Hello and happy Tuesday. I am excited that you liked the side crow video tutorial. They’re fun for me to do and I’m glad they’re actually beneficial to you. I’ll keep doing these pose breakdowns. It won’t be all arm balances and inversions…I will cover some of the more mainstream poses and variations for those [...]
Fitness Topics
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BodyPump 85 Review…Oh My Legs
April 18, 2013 { 46 comments }I’m a little fitness enigma. I run, I yoga, I CrossFit, I BodyPump, I strength train on my own…I love it all. I would say that most people give up things like BodyPump when they start CrossFitting but I enjoy teaching BodyPump so much and I still really like the workout. It’s just so fun! [...]
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Video Post: Early AM Workout Nutrition, Packing Gym Bags, CrossFit Recovery and More
April 12, 2013 { 17 comments }Happy Friday! Happy Friday! Wait, let me say it again…happy Friday! Thank you so much for the amazing feedback on yesterday’s post. I’ve said it so many times but I feel so grateful to have this space where we can all share and contribute. Your feedback and openness touches my heart. Seriously. It has been [...]
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Til I Collapse
March 29, 2013 { 14 comments }I find music to be incredibly motivating when it comes to workouts. There have been studies that show that music can increase performance and enhance endurance. While I can sometimes listen to audio books, podcasts or nothing at all when I run outside, music is a non-negotiable for me when I’m working out in the gym. [...]
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JayBird Blue Buds X Review {Giveaway}
March 25, 2013 { 289 comments }I like to control my own music and zone out with headphones when I’m working out in the gym. For some reason, it feels totally different to play my own playlist with headphones in than to just workout to the gym music. I am so much more focused and into my workout. My workouts are [...]
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The Time I Sucked at CrossFit (Open Workout 13.2)
March 20, 2013 { 35 comments }I promised you weekly updates on the five CrossFit Open workouts and weekly updates I shall provide…even though this one is tough to write. I dreaded this workout for days. I tried the 75# shoulder to overhead to test out how it felt and it felt HEAVY. I skipped the group WOD on Friday night [...]
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7 Minute AMRAPs Workout
March 16, 2013 { 26 comments }Happy weekend! I wanted to share a workout format that I’ve been doing with some of my clients this week. It consists of three seven-minute AMRAPs with two minutes of recovery between each. So you would do the first 7-minute AMRAP, take a 2 minute break and then move on to the second. The workout [...]
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(Slow) CrossFit Progress
March 5, 2013 { 12 comments }One of the things I like about CrossFit are how many things there are to work on. Just when you get the hang of something, there are tons of other movements to focus on. It’s also really interesting to see everyone’s unique strengths and weaknesses. I tend to excel at bodyweight and endurance focused workouts [...]
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Tips for Becoming a Group Exercise Instructor
February 8, 2013 { 25 comments }I have been teaching group exercise classes for almost five years. There was a time in my life when you couldn’t pay me to attend group classes. There were a few memorable occasions when I decided that it was a good idea to try step classes, most of which ended up with me about 8 [...]
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More Rest & More Food Please
February 7, 2013 { 19 comments }Hello and happy Thursday! It’s been a while since I’ve shared any Sullie shots on the blog and she’s been extra cute as always so here are two pictures I posted to Facebook and Instagram today. I have been obsessed with Instagram lately. I am also pretty obsessed with Sullie’s frog legs. The girl has [...]
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Simple Dumbbell Strength Circuit
January 26, 2013 { 28 comments }Happy weekend! So many of you have requested strength workouts that you can do at home or at the gym with minimal equipment. I am happy to program workouts to share with all of my readers. I figured it would be best to start with some of the most basic strength movements that I commonly [...]
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6.3 Percent
January 18, 2013 { 35 comments }Happy, happy, happy Friday. I am so very excited to see the arrival of the weekend although I still have a really tough CrossFit workout to complete and client to train before I can officially call it the weekend. I bundled up and braved the pouring down cold rain last night to teach BodyPump 84 [...]
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The Evolution Of A Half Moon (And News)
January 10, 2013 { 58 comments }I am so happy right now. The weather gods must have heard my rant on Monday about working out when it’s cold because it’s 70 degrees and sunny in Charlotte right now…and it’s supposed to stay like this for the next four days. I could cry! Thank you weird southern weather for always bringing us [...]
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Get Your Good Going…Winter Edition {Giveaway}
January 7, 2013 { 268 comments }I love warm weather and sunshine which I am sure you have probably figured out by how much I complain about the winter months being cold and dark. I would much rather run in the heat of a 90 degree day than bundle up and deal with frozen fingers and toes when it’s 30 degrees [...]
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A Big Goal Accomplished (And Oreo Truffles)
January 1, 2013 { 43 comments }Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a safe and fun New Year’s Eve. I spent most of my day working followed by some baking and a very low-key celebration with friends. I had to pick up some nice chocolate for my baking projects so I treated myself to a salad from the Whole [...]
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Deep Stretch At MOGA Yoga
December 13, 2012 { 11 comments }I really enjoyed reading your responses to my “On Showing Up” post. They were very thought provoking and insightful. I will be responding to all of them and also writing a “Part 2” post because I have a lot more to say about the topic. I also appreciate the concern and kind words about my [...]
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Mobility Homework // Communities In Schools // Cupcakes
December 10, 2012 { 9 comments }Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a great start. Given that it’s “focus on mobility month” and I haven’t shared much with you on that topic, I thought I would start today’s post off with some existing resources I have on the blog. Foam Rolling 101 – I actually made instructional videos [...]
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Focus On Mobility
December 4, 2012 { 64 comments }I try really hard not to whine and complain on my blog. Especially when I am fighting a long-term battle with something. That said, I’ve been in an epic battle with my body over its willingness to run. If you’ve been reading for a while you have probably noticed how little running and racing I’m [...]
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One Workout Away
October 23, 2012 { 30 comments }You know that saying, “You’re only one workout away from a good mood?” I experienced that in a major way last Thursday. I was scheduled to teach BodyPump at the Y but I came up with a list of reasons why I didn’t want to teach and even sent out a last minute sub request. [...]
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Blog Direction + Green Coconut Curry Recipe
September 14, 2012 { 16 comments }I have been a little sporadic with posting lately. It’s not that I don’t have a ton of ideas for things that I want to post about (lacrosse ball mobility, active v. dynamic stretching, a stability ball core workout, a yoga for runners video, recipes, etc.), it’s more that I am lacking the time to [...]
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Humbled By Helen
August 7, 2012 { 24 comments }I tackled Helen for the first time yesterday. It doesn’t look so bad, right? I breezed right through the run and the kettlebell swings but the pull ups were a different story. I decided going into the WOD that I was going to do the pull ups unassisted, no matter what. It was the first [...]
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Workout Motivation – A Playlist And New Music Sources
July 30, 2012 { 25 comments }I don’t know about you but the Olympics sure are motivating me to work extra hard in the gym. Yesterday’s workout involved lots of fun with kettlebells, sled pushes and dragging a plate across the turf by walking on my hands. It was amazing and I am so sore today! I find a killer playlist [...]
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The Weekend + Crockpot Salsa Chicken Recipe
July 29, 2012 { 38 comments }I don’t have too much to report from the weekend. It’s been very low-key. Saturday morning involved CrossFit. The second I checked the blog and saw this WOD I abandoned plans to practice yoga and headed over to the new gym instead. This is an ideal WOD for me for an all over good workout. [...]
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Fueling For Recovery
July 17, 2012 { 25 comments }The simple acts of standing, sitting and walking are quite challenging and rather painful today. I made my way back to CrossFit last night after taking the weekend off and the workout was sneaky hard. 10 – 1 for Time (Decreasing reps for each set, starting with 10 and ending with 1) Barbell Front Squats [...]
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Welcome Weekend
July 14, 2012 { 22 comments }The weekend is off to a great start. Good food, killer workouts, friends, yoga and the farmers market. It’s so nice to be in town and back to the normal weekend routine. I really enjoyed my Friday. I spent the morning shadowing/observing personal training sessions before coming home for lunch. Lunch featured the leftover Grit [...]
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Stability, Core And Strength Circuit For Runners
July 12, 2012 { 27 comments }A couple of weeks ago I led a Stability, Core and Strength Clinic at Metro for the American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation team. DetermiNation is a training program through the American Cancer Society in which participants are coached/trained to complete a half-marathon, full marathon or triathlon. Participants commit to raise money for the fight against cancer. [...]
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Friday Video Post – Your Questions Answered
May 25, 2012 { 11 comments }Hi! Yay for Friday! Yay for a long weekend! I have a ton going on right now and wasn’t feeling very inspired about today’s post. I decided to ask on Facebook what you guys wanted me to blog about and I received a lot of great suggestions and questions. I decided to answer them in [...]
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Insanity With Shaun T
May 19, 2012 { 11 comments }I spent my Saturday morning trying out a new workout – Insanity! Earlier this week I received an email from the local marketing manager for Powerade Zero. She invited me to attend and blog about an event they were hosting today at a local Y. Powerade Zero has partnered with Insanity and Hip Hop Abs [...]
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Challenges Are Beautiful {Under Armour Competition And Giveaway}
May 10, 2012 { 20 comments }For a long time, “runner” was one of the main ways I identified myself but over the past couple of years my focus has drifted away from running and towards yoga and strength training. While I really enjoy the new mix I have with my workouts, I miss the process of training and the excitement of [...]
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The Solution For Smelly Workout Clothes
May 4, 2012 { 31 comments }Happy Friday! Dealing with smelly workout clothes is a topic that I’ve been meaning to cover for quite some time. When I first started practicing yoga it seemed like I could never get my clothes and YogiToes really clean. Even when they seemed fresh, the minute I started sweating in class the smell would come [...]
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Sensory (and Muscle!) Overload
April 29, 2012 { 34 comments }It’s been a pretty interesting weekend over here, although I think random would be a more appropriate term for it. Friday night started off normal enough. I did a really tough CrossFit class in which we had to do 60 toes to bar over the course of the workout (along with rowing, push ups, ring rows and burpees). [...]
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New, Different, Challening
April 12, 2012 { 25 comments }I appreciate the encouraging words about my kipping pullups from yesterday’s video. It’s clear to see that I have a lot of work to do before my kipping even slightly resembles what it’s supposed to look like but as I mentioned in my post, I am really okay with that. To be honest, I kind [...]
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Spinning Again At FlyWheel
March 21, 2012 { 49 comments }As predicted, it’s slightly painful to sit today! This is the culprit. My bottom met a spin bike for the first time in years. I actually own padded shorts that I’ve never worn (gifted to me when I went through a month long spinning phase when I first moved to Charlotte) but after a quick [...]
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It’s Enough
February 21, 2012 { 32 comments }What is it about sitting for extended periods of time that makes you so tired? You know, things like long car rides, cramped flights, meetings and trainings? I sat in CPR/First Aid/Oxygen/AED re-certification for a little over four hours yesterday and it absolutely wiped me out for the rest of the day. Although we had [...]
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Since You Asked…
November 21, 2011 { 14 comments }I have received quite a few comments with questions recently about yoga and BodyPump. I thought it would be most beneficial if I answered them in a post in case others have similar questions. BodyPump I used to have definition from it [BodyPump] but since I’ve upped my weights it doesn’t seem to be giving [...]
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BodyPump Advanced Instructor Training
November 18, 2011 { 15 comments }Today I completed the BodyPump Advanced Instructor Module 1! I have been wanting to go through advanced instructor training for a long time now so I was thrilled to discover a course was being offered in Cary. I signed up a couple of months ago and today was the big day! I love BodyPump (read [...]
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A Working Sunday
November 13, 2011 { 7 comments }Today was a “working Sunday” but it was all fun work so I can’t complain! I knew I was in for a long day so I wanted to get a substantial breakfast in. I made a big pot of banana oatmeal and then poured it into the end of a Justin’s Maple Almond Butter jar. [...]
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Fight Gone Mad
October 29, 2011 { 7 comments }Hello and happy weekend. I’m a little behind on daily updates since I wrote the “Reactions” post on Thursday and took a blog break on Friday. For the most part, I don’t have too much to report. Just the usual…lots of yoga and teaching. One thing I do want to share is a really awesome [...]
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Ashtanga + Bootcamps + Eats
October 20, 2011 { 19 comments }Thursdays are pretty much the opposite of Tuesdays for me. I actually kind of consider it a day “off” because as of now only have a couple of commitments on Thursdays. Did you know that it’s actually one of the slowest days of the week in the fitness world? I think that people start out [...]
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Meat and Taters
October 11, 2011 { 10 comments }There’s a chance that I may not be able to lift my arms above my head tomorrow. No, really. I got my booty handed to me this morning. One minute I was shadowing another personal trainer at the gym and the next thing I knew I was doing the workout with the client. When he [...]
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Fall Cardio Strength Circuit Workout
October 10, 2011 { 68 comments }Fall is my favorite season for outdoor workouts. I find crisp days with low humidity to be energizing and love the beautiful scenery created by the changing colors of the leaves. Last Thursday I wanted to get a cardio and weights workout in but had no desire to be in the gym on a gorgeous [...]
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Lights, Camera, Action…Nerves!
September 29, 2011 { 22 comments }Tonight I participated in my first panel discussion. Last week I received an email inviting me to be a part of a panel hosted by A Healthier Charlotte to discuss childhood and adult obesity. I had some major butterflies going into the discussion. My fellow panelists were two physicians and the founder of Girls on [...]
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It Takes Work, Not Shoes
September 28, 2011 { 29 comments }I have to start this post by sharing some very interesting news that I read today. The FTC announced this morning that Reebok has to pay a $25 million dollar settlement over their toning shoes. “The FTC wants national advertisers to understand that they must exercise some responsibility and ensure that their claims for fitness [...]
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Decide What To Be And Go Be It
September 23, 2011 { 174 comments }Today starts a new direction in my life. After six years of working in marketing communications/advertising, I am leaving the field to pursue a career in fitness and wellness. This is my last day at work and on Monday I will officially be a full-time yoga teacher, group exercise instructor and personal trainer. In the [...]
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When It’s Good, It’s Great
September 12, 2011 { 28 comments }I taught my normal Monday hot class this evening but it was one of those classes where everything seemed right. I felt instantly engaged and connected. The moment I walked in the studio door after a long afternoon at work, I knew it was going to be good. This is in stark contrast to last [...]
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Are You Overtraining? Two Easy Tests
August 25, 2011 { 40 comments }It’s no secret that I’m not currently in intense training mode for anything (although I definitely have the itch now that I’m running pain-free again) but I know there are many of you training for fall races. I am a huge advocate of following training plans when preparing for races – anything from 10Ks to [...]
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PBR – Certified Personal Trainer
August 22, 2011 { 73 comments }First things first, I apologize for waiting so long to get this post up but this is literally the first moment I’ve had to stop and even think about my blog since Saturday. So…the big news is that I am a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine! Let’s back up. Getting [...]
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Born To Run?
August 8, 2011 { 143 comments }This is a difficult post for me to write but it is something that has been on my mind recently. I am not so sure that my body was made for running, especially distance running. This is not something that is easy to admit, much less accept, but all signs clearly point in this direction. [...]
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The Patience to Heal
August 4, 2011 { 29 comments }I’m not very good at slowing down. In case you haven’t noticed, I have a tendency to pack my days full of as many activities and commitments possible. I like to stick to a schedule and have a routine. And to be completely honest, I get a little anxious if something gets in the way [...]
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Go For It
June 14, 2011 { 25 comments }I am so happy to hear that you guys found the strength training post useful. I am also excited that you still want videos – I am all about form so I can’t wait to get some made so I can coach you through the exercises. One of my biggest goals for Peanut Butter Runner [...]