Out of all the areas of my body to wake up and feel sore the day after a workout, I will admit sore abs brings me the most satisfaction.

When you wake up with sore abs there is an immediate feeling of achievement, as if you feel you’re one step closer to a flatter stomach… “wait I think I see more defined abs”… may have crossed my mind this morning when I woke up and felt the post exercise soreness.

Of course I know it’s all mental, because no matter how many crunches or plank holds you do or how sore your abs are you aren’t going to see them if you don’t burn off the layer of fat that lives on top of them.

SO why don’t I have a six pack? 

Because I love life. For a woman to show a 6-pack you have to decrease your body fat to around 16%, which is tough. And since abs are made in the kitchen… I can’t give up my weekend wine night or my Friday baking experiments. And if you think I would ever bake something and not eat it myself you’re sadly mistaken.

For example, I made these coconut chocolate cookies this past Friday! So good, recipe to come. These were the most moist cookies ever and I have affectionately named them “coco-choco-cookie”

I am proud of my body, my strength, the athleticism and my “tone”. My stomach may not be a 6-pack, but I do think it’s a reflection of the healthy lifestyle I lead!

So why do core work at all?

Because they are like any other muscle group! You want them toned so that as you are burning off those fatty layers you have great abs hiding below. Not to mention a strong core helps to alleviate back pain, prevent injuries and allows for better posture.

Because of my love of stomach exercises I put together this ab workout. It’s only 4.6 minutes long, it included 8 intervals of 5 seconds rest/30 seconds of work. There should be no excuses on this.

Feeling sore great today.

Jury Duty Update

I have been called in to go to jury duty this afternoon. I am sure it’s different all over, but here in Charleston, they make you call into the hotline each night to see if you’re expected in court the following day. Apparently jury duty here means being on call for the entire week.

So Tuesday I called the hotline at the specific time, just to be told my “next instructions are to call back after 9 am”… Okay… so I did and guess what, the next recording on the hotline said to call back for further instructions after 12! What is this mission impossible? Let’s just say I don’t do well when I am not sure what I can and can’t do with my day.

This chick has a to-do list that is over a page long right now! Argh. Then again it’s my civic responsibility, right?

After two days of this, yesterday was AWEFUL! I am called in today, and perhaps the rest of the week. Ugghh. Give me patience and the ability to be REALLY effective with the time I do have.

Questions: 

• What’s your favorite area to be sore after a workout?
• Have you ever served on jury duty? 

I can give you all the health and fitness knowledge that I know, but what you do with it is up to you.

I hear it all the time, people asking why they aren’t seeing results. After all, they’re showing up, they’re working out.

What’s the problem?

Why doesn’t your body reflect the effort that you’re putting into it?

Read over these suggestions and give each some serious thought. Could this be you? And if so, what can you do about it?

5 Reasons Your Not Seeing Results From Workouts

You are training too much. 

There is such a thing as overtraining, and I know because I’ve done it. Your body can’t catch up with all the exercise you’re doing and instead of losing weight and toning up it stays in a state of constant stress. Results happen while you’re not working out.

If you are working out the same muscles back to back days, or you don’t remember the last time you took time off then it’s time to re-evaluate your workout schedule.

• Make sure to give yourself at least 2 days of rest each week.
• Never work the same muscle groups within a 48 hour period. It takes that long for recover to happen.
• Don’t be afraid to cross train: do a bit of everything like cardio, strength training, and even a yoga class to help your body perform better overall.
• Listen to your body. If you feel like it’s exhausted and not into working out then put the workout off until tomorrow. You will decrease your risk of injury and will have an ever better workout the following day.

Workouts Are Too Mundane

When was the last time you did something different with your workout? I don’t mean the last time you changed your workouts from doing 3 sets of 10 reps of push-ups to 3 sets of 10 reps of bench press.

When I say change I mean change:

• Change the exercises
• Change the weight
• Change the reps you want to hit
• Change how many sets you are doing.

How often should this change happen? Every 3-4 weeks, this gives your muscles time to be challenged by one workout but not enough time to fall into a plateau. (Click to watch a video about weight loss plateaus)

You’re Training Too Little

How hard do you workout? During your exercise routine are you bringing your heart rate up, working your muscles and feeling “the burn”?

Simply walking around the block isn’t going to cut it any longer. If you’re body is used to working out then it needs that… a real bonified workout. Something that makes you sweat and at the end you say, “wow, that felt awesome”.

I see way too many women walking on the treadmill each and every day with a book in hand. If you’re able to read a novel while working out, then you might want to re-evaluate things a bit.

• Always go in with a workout planned out. Have a workout written down or printed out. Knowing what you’re suppose to do will make it more efficient of a workout and help to push you a bit more.
• Try intervals to spice up cardio. Plus they are 5 times more efficient at burning body fat than steady state cardio routines. Sprint for a few seconds, walk for a bit, and repeat. Plus the time goes by so much faster.
• Workout with a friend. If you have a friend, spouse, or co-worker that you know is really into working out ask if you can workout with them one day. They might push you to work harder than you would ever do on your own. Plus it can add some excitement to the program.

It’s All About Nutrition

Unless your name happens to be Michael Phelps, you simply can’t eat whatever you want no matter how great your workout is.

Even if you have the best workout in the world, but then walk away and grab a fast food burger or a pizza, no one will ever know.

Make sure your diet is a reflection of your workout. Eating clean, all natural foods is the key to not only feeling your best, but looking your best.

Clean eating tips:

• Eat smaller meals more frequently to keep your blood sugar stabilized, energy levels up and fat storage to a minimum
• Stick to perimeter of grocery stores, away from the processed, boxed foods.
• Don’t skip breakfast, people who eat breakfast are more likely to make smarter choices throughout the day
• Don’t avoid food groups, such as going “low fat” “low carb” or “low protein” all three are important for a balanced, healthy diet.

You Don’t Eat Enough

That might sound crazy but it’s an issue that I have found to be huge among women. We have this idea that if we can cut out calories down as much as possible then we will lose weight faster.

Believe it or not it’s quite the opposite.

When you cut calories down too low to where you can’t support your workouts and active lifestyle instead of burning body fat you go into a catabolic state where you breakdown muscle mass.

If you break down muscle mass, you directly decrease your metabolism. And of course if you’re metabolism is slowed then it’s too easy to put weight on. Instead of burning fat you hoard it.

Track your calories to make sure you are eating enough. To loose weight you only need to cut back 500 calories per day for healthy results.

• How did you do?
• Do any of these sound familiar?

If so, change your habits today so that you can start seeing a different reflection in the mirror.

Also ask yourself this:

How long have you really been working towards a new reflection? If it’s only been a week, don’t feel disappointed or as if you are failing. Changes can take up to 3 weeks to see, so keep working and moving forward.

But Your Honor, I Don’t Wanna!

Wish me luck today, I will be hanging out in the Charleston Court playing jury duty. I am hoping this is a one day thing, because let’s face it does anyone actually enjoy jury duty?

It would really be wonderful if I showed up and was told that the case had settled out of court… a girl can dream!

Finding My Love For Charleston

I was born and raised in this beautiful city. But as many people can relate sometimes you miss the beauty of things that are right in front of you.

I’ve always loved it, but I haven’t take the time to really appreciate it. What’s not to love about a place that is nicknamed the “Holy City” and is one of the biggest destinations in the country for weddings?

Not to mention is was voted #1 for most attractive people! 

But one thing I’ve enjoyed since college is getting out and seeing more. Dan and I love spending Saturdays playing hometown tourist. And that’s what we did this weekend.

First on the docket: The Market

A Saturday isn’t a Saturday unless we go to the market. But then again if we didn’t we wouldn’t have any food since it’s what I rely on for all my produce. It was another successful day, and it was even better because my brother, sister-in-law and niece met us downtown too!

This is her  ”Aunt Taylor… You’re Crazy!”  

We have a rule that whatever cash is left over after we get our veggies we use to get a treat. I love this rule! Each week we aim to get something different. I really wanted to give the juice stand another try but it was $6 a drink! We only had $11 in our fun account. So we settled for green tea matcha shakes instead. Good decision on our parts.

Mine had no whip, but the lady convinced Dan since he isn’t vegan that he needed the whip. He didn’t argue. 

It just felt right to have braids at the farmer’s market! And this shake was gone about 5 minutes later! So good.

Made with matcha, almond milk, and a dash of vanilla. I love the lady that makes these for us. She works really hard to get it just right. Giving a taste after each stage to make sure we’re satisfied! I don’t know her name, but I know the tent was for Charleston Coffee Roasters!

For $20 we ended up with: 

• Tomatoes x 2
• Eggplant x 1
• Baby zucchini x lots
• Baby squash (these are so cute) x lots
• Lettuce x 1
• Sweet onions x 3
• Brussel sprouts x lots
• Cucumbers x 3
• Jalapenos x 3

Next On The Docket: Angel Oak

This tree is amazing. It’s believed to be the oldest and biggest oak tree alive on this side of the Mississippi. Age wise it’s thought to be between 300-400 years old, though some legends say that it’s 1500 years old! How cool?

We were amazed at how crowded it was once we pulled into to the park area. It seemed to be the place to be!

This branch looked as if it needed a bit of help. All the others had support beams, he deserved one too.

My handsome husband!

You can’t tell me this isn’t a kids dream for a treehouse! If there hadn’t been 50-trillion signs saying “Do Not Climb Tree” I am pretty sure I would have shimmied up a few branches immediately! 

Tourist Spot #2: Wadmalaw Island and Ridgeville

From Angel Oak, we hopped back into the car and drove to another island near by: Wadmalaw. You may have heard of FireFly Vodka or perhaps the Charleston Tea Plantation. Both of these are on this extremely quiet island, we decided we would hit up the planation next trip (now that we know where it is).

We parked our car in a small area called Ridgeville and walked around. I won’t lie there was an irie feeling about the area. It was gorgeous but I half expected to look up in the houses and see some old ghost looking down at us.

I couldn’t get over how many churches there were in an area where there seemed to be less than a dozen homes. 

It’s been a LOOOONNNNGGGG time since I’ve seen this much Spanish Moss (Hurricane Hugo killed a ton of it)

We really love the moss! It’s one of Dan’s favorite things about living in Charleston. So whenever we see a huge amount  we have been known to get a bit carried away.

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers. This bush was covered with blooms, but I had a take a fast picture because some dog decided to start making his way to us… no wild dogs for this couple! We high-tailed it out of there.

It was so quaint, and untouched. The stillness along with all the Spanish moss was a reminder that I really do live in the old south.

So much beauty!

This concluded our tourist trip for the day. We made our way home, had a glass of wine and ended the night with a movie.

Questions: 

• Do you ever play hometown tourist? 
• Have you visited Charleston?
• What’s your fav touristy spot in your town?

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. I hope that you’re relaxing and having the kids pamper you like crazy today, because that’s what you deserve!

Mom’s Day Recap

I really need to get some updated pictures of my family.  I don’t even think that Dan and I have taken pictures together since our honeymoon! Blogging project??

For my mom, grandmother and sister-in-law I put together a luncheon. I showed up at my parents loaded with with Whole Food Goodies! To match everyone’s taste and keep it somewhat light I put together:

A salad bar (make your own salad with choices that included: vegan crabcakes, shrimp, chickpea and kale salad, olives, bell pepper, fruit, and a several dressings to choose from.

My s-i-l made her homemade guac, so good! We also had hummus, pita chips, cheese blocks, chicken salad and edamame.

For a desset instead of serving up something heavy, I decided a tasting would be perfect. So I picked up several of Whole Foods mini-tarts so we could have a bit of everything. = amazing.

And of course we had mimosas. Though I wasn’t feeling drinking today, so I just had 1/2 of one (sad, huh?)

Moving on to the thighs! Because isn’t that what you really want to read about?

Totally Toned Tight Thighs

There is one single exercise that can help tone you inner, outer, front and back of your thighs. It’s a move I have named: Around The World

1. The idea is that you start with feet together, with the right leg lunge forward, then push back to starting spot.
2. Then again with the right leg, lunge to the side. push back up to the start.
3. Step the right foot back to a reverse lunge, and push off the back foot to get back to start.
4. And finish off with lunging out the the left side. This concludes 1 rep.
5. Repeat with the left leg starting and move in the opposite (counter-clockwise) direction.
6. Complete a total of 10-12 reps. Add a dumbbell for more of a challenge.

Thursday morning after teaching boot camp, I made my way to Barre Evolution in Mt. Pleasant. They invited me in to try a workout and I was all over it. I was even more excited when I did my research and learned about the two woman entrapreneurs behind Barre Evolution.

Once upon a killer workout, two driven and dynamic women—a former New York City marketing executive and the owner of a Charleston-area Pilates studio—found themselves sidling up to the same barre.  Nancy Meyer, a 12- year barre fitness veteran, was hungry to find a great workout south of the Mason Dixon line and Nicole Wallen’s Body by Barre class had the answer.  Tightened, toned and sexy bodies weren’t the only things to exit the studio that day—a synergy emerged as the two women discovered their mutual passion for barre fitness and a common desire to share it with the world.

Women of action, Nancy and Nicole trained in New York City under esteemed veteran instructor Debbie Frank, the national instructor trainer for Core Fusion, a wildly popular program with a celebrity following. Together they took Body By Barre to a whole new level. They sculpted a kick-ass method and a plan to open a studio that combined a spa-like, welcoming atmosphere with the body-transforming, hardcore workout they loved. Barre Evolution is the product of their vision and the sizzling new fitness destination on the Charleston workout scene.

I’ve seen a few barre places popping up around town and was curious to experience it for myself. So thanks to Nicole for letting me come in!

Barre Evolution was gorgeous, the white panel floors and huge windows in the front were very welcoming. When I walked in I was quickly introduced to the staff, and then taken on a tour. It’s not a huge facility by any means: studio room, lockers, bathroom, etc. But I was impressed with all the little toiletries that were placed so nicely on the counters… it reminded me of a fancy hotel bathroom.

Those little balls were trouble! They felt like kickballs but when you’re squeezing them between your thighs plus going up into “releve” they do a number your legs! 

What, I Lift Weights And You Want Me To Use Those?

From here, it was barre time. I walked into the studio (wearing just socks), where the instructor helped me set up my station. I needed two pairs of light weights. She told me the light ones would be used for lateral side raises while I needed a heavier weight for upright rows.

After contemplating for a moment I choose a 5 lb set and an 8 lb set. I figured that since I normally do rows with 30 lb + dumbbells, that I would be able to use their heavier weights. Clearly the instructor didn’t agree with me and quickly convinced me to drop down to 3 lbs and 5 lbs… Later on during the workout I was thinking her in my head, on several occassions.

No joke, and I was thankful for my little 3 pounders!

The Barre Workout Breakdown

Then it was time to workout. The class was small, only 5 or 6 other women. And to be honest I didn’t have high expectations of the workout.  I thought we would be stretching, maybe doing a few squats, and the little weights that laid down at my feet weren’t helping to convince me otherwise.

But I was wrong. Within the first 10 minutes I was shaking. The idea they use is to isolate body parts and go to failure using high reps, VERY high reps!

We started with push-ups (which I was the only one doing them not on my knees, the new girl had to prove herself, right?) then went into a shoulder segment with the light weights. I started off with the 5′s but ended up having to finish off with the 3′s… yea I felt rather pathetic.

Next were thighs. As the name implies there is a bar… like a ballarina bar which lines the room. We did every sort of squat in the book, even up on tippy toes! Let’s just say that by the end of our squat segment, my thighs were on fire! Awesome!

Then was butt time. I contribute my butt and thigh burn a lot just getting back into working my lower body after taking 4 weeks off. But that damn bar made my butt burn so bad! Who knew that over a 100 leg extensions could make one’s tush hurt so bad.

Last but not least was abs… oh ab moves how I love you. I learned a few new plank variations which I showed off on Friday to my boot campers! They weren’t as excited as I was but then again their stomachs were shaking, they were grunting and I was loving it!

The perfect end to a great workout. And while I honestly did enjoy it, I don’t think it was my cup of tea. You know I love heavy weights, hard cardio and having sweat pouring down my face. To me this was a combo of yoga and strength training, which is great but just not for me personally.

But if you’re looking for a fun workout, something a bit different then I definitely recommend a Barre class.

The After Affects

I won’t lie, I walked out of the building, called Dan and told him I was going to be super sore the next day. My arms and legs were still quivering. But to be honest I was surprised when I work up the next morning with just mild “yay, I worked out” soreness. I even managed to run quite a bit the next morning

Barre And The Battery

One other thing cool, is that today Barre is kicking off their first Barre At The Battery where they are holding a class at one of the larger stadiums in Charleston prior to a big soccer game. A great way to come and get an idea of the workout philosophy. I wonder if a bar will be brought in?

Questions: 

• What fitness classes have you done? 
• Have you tried a barre class before? What did you think? 

My brother was is a nail biter and I remember my mom telling my brother he needed to “stop that habit”.

I myself, was am a hang nail picker. I was told that this was my little habit. This “little” habit keeps me from getting manicures because I am embarrassed at the condition my fingers are in… but it’s a nervous habit that has stuck around for 25+ years.

Between my finger picking and these weights, a manicure doesn’t stand a chance! An hour later and my nails look like crap with or without my habit.

Between the two of us, I was under the impression that habits were a bad thing, like a nervous twitch. As I got older, I learned that not all habits are bad.

Case and point: No one would argue that brushing your teeth is bad. Or drinking a glass of water when you first wake up in the morning is bad. Or drinking a protein shake right after a workout… These are all great habits.

Yum… Pina Colada Shake! 

Our lives run on habits. How we get ready each day, what we do when we get home from work, etc. Seriously, one ginormous habit.

I’ll tell you another giant habit… a keystone habit!

What the heck is a keystone habit?

It’s a habit that has a trickle down effect.

Keystone habits say that success doesn’t depend on getting every single thing right, but instead relies on identifying a few key priorities and fashioning them into powerful levers. -The Power of Habit

Wow, deep stuff huh?

One habit effects another and then another and then another. There are lots of keystone habits out there but:

The biggest keystone habit that I can think of is exercise.

When you first start to workout, it can take some work to make it fit into your life effortlessly. To be specific, it can take 21 days for it to become a habit. I remember 10 years ago when I started to make exercise a part of my life… I would make every excuse under the sun to avoid doing another workout. And then one day it was as if something changed and I started to make every excuse I could to exercise!

But once it’s implanted into your daily life it’s powers go beyond just sweating in the gym to burn off calories. 

Research shows that people who exercise habitually:

• Are more conscious about the foods that they eat
• Are more likely to sleep longer at night
• Start smoking less
• Use credit cards less frequently
• Are more happy in life
• Are harder workers at their job
• Are better in bed and more confident
• And believe it or not this list can go on.

Here’s another fun fact: Dr. Diane Klein researched what motivated exercisers. Those that were new to exercise said common answers like losing weight and improving appearance. But the subjects who had been long term exercisers were more motivated by feeling good and being healthy in general. If they didn’t workout they felt sluggish and like they were “missing something”.

Doesn’t EVERYONE jump around like this at the end of a kick ass, fun workout? Okay, good! 

So how can you make exercise your keystone habit to improve not just your body but your life in so many other departments?

Learning to Make Exercise A Habit

1. Stop focusing on the other areas.Just focus on making exercise a priority and you might see that the other areas of your life that you know you need to improve on will naturally change.Just check this awesome letter I received today in the mail:
   “Taylor, I just wanted to thank you for my first week of training. As hard as working out can be, I have enjoyed every minute of it. I don’t want to eat anything unhealthy after working so hard. Thank you for the motivation and encouragement to have a healthy lifestyle.”

   This made my day and I have been smiling from ear to ear like a silly school girl that just found out her crush liked her back. But forget about most of that card, and focus in on the part that talks about not wanting to eat anything bad after a workout!

   It’s part of the fitness keystone habit!

2. Find something you like to do. If you hate running, then it’s only a matter of days before you give up on it, same goes with all other forms of exercise. If you’re not sure what kind of workouts you like, try a bit of everything. Talk with a personal trainer at the gym to go over what they have to offer.
3. Tell someone about your commitment. If you are finally fed up and you’ve told yourself that you’re ready to make a real change in your fitness live, then share it. When others know what you’re aiming for, they will help keep you accountable. If you tell your husband that you are going to exercise 3 days a week, he can ask if you’re sticking to that plan. And no one wants to admit defeat so you will get those days in!
4. Make it a priority. Just like you have a work meeting on your calendar or you have to take the kids to soccer practice. On that schedule should also have your workout. If you have to fit it in before work, make it happen. If it is during lunch, make a bagged lunch so you can fit it all in. But no excuses.
5. Start slowly. If you haven’t worked out in a bazilion years then it’s not the best idea to jump right into an intense 90 minute spin class or weight training workout. start small and build up. Starting with too much too soon can lower your confidence and be unmotivating. Starting slow means leaving room to quickly progress which makes you feel awesome.
6. Celebrate accomplishments. Did you make it to every workout last week? Hell yea! Celebrate, give yourself a pat on the back and simply acknowledge that you did it and are on the track to exercise greatness.

Questions of the Day: 

• Would you consider yourself a habitual exerciser? 
• What’s the hardest part about keeping to a regular workout schedule? 
• What’s your personal habit(s)?

I received an email this morning asking for an explanation of my boot camp. This isn’t the first one, in fact it’s one of dozens that I receive. So it only makes sense that I give a clear idea of what my boot camp is and what you can expect if you try one that is around you.

Though clearly I can’t promise that other boot camps are similar to mine… everyone has different training theories and such.

First and foremost, I love my boot camps! I love everything about my job! Well, maybe not waking up at 5 am but when I see my clients work hard it makes the early wake up call well worth it.

The term “boot camp” for an exercise regiment became popular a few years back. We all saw shirts with logo’s saying “I survived boot camp”.

When I first got into training clients I wanted a way to create the most motivating and fun training environment possible.

Donkey Jumps to handstand anyone? (always fun when the instructor falls over!)

And that is where my boot camp came from. It started at one little location that I would run before heading off to work and from there has grown to 7 locations around Charleston!

What Do People Get During A Workout?

I didn’t want to be type casted to one form of training, I wanted the freedom to design workouts how I wanted to, no limits or restrictions.

And that’s how most boot camps are.

There is honestly no way to classify the workouts as a whole. Sometimes we do circuits, some days we play the fitness matching game (so much fun!), sometimes we do mini-competitions, and sometimes it’s all about heavy weights.

Workouts are designed around working your entire body, every possible way.

Here’s a boot camp check list: 

• Will you increase endurance? –> YES
• Improve cardiovascular health?  –> YES
• Increase strength?  –> YES
• Increase flexibility?  –> YES
• Improve balance? –> YES
• Better core strength?  –> YES
• Burn a heck of a lot of calories?  –> YES, in fact, many of my workouts have been known to burn 1000 calories!

But always, it’s about being motivated to give each workout everything you’ve got. The women I work with aren’t there to just do a workout enough to call it a workout. For a solid hour they give everything they have, plus helping the others around them.

Just this morning, one of my awesome ladies looked up at another and said, “come on you’ve got this, you’re going to finish and you’re going to feel great when it’s over”.

I love being a motivator and saying these things, but it has a lot more force when it’s coming from a fellow boot camper.

Boot Camp Love

Having a support system is key. I learned that through my boot camps which is why I stress it so much with my online training too. Many of these woman may not have a lot in common outside of a workout, but during they are helping each other to break through boundaries once thought unbreakable.

Curious of today’s boot camp workout?

We started with a warm-up – total body

Circuit: 45 Seconds each exercise rotating through: 

• Footballers
• Suicide Sprints
• Lunge Jump/Squat Jump Combo
• Plate push (pushing 55 lbs)
• In/out Push-ups
• Side Lunge Jumps
• Shoulder press with knee to elbow combo

After this we headed outside for some running before coming back inside to repeat the circuit.

Everyone did awesome! Workouts like this are at The Art of Weight Lifting! More at TAOWL another day… because these girls are equally as awesome and inspirational!

Wow, what a headline, right?

But hear me out. 9 times out of 10 doing a workout program on your own lacks effort, desire, and has a mediocre ending.

Of course you want to give every workout you do 110% so that you get the most out of it. The fact is that 110%-workouts only happen about 10% of the time (if that). It’s not because of tired muscles, or that your schedule is busy, or you’ve got to get home to get dinner on the table… it’s because working out alone makes it really hard to stay motivated.

“I’ll just rest a few more minutes before my next set… and instead of my workout,  I’ll daydream about a new fitness outfit”

Instead of being focused on the 110% workout, you become focused on those thoughts of new fitness clothes, dinner, family, work, and being tired pop into your head… right?

Finding your gym mojo is just tough…

So how do you do it?

There are two forms of partner workouts. Both are going to give you the happy ending that you want with a workout.

First is having a physical partner there with you.

Someone to spot you, call you out when you’re not lifting heavy enough and someone you can trust to push you. I say that last part, because it’s easy to find a friend to workout with but often times that leads to even worst workouts because you end up chatting too much and not really focusing on the workout.

This is the way I go most of the time, since Dan and I workout together. He is notorious for sliding another weight onto the bar when I am not looking or telling me “come on, just one more rep”… 3 more times.

It’s great, we always leave feeling like we kicked ass.

I also have my other workout partner, Sarah. She’s my cardio partner. Without her I seem to not even be able to run around the block! But with a running partner, I can go miles.

The other form of partner workout, is the solo partner workout. 

This is what I did today. Since my knee has been recovering, Dan and I haven’t really gotten to workout much. My workouts are more rehab, body weight style and his are what I can’t wait to start doing again. We walk into the gym with different workouts in hand and meet up at the end.

Without him, I find it easy to try and convince myself that I am lifting heavy enough, or to justify that it’s okay doing an exercise one set short…

But then I thought about you, my boot campers, and my members at the Art of Weight Lifting. The workout I was doing today was actually a spin off of what I had my boot campers doing this morning and I just kept repeating to myself, if they did it, then I can do it too.

A few of the girls that were helping me workout hard! I wish I had a picture with
all my boot campers, all my Art of Weight Lifting Ladies and all of my Lifting Revolution readers! 

I felt like they were holding me accountable even though they weren’t with me.

I had to proof myself to them.

From that point on, I wasn’t doing it alone any more... I had people in my head (and not in a crazy way) helping me get through and give everything I had. I kicked that workout’s ass!

And that’s the trick, being solo isn’t all that bad for your workout, but not having support and an accountability is when you get into trouble. How crappy would that be of me if I stopped short on my workout but had forced my boot campers to keep going?

It all comes down to one thing: accountability!

In fact, research published in the Journal of American Academy of Physician Assistants shows that people who workout with groups (either working out in a group, with a partner, or even being part of an online support group) are more likely to stay on track, stick to a program and see better results.

When I am not blogging on LR, or teaching bootcamps, I am training my awesome ladies here! 

Tips For Working Out With or Without A Partner:

1. Always have a plan, know what your workout is going to be before you step foot into the gym. If you try to come up with it once you’re there it will be sloppy and probably lazy.
2. Stay accountable. If you’re a part of an online fitness community, you have to utilize it. Check in as soon as you can after a workout. The longer you wait, the more likely you’ll be to not post your workout or check in.
3. If you have a face to face workout partner, make sure to set boundaries. No talking about weekend plans or gossiping during workouts. The workout is for sweating and exercising, the socializing part comes at the end. That’s why cool downs rock.
4. Always make sure you have protection. If you’re doing a new exercise, or trying to lift more weight, make sure your partner knows how to spot… and if you don’t have a partner make sure to grab someone around you. I’ve never seen someone refuse to spot a fellow trainee.

Questions of the day:  

• Do you do it by yourself or with a partner? 

Summertime flavors are so much better than winter time. The berries are out, dill is making it’s way back into my home, and our fridge is stocked with marinated cucumbers and tomatoes!

I also have noticed that with the warmer temperatures, I am craving a lot more water lately. Which is great because I have a tendency to forget to drink water when I am cold. I know that’s weird but now that we’re already dealing with 90 degree weather I am filling up my mason jars regularly.

But let’s face it… water is boring.

And sometimes you just want something that quenches your thirst like water but also has an “ahhh” affect on your taste buds.

I set out to experiment around in the kitchen to see what could be done for such a huge issue. And here’s the result:

I know you’ve seen the waters in the store that say “naturally flavored” but let’s face it… you can’t get any more natural than these.

Dan and I had a blast at lunch time, taking a sip from each one to decide which was our favorite. Dan decided his favorite was the lemon/lime blend while mine was hands down the strawberry.

But I will let you decide!

Naturally Flavored Water Ideas

1. Orange/Berry Blend

 This was 3 large slices of a naval orange and 1 strawberry sliced up.
Unfortunately you can’t see the strawberries in this image, but they are there (just see picture above).

2. Strawberry Basil Blend

In this jar I sliced up 2 strawberries and added a sprig of basil. I love the colors together and the taste was awesome…
If you don’t have basil, mint also goes really well. I just happened to use all the mint yesterday on the same drink. But to be honest, I think I am liking the basil a bit more! 

3. Mexican Lemon/Lime

This water has a surprising twist.
There are 3 thin slices of lemon and 3 of lime but there is also a small sprig of cilantro. The cilantro is powerful, just a hint to make you go “hummm… different and good”. Like I said this is Dan’s favorite. 

4. Cucumber/Dill 

This had 5 slices of fresh cucumber and a sprig of dill.
To me this just screams refreshing and it will be my go-to drink after long days at the beach. It is so fresh and earthy.
The only thing missing was a great tomato sandwich!

As you can see fresh herbs isn’t just for salads and marinades. They are great to add just a hint of flavor to all sorts of things!

—>Side note… if you’ve never had watermelon and basil together, you need to do that ASAP! It’s delicious.<—

That’s it, super easy and amazing! In fact, I might just choose one of these over a cold cocktail! Just maybe…

Questions: 

• What is your “summertime food staple”? 
• Which water do you think you would like the most? 

Sunday mornings in the Boyle house normally rock. It’s the one day of the week I get to wake up without an alarm clock… normally.

Unless you have a crazy cat who likes to remind you that by now you’re alarm has ususally gone off and you need to get out of the bed and play. It was even better since Dan and I were out celebrating a friends 30th birthday the night before and didn’t get home until 12:15am. The good news… at least I only had 1 beer the whole night, so no chance of a hangover for this girl!

Oh Nike, thanks a bunch for making me get up at 7:15 am.

On the flip side, I finally gave Zoe a hair cut (see it here), made a pot of coffee, actually took the time to cook my oats on the stove (so much fluffier than in the microwave) and even made Dan his favorite weekend breakfast:

French Toast.

Who doesn’t love French Toast? You’re just not American without a bit of French toast in your life. It’s the ultimate breakfast to show someone you care. And when you make it healthy with this recipe, you don’t just show them you care, you show them you freaking love them.

This particular recipe has the perfect dose of protein, complex carbs and health fats.. so there is no reason to feel guilty.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of Ezekiel bread (or you can use 2 slices of whole wheat)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 3 Tbsp Water
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg (optional)
• 1 Tbsp Agave nectar
• Topping (Drizzle with honey, maple syrup or maple agave nectar)

Directions:

1. In a bowl whisk together: Egg, egg white, cinnamon, nutmeg, water and 1 tbsp agave.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet on med-heat.
3. Submerge each slice of bread in egg mix, give it a few seconds, turn it over for the other side. Repeat with other slice of bread.
4. Place on the skillet and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.
5. Remove from stove, place on plate and drizzle with desired topping.

It took Dan all of 5 minutes to eat this entire breakfast, I think that’s a sign that it was a great start to the day! And we needed it.

After breakfast, we tossed together a bag for the day because we had so much stuff going on!

We headed to the gym… got in this Killer Workout

Taylor’s Killer Workout

Part 1: Complete Mini-Circuit (tri-set) 3 rounds

• Deadlifts 18 reps with 65 lbs
• Squats 14 reps with 50 lbs
• Jump rope 100 reps

Part 2: Complete Mini Circuit 3 rounds

• Bench press 8 reps with 40 lb dumbbells
• Push-ups 10 reps
• Skull crushers 10 reps with 10 lb dumbbels
• Jump rope 100 reps

Part 3: Do each core exercise for 60 seconds

• Stability ball plank
• Superwoman hold
• Frog Sit-ups

From the gym we went to my parents house so that Dan could get his hair cut (my mom used to be a hair stylist), then out and about Mt Pleasant for some photos and filming.

Mt Pleasant Water Front Park

Back to my parents to enjoy Sunday dinner with the family. This included asparagus, corn on the cob, and beans for me… everyone else had the above foods but also had pot roast, which Dan said was really good!

Family time means getting to see my niece Lainey… and let me just say that she’s crawling now and is probably the cutest thing ever. The fact that I got to play with her and Martini made my Sunday!

From their house it was time for errands before heading back home to two impatient girls begging for food and water. What a Sunday!

Monday Questions:

• What is your favorite breakfast?
• Does your weekend breakfast differ from your weekday?

Sometimes a girl just wants to feel sexy, stylish, and dressy.

I love high heels, I mean love them! In fact my only flats include a pair of Rainbow flip flops, my workout shoes, and a pair of black flip flops. Everything else has a heel of 3 inches or taller. And by everything else, I mean over 25 pairs of heels.

I love these. Please excuse my pale legs.

The way I see it, the week is always so busy that we forget to take a moment to really appreciate ourselves and our bodies. So on the weekend, I slip in to a pair of these. I instantly feel more feminine and “pretty”.

But there can be some prep work involved to making it all come together, especially on nights where Dan and I go out. I want to look my best in a high heels and a short dress. So like my “Date Night Arms” workout, I have also developed a mini workout to get my calves pumped up for a night out on the town.

Just 3 moves and less than 3 minutes you’ll notice and definitely feel a difference.

Sexy Date Night Calves

Just follow the workout above, slip into a pair of some sexy black heels and get going with your date!

Questions For The Day

• What’s your fashion fetish? 
• What pre-date rituals do you follow?