Where's the Beach?

While I'm on a roll for time-saving circuit workouts, I thought it'd be appropriate to share another upper body circuit that you can use in conjunction with the Biceps and Back Circuit . This one is for Shoulders and Triceps with pushups to target chest. As a caveat, after having my blood clot , I apparently have scar tissue that makes it uncomfortable to do heavy chest exercises like chest presses and flyes. The way this circuit is set up is that you have 3 exercises for each muscle group. So if you want a more complete chest workout, add in chest presses and chest flyes into the rotation.  Please properly warm up for 5-10 minutes with dynamic moves like butt kicks, shoulder rolls, lunges and/or spin on stationary bike, walk on treadmill or elliptical. This workout is done as a circuit meaning that you do one exercise then quickly move to the next with little to no rest. After completing all exercises, rest then repeat. I suggest doing this circuit 3-4 times depen...

Oops. She did it again! Would you believe me if I said I had 5 or 6 draft blog posts just sitting there waiting for me to finish and publish? True story. But am I publishing one of those? Of course not. But, I think this is one you might like. I recently shared a Full-Body Blast workout (with video) and talked about some tips for getting in a weight workout when you are crunched for time. Because I know time is something precious to us all, I thought I would share some more circuit workouts you can do quickly, but that are also effective. It's not always about how long you work out, it's about your efficiency and the quality. I like to split out my muscle groups so that I can really focus on a couple of muscle groups at one time, plus it makes for a shorter workout, perfect for me to get done during a lunch break. That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with full-body workouts either. It'a all about what works for you and sometimes just switching things u...

To say that it's hot outside is putting it quite mildly. Summer has hit us hard here with heat indices well over 100 degrees. Even if I wasn't injured and unable to run, I would be highly tempted to take more of my workouts indoors. While I can't run or do any weight bearing exercises, I found that I can ride the bike (outdoors or spin with it set up on the bike trainer). Of course, just pedaling indoors can get old really fast, even if you're watching tv. One way that I like to break up a potentially monotonous workout is with intervals or HIIT (high intensity interval training). Not only will intervals make the time go faster, they are an excellent way to rev up your heart rate fast and burn fat all in a shorter amount of time. Who wouldn't want that? Ready to get started? All you'll really need is a timer, either your watch or a phone app, a bike (or cardio equipment of choice) and at least 25 minutes. On the 5s HIIT Cardio Warm up for 5 minutes ...

Raise your hands if you find yourself saying, "I don't have time to lift weights?" I hear this so often, especially from runners. But I also hear it from working moms (and dads). As a runner, especially training for a marathon, it's so easy to focus on the running. If you're a mom (or dad) who has to contend with work, family, chores, etc., time becomes extremely precious. Let's face it, time is precious period. What if I told you that you could get in an effective weight workout in 30 minutes or less? During your lunch break, first thing in the morning, right before dinner? It's true. It can be done. How can you get in an effective workout in 30 minutes or less? Two words: Be Prepared. 1. Write down the workout 2. Know the weights you'll use (in general) 3. Have your workout gear packed (or laid out) 4. Set up your workout area (this goes back to #1 and #2) 5. Get in and get started Being prepared means not wasting time figuring ou...

I am super excited to announce an up-coming challenge that I'm running through my personal training site - Where's the Beach Fitness . My 12 Days Of Fit Christmas Challenge will begin on Sunday, December 14 and run for, you guessed it, 12 days. With this challenge, you have the chance to win 1 month of free online training*, or you can just do the challenge for fun! How the Challenge Works I'm sure you've likely seen some Christmas or Holiday workouts, even 12 Days of Christmas workouts. What's so different about this  12 Days Of Fit Christmas Challenge ? You don't get the workout in its entirety in advance. You will need to register so that you receive the daily workouts via email. I will also post the workouts at 12 Days of Fit Challenge Page and on my Facebook Page . Each day leave a comment on the 12 Days of Fit Challenge Page letting me know that you completed the exercises. Comment is required . For fun, you can also Instagram or Tweet us...

It's Cyber Monday and I'm offering up to 15% off personal training plans. If you've ever wanted to hire a trainer but thought you couldn't afford it, now is the time to sign up! Visit Where's the Beach Fitness to learn more. But don't put it off, Cyber Monday deals end at midnight tonight! UPDATED - Cyber Monday is being extended for Cyber WEEK! Visit Where's the Beach Fitness , pick the plan that's ideal for you, then choose how you want to save. Contact us by 11:59 pm, CST, December 7 and mention Cyber Week!

Today marks the 1-year anniversary of the official launch of Where's the Beach Fitness, LLC. . For many years I talked about wanting to become a certified personal trainer , or perhaps at least teach some group fitness classes. I am passionate about fitness, health and helping others. But, I always put barriers in my way, mostly doubt and fear of the what-ifs: what if I failed, what if I was a terrible trainer, what if ... what if ... I finally stopped talking and started doing by enrolling in the ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer online course. I studied daily, spent hours on the weekends studying, testing myself, trying to push doubts to the back of my mind. I had a goal. I was going to pass that test and then my next step was to start a business. Period. If it failed, it failed, but at least I tried. And, I did. I'm proud of myself for doing rather than talking. It's scary, I still have doubts, but whenever I interact with my clients, I know I made the right dec...

Lately I've been breaking my weight lifting down to short splits - maybe even only working one muscle group a day. This allows me time to get it done during lunch and also to really focus on that particular muscle group. My cardio has typically been very much steady state aerobic with running and cycling. Since my weight workouts have been short, I thought it might be fun to add in some good old anaerobic or metabolic circuit training - often thought of as HIIT (high intensity interval training). HIIT workouts are bouts of high intensity work followed by short rests. The benefit is that they can be "fun," they're short, and they offer a longer EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), which is translated into continued calorie burn. During EPOC, oxygen is used to restore the body back to its resting state, replenish fuel stores, oxidize lactic acid and fuel the body's increased metabolism. During this period, there is an elevated consumption of fuel. F...

Why Should You Hire A Personal Trainer? While you can go online and search for free exercise plans, nutrition plans, even running plans, they are generic and not personal to you and your specific needs. What weight rotation works for some, may not work for you. With nutrition, it's never a one-size-fits-all solution. And what running plan works for one person, may not help another one bit.  If you're new to fitness or new to running, then generic plans may leave you more confused and frustrated or possibly even injured. Generic plans do have their place of course. I offer many free workouts . But they aren't geared towards someone's very specific goals or needs. They're great when you're in a rut with your own workout and offer something new and different, maybe even something challenging. But they aren't part of a well-planned workout rotation. This is where having a personal trainer or running coach comes into play. As a certified persona...

I haven't talked much about my weight workouts lately. Since I have been running and biking more, I've been keeping my weight workouts split up and on the shorter side. This allows me to fit them in during lunch or right after work fairly easily. This loose plan goes along nicely with my 7 tips for fitting in workouts . I know I am going to do them, but not always exactly when. But having them thought out and ready to go makes it easier to fit into my schedule. Last night I went with biceps and triceps. Because I was trying to fit in the workout in a specified timeframe, I went with supersets. Supersets are when you perform two exercises in a row without rest. They can make for a quick, efficient workout. And if you want to take it one step further, add in a bonus burn at the end, which is what I did last night for a Biceps Triceps Supersets plus Bonus Burn (ouchie). *21’s explained – 7 reps starting at bottom and curling halfway up. 7 reps starting at to...

Four-day work weeks always throw me off kilter. Compound that with just getting back from vacation and I am absolutely out of sorts with my days. It's Wednesday, but sort of feels like both Tuesday and Thursday at the same time. Just me? Not only am I feeling off kilter getting back into the groove of needing to know what day of the week it actually is, I'm also trying to get back into my usual workout schedule. Yes, I ran and did the elliptical and abs in Florida. But it was still not my normal schedule of times, or even workouts really. I did get in 7 happy miles on Sunday plus did biceps later in the day (I was itching to lift after not having access to weights on vacation). Monday I opted for weights (back and legs) and some kickboxing. This morning was an early-morning run - another 7-miles. It was warm and humid. Summer has arrived, and I feel like it's already affecting my running. It just felt hard. But now I need to figure out when to schedule in my other wei...