Welcome to Friday…the fired up edition!
What am I so fired up about?
First, squats! I LOVE SQUATS! My clients know they most likely won’t get through a workout with me without doing some type of squats and push ups. They are two of my favorite movements ever due to all of their awesome benefits. Today I have a challenging new workout to share with you that’s all about squatting with lots of upper body strength work alternated in between squat sets.
Fired Up Squat + Upper Body Workout
Behold…the Fired Up Squat Workout. This workout will have you at 150 reps of squat variations by the end of the three rounds. I have programmed a variety of squat movements with upper body strength exercises between for recovery and to make it an upper AND lower body workout. I’m all about efficiencies whenever possible and I find that many of my clients (especially my females) don’t want to separate lower and upper body days and would rather get in 2-3 really good full-body workouts each week. The upper body work I’ve programmed will hit everything…chest, upper back, triceps, shoulders and biceps. Since the sets of upper body work are pretty short at just 10 reps, be sure to use a dumbbell weight that challenges you.
Most of these exercises are pretty basic but please let me know if you have any specific questions. You can find me demo some of them including the bent over row, triceps extension, sumo squat (leave out the high pull part in the video) and hammer curls in a video in this post.
As always, feedback is appreciated if you try it!
What else am I fired up about?
The Fire Starter Sessions
The Fire Starter Sessions. I have written about this book by Danielle LaPorte in many posts (this, this, this) and I’ve gifted it to so many people. I continue to sing its praises and I’m currently listening to it again on Audible. Every time I listen to it I get something new from it. It’s been playing non-stop on my runs and in my car the past couple of weeks.
Watch Danielle’s “A Credo for Making It Happen” and tell me you’re not fired up!
Have a great weekend, squat happy and get fired up! 🙂
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July 22, 2026
I am such a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast. 95% of the time I’m craving a breakfast that is on the sweet side. That mostly alternates between smoothies or yogurt bowls with overnight oats, chia pudding or oatmeal occasionally thrown in there. On the rare occasion I go savory – it’s scrambled [...]
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July 19, 2026
I want to bottle up this summer and make it last forever (well, maybe minus the wildly hot and humid weather that makes running a big thumbs down). I mentioned this in my last post…but I am really enjoying the slower pace and the days that feel like they have more space. While I’m trying [...]
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July 10, 2026
Happy Friday! I hope this post finds you well and enjoying the summer. We are in the dog days of it over here in Charlotte – the heat and humidity is off the charts – but it’s something I’ll embrace because I deeply appreciate the massive slow down that summer has brought. A lot of [...]
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June 21, 2026
I recently traveled to Big Bear Lake, California for the inaugural Big Bear Peaks + Pines three-day stage race hosted by TransRockies Running. This was my third TransRockies event in 12 months (see also Colorado + Moab) and I’m here to tell you that they can do no wrong when it comes to race organization [...]
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May 30, 2026
Happy weekend! Another week in the books! I got three runs in (6.5 miles, 5.5 miles, 5.5 miles) and I have a trail run planned for tomorrow. Total weekly mileage will end up around 30-35 miles depending on if I go for 13 or 17 tomorrow! I’m 16 weeks out from the Golden Ultra so [...]
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May 23, 2026
Happy Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a very rainy one here in Charlotte and while I am a little bummed not to be spending the weekend in Florida with the fam or by the pool at our swim club (just opened for the season!), I’m also welcoming a slower pace and time at home. It’s been [...]
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May 3, 2026
Hi and happy May! As we roll into the first full week of a new month, I have almost a month’s worth of lunch ideas for you. It’s a great mix of sandwiches, bowls, salads and wraps. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration for your midday meal! Open-faced chickpea salad sandwich on toasted [...]
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