The Fast and the Freckled.

Hahaha its so true.

(Source: fuckyeahfitforlife)

“Need to hear it” kind of thing. Preach it.

(Source: hardguy, via fuckyeahfitforlife)

Go-go gadget motivation boosters!

(Source: thespartanwarrior)

My brand new 6lb UGI ball came in the mail! That’s my cat, Daisy, in the peanut gallery.

The UGI is my favorite exercise ball ever. It might be my new favorite thing, period. “Them’s strong words when you’ve only had the thing for two days.” I know. I’m the first to question hype but in this case, it’s well-deserved. I’m a grown woman and all I want to do is play on my yoga mat with my UGI. I mean really. I had to put it away so I could concentrate long enough to post this.

Here’s why I love it: It’s smaller than a Swiss ball - you can see from the photo below how they stack up next to one another. This makes it easier to lift with your arms or legs in a V-sit or a lunge/press with the ball overhead. The material is pleasing to the touch and it comes in neat colors (there’s nothing more depressing than ugly exercise equipment). Balance exercises on it are challenging in a different way from a stability or medicine ball and this opens the door to brand new exercises (100s of which are demonstrated on the DVD that comes with the ball). On top of being a compact, portable, stowable, useable piece of exercise equipment, the UGI is just plain fun. It’s like that beanbag chair you always fought over with your siblings, except playing with the UGI = exercise. What’s better than work that feels like play??

UGI comes in 4 weights - each weight a different color. Mine is 6lbs. I may eventually move up to the 8 or the 10lb ball, but the 6lb ball matches my yoga mat perfectly…

See? :)

So this is just another exercise ball, right? Is the UGI any better than that stability ball gathering dust in your closet or the medicine balls at the gym? The answer is, as with many things, “It depends.” All this talk about balls inspired me to create a little comparison chart.

As you can see from the photos and descriptions, there is plenty of wiggle-room here. You can do the same exercises, more or less, on all three types of ball but whether one is ‘better’ than another totally depends on your goals. Want to develop explosive muscle power, rock hard abs, and have the ability to do cool exercises with a partner? A classic medicine ball might be best for you. Don’t like heavy things? Want to develop lean, strong muscles, but don’t have the cash to drop on an UGI or a big gym membership? Go with a Swiss ball -  you can pick one up at your local Walmart or Target for $15 or $20. Like being on the cutting edge? Want the weight of a medicine ball with the squish of a beanbag? Consider getting an UGI or beg to borrow one from a friend.

Attempted paleo diet: relative success. My diet looked like this:

Breakfast: 3-4 eggs + vegetables of some sort + a handful of almonds + black coffee

Lunch: Small sandwich (thin wheat bread with flax seeds, turkey breast, spinach/baby lettuce, thick slice of tomato and spicy brown mustard) + veggie + almonds and/or pumpkin seeds + green tea

Dinner: Homemade paleo tacos! (See earlier post for recipe) + veggie + ice water with lemon + some fruit for dessert, mostly green grapes.

Last night I caved and got tacos from Chipotle for 3 reasons; a) every fiber of my body was screaming audibly for carbs with my punished glutes leading the charge. I compromised, but I’m not sorry because b) I still have a gift card with >$50 left on it and c) it’s delicious comfort food and I was feeling a bit blue yesterday.

As for workouts, here’s what was up this week:

Monday - 4 rounds of the following for time: 20 jump squat touch downs, 15 skaters/leg, 20 side-to-side plank crunches, 20 side hop kicks

Tuesday - 2 rounds HIIT, 10 seconds rest/50 seconds working of this shiznit: kettlebell swings, cross-legged burpees, turkish get-ups, crab on balance ball, foot elevated sandbag squat (L and R), skaters, mountain climbers, sandbag squat/lunge combo, full body combo with balance ball. This one was intense.

Wednesday - 60 minute spin class. Goofed around with ab work at home before bed on the balance ball and my dip station.

Thursday (today) - 6 rounds of 10s/50s HIIT: High knees with jump rope, sandbag squat, knee raises on dip station.

As if you needed a reason to run. For the record, I really, really hope the zombie apocalypse happens during my lifetime. Just sayin’.

Reblogged from: thefivesixtwo

(Source: juhcohboh)

Lean ground turkey, red onions, skim mozzarella in lettuce shells with yellow squash. Almost paleo (my goal this week) and super super yummy.

I’ve tried on and off for ages to start blogging, perhaps because I never landed a theme I could get excited about daily. Enter: [my realization of the true scope of] My Fitness Obsession.

I have been a hopeless gym rat, runner, breakdancer, yogi, rock-climber, kick-boxer, and weight-lifter. And yes, I tried Zumba. I have to admit, if you are willing to let yourself go, it’s a fantastic workout.

It all started as a way to distract me from emotional turmoil…it worked. I was in the studio every night after work, practicing breakdancing for hours at a stretch until I was too exhausted or bruised to go on. I started waking up happier. The pep was back in my step. I was meeting people and going out again on the weekends to socialize. I joined a gym and laid down the green for a personal trainer - best decision I’ve ever made. Working out with a trainer helped me develop the inner voice to drive myself when I’m going solo and taught me the profound power of the Buddy System.

I stopped using a trainer after I moved to another state but my fitness journey had just begun. In exercise, I found a true cure-all. It’s good as a distraction, but hones your focus skills. It breaks you but it leaves you stronger. It strengthens bonds between people who do it together. It infuses the body with nature’s purest feel-good substances.

I’m always looking for a new way to exercise and I am simply fascinated by the human body. I hope to use this blog as a tool; an on-going conversation with fellow fitness junkies, frustrated beginners, and the curious about all things workout and health related. I’ll share my weekly workout schedules, dietary failures forays, equipment, and probably a fashion haul here and there (I am almost as obsessed with workout clothing as I am with working out). I hope you’ll share the same with me!