Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! Do you have any plans for the weekend? For me, this weekend is a lot about getting things done! Tomorrow is the last day in January (can you believe it?!) And there is so much to get done before then! The hubs will also be taking me on a date night and I am doing another quick video for all those in the Slim Down Challenge!!

But, before all this will come a great workout. My cardio and bum workouts have been lacking recently, so this workout looks wonderful! I am also wanting to do some running today and maybe even some Cross Fit this weekend!! We will see.

Here are a few other things I am excited about making, doing, and seeing!

Monday this will be launching and I just cannot wait!

Have you ever made this? It looks so yummy and just might have to be on my foodie list next week!

Did you know the Super Bowl was this weekend?! Who are you cheering for? I am going for commercials ;)

If you have not made these yet, I suggest dropping everything you are doing and making them now.

Resistance Band Workouts

One of my new absolute favorite workouts has been anything with resistance bands. They are so great for toning  and do a serious number on those hard to work muscles. They also do not create bulky muscles, but instead, help to elongate the muscle we are building. Seriously, they are the best thing ever. 

The Pilates reformer works in a similar way (except about a billion times better), but not all of us have Pilates reformers available on a moment's whim. I am still trying to find a good studio near me with quality reformers and great teachers. So far, the YMCA seems like one of the best options. Why must the Y be so great and also soooo expensive? One day, one day. 

For now though, here are some great resistance band exercises via YouTube! I would recommend a resistance band that has no handles and is simply a long piece of rubber but not a tube. The tube resistance bands with handles are great for certain activities, but not all. This one is a great option. 

Beginner Pilates Workout

This one is great for beginners in the Pilates world. It goes over how to hold resistance bands and starts pretty slow for any not-too-sure about what is going on. Don;t get me wrong though, it is still a super great workout for anyone who wants a resistance band workout. For the more advanced, this could be a great option after a cardio session! 

Upside Down Pilates has lots of other great Pilates workouts for anyone interested :)

Resistance Band Cardio Workout

Who does not love Pop Sugar, right?! This one is quite short being about 10-minutes long. The workout, however, is a great combination of cardio, Pilates, and ballet. This is just a super fun, effective, and quick workout with resistance bands. 

Denise Austen Lower Body Workout

This Denise Austen Lower body workout is simple wonderful. I have been a fan of Denise for a long time, and this workout is no exception. Like the Pop Sugar workout, this one is only 10-minutes long. Both the Pop Sugar and the Denise Austen workout could be done together to make a slightly longer and way more intense resistance band sequence. Just get ready, your everywhere will be feeling it tomorrow! 

Three YouTube Workouts to Do This Weekend

Happy Friday! To all those who came to the blog yesterday and found no new post, I am sorry. My day started early and I did not even think about a post until it was far too late to write. Usually, there are a few extra posts laying around for the uploading in case of a situation like that, but after Greece, I am all tapped out. I guess we all know what my next week will be full of ;)

Anyway, to make up for it, I will be writing a special post on Sunday all about my first GRIIT class. It was so fun and there will be plenty of calorie counting and heart rate monitoring along with a run down of why (or why not) to try it out! For now though, we have a few YouTube videos that I found this week and have either been dying to try or just plain love.

A Capoeira Workout!

Ok, we have all seen those crazy Brazilian fight/dancers. They have incredible muscle tone and now we can too! This is a great online intro video to Capoiera that is sure to get your heart pounding! It also just looks like fun. Like A LOT of fun!

Look Good Naked Workout

This is a ballet workout but I just get a kick out of the name. Hehehe. If you are wanting to work the upper thighs, inner thighs, and bum, you should try this. Ballet is a great workout for your core and arms as well. This one is a bit of a ballet mix so you will get some non-ballet elements to kick-up that muscle growth. This is one I would recommend to people who maybe have a harder time building muscle and do not want a major cardio sequence.

10-Minute Bum Workout

The bum is my absolute favorite area to work and, also, the one of my biggest problem spots. Do you remember when you were young and gravity had no impact on your body? Yea, me too. Ha! However, in this bod's defense, there is also waaayyyy less ballet going on and that seemed to give me the best bum ever.

Thankfully, we have workouts like these that bring in elements from dance and cardio workouts so you get the best benefits. It is also by Kelly Ripa and Sarah Jessica Parker's trainer. Not too bad.

A Squatastic Wake-Up Challenge

Good morning! I hope your day has started off right! If you are still feeling a bit sluggish or the idea of conquering your pillow sounds between than conquering that to-do list, this morning challenge should help. I have been doing this challenge every morning for over a week now and LOVE IT. It is simple, quick, and let me tell you, it is effective. As you may have figured from the title above, this weeks challenge is all about the squat. For this challenge, you will be doing 99 squats in 3 different varieties.

Of course, this challenge can be done at any time during the day, but I find mornings to be best. The squats get your blood pumping and your morning started without feeling like you just ran 5-miles. Plus, doing this simple exercise in the morning will make it more likely for you to workout again later on in the day. And, for all you over-achievers out there, I recommend doing this more than once. That's right, try fitting in some squats throughout your day and see how it helps your energy and your bum. I did this a lot while we were traveling and it seriously helped me not feel so achy during and after flights.