You know what that means, it’s time for another round of fit Friday fun and boy are we gonna have some fun today!

Today, I thought I’d we’d have ourselves a short and sharp, 20 minute, total body burning, strength, conditioning workout. What do you say . . .

Of course you do! Power in numbers baby!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

5 exercises;

Deadlift
Bent Over Row
Squat
Overhead Press &
Waiter Walk

We will do 10 reps of each exercise (count reps per leg for the waiter walk) and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 4 rounds (or as many rounds as pretty in 20 minutes), adding/removing weight and resting as needed, sound good?

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

And remember, just because I’m not allocating any specific rest breaks doesn’t mean you don’t take them! I want you to listen to that beautiful body of yours and anytime you feel like you need to take a break to catch your breath and grab a little drink then by all means do so, and take all the time you need. However, if possible try to wait until you get to the end of each set or the bottom of each round to take your break if you can but, do what you gotta do, OK?!

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

The final reps in each set should be tough!

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 –

 
– 20 Minute –

Total 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 . . .

How does a nice tall, light, fresh, creamy, dreamy, subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, anti-inflammatory, tummy taming, chai spiced, iced golden milk latte sound?

This smoothie not only tastes simply divine with combination of creamy yoghurt with the subtle sweetness of our frozen banana, a splash of vanilla and the gentle, belly warming hum of our chai inspired spice blend but, this pretty little smoothie of ours also happens to be a nutritional powerhouse!

It’s rich in antioxidants, a natural anti-inflammatory, it’s great for digestion, great for heart health, will help stabilize blood sugar, lower your risk of diabetes, improve brain function and boost your immunity! 

How is it possible that one pretty little cup can pack such a serious nutritional punch and be all kinds of delicious?!

I honestly have no idea how it’s possible I just know that it is and I (and my tummy, brain and digestive system) are extremely thankful. One sip and I think know that you (and that beautiful body of yours) will agree, no question!

It really is simply divine, the perfect way to treat yo’ self on this fabulous Friday.

Oh and I should probably mention that not only does our delicious, nutritious, pretty little, iced golden milk latte taste like an absolute dream but, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free, sugar free, keto and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

Iced, Chai-Spiced Golden Milk Latte
{Vegan. Gluten Free, Sugar Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 nice tall, light, fresh, creamy, dreamy, deliciously, nutritious, subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, chai inspired iced golden milk latte

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

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

1 Tablespoon of coconut butter or coconut oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla (or 4-6 drops of vanilla cream stevia – I like to use Sweet Leaf Stevia )

1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon of cardamom

1/8 teaspoon of cloves

1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger

A pinch of pink salt

1 pinch of ground black pepper – this is important as the chemical compound in the black pepper is what helps and enables the body to absorb all of those important nutrients in the turmeric! You can’t taste the pepper, promise.

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

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut flakes

Cacao nibs

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, cacao nibs and spices if desired.

NOTE – You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (vanilla, chocolate or unflavoured,  would work well in this recipe ) and some some vital proteins collagen peptides (use the code NHN329 to get 10% off ) 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 –

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 20 Minute Body Burn & An Iced, Chai-Spiced Golden Milk Latte first appeared on Better with Cake.

F-F-Friday baby!!!!!!

You know what that means, it’s time for another round of fit Friday fun and boy are we gonna have some fun today!

So . . .

Raise your hand if you’re ready to get in and get good sweat on?!

Ok good because that is exactly what we are going to do today!

Today, I thought I’d we’d have ourselves a short and sharp, no equipment, total body, HIIT (High Intensity Hit Training) style workout that you do anywhere, anytime, in just 20 minutes!

Because some days you just need a short, sharp cardio blast am I right?!

Get in, get it done, and get on with living!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

4 exercises;

Step Ups
Squats
Burpees
Hand Release Push Ups

We will do each exercise for 45 seconds then take 15 seconds rest before moving on to the next (make sure you alternate legs while doing your step ups) then, we will take one full minutes rest and repeat the entire sequence through  for a total of 4 rounds, or as many rounds a pretty in 20 minutes.

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

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

Just because you’re “only” doing 4 exercises using nothing but your beautiful body as resistance does not make this an easy workout.  Trust me, by the final round and you will be feel the burn from head to toe but and you will definitely be feeling the after burn effect tomorrow I guarantee it.

That being said, once you’re done you will be feeling energized and strong, ready to take on the rest of your day!

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 –

No Equipment

Total 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, creamy, dreamy, mango, mint and lime smoothie sound?

Tart tangy coconut yogurt is blended with a creamy, dreamy, frozen banana, a splash of vanilla, sweet juicy mango along with some fresh mint leaves and a touch of lime zest! Can you say yuuummmmmmmm?! 

One sip will immediately transport you to your own, private tropical paradise! 

Oh and I should probably mention that not only does our dreamy little smoothie taste like an like an absolute dream but, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

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.

Mango, Mint and Lime Smoothie
{Vegan – Dairy Free – Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 nice tall, light, fresh, creamy, dreamy, mango, mint and lime smoothie

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

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

1/3 cup frozen mango pieces

1 Tablespoon of mint leaves (firmly packed – approx 8-10 large leaves)

1 teaspoon of freshly grated lime zest

1 teaspoon of vanilla (or 4-6 drops of vanilla cream stevia – I like to use Sweet Leaf Stevia )

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

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut flakes

Chia seeds

Fresh Mint

Lime Zest

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, chia seeds, lime zest and a sprig or two of 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

PS –

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 A 20 Minute {No Equipment} Total Body Workout & A Bonus Mango, Mint & Lime Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.

It’s Friday again already can you believe it?!

Not only is it Friday but it’s the first Friday in May?!

Sloooowwwww down 2017!!!!!

But, here we are, another fabulous Fri-Yay is upon us and you know what that means . . .

. . .  it’s time for another round of fit Friday fun!!!!

Today I’m sharing a short, sharp total body workout that you can get in and get done in around 20 minutes a what do you say, are you up for it?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with the right combination of exercises you can have an awesome workout in next to no time at all, and that my friend is what we are going to do today!

Today’s workout is called full body fiesta with very good reason, although it’s made up of just a handful of familiar exercises, believe me when I say you will be feeling the burn from top to tail!

In today’s workout we are going to do 6 exercises that incorporate most of your major muscle groups, I’m talkin’ quads, glutes, hamstrings, back, lats, delts/shoulders, chest, biceps and abs/core which means you get serious bang for your workout buck!

Just because your workout is short doesn’t mean it’s not effective, trust me. When you’re done with this workout, your heart rate will be pumping, endorphin’s flowing, metabolism firing and have you feeling, strong and energized ready to take on the rest of the day!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

6 exercises – Deadlift – Bent Over Row – Bicep Curls – Over Head Press – Squats and Triceps Extensions – we will aim to do 8 reps of each exercise and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, got it?

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

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, deal?

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 –

 20 Minute Full Body Fiesta

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 bonus smoothie recipe . . .

In honor of Cinco De Mayo (and I because I had a serious craving for a killer iced chocolate) I thought we could have ourselves fun and festive, Mexican inspired smoothie today.

How does a nice tall, light, fresh, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolatey, creamy. dreamy, delicious, nutritious Mexican Mudslide sound?

Did you know that research shows that cayenne pepper has been known to boost metabolism as well as support weight loss, aid digestion, promote heart health and reduce muscle and joint pain?!

Seriously, how cool is that?!

I promise this smoothie doesn’t taste spicy, that cheeky spoonful of tahini (or you could use cashew butter if you prefer) not only makes your smoothie extra creamy and all kinds of delicious but, it helps to balance out that richness of the chocolate and tones down that little kick of heat so what you’re left with is a sneaky yet powerful nutritional boost and a subtle, gentle belly warming hum of deliciousness.

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 does our fun and festive, seriously chocolatey smoothie taste like an absolute dream but, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

Trust me, you want to get in on this!

Mexican Mudslide
{Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly}

Makes 1 ice cold, light, fresh, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, creamy, dreamy, delicious, nutritious, seriously chocolaty Mexican mudslide that has a cheeky little kick of heat.

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

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

1 teaspoon of vanilla (or 4-6 drops of vanilla cream stevia – I like to use Sweet Leaf Stevia )

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

1 Tablespoon of cacao

1 Tablespoon of Tahini or Cashew butter

1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon

A pinch of Cayenne pepper (more or less to taste. FYI – I used 1/2 of my 1/8th tsp)

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

Optional but recommended for serving –

Cacao nibs – I use actually this cacao crunch by Power Superfoods

Coconut Flakes

Chili flakes if your feeling extra fiesty

Method –

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

2 – To serve, pour into a chilled glass or mason jar and garnish with a cacao nibs, coconut and chili if desired.

Note – You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (chocolate, vanilla or unflavoured would work 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 –

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 20 Minute Full Body Fiesta Workout & A Mexican Mudslide Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.

You know what that means, it’s time for another round of fit Friday fun and boy are we gonna have some fun today!

Wait, wait, don’t go . . . we won’t literally be doing 100 billion burpees (well, not quite ) but, you and I both know that even “just” doing 10 burpees feels like a billion and I know, I know we say we hate em’ we deep, deep, deep, DEEP, DEEP down, we also sorta, kinda love em’ don’t we

Here’s what we are going to do –

4 basic exercises;

In & Out Jump Squats
Burpees
Mountain Climbers &
Russian twists

The first time through we will do 21 reps of each exercise and repeat the entire sequence through this time doing 15 reps each exercise, then, 9 reps each, then back up to 15 reps each and finish with one final power round of 21 reps each – what do you say, are you up for the challenge?

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?!

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

And remember, 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 –

 She loves me, she loves me not . . .
Total Body Conditioning 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, subtly sweet, secretly healthy, creamy, dream strawberry choc chip chiller sound?

A combination of tart, tangy coconut yogurt, sweet juicy strawberries and some cheeky cacao nibs (or dark chocolate chips if you like) is not only seriously refreshing but it tastes like an absolute dream!

Hello chocolate and strawberries = match made in heaven!

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 does our divine little smoothie taste like an absolute dream but, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

Strawberry Choc Chip Chiller
{Vegan. Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 all natural, light, fresh, subtly sweet, secretly healthy, creamy, dreamy, choc chip studded strawberry smoothie

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

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

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

1 teaspoon of vanilla (or 4-6 drops of vanilla cream stevia – I like to use Sweet Leaf Stevia )

1 Tablespoon of cacao nibs (or dark chocolate chips)

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

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut flakes

Extra cacao nibs (or dark chocolate chips)

Strawberries

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, cacao nibs and a fresh strawberry 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 remember;

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 A 20 Minute {No Equipment} Total Body Conditioning Workout & A Strawberry Choc Chip Chiller Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.