Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

More is MORE

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I’m a believer in “go big or go home.”

The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Verizon Wireless.

The other day my trainer told me I’d never be big enough. Not that I can’t build, but I love it and I’ll always want MORE muscles.  #truth  I also submit that there is never enough chocolate cake or good red wine.*

*My stomach and liver may disagree.

There’s one more thing to have to add to the list.  Verizon Wireless’ new More Everything plan!

moreeverything

When I first got a cell phone I was 17 and I bought my own because my dad said I had no business with a cell phone.  It was one of those big Nokias and I thought I was the coolest kid ever.  Time have changed!  Now kids get phones for “safety” and their parents pay for it all.  I must confess that I actually regressed and am on the family plan with Verizon.  It’s cheaper to share with my mom and sisters… even if my mom and I are the only ones paying for said plan (slacker younger siblings!).  Either way, I switched from a not-so-great provider to Verizon years ago and I couldn’t be happier.

This new More Everything plan is perfect for us budget-conscious people sharing with our families.   It starts as low as $45 a month and, you can power up to ten devices with UNLIMITED TALK, UNLIMITED TEXT and all the data you can handle!

moreeverything1

Since we’re all unique little snowflakes, you have the option to build your own package.  Just choose the devices and data.  You can also upgrade to a new phone without having to wait those pesky 2 years!  I suggest the iPhone 5s. 🙂

Interested?  Click here to learn more!

It makes all my over-sharing on Instagram possible.  Like this week’s roller derby bout!  I got to see my old teammates!

Atlanta Rollergirls

***

More can be Marvelous… even on Mondays.

What can you never have too much MORE of? 

What was your first cell phone?

 

Reebok ZQuick + 5 Fast Miles

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My shoe collection is out of control. 

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Reebok.

I’m not complaining!  As someone who works out nearly daily, I actually use the 10 pairs of athletic shoes in my closet.  Dress shoes, notsomuch.

This is why I was so excited when I had the opportunity to try out Reebok’s new ZQuick. I realized I’d been wearing Reebok apparel for a long time, but had never tried their shoes!

ZQuick

About the ZQuick… 

Read More »

Back to Reality with Sizzlefish + WIAW

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Competition diets aren’t realistic. long-term

 

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Sizzlefish.

Eating like I have been leading up to my competition was a short-lived reality… again, it isn’t how you should eat forever.  This week I’m thrilled that food is back to being fun again this week.  I haven’t had time for a proper grocery store run, but I’ve had some help!

 Sizzlefish shipment

 

Sizzlefish provided me with a Sizzlefish sampler of their Omega-3 Protein Mix.  It included Coho salmon, Atlantic salmon, sablefish, rainbow trout, catfish, Atlantic cod, haddock, and catfish.

Did you know that studies have shown that a diet high in fish, particularly fish high in Omega 3 fatty acids, enhances athletic performance and health?

Sizzlefish

 

My fish were frozen at the peak of quality, pre-portioned, and shipped on dry ice to have on-hand when I was back to “normal” food.  After cutting fat, I couldn’t bust into this fast enough!

I came home late from a crazy work day, it was the perfect thing to quickly cook up.  I was surprised by how fresh the frozen fish was!  Check out my dinner below for more.

Side note: wouldn’t this make a an awesome holiday gift?!  Mamma may be received a Christmas shipment from Sizzlefish… 

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Since I haven’t done a full re-stock yet, this isn’t quite a normal WIAW, but it’s much improved from last week!

WIAWbutton

Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else delicious creations!

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Breakfast:

My healthiest addiction began my day – Aminos and ACV morning cocktail. 

Breakfast is not long turkey or chicken – hooray!  I traveled all the way from Colorado with this almost-empty jar of Justin’s almond butter in order to make overnight oats in a jar.  Can you believe Heather’s hubby was going to throw it away?!  All that nutty deliciousness hiding at the bottom of a mixture of oats, Greek yogurt, and goji berries laced with cinnamon and ginger.

Justins OOIAJ

 

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lisa, my competition buddy and co-worker, surprised me with homemade cocoa cookie bites.  I asked if they were “healthy” and she said they are all-organic.  Works for me! 😉

See the black dot on my pinky?  That’s where I slammed a weight on my hand 3 weeks ago!  Blood blisters are the gift that keeps on giving.

 

Lunch:

A quick trip to Whole Foods the night before resulted in a lunch of smoked rotisserie chicken mixed with shallots, paprika, nutritional yeast, ACV, and pepper over a slice of sesame Ezekial bread, mustard, and spinach.

This was the first time I’d seen smoked chicken at Whole Food – it is the best rotisserie I’ve ever gotten there!

smoked rotisserie chicken

 

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Think Thin was nice enough to send me a little treat a few weeks back.  I hadn’t gotten to dive into the box yet, but it has come in handy this week!  I really enjoyed the Caramel Fudge flavor as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.  With the rest of the cookies from earlier… 

Think Thin

 

Dinner:

Dinner was when I enjoyed my Sizzlefish.  I got home really late, but was still able to have a good dinner!  I couldn’t decide whether I wanted salmon or trout, so I had both.  Life is short, why choose?

I had put them in the fridge the night before to haw, so when I got home I tossed them under the broiler with lemon juice and pepper for about 7 mins along with roasted veggies I’d picked up from Whole Foods.

Sizzlefish

 

Dessert:

I feel really lame… but I wasn’t hungry for dessert after eating dinner at 10pm.  Instead, I had another holiday kombucha and called it a night.

***

I am so very excited to buy all of the foods at the international market this weekend!  Grocery shopping should be an Olympic sport.  I’d medal.

Have you ever had frozen seafood?  What is your favorite?

Have you started thinking about holiday shopping yet?  Would you gift food?  I couldn’t believe it when I realized Thanksgiving is next week!

 

Competition Weekend Through an iPhone Lens

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I don’t even bring a camera when I travel anymore.

 

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Verizon Wireless.

When I got my first smart phone, it changed my world.  I’ve never liked having to carry multiple devices or go to more than one source for tasks.

Verizon offered me the chance to upgrade from my iPhone 5 to a 5s and I pounced on the opportunity.  From the solid, light-weight of the metal-casing to the fingerprint-reading lock, I am impressed.  I also love the new iOS7 system.  It offers iTunes Radio, which is like Pandora but better because you can tag songs as favorites to remember to purchase later.  I’ve wished for this feature on the radio SO many times!

iPhone 5s

 

The light weight and the radio features allow me to travel light on a plane or the gym – just grab the phone and my in-flight entertainment or energy-inducing jams are there.  I love being able shake up my music songs – my playlist was getting OLD after all this competition training.

Since I spent the weekend with Heather in Colorado for our competition, I joined her for a final workout.  Radio up and headphones in, I killed the last back/tri workout I’ll do for 2 weeks (it’s REST time!).  It was SO much fun to be able to do it with a friend, and to shamelessly ask gym employees to take iPhone pics for us.

workout with Heather

 

Best of all is the super-fast Verizon 4G LTE service.  I’m extremely impatient, so being able to over-share instantaneously via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is a must.  I did just that alllll weekend long from Colorado!

 

I’m drafting this on a flight home and the internet is painfully slow, so the full recap will have to wait.  In the meantime, here’s the iPhone-powered Cliff’s Notes:

Heather and I didn’t get top 5, but we had a blast.  AND we got to cheer Lisa, who placed 4th in Bikini Class C.

Lisa Heather Me

 

We celebrated in style at one of Denver’s best restaurants, Fruition.  Kait joined us too – it was so great to meet her for the first time.  I ordered pasta carbonara with hand-made cavatalli, pork belly and a 6 minute egg (I ordered that solely for the #yolkporn) and duck confit pierogi with caramelized brussels, kumquat marmalade, and roasted apple pan jus.

The food was great, the service was perfect, and the company couldn’t have been better… but I’m still amazed I didn’t fall asleep in my (unpictured) dessert.

fruition

 

Sunday was a beautiful morning – not a cloud in the sky!  Heather, Kirk (her husband) and I slept in and headed out for coffee and a hike.

We headed back to meet Lauren and Greg (her husband) for brunch.  We sipped on a Kirk-and-Heather whiskey barrel-aged homebrew (out-of-this-world good!) and shoveled a cheese plate in our mouths while Kirk prepared the meal  The smoked salmon eggs benedict was one of the best I’ve had!

Denver brunch

 

I’m sad to leave, but made a ton of good memories… and rekindled my desire to MOVE to Denver!  It was all pretty marvelous.

MMIM

***

I am so grateful for Heather and Kirk putting up with me me up for the long weekend, and to everyone who commented/tweeted good luck messages.  It all made the weekend that much more special.  Thank you! <3

Are you an iPhone or Droid lover?  What are your favorite apps?  I’ve become addicted to LINE camera.

Do you like to hike?  That’s one of the reasons I want to live in Denver!  

 

Pumpkin Almond Protein Batter

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The closer I get to my competition, the more fun I have.

Ask me again in 2 weeks and I may tell you different.

Right now life revolves around the gym, food, and work.  I love all three of these, so why wouldn’t I be ecstatic?  Here’s how my typical Saturday goes down:

1. Wake Up, Eat, Get Dressed

I started my day with a delicious combo of oats, TVP, egg whites, cinnamon, ginger… and cheesecake.

The cheesecake part was thank to a Loranne Cheesecake Flavoring.  I topped with frozen cherries and a sprinkle of cocoa powder.

Cheesecake TVP Oatmeal

2. Go to Competition Suit Fitting

No pic till competition day… but I LOVE it!

My suit

3. Posing practice and Back/Tri Workout

I did this at my trainer’s gym, which I love because it’s an actually a training gym vs. a fitness club.  The icing on the cake was that I was the only one there for the last half of the workout, which was amazing.

Clearly this called for a photoshoot.

4. Meet with 1st Personal Training Client

I am SO excited to be working with a former roller derby teammate.  She is going to kick ass in the gym too!

5. Grocery Shop

I hit out massive Buford Highway Farmer’s Market and bought a TON of food for less than $70.  Including this new to me fish – Sheepshead:

sheepshead fish

6. Cook Dinner

I couldn’t wait to try my Sheepshead, so that’s what I had.  It’s delicious – a mild, meaty white fish that’s low in fat and high in protein.

Seafood is one thing I prefer to prepare simply.  I baked this fish with lime and a dusting of Indian spices.  Eaten with bok choy sautéed with garlic, green onion, and coconut oil, and roasted portobello with a runny egg, and a slice of Ezekial.

7. Clean Out/Organize Work Emails

This was a productive activity while watching FSU beat the you-know-what out of Clemson.  Goooo ‘Noles!!!

8. Eat dessert

The following is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Designer Whey and Smari.  As always, all opinions are my own.

Dessert is my favorite par of the day.  Even better was the fact that I got to try 2 new things: Designer Whey Vanilla Almond Protein Powder and Smari Icelandic yogurt.  I normally make my protein bowls with Greek yogurt, but I am loving this Icelandic too!  It’s very similar to Greek in that its super thick, high in protein (higher than Greek, actually!), and the plain is low in sugar.

I decided to create a pumpkin protein bowl using the ingredients.   What resulted was a Pumpkin Almond Protein Batter that made me a little sad when I was over.  It tasted like cake batter.

Overall, it was a marvelous weekend!

Pumpkin Almond Protein Batter

Pumpkin Almond Protein Batter

  • 1/2 C pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 scoop Vanilla Almond Protein Powder 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 5-6 drops stevia
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk (or other liquid)
  • Optional toppings: cocoa powder sauce (cocoa powder + liquid + stevia), cherries, cacao nibs, popcorn

Combine everything in a small bowl and mix until smooth.  You may need to add more liquid to achieve desired consistency.

Top with your favorites and enjoy!

*You can sub any vanilla protein and add 1/4 tsp almond extract

***

Did you notice anything in that pic of me?  I went dark for the winter… every time I look in the mirror I double take at the dark haired girl.

Have you ever tried Icelandic yogurt?

What does a typical Saturday look like for you?

What’s Driving My Marvelous (Monday)

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No one likes regrets.

Especially when it involves wearing a bikini on stage in front of a lot of people.

My favorite uncle likes to say:

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, oh what a merry Christmas we’d all have.

My goal is to go into Saturday’s figure competition without thinking “if only I had…” or “but I should have…”  No regrets.  That’s what’s driving me right now, even though I’m tired, busy, and really hate running sprints.

That’s not entirely true… I have a lot of fantastic friends whose encouragement also drives me.  After this post where I admitted to be being busy and more than a little overwhelmed, Jody reminded me that what I’m doing is not easy and I need to give my body time to recover.  So I took my first bath in years.

bath time

Then, after a particularly hard-to-motivate-for run (I’m doing sprints daily now), Heather took the time to encourage me.  She is the queen of training and balancing a busy life (and running), so I especially appreciate her props.

sprints

Note: I’m kidding about the fat and happy.  I chose this and I AM happy.  These last couple of weeks just get hard.

Something else that can drive a workout is new stuff.  So often we think of treating ourselves with food, but new clothing or “toys” can do it too!

This weekend I took myself shopping and got new eye cream, eyeshadow primer, 2 new tops, a bra (so badly needed), and my first EVER top from Lulumon.  I didn’t get a pic, but it’s this one.

lulumon top

I also brought my own marvelous lunch to the mall:  a crumbled Indian-spiced bison burger, sweet potato cubes, broccoli slaw, and red pepper.  I held it up proudly for a pic infront of Victoria’s Secret.  Bison and Boobs.

health snack

As much fun as spending money on yourself can be, free stuff is even more awesome.  Thanks to Fitfluential and Reebok, I had the opportunity to try out these Bose SIE2i headphones (as always – my opinions is my OWN).

Let me just say these ROCK.  I didn’t even know what I was missing out on until getting these high quality ear buds… it was like surround sound in my ears!

Bonus: They aren’t PINK

How do Reebok and Bose go together?  They partnered to release first ever Bose in-ear headphones specifically engineered for exercise.  Their features are designed with workouts in mind.  Click here for a video with more detail on the technology.

Here is what I liked:

  • They are sweat proof – there was NO sliding about in my ears even when I was sprinting
  • They didn’t give me a headache.  In the past I’ve had some ill-fitting buds that were so uncomfortable I had a headache by the end of my workout.  These still felt great 2 hours later!
  • The buds come with 3 sizes (small, medium, and large), and the small actually fit me
  • The shorter cable doesn’t get in the way of movement while lifting, but there is an extension cord for when you need length (I used it so I could place my iPhone on the treadmill while running sprints)
  • There is a remote in the cord that allows you to easily change songs and adjust volume (you can also take calls, but who doesn’t that during a workout?!)

It also came with a stretchy armband to holds your iPhone, but I didn’t use it.  I am looking forward to using it when I do some running this summer – it even has a separate pocket for keys!  For lifting, I can’t stand having something strapped to my arm.  My pythons need ROOM.  LOL!

The downside?  At $149.98, they are pricey. Here’s how I look at it: I spend 1-2 hours everyday working out.   It’s worth every cent if it makes that experience more enjoyable and comfortable.  That means a better workout for me, so I consider it another investment in my fitness.

Lastly, the ultimate driver: Progress.  It’s not big.  But I do believe that is a booty:

glutes

Do these Bose headphones make my butt look big? 😉

It may not look like much, but it’s a BIG improvement after a lot of work.  I dislike sprints, but I really hate having a pancake butt or a saggy ass.  So sprints it is!  I can do anything for 5 (more) days.

And all of this is what’s making my Monday Marvelous.  Thank you for another week starting out right, Katie!

Marvelous Monday

***

One more bit of awesome – 2 separate friends sent me their progress shots this weekend.  I was flattered that they trusted me enough to share those proud (scantily clad) moments!

Do you make a conscious effort to live life with no regrets?

Are good headphones important to you?  What is your fitness “splurge” item?  Lulumon? 😉

Eggplant Chips + WIAW

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Life gets busy.

I know this isn’t news to any of you, but it’s hitting me hard this week.

I’m 10 days out from my next figure competition.  The asparagus (click here for the reason behind that) begins this weekend.  I’m thinking next Friday’s #strangebutgood link up will take a twist as my diet gets to the most strict point… not-so-strange but good, anyone?

Balancing work with the competition preparation is not easy.  In addition to my 7 meals and regular workouts, I’m running sprints every day.  It’s a lot of fit in, especially since I dislike working out at night.  I’m TIRED.  Cutting a good amount of carbs and basically all sodium and fat leaves my energy level a bit low.

But I’m focusing on May 4th (competition day) and staying motivated.  I don’t want to get on stage and have any regrets!

desire to succeed

I’ve been taking a couple of products I received from GNC through a FitFluentiual campaign that have helped me maintain my level of activity: Ultra 25 Probiotic Complex and TriFlex.

The probiotics (said to replenish good bacteria needed for digestion) made a BIG difference.  Those 25 billion active cultures kept my gut healthy (translation: I have no problem going #2).  This make me happy and had prevented bloating!  This particular pill also has “enzymes and ginger for additional digestion support.”

GNC supplements

The TriFlex I think I need to take longer to say 100% whether it’s made a difference.  It is supposed to “promote joint mobility & flexibility” and contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM – all of which are great for joint health.  I have been taking it regularly.  That, in addition to seeing a new chiropractor, I *believe* have kept my joints are feeling good despite some crazy workouts!

 

My WIAW meals were still pretty good, despite and lack of yummy, yummy fat.  Mmmmm… peanut butter… I digress.

WIAWbutton

Check out my 7 low-fat, low-sodium, protein-laced meals below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how more normal people are eating!

Meal 1:

My day began with my morning cocktail (apple cider vinegar, water, and Aminos), as always.

I was going to go ahead and run sprints before breakfast, but my metabolism is out of control lately… I am STARVING all the time.  Breakfast had to happen before I entertained the idea of working out.  I wanted everything at once… so I had it!  It was PB&J-ish… with a coffee flair!  After adding baking powder to my Mango-Coconut TVP Oats, I’m hooked.  I used it again here for an especially voluminious bowl.

PB & Raspberry TVP Oatmeal

PB & Raspberry TVP Oatmeal

  • 1/3 C Textured Vegetable Protein
  • 1 T oatmeal
  • 1 tsp coffee
  • 3/4 C water
  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1 tsp ground flax
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract
  • 5-6 drops liquid stevia
  • Raspberries

Bring TVP, oats, coffee, and water to a boil.  Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed.  Add in remaining ingredients, adding additional water if needed.  

Allow to simmer until water is absorbed and your TVP oats reach your desired level of thickness.

Note:  I add 1/2 the berries at the end of cooking and use the other half to top because I can never decide if I like them better cooked or as a topping.

Meal 2:

First, I ran my sprints like a good kid.  Then I put a Mexican Sweet Potato Pie in the oven to bake.  It only made me wish I made a second one for myself.  This was to take to a good friend who is a new mom!

Mexican Sweet Potato Pie

Finally, it was food time.  And my continued bison obsession.  As part of my Sunday food prep, I made up several burgers to be able to grab quickly.

I ate this one atop a spinach, heirloom tomato and cilantro salad.  With red pepper flakes, obv.

bison burger

Meal 3:

Lunch was my current favorite – sea bass.  This is even better than swordfish right now… and that’s a big thing for me to say since I consider swordfish the “steak of the sea.”

Eaten  post-workout with a giant mound of lightly sautéed kale and a super-fast sweet potato and shiitakes with rosemary and garlic.

Sea Bass

Meal 4:

Clean chicken salad made from the “naked” (nothing added) Whole Foods rotisserie chicken, a little Greek yogurt, vinegar, cumin, and diced cucumber.

healthy chicken salad

Meal 5:

I couldn’t totally cheat on my favorite fish.  Steak of the Sea for dinner (swordfish)!  Served with my BBQ Roasted Cauliflower and eggplant chips.

Evey time I post eggplant chips on Instagram, I always get a billion questions about how to make them.  It’s the easiest thing ever, so I felt silly blogging it… but even simple meals can count a recipes, right?  The “secret” is at the bottom of this post. 🙂

Swordfish, BBQ cauliflower, and eggplant chips

Meal 6:

This was a hodge-podge.  I had a little chicken left and a little Monchong (fish) from last night.  So I made a combo to get my protein in.  I had celery sticks and sugar peas on the side.  I adore sugar peas – the dessert of vegetables!

Meal 7:

My favorite meal of the day is desert.  I took some non-fat Greek yogurt and mixed it with cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and a little stevia.  Then I melted some frozen cherries in the microwave with some ginger so my “sauce.”  Then I topped all that with homemade popcorn and more cinnamon.  Paradise.

Cocoa-Cherry Greek Yogurt Bowl

eggplant chips

Eggplant Chips

  • 1 eggplant
  • Olive oil spray
  • Optional toppings: onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, herbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut eggplant into thin slices (~1/8 in thick).  Spray with olive oil and spread evenly across a foil-lined baking sheet.

Place in over and bake ~10 mins.  Remove from oven, flip slices, and top as desired.  Return to over for another 5 mins, or until crisp.

Note: These can be stored in the fridge – simply place them in the oven under broil for 2-3 mins to crisp back up.

I’m linking these up to Heather’s MMAZ – check out all the eggplant love!

MMAZ

***

Protein count for the day: 163g

What was the best thing you ate yesterday?

What keeps you motived when you’re tired/busy/etc?

Work It Out on the Incline + Saucony Virratas

By

I am on a bootylicious mission.

 

Not to be confused with a Booty Call mission.

A couple of weeks ago I announced my goal of growing my tail end.  Then last week I revealed my next competition would be postponed for a couple of months until the muscles in my bottom half can catch up to my top.  So I’m extra-motivated to Working It Out hard-core.

sprint2table-workitout-BLUE

 

Working out your glutes doesn’t have to all be done in the weight room.  This weekend the weather was finally pleasant in Atlanta, so I hauled my hiney outside to Stone Mountain.

 

Work It Out on the Incline

If you’re hoping to get a firmer backside, running is generally NOT thing that you want to be doing (my trainer loves to tell me I literally ran my ass off).  This doesn’t mean you can’t do any cardio.  Incline walking and sprinting are both really great ways to tone your tush.  Uphill walking and short sprints place more stress on the muscles surrounding the glutes, therefore adding muscle definition.

Stone Mountain

I sprinted this 14x – 2 sets of 7.

 

Don’t have a mountain?

No problem!  Incline walks make for a great treadmill workout.  I like to start each day doing one while I catch up on GMA important news.

Begin walking at 3.5 mph at a 2% incline for 1 minute.  Increase the incline in each following minute by 1% until you reach a 16% incline.  don’t hold on to the treadmill when the walk becomes challenging!  Then descend.  Decrease the incline by 1% each minute until your back to 2% for a 30 minutes exercise.

Saucony Virratas

 

Need a bonus round?

Do sprint intervals.  Focus on extending your hips and keep your chest lifted and shoulders back to get the most out of your sprints.  Roll all the way forward onto your toes with each step, in order to engage more of your glutes.

The step machine is another good alternative.  This will also have you working against resistance and will add more tone and definition to your body rather than slimming everything out but leaving you looking rather shapeless.

 

The most import thing is to find something that you enjoy, and that will hold your interest.  The outdoors are ideal for me.  If soreness is any indication of success, I nailed the incline workout!

Stone Mountain sprints

Yes, I asked a total stranger take this pic. #shameless

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One thing to mention before you start running circles around everyone.  The proper footwear is KEY.  If you’ve never been fitted for running shoes, now is a good time to start.  Make sure you don’t over- or under-pronate, have the right amount of cushioning for your body, and have the right fit.  Like bras, people run around in ill-fitting shoes ALL the time.

I prefer a lot of variety:

Running shoe collection

 

They all serve different purposes!  My most recent running shoe love are the Saucony Virratas.  Saucony sent me their Virrata Zero drop shoes to try out.  They kind of ROCK.

These ultra-light (6 oz!) shoes are flexible, minimalist-style shoes that don’t lack cushioning and support.  I don’t find this to be the case with many other minimalist shoes on the market.  (I can’t run in my Minimum Vibrams – I lift in them because they are flat.)

Saucony Virrata

 

I do have to get one thing off my chest.  Marketing departments have the impression that women = pink.  I hate pink.

If a product is awesome enough, I will make an exception to my “no pink ever” rule.  For instance, my Polar FT4 HRM.  I love it.  It’s pink, but I got over my hatred and wear it every time I workout.  I made another exception for these shoes (also, I do love the neon yellow accents).

Saucony Virratas #findyourstrong

 

Just like your mamma told you, looks aren’t everything.  At the end of the day, I need a shoe that is comfortable and will support my run.

Fit-wise, these run true to size.  Comfort wise… I have to be honest and say at first I didn’t like them.  The arch felt like it was hitting me in the wrong spot.  However, after just 2 days (~4 miles) on the treadmill “testing” them, they sort of molded to my foot.  Now they are my favorite shoe!  #findyourstrong

 

***Disclaimer: Saucony sent me these Virratas as part of the Fitfluential Ambassador Program.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  I hope you guys know I’m not a good sugar-coater by now. ;)***

***

One thing to note… inclines are good for your calves too.  Holy DOMS, Batman.

Have you ever tried a minimalist/zero drop shoe?  Do you like them?

Do you do incline workouts?  If not, is it something you’d be willing to try?

 

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