Links You’ll Love
Health & Fitness:
Packing lunch during the week is a great option to save money and make sure that you’re getting a healthy, nutritious meal mid-day to keep you going. I like to do some work in the kitchen during the weekends to prepare for the week {Sunday Prep}, you can also get some killer tips from Choosing Raw – Monday’s Lunchbox.
Thinking about jumping on the treadmill or elliptical for some cardio and neglecting the machines and weight racks are you gym? Think again! I’m a huge advocate of not only changing up your gym routine on a regular basis but of foregoing machine cardio for walking and weight training. If you don’t believe m just read this piece from Natalie Jill Fitness: Only WEIGHT and INTENSITY Will Change Your Body – You HAVE to lift HEAVY if You Want to Lean Out and Change Your Body!
Fitting in a workout is a MUST during the hectic holiday season – It reduces stress, gives you some much-needed alone time, produces endorphins, and keeps you healthy & fit so you can enjoy the holiday festivities with your friends and family. Regardless of whether you have an hour or 15 minutes available, or if you even have time to make it to the gym – Make time!
- HallowLEAN Hill Workout from The Fitnessista
- Total Body Tabata Home Workout from Blonde Ponytail
- Easy Interval Plank Workout from Purely Twins
Fashion:
I love the old Hollywood, film noir feel of killer black & white photographs. The subjects somehow always manage to appear chic and timeless, regardless of the year, the pose, the style of their clothes… I just can’t get enough and neither can A Fashion Friend – It’s Better In Black & White.
Have you ever been tempted to run off to Paris so that you can live a fashionable, glamorous life? If the answer is yes, you probably shouldn’t click on these links because you will most likely run off to Paris to live a fashionable, glamorous life.
As you may know – I adore stripes – Whether they’re the traditional nautical variety for Spring or demure pinstripes for the office. So why not take this fabulous print into the Fall season as well? Harper’s Bazaar definitely agrees – Shop the Street Style Look: Summer’s Stripes for Fall.
Are you a jeans girl? There are so many varieties this day in age there are almost endless choices when you head into a store and start to peruse their denim department. 70’s flare, wide-leg, cropped, skinny, cut-off, distressed, boyfriend, boot cut… Check out Love Me Jeans for some serious denim inspiration and worship – What’s your favorite pair?
We’ve all had the rule “No White After Labor Day” repeated ad nauseam over the years, but is this a rule for our grandmothers and not for our generation? Well The Man Repeller is making quite the argument against this rule with her fabulous photographs from Nolita – Accent In White.
Links You’ll Love
Health/Fitness:
Intervals are key! Check out the 400-Calorie Tush-Toning Interval Workout or Tabata Workouts To Burn Fat Fast from FitSugar.
A great way to cram veggies into your diet is by adding them to smoothies in the morning. You can easily add fresh, healthy, and easily digestible source of vitamins. Refinery 29 agrees – 5 Reasons Why Kale Is The Ultimate Look-Gorgeous, Feel-Amazing Food. Not a fan of breakfast? Try JL Goes Vegan’s Creamy Kale Miso Soup for a great source of nutrients.
Interested in getting back to basics or implementing an organic training program? Check out Charles Poliquin’s Train Like Your Ancestors: Tips to Achieve Optimal Health and Body Composition.
Even if you only have a few minutes you can still squeeze in some energy-boosting moves:
Fashion:
If you’re looking for a way to spice up one of your accessories for Summer I have some fabulous ideas for you – DIY: Neon chain handbag from Crimenes de la Moda and/or DIY: Floral Bangles. The end results of both of these Do It Yourself projects are fun and chic – Can you have a better combination?
Are you a fan of maxi dresses? I love the light feel and fun silhouette of maxi skirts and dresses during the warm weather months. See Olivia Palermo’s picks for this summer – Let It Flow.
Not in a place to replace your wardrobe each season? Me either. Check out Chictopia’s East Coast to West Coast: 5 Pieces That Will Complete Your Summer Wardrobe featuring the amazing Late Afternoon and Song of Style bloggers.
Sometimes a sleek ponytail is just the finishing touch that an outfit needs. A Cup Of Jo shares her tips for the perfect Sleek Parted Ponytail.
Need a project? Try out FabSugar’s DIY: Give Your Collared Top a Gypset Style Twist!
Links You’ll Love
Health/Fitness:
Mixing up your workout routine is part of maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, so why not add some weight bench ab exercises to your workouts? Crunches, hip raises, twists, leg lifts and extensions. Or 20 Minute Intervals with walking and core exercises from Prevention.com.
5 Reasons Your Workout Isn’t Working from the Huffington Post – Advice on keeping things mixed up and how to not lose your motivation if you plateau.
How to work your triceps – Tone Your Arms in 3 Moves from Tracy Anderson for Fitness Magazine.
5 Minute Workouts, 10 Minute Workouts & 15 Minute Workouts – No excuses kids. No matter how little time you have, you have time for a workout!
Fashion:
Mixing and matching high-low fashion is a trick many celebrities and fashion-insiders swear by – Olivia Palermo, Zoe Saldana and Kate Bosworth to name a few. And with stores like J Crew, Zara and French Connection creating well made, on trend clothes for a fraction of what designer duds cost, who can blame them for taking advantage? There are also an increasing number of amazing designer collaborations like Karl Lagerfeld for Macy’s impulse, Versace for H&F and Missoni for Target, where you can swoop up high-end designer created pieces for every day prices.
Looking for some fun new ways to wear traditional winter pieces? Faux fur has long been a winter staple, not only does it evoke old-school glamour, it keeps you toasty warm. Olivia Palermo‘s cropped jacket paired with a skirt and blouse is modern and chic while Kate Moss‘s longer jacket works equally well with Capri pants and a dress with tights. On the other end of the spectrum is plaid, a low-key winter look that can be really versatile and laid back. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley makes plaid a little rock n’ roll with booties & a blazer and Alexa Chung channels the 60’s fashion with a plaid babydoll dress.
Boys, it’s time to step up. Fashionable doesn’t have to mean gay. When in doubt, turn to The Sartorialist – He’ll answer your questions & alleviate your fears. And in related news, Isaac Mizrahi AND Vera Wang may be launching menswear lines.
FabSugar’s Top 50 Reader Looks of 2011 – This is great for finding new ways to mix and match what you already have in your wardrobe in new and exciting ways.
In the market for some new glasses? Take some inspiration from the stars over at The Daily Beast.
Have a good Sunday!
Gym Goddess – Part IV
Welcome to the next installment of the How to Become a Gym Goddess series (if you’d like to catch up, here are Week 1, Week 2 & Week 3).
Week IV ended up being particularly busy so it was the perfect example of how to squeeze workouts in whenever and wherever you can. Whether you’re trying to get in shape, working on changes in your life to make yourself healthier or trying to maintain your existing fitness regime, you need to make a committment to your health. You need to prioritize yourself – your body, your health, your sanity – over other things in your life. I’m not saying that you should miss deadlines to log a little gym time, but you need to make an effort to put yourself first. There will always be something that comes up, a work assignment, a dentist appointment, an illness in the family… But you’re better equipped to handle what life throws at you if you’re healthy & well nourished.
Note: Check with a doctor before you begin a new fitness routine.
Day 1:
10 minute cardio warm up – moderate speed on stationary
3 Rounds
- Plank arm raises – lift each arm 10 times
- Bench step ups – 10 each leg, knee up
- Back lunge w/ medicine ball twist – step back into a lunge & twist holding a weighted medicine ball out w/ straight arms, twist to each side 10 times
15 minute cardio warm down
Stretching
Day 2: Medicine ball workout! Grab a 4, 6 or 8 pound ball and let’s go! This is inspired by the workouts featured in the November Women’s Health – Body By Anna (in the magazine only) & Get Fit in Only 15 Minutes. And if you’d like a little more motivation check out model Julie Henderson w/ fitness guru David Kirsch using medicine balls over at Modelinia. Even models aren’t perfect!
10 minute cardio warm up
3 Rounds:
- 20 Wall sits w/ rotation
- 20 High-Low chop
- 20 squats w/ overhead ball raise
- 20 Russian twists
- 20 bicycles
10 minute cardio warm down
Day 3: A quickie inspired by The Fitnessista. Even if your schedule is as crazy as Liz’s has been there’s no excuse for slacking off, in the long run you’ll be glad you took a few minutes for yourself.
- 5 minutes cardio of choice
- 30 seconds of jumping jacks
- 30 seconds of high knees
- 30 seconds of plie squats (plie low, jump & bring legs together and arms straight up)
- 30 seconds mountain climbers
- 30 seconds push ups
- 30 seconds burpees
Day 4: HIIT
5 minute warm up
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
Repeat for 15 minutes of intervals
5 minute cool down (i.e. walking on a treadmill etc)
Results: This fourth week was really a testament to Liz’s dedication, with work and family issues popping up all almost daily she put forth a lot of effort to make sure that her workouts came together. Once you get into a routine and start to reap the benefits of regular exercise, it’s a great motivator to keep things going. So don’t let yourself get led off course by your busy life – if you make the time, you’ll see the results.
Joining a fitness program or hiring a trainer can be a great way to go if you’re interested in changing your fitness regime and aren’t quite sure where to start. Finding the right program or trainer is important though, not all gyms and trainers are created equal. Check out these suggestions from some of the experts for how to find the perfect fit: PrecisionNutrition, FitSugar, The Fitnessista and The Huffington Post. Also, when to break up with your personal trainer, something else you should definitely keep in mind if you decide to go for one-on-one sessions.
Gym Goddess – Part III
Welcome to week III of the How to Become a Gym Goddess series (if you need to catch up, here are Week 1 and Week 2).
Note: Check with a doctor before beginning a few fitness routine to avoid injuries.
Day 1:
15 minutes of intervals on the elliptical (30 seconds as fast as you can, 1 minute 30 seconds at a fast but manageable pace, repeat for 15 minutes)
100 walking lunges (each knee touching the ground is 1 – try to keep moving for the whole 100 even if you do have to slow down)
20 burpees as quickly as possible (How To – Do level II or III if possible, there are also other variations on burpees that we’ll try later one)
3 x 20 mountain climbers
Stretching
Day 2: CORE!!!
1o minutes of cardio, any machine, moderate pace
5 rounds of:
- 1 minute plank
- 30 frog crunchies
- 30 squat jumps (bend knees, touch ground, jump up, clap at top, repeat)
- 30 leg lifts
- Row 100 meters as fast as possible
* Rest for under 1 minute between each round
10 minutes of cardio – Warm down
Stretching
Day 3: HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) – Pick a machine and go-go-go
5 minute warm up
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
- 30 seconds as fast as possible
- 1 minute 30 seconds recovery – moderate speed
Repeat for 15 minutes of intervals
Switch machines and repeat for an additional 15 minutes
5 minute cool down (i.e. walking on a treadmill etc)
(Same) Weekend Mini Workout:
To be completed at any point Saturday or Sunday (***Bonus points if you get a workout buddy to join you and race!)
Sprint the length of the street, walk back to your starting point, 5 burpees (how to) – Repeat 10x
Starting w/ your feet together, jump as far as you can & repeat for the length of the street. To the end of the street and back to your starting point = 1, complete 5x
Results: This week wasn’t about change, it was about creating a consistent fitness routine and really trying to make time a couple of days a week to go to the gym even when you’re tired and/or busy. Squeezing in just a small workout can improve your mood and productivity, which is especially important as the holiday season is starting to gear up and your schedule will get more and more hectic.
How do you stay motivated for your workouts? Any tips that always work for you? I like to workout first thing in the morning because in addition to giving my metabolism a little burst, it sets a healthy tone for the day and encourages me to stay on track. I also have to have a great playlist to keep my workouts upbeat. My brother got me the Nano for Christmas last year which is great because it has a clip and it holds such a small number of songs that I update it at least once a week. As for long-term goals, I’ve found that it’s all about giving myself something to look forward to. Like, say, a weekend trip to the Lululemon on Union Square. (Rachel agrees, clearly) Not only do the promise of Lulu’s keep me going, once I have them I’m doubly motivated to hit the gym because I can’t wait to show them off!
As your workouts are progressing and you’re beginning to feel (and see!) results, you should start thinking about your recovery time. We’ve talked about stretching and rest days to help you stay loose and prepare for your next workout, but your choice of foods immediately before and after a workout can also affect your performance (as, obviously, your food throughout the day can affect your fitness goals in general). Shape shares their tips here, Women’s Health shares their top fitness food picks here and fitness guru to the stars David Kirsch shares his post-workout recovery smoothie here. And if this topic interests you and you’re heading to a book store, definitely pick up any of Brendan Brazier’s Thrive books which discuss this in-depth.
Stay tuned for Week IV!
Moi Contre La Vie 