Full BodyTraveling Workout/ Band Work

This is my Full Body Traveling Workout. I love this workout because, the equipment needed is light and can easily fit in a suitcase or carry on for your trips that you go on. I'm one of those people that will workout in my hotel room or where ever possible when on vacation. I make sure that I fit it in either early morning when the hubby sleeping or whenever I have down time.

Many hotels will have a gym or pool area and advise you to check before you leave vacation. However this workout can be done on pool deck, outside, or in your hotel room. Where ever you feel comfortable doing it.

Make sure to keep moving. Once you have completed one exercise go straight into the next taking the least amount you need for transition.

Equipment you'll need: Resistance Band and Jump rope  Optional: Ipod/cd

FYI Band colors and Difficulty: Green-Easy, Red-Medium, Blue-Hard, Black-Hardest


Pace- 8-10X  Up 2 counts/ Down 2 Counts
          8-10X Singles
          8-10X Half-way up (90*)
          8-10X  Pulses @ half-way (90*)

Note* This is for every band exercise.

Full Body Exercise: 60-90 minutes( depending on your transition times)

Band work

1. Bicep Curls: Stand in middle of the band with feet shoulder width apart. Grasp handles and pull up to front of shoulders. *Remember to keep elbows at side.

*Easier-Lift one arm at a time     ***Harder-Spread feet wider 

2. Triceps Extensions: Wrap band around palms and bring 1 hand behind back and hold at waist with 1 arm in the air above head. Extend top arm to ceiling and lower behind head. *Keep bottom hand unmoving at waist.

**The tighter the band is wrapped around your hands the harder it is.

3. Shoulder Raises: Stand halfway on band with 1 foot. Grasp one handle and raise hand to side or forward (Only to shoulder level) Switch arms.

***Harder-The close you stand to the handle the harder the tension.

4. Single Leg Lunges: Place band under the arch of 1 foot. Hold band by sides or up at shoulders. Lunge down bending back knee and stand back up. Make sure to do both legs.

***Harder-Extend arms above head.

5. Standing Chest Press: Wrap band around hands and put behing back, under armpits. Press arms forward and back until elbows are at 90*.

**The tighter the band is wrapped around your hands the harder it is.

6. Glutes: Get on all fours. Place handle of band over the toes about halfway up foot. Kneel on the band with opposite knee about halfway between handles. Press your foot away from glutes behind you with flexed foot.

***Harder-shorten the distance before kneeling on the band.

7. Lats (Back): Wrap band around hands and bring overhead. Pull down from ceiling and squeeze lower back while pulling down with elbows then release slowly back to the ceiling.

***Harder-Tighten band around hands, shortening distance of band inbetween hands.

8. Rows (Back): Sit on floor with feet flexed. Wrap band over top of feet then pull handle through between feet. Sit tall and pull handles toward you squeezing shoulder blades together.

***Harder-Grab band closer towards your feet for more tension.

9. Squats: Step on band with arches of feet. Step side to side keeping feet shoulder width apart.(Never touch feet together) Keep handles of band at sides or shoulder height.
4 Steps to right then back. (8x), Hamstring curls-Flex foot and kick butt alternating legs for 16x.
Squat down/up refer back to Pace counts.


Jump Rope 

Jump for 1-3 minutes segments using drills below in between Strength exercises.

1. Regular jump
2. Figure 8's (Crossing arms in X while jumping)
3. Single leg hops
4. Jacks with feet
5. High knees
6. Ski jumps
7. Side to side jumps
8. Heel digs
9. Double jumps
10. Speed jumps
11. Half count slow jump (low squats)
12. Lunge jumps (slow and fast)

See for Instructions on any rope exercise:
http://www.exercise.com/exercise/double-unders-jump-rope

*If any are too difficult do one that you can do even if it's twice or Regular jump.

Extras

1. Side shuffles around pool or sprints
2. Walking lunges with knee lift
3. Push-ups
4. Dips
5. Wall sits
6. Calf Raises
7. Inner/outter thigh leg lifts

Abs

Stretches



Let me know what you think and comment below!
Ash

Chocolate Banana Ice cream...that's my snack daily!

 

This is one of my favorite post workout snacks. It is packed with potassium and protein. Perfect for muscle recovery. Here is the recipe...

 

 

1 ripe banana frozen in pieces (I keep some in the freezer always)

 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

3/4-1 cup of almond milk vanilla or unsweetned

 

1 scoop of Chocolate protein powder( I use the one shown above)

 

 

****

 

 

First, defrost banana for 10-20 seconds or until slightly soft.

 

 

Blend protein powder, vanilla extract, and almond milk.

 

 

Then, add banana and blend until smooth.

 

ENJOY!!!

 

*Notes: You can place back in freezer for a little while if it's too soft for your liking.

 

 

Clean Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Ashley's PB Ice Cream

 

Servings: 2

Appliances:

Blender

Ingredients:

1 Cup Almond Milk Vanilla

1 Tbsp. Agave

2-4 Tbsp. PB2 (Powdered Peanut Butter)

1 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

2 Frozen Bananas


Directions:

Freeze Bananas in small chunks for 1-2 hours until semi-frozen or you can freeze overnight.

In blender, place first 4 ingredients and blend slightly.

If bananas were frozen overnight defrost in microwave about 20-30 seconds or until slightly soft.

Add bananas to blender and mix until smooth. It should be thick.

If you want it thicker you can then place in tupperware container for 30-45 minutes or until it's to your liking. ENJOY!


 

This recipe is one of my favorites. It is great for those sweet tooth cravings and is guilt free!

Hard time finding workout bottoms that fit right?!

Great pair of workout bottoms....

I know finding the right pair of workout bottoms can be difficult. I've tried just about everything and all brands. They have to fit just right and not fall down. After working out every day cheap pairs will lose their elasticity and start to not fit anymore. I hate to constantly be trying to pull my pants up during my workouts whether it's running or any other type of workout. I love finding a great pair that does everything they are meant to do. I can wear these anytime and know I'll be fine. These are great for those that don't like wearing shorts and full length pants. For shorter people like me these are perfect!




Nike Legend Capri Tight (mid-calf length)

These are great for all cardio workouts. I use them for bootcamp and running. They don't fall down and smooth out all the bumps in the right way. They also are very slimming and come in many colors which I love.

Building Long, Lean Muscles

Building muscle is a fairly complex process, but by following a few simple tactics and strategies, you can greatly improve your body's ability to create and conserve muscle.

 

 

One huge important aspect of building muscle is being on the right diet. Nutrition makes up almost 80% of the muscle building process. Without the right mix of carbohydrates and protein, you won't get very far.

Follow the 5 Steps below:

1.    Stretch before and after your workout. Stretching of any kind, using a foam roller, and getting massages will all help keep your flexibility, prevent injury and improve recovery between workouts.

 

2.     Warming up is essential any workout, especially weight training. Make sure to get your heart rate up and blood pumping by doing a few warm up sets before any hard working sets

 

3.     Get your food frequently. You should be allotting enough time to intake 5 – 6 small to mid-size meals a day. Make sure these are clean, quality meals—especially with protein and carbs— to ensure you will have the calories to build muscle, as well as the metabolism boost you get from eating so often, to lose fat.

 

 

4.    Drink protein shakes regularly. By surrounding your workouts with nutrition, starting with a high carbohydrate and protein meal about an hour before, you’ll provide your body with vital muscle building nutrients to help provide energy during your actual workout. You can also put together a protein shake that has a ratio of about two grams of carbs for every one gram of protein, and drink that throughout your workout. Keep in mind that after your workout is a solid time to take another shake. Surprisingly, whole foods aren’t best right after a workout, because they take far too long to digest.

 

5.    Switch it up entirely. Every 4 to 6 weeks, you’ll need to switch up some part of your routine, whether it’s simply the number of reps you do per set, the exercises you perform, the amount of rest you get between each set or any other training variable. Keep a workout journal to help you keep track of your changes and record your progress. Plan before you work out.

 

 

6.    Rest, recover and relax. Although the ideal amount of sleep is 7-8 hours per night, we sometimes have prior engagements. Feel free to not be so strict a few times a week, but when you do, make sure to schedule in some time to make up for it as soon as you can.

By training no more than 4 times a week, you also allow your body the rest and recovery time it desperately needs. As for your work schedule, do whatever you can to avoid excess stress and anxiety. Chronic nervousness elevates cortisol, a hormone that makes your body store fat and burn muscle, which is definitely not an ideal side effect.

 

Additional to know information :

· By involving more muscle fibers you’ll release a higher amount of hormones. This will help stimulate muscle growth all day.

When you hit each muscle group with roughly the same volume, this will guarantee balanced training, allowing you to grow and progress quickly, preserving flexibility as well as avoiding injuries. Make sure to keep proper form.

 

 3-6 Reps will work on strength building but will not necessarily build muscle mass.

8-12 repetitions of any given exercise will begin to stimulate muscle growth.

15 -20 Reps will stimulate muscle mass growth, but not to your bodies full potential.

· Do only between 6-9 sets. That’s all you need to be doing per muscle group/body part to stimulate lean muscle mass growth. This will allow you to keep your workout time around forty-five minutes.

· Stress makes the body enter a catabolic state, which begins to break down muscle. A calm and relaxed person tends to build muscle faster than his easily upset and hot-tempered counterpart. Try not to let stress steal your weightlifting gains from you.

· Drinking enough water is vital to building new muscle. Make sure to get at least a gallon of water per day to cut down on dehydration, cramps and strength loss.

· Avoid training without a workout partner on moves where you need a spot. (Like the Bench Press)

Heavy weights won't make you look like Arnold. Women don't have enough testosterone to look like that.

'

 

 

 

 

 

 

Information provided from: NASM Personal trainer manual and Bodybuilding.com

That's my Jam!

I love doing any high intense cardio workouts. Nothing better than pushing yourself past comfortable.

Here is a list of some of my favorite cardio songs to listen to:

Songs/Artist                           

The Time (Dirty Bit)/ The Black Eyed Peas

Party Rock Anthem/Lmfao

Thunderstruck/ACDC

Till the World End (Remix)/ Britney Spears ft. Nikki Minaj and Kesha

Turn me on/ David Guetta ft. Nikki Minaj

Like a G6/ Far east movement

Blah Blah Blah/ Kesha ft. 3OH!3

The way we see the world/ Afrojack, Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike

International Love/Pitbull ft. Chris Brown

Scream and Shout/ Will.i. am. ft. Britney Spears

Don't you worry child/ Swedish House Mafia

Freak(Give me a Freak)/Freaky Boy

Catch My Breath/Kelly Clarkson

Titanium/ David Guetta ft. Sia

Let me love you/ Ne-Yo

Don't wake me up/ Chris Brown

Does eating fat make you fat?

Many people believe if they eat fats then they will get fat. This is just not true. Many physicians emphasize the importance of omega-3 fats. These help the brain depends to fight depression. In order to lose weight you much eat fat. The question is how much and what kind?

 Many think that all fats are created equal. There are natural healthy fats and non-healthy fats. The worst fats are all those that are unnatural such as Trans-saturated fats and Saturated fats. Trans-saturated fats have been linked with cancer. Also eating too much omega 3’s, like most Americans causes inflammation, depression, disease, and obesity.

Monosaturated and Polyunsaturated fats are good for you. They lower your cholesterol and risk for heart disease. They come from fish, like salmon, halibut, tilapia, and mahi-mahi to name a few. Healthy fats also come from nuts, seeds, and oils of many plants, avocados, olives, and canola. Healthy fats aid in our digestion. Your body can’t run properly without fat. However making sure you get the right kinds of fats is the key.

 You should make sure to read labels of foods too. Just because something says “low-fat” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. Many times these types of foods will have added sugar, refined carbohydrates, and excess calories.  Where you carry your fat matters the most. Abdominal fat has greatest risks as opposed to your hips or thighs. A lot of belly fat stored deep down surrounding the abdominal organs and liver is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.

Daily healthy intake should be about 18-25%

Examples of Healthy fats (not complete list):

Raw Almonds

Avocados

Cashews

Cold-water fish

Flaxseed

Hazelnut oil

Nut butters

Olive oil

Pecan

Safflower oil

Sunflower seeds

Walnuts

Green and Lean!

 

WHY GREEN SMOOTHIES?

 

Green smoothies are great for all around wellness of your entire body.

 

The fruits and vegetables provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly.

 

They are easy to digest and therefore help clean the digestive tract and keep you regular.

 

 It's also an easy way to get in your vegetables.

 

They are quick and easy to make for anyone on the go.

 

Green smoothies are low in calories, but very filling.

 

They keep you hydrated and give you energy.

 

 

 

Great Ingredients For Your Green Smoothies

• Greens: kale, bok choy, chard, spinach, parsley, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, mint, basil, cilantro, beet tops, carrot tops, and anything else you can find in your local farmer’s market or garden!
• Veggies: cucumber (with the skin on) – amazing for your skin!, celery, tomato, avocado (small amount only)
• Fruits: bananas, pears, apples, mango, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, kiwi, pineapple, melon, papaya, watermelon, grapes, cranberries, lemon, orange.

Here are more ideas for your delicious green smoothie creations.

•1 head of spinach
•1 apple
•1 banana
•1-2 cups of water
Blend well.

•1/2 head of spinach
•1/4 cup of raspberries
•2 cups of water
•1/2 cup of strawberries
Blend until smooth! Makes a full pitcher.

• 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 mango, peeled, cored, and chopped
• ½ head romaine lettuce
• 1 tiny piece of fresh ginger
Blend all ingredients in blender. You may add some water. Serves 3-4

• 10 tips of Douglas Fir
• 2 cups spinach or your favorite green
• 2 bananas
• 2 cups of water
Blend well (Yields one quart of smoothie).

• 5 cups of fresh Miner’s Lettuce (or other lettuce)
• 1 ripe mango
• 1 apple
• 2 cups of water
Blend well. Yields one quart of smoothie.

Meet Mrs. Fit and Sophisticated

Bryce Canyon '12

Hey Everyone, my name is Ashley. I'm a 22 year old college student and wife to the most amazing husband ever! I currently live in Germany with my husband due to him being in the army.  I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to live here and get to travel around europe.

I am a NASM certified personal trainer and ACE group fitness instructor. I teach many different types of classes including Pilates, Kickboxing, boot-camp, and strength training.  Many people think I'm probably obsessed, but I say I'm just dedicated! This blog is for me to help my readers become more fit and happy individuals. I believe good nutrition and exercise are very important to living a healthy life and I would love to help as many people as I can.

Hope you find my blog helpful and feel free to post comments of any questions you have. Happy Eating and Exercising!








*Disclaimer: Consult your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise plan.