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Snow and Charming know what’s up…
Love this.
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The final Stefon sketch from Saturday Night Live.
The Stefon bit was one of my favorites. I’m gonna miss him
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Me for the past three days!
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Paleo Banana Bread
After starting the paleo diet, I started craving the exact foods I wasn’t allowed to eat. This is my first...
Happy Baby = Happy Chichi!
My all time favorite yoga pose! What’s yours?
5 Pre-Run Poses
For maximum benefit, complete the entire sequence in order and hold each pose for 5–10 deep breaths, engaging the muscles you need and relaxing the ones you don’t.
Instructions & modifications here.
Stretch Out Sundays! 30 Minute Intermediate Vinyasa Flow Yoga Practice
Sundays are my active rest days, which usually means a big old breakfast and some yoga in the afternoon.
Flexibility was a fitness component that I ignored for a long time, but since including a few yoga sessions a week, foam rolling and longer cool downs, I’ve only seen my performance improve. Squats, lunges, burpees and box jumps are MUCH more manageable when you have a decent level of flexibility. I can sink deeper into my movements, move with greater agility & speed and recover faster than before. Many problems that people have regarding form are due to a limited range of motion: incorporating flexibility focused routines each week can help you improve every aspect of your fitness.
Note: this is intermediate yoga: it may be too intense for some of you. If you’re still working up to some of the poses, try this 20 minute Gentle Yoga class instead.
BodyRockTv has started a new ‘flow’ class to help with flexibility & recovery! Follow the BodyRock.Tv Flow page for updates and routines.
(And P.S - I think the new host is made of silly putty. Whhhaaaaat?!)
When you’re on the run or getting sweaty outside, it’s not always comfortable to get your stretch on without a mat. These are some great ideas to stretch you from head to toe with only a tree.
(Via Fit Sugar)
Stretch Out Sundays: Abs To Zen Beginner Yoga Stretch With Amy Caldwell
Sundays are a great day to recover from your week of hitting it hard! Take the time to stretch out today with this awesome routine from Amy Caldwell!
Flexibility is a fitness component that many people (even seasoned fitties) often overlook. Remember, the more flexible you are, the greater the benefit from your regular workouts. Flexibility improves range of motion, endurance, lessens soreness and can help you bust out more reps in the weight room.
Give this routine a try today! Your body will thank you for it. :)
Foam Rollers: A Must Have Tool If You’re Training HARD.
I’m head over heels in LOVE with my foam roller
I have a RumbleRoller
FEATURES
- Stretches muscle and other soft tissues in multiple directions, breaking down “knots”, increasing your flexibility, and relieving your pain.
- Full size models (31x6) long enough to roll the widest of your back and both legs on one pass.
- Compact size models fit easily in your gym bag, backpack, or carry-on luggage.
- Original Density (blue) surface intended for people new to foam rolling or anyone who has experienced positive results from conventional foam rollers.
- Extra Firm (black) provides 36% firmer surface than the Original Density models, intended for experienced users with dense muscle tissue that doesn’t respond to normal massage pressure.
WHICH FOAM ROLLER IS BEST FOR YOU? FULL SIZE OR COMPACT?
If you plan to use your RumbleRoller
The advantage of the Compact RumbleRoller is its portability. At just 12” in length, it fits in your gym bag or carry-on luggage. The Compact RumbleRoller
ORIGINAL DENSITY OF EXTRA FIRM?
If you’re new to foam rolling or already use the conventional foam roller, you’ll want the original density (blue). The extra-firm version (black) is intended for experienced users with dense muscle tissue that doesn’t respond to normal massage pressure.
See below for a quick & easy intro foam rolling routine from Tone It Up!
Are you doing the 1000 Pushup Challenge? It’s not too late to join the party!
If you’re not used to doing this many pushups, chances are you’re a little sore. Make sure to stay hydrated & use this chest stretch to help keep you loose & limber!
Chest Opening Stretch
Stand with your left side facing a wall. Bend your left elbow 90 degrees, and place your palm and forearm on the wall. Lean your torso forward to stretch your chest. Hold for 30 seconds, then turn around and repeat with your right arm.
I’m 350 pushups in! How are you doing?
On Sundays, we like to get stretchy! There’s no better time to hit all those sore spots than after a long hard week. Stretching not only feels good, but it can alleviate soreness, pain, prevent injury AND improve your performance. If you like to train hard, then you need to stretch hard. It’s as simple as that. :)
This routine will target all those ‘extra’ tense bits and leave you feeling loose & limber. Before beginning, make sure you’re warm: a walk, a quick dance party or a hot shower will do.
Your instructor: Sadie Nardini, founder of Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga. For more free yoga tips and sequences, or to find out more about Sadie, visit www.SadieNardini.com or add her on Facebook.
This routine is split in 3 parts & runs 23 minutes in total.
See parts 2 & 3 after the jump!
Do you have trouble taking a rest day? Me too.
I’ve always had a hard time with rest days: it’s not easy for me to ‘relax’ and I get antsy. Crawling up the walls, jumping from ‘A’ to ‘B’, sometimes emotional ‘antsy’. While most people have trouble working up the motivation TO workout, I struggle with having the discipline to hold myself back. It wasn’t until I ended up with a double stress fracture in my hip last year that I seriously started focusing on ‘recovery’ days as part of the “routine”.
I’m a self-proclaimed fitness addict and the ‘high’ I get from my workouts is something I crave almost daily. Holding myself back & taking time to recover is something I have to actively work on & involves listening to my body closely. There are days when it needs me to go easy, even if I don’t feel like it. That’s okay since we need to be making decisions based on ITS needs and not our ego’s. It’s hard sometimes, but I do it. I love this bod of mine and I express it by treating it with care.
The amazing thing is that once I started focusing on getting enough rest, my body started to repay the favor. I had more energy. I was less sore. I dropped a little body fat that just wasn’t budging before. My performance went UP. Even today, I continually see better results by making sure at least 1-2 days a week don’t include a ‘workout’.
I don’t schedule my rest days (it gives me the flexibility to decide if my body needs one on the fly). Some weeks I take more than others & I usually rest on Sundays. Some people prefer to have set rest days, but you should listen to your body FIRST and stay flexible: it’s not advisable to push through a workout ‘day’ when your body is telling you otherwise.
When to take a rest day…
- If you haven’t had one in awhile (you should have at least one a week and more if you’re training harder than usual).
- If you’re unusually sore or suspect a possible injury (twinges count).
- When you’re sacrificing sleep or other priorities in order to workout (sometimes, we just have surprisingly busy days. And sometimes we may be falling into dangerous fitness ‘addiction’ territory. Make sure your sleep, life, and obligations still come first. How to spot signs of fitness addiction.).
- If you are experiencing symptoms of overtraining.
If you have trouble taking rest days (guilt, fear of losing momentum etc.) try an active recovery day instead. Walks, light yoga (not all yoga is ‘light’) & serious stretching can help you feel as though you’ve gotten a workout while letting your muscles recover & rebuild. My ‘rest’ days are usually full of distractions: making plans to keep your mind off “missing” your workout is a big help. Keep things light though: people like me can easily turn that walk into a ‘power’ walk. Conventional wisdom says you should take a rest day on your ‘lazy’ day. It’s up to you, but I’ve found better success taking it on a day when I’ve made other plans & commitments. If you’re a fit freak, experimenting with when you take your rest day can help you through it.
Remember: workouts are body DAMAGE. Results come from making enough time for our bodies to rebuild stronger than before. The more intense your workouts, the more rest days you need: take them. :)
Rest days: they’re part of the program TOO.
xo
Stretch Out Sundays: Try this 20 minute yoga/stretch routine on your rest day. It’s a great way to “recover” while still feeling as though you’re moving.
Shawn Johnson Pile Squat Stretch
Listen to your body on this one: we’re NOT all gymnasts. Only go as far as you can.
Try to do this move, holding each pose for 30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times.
Stretch Out Sundays is a new feature, and each Sunday I’ll post a follow-along video or printable routine that you can add to your workouts or do on its own.
If you’ve been training HARD all week, it’s important to take some time and stretch out your muscles. Flexibility is a fitness component many people ignore, but it’s every bit as vital as your cardio & resistance training. Yoga is a great way to challenge your muscles while getting DEEP in your tissue and relieving tension you didn’t know you had.
This is a beginner/intermediate routine. It’s about 30 minutes long, and will leave you feeling loose, limber and energized. You’ll need a mat & yoga blocks if you have them.
Listen to your body! Some of these poses may be challenging. Modify them when you need to and feel free to swap them for others.
Get stretching!
Last week’s Tone It Up stretch routine.
Did you try the Weekend Workout? It’s not too late!
Video: Shawn Johnson’s Cat Stretch: Upper back, core, triceps & chest
The 15 minute follow along workout can be used as a warm up OR a cooldown. Always start warm & listen to your body. It’s in the bonus workout section of your App.
Note: there’s a little bit of sync trouble with the audio for 1-2 of the moves (they’re ‘off’ time wise per side), so try it once through and make adjustments the next time around.
Stretch Out Sundays is a new feature, and each Sunday I’ll post a follow-along stretch video or printable routine that you can add to your workouts or do on its own.
If you KILLED your workout yesterday, chances are you might be a little sore! This routine will help ease some of that post-workout pain, I promise.
Flexibility is a massive fitness component that many, MANY people ignore. The more flexible you are, the lower your risk of injury. Stretching can also alleviate post-workout soreness AND help improve your range of motion for exercises like squats, lunges and core work. (Did you know that Olympic weightlifters are second only to GYMNASTS in terms of flexibility?)
Sundays are usually my rest day, and sometimes doing a little light yoga/stretching helps me feel like I’ve gotten in my ‘workout’. Those of you who are fitness addicts like I am should ALWAYS take a day to stretch out thoroughly.
Stretchy Tip: Stretching is best done warm, but if it’s a rest day, you might not get a chance to warm up properly like you would with a workout. If that’s the case? Take a hot shower! It warms up the muscles similarly (after a workout IS best, but it’s a sassy alternative). Start your stretch routine after you’ve toweled off.
Follow along with this week’s routine from the Tone It Up girls & repeat/pause anytime you want to get a deeper or longer stretch.
I love yoga, but after an intense run, or Insanity workout the LAST thing I wanna do is stick around for the stretch. It’s the only part of the workout that consistently feels like work to me (which is funny I know, but this girl likes to move!).
I make some of these mistakes all the time, but it’s good to remind yourself every now and then to make some simple changes. I put a lot of time & effort into this body and I’ll be damned if I let it go to waste! So check out this list of the top 8 stretching mistakes via Huffington Post and see which ones you could improve or add to your routine.
1. Not stretching at all, or forgetting to stretch after a workout.
I can relate to this one because although I love yoga, I hate stretching at the end of my workout. After sweating it out & pushing hard, sometimes the LAST thing I want to do is hold a few stretches. But stretching is just as important as strength & cardio. Squeeze it in!
2. Stretching inconsistently.
Once a week? Not enough. In fact, stretching in short 5 minute bursts throughout the day will boost your energy, get blood flowing & keep you limber. It might sound like a lot if you’re not used to it, but aiming for 2-3 quick stretch breaks throughout the day will give you energy.
