Good morning! There’s just nothing like waking up naturally at 7:30 on a sunny Sunday morning, making coffee and relaxing with nowhere to be. Tomorrow’s 4:55 a.m. alarm will not be quite as kind! This week’s workout recap is going to focus on something you never see around here…Bar Method! Last Tuesday evening I was [...]
Fitness Topics
-
My 7 Favorite Ways to Sweat in Charlotte
September 4, 2015 { 1 comment }This is the third and final post in my series “Why and what I love about Charlotte.” In my first post I covered 7 Things I Love About Living in Charlotte and my second post was all about my favorite foodies spots. To round it all out I’m going to share my 7 favorite ways [...]
-
Best Iron-Rich Foods to Prevent Anemia
September 2, 2015 { 18 comments }Last week I gave you guys an update on my anemia diagnosis and how I’ve managed it in the last 18 months with the help of supplements. I thought today I we could talk about preventing iron-deficient anemia with a healthy diet full of iron-rich foods. Did you know that around 20% of women and [...]
-
Anemia Update: 18 Months Later
August 26, 2015 { 8 comments }This post is sponsored by #CVSHealthySolutions. A little over 18 months ago I shared a post about my experience with anemia. After a lifetime of physicals where I was always told that I was perfectly healthy and normal blood panels, I was really surprised to receive news at my annual physical in 2013 that I [...]
-
7 Years Ago: One Small Step That Changed My Life
August 18, 2015 { 17 comments }I few months ago I downloaded the TimeHop app after seeing posts shared from it all over social media. You can connect it to your social media accounts and it gives you a daily feed of your day in history. It’s become part of my morning social/email/blog check-in routine to scroll through my TimeHop feed. [...]
-
Barry’s Bootcamp Review + Weekly Workouts
August 16, 2015 { 15 comments }While I was in New York City I had the opportunity to finally check out a Barry’s Bootcamp class after hearing about it for years. This trendy workout blends cardio and strength for a killer hour-long workout. I was eager to see what all of the hype was about. You’ll find Barry’s Bootcamp in big [...]
-
Dealing with Exercise Guilt + Weekly Workouts
August 9, 2015 { 34 comments }A few weeks ago I received a question from a reader about exercise guilt. “Do you ever feel exercise guilt when you are unable to exercise for a few days? I ran my first 1/2 marathon 2 weeks ago and I have not been as active as I was prior to my race. Any advice, [...]
-
How To and Why Single Leg Deadlift + Weekly Workouts
July 26, 2015 { 17 comments }Earlier this week I shared a video on Instagram of two exercises that I love to train stabilization, glute strengthening and glute firing. One is the single leg deadlift. When I train clients I usually have them spend 5-10 minutes working on stabilization exercises which frequently include things like single leg squats and deadlifts. I [...]
-
The Benefits of AMRAP Workouts + This Week’s Workouts
July 19, 2015 { 21 comments }Hi and welcome to the weekly workout recap! I regularly consider whether or not to keep writing this post every week because sometimes it feels a little “all about me” and redundant but then I receive feedback that it’s really helpful for some of you and gives you ideas and inspiration. As a compromise, I’ve [...]
-
How to Find Fitness & Yoga Retreats
April 10, 2015 { 18 comments }Hi and happiest of Fridays! Let’s talk about fun stuff today…like vacations! I have been so fortunate to go on an annual yoga retreat for the last three years. Through blogging about my experiences with the retreats, I have received many reader questions about how to find yoga and fitness retreats so I thought I’d [...]
-
Reader Questions…Yoga Mats, Postpartum Fitness, TV Shows and More!
April 6, 2015 { 50 comments }Hope it was a good Monday! It’s spring break here in Charlotte so I am teaching a LOT of yoga this week due to sub needs…14 hot classes…it’s going to be a long, sweaty week. :) I have received quite a few reader questions lately that I thought would be beneficial and fun to answer [...]
-
5 Things I’ve Been Wearing Non-Stop…Comfy Clothes Love
April 2, 2015 { 35 comments }Since giving up the 9-5 life my wardrobe mostly consists of workout and lounge clothes. I’m lucky to put jeans on once a week and my work clothes have been hanging in my closet neglected for nearly four years now. Every year I donate more and more of them to Goodwill. I keep thinking I’m [...]
-
50 Shades of Glutes
February 10, 2015 { 15 comments }Hey, hey! My Tuesday got away from me…one minute I was making tea in the kitchen at 5 a.m. and then I blinked and it was 8 p.m. and I was standing in the same spot prepping dinner. Today was jam packed with client training sessions, teaching yoga, a 2-hour extravaganza at the dentist (ugh…two [...]
-
How Do You Treat Your Feet?
December 12, 2014 { 6 comments }How you treat your feet is pretty important to your long-term health and ability to remain physically active. For some reason we tend to forget about our feet but they need some serious TLC. In addition to getting you through workouts and runs, they also carry you around all day, every day. I wanted to share some [...]
-
A Radio Appearance on WFAE’s Charlotte Talks to Talk Running!
October 16, 2014 { 9 comments }I arrived back in Charlotte at 5 p.m. yesterday and hit the ground running. I Ubered home from the airport (obsessed with Uber…) and was changed and on my yoga mat by 6 p.m. I got in 45 minutes of stretch before heading out for a girl’s night. My 4:55 a.m. alarm was a rather [...]
-
Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga + This Week’s Workouts
August 31, 2014 { 40 comments }This summer I’ve had two occasions to try stand up paddle board yoga. The first was on my beach trip last month. We had a board at the house and took turns going out and goofing around on it. I got a good feel for the board but fell in the water MANY, MANY times. [...]
-
The Best Band Assisted Hip Stretches {Video Tutorial}
August 29, 2014 { 13 comments }I have another mobility post for you today that is HEAVEN for the hips. Get excited! I like to use resistance bands for stretching because they allow you to passively stretch. That means you can use the band to support your weight and hold the stretch so that you can full relax into what you’re [...]
-
The Best Week of Workouts: New PRs, New Distances
August 4, 2014 { 9 comments }Last week’s workouts were in one word…AWESOME! I have really been focusing on CrossFit and running lately and it’s paying off with results. I hit a new deadlift PR in CrossFit this week and ran the longest and fastest that I have in years. It feels SO GOOD! On my run this morning I was [...]
-
Band Assisted Hamstring, Hip and Groin Stretches {Video}
July 26, 2014 { 15 comments }Mobility work and stretching is an important part of what I do with my clients as a trainer and CrossFit coach. Each workout begins with dynamic stretching during the warm up and end with more static stretching and mobility work. I can’t tell you how much incorporating this into my own workouts has helped me [...]
-
A Totally New Way to Workout: Les Mills Immersive Fitness
June 26, 2014 { 0 comments }I am a HUGE BELIEVER in Les Mills programs. I had my first experience with Les Mills when I tried BodyPump for the first time back in 2007. I always disliked group fitness classes (I can distinctly remember leaving in the middle of a step class at the Y to go run on the treadmill [...]
-
Sculpted Summer Arms Dumbbell Workout
June 3, 2014 { 93 comments }One of the number one most requested posts over the years has been for arm workouts! (This is the week of delivering on some of the posts y’all have requested, by the way!) Just in time for summer, I’ve programmed a tough arm workout that I’ve tested on several female clients who can confirm that it [...]
-
This Week’s Workouts + How I Plan My Workouts
May 18, 2014 { 15 comments }Every couple of months I find that I naturally have a “reset week” with my workouts where I dial it back and keep it simple. This was one of those weeks. In general, I don’t plan out my workouts. While I’m aware of my schedule and where I can usually fit in what, I don’t [...]
-
Four Pigeon Variations to Stretch Tight Hips
May 9, 2014 { 17 comments }A couple of months ago I wrote about 3 yoga poses for tight, rounded shoulders. The response to the post was great and I’ve received many requests for a version focused on the hips. If I had to identify two areas of the body where my yogis, CrossFit athletes and personal training clients are tight [...]
-
Total Body Dumbbell Superset Workout
May 1, 2014 { 71 comments }Today I have a great total body strength workout to share with you and all you need is a set of dumbbells to get it done! I get a lot of requests for workouts that a) require little equipment and b) are not super intimidating. This workout delivers on both points and features basic dumbbell [...]
-
How To Rebound from an Indulgent Holiday
April 21, 2014 { 22 comments }Yesterday my Instagram and Facebook feeds were full of sweet family photos, beautiful Easter dresses, babies with bunny ears, Easter dinner spreads, mimosas and the like. This morning my feeds are overflowing with posts about Easter indulgences, candy overload and needing to get back on track. I even received a text message from Earth Fare [...]
-
Finding The Right Workout Balance: Lift, Run, Stretch
April 2, 2014 { 67 comments }One of the questions that I receive all the time is how to find the right workout balance between cardio, strength and mobility. I totally understand this question from both ends of the spectrum. Mindset #1 – “I do this one thing and it’s all I want to do!” I spent a good 6 years where [...]
-
3 Yoga Poses for Tight, Rounded Shoulders
March 28, 2014 { 70 comments }Unlocking tight shoulders and chests are something that I focus on constantly with my yoga students, CrossFitters and training clients. Rounded shoulders and tight chest muscles have become the norm in our society as we are constantly hunched over desks and steering wheels and carrying heavy bags or children on one side of our bodies. [...]
-
Recent Eats + Early Morning Workouts
March 26, 2014 { 40 comments }Hi and happy Wednesday! I just finished teaching my 6:30 a.m. yogis at Y2 Yoga. This is one of my favorite classes of the week. Most of the people who come to this class are getting their yoga in before they go to work and they’re serious, focused and hard working! It’s so special to [...]
-
This Week’s Workouts + 3 Reasons Why Women Should Lift
March 23, 2014 { 93 comments }I hope everyone had a great weekend. I’ve got my weekly workout recap for you today but first I want to talk about a subject I feel passionately about…why women should lift weights. I want to start out these weekly workout posts by discussing some sort of fitness topic. Let me know if you have [...]
-
The BEST Playlist I’ve Made in Months
March 13, 2014 { 29 comments }This week has flown by in a haze of teaching, training, writing and photo shoots. My photographer and I decided to knock out all the photography for my book in one week to try and get as much consistency as possible. We’ve done two days of shooting and have one left to go tomorrow. It’s [...]
-
This Week’s Workouts + Being TOO Sore
March 8, 2014 { 15 comments }Let me give you one piece of advice. Don’t go on vacation for 9 days without lifting a single heavy weight and then crush your body the first day back in the gym with heavy squats and front rack lunges. Squatting and lunging are my two favorite lower body exercises and when they were BOTH [...]
-
This Week’s Workouts + Learning to Love Deadlifts
February 23, 2014 { 17 comments }My workouts this week were really well balanced. Three strength training workouts, two good runs and lots of yoga. Furthermore, I loved the balance of my strength workouts with one big squat day, one deadlift focused day and one all over circuit training day. As I’ve mentioned before, I try to get in barbell squats [...]
-
Five Ways to Beat Fitness Plateaus
January 26, 2014 { 16 comments }Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s already Sunday evening. This weekend flew by in a haze of yoga, yoga and more yoga. Literally, I was either practicing, teaching or assisting teacher training 10 hours each day. Needless to say that’s pretty much my idea of perfection and I am overflowing with gratitude and happiness that [...]
-
Video Blog: Managing Stress, Workout Shoes, Bodywork and Finding Your Ideal Weight
January 17, 2014 { 32 comments }Happy Friday! I have a video blog for you today where I answer questions on the following topics… – Managing stress and anxiety – The right shoes for strength training, running and CrossFit – Post workout carb/protein ratios (and my lack of following them) – Bodywork and massage for athletes – My workout schedule – [...]
-
It’s January in the Fitness Industry!
January 11, 2014 { 13 comments }This week was…insane. There is no other word for it. January in the fitness industry is everything that it’s hyped up to be. I was booked solid with clients and classes and my inbox overfloweth with many other fitness and training related opportunities. I also have a list of things about a mile long that [...]
-
This Week’s Workouts + New Playlist
January 5, 2014 { 16 comments }This was a much lighter week for me on the workout front. A lot of yoga, minimal running and only one CrossFit workout. Also, two complete rest days. I say this all the time but I really listen to my body when it comes to structuring my workouts. I try to stay true to whatever [...]
-
Running Is The Easiest Travel Workout + This Week’s Workouts
December 29, 2013 { 15 comments }Even with the Christmas holiday this was a good workout week for me. One of my favorite things about running is that you can do it anywhere with minimal equipment and minimal time. No driving to a gym or yoga studio, you can just head out of the door and go. It’s always my default [...]
-
Healthy in 2014, 2024 and Beyond!
December 20, 2013 { 6 comments }The New Year is just around the corner and that means it’s time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the year ahead. This year I want to encourage you not to think only of short-term goals but also long-term goals around health and the aging process. What can you initiate in [...]
-
Accidental Arugula Smoothie & A Really Strong Workout Week
December 14, 2013 { 9 comments }Well, I don’t have much to share with you from my Saturday. It’s cold and has been raining all day here in Charlotte. I slept until 8 and then headed to Om Yoga to teach a hot vinyasa class at 9:30. It’s my second week teaching there and I am loving it so much. I [...]
-
The Week in Food and Fitness
December 8, 2013 { 26 comments }Please vote for my Chicken Marsala Mac and Cheese recipe in the Colombo Marsala Wine Challenge. It takes two seconds! My dish is today’s featured recipe on their Facebook page! Like ,share and help spread the word!!! Hi there! Hope y’all are staying warm. It has been such a wonderful weekend. I have a ton to [...]
-
Tabata Tuesday: 20-Minutes of Bodyweight Strength & Cardio {Workout}
November 26, 2013 { 19 comments }Hi and happy Tuesday! I am terrible about working out at home. I can probably count the number of times on one hand that I’ve performed circuit/strength workouts at home. I either need to be out on a run, in the gym or in the yoga studio to get into workout zone. I was busy [...]
-
Video Blog: When the Scale Won’t Budge, Mixing Cardio & Strength, Healthy Holiday Eating and More
November 15, 2013 { 21 comments }I have a video post for you tonight. Apologies for the wet hair and lack of makeup but this is how we roll on Friday and it’s all authenticity, right? :) Here’s what’s covered… – What to do when the scale won’t budge – Favorite workout undergarments – Holiday food and workout balance – Mixing [...]
-
#notrunning. And it feels good!
October 24, 2013 { 41 comments }I ran five miles this afternoon. I’m pretty sure this was my longest run since April when I struggled through five miles and had to stop for walking breaks every mile. The difference was that today’s run felt 100% perfect, empowering, relaxing and right. For so long a huge part of my identity was “runner.” [...]
-
Exercise for Energy
October 23, 2013 { 23 comments }I have been sleeping terribly this week. I haven’t been making it to bed until almost midnight and I’ve been waking up really early (like 4 a.m. early) wide awake and not able to fall back asleep. I know this sounds a little crazy but I can usually put myself back to sleep by trying [...]
-
Video Blog: Balancing Workout Types, At Home Workouts, College Meal Planning and More
September 6, 2013 { 10 comments }HAPPY FRIDAY! This short week definitely felt like a regular week over here. Between social engagements and big work projects, it was jam-packed. I have a video post for you today. First I talk about a couple things that I have in the works that have been keeping me busy and then I answer your [...]
-
Violet Love {Giveaway}
July 15, 2013 { 305 comments }Happy Monday! I’m over here battling delayed onset soreness from Saturday’s workout that is so bad that my yoga practice this morning consisted of me taking the few chaturangas I did decide to do on my knees, no handstands, no backbends, no arm balances…nadda. I did feel better after I did some stretching in the [...]
-
Video Blog: Workout Ruts, CrossFit Questions, Working Out With Injuries & Ashtanga Home Practice
July 10, 2013 { 10 comments }Hi everyone. Thank you for your thoughtful (and kind) responses to my last post. I wanted to check in via video today so you could have a chance to see me smiling! I received TONS of great questions on Facebook and Twitter. I wasn’t able to answer them all but many will become a full written [...]
-
Bosu Ball Circuit Workout {With Video Demonstration}
May 29, 2013 { 37 comments }One of my favorite pieces of equipment to use in the gym in regards to versatility is the Bosu Trainer. It’s likely you have seen this big half-circle blue ball around your gym and you may have wondered what to do with it. I’m going to take you through a workout that utilizes the Bosu [...]
-
Friday Video Blog
May 24, 2013 { 32 comments }To all of you who are enjoying the long weekend at the beach or in the mountains or somewhere else fabulous…I am jealous! Have fun! I’m staying in Charlotte but the weather is supposed to be beautiful so pool time is definitely in order along with lots of reading, rest and relaxation. I’ll just pretend [...]
-
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Course: My Experience
April 25, 2013 { 27 comments }Remember back in October when I attended the CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Course? Yes, it’s been a while and now that I’ve been coaching CrossFit for six months I figured it was finally time to write a review of my experience! Let’s start with why I attended the Level 1 Trainer Course. I manage Metro [...]