge with your left leg forward (C). Repeat, switching legs again. That’s completes 1 rep.
This move hits the whole lower body, engaging the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. The added bonus is that it also engages the core and hips!
Need a challenge? Make it harder by holding weights in each hand.
Note: This can be hard on your knees – if you have knee trouble do a regular single legged lunge.
I love to call these machine the “yes” and “no” machines. You can see why…
The exercise pictured hits the inner thighs and bum muscles. Sit in the machine and grip the handles on each side. Slowly press against the machine with your legs to move them towards each other while exhaling. Be sure your upper body remains stationary throughout the exercise to prevent injury.
Hold the contraction for 2-3 seconds and return your legs back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
These machines are often 2-in-1, or have a neighboring machine where you do the same thing, only you start with your legs together and move them away from each other (i.e. the “yes” machine). This works the outer thighs and glutes.
For a real challenge, apply the 24s method to this one!
While these may feel… awkward… to do, they do work. Be confident and rock them out. And make sure your bottoms are providing full coverage to avoid peep shows. 😉
Get on the floor on your hands and knees. Lift one knee up and out to hip-level (or as close to it as you can). Keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle, ankle flexed. As you raise your leg, take care to not let your weight shift over to your support side. Slowly lower your leg to the starting position for one rep.
Do 10-12 reps on one side, and repeat with the opposite leg for one set. In addition to targeting the outer glutes, fire hydrants engage your core when you take care to keep your tummy tight and your back straight.
Note: Fire hydrants are also great for strengthening the hips. If you have to sit all day at work… do these!
You know that bottom part of your bum that gets all saggy and wrinkly? Single leg squats with a Swiss ball will blast that problem area, as the assistance of the ball allows you to engage the glutes even more exclusively than even a “regular” squat.
Place the Swiss ball against the wall, and lean your back against it. Stand on your left leg while pressing your back into the ball with your lower back. Stretch your right leg out in front of you in a horizontal position parallel to the floor. If that’s not yet possible, just raise your leg as much as you can.
Squat down to a sitting position using the Swiss ball as your support. Be very careful to keep the knee of the supporting leg behind the toes to avoid knee injury. Stop when the leg is bent to 90 degrees, then slowly press back up to the starting position.
Need a challenge? Raise your toes off the floor for an even more targeted hit to your thighs, hamstrings, and glutes.
Note: I struggle with balance and find that stretch my arms in front of me and focusing on a point straight ahead helps!
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I think I’ve officially posted about butts more than another other part in my Work It Out series. This is funny because what I really want to do is work out chest and biceps. Every. Day. Balance…
Bare it all: What are your thought on your bum? Good? Needs work? Big? Small?
Has anyone tried the leg workout without touching the floor? This is oddly one of my favorites.
