Good morning!
Our good weather has come to an end. The weatherman is saying that we are supposed to get rain all weekend long! What a mood kill!! Thankfully I have some fun indoor shopping plans on Saturday with Krissy. We are going to a huge outlet mall and I hope to snag a couple of deals for our trip. Shopping is so much better when it is raining outside, isn’t it?
I started my morning off with some Bootaaaay! I did about 20 minutes of the cardio quickie from the Booty Camp Fitness DVD. Love, love, love this DVD.
I have done about 5-6 weeks of the booty camp now and I have noticed a lot of great changes in my body and I have built a ton of muscle. When I started the DVD back on Feb. 1st it was a sad sight. I could barely crank out TWO full push-ups! Now I am happy to say that I can do about 8-10! I have yet to wear my knee sleeves this season because my legs just feel all around stronger now as compared to last year. It is pretty exciting what strength training can do.
I used to be a huge cardio junkie. I would only do cardio day in and day out. I never saw any changes with my body which wasn’t too surprising!
I will be bringing the DVD with me on our trip to Florida. The great thing about it is that the exercises require no equipment, so I can do the DVD anywhere. Just pop it in my suitcase and go. The Booty Camp DVD might be available for purchase online in upcoming weeks, but this has not been verified. I will let you know when I find out any info! :)
Following the booty camp I did a 20 minute Hip Opening Flow yoga class from Yoga Download. I have been doing about 5 minutes of yoga a few times a week, but today I felt like doing something a bit longer. Plus, running and strength work make my legs reeeeeally tight!
By this time, I worked up an appetite and had an awesome post-workout green monster:
Post-workout GM:
- 1.25 cup almond milk,
- .75 cup spinach (ran out!)
- 1 scoop Amazing Grass chocolate meal,
- 1 frozen banana,
- ice,
- chia seeds,
- 1/4 cup oats,
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter
A meal in a glass!
This GM is about 450-475 calories and packs a ton of protein, fibre, vitamins, healthy fats, and minerals!
And now it is time to share with you some of my favourite health links of the week…
Health News Round Up
Is hooping the next big fitness craze? – NY Times
A vertical marathon? One woman is climbing all 7 continents for women in the Congo – That’s Fit
Secret of success: Sneak in more exercise – Daily Spark
Running: How to transition from the treadmill to the road – Fit Sugar
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein: What it is and where it is found: – CBC
Running Gear you don’t need according to some runners – That’s Fit
I’m working out, so why am I not losing weight? – Vitamin G
Raw Lemon Blueberry Scones – Fitnessista
Top 25 cardio workouts – Fitness
Currently drooling over: Mediterranean Black Bean Quinoa Burgers – The Voracious Vegan
All is right in the world: Sid the Kid’s equipment is found – Hockey Canada
Is a thin body celebrated more than a fit one? – Daily Spark
Today’s questions…
– What is your favourite health link from above?
– Do you do strength workouts on a regular basis or do you focus on cardio?
Have a great end to your week!
Hahah! Glad you’re drooling over those burgers! Hope you try them, they are quick and delicious!
I tried those burgers! :) I ate two! That is unheard of for me. Need I say it, I loved them. :)
Hi Angela,
Just wondering if you’ve ever tried the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred? I wonder how it compares to the Booty Camp? And can you tell me where you got that Booty Camp DVD (I’m in Southwestern Ontario) or take a pic of the front of it and post it??
Sorry for all the questions!!
Thanks!
Dawn
ps. Your Green Monster looks yummy!
It might be for sale online soon…will spill the deets when I have them!
oops I forgot to answer your Q about 30 Day Shred. I have it and it is a great workout DVD. The shred is good because the workouts are short. I like booty camp because it has 7-8 workouts on 2 DVDs and a lot more variety.
damn girl look at those muscles.. hehe.. I can’t wait to pick it up as I just left the gym and I am looking for some new dvd’s..
i’ve started to really focus more on strength. i have a challenge going for myself in the month of march that involves 30 day shred. I know that I feel better when I’m stronger…i just have to remember that when I’m tempted to do all cardio
Look at those guns!! ;)
Good for you for incorporating strength training into your workouts! SO important! I try to do lower body, upper body, and core each at least twice a week.
I’ve neglected my strength training lately, but after this 8K I’ll be able to scale down the running a little and amp up the strength training. Hopefully that will help prevent all the injuries I’ve been getting.
Your guns look great!
I used to be cardio-crazed too and then I stopped seeing changes and got discouraged (not to mention bored!). I started adding some DVD workouts almost daily (mostly Jillian Michaels — The Shred, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, No More Trouble Zones) and have seen a HUGE difference in the way my body looks. The scale hasn’t moved but I’ve lost inches in all the right places. I guess you can say I’m also working on “whittling my middle” :)
I loove cardio and am a complete cardio queen, but weights totally reshaped my body! I will never stop doing them – they make me feel great! :)
I love to do cardio because it helps me relieve stress BUT I include a good amount of strength training too so that it balances out. Having strong muscles makes me feel confident…and cardio can’t do that like strength training can.
Plus, I think it there needs to be some more female representation in the weight room so I show my face in there regularly :)
I do my best to get both strength 3x per week and cardio 5-6!
You look great Angela – so strong! Last year I was mainly just doing cardio but since I have added in yoga and strength I feel so much better.
I absolutely love weight/resistance training just for the fact of being able to see the results. I was a huge cardio junkie too (still love it don’t get me wrong) but now I find myself really looking forward to weights!
I love doing strength workouts, mostly upper body weight lifting. I am very proud of my arms, shoulders, and back these days.
I’ve been wanting to get in more strength training too! Cardio is great, but I definitely notice more of a difference with strength. But I am terrible at lifting weights by myself! I need a class or a DVD to get me going!
Angela! You look amazing! So toned and strong, congrats girl!!
I just want to say that I really enjoy your blog. You’re SO POSITIVE and I love that. I am by nature a really positive person and it’s so refreshing to find others who are the same. You inspire me everyday to cook yummy, healthy, veg meals! So thank you for having such a positive, interesting, healthy blog! :)
~Nicole~
p.s. I’m in Orlando, FL and I think you’re doing a meet-up on your trip. I’d love the info and hopefully I can make it!
your ‘guns’ are amazing!! :)
Of the links above, I liked the one on running gear you may not need (Spark).
Yes, strength training is a focus for me. It depends on what I’m doing. If I am focused on running, then I aim to incorporate high reps of weights, or just use my own body weight to compliment the running. At least 3 times a week. If I’m taking a break from running (I usually do 3-4 months on, 1-2 months off of running to avoid injury), I do a wide variety of weights training, sometimes focusing on one body part/day (about 30 minutes 4 days/week), in addition to some cardio.
I love your health news round-ups. I’m thinking of adding something similar to my blog.
you look amazing! i can’t wait to try those dvds — your glowing reviews are making me so interested! what a kickass GM with so many good things in it!
when i was losing weight (quickly), i did 40 minutes of cardio 5 days a week, and lifted weights 3 of those days as well. it actually felt like too much time in the gym, especially on the cardio, but i think what really made me lose the weight was restricting my calories. :/
i’ve since upped my calories to a healthy amount and have discovered high intensity interval training. a 20-minute workout that gives me better results than 40-minutes of steady state cardio? amazing! i still strength train 2-3 times a week and love the muscles i’m building, but the HIIT just a few days a week has cut my cardio time drastically. :)
however, i still need to work on getting my hand out of the granola bag and cereal box at night. i’m not seeing results because of this. i know what i need to do, i just need to do it!
happy friday!
Hi Tiffany,
What 20 minute work-out do you do now?
I’m definitely a weights junkie.
Having had to quit running earlier this year because of my funky hip, I haven’t found any cardio I enjoy as much as running.
I still do it, but I don’t enjoy it.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE lifting, though. It makes me tired, make me feel strong, and I love seeing the muscle gains, and being able to do more things in my every day life because I’m stronger.
90% strength training! I’ll strength train 5 times a week at the gym, switching things up between, heavy days, super sets, high reps and circuit style… I’ll incorporate about 3 cardio sessions a week, mostly running or cycling. However, when the weather gets nice, there is nothing like rollerblading, long outside runs, trekking… anything sweaty and “outdoorsy”! There is just something about indoor cardio, I can’t get myself to do it!
You look great BTW… I’m happy you picked up strength training, it does wonders for the body, not just the outside physical aspect, but it also helps your bones get stronger and fights osteoporosis, amongst other things!
Keep up the great work :)
i defintely focus a lot of my efforts on strength trianing. Have you ever tried kettlebells? They are great for strength training AND cardio – double whammy! I have tons of info if you’re interested (or just search “kettlebells” on my site.
have a great day — you AND those gorgeous guns of yours ;)
xo
I think that thin is worshipped over strong and fit and I think that is such a shame. I love my body so much more now that it is strong and sculpted than when I was a skinnymalink!
As I cycle 6-10 miles a day for work I tend to concentrate on strength and stretching, mostly through different forms of yoga :)
Lifting! And lifting heavy. You just don’t bulk up as a woman, you just get strong.
I focus on both cardio and strength but I have to force myself to do weights. I hate it! I could do cardio for hours but strength training just bores me!
I really just run, and I think that’s because my motivation for doing it isn’t to have a super hot body. However, I know I really should start strength training because I know it would make me a better runner. You’re looking great, and if the video goes up for sale on the internet I’m probably going to get it.
you have no idea how encouraging this was for me to read this! i just did a post about not running anymore..im starting to feel a slight bondage to it so im not going to do it anymore and do more weights/yoga.. and YOU LOOK AWESOME!
I started doing pilates 4-5 months ago, found that it really helped stabilize my back so that I could workout at a higher intensity without increased pain, but I got to a lull even though I was doing more challenging exercises – my body just wasn’t responding anymore and my brain was getting bored. So in the last 4 weeks I have begun re-incorporating weight training into my workout program and am loving it. I do weights 3 times/week with focus on Legs, chest, back, biceps, triceps and abs. I need to add another leg day in there and am going to start that in the next week or two…otherwise, I do cardio 6-7 days/week and stretch on a daily basis. I love yoga, but can’t do it as I have the horrible issue of being too flexible, so I need the stability and strength of weights. Amazing how much easier my running is since incorporating the weights, not to mention faster times :)
I just recently have become more into strength training and like you said- it was the first time i saw major results in my body. However, I didn’t really like how my arms bulked up since I’m getting married in July and don’t really want to look like a body builder in my dress haha. So I’m taking it down a bit until July and then I’ll go back to my body building self haha.
I love the Fitness great cardio routines link you posted. Especially now that I am going back to my cardio junkie ways :)
congrats on the push up success!! i can totally relate–when i first started with my trainer i could do like 7 and wanted to cry. the other day i knocked out 20 in a row and was like OMG did i really just do that?!? haha. i was laughing with excitement! then i did 2 more sets of 20! it’s so so worth the pain to get better. good job!!
I love cardio, but I definitely try to lift weights once or twice a week. I think it is important to be strong. I read this article on pushups (and it points out that when you’re older, the ability to do a push up means that you are strong enough to catch yourself when you fall) and since then I’ve been trying to increase how many I can do. I recently moved from two sets of 10 pushups to three sets of 7! And I do them “men’s style.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/health/nutrition/11well.html
i gotta say i was a huge fan of the scone post from fitnessista :) i would love to do more cardio, but my knee is so messed up right now that it’s hard to do more than walking. i love doing weights, but am deliberating how i’m going to incorporate more of that into my day. i’m re-reading your posts about waking up earlier in hopes of inspiration :)
I used to be a pure cardio junkie too, but since I started strength training I’ve seen so much change! Hello biceps!
I find myself focusing on strength more so than cardio sometimes. I did a bikini bootcamp last spring that focused on interval work and I got in the best shape of my life with very little cardio involved!
Love the Fit Philanthropy article… I’m an avid hiker with plans to learn the basics of mountaineering this summer. I always love reading about other women who are out there doing it as the sport is primarily dominated by men! Attaining the summits she already has is no easy feat. Thanks for posting that!
to be honest, your arms do not look very toned to me….your stomach does!
btw you look very diffrent in this picture…like a completly diffrent person
I challenge you to an arm wrestle!! muhauha
I think you look great and your arms looked super toned to me! Oh and pretty sure noone looks like themselves after a great workout! :)
strength and building muscle or being “toned” are two very different things. Being able to do more push ups or lift heavier weights (or win at arm wrestling :)) means you are stronger and/or have more muscle endurance but it takes months and months of HEAVY lifting (not bodyweight work) and lots of extra calories to build significant muscle. You can definitely get stronger and look more “toned” or defined but that is mainly a function of muscle fibers tightening and losing some body fat, not from building muscle mass. Just wanted to clarify that.
I LOVE Body Pump. I think that I am addicted to it. I love LOVE the way my muscles and body feel after I get done with a good work out, pumping iron. :)
I focus on cardio and yoga….more strength work would definitely be a plus!
Oh my I used to be such a cardio junkie! Granted I still have my cardio loves but I do b/c I have a blast. I’m a kickboxing junkie so that is just pure entertainment for me!
I do all at home fitness programs myself by Beachbody. I love being able to wake up and crank out any type of workout I want all in my living room.
In the last year I have really upped my strength training and it has done WONDERS! It not only changes your body but it truly does rev up your metabolism which keeps my body burning like a furnace! The key though = you have to eat! Without enough fuel I saw little to no change. Now that I listen to my body, feed it well = everything happens!
Good health links!
Ha! The link of things runners don’t need on thatsfit.com: Runners don’t need “compression anything?” Pshhhhh….Not for people with thigh jiggle! Chafing is painful. I do agree about carrying water bottles while running is difficult and uncomfortable.
Last year I went through a HUGE gym/weights/workout phase. It was good. I was obsessed with weights, and did them regularly and with great enthusiams. And you totally do notice a difference. I had tremendous results in 4 weeks.
This year I’m a little bit of both. I’m back in cardio mode, but I know how important weights are and I do them two days a week, on my cross training days. I love them.
It’s said that if you want results you have to do weights, cardio just doesn’t cut it. YOu need to build muscle so you can burn more calories. Plus the toning is definitely nice. ;)
You are so right, strength training is so important. I love cardio too but I try and do some weights with every workout. As we get older, we lose muscle mass so it’s a good idea to strength train when we’re younger to get in the habit. Working out with weights is also good for bone strength.
My focus is mainly on strength training. I do circuit training and it keeps my heart rate up while I lift. It is pretty challenging too! I do cardio as well just not a whole ton. Mostly intervals to keep me lean but not to loose any muscle I have built up. I keep my intervals short and sweet with good intensity.
However, now that the weather is getting nice I am going to start getting back into my running again as well.
I like to get a mix of workouts but I definitely agree that strength training is the only way to really see changes! You definitely look great and congrats on the progress :)
I used to be a strength training junkie – at least 3 times a week consistently during my lunch break. But after getting a dog I had to use my lunch breaks to bike home and let her out, and completely fell out of the habit. Now I probably lift once a week on a good week! I’m hoping to get back into it post-marathon.
Congrats on the changes! You are definitely inspiring me to start up again.
As a runner, I’m definitely a cardio junkie. But I try to incorporate one session each of upper body, abs, and lower body strength training each week, as well as some yoga. It helps keep me balanced, makes me stronger, and prevents injuries!
You look so young in that photo. He he. Since I’m rehabbing two bad knees I need to do strength training on my legs every other day or else I feel the pain. Thankfully, I’m much more into weights than I am cardio. If not, I’d be crying over five years without running.
When I don’t wear make-up I look like a teenager…haha.
Oh yes! I feel weak if I don’t do strength. I like feel strong and confident! And by the way, doesn’t amazing grass ROCK?!!
LC
I have always been a runner at heart, but strength training is my focus over the past two years. It has really helped reshape my body. I have been really focusing on mobility, stretching, and posture lately, too. I figure I have to have a good foundation to build on! I still run about 3-4 times a week, too.
It’ll be a long while before I actually get guns or abs or muscles that are NOT on my calves for that matter, but it’s always inspiring to see them on other people!! :) Thank you for all the links you’ve provided Ange, I looked into almost all of them – and yup – i’m drooling over those black bean burgers!!!