Hey all, its been a while since my last post!  I have been keeping up with my resolutions and hope to post here more often.  I have started a new workout technique called interval training.  This is how I do it:
I purchased an app for my iPhone called Seconds Pro.  It lets you create your own interval timers or use pre-made ones.  I then made up my own timer with a 10 second interval then a 20 second interval repeating for 5 minutes.  The 10 seconds is for rest and the 20 seconds is for exercise.  In a 5 minute interval you will do 2 different exercises with 5, 20 second reps each.  On most days I will do about 45 minutes of intense interval training.  Below I have listed one of my workouts for you guys to try.  I suggest getting a notebook where you can write down each interval and how many reps you did during each set so you can keep track of your progress! 

Workout 1 (30 minutes):

Circuit 1 (Warmup):
-Jumping Jacks
-Jogging in Place

Circuit 2:
-Burpees with pushups
-High Knees

Circuit 3:
-Mountain climbers
-Step ups (onto a chair or bench)

Circuit 4:
-V-ups
-Resistance band (or dumbbell) bicep and triceps 

Circuit 5:
-Plank Sliding abs*
-Squats (weighted or unweighted)

Circuit 6 (Cooldown):
-Grapevine
-Slow jogs 

*To do plank sliding abs, you will need a pillow case, towel, or old T-shirt to use to slide with.  You need to get down in plank position on your elbows (basically pushup position but on your elbows with your back as straight as possible and your forearms parallel to each other).  Then place the towel or fabric under your feet and slide to return to plank position.  To complete the crunch you will slide your feet forward (toward your elbows) keeping your knees together to a comfortable distance, then slide them back out to plank position.  Its like a sliding half burpee.  This move can be rather difficult so don't push it too hard!

For these exercises I usually do 20 seconds of the first exercise, rest, then switch and do 20 seconds of the second, going back and forth between the two in each circuit.  This helps me stay interested and not get bored doing 2.5 minutes of squats in a row.  This exercise is not overly intensive but should get your heart rate up!  Please be careful and do not push to hard or injure yourself!  I am not a certified personal trainer or nutritionist so take my advice as you would the advice of a friend.  Happy working out!

-Laura

Boxing Class!

I joined a local gym and yesterday I went to a group boxing class.  It was so intense!  There was a lot of interval stuff including jumping jacks, knee raises, and everyone's favorite, burpees/squat thrusts.  We ended with a 4 minute Tabata cycle which was so hard at the end of the workout!  The people in the class were really awesome and helped me push myself through.  But boy am I sore today! I'm glad I went and I will definitely try to keep going once classes start again (although it may be hard since my last class ends at 6 and the group class is at 6:40 and my school is a 35 minute drive away without traffic...) But anyways it was a really fun class and I highly suggest going to something like it!  Although it's definitely not for beginners, make sure you're in good shape first!

Live, laugh, love,

Laura

Beautiful Salad!

  For lunch today I made a gorgeous salad that tasted so delicious!  It took a while to prepare but it was totally worth it.  I used spinach and arugula for my greens then added sliced apples, strawberries, raspberries, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, baby carrots, almonds, Perdue grilled chicken, and crumbled feta cheese.  Yummy!  Probably the best salad I've ever had, no joke.  I love mixing my fruits and veggies together.  I am not a huge fan of salad dressing so I did not use any but you could definitely use a vinaigrette with this salad :)

Live, laugh, love,

Laura

Breakfast!

    This morning I went for a nice brisk walk with my puppy and came back and enjoyed a two egg omelet and fresh strawberries and raspberries.  It was quite delicious :)  I also had some of my acai fruit smoothie which was very tasty.  Today I will be doing light cardio on my elliptical, a short tae bo workout, and then some resistance training.  I will also be using my ab wheel!  The ab wheel is the best, I have seen really good results with it, I just need to wear wrist braces or straps to keep me from injuring my wrists.  I'll write again after my lunch today, which I am very excited about making! 


Live, laugh, love, 

Laura

Couscous Wrap

    So I didn't end up making the chicken since I was eating a very late lunch and I was starving!  I ended up making a chicken couscous wrap.  I made regular couscous,  Purdue precooked chicken strips (like the kind you put on salad), cucumbers, and tomatoes and wrapped them all up in a spinach wrap.  It was delicious!  And I have leftover couscous for tomorrow, so who knows what I can make with it!  I can get creative.  I should have taken a picture of my lovely lunch since it was quite pretty and colorful but I forgot to, I'll be sure to next time!  Let me know what you think of my quick and easy lunch recipe!

Live, laugh, love,
Laura

Spiced Chicken with Couscous Salad

I found this recipe today for chicken breasts on top of a couscous salad that looks delicious.  I'm off to the supermarket to buy the ingredients and I will let you know how it turns out!

Here's a link to the recipe:  http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spiced-chicken-couscous-salad-recipe-00000000034246/print-index.html

Live, laugh, love,
Laura

Resolutions

  Hello.  So like millions of people around the world, my new years resolution is to get in shape and live a healthier lifestyle.  However my goal is not just to go to the gym a few times and cut out junk food for a couple weeks then give up.  I have a long term goal.  I would like to compete in a fitness pageant in November of 2013.  I am not in so bad of shape now, but I do have a lot of work to do.  Also, I am only 5 foot 1, so I have a lot of compensating to do since I will be competing with women who are a lot taller than me.  I hope to post here and show my progress from day one, which is today.
  For the past couple years I have really enjoyed working out and have gotten myself into pretty good shape.   However I eat pretty badly and I sometimes stop working out for a couple weeks then get back into it.  Hopefully this year I can accomplish my goals in order to make it to the pageant.  I hope that I can get support from my fellow bloggers for my journey.  In this blog I will be posting some of my work outs, healthy recipes, and my overall progress.
  As well as getting into shape and eating healthy, I need to work on my outer appearance.  Another goal of mine is to try harder with how I look.  Haha mostly I'll wake up in the morning, throw on some clothes and go to class.  I usually do not wear makeup or do anything with my hair.  But I hope to change this in 2013!  Wish me luck!

Live, laugh, love,
Laura