Get Fit For Friday's Challenge!

Hi Everyone!

We are excited to finally see the weekend is here again :) Although this week flew by with the holiday on Monday, we are definitely eager for a break again! We hope you all have fun plans for the weekend even if it is supposed to be rainy out! Make an adventure of it and embrace the weather you have!

We are going to be traveling and participating in a half Ironman this weekend so we will not be posting anything tomorrow. We hope you have some reading of your own for this week and we will be back at it next week! Maybe we will see some of you at the race! Best of luck to all and any racing this weekend! We know there are a couple local trail runs happening and we hope there is a great turnout!

Today's Challenge:

Handstands!!!!!

Many of us cannot do a handstand and struggle with it even with our feet on the wall. Today, we ask you to try and take whichever variation of handstand or handstand prep you can do that will help you become stronger and develop the core strength we all hope to have one day. You can kick up against the wall on your hands or forearms or try without the wall. Try to do more than 15 attempts - you will notice you actually do get better and feel the difference in how you go into and hold the pose. Inversion poses are great for the legs so even if you become frustrated with handstands at least lie on your back with your legs up the wall for a few minutes.

Have fun with it and maybe try to get some others to join you and even spot you!

Challenge Accepted,

D & K

Take-in Thursday ~ Grilled Veggie salad!

Hi Everyone!

We hope you are enjoying the week! How did the workout yesterday go? I can tell you that I am pretty sore! If you didn't have a chance to fit it in try to do it today :)

Here is a yummy recipe full of veggies that will leave you feeling satisfied.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Spicy Greens and TomatoAdapted from Cooking Light Magazine, June 2007Ingredients:2 large red bell peppers
Cooking spray
1 large Sweet Onion (Vidalia works well), cut into ¼-inch thick slices
6 cups loosely packed and trimmed arugula
3 yellow tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
2 T finely chopped shallots
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
1 T honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Directions:1. Pre-heat table top grill.
2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes.  Place pepper
halves, skin sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray.  Grill 5 minutes on each
side or until blackened.  Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Peel and cut bell peppers into strips.
3. Place onion on grill; grill 7 minutes on each side or until tender.  Cool 5 minutes; cut onion slices in half.
4. Combine bell peppers, onion, arugula, and tomatoes in a large bowl; toss gently to combine. 
5. Combine shallots and the remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.  Serve immediately.

Let us know what you think of it! Also you can add some whole grains or beans to it if yo uwant a little bit more.

Get Fit For It,
D & K

Workout Wednesday ~ Full Body and Core!

Hi Everyone!

We hope your week is going well! We feel like the week is flying by having not been working Monday! We have a workout for you to try. Good Luck and have fun with it! Remember to make the appropriate adjustments depending on your fitness levels and goals.

Today's Workout:

Warm up: 2 rounds of 30 seconds
Jumping Jax
Squats
Grapevine (30s/side)
Ass burners L & R (30s/side)

Set #1:  3 Rounds – 10 reps- 15 reps -20 reps
            1a. Cross Hops
            1b. Side lunge with lateral raise (w/dumbbells)
            1c. Squat - side kick (L & R)

            2 Rounds of 30 seconds/ex - count your numbers so you can compare rounds
            2a. 180 Jump burpees (30s)
            2b. Reverse lunge to front kick (30s/side)
            2c. Davies Test

Set 2: 1-minute-45s-30s
         -plank
         -table top L-arm, R-leg
         - Side Plank (Rt)

          -Bridge
          -Side Plank (Lt)
          -Table top R-arm, L-leg

Set#3:  2 rounds per set of 30 sec intervals/ex
Frog jumps - Bear Crawl
Lunge w/ twist w/ body bar - Lunges w/ shoulder press (body bar)
Squat w/ body bar behind head
Deadlift to clean and press (w/ body bar)

Set# 4:
            Set 1: 10 rep-15 rep-20 rep
            -crunch to twist w/ body bar
            -Crunch lift w/ body bar overhead
            -V-up w/ body bar
            -Russian twist w/ body bar
            Set 2: 3 Rounds of 15 reps
            -side crunch w/ leg lift (LT)
            -scissor in & outs
            -Side crunch w/ leg lift (RT)
            -Paddling

Challenge Accepted,
D & K

Tuesday Tunes ~ Kacie's Picks of the Week

Hi Everyone,

We hope you are all rested and ready for the week! Here are the songs we have selected for this week's Tunes Tuesday. Hopefully you will enjoy them :)

Kacie's Picks:

1. Get yourself back home - Gym Class Heroes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPioJSVrgSo

2. Want U Back - Cher Lloyd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQTAylIvGt0

3. Windows Down - Big Time Rush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezo_Hs7t13c

4. Pound the alarm - Nicki Manaj
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdrqA93sW-8

5. Dark Side - Kelly Clarkson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAkSrBU0yD0

Have a great day!

Get Fit For It,

D & K

Motivational Monday ~ Re-focus your thoughts

                                                               Happy Labor Day!

We hope that many and all of you are not at work today but able to take the day off and enjoy the extra time off! We are working but we promise we are not putting in a full day today. We considered taking the day off from the blog but we felt that today you might be more inclined to read it because you have more time. So, here it is :) We hope you take it to heart and carry it with you throughout the whole week and beyond!

This past week, I lost one of my friends from high school making it the third classmate of mine to pass away. It is hard to imagine that he is not with us anymore. I struggle to wrap my thoughts around the fact that 3 people I saw every day for four years in class, at sports and outside of school have past away. It is easy to take life for granted when you are young because you think you will live for years. Sadly, this may not be true and we have to remember that life is unpredictable and follows no rules. Because there is no way of ever knowing what the future holds, we must take advantage of the present and live life to its fullest. This doesn't mean you should do the outrageous but it suggests that you should take in every moment and appreciate it for what it is and how it affects you. Don't dwell on the future and the past too much because we have no way of changing what has occurred and there is no way to know what is up ahead. A goal and a plan are important to have but try not to focus so much on what you want a year from now that you let what is happening now slip past you.

Life continues to throw curve balls at us and we have to be ready for anything. This week, try to focus on every moment as it passes rather than stress about the past or present. Appreciate your surroundings and those in your life. Maybe even say thank you or send a note to someone to express the love you have for them. Make an effort to be aware of everything that happens, imagine how your life would be different if someone around you were gone. Be grateful for their presence and share your gratitude with them.

This week, we ask you to re-focus your thoughts to the present and the task at hand. Also, show your appreciation to everyone that is a part of your life.  As you find yourself struggling with something, concentrate on that very moment, your breath and tap into the energy and strength within you. You might even try focusing on the words or actions from someone close to you. If you have experienced the loss of someone close to you, find the love you hold for them and let that help you through.

We understand this is beyond exercise but there is a connection. Many times, our bodies can do much more than our minds let us and we are so focused on the thought of what is next in our routine that we make ourselves miserable. Rather than thinking, "yikes, I still have 20 more burpees" focus your thoughts to how your body is feeling during the movement you are performing and focus on your breath at that moment. Stay in the present as much as you can!

We hope you all have a wonderful day, full of love and inspiration.

Get Fit For It,

D & K

Weekend Warrior ~ Labor Day Weekend!

                                                                    Hello Weekend!

We hope you are all enjoying the long weekend and doing something special for yourself, family and friends. With some of the extra time off you get, see if you can extend some of the fun activities you have planned. If you are going for a hike -can you make it an hour or so longer? If you have the time, why not use it to help your body, mind and soul. We encourage everyone to stay active all weekend but also take some time to rest and restore the body and mind so you can start next week fresh and ready to go!

Here are some articles to read during your down time:

Healthier granola bars to pack for on-the-go breakfast

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/27/recipe-for-health-pack-granola-bars-with-extra/

Men, Do you have a maintenance schedule for your health?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/story/2012-08-27/men-health-tests/57289804/1

Be mindful of the amount you eat -Use your willpower!
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/249379.php

Reframe your reasoning for incorporating exercise into your routine
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/changing-our-tune-on-exercise/?ref=health

Midlife fitness may delay chronic diseases

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/ExerciseFitness/34412

Become comfortable with canning:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/sc-food-0817-prep-canning-20120829,0,189658.story

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Get Fit For It,
D & K

Get Fit For Friday!

Happy Friday Everyone!!!!

Who is excited for the holiday weekend to begin??? We sure are thrilled for the long weekend even though  the Get Fit For It team will be working, we have fun breaks planned for after work and workout breaks between meetings :) We must stay fit for our sanity!

Before you sit back by the pool and relax with friends, we hope you will complete Friday's challenge and kick off the weekend on the right foot! This challenge can be done anywhere and doesn't require any equipment if you choose body weight exercises. It can even be done while watching tv!

Today's Challenge:

1. Pick a core exercise, a lower body exercise and an upper body exercise.

2. Pick the amount of time you have to dedicate to this challenge that is divisible by 3.

3. Pick a number of reps you would like to complete in a minute. Beginners choose 5-10 reps, intermediates choose 10-15 reps and advanced can choose up to 30 reps.

4. Rotating between the three exercises, do the number of reps you selected of the exercise in one minute resting/preparing for your next exercise until the 60 seconds is up.

5. Repeat this with each exercise for the allotted time you selected to do this. If you have smaller amounts of time throughout the day, do one exercise repeating for the few minutes you have and then switch to one of the other exercises during your next few free minutes.

An example set of exercises would be plank with shoulder taps, squats and dips.

Have fun with it and modify according to your workout level!

Challenge Accepted!

D & K