Quick Total Body HIIT Ladder Sequence

For a quick total body workout, with only one set of heavy to medium weight dumbbells, have fun with this ladder sequence. You will first complete 21 reps of 3 exercises, then 15 reps of the same exercises, followed by 9 reps. Finally you will complete the workout with another round of 21 reps.
Notice the heavy breathing and grunting! My boot campers deserve some kudos for completing these after first doing 40 minutes of strength exercises. Great job!!

What is YOUR Marathon?

Today is one of my favorite days in Chicago.  Marathon Day.  I love it!  Not because I am out there running the marathon (I am not), but because of the energy that is felt throughout the city.  It is amazing to watch these professionals run 26.2 miles with their last mile being faster than any single mile I have ever run.  But for me it is not just these elite athletes that inspire.  It is the thousands of people that have made a goal, set forth to accomplish that goal and are now conquering it.   For some, the goal may be to complete the marathon in a personal best record time, while others may just want to finish be it walking, jogging or running, still others are out to raise funds for one of their favorite charities. Whatever their goal, they are out there doing it – and the city of Chicago is behind them cheering them along.

What is Your Marathon?  Is it running a 5K?  Sticking with a diet? Competing in a triathlon?  Try to come up with something that you really want to accomplish – something that is challenging yet achievable and start conquering your “Marathon.”

In honor of the Chicago Marathon, I wanted to share some of my favorite Runner’s Tips from my Runner’s World Daily Tips by Seller’s Publishing, Inc.  They apply not only to runners but to all athletes.

“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years that they spend preparing for it.  The victorious performance is merely the demonstration of their championship character.” – T. Alan Armstrong, author

“Performance is a subjective measure of workout quality, not quantity nor intensity.  If you felt great on yesterday’s run, you’d evaluate that as good.  If you felt sluggish on that same run, you’d count it as poor.  Trending workout quality – multiple poors in a row – is one of the easiest ways to identify the need for more recovery.”

“When your body is overwhelmed by training (or other sensors), it produces hormones like cortisol that can cause irritability or anxiety.  Stress also halts chemicals like dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that has a big bummer effect on mood when depleted.  Crankiness probably means not enough recovery.”

“It’s the road sign: ‘Beware of lions.’” – Kip Lagat, Kenyan distance runner, during Sydney Olympics, explaining why his country produces so many great runners.

And, my personal favorite (because it is so NOT me, but makes me laugh everytime)…

“Imagine that the runner next to you just did something terrible to you like stealing your iPod.  That’ll amp up the competition – and the fun.”  (fun?, seriously???)

Good luck in tackling YOUR MARATHON!

Kettlebell Workout

If you have a set of Kettlebells OR Dumbbells, you can get this interval workout in at home with boosts of power strength and strength exercises.

HIIT Total Body Segment

Do it alone or pair with my HIIT Core Workout for a longer full body workout! Only equipment needed are some dumbbells. Enjoy your workout!

Namaste

What a glorious day! Our yoga at the beach was so beautiful that I just had to share some photos from the day.  In fact, it was so gorgeous and peaceful and our instructor was so fantastic that even I ENJOYED YOGA!! Thank you Amy H.!

My view while upside down in some contorted position.

Yoga

If you know me, then you probably know that I am not a big “Yogi”. While I know yoga is good for you and it is probably a good idea to incorporate it into your workout schedule, I find myself mentally elsewhere while my body is in the studio trying to contort into some odd position that I am not so sure it wants to go. But, alas, as I mentioned, I know it is good for you.

This week, as some of you are considering embarking with me on the 24 Day Challenge of cleanse and nutrition, join me as I embark on yet another challenge…Yoga! After all, it is National Yoga Month.

Amy Hepburn, a friend and yoga instructor is offering to “Fit with Fronzie” clients and readers a FREE Yoga class at the Lake Forest Beach this Wednesday at 1 p.m. Please read on for all the fabulous benefits of yoga.

From Amy Hepburn – certified yoga instructor

From a purely physical standpoint yoga is a great full body workout. Muscles are strengthened and stretched,  and tight spaces open up, be they in the hips, hamstrings or shoulders.  People are often intimidated to try yoga because they don’t think they’re flexible — flexibility is not a pre-requisite for yoga but is certainly a by-product of the practice!  If you ever experience stiffness in the joints or the spine, this is another great reason to add a little yoga to your workout — the joints are rejuvenated and one’s range of motion often increases.  The twisting poses help to detoxify the body through compressing the tissues of the internal organs — a common metaphor is the idea of taking a sponge and wringing it out — helping to cleanse and detox the organs.

 

The mental benefits of a yoga practice are equally profound — a regular practice can help to calm the mind; easing anxiety and reducing stress.  People suffering from depression or insomnia can also benefit from a yoga practice. On a personal level, I started practicing yoga about 15 years ago.  It was first offered at my gym and I remember thinking that it was more like a “work-in” than a “work-out.”  All I can tell you is yoga keeps me grounded and makes me feel good. 

Thanks,

Amy

 – photo by yogabecause.com

HIIT Core Workout

An excellent core workout using several variations of Mountain Climbers. A great workout if you don’t have a lot of time. It’ll take you about 10 minutes that can be squeezed in before or after work.

Fit with Fronzie’s Fall Cleanse

Cleanse

Nutrition. It’s a hard thing to figure out. Every person is different.  Every diet is different. As we age our dietary needs and restrictions may change. We may crave certain foods that we’ve never craved before. We may dislike foods that we’d always enjoyed before.

As many of you know I completed the 100 days of real food challenge at the beginning of 2013. I went 100 days without eating any preservatives or processed foods. My body loved it. I felt better mentally and physically.  Since my challenge was completed in mid April, I have continued to eat mostly real food. But now I’m ready for a new challenge and I am hoping that you will join me.

I never signed on for a cleanse before, quite frankly, because I wasn’t ready.  I was concerned that there would be too much dietary restrictions that would not allow for any sustainable gains.  But now the timing is right and I have found the right cleanse for me. Did you know that, on average, our bodies only absorb 30% of our food’s nutrients? After a cleanse, our bodies can absorb 90%!

Since there are a lot of cleanses that people are doing, we all have a lot of options. You need to find the right one for you.  I found one that has spoken to me because it is not only a cleanse but also a nutrition piece. The 24 day Advocare Challenge incorporates a 10 day cleanse followed by 14 days of nutrition.  Since it is said that it takes 21 days to make something a habit, this 24 day challenge will help to make all your gains toward better nutritional eating sustainable.   Advocare is a health and wellness company that provides nutritional and skincare products, as well as performance enhancing products.  You can read more about Advocare and the challenge at www.advocare.com.

If you think this is something you are interested in, I invite you to join me in this cleanse.  I will be with you every step of the way, with daily emails and menus, as well as grocery lists and encouragement.  I am hoping to get about 20 people to join me in the challenge so we can encourage each other along.  We will start the challenge on Monday, September 30th so that the cleanse portion will fall on only one weekend.  You can sign up for the cleanse now by ordering your 24 day challenge kit directly at Advocare Fronzie (Click on Shop and then you can choose your 24 day challenge kit – I recommend the MNS 3) or you can order at my kick-off night.

I have invited my good friend Ashley to help us kick off the cleanse by walking us through the process on Monday, September 23rd at 7 p.m.  She will speak to us about how the cleanse has worked for her, how we can be successful in the cleanse and answer any questions you may have.  Come to learn more, or come for encouragement.  For our out-of-town followers who can’t make the event, we’ll keep you connected on-line so you can fully participate from wherever you are! 

Fall Kick-Off Boot Camp

Kick off your fall workout schedule with my neighborhood boot camp. If the neighbors can do it, so can you!

Protect Your Time

Protecting Your Time

My husband, Steve, and I run together almost every Sunday morning. I love these runs. They are usually not about going as fast as we can, or as far as we can. Instead, they really are a cherished time for us to run and talk together, but to also listen to what our bodies are telling us to do instead of what our “workout schedule” is telling us to do. Usually we incorporate some beach time on our runs too, be it looking down from atop or an actual break on the beach. This morning we took a longer break on the beach than usual and witnessed nature at its finest.

These runs provide just as much emotional benefits as they do physical. Often times, I will catch myself thinking that perhaps we should skip the run this week due to our busy schedules. But, in the end, if I make the right decision, we head out for our run and my day and week are better.

Find something that you enjoy – preferably that incorporates some form of movement – a bike ride, run, boot camp, spin class – and protect that time. Find that special something, and make it a priority by “penning” it into your calendar. Treat yourself to it every week and do not let your busy life prevent you from enjoying it. Cherish that time emotionally and physically.