EmpowerMoms

BRAND NEW from Jillian Michaels!

To be released on August 23, 2016.

Comprised of five, 10-minute workouts, Jillian aims to transform your body with a variety of short, yet highly efficient workout programs.

DVD Includes:
Five, 10 minutes workouts and a universal warm-up and cool-down that can be added to any program. Workouts can also be combined for a longer, customized training session.

– Pilates Power

– Cardio Burn

– Booty Boot Camp

– Calisthenics

– Kickbox Blast

I wanted to share with you 2 free strength training routines that I’ve been doing off and on the past 2 months. Both routines are from “Tone It Up” and are FREE!

This one uses dumbbells and is a 30 day challenge. Each week you progress with more reps and sets. I’ve been using 5 and 6 pound handweights.

Here’s the link to the calendar and workout:
http://www.shape.com/fitness/training-plans/dumbell-exercises-30-day-fitness-challenges

The second routine uses a Kettlebell and stretchy loop resistance band. I LOVE using my kettlebell. I’ve been using 15-20 pounds.

Biki Kettle Band routine link is here:
https://www.toneitup.com/workouts/new-workout-bikini-kettle-band/

Have you done either of these routines? What do you think?

Monday August 1 starts week 4 of the 6 week Jessica Smith Summer of Strength challenge.

You can join in at any time! Here’s week 1 schedule and specifics about the challenge:
http://empowermoms.net/2016/07/week-1-alternate-workouts-for-jessica-smith-phase-3-walk-strong-2-0-calendar-summerofstrength.html

Week 2:
http://empowermoms.net/2016/07/week-2-alternate-workouts-for-jessica-smith-phase-3-walk-strong-2-0-calendar-summerofstrength.html

Week 3:
http://empowermoms.net/2016/07/week-3-alternate-workouts-for-jessica-smith-phase-3-walk-strong-2-0-calendar-summerofstrength.html

These are WEEK 4 suggestions for an alternate Walking Strong 2.0/Phase 3 calendar if you don’t have the DVDs listed on the calendar. I made up these suggestions entirely on my own and I hope you will find them useful! If you do, please recommend my blog and these posts to others so they can join the fitness challenge.

You can do these suggested workouts along with the 2.0 calendar to get a 60 minute workout; or you can do these workouts in place of whatever dvds you don’t own right now.

I went thru the Walk Strong 2.0 calendar week by week to then find alternate free Jessica Smith TV YouTube workouts that were similar in style and time length. Each alternate workout suggestion is either cardio or strength exactly like the calendar suggests, and is within 5 minutes more or less of the suggested time.

MONDAY: (need hand weights and mat)
Circuit #1 “Upper Focus” STRENGTH workout from the Boost Metabolism and Muscle DVD (35 mins)
OR
1 mile upper body (20 mins) AND 12 min arms upper body (12 mins)

TUESDAY:
“Steady, Ready, GO!” CARDIO workout from Burn Fat and Have Fun DVD (30 mins)
OR
Power Interval Walk (30 mins)

OR
Indoor Jogging (40 mins)

WEDNESDAY: (need hand weights and mat)
Circuit #2 “Lower Focus” STRENGTH workout from the Boost Metabolism and Muscle DVD (35 mins)
OR
1 Mile Lower Body Circuit (18 mins) AND 12 Minute Booty Sculpting Exercises (13 mins)

THURSDAY: (need resistance band)
“Balance and Agility” from Build Balance and Inner Strength DVD (30 mins)
OR
Strength and Cardio Workout: Fusion Band (40 mins)

FRIDAY: (need hand weights and mat)
Circuit #3 “Total Body Focus” STRENGTH workout from the Boost Metabolism & Muscle DVD (35 mins)
OR
Total Body Toned (26 mins)

SATURDAY: (need hand weights and mat)
“Poise and Grace” STRENGTH workout from Build Balance and Inner Strength DVD (30 mins)
OR
20-Minute Barefoot Fusion Sculpt (26 mins)

SUNDAY:
Active Rest Day

ADDITIONAL WORKOUT SUGGESTIONS FOR ACTIVE REST OR STRETCHING:

Active cardio flow/Yoga workout (not slow stretching pace) 20 mins:

8 Minute Total Body Stretch with hand towel after a workout (not cold muscles):

30-Minute Stretching, Flexibility Routine: Stretch, Rest and Relax:

10 Minute Flexibility Training Workout:

>>>Be on the look out for Week 5 to be posted here on my blog soon! I will be posting my daily workout pictures and progress on my Instagram page, so make sure you follow me there. I’d love to hear how you are doing with the challenge as well.

Every Bride Has Her Day: A Novel (Brides with Style) by Janice Thompson is #3 of the 3 book “Brides of Style” series.

The cover is so pretty and very romantic.

I had hoped to like this book but maybe its geared towards a younger audience? I read more than half the book before I put it down because I kept hoping for more of a plot. It appeared that the whole book was about Katie stressing and obsessing about her wedding and wanting to make sure she “got her way” with her wedding plans without offending anyone.

There were alot of characters in and out of the story-I had a hard time keeping everyone straight and who was getting married to who. I haven’t read the other 2 Brides of Style books, so maybe I would have liked this story better if I had-not sure.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books, a division of of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the Book
Katie Fisher is ecstatic. Pro basketball star Brady James has proposed, and she can’t wait to start planning their life together. She’s confident she’ll make it down the aisle this time–but it still may be easier said than done. A high-society Houston bride has Katie and the Cosmopolitan Bridal team scrambling to get the perfect dress done in time for her spectacular wedding. Meanwhile, Katie finds herself bombarded with everyone’s competing visions regarding her own special day–and she’s beginning to worry that her own ideas will get lost in the crossfire. Will she ever manage to settle all of the details for her perfect day? Or will bridal shop chaos and overzealous friends and family make a mess of everything?

About the Author
Janice Thompson is an expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into and offers an inside look at the wedding business, drawing on her own experiences as a wedding planner. She is the author of the hugely popular Weddings by Bella series, the Backstage Pass series, and the Weddings by Design series, as well as Every Bride Needs a Groom and Every Girl Gets Confused. She lives in Texas. Learn more at www.janiceathompson.com.

Did you know that Jessica Smith TV has HUNDREDS of free workouts on her YouTube channel? I’ve been using her dvd and youtube videos for years and love them!

In May she released this 35 min step strength training workout that was awesome so I wanted to share it with all of you! It is more for intermediate level, not beginner. You will need a step and two sets of hand weights for this workout. It is pretty fast pace and great, sweaty calorie burn!

I don’t know why I thought I would be okay with this many risers, since Jessica was using her step and one set of risers! (eye roll) Boy was I sore the next day! 😉 I wouldn’t recommend using more than 2 risers and the step which I will be doing next time. I really enjoyed this strength training workout!

Here’s the free workout. Let me know what you think!

Published on May 28, 2016

Combine your cardio and strength training into one efficient and effective home circuit workout! This total body resistance training session keeps your heart rate in the cardio zone the entire time for a 2 for 1 workout. You can add a step for an additional challenge if desired, but this workout can also be done without one.

Intensity: Moderate to High (low impact options shown)

NEED A STEP??