Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Band and Body Weight Workout Video for Travel



Spring break is HERE (!) and summer right after that! I am doing a band exercise video series on my YouTube channel so you can workout on the go! HERE is my YouTube channel

The great news is that you can modify almost any existing workout routine for body weight/band work.

Exercise
Sets x Reps
Rest
4x8

4x15
60
4x15


4x15

60
4x15

4x10

4x5
60
4x10

Pull Through (use band instead of cable)
4x15


4x30s
60
Banded Bent Over Rear Delt Raise
4x15

4x10

Squat (bodyweight)
4x15
60


Here is a video of me doing this workout ^^^ on the deck at a cabin in the mountains on vacation ;) using only a mini band and a tube band with handles!


Off to the beach this week, with my bands!
X- Liss

Sunday, March 13, 2016

6 Sneaky Ways to get in More Greens



In honor of upcoming St. Patrick's day, we shall celebrate green here haha! But first a quick update.

The move to Port Aransas is underway! Our house went on the market last week. The husband and his camper are already there on spring break duty. I am trying to keep sane between missing my other half and keeping the house ready for showings at any minute. I feel like focusing on my nutrition and workouts is helping me along with putting everything into God's hand, my buoy in the rough seas. No worrying allowed!

My husband sent this picture to me on Wednesday he took while lounging at the beach while I was at work... spousal abuse?



So I have been getting really serious about getting in 2-3 servings of greens a day this year. And I think part of that success has to do with figuring out creative ways to get them in... which I will share momentarily. The greens really help my skin, I am prone to break outs and eczema. Even though I supplement with vitamins, the greens just offer something my body needs. I have seen major improvements in skin tone, texture, and clarity. I wish I had before and after pics without make-up, as my face is the biggest change.


So here are my 6 sneaky ways to get in more greens:

1.) Blending greens into a protein shake





This is nothing new, but it is so easy and you cannot taste them. I also like that they stay raw. My Banana Spinach Protein Shake recipe is still one of my favorites RECIPE HERE  My Nutribullet makes quick work of the greens and blends them so finely, you can hardly see them!

2.) Blending greens into the water you use to cook your oats.



I am not sure why it took me so long to think of this one. It looks nasty but tastes amazing, kinda like the protein shake ^ you cannot even tell the greens are there! I am loving my Chocolate PB&J Protein Oats recipe for this - RECIPE HERE

3.) Blending greens into your protein pancake batter




Another way I am not sure why I did not think of sooner! I just tried it this week using my Protein Pankcake with PB and Nutella recipe, just blended the pancake ingredients with a handful of greens instead of mashing. RECIPE HERE

4.) Trading out iceberg and romaine lettuce for kale/spinach/chard mix in your salads




This one is kind of a no-brainer but I have to admit I was resistant to the idea. For me, the key is that I do not need as much of the greens mix as I do the other lettuce types. Sometimes, I mix them. Sometimes, I just do straight greens. Some of the recipes that I have been swapping out lettuces out on are taco salad RECIPE HERE and tuna salad RECIPE HERE.

5.) Steaming greens along with your protein when you reheat your steak/chicken 



If you make more lean protein than you need for the week, just add a handful of greens on top of your lean protein. In the image above, there are steak cubes underneath the greens. When you reheat it, it steams the greens and it goes along great with meat! RECIPE HERE

6.) Add greens to your omelet



I love my omelets, but it never really occurred to me to add greens to it! So I have been enjoying my Hashbrown Omelet with the addition of a handful of greens. So easy, and yummy. RECIPE HERE

Hope you got some new ideas! Let me know if you have anymore to add!
X- Liss

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Band and Body Weight Workouts for Travel




Spring break is coming up and summer right after that! I am starting a band exercise video series on my YouTube channel so you can workout on the go! HERE is my YouTube channel

The great news is that you can modify almost any existing workout routine for body weight/band work.

So I am going to show you a workout in my upcoming workout called Hourglass Extreme and then modify it for band and body weight.

So why is this idea coming into my head right now? Well like I said, spring break is upon us... But I also have a little news of my own. We are moving to the beach!



The husband just accepted a position in Port Aransas, Texas which is a little town on a barrier island outside Corpus Christi, Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. We are ecstatic and nervous all at the same time. My kids and I are staying in town to finish out the school year to sell the house while my husband is going to live in our camper there. Once the house sells, we will be living with my in-laws and then moving into the camper until we find a house. So... my fabulous home gym will be going away for a while very soon. And there are no public gyms in this new town. I know, what the heck?! Maybe my new job needs to be training the people of the town and offering out my home gym time for membership LOL


So, my plan is the take my body and my bands with me for any situation. I also plan on having my Bowflex SelectTech dumbbells too, but I might not always have access to them, who knows?!

So let me walk you through how to modify any existing workout for band and body weight.

Below is a sample of my upcoming workout Hourglass Extreme which will be available for purchase very soon!


Regular Workout with Full Gym Access 
 Hourglass Extreme Week 5 Day 3

Exercise
Sets x Reps
Rest
4x8

4x15
60
PR--4x3


4x10

60
4x10

4x10

4x10
60
4x10

4x10


4x30s
60
4x10

4x10

4x10
60

















Modified Workout with only Bands and Bodyweight
(red exercises are changes, black stayed the same)

Exercise
Sets x Reps
Rest
4x8

4x15
60
4x15


4x15

60
4x15

4x10

4x5
60
4x10

Pull Through (use band instead of cable)
4x15


4x30s
60
Banded Bent Over Rear Delt Raise
4x15

4x10

Squat (bodyweight)
4x15
60























                                  

As you can see, with bands you need to increase the reps generally and there is usually an easy substitution. Of course, bands are not useful for pushing through personal records. So that is off the table, but the idea is that you will be using bands and body weight forever! They are amazing for getting a great pump and hypertrophy. And most certainly better than doing nothing!