Friday Favorites

TGIF!! Am I right? And for those of us who observe market holidays PTL (praise the lord, Mom), we have a 3 day weekend! I am pretty sure 3 day weekends are my love language. You get a day for fun, a day for rest, and a day for productivity. Sounds pretty great to me! 

I'm linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika to share our favs.

ONE

I shared a post close to my heart yesterday...I'm working on practicing more self-care in 2017. I want to set my focus on making my life fulfilling with simple pleasures. If you didn't have a chance to read it, I would love to hear your thoughts!

On Tuesday, I put my money where my mouth is and decided to take. a random day off of work. I had a lot of things on my to do list and I knew it would invigorate me to cross them off. I slept in a little, had a good workout, and crossed off lots from my to- do list! But I still managed to fit in time for a pedicure....

...and a long walk with my boo. It was a beautiful day to get outside!

TWO

My parent's are the best. They are coming up to visit on Saturday...whoo hoo! They made my day on Tuesday by sending my little love a Valentine's Day card!

 I mean...can you handle the cuteness!?!

Also, my Dad regularly sends me texts like this one:

THREE

I shared with y'all on Monday my favorite types of workouts. I went to Orange Theory this week as normal and it killed me...as normal! I want to prove it to y'all. I wear old workout clothes, I have my hair in a messy bun, I sweat from every surface, and I turn the color of a tomato. Want proof?

Even my eyelids are red! Also, I squatted so hard this week that I ripped my shorts. RIP

What workouts kept you motivated this week?

FOUR

As always, breakfast has been my favorite meal of the day. I could eat breakfast food for every meal! I love trying new recipes for breakfast. I always try to incorporate a lot of protein, some carbs, and veggies cooked in fat. My breakfast is crucial for muscle repair because it is my first meal of the day after a hard workout!

My current breakfast obsessions are pan-fried plantains and chorizo. NOMZ. What should I try in the morning? Any interest in food posts?

What are y'all up to this weekend? See you back here next week! xo

50 Shades of Workouts

Did that header grab your attention? Who was expecting something a little kinkier early this morning? Sorry to disappoint but that is NOT what this post is about. I wanted to talk a little about my style of workout and what I've found to work best for me. 

If there's one word to describe my style of workout it's "punitive." HA! Hence the title. And no, I'm not regressing back to the days of my self-destructive habits but more so I enjoy workouts that leave nothing behind. The satisfaction that I feel when I leave everything I have in the gym is what gets me out of bed in the morning. My workouts usually leave me shaking, sore, flushed, and dripping with sweat and I love it. Is it just me, or is it weird that I like to see sweat drip off my nose onto the floor when I do a push-up? I'm sure I lost some people with that one.

In my opinion, a crucial part to success in health and wellness is to find what makes you tick and running with that. I don't think I've nailed down all my "ticks" but one I'm sure of is that I thrive off of morning workouts and specifically workouts that involve cardio AND weight training. I always joke that I'm like a Lab and need to be run. All jokes aside, it's so true for me! I am very high energy and fast pace so setting the tone for my day with a workout that gets my heart pumping and pushes my muscles is imperative.

Back, around 9 months ago, my friend Sara (HI SARA!) introduced me to Orange Theory Fitness and  #thatsallshewrote. Orange Theory has been such a sense of solace for me. It clears my head, lessens my anxiety, pushes me, and makes me stronger. For those of you not familiar, Orange Theory is a 1 hour class that focuses half of class on cardio, mostly running, and half on strength training. I feel that because of Orange Theory, I'm truly in the best shape of my life. I can run a 5k, I can do a push-up , and I finally started seeing more tone in my body. I overall feel mentally and physically stronger.

Here I am after a killer Orange Theory workout...red face and pouring with sweat!

I am by no means a trainer but I wanted to share some of my favorite killer workouts. If you are someone who is very time poor, doing high reps of these workouts will really have you feeling that punitive workout in a short amount of time.

Burpees
Love to hate them but they are a total body workout with no weights required. For an added challenge add a pushup to your sequence. 

Jump squats
If you put your weight in your heels and keep your core strong it can be an exhausting movement in no time.

Plank Jacks
Basically, you put yourself in a plank position with your forearms flat on the ground then jump your feet out like a jumping jack.

Hand release push-ups
Everyone knows a general push-up but this one is a doozy! You do a push-up but lower your body all the way to the ground till you can "release your hands," hence the name. Then push yourself back up to complete the rep.

Hopefully those explanations make sense! What have you found works for you in your workouts?