Made it Through Monday

Good Morning, Happy Tuesday. Hey we made it through Monday, right?

Yesterday I had a hard time getting back to work. Being off four days is a blessing and a curse. It’s like going on vacation, coming back is SO HARD. Especially when you have that little fluffy face staring at you in the morning as if she is saying “Please mama sleep in”. I wonder how real moms do it!? God Bless them.

It seems I’ve been popping up on different Facebook feeds from Barcstoberfest on Saturday. This picture I just fell in love with. I think I am going to frame it!

Over the weekend, I found a few things that I am really excited about that I thought I would share.

These milks! I buy the regular sized unsweetened almond milk and coconut milk, but have never seen them in these small containers. They do not need to be refrigerated so they are PERFECT for carrying in your purse or gym bag when you want to add some milk to your Starbucks or want a post-workout protein shake for the ride home. I found them at MOMs organic market.

I also found these great snacks at BJs.

Since they are frozen they taste like ice cream! I guess you could make them at home, but it’s really difficult to get the chocolate exactly right. Plus it takes forever to dip each piece, so much easier to buy these. They are great for an after dinner dessert if you want to hit your sweet tooth, but do not want to throw it away on a lot of calories and carbs.

I also finally broke down and bought liquid smoke. Supposedly it brings great flavor to things, but I’ve also heard negative reviews saying it’s not good since it’s processed. Well, a lot of things are processed and since I am not 100% clean anymore (it’s near impossible to do this), I figure a little won’t hurt!

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Since yesterday was a blah day at work, and I could only do a short gym time, I will share with you something from the weekend!

Anyone up for a challenge? This is inspired by my workout on Sunday afternoon. As you guys know I am a cardio queen. I love it, and although I lift heavy too (I need to in order to see changes in my body), cardio is my best friend. It’s comfortable, but since I do a lot of it, it takes a lot to get my heart rate there.

So Sunday afternoon I did my interval/glute training workout that I did earlier that week. This time I wore my heart rate monitor and in under 50 minutes I burned 505 calories. HOLY MOLY! That’s a lot for me.

I did a 10 minute stair master warm up before, burning 111 calories, and started around the 15 minute mark.

I would LOVE to share this workout because I was dead after wards. It is a monster workout, as you can guess from my calorie burn. In the meantime here it is in list form. Some of the intervals might be hard to understand without physically showing them, so that is why I would like to do a video for you guys!

So for each exercise I alternate an interval and a strength training exercise, with the exception of squat jumps around the world. I do those alone since it incorporates both. Each strength training exercise is 10-12 reps, while the intervals are 16-20 reps, unless otherwise stated. DO 4 ROUNDS of each (alternating the interval and strength). This keeps your heart rate up and your body guessing.

You will need the following for this workout- a weighted bar, a step up, free weights, a mat

• Barbell Hack squats, 10 reps
• Alternating toe tap jumps on step, 20 reps
• Squat jumps around the world, 4 jumps, 4 rounds, 4 TIMES
• Curtsy Lunges with weights, alternating 20 reps
• Burpees, 10 reps
• Step up and down as fast as you can, 20 reps
• Barbell Plie Sumo squat, 12 reps
• Helicopters on step, 20 reps
• Wall sits, 30 seconds
• Fast feet on the ground, 20 seconds
• Barbell backwards leg raise (use step, step up and raise back leg-alternate legs), 20 reps
• Step up high knee jumps
• Barbell side squats with one leg on step, 10 reps (2 sets each side total)
• Speed skaters, 16 reps
• Moutain climbers, 10 reps
• Reverse booty pikes, 10 reps

I finished with some oblique ab work, then stretching. 505 calories burned (without the abs and stretch). You simply can’t beat that! Every time I looked at my watch my heart rate was in the 170’s. Incredible.

So where does this challenge come in?

Well I challenge you to do your cardio this way only, with intervals. NO equipment. The cardio queen in me is screaming for that stairmaster, but honestly I think this is better for my body because I am working harder.

One full week of cardio this way. Initially, I thought I would do 2 weeks, but I will give it a shorter trial run. Speaking of running, running outside counts! It involves no equipment, just your body.

WHO IS IN!? No equipment cardio challenge, starting TODAY! Hashtag #noequipmentcardio on your Instagrams, Facebooks, and Twitter acounts so we can all share different ideas 🙂

I might just weigh myself too, to see if I change at all, but you guys know I’m not big on numbers, means nothing. All about how you feel!

I’ll end today with some Phoebe goodness! Isn’t it funny how animals are so much like people sometimes? Phoebe is just like a baby. She has her “security blanket”, except it’s not a blanket. It’s her ducky. I bought ducky before I bought Phoebe. It was her first real toy, and they’ve been together ever since. I even went to the store not too long ago and bought another one just in case something ever happens to ducky. Ducky is also super gross, but I’m afraid to wash him… 🙁

So here was Phoebe the first day I brought her home to my apartment. Ducky right next to her!

Here she is after getting spayed… “awww my ducky”

And here we are this past weekend!

Asleep on ducky in the car.

My heart just melts when I see her with it! Do your pets have something they are super attached to?

 Have a great Tuesday! And remember #nocardioequipment

 *My questionable fashion choices yesterday*

You can do it!

XOXO With a Cherry On Top,

-Minnie

P.S. I PROBABLY will not have a blog tomorrow, if I do, it’ll be late afternoon with a recipe I’m working on. I lost my entire Verizon service (internet and TV- I’d rather go without food people!), and they cannot fix it until Wednesday. I’m still crying 🙁