This bum-friendly leg day workout is focused on lifting and strengthening the glutes. Because can you really ever have enough buns, hun?
…
Socca Waffles, Glutes, and WIAW Eats
The Olympics have taken over our TV.
Is everyone else this obsessed?
I feel like this week has been background to the Olympics. I work while watching the Olympics, I plan workouts while watching the Olympics, Vegas and I eat dinner in front of the TV… we are obsessed.
I did get away for a run though. It was a gorgeous day, despite all the hills.
…
It’s Growing Season
Growing can be fun.
It can also be scary.
Some days I feel powerful. I go to the gym, lift heavy stuff… decide to be a ninja….
Touring Atlanta + Sizzlefish Holiday Giveaway
Staying in town can feel like a vacation.
Not quiiiiite like going to Tahiti… but you know.
This weekend Sarah graced me with her presence. She drove in Monday night from Birmingham and we spent the next 2.5 days touring rainy Atlanta. It’s fun to entertain out-of-towners because you get to see your city in a whole new way!
Sarah arrived Friday afternoon with cookies in hand. She shared the Vegan Carob Peach Fudge Cookies from her #strangebutgood post Friday. They were the perfect appetizer before we headed to dinner. We did so much I have to break it up into 2 posts. Today is the “doing,” and the Atlanta food tour will happen Wednesday.
Saturday morning we hit my gym for a glute workout. Check out this IG video for a taste of what we did. Sarah hung like a champ! She’s a natural.
After a solid hour of hard work, I told Sarah she was ready to compete… so we practiced a pose (this is why I don’t do bikini):
Naturally this had to be followed with a trip to Buford Highway to shop the massive international farmer’s market, where we met up with Sarena. We were there for 2 hours… only a food-friend can understand how grocery shopping is an entertaining sightseeing activity.
I had told Sarah how cheap it is, but she was still shocked at how little her market finds were! The new-to-me treats this time were a Ponkan orange and some sort of Korean puffed rice crackers. I also found a giant bag of my favorite Chimes peanut butter ginger chews!
That market is massive – it’s like the size of Wal-Mart. You can browse an entire aisle of Mexican hot sauces, or sample baklava at the Easter European bakery or peruse greens you’ve never heard of before. Watching my friend wander around filled with wonder at all the international delights was the best part of my weekend.
Sarah left yesterday. After trying to convince her to stay, I sent her on her way in true blogger fashion – with a to-go container of protein oatmeal. More to come later in the week… I need to leave room to tell you about an amazing giveaway!
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I have been obsessed with Sizzlefish ever since I had the opportunity to try a box via Fitfluential. The fish is delicious – it surprised me how fresh it tastes despite being frozen.
Last week I pulled out a piece of the salmon to cook when I was short on groceries. It thawed while I was at work, so all I had to do when I got home was squeeze some lemon juice, dill, and pepper on top before broiling it for 7 mins. Easy dinner!
So what’s in it for you?
The awesome people at Sizzlefish agreed to do a special holiday giveaway! Not only will you win a box of this Holiday Sampler (worth $59!), but they will also send a box as a gift to a person of your choosing! Feel free to pick me. 😉
I’m a little sad it rained all weekend – I wanted to take Sarah on a walking tour! From the looks of it, everyone else had rain or snow too. Bring on the sunshine!
What is your favorite fish?
Do you consider grocery shopping a form of entertainment/tourism?
Work It Out: Booty Building
When one door closes, another opens.
Or maybe another butts in? Hee hee…
I’ve written multiple Work It Out posts about the booty. My mission is to get one. Last season I made some great progress, but there’s a lot of room to grow. Since I am limited on my upper body, I’ve been really focusing on my butt.
I knew I was in trouble when I told my trainer that my new additions made my arms look smaller and he replied “I bet they make your butt look smaller too.”
He was right. Doh.
After speaking to Lisa (who competed in Bikini at the last show I did), I took her advice and put together my own booty building program. I am now training glutes 3 times a week! Before you tell me that’s too frequent, know that I’m still not able to go heavy so a 2-3 day cycle works. 😉
I shake things up each time, but this has been my favorite ass-kicking workout to date:
Click the names for explanations:
- Side Lying Clams
- Single Leg Glute Bridge
- Deep Squats (you can do these with or without weight)
- Weighted Hip Lifts
- Low Jacks
***
Thank you all SO much for all the birthday love yesterday. It make the day that much more special. ♥♥♥
How deep do you squat? Try going ass-to-the-grass. The soreness level of effectiveness is glorious.
What is your favorite booty-builder?
What’s Driving My Marvelous (Monday)
No one likes regrets.
Especially when it involves wearing a bikini on stage in front of a lot of people.
My favorite uncle likes to say:
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, oh what a merry Christmas we’d all have.
My goal is to go into Saturday’s figure competition without thinking “if only I had…” or “but I should have…” No regrets. That’s what’s driving me right now, even though I’m tired, busy, and really hate running sprints.
That’s not entirely true… I have a lot of fantastic friends whose encouragement also drives me. After this post where I admitted to be being busy and more than a little overwhelmed, Jody reminded me that what I’m doing is not easy and I need to give my body time to recover. So I took my first bath in years.
Then, after a particularly hard-to-motivate-for run (I’m doing sprints daily now), Heather took the time to encourage me. She is the queen of training and balancing a busy life (and running), so I especially appreciate her props.
Note: I’m kidding about the fat and happy. I chose this and I AM happy. These last couple of weeks just get hard.
Something else that can drive a workout is new stuff. So often we think of treating ourselves with food, but new clothing or “toys” can do it too!
This weekend I took myself shopping and got new eye cream, eyeshadow primer, 2 new tops, a bra (so badly needed), and my first EVER top from Lulumon. I didn’t get a pic, but it’s this one.
I also brought my own marvelous lunch to the mall: a crumbled Indian-spiced bison burger, sweet potato cubes, broccoli slaw, and red pepper. I held it up proudly for a pic infront of Victoria’s Secret. Bison and Boobs.
As much fun as spending money on yourself can be, free stuff is even more awesome. Thanks to Fitfluential and Reebok, I had the opportunity to try out these Bose SIE2i headphones (as always – my opinions is my OWN).
Let me just say these ROCK. I didn’t even know what I was missing out on until getting these high quality ear buds… it was like surround sound in my ears!
Bonus: They aren’t PINK
How do Reebok and Bose go together? They partnered to release first ever Bose in-ear headphones specifically engineered for exercise. Their features are designed with workouts in mind. Click here for a video with more detail on the technology.
Here is what I liked:
- They are sweat proof – there was NO sliding about in my ears even when I was sprinting
- They didn’t give me a headache. In the past I’ve had some ill-fitting buds that were so uncomfortable I had a headache by the end of my workout. These still felt great 2 hours later!
- The buds come with 3 sizes (small, medium, and large), and the small actually fit me
- The shorter cable doesn’t get in the way of movement while lifting, but there is an extension cord for when you need length (I used it so I could place my iPhone on the treadmill while running sprints)
- There is a remote in the cord that allows you to easily change songs and adjust volume (you can also take calls, but who doesn’t that during a workout?!)
It also came with a stretchy armband to holds your iPhone, but I didn’t use it. I am looking forward to using it when I do some running this summer – it even has a separate pocket for keys! For lifting, I can’t stand having something strapped to my arm. My pythons need ROOM. LOL!
The downside? At $149.98, they are pricey. Here’s how I look at it: I spend 1-2 hours everyday working out. It’s worth every cent if it makes that experience more enjoyable and comfortable. That means a better workout for me, so I consider it another investment in my fitness.
Lastly, the ultimate driver: Progress. It’s not big. But I do believe that is a booty:
Do these Bose headphones make my butt look big? 😉
It may not look like much, but it’s a BIG improvement after a lot of work. I dislike sprints, but I really hate having a pancake butt or a saggy ass. So sprints it is! I can do anything for 5 (more) days.
And all of this is what’s making my Monday Marvelous. Thank you for another week starting out right, Katie!
***
One more bit of awesome – 2 separate friends sent me their progress shots this weekend. I was flattered that they trusted me enough to share those proud (scantily clad) moments!
Do you make a conscious effort to live life with no regrets?
Are good headphones important to you? What is your fitness “splurge” item? Lulumon? 😉
Work it Out: Double Your Derrière
This may seem odd, but I need a bigger booty.
You ladies with ba-donk-a-donks are luuuuucky!
Since this post, it has grown a good amount! Even my mom commented on how it’s looking better. 😉 However, we still have lots of room for progress.
While these exercises may not exactly double your derrière, they will help!
For those who want their booty to firm rather than grow, don’t shy away from these. Exercise builds muscle, which burns fat. This leads to a shapely, muscular arse.
No shame in admiring hard-earned progress!
For each of the following exercises, do 3 sets of 10-12. For more advanced rears, try going 4 sets of 15.
1. Floor Jack
Lie on the floor or a mat with your face down. Spread your arms out over your head and your legs wide behind you to form an “X.” Move your legs and arms in and out, much like a jumping jack.
Throughout the exercise, keep your arms and knees straight and off the floor. Think about engaging and squeezing the glutes as you move your legs together and apart. This keeps the focus on the upper and side glute muscle.
Note: If this bothers your lower back, try moving your arms and chest lower (or even all the way to the floor), focusing solely on the leg movement. Once you gain strength, add in the upper body.
2. Lunge jump
Stand with your feet together, elbows bent 90 degrees. Lunge forward with your right foot (A). Jump straight up as you thrust your arms forward, elbows still bent (B).
Switch legs in midair, like a scissor, and land in a lunge with your left leg forward (C). Repeat, switching legs again. That’s completes 1 rep.
This move hits the whole lower body, engaging the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. The added bonus is that it also engages the core and hips!
Need a challenge? Make it harder by holding weights in each hand.
Note: This can be hard on your knees – if you have knee trouble do a regular single legged lunge.
3. Abductor
I love to call these machine the “yes” and “no” machines. You can see why…
The exercise pictured hits the inner thighs and bum muscles. Sit in the machine and grip the handles on each side. Slowly press against the machine with your legs to move them towards each other while exhaling. Be sure your upper body remains stationary throughout the exercise to prevent injury.
Hold the contraction for 2-3 seconds and return your legs back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
These machines are often 2-in-1, or have a neighboring machine where you do the same thing, only you start with your legs together and move them away from each other (i.e. the “yes” machine). This works the outer thighs and glutes.
For a real challenge, apply the 24s method to this one!
4. Fire Hydrants
While these may feel… awkward… to do, they do work. Be confident and rock them out. And make sure your bottoms are providing full coverage to avoid peep shows. 😉
Get on the floor on your hands and knees. Lift one knee up and out to hip-level (or as close to it as you can). Keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle, ankle flexed. As you raise your leg, take care to not let your weight shift over to your support side. Slowly lower your leg to the starting position for one rep.
Do 10-12 reps on one side, and repeat with the opposite leg for one set. In addition to targeting the outer glutes, fire hydrants engage your core when you take care to keep your tummy tight and your back straight.
Note: Fire hydrants are also great for strengthening the hips. If you have to sit all day at work… do these!
5. Single Leg Ball Squat
You know that bottom part of your bum that gets all saggy and wrinkly? Single leg squats with a Swiss ball will blast that problem area, as the assistance of the ball allows you to engage the glutes even more exclusively than even a “regular” squat.
Place the Swiss ball against the wall, and lean your back against it. Stand on your left leg while pressing your back into the ball with your lower back. Stretch your right leg out in front of you in a horizontal position parallel to the floor. If that’s not yet possible, just raise your leg as much as you can.
Squat down to a sitting position using the Swiss ball as your support. Be very careful to keep the knee of the supporting leg behind the toes to avoid knee injury. Stop when the leg is bent to 90 degrees, then slowly press back up to the starting position.
Need a challenge? Raise your toes off the floor for an even more targeted hit to your thighs, hamstrings, and glutes.
Note: I struggle with balance and find that stretch my arms in front of me and focusing on a point straight ahead helps!
***
I think I’ve officially posted about butts more than another other part in my Work It Out series. This is funny because what I really want to do is work out chest and biceps. Every. Day. Balance…
Bare it all: What are your thought on your bum? Good? Needs work? Big? Small?
Has anyone tried the leg workout without touching the floor? This is oddly one of my favorites.
A Death Race and a Birthday
Oops, I did it again…
You can thank me later for getting that classic song stuck in your head.
Tuesday was leg day. Two days later, walking is a difficult task. 25 barbell squats, 4 sets, increasing weight. Weighted lunges. 25 hack squats, 4 reps, increasing weight (I HATE hacks!). And that was just the first 3 exercises. Oy.
The good news is that my trainer told me he sees huge gains in the last month and my legs are getting bigger!
And my BUTT!!! Woot!
But my pain today doesn’t come close to how Kat must have felt after her Ultramarathon “Death” Race. Only a crazy person celebrates a birthday like this. 😉
Read on for Kat’s fabulous story…
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On March 16, 2013, I ran my second Ultramarathon. It was definitely the biggest physical challenge I have ever undertaken, and I savored almost every minute of it.
Note the caption – SO TRUE!!!!
I woke up at 2:15am and began my journey. I hadn’t slept much the few nights before it, and only about 2-4 hours the night before the race.
I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep!! (Editor’s note: I would have barfed from the nerves.)
Geared up and Ready to Go!!
I stayed at Hiker Hostel on Friday night with my friend Ann. She braved 5:00pm Atlanta traffic headed north to get me up there (you Atlanta folk know that THAT is a sign of true love).
We left the hostel at 2:45 in the morning to head to the start where I checked in, got my map, met some runners, and began my journey.
Saying Goodbye to Ann
At 3:55 the race director, Sean, gave a funny speech that began, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” and you know the rest.
It made all of the runners giggle nervously as we began our journey on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. We started at Vogel State Park.
I ran with several of these people many steps of the way.
Before the 3rd Mile, I was feeling absolutely fantastic. I was skipping along on the rails, “dancing forward” with a smile on my face. Sometime right around then, I fell HARD, heard my ankle pop, screamed a little. Then, with a little encouragement from a few friendly trail folk, I was up and on my way, hiking with the best of them. Oh yeah, HIKING.
People, this was NOT a running race for the most part. This was a hiking race. It was elevation, elevation, elevation. We climbed about 17 peaks on the Appalachian Trail. I was at Duncan Ridge for Sunrise, after already climbing over 2,300 feet.
Sunrise on Duncan Ridge
I had so much fun in the early parts of the race, making friends, laughing about slipping in mud, and hiking up, up, up. We were all frustrated with the hills, in awe of the views, and even more in awe of our strength as we climbed. (Editor’s note: I am in awe fo YOU!)
I continued to have fun, and I met a guy named Kip, a fire fighter who loves to help people. He was strong, loyal, and kind. He offered to wrap my ankle at the next rest stop. That was before I tripped on a down-hill around mile 16 or so, heading face-forward into the leaves, busting my knee. I finally got up, cursing the leaf-covered ground, then tripped hard and sprained my ankle even worse around mile 19.
The face says it all…carnage and getting wrapped.
I eventually made it to mile 21, convinced I wouldn’t be able to go on. When I got there, I saw the race director, and I became determined to finish. He made this course ridiculously hard for a reason, and I wanted to finish. Another runner wrapped my ankle, and I pressed on. Things got slower after that.
My stick friend
At mile 25, I decided it couldn’t get much worse, so I kept going. At mile 28, I got my ankle re-wrapped and pressed on for the most frustrating part of the run. I found a stick that became my friend as I hiked and hiked and hiked uphill.
I cried, I was frustrated, and I pressed on. I wailed, and I cried when I when saw the clearing that meant the climbing was over. (Editor’s note: I really don’t have anything to say… you are fierce.)
Swinging Bridge
The clearing that made me cry
Eventually I got to mile 44-ish… Winding Stair Gap aid station. I got a big hug from my friend Wilson, and I finally knew it was in my ankle’s best interest to stop. I had hiked and run over 44 miles, climbed over 13,000 feet, for 14.5 hours on a sprained ankle.
I called the friend who was picking me up, and she brought me home, in pink fuzzy slippers, as my ankle swelled. (It’s much better today – good thing I stopped when I did). I feel like it was the most noble DNF (Did Not Finish) ever, and I really gave it my all.
About 2 hours after my race
The 14.5 hours really made me think – WHY am I out here? WHY am I doing this? What is this for? And I think I know.
I think I know why I run, why I stay out in the woods for hours and hours trying to find myself.
Not only does it teach me to keep moving forward, even when things are difficult or painful, but it lets you embrace the moments that suck because they help you to know just how strong you are, and just how strong you can be. I think we all can feel down or defeated from time to time, some more than others. When you find the thing that helps you move on, that works as your therapy and that helps you to believe you’re more than you thought you could be, that just might be your thing.
I think I realized through this race, that whether it’s running, creating art, raising kids, lifting weights, or whatever your thing might be, that you need to do what makes you feel strong and what makes you feel alive. (Editor’s note: So well said – we are so much more than we first imagine.)
No better way to celebrate my 26th Birthday. (Editor’s note: Such a tender young age. 😉 )
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Laura posted about my nighttime potluck gathering yesterday, which I believe brought about 25-30 people together, an eclectic group from all walks of life. 🙂 It was the best birthday I have had in a very long time, and I LOVE my birthday.
Just a few of my amazing friends
I also got to go to a birthday lunch with one of my dearest friends in Atlanta.
We went to the One Eared Stag. I had one of the weirdest and most delicious meals ever. (Editor’s note: Whaaaat?! I want to try this place so bad!)
In the picture:
- White Anchovies
- Olives
- Fried Dates
- Mint
- Pine Nuts
Such a weird and delicious combo (Editor’s note: Strange but good?). I think the marriage of the nutty white anchovies with the sweetness of the dates made this dish really work. Everything else sort of worked in for a flavor-explosion in my mouth. I also had the carrot soup with fermented garlic and ginger.
All-in-all a great lunch, and I’m really looking forward to going back to try it again!
***
Funny side note: Kat texted me yesterday to ask if I was ok with her sending bloody pics to post. I said bring it. 😉
What challenges make you feel more alive? Stronger? Better?
What strange but good combos have you had recently? Don’t forget to link up tomorrow!
