Alright party people, it’s that time again, time for another round of fit Friday fun, are you ready?!

Last week we worked on sculpting our shoulders so today I thought we would have ourselves a  short, sharp lower body workout that you can get in and get done in just 20 minutes what do you say, are you up for it?

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

So, here’s what we are going to do –

4 exercises – Step Ups – Reverse Lunges – Squats and Squat Jumps – we will do 8-10 reps of each exercise (for step ups and lunges count reps per leg) and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 4 rounds, sound good?

Now, I’m not allocating any specific rest breaks in today’s workout, the aim is to move from one exercise to the next with minimal/no rest in between  but that does not mean you don’t take any rest.

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 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?!

If you feel like you need to stop, grab a drink and catch your breath, by all means do so, take all the time you need,  then get straight back into it and repeat for a total of 4 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 –

20 minute {No Equipment}
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 bonus smoothie recipe . . .

How does a nice tall, subtly sweet, deliciously nutty, creamy, dreamy, maple-pecan banana smoothie sound?

Don’t let it’s humble, beige appearance fool you, this smoothie tastes like an absolute dream!

Tart tangy coconut yogurt is combined with a creamy, dreamy, frozen banana, a heaping spoonful of our healthy, homemade, maple-pecan almond butter, a splash of vanilla, a drizzle of maple syrup.

I know it may not sound (or look) like much but believe me, this maple-pecan banana smoothie is so blissfully delicious, one sip will immediately transport you to cloud 9!

It’s subtly sweet, deliciously nutty, seriously creamy and simply divine!

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

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

Oh and I should probably mention that not only does our deliciously simple, maple-pecan banana bliss smoothie taste like heaven in a cup, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

Maple-Pecan Banana Bliss
{Vegan. Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes 1 all natural, subtly sweet, creamy, dreamy, secretly healthy, deliciously nutty 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 heaping Tablespoon of our healthy, homemade, maple-pecan almond butter – (or 1 Tbsp of chopped almonds + 1 Tbsp of chopped pecans & 1 tsp of maple syrup)

1 Tablespoon of Maple syrup – more or less to taste, depending on how sweet you like your smoothies

4-6 drops of Vanilla Cream Stevia – I use Sweet Leaf Stevia  (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)

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

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut flakes

Cacao nibs

Chopped pecans

Chopped almonds

A drizzle of maple-pecan almond butter – or nut butter of choice

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, chopped nuts and a drizzle of maple-pecan almond butter if desired.

You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (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/go to quickie workout when you really want to get a good sweat on but your pressed for time??

Feel free to share tips, tricks and/or links to your fave workouts 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} Lower Body Workout + A Maple-Pecan Banana Bliss 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.