Home Workout, Cocoa Pancake Recipe & VEGA Review

Home Workout

No gym, NO PROBLEM, no excuses!!!! 

Workouts by Body Parts

So I got an e-mail requesting ab workouts, but I figured HECK, I'm stuck inside the house today so why not just post workouts for all body parts?!!?

I know some people break up their workouts like Back and Bis, Chest and Tris, etc, but everyone lifts differently, so I'm just going to write up the top moves for each body part, and depending on how you have your split, it's up to you on how to combine them!

Remember, you don't have to add ALL the moves in, I'm just simply telling you my favorite moves :] choose which you want to try and add them into your routine!

I usually do, depending on the weight, 4 sets of 10-15 reps.
So that means: perform move 10-15 times, rest, repeat 3 more times.

If you're confused on any moves, google them or head to bodybuilding.com to find out what they are! :]

Endless Cardio is NOT the Way! And Workouts for Fat Loss

"Cardio: the only way to lose fat!"
Uhm... WRONGGGGGGGGGG

Like most people, at the beginning of my lifestyle journey I thought the only thing girls did in the gym was hop on a bike/treadmill/elliptical/cardio machine and go and go and go till they couldn't go no more! Oh how FALSE that is!

Did you know you're doing your body more HARM than good? Slowing down your metabolism, making it harder for your body to lose fat, and breaking down gorgeous muscle??!!? I know CRAZYYYY.

I wanted to post some wise words from a friend of mine, @Mrgeecue or Nate, from Instagram, and his thoughts on endless cardio.

NIKE & Leg Day!

EEEEEEEKKKKKKKK

I still can't believe my sister got me CUSTOM NIKE FREES for my birthday! They fit so snug, feel like CLOUDS on my feet, anddd the first time I tried them out was LEG DAY. Here's my workout that I did! Burned a prettyyyy good amount, and topped it off with a relaxing sauna stretch :]

• Warm up: jog laps 5-10 mins
• Squat Rack: wide 3x10, narrow 2x10
• Leg Press 4x8-10
• Smith Machine Backward Lunges 3x10 alternating
• Leg extensions 3x10
• Hip Abductors & Adductors 3x10
• Glute Kick back reps: 10,8,6,6
• Hamstring lying leg curls 3x10
• Deadlift 5x8    

My Love of Quest & Total Body Killer Workout

Hello fit fam! Today for you I have a review on some Quest bars and a kick-butt Total Body workout! Great to do post-holiday season ;]
But first....

HOLYYYY deliciousness.

I got to sample some of Quest's new goodies, their:

 Cravings Peanut Butter Cups!

Yes I am part of the #nutbutteraddict club, and I'M NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT IT! I have a problem. Is there a nut butters anonymous out there anywhere? I gotta get on that STAT. Ahh back to the cups!

Can I say they taste almost EXACTLY the same as Reese's Cups?! But with a bunch of nutrition and protein and without all the nasty unhealthiness! The peanut butter part was my favorite of course :] And the chocolate part didn't taste just like the Reese's chocolate, it had sort of a thicker flavor, yes I just gave "flavor" and adjective that isn't usually used to describe a flavor. There was like a thick darkness taste, not the taste of white or milk chocolate, but not completely bitter as dark chocolate. It was a perfect combination. And the peanut butter kinda gets stuck to your teeth and to the top of the roof of your mouth! Hehe I kinda like it because I can save some for later.. :P just kidding.
But I do like the overall taste of this Quest product! Seriously, this is my new addiction. I'm going to need to buy a whole box... or 5.....

Banana Nut Muffin

I hate to be boring.... but this LITERALLY tasted just like a Banana Nut Muffin! I'm SERIOUS. There's just no other way to describe it than by telling you it tastes JUST LIKE the wrapper says! Imagine any banana bread you've had with nuts and crunchiness inside and THIS IS EXACTLY like that. But SOOOOO much healthier! It's got real nuts inside and the crunch adds such great texture! And usually, I hate artificially flavored banana products because they never end up tasting "right" or like genuine banana. They're always either too sweet, or too MUCH banana, which makes it taste ... eckkk. But this?!?! RIGHT ON THE MONEY! DELICIOUS DELICIOUS DELICIOUS.

Seriously, find me a Quest product I DON'T LOVE! When pigs fly...



Thank you so much QUEST for letting me sample these delicious flavors! If you ever need a guinea pig for more flavors.... you know who to contact ;]

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And now for this amazing:

SUPER FAT BLASTING HEART THROBBING TOTAL BODY WEIGHTS & CARDIO WORKOUT 

I did this circuit after an unexpected rest day during my Finals Week to get my whole body worked up with a good sweat and BOYYYY did it do the trick! Try it out and let me know how you did! This would also be a great workout to do post-holiday food coma so that you can put all those carbs to use! I know I'm gonna need to go through this a few good times...

SS means Superset! So do that exercise right after the first one with no rest! And TS is just triple set! All of the ones that can be done with weights, DO IT HEAVYYYY! Burn those cals #fitfam! If you don't know any of the moves, try googling them and they should come up!

For the kickback and tricep dips, that's a glute cable kickback!

The last exercise is pretty self explanatory! Squat down, then get up, bicep curl, and then shoulder press!
I also added to the last one to make it a triple set, some deadlifts! 3x12!

For "step up skips", I posted a little collage on my instagram, so here it is below:

You basically step one foot up on the bench, then the other, and then skip back down, really fast! The step up skips are steps 1-5! Get that heart rate up!

Enjoy! Let me know how you did!

MUSCLE and Bulking

 Importance of Building Muscle

So if you all read my 2013 plan, then you know that I'm doing a mini-ish 5 week bulk! 
I feel I've gained quite a bit of fat over the past few months from my not so strict diet :/ eek sorry! Now I'm determined to turn that fat into STRONG MUSCLE. 
Why do I want muscle? What are the benefits?

• better athletic performance: power, strength, energy, stamina
• can inhibit sarcopenia, the age related loss of muscle
• muscle burns more calories than fat - more muscle = more fat burn
• increases metabolism, even at rest! 
• when building muscle, it increases oxygen flow to the body - which means healthier heart and lungs!
• muscles protect the joints and bones
• better posture
• the same weight of muscle takes up less space than fat. even if the scale says you weigh the same, you'll look tighter, more firm, and toned    

 Having muscle is a prettyyyyy good thing to have don't you think?? Now  
how exactly am I changing my diets and workouts for this bulk?
 Specifically during these next few weeks I'll be:

• increasing CARBS!!! YESSSSS :D
• I'll be having them in my breakfast, immediate post workout with my protein shake, and then in my post workout meal for the first 2 weeks, and the 3 weeks after I'll cut it to just post workout shake and post workout meal. 
• GOOD carbs though! Complex carbs like oats, brown rice, sweet potato, brown rice cakes. Why?
• carbs will give me energy to build my muscles! The carbs will get stored in my muscles [glycogen] and that's where they'll be getting their energy! This means more intense workouts, heavier weights, more reps = building that muscle! If I don't get enough carbs, it may try to get energy by breaking down protein, which is NOT what I want! I want to keep my muscles, not break them down
• help muscle recovery! This is especiallyyy important to build up those muscles! Carbs get the protein we eat to go to our muscles! This is especially important POST workout because our muscles are primed to absorb what we eat! So we include carbs to shuttle the nutrients to our muscles to repair and build the muscle  

• doing only short low intensity cardio either in the morning or post workout. I don't want tooo much cardio at this time so that I can build my muscles! About 20 minutes or so of cardio!  
• speed walk, incline walk, light jog
• Check out that 2013 plan to see what my actual workout days will be looking like!
• increase of calories - your body won't grow if you're in a deficit of calories! So I'll be aiming to have around 1800-2000 or so calories a day, except for rest days where it'll probably be around 1400-1500
• PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN! Protein's made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle! You should have AT LEAST 1 gram per pound of weight
• HEAVIER weights, shorter reps! I want to give my muscles that nice pump! I'll probably be doing 4 sets of 6-8 reps! So that means lets say I'll do 6-8 squats heavy, then a brief rest, and repeat that for 4 times total! I really want to build my GLUTES, so I'll be incorporating 2 leg days in my plan!

So that's my mini-bulk plan! Now obviously it's not going to build TOO much muscle, some people take MONTHS to build the amount they want, but I'm not competing, so I'm just doing this little mini 5 week plan to just build a little more, and then start shedding the fat off! Now if I do this wrong, have TOO many cals or TOO much carbs, I may put on fat! But that's ok for now, because my next phases will be dedicated to leaning out! I'll do another post during that time to give you an overview of how I plan on doing that!

Rise Bars & Back Workout!

Even though I'm not doing daily updates for #operationsxy anymore, I hope you all are still along for the ride!!! 

Is everyone rising to their goals and beating dirty eating, weak will power, and flubby fat in the butt?!?!

I hope so!!!!! The photos on instagram under the hashtag are looking AMAZING!

Today I posted a picture of my current back on Instagram and you all were giving me such nice compliments and comments, thank you SOOOOO much! You all ROCK! Go to the bottom of post to see my typical Back workout!

BUTTTTT

Speaking of RISING to the occassion.....

 Rise Bars

 

Why Rise Bars?

• Gluten free
• 100% organic
• Vegan choices
• All natural ingredients!
• No preservatives, non GMO, non sulfured fruits!
• Vegetarian!

Seriously: look at these INGREDIENTS! They are SO CLEAN! Literally like all countable on my fingers! And all natural! Amazingggg.

SPECIFIC BARS FOR SPECIFIC TIMES OF DAY.

BREAKFAST BARS

FOR THE FIRST MEAL OF THE DAY.

Rise Breakfast Bar makes morning say, "Go!" It's sweet, with hearty chunks of fruit and nuts to keep you moving through the most important part of your day.

Crunchy Macadamia Pineapple: This was the first flavor I tried out of all of them! I brought it to work hoping to ward off any hunger cravings! At only 160 calories, this bar was AMAZING and kept me satisfied! So delicious. I loved the crunchiness from the macadamia and sesame seeds, and also the chewyness of the fruit like the dates and pineapple chunks! The flavor of pineapple wasn't tooo strong however. It was mostly an overall "sweet" flavor, mostly due to the dates.

Crunchy Perfect Pumpkin: Hmmmm this one was an interesting one for me... If I were you, I wouldn't smell it :P Just something about the smell of it was odd to me! I'm usually a pumpkin person and I always bake with it! But this wasn't one of my favorite flavors unfortunately... There were pumpkin seeds and also cranberry bits in there! You could taste the sweetness of the cranberries which was nice, but again, it was one of my least fave flavors. 

Crunchy Honey Walnut: The main flavor I first taste are the dates because of how naturally sweet they are! Then you get the crunch of the walnuts and sesame seeds and then the light sweetness of honey. I felt the most flavor did come from the dates. There is also a sort of raisiny smell to it. I did love how you can actually see the walnut chunks in it! Love how these bars have such few, but clean and natural, ingredients!

Crunchy Cashew Almond - This tasted and felt like a crunchy honey grainy nutty combo! Hahaha try saying that 10x fast! There was a sort of honey glaze holding it all together and inside was crispy rice, which made the bar crunchy. Me likey.

Crunchy Cranberry Apple: Main thing I noticed when I first bit into this were the almonds! Yum yum yum. Then the slightest hint of apple and when you get to the little chunks of cranberries, they tasted like craisins! 

ENERGY BARS

QUICK, LASTING,
ANYTIME ENERGY.

Rise Energy+ Bar is 100% organic, made with blended superfruit and nuts, full of fiber and antioxidants to fuel you through the rest of the day.

 

Raspberry Pomegranate - This bar was nice, soft and chewy. You get a different kind of crunch because of the little pomegranate seeds in the bar. The apple chunks  add a sweet little tarty-ness flavor to the bar, so it's not too overbearingly sweet.. There were also surprisingly coconut flakes in it! Which gave it a nice tropical hint of flavor. The overall texture was kind of gritty because of the pomegranate seeds, and I found that a few get stuck in your teeth!

Blueberry Coconut - MMMM I love my coconut flakes! These were also my room mate's favorites! [He helped me out a bit on these bars!] This bar was soft and chewy from the dates. The blueberry flavor wasn't too powerful because the date flavor took over. I think I could see the blueberries, but I couldn't taste them that much! The coconut flakes gave it a nice crispness and crunch!

Coconut Acai - This bar also had those delicious coconut flakes! Along with the sweet tasting acai, and again, the overpowering dates flavor. There were also almond chunks inside which I liked! The texture and flavor can be described as chewy and fruity instead of crunchy and nutty, like the breakfast bars were.

Cherry Almond - This bar was great because of all the almond chunks that were inside! Gave it a great crunch. There were also bits of soft, chewy, chery chunks! 

Apricot Goji - This bar had apricot cashew aroma! It was not too chunky. The taste was very comparable to the cashew butter that I had received from Artisana for their review! And I'm in LOVE with that cashew butter - ahh the taste is so sweet and buttery!

PROTEIN BARS

BEFORE, DURING OR
AFTER A WORKOUT.

Rise Protein+ bar is designed to make good workouts great. It's a super clean formula that delivers a big protein boost with five ingredients or less.

Crunchy Carob Chip - You get a great crunch from almond chunks! But the bar itself is somewhat chewy. What I did was warmed it up for a bit in the microwave, and what came out?? An almost brownie-like bar! It just melts on your tongue! And it was not overly sweet at all! Especially when warmed up!

Almond Honey - This has to be my FAVORITE bar out of all the bars I sampled! It was a chewy, sweet, bar, that seriously tasted EXACTLY like almond butter.  And yes, I'm an almond butter addict, I ADMIT IT! And it only has three ingredients! Almonds, Honey, and Whey Protein! Super clean, soft chewy goodness! It's not chunky because there are no chunks of nuts in it, but it literally taste like I scooped out natural almond butter and put it in bar form. Uhm.. YYUUUUMMMM. There was some oil coming off on the outside, I think mostly because of the main ingredient being almonds, so the healthy oils were coming out!

Overall Review:
The breakfast bars were all great and nutty, definitely a great snack to have at the start of your day to keep you powering through work or school, or any activities you have planned!
The energy bars were all all gooey and fruity chewy. These will definitely keep you energized because of all that natural sweet sugar from the fruits! The only complaint I have about these is that for most of the bars, the dates were very overpowering to the rest of the flavors in the bars! And beware, they're very sticky hehee!
The protein bars would be SOO great preworkout for an amazing energy boost, or post workout because it's full of great protein that'll go straight to building those gorgeous muscle you've been working SO hard for!

Favorite: Almond Honey
Least Favorite: Crunchy Perfect Pumpkin

In all? I absolutely LOVE these bars. Yes some flavors more than others, but still, they are pretty amazing in my book. CLEAN ingredients, NO ADDED ARTIFICAL ANYTHINGS, Gluten free! Perfect for me!! I'm going to have to go to the store now and pick up a few boxes...

Thank you SO much Rise bars for letting me try your amazingly clean eating and healthy snacks! 
 Go check out their site HERE and their online store HERE! 

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Here are the usual moves I do for back workouts! Try it out and let me know what you think! Remember, go as HEAVY AS YOU CAN until the last rep is almost impossible! Haha, that's what I do, Or I go till failure! That's the only way to change! Make your body UNCOMFORTABLE!

 

 

Flax Oil and Back & Bis

Hey #fitfam! Hope everyone is doing well on #operationSXY so far!!! It's Day 3 for me! What day is it for you?? Are you staying strong? Fighting those cravings? Killing those workouts? I hope so! I love seeing all your tags on instagram already! We got this!!

I posted this above pic this morning and you all seemed to LOVE IT! Yes we have setbacks, YES it SUCKS! But instead of saying, wow I've already gone back so far, why try anymore? Why not just stay the same? Seriously.. I did think about doing that a few times... crazy.. 

BUT NO! We have to MOVE ON, NEW START. Be fresh for the New Year! So glad so many of you are with me on this! <3

Todays Eats:

Literally SO much water, I'm peeing ALLLL the time! 

Breakfast: 2 eggs & green beans drizzled with flax oil

Snack: Apple

Lunch: Turkey breast with bokchoy and cabbage and flax oil

Snack: Orange

Dinner: Cumin Shrimp, kale, onions, jalapenos, tomatoes

So it's day 3 and I'm feeling strong guys! YAY! No intense cravings, no sugar or caffeine withdrawals, not craving any dairyor grains so far. I seriously think the flaxseed oil I'm taking is helping! It gives me that fullness feeling, the "satiety factor", which makes me also crave less! A few of you asked what flaxseed oil was, so here's some things I found through the powerful tool of Google :P

Benefits of Flaxseed Oil:

The essential fatty acids in flaxseed oil are one of its key healing components. EFAs are particularly valuable because the body needs them to function properly, but can't manufacture them on its own. Essential fatty acids work throughout the body to protect cell membranes, keeping them efficient at admitting healthy substances while barring damaging ones.

One of the EFAs in flaxseed oil, alpha-linolenic acid, is known as an omega-3 fatty acid. Like the omega-3s found in fish, it appears to reduce the risk of heart disease and numerous other ailments.

Flaxseed oil is an excellent source of omega-3s: Just 1 teaspoon contains about 2.5 grams, equivalent to more than twice the amount most people get through their diets. Flaxseeds also contain omega-6 fatty acids in the form of linoleic acid; omega-6s are the same healthy fats found in vegetable oils.

Flaxseed oil only contains these alpha-linolenic acid (Omega 3 oils), and not the fiber or lignan components. Therefore, flaxseed oil provides the Omega 3 benefits, such as lipid-lowering properties, but not the laxative or anti-cancer properties.

Whole flaxseeds (not the extracted oil) are a rich source of lignans (phytoestrogens), substances that appear to positively affect hormone-related problems. Lignans may also be useful in preventing certain cancers and combating specific bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including those that cause cold sores and shingles.

Flaxseed may help to:

Lower cholesterol, protect against heart disease and control high blood pressure:
Several studies indicate that flaxseed oil, as well as ground flaxseeds, can lower cholesterol, thereby significantly reducing the risk of heart disease. Taking flaxseed oil may also protect against angina (chest pain) and high blood pressure. In addition, a five-year study done recently at Boston's Simmons College found that flaxseed oil may be useful in preventing a second heart attack. It may also help prevent elevated blood pressure by inhibiting inflammatory reactions that cause artery-hardening plaque and poor circulation.

Counter inflammation associated with gout, lupus and fibrocystic breasts:
Omega-3 fatty acids appear to limit the inflammatory reaction associated with these conditions. In cases of lupus, flaxseed oil not only reduces inflammation in the joints, skin and kidneys, but also lowers cholesterol levels that may be elevated by the disease. Taking flaxseed oil for gout may lessen the often sudden and severe joint pain or swelling that is a symptom of this condition. In addition, the ability of omega-3 fatty acids to boost the absorption of iodine (a mineral often found in low levels in women suffering from fibrocystic breasts) makes flaxseed oil potentially valuable for treating this often painful condition.

Control constipation, haemorrhoids, diverticular disorders and gallstones:
As they are high in dietary fibre, ground flaxseeds can help ease the passage of stools and thus relieve constipation, haemorrhoids and diverticular disease. In those with diverticular disease, flaxseeds may also keep intestinal pouches free of waste and thus keep potential infection at bay. Taken for inflammatory bowel disease, flaxseed oil can help to calm inflammation and repair any intestinal tract damage. In addition, the oil may prevent painful gallstones from developing and even dissolve existing stones.

Treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, sunburn and rosacea:

The essential fatty acids in flaxseed oil are largely responsible for its skin-healing powers. Red, itchy patches of eczema, psoriasis and rosacea often respond to the EFA's anti-inflammatory actions and overall skin-soothing properties. Sunburned skin may heal faster when treated with the oil as well. In cases of acne, the EFAs encourage thinning of the oily sebum that clogs pores.

Promote healthy hair and nails:

The abundant omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed oil have been shown to contribute to healthy hair growth (in fact, low levels of these acids may cause dry and lackluster locks). Hair problems exacerbated by psoriasis or eczema of the scalp may respond to the skin-revitalizing and anti-inflammatory actions of flaxseed oil as well. Similarly, the oil's EFAs work to nourish dry or brittle nails, stopping them from cracking or splitting

Minimise nerve damage that causes numbness and tingling as well as other disorders:

The EFAs in flaxseed oil assist in the transmission of nerve impulses, making the oil potentially valuable in treating conditions of numbness and tingling. The oil's nerve-nourishing actions may also help in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, a degenerative disorder of the nervous system, and protect against the nerve damage associated with diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Reduce cancer risk and guard against the effects of ageing:
The lignans in flaxseed appear to play a role in protecting against breast, colon, prostate, and perhaps skin cancer. Although further studies are needed, research undertaken at the University of Toronto indicates that women with breast cancer, regardless of the degree of cancer invasiveness, may benefit from treatment with flaxseed. Interestingly, the lignans may protect against various effects of ageing as well.

Treat menopausal symptoms, menstrual cramps, female infertility and endometriosis:
Because the hormone-balancing lignans and plant estrogens (phytoestrogens) in flaxseed help stabilise a woman's estrogen-progesterone ratio, they can have beneficial effects on the menstrual cycle, and relieve the hot flashes of perimenopause and menopause. Flaxseed may also improve uterine function and thus treat fertility problems. In addition, the essential fatty acids in flaxseed have been shown to block production of prostaglandins, hormonelike substances that, when released in excess amounts during menstruation, can cause the heavy bleeding associated with endometriosis.

Fight prostate problems, male infertility and impotence:
The EFAs in flaxseed oil may help to prevent swelling and inflammation of the prostate, the small gland located below the bladder in males that tends to enlarge with age. Symptoms of such enlargement, such as urgency to urinate, may lessen as a result. The EFAs also play a role in keeping sperm healthy, which may be of value in treating male infertility, and they can improve blood flow to the penis, a boon for those suffering from impotence.

Source: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-flaxseed-oil.html

Flax Oil is a rich source of omega-3 fats that help regulate cellular processes, influence membrane function, and produce hormones. It promotes fat burning and decreases fat storage, thereby, revving up metabolism for effective and long-lasting weight loss.

Research shows Flax Oil lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, banishes arthritis and migraines, helps asthma, and controls attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It also helps to balance blood sugar levels by providing the "satiety factor."

Source: http://www.unikeyhealth.com/product/Flax_Oil_Omega_3/Fat_Flush_Weight_Loss

Workout:

Morning: Blogilates Livestrong De-Bloat Youtube video and Mari Winsor 20 Minutes Pilates 

Afternoon: Back and Bis with 15 minute incline walk and 15 minute jog!

Back and Bis Workout:

Wide grip pull down 4x12
Bent over row 4x12
Bent over lat raise 3x12
Single arm row 4x12
DB Curl 4x12 (2 straight, 2 angled out)
DB hammer curl 4x12
Preacher curls 4x12

Just feel so badass whenever I listen to Linkin Park while lifting!

Burn baby BURN!