It’s that time again, time for another round of fit Friday fun!!!!

And boy are we going to have some fun today!

Today I’m sharing a short, sharp lower body workout that you can do anywhere, anytime in just 20 minutes , with or without equipment, totally your call.

You guys know how how much I love, love, love my lower body workouts, The lower body is where your powerhouse muscles are (I’m looking at you quads, glutes and hamstrings) which means you get a serious bang for your workout butt, I mean buck!

So, here’s what we are going to do – click here to see exercise demos/workout with me –

Squat
Step up
Reverse lunge – or any variation you like – I do reverse because my knees prefer them
Lunge pulse
Single leg toe touch – or reach if you can’t touch your toes just yet
Single leg bench (or chair) squat
Jump squat – or pulse if you’re not into jumping

Aim to do 10 reps of each exercise (count reps per leg) then repeat the entire sequence for a total of 3 rounds (or as many rounds as pretty in 20 minutes), resting as needed. Sound good?

Nothing overly complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective total body workout that will have you feeling strong, energized, and ready to take on the rest of your day!

Now, for those of you who are just getting started or may not have access to a gym of any kind of weights you can absolutely do with workout without any added weight, and let me tell you, you will be feeling it.

Not even kidding, this was me the day my first attempt at this workout –

Just because you’re “only” using your body weight as resistance does not make this an easy workout. Your quads and glutes will be burning by the final round and you will definitely be feeling the effects of it tomorrow I assure you.

You have been warned!

For our fully functioning/more advanced lifters who might be looking to make things a little more challenging – grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, your EmPack, some resistance bands, or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail you’re done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And, because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a (virtual) buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok, enough chit chat time to work –

– 20 minute –
At Home – Lower Body Workout

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk #socialdistancing or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now for this week’s smoothie recipe . . .

How does a nice, tall, subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, deliciously indulgent, secretly healthy, sugar-free chocolate hazelnut chai latte sound?!

So good, right?!

Chocolate = happiness

Chai soothes my soul

Nut butter is the glue that holds my body together.

Put them all together and you get pure magic and that’s E X A C T L Y what we have here!

It’s pretty much tastes like your drinking chai while eating spoonful after spoonful of Nutella (please tell me I’m not the only one who does this?!) and I am here for it!

Made with no added sugar, packed with protein, and loaded with gut-healing goodness, not that anyone would ever know! I won’t tell if you don’t!

Subtly sweet, seriously chocolaty, perfectly spiced, and just all kinds of wonderful!

Next level deliciousness I tell you! You are going to LOVE it!

And, not only does our delicious, nutritious, smoothie taste like straight-up heaven in a cup but, it also happens to be Dairy free (if you want),  BANANA FREE, DATE FREE, sugar free, Low Carb, Vegan, Keto and Paleo friendly!

It really is simply divine, the perfect way to treat yo’ self on this fabulous Friday – or anytime because, yummmmm.

Enjoy xo

Sugar Free Chocolate Hazelnut Chai Latte

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Persons: 1
• Difficulty: Easy

• Ingredients
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk  (or milk of choice) – more or less to desired consistency
• 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt – use milk if you want to make a hot latte
• 1-2 Tablespoons of cacao – depending on how rich and chocolaty you want it
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2-1 teaspoon chai spice mix
• 1 Tablespoon of chocolate hazelnut butter or a few drops of hazelnut stevia / extract
• 1/2-1 teaspoon of instant coffee (reg or decaf) or a shot or 2 (brewed and cooled) your fave brew – optional but HIGHLY recommended
• A pinch of pink salt
• 1/4-1/2  cup of ice – more or less to desired consistency
• If you prefer a sweeter brew add 1/2 teaspoon of monk fruit sweetener (coconut sugar or sweetener of choice) – more or less to taste
• Optional add ins;
• 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower (I prefer to pre-steam then freeze) – for a sneaky serve of veg + makes it extra thick!
• 1/4 cup avocado (fresh or frozen) for healthy fats & also makes it super thick
• 1 Tablespoons of melted dark chocolate to swirl your glass  – pure happiness
• 1 teaspoon of maca – for hormone balance
• 1-2 scoops of collagen – for gut healing goodness
• 1 scoop protein powder  – I think vanilla or chocolate would be best in this recipe

1. Instructions
2. Place all ingredients into your blender and process until smooth, creamy and well combined (or heat, whisk, froth if serving hot).
3. Pour into a chilled glass or mason jar (or warmed mug if serving hot) then top with toppings of choice.
4. Enjoy xoxo

 

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go, and remember always try to . . .

and have yourself a killer day xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

Do you prefer your chai iced or hot?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this smoothie (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Sugar Free Chocolate Hazelnut Chai Latte & 20 min {no equipment – at home} Lower Body Workout first appeared on Better with Cake.

With the holidays just around the corner I thought it would be a good idea to share a couple of “no equipment required” workouts with you. That way you have something up your sleeve when you’re out and about traveling, visiting friends and family over the holidays, and you may not have access to your usual gym (or gym equipment), sound cool?!

So, today I’m sharing a short, sharp lower body workout that you can do anywhere, anytime in just 20 minutes, no equipment required, and is guaranteed to get your heart rate pumping, endorphin’s flowing and leave you feeling strong, energized and ready to take on the rest of your day!

You guys know how how much I love, love, love my lower body workouts, The lower body is where your powerhouse muscles are (I’m looking at you quads, glutes and hamstrings) so even with no added weight for resistance you’re guaranteed to still get some serious bang for your workout butt, I mean buck

I should warn you though just because you’re “only” using your body-weight as resistance doesn’t not make this an easy workout. Your quads and glutes will be burning by the final round and you will definitely be feeling the effects of it tomorrow I assure you.

FYI – you maaaayyy be walking a little like this . . .

You have been warned

#thestruggleisreal

Sorry, distracted – where was I . . . body-weight workouts, right;

Body-weight workouts are not only great for traveling but also for those who are just starting out and, they are also really effective in checking form which is so, so important!!!

That being said, if you’re at home and you do have access to your regular gym or you’re simply looking to make things a little more challenging by all means, feel free to kick things up a notch by adding some weights.

Go ahead and grab your weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

So, here’s what we are going to do –

4 basic exercises – Goblet Squats – Calf Raises – Reverse Lunges and Single Leg Deadlifts – we will do 8-10 reps of each exercise then repeat the entire sequence through for your chosen number of rounds, sound good?

Now, I’m not allocating any specific rest breaks in today’s workout but I want you to listen to that beautiful body of yours and rest as needed.

Anytime you feel like you need to take a break to catch your breath and grab a little drink then by all means please do so, and take all the time you need. However, if possible try to wait until you get to the bottom of each round to do so but, do what you gotta do, OK?!

Catch your breath, grab a drink then get straight back into it and repeat your total number of rounds, deal?

How many rounds should you do?! Well that’s entirely up to you.

If you’re doing body-weight only then I suggest you repeat for 4-6 rounds and if you decided to add some weight you have two options.

Option #1 – You can do a lift weights faster/metabolic condition style workout with a lighter set of weights in which case I would suggest 4-6 rounds or as many rounds as pretty in 10-20 minutes depending on how much time you have.

Option #2 – If you’re adding heavy duty weights then I would suggest you repeat for between 3-4 rounds making sure you take a good rest between sets (I’m talking anywhere between 1-3 minutes each), deal?!

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work –

20 Minute Lower Body Workout

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now onto our bonus smoothie recipe . . .

It’s so important to nourish and re-energize your body post workout, you want to make sure you give those muscles some fuel so that they can rebuild and repair themselves after working so hard.

How does a nice tall, light, fresh, tummy taming, anti-inflammatory, tropical inspired smoothie sound?

A combination of tart, tangy coconut yogurt, sweet juicy pineapple, is not only seriously refreshing it’s an absolute taste sensation!

What makes this smoothie so good is that cheeky pinch of turmeric – did you know that turmeric is not only rich in antioxidants, it’s also a natural anti-inflammatory which means it will help fight off those unwanted colds and flus that come along with the change of season and it also aids in digestion?!

And don’t worry, you cant taste the turmeric at all. Promise!

A seriously delicious, light, fresh, tropical inspired smoothie with a bonus nutritional boost, sign me up!!!!

FYI – this pretty little glass of deliciousness also happens to be packed with protein and  slow release, low GI carbs that will help refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours.

It really is simply divine, the perfect way to treat yo’ self and refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours on this fabulous Friday.

Oh and I should probably mention that not only is our tropical inspired super smoothie all kinds of awesome and guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds but, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

Tummy Taming, Anti-Inflammatory, Tropical Turmeric Smoothie
{Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 all natural, light, fresh, thick, creamy, subtly sweet, delicious, nutritious, tummy taming tropical smoothie that will tantalize your taste buds

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

1/2 an overripe banana (preferably pre-frozen)

1/2 cup frozen pineapple pieces (could use fresh if you prefer)

1 teaspoon of ground turmeric (or a 1cm-ish piece of fresh)

1/4-1/2  cup of ice – more or less to desired consistency

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut flakes

Fresh Mint

Extra dusting of Turmeric

Method –

1 – Place all smoothie ingredients into your and process until smooth, creamy and well combined.

2 – Pour into a chilled glass or mason jar then top with coconut flakes, a sprig or two of mint and a little dusting of turmeric if desired.

Note – You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (vanilla or unflavoured would work best in this recipe) and some great lakes gelatin for an extra boost of protein if you’re into that kinda thing – do what you feel baby

Enjoy xoxo

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go;

and have yourself a killer day xoxo

_________________________________________

The post Fit Friday Fun – A {NEW} 20 Minute Lower Body Workout + A Bonus Tummy Taming, Anti-Inflammatory, Tropical Turmeric Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.

Today I’m sharing one short, sharp Halloween inspired boooooooooty burning workout that you can get in and get done in just 30 minutes what do you say, are you in?

You guys know how how much I love, love, love my lower body workouts, The lower body is where your powerhouse muscles are (I’m looking at you quads, glutes and hamstrings) which means you get a serious bang for your workout butt, I mean buck

So, here’s what we are going to do –

5 basic exercises – Deadlift – Reverse Lunge – Squat – Calf Raise and Walking Lunges – we will do 8-10 reps of each exercise and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, sound good?

Nothing complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective lower body workout.

We will move from one exercise to the next with minimal/no rest in between – I’m not allocating any specific rest breaks in today’s workout but I want you to listen to that beautiful body of yours and rest as needed.

Anytime you feel like you need to take a break to catch your breath and grab a little drink then by all means please do so, and take all the time you need. However, if possible try to wait until you get to the bottom of each round to do so but, do what you gotta do, OK?!

Catch your breath, grab a drink then get straight back into it and repeat for a total of 3 rounds, deal?

Now, for those of you are just starting out or are new to lifting feel free to do this workout without any added weight, believe me when I say just because you’re “only” using your body-weight as resistance doesn’t not make this an easy workout.

Your quads and glutes will be burning by the final round and you will definitely be feeling the effects of it tomorrow I assure you.

For our more experienced lifters, grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail your done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work –

30 minute Booooooooty Burning Workout

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now for our post workout refuel –  Smoothies are a great option for your post workout refuel, they are so quick and easy to prepare and a great option for those of us who don’t have much of an appetite post workout.

It’s so important to nourish and re-energize your body post workout, you want to make sure  you give those muscles some fuel so that they can rebuild and repair themselves after working so hard.

How does a nice tall, ice cold, decadent, rich, delicious, nutritious, secretly healthy, seriously chocolaty, chocolate mudslide smoothie sound?

I don’t know about you but it’s sounds preeeeety good to me, um hello did someone say chocolate?!

Let me tell you, if you think this smoothie sounds good wait until you taste it!

It’s subtly sweet, decadent and rich with a nice little hint of espresso and a gentle hum of cinnamon, this secretly healthy chocolate mudslide smoothie is deliciously indulgent, the perfect pick me up for anytime of day!

It really is simply divine, the perfect way to refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours on this fabulous Friday.

Oh and I should probably mention that not only is our dark and delicious, secretly healthy chocolate mudslide smoothie outrageously delicious, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

Secretly Healthy, Chocolate Mudslide Smoothie
{Vegan. Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 all natural, thick, creamy, subtly sweet, decadent, rich, deliciously indulgent and seriously chocolate smoothie.

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

1/2 an overripe banana (preferably pre-frozen)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon of cacao

1 shot of espresso – full strength or decaf works and you could sub 1 tsp of instant espresso granules if you prefer

A pinch of cinnamon

1/4-1/2  cup of ice – more or less to desired consistency.

For serving –

Cacao nibs – I use this cacao crunch by Power Superfoods

Coconut Flakes

Method –

1 – Place all smoothie ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

2 – To serve, pour into a chilled glass/mason jar or bowl and top with shredded coconut and cacao nibs if desired.

Note – You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (vanilla, chocolate or unflavoured would work really well in this recipe) and some great lakes gelatin for an extra boost of protein if you’re into that kinda thing – do what you feel baby

Enjoy xoxo

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go;

and have yourself a killer day xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

The post Fit Friday Fun – A 30 Minute Halloween Inspired BOOOOOOOOty Burning Workout & A Bonus {Secretly Healthy} Chocolate Mudslide Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.

You guys know how how much I love, love, love my lower body workouts, The lower body is where your powerhouse muscles are (I’m looking at you quads, glutes and hamstrings) which means you get a serious bang for your workout butt, I mean buck

Your heart rate will be pumping, endorphin’s flowing ah how I love that post workout rush!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

3 basic exercises – Squats – Step Ups  and Reverse Lunges  we will do 10 reps of each exercise then take one full minutes rest and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, got it?

Nothing complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective lower body workout.

We will move from one exercise to the next with minimal/no rest in between then once we have completed all reps of each exercises we will take 1 delicious minute of rest and recovery – catch your breath, grab a drink then we get straight back into it and repeat for a total of 3 rounds, deal?

Now, for those of you who are just getting started or may not have access to a gym of any kind of weights you can absolutely do with workout without any added weight and let me tell you, you will be feeling it. Your quads and glutes will be burning by the final round and you will definitely be feeling the effects of it tomorrow I assure you.

Body-weight workouts are great for those who are just starting out and they are also really effective in checking form which is so, so important

For our fully functioning/more advanced lifters who might be looking to make things a little more challenging by all means, feel free to add some weights – grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail your done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work –

15 Minute Lower Body Burn

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now onto our bonus smoothie recipe . . .

It’s so important to nourish and re-energize your body post workout, you want to make sure you give those muscles some fuel so that they can rebuild and repair themselves after working so hard.

How does a nice tall, light, fresh,creamy, dreamy, delicious, nutritious, subtly sweet, secretly healthy, tropical inspired, pretty pink strawberry pina colada sound?

Let me tell you, if you think this smoothie sounds good wait until you taste it!

It really is simply divine, the perfect way to treat yo’ self and refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours on this fabulous Friday.

Oh and I should probably mention that not only is our pretty pink, secretly healthy, strawberry pina colada seriously delicious, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

Healthy, Strawberry Pina Colada Smoothie {Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo friendly}
Makes 1 light, fresh,creamy, dreamy, delicious, nutritious, subtly sweet, secretly healthy, tropical inspired, pretty pink strawberry pina colada 

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon of rum extract (optional)

1/2 cup of frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 an overripe banana (preferably pre-frozen)

1/4-1/2  cup of ice – more or less to desired consistency

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut flakes

Fresh Mint

Method –

1 – Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

2 – Top with coconut flakes, and fresh mint if desired.

Note – You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (vanilla or unflavoured would work best in this recipe) and some great lakes gelatin for an extra boost of protein if you’re into that kinda thing – do what you feel baby

Enjoy xoxo

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go;

have yourself a killer day xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

When it comes to smoothies tell me, are you team plain Jane or team toppings?? Me?! I’m totally team toppings, 100%

Feel free to share recipes or leave links to recipes in the comments below and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this smoothie (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Fit Friday Fun – A 15 Minute Lower Body Workout + a bonus Healthy, Strawberry Pina Colada Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.

Today I’m sharing one short, sharp booty building workout that you can get done in just 30 minutes what do you say, are you in?

You guys know how how much I love, love, love my lower body workouts, The lower body is where your powerhouse muscles are (I’m looking at you quads, glutes and hamstrings) which means you get a serious bang for your workout butt, I mean buck

So, here’s what we are going to do –

5 basic exercises – Squat – Reverse Lunge – Deadlift – Forward Lunge and Glute Bridges – we will do 8 reps of each exercise and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, sound good?

Nothing complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective lower body workout.

We will move from one exercise to the next with minimal/no rest in between then once we have completed all reps of each exercises we will take 1 full delicious minute of rest and recovery – catch your breath, grab a drink then we get straight back into it and repeat for a total of 3 rounds, deal?

Now, for those of you are just starting out or are new to lifting feel free to do this workout without any added weight, believe me when I say just because you’re “only” using your body-weight as resistance doesn’t not make this an easy workout.

Your quads and glutes will be burning by the final round and you will definitely be feeling the effects of it tomorrow I assure you.

For our more experienced lifters, grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail your done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work –

30 minute Booty Building Lower Body Workout

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now for our post workout refuel –  Smoothies are a great option for your post workout refuel, they are so quick and easy to prepare and a great option for those of us who don’t have much of an appetite post workout.

It’s so important to nourish and re-energize your body post workout, you want to make sure  you give those muscles some fuel so that they can rebuild and repair themselves after working so hard.

Today I thought I would share another bonus smoothie recipe for us to enjoy – how does a nice tall, delicious, nutritious, blackberry cheesecake smoothie sound?

This bad boy is packed with protein and low GI carbs so it will help refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours. It also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly but, most importantly, it’s downright delicious.

Seriously you guys this smoothie is so good, it’s light, fresh and subtly sweet. The sweetness of those blackberries combined with that tart, tangy coconut yogurt and the zingy lemon zest is simply divine.

This blackberry cheesecake smoothie taste like straight up dessert and I know you are just going to love, love, love it!

Enjoy xo

Blackberry Cheesecake Smoothie {Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}

Makes 1 delicious, nutritious, thick and creamy, subtly sweet, tart and tangy berry-licious smoothie that taste like straight up dessert.

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut (or Greek style) yogurt

1/2 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (or milk of choice)

1/2 Frozen Banana (I prefer to used pre-sliced and frozen bananas in my smoothies but fresh works just fine)

1/2 cup of frozen blackberries

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

1/2-1 cup of ice

Optional for serving –

Shredded coconut

Extra lemon zest

You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (vanilla or unflavoured would work best in this recipe) and some great lakes gelatin for an extra boost of protein if you’re into that kinda thing – do what you feel baby

Method –

Place all ingredients into your blender and process until smooth.

To serve, pour into a glass or mason jar, top with coconut flakes and extra lemon zest if desired.

Enjoy xo

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go –

and have yourself a killer day xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

What’s your favorite way to refuel after a workout?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this smoothie (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Fit Friday Fun – A 30 minute Booty Building lower body workout & A bonus Blackberry Cheesecake Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.