Good morning and Happy New Year!
I had a wonderful and low-key New Year’s Eve! Lots of time with family and friends, lots of snacks, and a little champagne!
New Year’s Day was a relaxing one; We took my nephew to the Henry Ford Mueseum in Dearborn, Michigan and everyone had a blast! It is so much fun to see him excited about the planes, trains, and old fashioned cars! We finished the day with a really nice dinner at my parents house with some extended family.
This morning I woke up early and headed for the gym for my first workout of 2015! I started with a mile jog on the treadmill and then some stretching, before completing this lower body/core workout:
I used 2 20 lb. Kettlebells for the deadlifts, and used just one of them for the goblet squats.
Links to demonstrations of the exercises:
Single Leg Deadlift with Kettlebell
And lastly, I took a few minutes last night to create a new note in my phone with my fitness goals for 2015. For me, making very specific short and longer term goals really help me to push myself and also to help me see how far I’ve come! Here are some of mine:
- 185# Back Squat (20 pound increase over my current max)
- 105# Snatch (15 pound increase over my current max)
- String together 5 Butterfly pull ups
- Complete a race that is heavily biking
- Perform a bar muscle up without a band
- 235# Deadlift
What are your fitness goals for 2015?
– This simple looking tool has been such a life saver for me after long runs and intense leg workouts! It makes it easy to give your legs a massage as gentle or intense as you’d like, and can really help with recovery!
– My favorite protein powder! It is low carb and the taste is amazing. I love to make smoothies with this, stir it into my oatmeal, put it in my Peanut Butter Protein Balls (recipe coming soon!), and anything else you can imagine. A girl can never have too much!
– A must have for cold weather workouts! I love this lip balm because it smells amazing, is long lasting, and an added bonus- the round shape is easy to find in your purse or gym bag!
– I like having the option of compression calf sleeves over the full compression socks, so you can wear them with your favorite workout socks for added calf support. My legs are prone to shin splints, so I try to wear these whenever I’m doing a long run, or a jumping intensive workout and they really seem to help. They are also affordable compared to many compression sleeves out there and come in lots of fun colors. Bonus- I sometimes wear these on my arms either for compression support or as a shield from my jump rope when we’re doing double-unders in Crossfit, as seen in the picture below from last weekend’s competition… So versatile!
– This is my current everyday water bottle. I use it while I’m at work and also during workouts. I like that you can easily pop it open with one hand, very important for a quick mid-workout sip. It also has the ounces clearly printed on the side so I can keep track of my water intake for the day.
– A necessity for anyone who uses pre-workout supplements, drinks post-workout protein shakes, or just likes to take a smoothie or drink to go! These come with small, wire balls that help to break up your drink. Again- you can never have too many of these!
– This is the watch I used to help train for my 2nd half marathon last year. I love that it is simple to use and I can easily glance down and see my total distance and pace. I also love the pink color, but it is available in black as well.
– I am in love with these headbands! They are the only headbands that I’ve found that actually do not slip off during a sweaty CrossFit workout. They are available in a ton of different colors and designs!
– Under Armour is one of my favorite brands for workout apparel. I have items from UA that I’ve had for years and they hold up very well. I love these sports bras!
