Gorgeous Gams

Legs. Thighs. Butt. For me this is my trouble spot. This is where I gain weight first and lose it last.

I do love my legs.. they have always maintained some muscularity, and they are pretty long so I can stretch out any weight gain and still look proportional but it can be frustruating when you are seeing great results everywhere else but the place you want to see go down the most is the most stubborn! For this reason... I never skip leg day! 

It is easy to put off things that are difficult to do.. and legs are certainly one of the most challenging areas to work becasue a lot of the exercises are big compound movements.. meaning that they use more then one joint. .often requiring your entire body. Boy oh Boy can these muscles burn when you ate really hitting them hard.

If you talk to anyone who knows anything about exercise, muscles, weights, you will be hard pressed find someone who, if asked "what is the one most beneficial leg exercise: ... the answer will 99.9999999% of the time with SQUATS

So.. lets focus on those. I think most people think squats and they think Squat Rack... lots of plates.. some grunting and yelling... and knee injuries. The majority of stereotypes about weight lifting are perpetuated by steroid injected muscle heads and yet the majority of people hitting the gym are very far from this.

The benefits of a proper squat is that it increases ↑↑↑↑↑↑↑ both the flexibility and strength in core, hips, and knees.

A basic body weight squat.. no rack, no barbell, no gym.. can completely transform your workouts and your body.. so lets focus on how to do it.

1- feet should be hip width or slightly wider and slightly turned out

2-back straight and core tight.. actually your whole body should be flexed

3-neck should not be looking at the floor or the ceiling. .this causes strain on your neck and spine..esp when you add a barbell. Keep your eyes and chin slightly up but you should be looking at the wall **this is a debate with body buildings and trainers as many think you should be looking skyward.. do some research, talk to your doctor even and make your own choice.

4-weight should be on your heels and some on the balls of your foot. You should be able to lift/move/wiggle your toes at all times throughout a squat.

5-when you squat down you should be pushing your hips back, keeping back straight and knees remain over the toes..never going past.

6-the weight lifting term "ass to grass" is when you squat all the way down so your calves and hammies are basically touching..and then push back. A full squat is when your hip bone comes parallel to your knees.. anything less is considered a partial squat.

7-when pushing back up you exhale, drive your hips up while clenching your butt.

Doing squats will help you with everyday tasks such as shovelling snow, avoiding injury,  keeping a lean body (glutes, quads, hamstrings burn a ton of calories so keep them in shape!)

See the pictures below for better understanding of how to properly work this amazing exercise. Take 5min while making supper...do 3 sets of 15 body squats every day and your bathing suit will thank you come summer :)

Rock the Squat!
♥ Kara

Tis the Season

So.. there will be the regular.. how to stay on track at the holidays.... how to fit in your workouts... how to not drink too much eggnog and spiced rum. Etc etc.. but this is just a little post becasue #1 I saw the pic below, love the Grinch and thought it was funny.. and #2 .. for some reason my local gym is all about playing the Christmas tunes. Yeah yeah.. I know .. bahhhumbug :)

Hmmm..   super happy for my ipod!!! I do love Christmas music.. the kids and I sing them in the car all year round. We often google the words to know more then the first verse of many Carols and look forward to the Holiday season and all that goes along with it.... BUT .... there is nothing ... absolutely nothing about "Silent Night" that gets you pumped for a workout.. or how about "Ill be home for Christmas" to get you really amped up for some heavy lifting??? Ya....No.

Stoked I charged up my music... Rancid it is! 

And just as I was finishing up I was treated to a beautiful rendition of "my favorite thibgs"... you know the one.... "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.." .. so.. in honour I created my own "favorite things ~ gym version" .. keepthe tunes and sing along :)

Barbell and Kettlebells and feel in the burn

Intervals and supersets, no taking turns

Walking on stage with bikini and bling

These are a few of my favorite things.

Bulking and cutting and not eating carbs

Forced reps and hard sets in converse high tops

No sugar, white flour and no gin slings

But these are a few of my favorite things! :(

Lean body mass and hitting your peak

Pass on injections and being a juice freak

Racking up.plates and supplement stacking

These are a few of my favorite things!

When the glutes ache

When the calves sting

When my lungs are feeling had

I look at my pipes and know im the king

And then I dont feel so bad

****ya.. im a total geek like that :) enjoy!

~Happy December 1!

Xo
Kara

Protein Powder Myths

Protein powder is one of my favorite foods  as a shake and certainly past a shake too. I will go deeper into protein recipes as I blog but we need to start with finding the right kind..and also a little chit chat on some.protein myths.

First → protein powder is in fact "Real Food" and certainly part of a clean eating diet. I am not telling you to consume only protein as your body does need vitamins, nutrients, minerals, carbs and fats from a  large variety of sources.  Protein powders are derived from food. Hemp protein is made from the production of hemp seed oil for example; it is simply made more convenient by turning it into a powder form. Look for naturally sourced proteins when shopping.

Second → they are all full of artificial ingredients.. this is like saying all popcorn is bad for you based on the overly salted, too much melted margarine type from the theater.  Are some proteins chalk full artifical flavours,  refine sugars, aspartame and fillers? You bet.. it is up to you to ask, read labels and research; and by all means.. just becasue an athlete is sponsoring a certain product line does not make this null and void.. nor does it mean they actually use the products..all it does mean is that they were paid a karge amount of cashola, get the product for free and wear the shirt. RESEARCH.

Third→ Protein Powder is for men only who want to bulk up.  Wow.. and here I thought we were past that... but ok.. so.. regardless of what is between your legs, if you have muscles..regardless what size they are, they need amino acids to repair and build. Amino acids are only found in protein and that is why you always see the word "essential" in front of it. Your body does not make these and you need to consume protein for your body to use them. We are talking biceps, glutes, abs as well as muscles such as your heart.. all need essential amino acids to work properly. Protein will not make your muscles bulk up. That is based on a combination of exercise program, sleep and a specifically designed diet.

Fourth → The protein is destroyed when heated. This is all over the internet and people love to throw around the word "denatured" .. so.. really lets look at this. Does the protein structure change when  it is cooked? Sure. Just like eating a raw egg rather then scrambling it. Does the quantity of protein or the nutritional value change? NOPE. Does your body absorb the same amount of amino acids? YEP.

Now that the myths are out of the way.. the next post we can talk Types! W oohoo!

Clean choices my friends!
♥ Kara

Back to the gym

So.. it has been over a week since I have been to the gym :( and it has killed me just a little bit.

Monday and tuesday last week were snow days and besides playign outside with the kids.. we mostly did crafts and baking. Wednesday I spent 7.5 hours in a friends tattoo chair getting a coverup for a fairy tattoo on my ankle that I have had since I was 15 (not getting into how many years ago that was).

I absolutly LOVE it ~ see pictures below :D

It did however derail the few days post. So I spent most of Wednesday clenching every muscle in my body and considered that a decent workout.

The next 2days it started to swell my ankle and was still a little goopy, pretty sore and I slept on the couch propped up on pillows as I was scared I would wake up stuck to my bed sheets . ha! but seriously I was scared. Friday night we had an awesome roller derby fundraiser dance where I... of course... still squeezed my cankle (not a typo)  into my 3" heels.. and did some dancing...

Saturday & Sunday I was feeling the pain (and should have taken photos of the size of my foot!)  and had a full two days of hockey tournament with my son Blake.. no time for hitting the gym.. though with the up and down and jumping around in my seat I still burned a few calories :p

And here we are.. Monday and finally the tattoo is starting to dry up and scab over and though it still feels a little tight,(& bloody itcht!) im not so concerned about getting a little sweat on it.. and we all know.. when I come to workout, I come to sweat!

Still a bit of work to be done on the tattoo but nothing as major as Wednesday and im probably NEVER going to get anything close to my achilles again.. (rather birth a third child then do that again... ;)

Some pics below of the work in progress as well as the swelling! Worth it in the end, just make sure to plan any work you are getting done so you can put life on hold a bit after.

Back on schedule!! And loving it ♥ Did an hour on the bike to start the week off right then some legs and core .

Xo

KARA

I am in love with Jacob :P

Wow.. what a workout!

Sorry Curtis, by I have fallen in love ♥♥♥♥ all over again and it is with THIS machine!  (no no not in the Joaquin Phoenix "Her" kinda way)

If you are looking for an intense workout that is easy on the joints, works the entire body, awesome cardio, and gets it done in under 30min.. this is the Jacobs ladder machine for you!

So.. typically im not a huge fan of the latest fitness crap craze.  I dont agree you need to spend $80+ on showing you how to do a crunchies/sit up.. BUT.. if I can get a killer workout..I mean the kind where sweat is stinging my eyes.. then let me at it!!

THIS is intense so dont think you can jump on and go your regular 45min treadmill ... first..  set your height on the strap ( lesson learned here with my first go round set at 5'4", my 5'9"+ frame was basically sprinting ) , then get comfortable with the motion. The bars will start to move.. the higher on the machine you are, the faster they move.

You know me. . I get board... :/ so I will HIIT it wilt alternating moderate speeds then going a quick 30bars then returning to pace.. or I will do knee lifts between steps or come up with some other variation! Ha!

Another option is to combine it with a rowing machine and bike. Maddy will push herself by doing 10min of each to use different muscle groups.

However you use it..just use it! I did 35minutes today but that was a lot..esp with the intervals. Start and aim for 5 or 10.. or when I started I tried climbing for 3songs..then moved up..oh and music is a MUST!! Keep your mind off of how stinking hard it is ;)

As you can see below I was pushed to the max.. I dont ever go to the gym and hope to stay looking good....but today, yikes .. sweaty girl.

My #3 treadmill may get a little lonely over the next few weeks until my crush on Jacob subsides... we will see.

Choose your path my friends!!! Xo
Kara

Push and Pull

The dreaded combo ↑↓ ←→ push ups and pull ups.

These two exercises are fantastic for super setting to really hit the back and chest and no matter how much I change my workout, these two are always included!!

First and foremost ~ they are frickin hard!! Starting pull ups and push ups is not always that rewarding..especially when you can only complete single digit reps :/ ..  but you often see awesome gains becasue even doing one more can sometimes double your previous! :)

There are machines, bands, partners, modifications and changes to form to help you get a higher amount of reps (these are called assisted pullups, or assisted pushups) But ALWAYS try to do the original tried and true version first before changing it up.

For example. . Get as many full out pushups (even if it is just 1!!) Before opening your legs to do a GI Jane push up, then do as many as you can be for you go to your knees etc etc.  Or try to do a regular pull up before going to the pull up machine that takes some weight off.

Starting back to the gym I was doing one set of 3pull ups. I am now doing 3 sets of 5/6 depending on when I fit them into the chest/back workout...if its at the end im pushing for 3 sets of 4. There is a point as well >> do them first! If you wait until you have done your rows, cable flys, lateral raises, pull downs etc etc and then hit the pull up bar. .you may be dissatisfied with your results.

Don't be intimidated, don't be shy, hit those exercises to see awesome results in muscle tone and strength.

Xo
Kara

Once you go Greek......

Greek yoghurt that is ;) .

Did you kbow that greek yoghurt has 3x times more protein then the regular stuff?

It is also not as pasteurized leaving more of the good bacteria our gut needs to stay healthy and keep our immune in top work in order.

It is an excellent healthy snack. Mix in your own berries (rather then buying the premixed, sugar laden varieties), homemade granola, I love adding in protein powder for a post workout "pudding" and it is an excellent substitute for sour cream or mayo.

Buy organic. Choose one low in sugar. Even kick it up a notch and look for a product called "Kefir". It is also a fermented milk product and contains huge amounts more probiotics then regular yoghurt and greek yoghurt!. Add it into smoothies, or mix with some of your greek yogurt as it contains more strains of  bacteria and yeast then in traditional yogurts. Kefir is excellent for all ages from babies to elderly and is very easy to digest.. highly recommend!

Did you know "probiotics"  actually means "for life" ..  can you guess what "antibiotics" means... :( . If you ever have to take antibiotics... dont forget your servings of life too! And its not just meds that deplete those digestive enzymes..stress, sugar, processed foods, antibiotics eaten through our farmed meat, and pesticides through commercial growing practises all play a part in killing our immune system.

Go greek for a healthy and filling snack!

Up the Intensity Factor ☆

So you have set aside gym time.. congrats, thats step number one. Now.. are you going to burn 200 calories or 800 calories today?

If you are there, why not make the most of it?  INTENSITY is what will make the difference.

Ok, so if you know me..he I can be fairly intense ;) (in all aspects of my life) .. why play small right!?!? But there are specific ways you can really pump it up and come out of the gym with amazing results. Some are mental, some physical...combining both is where you want to be.

~ PHYSICAL ~

1-don't get stuck in a routine... that word "routine" it makes my teeth grind :/ .. your body will get used to doing the same exercises and you wont see the gains/loses that you deserve.. plus it is so easy to get stuck in that repetitive motion.  Ideally 2-4 weeks is the longest you should maintain a regular workout schedule... personally, I change it up every week. That doesn't mean that tuesday cant be chest and back... sure it can! But the exercises you do should be different.

2- change from machines to free weights. Dont be intimidated by thise muscle heads in the free weight room. You paid the same amount of money for your membership.  You deserve that space too! You will use many many more muscles by using dumbells and bar bells rather then a cybex. Stability and balance and using your core to support the bar, you will burn more calories and see greater definition (and it is much more intense and takes greater concentration).

3- increase your weight.. ok I know this seems obvious.. but REALLY back to that routine thing again.. we often just grab the 15lb dumbells for hammer curl becasue thats what we have always done... up it! Struggle through the last few reps!

4- Superset. This is awesome and a great way to save time. You do your reps without rest between just changing up the exercise. You can superset in different ways.. opposite muscle groups (chest/ back → bench press/lat pull down) , you can superset a cardio move and weight lifting move (skipping 60seconds/squats) or you can superset the same muscle group ( abs → crunchies/plank)

5- forced reps or drop sets. Both of these really fatigue your muscles (which is what you want!) Forcing a rep is when you cant do any more, grab a spotter and try to get a couple more. Yes it will burn, but you will see awesome results :) . Drop sets are higher in reps becasue you perform a  set, the drop weight and keep going. (Biceps → hammer curls with 15lbs for 10 reps, drop to 12 lbs for 10 reps, drop to 10lbs for 10 reps and repeat 3x times) you will be amazed at how heavy that last set will feel. ♥ it!

6- try something new. Never been to a step class? Trx training?  Kickboxing?  Never had a trainer?  What about cross fit? Many classes have drop in rates.. try it out!  Your body will not know what hit it....in a good way! :D

~ Mental ~

7- finally.. some thing's I have touched on before but want to make sure I include : grab a partner. .nothing like someone cheering you on to complete that last set to get it done. Grab some music. .. my workouts are always nor intense when im lost in the sick beats of some 80/90's grunge band .   Go public with your goals...tell some friends, post to your facebook, send it out on your Twitter feed.. when you are held accountable, intensity in workouts goes ↑ . Watch your downtime.. dont spend your hour chitchatting, running back and forth to the fountain, or reading a fitness mag on the stationary bike. Sure, there is tine for all of those thing's. ..post workout.

Get In..... Get it done.....
Xo Kara

TRX.... yowza's!!!

Started today's chest and back with a little TRX work. My local gym just installed two and so Maddy and I were eager to incorporate them into the workout.  INSANE love! :)

3sets if each press, row, flys and reverse flys and aligators

holy shaking arms! Then Mercy (Maddy :) ) did dome knee crunches and I did crunches without TRX... just cant bring my knee in yet :/.

Then upping the intensity factor we superset the same muscle group until exhaustion....

-Pull ups / full range pull downs
-Incline weighted bar press/flat bench dumbell press
-bosu ball.push ups / standing rows

I can barely hold the oh on to blog at the moment as weights were upped too.. love pushing myself!

Sauna, shower, and food prep today as the weekend was busy and didnt get it done..

Below is an amazing TRX workout website with a lot of videos and info. It can be set up in your house, doesnt take a lot of room, and is a killer workout. Check it out!

Stay healthy friends!
♥ KARA

https://m.trxtraining.com/blog/trx-40-40-challenge-workout

***also did a treadmill session.. 20min incorporating some incline and side steps.. dont forget to warm up and get your heart pumping!!!

No Time.... INTENSE Workout!

So I missed the boat on the whole spring cleaning thing. Mine is more of a late fall..frig the kids still have their summer cloths in their closet kinda cleanup. Spent the morning defrosting and cleaning out the fridge and freezer and drcided to hit the gym in the afternoon. Buzzing along at home I didnt leave myself much time to workout, sauna, blog, and shower and pick the kids up from school on time so I went to a good ole standby that realky works up a sweat in no time at all... BOXING.

Started with a Tabata type warm up... basically pick 8-12 exercises and do them full out for 30 seconds. I try not to rest between exercises just making sure I hit different groups.  Heres what I did:
Jumping jacks, speed skaters (knee issues so dont as intense), Russian twist, mountain climbers, wall sit, push up, high knees, side plank (30ea side), ab walk ups

I did two rounds and got pretty warm then grabbed the boxing gloves. I dont like the big ones but you need some padding.. and more then just your weight lifting gloves. .learned that lesson the hard way :/

I make up combinations of jabs, hooks and uppercut with adding some light knee kicks in too. I repeat whatever combination ive come up with for at least 20-30 per arm.

Lead jab, straight punch (30ea, 2 sides)
Body jab
Body hooks

After each side does 30 of each exercise I skip for a minute and repeat this sequence two more times

Then lead jab, second hook  (or the old 1-2) .. do these as fast as you can.. again 30/side repeat 3x times with skipping in between

Fast feet moves then with the 1-2 jab jump switch to left side lead jab 1-2 jump back to right Side lead jab. Repeat this 20x  3 sets... yikes... you will need a rest.

Then I drop sets of each move on each arm to finish up the workout

Lead jab 15 right side, 15 left,  right side 10, 10 left, 5right , 5ish left. Rest and repeat

Do this for each move.. jab, hook and uppercut and you will be sweating and breathing hard by the end of the session... rest between moves.

Proper boxing technique is important so do some research on stance,  posture, arm positions, and movement. I realky like Derek Panza youtube videos.. he is clear, knows what he is talking about and easy to look at ;).. picture below.. youre welcome .

K.. shower time! I have been sweating so much the salt is stinging my eyes.. fat crying my friends.. fat crying. You will be sore the next day.. but it is that muscle building..very productive, you know you had a killer workout day kinda sore that gets very very addicting!!! :D

Keep shining and keep sweating!!! Coco
Kara

Ps.. music is a must for this workout!! Something heavier a strong beat that you can crank right up!! The headstones were my personal choice today!  

Ladies can lift! Busting Myths :)

Start getting some muscle tone and you will start to hear a lot of things out of a lot of peoples mouths! There are SO many misconceptions surrounding ladies and weight lighting. ...one of the reasons most women focus on the treadmill.  Here are my top 5 womens lifting myths and why they just aren't true!

1- weight training will make you look like a man - 100% not true!!! Women physically do not have enough testosterone to really bulk up.  It is absolutly impossible to see muscle gains like men do. When I say "weight lifting" and if the first thing that comes to mind is the professional level womens body building.. huge mass, square jaw, manly faces.. these ladies are taking synthetic hormones (known as anabolic steroids)  to give them this look. While I admire their commitment and tenacity to the sport, that is not the look im going for and not the norm when it comes to ladies pumping iron. Personally, my natural body shape does allow me to gain and keep decent size muscles, but even at my "biggest" in terms if muscles, I was my smallest in terms of measurments (see first blog post "walking the stage" for a picture of me at my biggest!   women dont get large by lifting weights.. women get large by eating donuts.

2- Weight training will make you Exhausted . WRONG AGAIN! Exercise and weight training gives you energy! Think of Tuesday after the long thanksgiving weekend.. too much food, not enough exercise, the last thing I wanted to do was go to the gym... compare that with regular gym visits and you will be dying to get there! I love being fit and healthy enough to wrestle with my son, play other team sports, help my husband cut and pile wood, and keep up to my daughter on roller skates :) . Do I get sore muscles. Absolutly!!! Do I have energy.. you bet! 

I have known people who overtrain (marathon running with many othe physical activities and little sleep). and/or dont follow a proper diet and are caloric deficit and therefor do get quite exhausted...but this is a diet issue, not a weight training issue. You lift weights, you need to eat.

3-as soon as you stop your muscle will turn to fat . How is this even possible?  That is like saying gold will turn into iron, or blue eyes will turn brown..it is physically not possible as they are two completely different things. If you stop lifting weights, continue the same eating plan and dont replace that exercise yes..100% you will lose your muscle and definition and gain fat..but this is simply becasue you are ingesting more calories then what you are burning and your metabolism is getting kicked in the gut. People..can you expect beautiful clear skin if you dont wash your face? No.. what about if you wash your face for a year..have incredible results..no acne..no wrinkles.. and then stop. .. a year from stopping would you still expect the same glowing healthy skin? I hope not..or you will be leading a life of disappointment. YOU GET WHAT YOU WORK FOR!

4-I Cant work out..I have no time. B.S.. first..we all have time for things we really WANT to do..why? Becasue we make them a priority in our lives and other things have to work around them. Period. 10min warmup, 20min HIIT workout, 30 minutes of weights and cool down or split the cardio and weights.. 30min brisk walk at lunch time and after kids go to bed do some weights...the dishwasher can wait.. One hour a day. You cant squeeze 1 hour a day for your health, wellbeing and sanity? The average canadian spends between 4-6hours a day in front of the TV. Whhhaaatttt????? Prioritize your life. Imagine your body a year from today if you committed to one hour a day.. the days will pass away whether you hit the gym or not so Get. It. Done!

5- The kids are my priority right now. AWESOME. Your kids should be your prioity..but is this your excuse for not hitting the gym?  I cant tell you how many times I hear this as an excuse for so many things!  What exactly are you teaching your kids if you run for them and dont ever put yourself first? Have you noticed that we are slowly creating a world of spoiled brats? Why? Becasue the world has and always does revolve around them. My kids know that I am there for them. They know that I have changed careers to be able to be with them more. But..friends, they also know that I am fiercely independant. .that I am not their maid or servant and that being healthy is of the utmost importance for all of us...not just them. Dont just talk the talk! My daughter came home from school with the student of the month award for... confidence and self esteem... woop woop!! Parent WIN!!! If I can teach her to take care of herself, help lift others up and be exactly who she wants to be..no excuses, then im on the right path. Honestly..I am a much better mom when I can hit the gym..I can handle meltdowns, I can calmly look at situations with an open mind becasue I have worked on myself and my own brain while running my butt off on the treadmill.  There is a reason when on a plane if the oxygen masks come down -you put yours on first.. then your childs...  you are no good to them if you are not healthy or in a state of mind to help. Take care of yourself, set the example, find a sitter for an hour, throw them in the stroller, do sports togther..whatever it takes to get active and show your kid how important it truly is and how you can and should be exercising throughout your entire life.

Activities we do togther: golf, roller derby/scooter/skate park, baseball, soccer,  frisbe, biking, swimming,  dirt bike, living room dancing, road hockey, yoga, park play

Be the example!!! 

Xo Kara

Long weekend, Thanksgiving → the aftermath

I can tell you how I didnt make it to gym enough (like since last wednesday :/ ), how the turkey, Mashed potatoes, stuffing and GRAVY, was just too much for my willpower to handle this far out from competitions (two nights in a row) , how the wine, hard cider, liqueurs,  and beer were flowing freely (and how the water was not) and how I feel quite bad about it all..

But it honesty, I don't.

Do I wish I wouldnt have gone back for a second piece of homemade pumpkin pie..sure..that was a little overboard,  but good times were had, and really, it happens twice a year . Thanksgiving and Christmas... well at least the food part anyways!

So..yes, today at the gym I was feeling it. My energy levels were lower, my waist was a little thicker, my motivation, not as high.. but the point is..I was there, getting the reps in, sweating it out on the elliptical, doing the crunches. AND I feel better now then I have all weekend long.

The best things you can do after a binge: 1-drink a ton of water -2workout -3forget about it!

Every day is a new day to make decisions that make you healthier and stronger.  Set your goals and put the plan in place to get it done.  If you interested in competing,  would like more information about what it takes, don't hesitate to ask! I have put my contact info below as well as a pic (thank you interest!) as to what categories and what the "look" is for each.. where you fit in might be personal preference, body shape, or a combination.. lets chat!

Be the light my friends!
Xo
Kara

Kara Johnston
e:karastouchweddings@gmail.com
f:kara.johnston
c:705-622-2111
Comment on The Blog and we can connect!

Shoulders with Brad Gaines ;)

Shoulders today !!! I have to admit, I also do love working muscles that you can see in the mirror. . See progress, see different muscle groups, see exactly what you are working.. (is that the muscle you are supposed to be working??? )

I was looking for some.inspiration and crewmember an athlete I would occasionally youtube.. Brad Gaines.  Seriously... LADIES... you need to look him up.. I have attached his youtube video below that I followed for my work out today... your welcome ;)

Started with 40min of cardio.. first time running on the treadmill!! Wooohoooo . O felt a little shaky and so after some advice from a good friend not to push it with my knee (thanks Jeff!) I decided to go 30sec walk, 30sec fast walk, 30sec jog (level9) 30sec run (level 10.5) . After a good warm up I completed this set of 4 -10times..then cool down.

I picked 7 of the exercises and did 3x sets of 12-15reps.  I attached a couple.pics... one of the "around the world" and the "steering wheels" .. ya ya.. I dont go to the gym to look pretty either.. red face, sweat, and my favorite t-shirt :) .. another post about gear, gym outfits, and what you need to workout coming soon..hint..its not much!

Stretch and cool down, sauna, shower and ready for a good weekend !!!

Xoxo enjoy the video but dont get caught up on youtube..watch it then go to the gym, or grab some soup cans and get the exercises done!!!

Kara

13 Killer Shoulder Exercises for your Shoulder Wo…: http://youtu.be/ch07ZvNN6L4

Baby got Back (_!_)

A**, booty, bum, keister, tush, badonkadonk, behind, booty, caboose, derriere,  unit, duff, funny, moneymaker, rear, rump, trunk, hiney, arse, butt, bottom, glutes, shelf

They all mean the same thing...  your gluteus maximus is a major player when it comes to building muscle and losing fat.

Your bum is the largest muscle in your body and so..the more calories it will make your body burn.  You cannot shape fat but you can work on building muscle to give you that round booty.

Genetics does play a role in muscle development but remember, super skinny can still have a flabby butt!

Also.. have a strong gluteus can help with hip and back problems. Weak glutes really impact your entire muscular system.

Women tend to be more in tune with the look of their bum.. i guess partly because men are as well :/ . It is a very sexy part of a womens body and for better or worse , it will be pinched, slapped, and stared at for eternity. Men, on the other hand tend to workout the things they see in the mirror..namely chest and biceps....

Leg day is a pretty long workout butt (ha!) worth the work to build a balanced figure, round, strong booty, and solid core.

Here's what today's workout looked like:

Warm up - recumbent bike 20min

All exercises are super set - 3x sets of 15 reps unless noted

Sumo squats (inner thigh) with kettle ball
Outer thigh leg lifts

Body weight squats
Bridge extensions with plate (22lbs)

Walking lunges 25reps
Calf raises 25 reps

Hamstring curl machine (50lbs)
Leg extension machine (no weight yet :( working on it :) )

Glute kick back machine (50lbs)
Leg press (110lbs)

Finished up with a big compound exercise using the easy curl bar
-dead lift→row x3 then dead lift →row→shoulder press repeating each set of 4 moves 4ish times to count as one set.. rest repeat for 4sets.. Wheff!!!

Finished with some crunches and lots of stretching... may not be able to sit on the toilet seat tomorrow...always a sign of a good leg day ;) .

Keep pushing, keep shining!!! Xoxox
Kara